Bristow-Columbia Deal Stalls

Bristow Group’s plan to merge with Oregon-based Columbia Helicopters appears to have hit a snag. In November, Bristow announced its intention to acquire Columbia for $560 million in a cash/debt/stock deal that was expected to close by the end of 2018. One month after announcing the deal, Bristow filed a Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission revealing, “Based upon current market conditions, the company no longer expects to complete the acquisition on or before December 31, 2018.” 

The purchase agreement provides that either party can terminate the deal if it does not close by April 9, 2019, subject to an additional “marketing period.” If the deal fails, Bristow would owe Columbia a $20 million termination fee. 

Under terms of the proposed deal, the Lematta family and current management will convert their $77 million stake in Columbia to 7.1 million shares of Bristow stock, which plunged 20 percent to $7.96 a share immediately after the deal was announced. Bristow’s share price has continued to fall, reaching a low of $2.12 per share on December 24 before rebounding in recent days to the $3 range as the price of oil began rising again from year-end lows that approached $40 per barrel.

Last week, a Bristow spokesman told AIN that the company was still “working hard” to close the deal. 

Fatalities in U.S. Bizjet Accidents Tripled Last Year

Fatal accidents of U.S.-registered business jets doubled from two in 2017 to four last year, while the number of fatalities more than tripled from three to 10 over the same period. All the fatal mishaps recorded for both years occurred during Part 91/non-commercial operations, according to preliminary data compiled by AIN. Accidents without fatalities and incidents also increased notably.

The first fatal accident last year occurred on April 15 when a Cessna CitationJet hit terrain in night IMC, killing the private pilot. On September 27, the two pilots died when their Dassault Falcon 50 overran a runway while landing in day VMC. All three occupants aboard a Citation CJ2+ perished November 30 when the twinjet crashed shortly after takeoff. The last fatal accident in 2018 occurred on December 20 when a Citation 560 crashed also shortly after takeoff in IMC, killing all four aboard. AIN’s fatality data does not include an August 13 crash of CitationJet that killed the sole-occupant pilot since it was an intentional act.

Non-U.S. business jets were involved in three accidents that resulted in 16 fatalities last year versus 19 people killed in four fatal accidents in 2017. Eleven of the fatalities last year were the result of a single crash involving a privately operated Turkish-registered Bombardier Challenger 604.

ASTM Starts Certification Program for Bizjet Cabin Crew

ASTM International today announced a new certification program for business jet cabin crews from affiliate National Center for Aerospace and Transportation Technologies (NCATT). The business aviation cabin crew program, which costs $175, will require candidates to demonstrate knowledge of and skills in aircraft safety procedures and cabin-service safety, as well as professionalism and discretion. It will be administered by SpaceTEC Partners, ASTM International added.

“Since I began training cabin crewmembers, there has been an ongoing request from clients for accreditation,” said FlightSafety International program manager of cabin safety Louisa Fisher. “This new program meets the need for an objective and industry-respected certification that recognizes the trained and experienced cabin crewmember.”

According to Mike Horan, lead safety flight attendant at Altria Corp., the certification program complements formal safety training and “also serves to create a standard of excellence for professional crewmembers irrespective of where they received training, size of their flight department, geographical location, or other factors.”

ASTM International and SpaceTEC, which administers performance-based certifications, signed a memorandum of understanding last year to jointly work to help certify aircraft maintenance technicians and other aerospace workers.

Industry Surveys Euro Operators To Build Safety Data

Three international industry associations are surveying operators in an effort to assemble meaningful statistical data on the European general aviation industry that can be used to more accurately assess and drive safety. The survey—available in English, French, and German—is designed to develop a central data source that can provide a more accurate picture of general aviation operators, operations, and aircraft.

This, in turn, will provide a more accurate measurement of accidents. Right now, such a central source does not exist in Europe, said Kyle Martin, director of regulatory affairs for Europe for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). “We are blind as to the level of safety in Europe.”

GAMA is working in partnership with the International Council of Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association-Europe (IAOPA-Europe) and the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) to survey operators in 32 European countries. The organizations based the survey on the U.S. FAA’s general aviation operations survey and have been working with operators and local flying clubs to get the word out. The groups are running the survey through this end of the month and hope to have the results, which will be de-identified, ready for release at Aero Friedrichshafen in April.

Shutdown Delays FAA’s Runway Safety Meetings

To help reduce wrong surface incidents, the FAA is planning “special focus” meetings this year at various airports hosted by the agency’s runway safety action team (RSAT), but the ongoing U.S. government shutdown has put these events on hold. A meeting previously scheduled at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) on January 9 has already been postponed, as has another that was expected on January 30 at Nashville International Airport.

The meetings will highlight factors that are contributing to recent wrong surface events at airports…and “to assess if the current mitigations are adequate,” the agency said. “Wrong surface landings occur at a rate of approximately one every other day and nearly 90 percent are committed by general aviation pilots.”

One of the most serious incidents occurred on August 10 when a Part 135-operated Gulfstream IV, on a visual approach at night and cleared to land on PHL’s Runway 35, instead lined up on an adjacent, occupied taxiway. The GIV pilots performed a go-around, overflying four airliners. Last July, the flight crew of an Air Canada Airbus A320 mistook a taxiway for a runway at San Francisco International Airport and nearly crashed into four other airliners on the ground.

In the meantime, pilots can view a recently released FAA video that discusses the precursors of wrong surface landings and provides several risk-mitigation measures.

PrimeFlight Expands Services Through ReadyJet Deal

PrimeFlight Aviation Services has acquired aircraft detailer ReadyJet in a deal that will give Texas-based PrimeFlight access to 18 additional airports, including Logan International Airport (BOS) in Boston and Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ), as well as expertise in aircraft leather care, the company announced on Friday. “We are excited to expand our current aircraft appearance offerings with ReadyJet’s specialized leather care program and deep-clean services,” said PrimeFlight CEO Dan Bucaro.

New York-based ReadyJet will continue to operate under its own name as a wholly owned subsidiary of PrimeFlight. Its commercial aircraft services include interior and exterior cleaning and leather cleaning, repairing, and refurbishing. 

The menu of services offered by PrimeFlight to airlines and airports include ground handling, aircraft services, into-plane fueling, and deicing. More recently, it began offering general aviation aircraft cleaning and support through its July 2018 acquisition of Sharp Details.

FAA OKs ASTM Cert in Lieu of Formal Avionics Training

In response to a petition from the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA), the FAA has formally recognized ASTM’s National Center for Aerospace and Transportation Technologies’ (NCATT) aircraft electronics technician (AET) certification as equivalent to formal training for repair technician certification.

Federal aviation regulations require applicants to have either 18 months of practical experience applicable to the maintenance of the specific job or completed formal training specifically designed to qualify the applicant for the job. As a result of the petition, NCATT AET certification, plus one additional NCATT avionics endorsement, is now considered equivalent to completing formal training as required by the regulations.

“After careful review of the NCATT AET certification and endorsement program, we find that these certifications demonstrate the technicians’ knowledge base and will assess the competencies of the qualified individual,” said Jackie Black, manager of FAA’s aircraft maintenance division, in a letter to AEA last month.

“The AEA spent the better part of the last 15 years working with ASTM’s NCATT to design, develop, and promote a nationally recognized certificate for the avionics and electronics community,” said AEA president and CEO Paula Derks. “This industry standard for the certification of aircraft electronics technicians is now recognized by the FAA, simplifies the application for a repairman certificate, and was accomplished without the burden of rulemaking.”

BizjetMobile Launches Chiimp Next

BizjetMobile has launched Chiimp Next, the company's next iteration of low-cost business aircraft connectivity. As a Bluetooth system compatible with Iridium Next satellite communications, Chiimp  Next can deliver unlimited in-flight email, SMS, and WhatsApp messaging for an installed hardware price of $9,900 and a $299 per month subscription, according to the Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based company.

“BizjetMobile’s goal is to provide the most versatile and affordable connectivity solution in the industry, and having received multiple orders from both Europe and North America validates our business model,” said BizjetMobile CEO Adam Chapman.

Founded in 2014 to offer a lower-cost alternative to a Wi-Fi platform, BizjetMobile’s flagship product, Chiimp, was its first Bluetooth Smart connectivity system that was launched by European fleet operator Jetfly.