Hagerty Jet Expects ‘Choppy’ Used Bizjet Market in 2019

Hagerty Jet Group, which specializes in Gulfstream transactions, expects a “choppy” preowned business jet market this year due to political uncertainty and equity market volatility. “Demand for aircraft less than five years old will remain strong, but older aircraft will continue to decline in value, although at a slower pace than in 2017,” it predicted in a market report released yesterday.

While would-be buyers were frustrated with the lack of preowned business jet inventory in the fourth quarter, volatility in U.S. equity markets last month made some buyers reluctant to pull the trigger on an aircraft purchase, according to Hagerty Jet. If that trend continues into 2019, this could mean less competition for aircraft already on the market and thus potential for inventories to grow again, it noted.

The firm expects the tight supply of younger Gulfstreams to ease, as new G500s enter service and the upgrade cycle introduces preowned, six- to 10-year-old G450 and G550 inventory. “This new supply will help, but not entirely satisfy strong demand for preowned aircraft less than five years old,” Hagerty Jet added.

Meanwhile, it said the preowned G280 market is healthy, with resale values remaining relatively strong for the super-midsize jet. And inventory for ultra-long-range Gulfstreams is very low, with just 3.2 percent of the 342 in-service G650/650ERs up for sale, according to Hagerty Jet’s data.

Duncan Inaugurates New Utah Mx Facility

Duncan Aviation has accepted the first aircraft into the new maintenance hangar at its Provo, Utah facility. The initial phase of what will by the end of 2020 be a $70 million, 275,000-sq-ft facility, the hangar was completed last week, with the issuance of the necessary permits in time to welcome the first occupant, a Bombardier Global XRS. That aircraft is now undergoing a 120-month airframe inspection along with a 10-year landing gear overhaul. A 53,000 sq ft paint facility is slated for completion in the first quarter, followed by a second 40,000 sq ft maintenance and completions hangar by the end of the summer.

“We have been working hard to prepare and plan for our new maintenance and modifications center in Provo, and we are thrilled to have the first maintenance hangar ready and open for work,” noted Chad Doehring, the facility’s vice president of operations. He added that customers who bring their aircraft to the Provo MRO will receive the same level of customer service and knowledge they would at the company’s other locations. “Our goal was to carefully plan our staffing to expand the overall feeling, culture, and experience to our growing base in Provo,” Doehring said.

Green Power HUMS Wins STC for Bell 407GX/GXP

Green Power Monitoring Systems (GPMS) has received STC certification for its Foresight MX prognostic health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) on the Bell 407GX and 407GXP helicopters. Follow-on certifications are expected shortly for other variants of the Bell 407.

Foresight MX HUMS for the Bell 407GX/GXP is available exclusively through Bell’s Aeronautical Accessories unit. The system provides concise information about current mechanical and operational issues, as well as predictive information on timeframes for upcoming required maintenance. It weighs less than nine pounds, including all hardware, cable, and mounting components, and is Part 135 compliant for air medical use.

System capabilities include mechanical diagnostics and prognostics; engine performance monitoring; exceedance monitoring; flight regime recognition; automated data acquisition; and automated, optimized solutions for rotor, track, and balance. The HUMS also provides automatic alerting through email and SMS and a user interface accessible through a standard web browser on a laptop, desktop, tablet, or cellphone.

“The health and usage monitoring system in aviation is a critical component in the safety, ROI, and lifespan of equipment,” said GPMS CEO Dr. Eric Bechhoefer. “Foresight catapults the HUMS solution into the 21st century, meeting the necessary requirements around weight, cost, and simplicity.”

Traxxall Continues Growth with New Denver Base

Maintenance tracking specialist Traxxall is continuing its expansion with the opening of a new office in Denver. The 2,300-sq-ft office, located in Englewood, Colorado, will house the firm’s western sales and operations team. Traxxall expects it will staff up to 15 employees at the new base.

“Our client base and aircraft enrollments continue to grow,” said Traxxall president Mark Steinbeck. “And to effectively manage our growth, we are hiring new people.” The company plans to hire the additional staff in the coming weeks, he added.

The location is the fourth for the company and its third in North America. “This office complements our operations centers in Montreal and Jacksonville, Florida, by providing a strong western presence and the capacity to better serve clients anywhere in North America from three strategically placed locations,” he said. Traxxall also operates a sales office in London.

Founded in 2013, the company provides a cloud-based customizable aircraft maintenance tracking and inventory-management system for both fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft. The company has built templates for more than 180 aircraft.

MRO Insider Launches Customer Rewards Program

MRO Insider has launched a customer loyalty program—Mx Rewards—that allows participants to accumulate points for different transactions via the company’s web-based business aircraft maintenance request tool. Points are awarded for activities such as registering an account or aircraft, submitting a maintenance request for quote (RFQ), accepting a quote, and completing a facility review at the completion of maintenance.

The company is offering rewards such as cash back that can be utilized for future maintenance events, MRO Insider-logoed items, excursions in cities across the U.S., tickets to sporting events, cruises, and charity donations.

“We are excited to offer our latest program, Mx Rewards,” said Andy Nixon, MRO Insider co-founder and v-p of sales. “We conducted a survey of owner/operators and Part 135 management companies and compiled a list of rewards that interested our users. From there we created our program with our users' interests in mind, adding charity donations and cash back on their booked maintenance events as a direct result of our survey.”

MRO Insider does not charge business aircraft owners/operators to register, submit RFQs, or accept quotes.

Winner Completes First Premier I Pro Line 21 Package

Ohio-based aviation service provider Winner Aviation has completed the first upgrade of a Hawker Premier I with the Collins Aerospace (formerly Rockwell Collins) Pro Line 21 airspace modernization package. The installation included a display and FMS upgrade, ADS-B, provisionally installed graphical weather and integrated flight information systems (IFIS), synthetic vision (SVS), database unit, and localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV). The company performed a “squawk free” test flight before the aircraft was returned to service.

“As the ADS-B Out requirements become the standard in 2020, many business jet owners are now struggling to find qualified repair stations to meet their needs on time,” said Winner Aviation avionics manager Neil Simon, adding that completion of this modification demonstrates the company’s expertise in major integrated avionics upgrades. “Having the Collins Aerospace dealership and maintenance authorization further showcases how we can provide reliable technology at predictable costs. These upgraded aircraft will meet and exceed all requirements for years to come.”

Winner operates an FBO/MRO at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.

AOPA Realigns You Can Fly, ASI with Pribyl Departure

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is shifting its senior management with the decision by Katie Pribyl, senior vice president of aviation strategy and programs, to return to her family’s 130-year-old cattle ranch in Montana as its fourth-generation manager.

After serving with the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and Atlantic Coast Airlines, Pribyl joined the AOPA in 2012 as vice president of communications and moved into her current role in 2016. In that capacity, she has had responsibility for both the Air Safety Institute (ASI) and the You Can Fly program.

Richard McSpadden, executive director of the ASI, will now report directly to AOPA president Mark Baker. As for the You Can Fly program, Elizabeth Tennyson was named executive director. Tennyson has served with AOPA since 1998, holding various positions with the association’s Flight Training and Pilot magazines, as well as the roles of vice president of publications, vice president of e-media and senior director of communications. She joined the You Can Fly program in 2017 as vice president of aviation program operations.

AOPA further will hire a vice president for You Can Fly to assist with day-to-day management.

JetNet Unveils Flight Activity, Route Analysis Software

Industry data provider JetNet will be demonstrating new flight reporting and route-tracking features and capabilities later this month at the NBAA Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference in San Antonio, Texas. The Utica, New York-based company, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, said its new flight activity and route analysis software will help top-tier equipment managers, fuel and ground service providers, and maintenance shops find and analyze historical flight data to meet their individual needs.

“We’re all about converting flight activity into serial-number-level contacts, including the owners/operators, chief pilots, directors of maintenance and more,” said Mike Foye, the company’s director of marketing. “We solve questions like how to figure out the key contacts behind the aircraft you want to service, refuel, manage, insure, finance, overhaul, and paint.”

Users can search by airframe, airport, fleet, operator, and fuel/tech stops, with no limit on the number of historical reports they can run. They can also compare flight activity by specific date ranges across targeted airports, as well as by flight range and distance.

“We are constantly improving and adding to the functionality of our airport and business aircraft flight reporting and route-tracking capabilities,” said company vice president Tony Esposito. “Combined with our detailed aircraft owner/operator database, we’re giving our clients an unparalleled set of tools to compete in the marketplace.”

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.