Seeking to expand the business aviation workforce, the UK’s Farnborough Airport will stage ;a careers day event on January 23. In addition to the management team of the London-area private airport, the event will feature some of its major tenants, including Flexjet, Air Charter Service, and Gulfstream. The latter company has a major maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility at the site.
The British Business & General Aviation Association is supporting the careers day, which will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the on-site Aviator Hotel. The group’s managing director, Lindsey Oliver, is due to speak at the event to prospective recruits, including “candidates who are looking to start a career in the industry or experienced hires who are looking for their next role.”
More information is available from the Farnborough Airport recruitment team at recruitment@farnboroughairport.com. The airport—which seeks to fill vacancies in areas such as customer service, operations, and ground handling—has more than 50 companies on-site that collectively employ around 1,200 people.
On the other side of the UK capital, London Biggin Hill Airport is holding a Careers Open Day on February 16 from 1 to 3 p.m.
Olympia, Washington fixed- and rotary-wing conversion specialist Soloy Aviation Solutions is coming under new ownership through an agreement to sell all of its assets—including its fixed-wing, engine, and helicopter supplemental type certificates (STCs)—to Brainerd, Minnesota-based business aviation services firm NorthPoint Aviation, the companies announced today.
The deal follows the restructuring that came in 2019 when Fifty-Ten Yankee (5010Y), led by long-time Soloy executive and managing member Dave Stauffer, acquired the company to ensure it continued to provide uninterrupted support for Soloy products. “I am pleased that [Soloy] will be in the hands of the NorthPoint Aviation team that will continue to provide quality product support and customer service for years to come,” Stauffer said.
A growing full-service FBO, NorthPoint provides aircraft sales, brokering and acquisition, maintenance, avionics and instrument repairs and installations, aircraft management, flight training, fuel sales, aircraft paint, and interior refurbishments. It is a factory-approved Cirrus and Cessna service center and provides an XP470 engine performance upgrade for the Cessna 180 and 182.
Under the new owners, Soloy will continue to operate with its current branding and website and produce products in Olympia. Sales, parts, and technical support will be transferred to NorthPoint Aviation’s Brainerd location. With more than 75 years of aviation experience, the NorthPoint team will continue worldwide support of the 25 Soloy STCs and 23 foreign approvals, Soloy said.
While crisis response management provider Fireside Partners has been an exhibitor and presenter at the NBAA Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference (SDC) for years, the company will be featuring its Air-SOS program for the first time at SDC 2023, which opens on January 24 in Nashville, Tennesee.
Launched in late 2021, the program focuses on specialty airlift assistance such as aeromedical transport, repatriation of remains, or other sensitive flights where extra care and discretion are required. The company has established a vetted authorized provider network and organizes all transport details including the sourcing of aircraft. “Through this network, we have access to several specialty-configured aircraft to meet the different requirements of the unique operations we work,” said Air-SOS program manager Sarah Kiehl.
Arrangements also include setting up ground handling, coordinating with hospitals or funeral homes, and obtaining required approvals from local officials. The company can also provide counseling, family assistance, and personal effects handling services.
So far in its existence, Air-SOS has received an average of one request for assistance per week, a rate that it expects will increase as it becomes more well-known. “What we’ve found in our first year of providing these services is that many families don’t know how difficult making airlift arrangements are until something tragic happens, and they are scrambling to find support on short order,” explained Kiehl.
NBAA announced a lineup of “preeminent experts” in personal development and management strategies for its 2023 Leadership Conference, which will be held February 27 to March 1 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The event aims to help business aviation leaders manage excellence in an increasingly pressure-filled environment and maintain a healthy work-life balance.
According to NBAA, this year’s conference will build on previous successes with the theme “Dynamic Excellence,” and comprise sessions on daily growth, body language, creating confidence, boosting overall morale, and maintaining personal excellence.
“The NBAA Leadership Conference is an important asset for our community, as it provides emerging and veteran leaders an opportunity to benchmark their management skills and gain recurrent training that isn’t specifically tied to aviation,” said NBAA senior v-p of education, training, and workforce development Jo Damato.
Attendees will have access to two networking receptions, as well as sessions from experts in various fields. They include discussions on nonverbal cues from former undercover police officer and federal prosecuting attorney Pamela Barnum; using neuroscience principles to create inclusive, safe cultures from leadership and communication strategist Anne Palmer; and leadership and performance excellence from best-selling author Ryan Hawk.
Nomad Aviation added five long-range, large-cabin jets to its fleet in 2022, the Zurich, Switzerland-headquartered aircraft management and charter company announced today. Last year, the company added to its managed charter fleet a Bombardier Global XRS, Dassault Falcon 8X, and Gulfstream V and two G550s. They joined a G450, a Global 5000, and an Airbus ACJ319 bizliner.
“We are delighted that we have been able to further expand our fleet of managed aircraft, especially in the ultra-long-range segment,” said Nomad CEO Thomas Köhli. “A corporate or private jet is that kind of asset that has seen more and more owners entrust the management to Nomad Aviation for a wide range of benefits, maximized flexibility, and efficiency.”
Nomad v-p of aircraft management and sales Christoph Thurnherr noted that the “massive increase” in charter demand following the Covid-19 crisis continued through last year. “We are very pleased to see how the market continued to grow throughout 2022,” he said. “The addition of the Global 5000 to our air operator certificate certainly came at the right time.”
Aviation Safety Question of the Week
Provided by
To extend the range of a gliding aircraft, which of the following actions would be the most effective?
A. Set flaps to a landing setting to increase lift.
B. Set flaps up to reduce drag.
C. Set flaps to an approach setting to streamline the approach.
The Boost Personnel Carrying Device System (PCDS) for transport category rotorcraft recently received supplemental type certificate (STC) approval from Transport Canada. Helicopter operators can meet human external cargo (HEC) requirements when using a dual hook system on the Airbus H145 and Bell 205, 212, and 412 by adding the PCDS manufactured by Boost Human External Cargo Systems of North Vancouver, British Columbia.
“This STC covers everything below the HEC hook; the Y-rope lanyard, suspension line, rigging plate, and PCDS,” said Boost v-p of operations Jeff Yarnold. “Not only do we supply this system with the certified Boost HEC systems, but this STC also covers using our PCDSs with other manufacturers’ dual-hook systems. FAA approval is pending and we continue to work on additional certifications.”
Boost offers Transport Canada, FAA, CAAC, ANAC, and EASA-certified HEC systems for a range of helicopters and accessories, including dual-hook systems, approved PCDS, and Boost’s Generation II HEC suspension lines. The company also provides HEC and hoist training for operators.
Fixed and capped hourly rate jet cards and memberships increased 4.9 percent quarter-over-quarter, according to private aviation services buyer’s guidePrivate Jet Card Comparisons. The average hourly price climbed to $11,748 across all categories in the fourth quarter, capping a 21 percent rise for all of last year.
However, the company said, “There is light at the end of the tunnel.” It cited daily minimum charges decreasing to 94.7 minutes in the fourth quarter, down from a high of 109.3 minutes in the second quarter. While this is higher than the pre-Covid low of 86.2 minutes in fourth-quarter 2019, the result was the cost of shorter flights dropped by 8.8 percent late last year.
Meanwhile, the average cost for fixed-rate jet cards beat on-demand charter pricing in five of 12 different flight scenarios tracked quarterly by the company. The $27,738 average flight price for fixed and capped-rate jet cards and memberships with guaranteed availability essentially matched the lowest on-demand flight costs of $27,853.
Bell recently delivered two Subaru Bell 412EPX medium helicopters during a ceremony at La Aurora International Airport marking the 101st anniversary of the Guatemalan air force. The aircraft for Guatemala are part of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract signed between Bell and the U.S. Army Multinational Aviation Special Programs Office earlier in 2022.
The 412EPX’s main rotor gearbox improves horsepower and maximum weight capacity, enabling the aircraft to transport more supplies and perform operations more efficiently. In addition, the helicopter has a maximum internal weight of 12,200 pounds, external weight of 13,000 pounds, and can lift up to 5,000 pounds of goods with a cargo hook. More than 54 percent of the Bell 412 global fleet is deployed in military and para-public missions worldwide and the fleet has amassed more than 6.5 million flight hours.
Guatemala's air force operates several Bell models, including the 206, 212, 407, 412, and UH-1. Its 412EPXs “will support missions including disaster response, humanitarian relief, and other utility needs,” said Maj. Gen. Henry Yovani Reyes, the country's minister of national defense.
Make Your Voice Heard in AIN’s 2023 FBO Survey
AIN’s FBO survey is open for year-round feedback, but the deadline to vote in the 2023 survey (to be published in April) is February 3. 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.
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