Textron Aviation has won a contract from Fargo, North Dakota-based AvMet International for one Beechcraft King Air 360CHW (cargo door, heavy weight) and four Beechcraft King Air 260 aircraft, the manufacturer said Tuesday. The Beechcraft King Air fleet will support the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s National Center for Meteorology program for cloud seeding.
AvMet and its partners Weather Modification International (WMI) and Fargo Jet Center (FJC) will work collaboratively to equip the four King Air 260s with a cloud water inertial probe, data logger with aircraft tracking, and cloud seeding equipment. They will fit the King Air 360CHW with cloud-seeding equipment, a research laboratory, and an instrument package for studying cloud physics and aerosols.
The aircraft will undergo modification at WMI’s headquarters in Fargo with sister company FJC. As an authorized service facility for the family of Beechcraft King Air aircraft, FJC’s Part 145 repair station teamed with WMI to obtain the FAA-approved supplemental type certificate modifications for cloud seeding and atmospheric research equipment.
Textron says its aircraft provide the high performance and flight characteristics required to address the unique challenges of special mission operations, including air ambulance, ISR, utility transport, aerial survey, flight inspection, and training.
Renewable Fuels producer Twelve broke ground today on the start of construction of its first sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) facility. Located in Moses Lake, Washington, it will be the first commercial plant to utilize an ASTM-approved power-to-liquid (e-fuel) pathway for the production of SAF. It will use CO2 and water as its feedstock, converted through the use of renewable electricity.
Scheduled to begin operations by mid-2024, the refinery—which will be built on a repurposed 14-acre site that formerly housed a sugar processing plant—will initially start off with a targeted production of 40,000 gallons of SAF a year, working up to an output of 1 million gallons of SAF annually.
This morning’s ceremony was attended by Governor Jay Inslee (D) who recently approved a tax incentive plan of up to $2 per gallon for the production of SAF in the state. He described the potential of the sustainable aviation fuel market as one of the greatest developments in aviation since the start of powered aviation. “I think we are at the same level of innovation, a similar level of change in the world this can create, as the Wright brothers in Dayton, Ohio.”
Last year Alaska Airlines and Microsoft signed a joint memorandum of understanding with Twelve to further the production of e-fuels with an eye towards the first U.S. commercial demonstration power-to-liquid flight.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) has confirmed that an Airbus H125 helicopter, operated by Manang Air, crashed near Lamjura Pass in the Mount Everest region on July 11. All six people on board the sightseeing flight were killed, including the pilot and five tourists from Mexico, according to local authorities.
The single-engine aircraft departed from Surke Airport in the Solukhumbu district at 10:04 a.m. local time, bound for the capital Kathmandu, but lost contact at an altitude above 12,000 feet at 10:13 a.m. The aircraft—registered as 9N-AMV—was delivered to the Nepalese charter operator in February 2018.
Two search and rescue helicopters operated by Altitude Air were immediately dispatched but had to land at Bhakanje village due to severe weather conditions. A third helicopter operated by Simrik Air is also involved in the recovery operation.
Meanwhile, emergency personnel and police have reached the crash site near Lamjura in Ward No. 5 of Solukhumbu and have recovered the bodies of those killed in the accident. “Efforts are being made to transport the bodies by ground to the helicopter landing area and then to Kathmandu,” CAAN said in a statement.
The crash marks the second fatal air accident in Nepal this year after a twin-engine ATR 72 aircraft operated by Yeti Airlines crashed in Pokhara, claiming the lives of all 72 people on board.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) is strengthening its team in Europe, announcing new appointments to its Brussels office this week. Péter Márton is joining the U.S.-based industry group as director of European government affairs and Zanthe Jordine has been appointed as an airworthiness and regulatory specialist. Additionally, Cate Brancart has been promoted to director of European safety and sustainability development.
In his new government affairs role, Márton will focus on advocacy around aviation policy at the European Commission, the European Parliament, and with various European Union agencies and the UK government. He has previously held diplomatic positions representing the U.S. and New Zealand on policy matters in Europe.
GAMA said Jordine will provide support for its engineering and maintenance team. She is a recent graduate from Middle Georgia State University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in aviation science and management.
Brancart has been with GAMA since 2018, working to improve conditions for general aviation in Europe, including better organization for safety data, flight training, and access to new technologies. In her role, she has been asked to advance the industry’s role as an incubator of sustainable aviation technologies, as well as focus on safety improvements and workforce development, including encouraging diversity, equity, and inclusion in European companies and organizations.
The FAA has published updated guidance for agency safety inspectors to address policy revisions concerning the initial certification process for certain Part 135 single-pilot applicants. According to the agency, the aim of the revisions are to “reduce overall wait times for initial certification applicants whose proposed operations are of limited scope and complexity.”
Because such operators are not required to have a procedures manual or an approved pilot training program, the FAA said it has determined that for these Part 135 initial certification applicants that the safety assurance system (SAS) and element design documentation requirements can be reduced without negatively impacting safety. “This will align the level of documentation required by SAS during the design assessment phase of initial certification projects with the level of documentation required by the regulations,” said the notice.
Once the certificate has been issued, the responsible FSDO will continue to use SAS and other system safety principles to “validate and document ongoing oversight of Part 135 single-pilot operators.” Post-certification, principal inspectors will continue to adjust the certificate holder assessment tool and comprehensive assessment plan to reflect the operator’s current state and risk factors. Under the new guidance, Part 135 single-pilot approval projects already underway have two options to complete the certification process.
British FBO group Weston Aviation is establishing a partnership to jointly promote other business aviation facilities across the UK and Ireland. The privately-owned company is establishing a brand called “The Collection” as part of an alliance that already includes its own bases plus Cambridge City Airport and London Southend Airport.
Weston Aviation operates FBOs at Gloucestershire, Cornwall (Newquay), Humberside, and Manchester airports in the UK, as well as at Cork in southern Ireland. The group, which was formed in 1995, now wants to add other FBOs and airports to the partnership, which it says will promote charter flights at these locations.
“We found ourselves at a point in our growth that most regional airports had at least one FBO provider or the airport owner operating their own facilities, so we saw an opportunity to partner with the FBO operators to not only bring them into our own network but also our own business development team becoming ambassadors to promote the use of these regional airports,” said Weston Aviation founder and CEO Nick Weston. “By joining The Collection, Weston Aviation engages into a collaborative approach to business growth along with combined benefits and support from its network.”
People in Aviation
Women in Aviation International appointed Stephanie Kenyon as interim CEO following the departure of former CEO Allison McKay. Kenyon has more than two decades of leadership experience in the aviation industry having previously served as v-p of the AOPA foundation. She has served as WAI’s chief growth officer since 2021, where she led the strategic direction and financial growth of the organization.
Jet Linx appointed Mark Fischer and Chris Curtin as v-ps of regional aircraft management sales. Fischer has more than 25 years of experience in aviation and previously served in various avionics sales management positions with Collins Aerospace, Gulfstream, and Greenwich Aerogroup. Curtin’s prior experience includes executive v-p roles at Talon Air and ExcelAire/Hawthorne Global Aviation Services.
Skyllence promoted Kestutis Abarius to head of sports charter sales. Abarius joined Skyllence in 2021 as an aircraft charter broker and has prior experience as a sales development manager with KlasJet.
Blueberry Aviation appointed Sofiane Cherchali as v-p of contracts. Cherchali is a qualified solicitor in England, and a qualified lawyer in France and Spain with experience in aircraft finance. He has previously held positions with Stephenson Harwood law firm, Proparco, Bpifrance, and for French independent solar energy developer and producer TSE.
Comair Flight Services (CFS) promoted Kerry Searle from client services director to managing director where she will guide the daily operations of the company. CFS co-founder and former CEO Justin Reeves has also been elevated to the role of Group CEO. In his new role, he will oversee the operations of multiple companies within the group.
Flydocs has hired Savas Toplama to assume the role of CCO following the transition of John Bowell to senior v-p of engineering services. Toplama has more than 17 years of experience in aviation and professional services having previously held various positions with Lufthansa Aviation Group and most recently as a manager with Deloitte Consulting. Additionally, the company has hired Naveen Mangle as chief digital and technology officer. Mangle has more than two decades of experience in information technology and most recently served as chief technology officer with Fusion Microfinance.
AINalerts News Tips/Feedback: News tips may be sent anonymously, but feedback must include name and contact info (we will withhold name on request). We reserve the right to edit correspondence for length, clarity and grammar. Send feedback or news tips to AINalerts editor Chad Trautvetter.
AINalerts is a publication of AIN Media Group, 214 Franklin Avenue, Midland Park, New Jersey. Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.
