CAE has formed a partnership with Piper Aircraft to develop a supplemental type certificate (STC) for an electric powerplant conversion of the single-engine Piper PA-28-181 Archer light airplane, the companies said today at the Farnborough Airshow. Under the partnership, Swiss company H55, which provided technology used on the Solar Impulse sun-powered world-rounding airplane, will supply the battery system for the STC installation. Safran Electrical & Power will supply its EngineUs 100 electric motor that provides a maximum power of 150 kW at takeoff and incorporates an integrated motor controller.
CAE president and CEO Marc Parent noted that Piper has produced more than 28,000 Archers and that CAE is one of the largest operators of the type. According to Parent, the modification will be important for CAE not only in making its training more sustainable but also in helping to train students on the operation of electric aircraft.
Plans call for CAE to make the STC available to other operators worldwide. Under the agreement, Piper would have the ability to leverage the STC for its other products and into the production line. Parent was not yet ready to reveal a timeline for the project, saying only, “we’re not talking years.” Pricing is also still to be determined.
EASA has approved the Gulfstream G650/650ER for six-degree steep approach operations at European airports, the U.S. company announced today at the Farnborough Airshow. The approval allows the ultra-long-range business jet to operate at airfields such as London City Airport, which has a 5.5-degree approach and 4,327-foot runway.
Meanwhile, Gulfstream president Mark Burns said at a media conference at the airshow that by early September the company hopes to lift operating restrictions on approach speeds and control inputs for the G500 and G600 imposed in May by an FAA airworthiness directive. That followed a hard landing in a G500, prompting software changes that the company expects to demonstrate to FAA pilots later this week.
Burns explained that the same new software will replicate that already used on the G700. Gulfstream will also incorporate it into the G800, which the company aims to have certified and ready to enter service by the end of 2023.
This week, Gulfstream also announced the appointment of Mark Bates as the new general manager of its Farnborough service center. The 225,000-sq-ft facility, which sits on the other side of the runway from the Farnborough Airshow, opened in 2020 and can accommodate 13 large business jets simultaneously.
Aviation data and market intelligence provider JetNet has raised an unspecified amount of outside capital from Boston-based growth equity firm Silversmith Capital Partners. Under the deal, Silversmith has acquired a majority stake in JetNet, which plans to use the funding to expand its product footprint, invest in sales and marketing, and scale the team.
“We are thrilled to partner with Silversmith for the next chapter of JetNet’s growth,” said Tony Esposito, who is now JetNet’s minority owner and a member of the board. “Since my father founded the company 34 years ago, we have built JetNet with a relentless focus on our customers and our culture. Partnering with an investor for the first time was not a decision we took lightly. In Silversmith we found a partner who not only brings the expertise we need to continue to grow, but also shared [our] values.”
“JetNet has done an exceptional job building a best-in-class solution that customers love,” said Silversmith managing partner Jim Quagliaroli. “The JetNet platform powers the day-to-day operations of thousands of customers around the world, and we are excited to support the company in its next phase of growth.”
Quagliaroli, Ned Kingsley, and Becca Katzen from Silversmith have joined the company’s board of directors alongside Esposito and JetNet CEO Greg Fell.
Fly Louie Alliance, an organization of independent charter operators, has grown its membership by 50 percent in the past year, accounting for a market share of 30 percent of Part 135 charter aircraft in the U.S.
Approaching its third year in operation, the alliance claims more than 300 charter operators and 3,000 aircraft as members of the group organized in part to bring operators economies of scale. Its programs include revenue management to match member aircraft with wholesale buyers, as well as fuel savings through a preferred program with 82 FBOs.
“Our vision for continued, shared success has never been more clear,” said Fly Louie founder and CEO Julia Takeda. "We’re focused on solving broad issues such as aircraft supply and demand challenges, crew logistics, and finding quality ad-hoc and long-term charter revenue opportunities for our members. We know we’re stronger together and are grateful for operators’ confidence in our advocacy and results.”
GE Aviation's CF34 turbofan line has surpassed 200 million flight hours and 157 million flight cycles, the company said this week at the Farnborough Airshow. “In the history of GE and CFM (the 50-50 joint venture of GE and Safran), only the CF6 and CFM56 engine lines have accumulated more commercial flight hours,” GE said.
Starting in 1983, the CF34-1A entered service on the Bombardier Challenger 601 business jet. In 1992, the CF34-3 powered the first Bombardier CRJ100 airliners, marking the launch of the regional jet industry as a distinct class of commercial aviation. Today, GE claims the CF34 line powers more than 3,600 aircraft.
“The CF34 engine began as a business aviation engine, then paved the way for powering regional jet aviation,” said Cristina Seda-Hoelle, GE general manager for regional and business aviation. “Surpassing 200 million hours is a remarkable achievement that goes to our customers who put their trust in us, operating our engines day in and day out.”
GE has delivered more than 8,000 CF34 engines and said the line’s record for 12-month rolling dispatch reliability ranged between 99.96 and 99.99 percent.
Coastal Carolina Regional Airport (KEWN) in New Bern, North Carolina, is set to receive $8 million from the state for the first phase of a runway expansion project. The project will realign Williams Road, which restricts the length of the airport’s runway. Once complete, Runway 4-22 will be expanded to 6,800 feet.
“Re-aligning the road and extending the runway is another step toward building a bright future for KEWN,” said airport director Andrew Shorter. “A longer runway will make it possible for larger planes to use KEWN, allowing us to continue to serve the travel needs of our local community and visitors to the area now and into the future.”
The runway extension is one of several improvement projects at the airport. These include completing a $5 million aircraft rescue and firefighting facility late last year and a new hangar scheduled to be opened at the end of this week. Shorter told AIN the new hangar has been leased to D2 Government Solutions, which operates the D2 Flight Academy and provides contract and non-contract MRO services at the airport.
“We’ve been making plans for years and are now thrilled to see some of those projects coming to fruition,” Shorter said. “We continue to pursue grant funding from the FAA and other sources to fund more of these projects, including an upcoming large-scale terminal expansion.”
Business aviation financial management solutions firm MySky has expanded its international footprint with the opening of new offices in Dubai, UAE, and Guadalajara, Mexico. “It is important for us to have local people on the ground who can engage with customers in their own language and understand each culture and its customs,” said company co-founder Chris Marich.
The expansion comes against a backdrop of robust growth for private aviation over the past two years, he added. Likewise, MySky has surged to 150 employees globally and now has more than 800 aircraft using its services, which include analytical and budgeting tools for business aviation operators.
“We now work with hundreds of private jet operators and owners to help them maximize cost efficiencies and optimize the financial management of their assets,” said Marich. “Our aim is to provide a global service and we are thrilled to extend our capabilities to those operating in the Middle East and Latin America.”
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) Award for Distinguished Service will be presented to Captain William “Bill” Bohlke in recognition of his outstanding service and ongoing contributions to the industry. Bohlke will be presented with the award during a luncheon on November 3, held in conjunction with the NATA 2022 Aviation Business Conference in Miami.
Bohlke is the founder of Bohlke International Airways, a majority family-owned and operated FBO, charter operator, and Part 145 repair station in the U.S. Virgin Islands that he and his wife Ruth Ann (Tuddy) formed in 1984. His son, Billy, now runs the day-to-day operations, with the elder Bohlke acting in a business advisory role.
He has also been an active participant in leading aviation groups, including NATA, where he served on the board from 1986 to 1989. He retired from American Airlines in 2006 after 38 years and is currently the standing president of The Grey Eagles, an organization of senior and retired American Airlines pilots.
“Captain Bohlke’s roots in developing and fostering aviation in the U.S. Virgin Islands run deep. A lifelong aviator, educator, and industry advocate, Bill has always leveraged his skills and resources to prioritize the safety, viability, and welfare of his community, demonstrating firsthand the immense value of aviation businesses,” said NATA president and CEO Timothy Obitts.
B777X Wows Crowd in Farnborough Aerial Display
The Boeing 777X is not only making its public debut this week at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK, but it is also impressing attendees with its maximum performance capabilities during the show's daily aerial display.
People in Aviation
Cutter Aviation has appointed Sam Perez as MRO regional sales manager based in Denver. Perez holds an A&P license with inspector authorization and previously worked for a TBM service center in Colorado as an AOG specialist. In his new role, he will be responsible for recommending and selling aircraft maintenance, avionic solutions, and upgrades to potential and existing customers within the U.S. Southwest.
Deutsche Aircraft has hired Anastasija Visnakova as its new v-p of sales and marketing. Visnakova has more than 15 years of aviation experience, having held various executive positions with Air Baltic, Primera Air, and DeHavilland Aircraft of Canada focusing on sales, marketing, market development, and business development. She will be responsible for all aircraft sales, including the D0-328eco and the legacy D0-328, as well as overseeing marketing activities, overall communications, and customer experience.
Gulfstream Aerospace has appointed Oliver Bergsch as regional v-p of sales for Central and Eastern Europe and Jim Beckstein as regional v-p of sales for Southern California and Arizona. Bergsch has more than 25 years of experience in aviation with the last 15 years at Gulfstream sister company Jet Aviation. He has also worked alongside Gulfstream’s customer support sales leadership team for the last four years. Beckstein joins Gulfstream with nearly 40 years of aviation experience, with the last 25 years focused on business aviation and sales. He succeeds Richard Milling, who is retiring after more than 20 years with the company.
The Malibu M-Class Owners & Pilots Association (MMOPA) board of directors has appointed Jenna Reid as executive director, succeeding Dianne White, who has accepted a position with Game Composites, a new aircraft manufacturer located in Bentonville, Arkansas. Reid has more than a decade of experience in aviation advertising, marketing, sales, and supporting trade shows. She most recently served as the organization’s advertising director of MMOPA Magazine and before that worked as a copy editor with the Aircraft Electronics Association.
FlyExclusive has hired Trish Lorino as v-p of marketing and communications. Lorino has 25 years of experience in the travel, hospitality, and adjacent industries, with the past 10 years in marketing and communications for Cape Air. In her new role, she will work with flyExclusive’s leadership team to shape the go-to-market strategy for the company’s private jet charter services.
Business aviation customized cabin audio and cabin management systems supplier Alto Aviation has promoted Mark Cook to director of business development and Dave Gustafson to director of operations. Cook has served as OEM business development manager since 2020, while Gustafson previously held the role of operations and quality manager for the past four years.
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