EAA AirVenture kicked off its return yesterday with a week-long forecast of mostly ideal weather and record attendance of people and airplanes. In the three days leading up to the show, 7,928 aircraft had flown into Oshkosh for the organization’s 68th fly-in, more than double the 3,500 during the same period in 2019—the last year AirVenture was held due to the worldwide pandemic, Jack Pelton, EAA chairman and CEO, reported.
Pelton also said that both airplane and automobile campers were similarly up by dramatic numbers and that exhibitors were at their pre-pandemic level, with more than 800 in attendance. Further, EAA membership had returned to its pre-pandemic roster of more than 240,000 members.
Automobile traffic backed up far earlier than usual for the show’s Monday morning opening, a function of the increased attendance and a new traffic and parking layout that Pelton admitted still had a few “kinks” that were being worked out.
Pelton said the decision to “double down” and hold a largely traditional AirVenture open to the public evolved over the winter and early spring as more Americans were vaccinated and in conjunction with discussions with public officials and health experts. Nevertheless, EAA is still taking a series of covid precautions at this year’s show including spreading out event seating, canceling certain after-hours events, and hiring the firm Jani-King to frequently sanitize pavilions and other facilities on the grounds.
Asset Insight: Used Bizav Aircraft Market ‘White-hot’
The used aircraft market continues to boil, with twice as many preowned business aircraft transactions occurring in the second quarter of 2021 as in the same period in 2020, according to industry pricing evaluator Asset Insight. The Las Vegas-based company noted that the market experienced a 30 percent jump in volume from the first to the second quarter of this year.
That activity was coupled with a 2.2 percent increase in asking prices across the entire available fleet, led by large-cabin jets which posted a 7 percent rise. Asking prices for the turboprop segment increased 3.2 percent quarter-to-quarter and 8.3 percent from a year ago.
“Viewed from any angle, the preowned business aircraft market is white-hot,” said company president Tony Kioussis. “As sellers bring additional aircraft to the marketplace, newer, higher-quality assets are snapped up by eager buyers at values very close to their ask price.”
In contrast, aging aircraft, whose maintenance exposure exceeds their price tag in many cases, continue to be a drag on the average “days on market” statistic, which increased more than 5 percent in the second quarter of this year.
“It is possible that many of those older aircraft are on their final owner and may not sell,” said Kioussis, who added that he sees no indication that the overall preowned sales pace will slow any time soon.
Epic Aircraft is gearing up for deliveries of its freshly certified, $3.85 million E1000 GX. The company has brought two examples of the latest iteration of its fast turboprop single to EAA AirVenture this week. The 333-knot GX features the Garmin G1000 NXi flight deck, Garmin GFC 700 automated flight control system, and Hartzell five-blade composite propeller.
The two display aircraft will be delivered to customers to begin flight training next week, said Mike Schrader, Epic director of sales and marketing, and two more will be completed shortly. “This is the first year we have had a certified plane at Oshkosh,” he said. “I expect once we get this airplane out in front of more people, we are going to see a lot more orders coming in,” Schrader said, acknowledging plans to take the aircraft on a nationwide demonstration tour.
Schrader said Epic plans to deliver one aircraft per month through the remainder of the year—for an anticipated total production run of 14 in 2021—and then accelerate deliveries to a rate of 23 per year in 2022. The company anticipates it will raise the price of the aircraft next year but the exact figure has yet to be determined, he said.
Epic has been training instructor pilots and will add a Frasca flight simulator at its Bend, Oregon, headquarters by September.
Some areas in the western U.S. are experiencing a shortage of jet fuel. Shortfalls in supply, which have disrupted normal operations, are being felt at airports ranging from California’s Fresno Yosemite International and Nevada’s Reno-Tahoe International to Montana’s Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.
On Monday, NBAA’s Air Traffic Services reported that Colorado’s Eagle County Regional Airport has imposed a 200-gallon maximum uplift per aircraft. Aircraft operators are advised to monitor the fuel situation at their intended destination and either make a refueling stop at an unaffected airport or tanker fuel.
According to Tracie Yergin, Avfuel’s v-p of fuel supply, “This issue is a result of a number of factors: an unprecedented increase in demand for aviation fuel in a relatively short amount of time; weather-related issues and turnarounds at some refineries resulting in reduced production rates, causing refiners to allocate available fuel for all suppliers industry-wide; the remaining refineries not having the extra capacity to make up for this loss; and a nationwide truck driver shortage.” He told AIN that the situation is further exacerbated by heightened demand from imperative firefighting operations in the region that are most heavily affected by the fuel shortage.
The problem could last into mid-August and might affect other airports, according to industry reports.
Being Prepared Goes Beyond the Requirements
Simply meeting a regulatory minimum is not enough. Pilots must be trained to excel and command their aircraft with calm confidence. Proficient is capable. Prepared is unshakeable. Pilots and their passengers shouldn’t be lulled into a false sense of security that checking a box is the same as being prepared.
Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) announced a couple of enhancements to its support of the PT6A- and PT6E-Series engines today at the EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The turboprop engine OEM unveiled the P&WCsmart Subscription Service, which will provide selected scheduled and unscheduled maintenance coverage, parts replacement, and digital engine health services for PT6As between their hot section inspection (HSI) and overhaul at an annual fee that starts at $7,500 per engine, per year.
The plan also provides options based on annual flying hours and offers the choice of one- or three-year subscription terms available for select PT6A models as well as a credit toward a P&WCsmart overhaul. Enrollment in the first year of the P&WCsmart Subscription Service is free for operators who purchase a P&WCsmart hot section inspection.
For operators of the PT6E-67XP—found in the Pilatus PC-12 NGx turboprop single—PWC also unveiled an enhancement to its Eagle Service Plan (ESP) Platinum pay-per-hour engine maintenance program that will cover full foreign object damage (FOD)—including wear and tear and other required repairs found during a FOD repair, thereby eliminating the need for duplicate coverage by an insurance plan and lowering insurance costs for operators.
In addition to the engine FOD insurance exclusion, PWC also announced today that the PT6E-67XP marked a milestone by reaching 15,000 hours of flight powering the PC-12 NGx.
Icon Aircraft plans to obtain FAA certification of its A5 amphibious airplane in the Part 23 primary category, the company announced yesterday at the EAA AirVenture show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The move is intended to expand the market for the light sport aircraft (LSA) A5, especially in international markets where LSA regulations are not recognized. The certification will also make it easier for A5 pilots to fly in Caribbean countries and also to operate from yachts anchored in foreign waters. Icon Aircraft will continue to manufacture and sell the LSA version, which is available with the Garmin area 796 portable GPS navigator or an optional Garmin G3X Touch and autopilot configuration.
Certification of the A5 is expected in the fourth quarter, and this version will have the Garmin 796 package. A new “signature series” of paint schemes designed by Scheme Designers will also be available, in electric green and blue and a gray livery. The price of the certified version will be $399,000 including one of those paint schemes and seaplane transition pilot training. Later, Icon Aircraft will offer the G3X Touch/autopilot avionics as an option.
Activity is picking up at Icon Aircraft, according to Warren Curry, v-p of sales, marketing, flight ops, and service. “We’re growing,” he said. This year, Icon Aircraft will deliver 31 A5s, with 24 of those taking place in the second half.
UK-based business aircraft services provider Av8jet has launched Av8jet Charter in Malta following receipt of an EASA air operator certificate (AOC). A Piaggio Avanti II P.180 is the first aircraft to be added to the AOC.
Sporting a new interior fitted by AeroVisto Interior Services in Switzerland, Av8jet Charter officials said the Avanti is an ideal aircraft for charter in Europe because it has a cabin size similar in height and width to a Hawker jet but requires 40 percent less fuel for comparable speed and distances. “With a reduced carbon footprint, the P.180 is perfect as sustainability now becomes important for us all,” the company said.
Based at Bournemouth International Airport and founded in 2006, Av8jet specializes in jet aircraft sales, acquisitions, and management. Av8jet also has developed its own proprietary software for safety management systems, fatigue safety management, flight scheduling, document control, and an e-learning training platform for EASA Part CAT (commercial air transport) and NCC (non-commercial) operations.
Beam Touts Off-grid Solar Power for Electric Aircraft
Clean-technology startup Beam Global believes it has advanced the case for off-grid solar energy as an aircraft power source with what it says was a record-breaking flight across central California. Joseph Oldham, CEO of New Vision Aviation, a not-for-profit organization providing flight training for disadvantaged communities, recently flew a Pipistrel Alpha Electro 260 miles from Fresno to Lodi, with stops in Madera, Merced, and Modesto. The all-electric light aircraft was powered entirely with Beam Global’s Electric Vehicle Autonomous Renewable Charger (EV ARC) system.
According to San Diego-based Beam, the technology generates electricity from solar power, which is delivered directly to vehicles. The EV ARC recharging units take up the space of a standard car and are intended to be quickly deployed to airfields or wherever they are needed by electric aircraft operators. They could also recharge electric ground-support vehicles at FBOs.
At the top of each unit is a solar array that converts sunlight into DC electricity, which is then stored in lithium-ion-phosphate batteries, from which the charging unit is supplied. The EV ARC unit includes a power-management system that releases an electric charge only after the aircraft (or ground vehicle) has digitally confirmed that it is the intended recipient.
“The solar array moves during the course of the day, following the sun, and this gives us about 25 percent more electricity than a fixed array on a rooftop,” said Beam CEO Desmond Wheatley.
Want more? You can find a longer version of this article at FutureFlight.aero, a news and information resource developed by AIN to provide objective coverage and analysis of cutting-edge aviation technology.
AIN Events: Building a Sustainable Flight Department
Don’t miss out—early-bird pricing ends July 31 for AIN's one-day conference on sustainability and the modern flight department in Tarrytown, New York, on September 22. Attendees will learn about aviation’s contribution to carbon emissions, regulator/government roles in minimizing aviation emissions (including CORSIA), making sense of carbon offsets, building to LEED standards, and much more. This conference will also be repeated in three other locations: Dallas (November 10); Fort Lauderdale, Florida (December 8); and Los Angeles (Jan. 19, 2022). Early-bird pricing is also available for these venues. Register today.
People in Aviation
Pat Searle has joined Elliott Jets as executive sales director. Searlebrings 30 years of aircraft experience to his new role, most recently as the president and co-owner of Wetzel Aviation and before that as co-owner of Front Range Aviation.
Acorn Growth Companies, a private equity firm investing in aerospace, defense, intelligence, and space, named Greg Agnew head of its mergers and acquisition group. He succeeds Bob Hinaman, who is retiring but will serve as an advisor through September. Agnew joined Acorn in 2018 with a two-decade background in banking, advisory, and equity research, including establishing the Washington, D.C. office and U.S. Aerospace & Defense investment banking practice for Canaccord Genuity.
GGT WORLDWISE appointed Tracie Carwile v-p of global sales and inclusion. Carwile brings more than 15 years of business aviation experience to the company, including with Universal Weather and Aviation.
Elite Jets added four pilots and a charter consultant to its growing employment base. Latest pilot additions include Kevin Johnson, Allen Mounts, Tom Taylor, and Michael Grebb, and Josh Simpson as an executive charter consultant. A Legacy 500 captain, Johnson has previously worked for TWA Express and U.S. Air Express, as well as served as a contract pilot with the U.S. Department of Defense. A Phenom 300 captain, Mounts was a personal pilot for a family owning a Phenom 300. A pilot since 1988 and also a Phenom 300 captain, Taylor has flown professionally since 2000 for charters, commercial airlines, corporations, and freight haulers. Grebb, who captains the Phenom 300 and Hawker 850XP, has served as a corporate and charter pilot, as well as a flight instructor, and has flown internationally. Meanwhile, Simpson has served as an operations manager for a law firm, line technician at Naples Airport, and manager of a municipal airport, among other roles.
AOne Parts & Logistics named Nathan Anderson as a buyer/trader. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and a current Air Force reservist, Anderson brings a background in customer support and procurement procedures to his new role.
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