Concerned that an economic dispute is threatening the use of Part 380, a coalition of six aviation organizations appealed to the White House, Department of Transportation (DOT), FAA, and Congress to handle such disagreements independently, without making major changes to the current regulatory framework.
In letters written by NBAA, NATA, and HAI, among others, the organizations stressed that a DOT Part 380 application “has been misused by economic competitors that, with no evidence of safety and security concerns, seek to prevent Part 135 operators from conducting public charter flights. Their unsubstantiated claims do a disservice to this well-established regulatory framework and the safe, secure transportation services its operators provide to the traveling public.”
At issue is an application for commuter air carrier operation under Part 380 from SkyWest Charter. While receiving substantial support from numerous small airports, that application also has touched off opposition from pilot groups and other airlines. Some of this opposition has been pointed at Part 380 carrier JSX, rather than addressing the application at large. American Airlines asked for guidance on Part 380, saying the scheduled charter model puts JSX at a competitive advantage and agreeing with other commenters that it exploits a “regulatory loophole.”
These comments have alarmed business aviation and other groups, which said the DOT’s public charter regulations have governed charter operations “without controversy” for 45 years.
A new RNP (GNSS) instrument approach at Leeds East Airport (EGCM) is set to be activated on August 10, giving business aircraft operators a fresh option for flying into northern England. The privately owned airport, which is the former Royal Air Force Church Fenton base, has a 5,900-foot runway and a newly built FBO.
ECGM is 15 miles east of Leeds city center and 10 miles from York. Standard daily opening hours are from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the summer (closing at 5 p.m. in winter months), with after-hours on-call service available on request.
The new FBO offers facilities for passengers and crew, as well as meeting rooms, to serve both business and leisure travelers, with easy access to the North Yorkshire Moors. Hangar space is available for aircraft up to the size of a Bombardier Challenger 650.
“Leeds East Airport is now open for business for full IFR traffic,” said airport owner Chris Makin. “We have spent time and money to ensure that we can offer the finest facilities to operators and customers traveling to the north of England. The newly approved RNP instrument approach system means that we offer the highest flight safety standards, combined with brand-new FBO facilities.”
Local charter company Makin Air is based at the airport, operating a Pilatus PC-12.
Business aviation cabin audio and management systems company Alto Aviation has announced new upgrade solutions for the Hawker 800/800XP. The company’s Cadence cabin management 2023 midyear upgrade programs offer a portfolio of direct-replacement passenger controls and customized bezels that replace and upgrade obsolete, broken, and/or non-serviceable Audio International-made switch panels on these twinjets.
According to Alto, Cadence’s modular approach allows for an easy upgrade of cabin controls that blend in with Hawker 800/800XP interior designs, preserving the wood and furnishing. Alto upgrade programs are also scalable, meaning the units are fit-compatible and include read/table light switches, USB charging, and removal of headphone functionality in favor of repurposing the panels with USB and Bluetooth audio.
The upgrade can be integrated with the existing cabin management system or, if the customer desires further upgrades, with Alto’s SM-1070 System Master Controller. The latter option also allows cabin lighting and audio to be controlled by personal devices via the Alto cabin control app. Alto said the Hawker upgrade allows for a range of solutions, from a single switch replacement to a full Cadence cabin management system installation.
Banyan Air Service—one of four service providers at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (KFXE)—has been selected by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to offer the reimbursable services program (RSP), which allows the FBO to request after-hours customs clearance on behalf of its customers. Banyan is currently the only location at KFXE to offer this capability.
KFXE is a favored entry port for flights originating from South and Central America and the Caribbean. CBP at the airport is normally open from 8 a.m. until midnight daily. By using the RSP, flights can clear customs during off-hours, without the need for an interim stop solely for the purpose of customs clearance, resulting in savings on time and expenses.
“We are thrilled to be the exclusive provider of the Customs RSP at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport,” Banyan v-p of FBO services Jon Tonko said. “This partnership highlights our dedication to offering exceptional services to our clients and facilitating their travel experience.”
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The helicopters used to cover this year’s Tour de France will be powered with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Operator Hélicoptères de France will use SAF for 50 percent of the stages for tour organizer ASO and 30 percent for France Télévisions. The fuel will be available at several airports along the race course. “We use seven to nine helicopters for this big race,” said Jean-Marc Genechesi, pilot, instructor, and director of Hélicoptères de France. “Our helicopters are in fact used by two clients: ASO and Euromedia [for France Télévisions], which provides the images that are broadcast around the world.”
Single-engine Airbus Helicopters H125s will be used to transport VIPs and tour organizers while twin-engine EC355s will be used to support France Télévisions. Helicopters covering the event adhere to a strict routing network and a variety of temporary helipads that are being established for refueling. “Reducing the carbon footprint has been one of the tour’s main concerns for several years,” said Genechesi. “Just as electric cars have been introduced to the convoy, last year ASO asked us to cover a third of all stages with SAF fuel, which we did.”
Hélicoptères de France concentrates on aerial work, firefighting, and event support, including the Dakar road rally and various cycling events throughout the year such as the Tour de France.
Wheels Up’s board of directors has given the company’s top executives new pay packages even as it continues to grapple with large financial losses, according to documents filed over the last several weeks with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. CFO and acting CEO Todd Smith received a $150,000 annual raise, 140,171 shares of stock, and a lump-sum potential bonus equivalent to 150 percent of base salary. Smith’s base salary, including the recent raise, is estimated by AIN to be $725,000, based on the company’s 2022 proxy statement filings. Based on Wheels Up’s current stock price, Smith’s package could have an annual value of nearly $2 million.
Meanwhile, Wheels Up gave its executive chairman, Ravi Thakran, an annual consulting contract with a base value of $655,000, the potential for an annual bonus equal to that amount, 160,000 shares of stock, King Air flight hours, and an expense allowance.
Wheels Up lost $101 million in the first quarter and $555 million in 2022. It is expected to announce second-quarter results later this month. In a conference call with analysts in May, Smith hinted that the company would likely continue to lose money as it shifts to a more regional business model but said he believed profitability will be achieved next year. Wheels Up also announced hourly price rate cuts from 5 to 13 percent, effective this month.
Australia’s Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) this week pledged AU$30 million in funding to support the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the country. The open initiative invites proposals for commercial or pre-commercial SAF production, offering grants of AU$1 million and up to support engineering feasibility and project development activities or development of pilot scale and pre-commercial production facilities.
To be successful, those submitting proposals will have to demonstrate that they use or process an eligible renewable feedstock and production pathway. Power-to-liquids (PtL) and e-fuels production pathways will not be considered eligible. This initiative seeks to deliver on the findings of Arena’s Bioenergy Roadmap from 2021, which found that SAF produced from renewable biomass could provide up to 19 percent of Australia’s aviation fuel requirements by 2030.
“For a country so reliant on aviation for passenger and freight transport, it’s essential that we find ways to reduce emissions from this critical sector,” said Arena CEO Darren Miller. “With abundant agriculture, waste, and residue resources, Australia has the potential to support a thriving domestic biofuel industry.”
Indonesian charter operator Sayap Garuda Indah (Heli SGI) plans to modernize its fleet with Leonardo’s AW09 single-engine helicopter, making it the launch customer for the type in Indonesia. The Bali-based company has signed an agreement with the Italian manufacturer’s Southeast Asia distributor, Helitech Asia, to take an initial 10 aircraft with the potential to add five more.
The AW09 is the latest addition to Leonardo’s product line, having joined its portfolio with the 2020 acquisition of Swiss manufacturer Kopter. The single-pilot helicopter, which can be configured to carry up to eight passengers, has a range of 430 nm and a cruise speed of 140 knots.
Heli SGI mainly provides both rotary and fixed-wing flights for customers in the mining, tourism, and corporate transportation sectors. The company’s helicopter fleet currently consists entirely of Bell products, including the 206L, 407, 412, and 212 models. It also operates Cessna 206T light aircraft. It runs an approved maintenance facility, with a significant inventory of spare parts for the aircraft types it operates.
“This strategic collaboration showcases our dedication to investing in cutting-edge technologies and underscores our vision for the future of aviation in Indonesia,” commented Heli SGI CEO François Lassale. “By leveraging this cooperation, we aim to provide our customers with a modern, advanced, and operationally flexible platform as we expand our capabilities into diverse sectors of the industry."
Requires changes to the airplane flight manual emergency and non-normal procedures to ensure the horizontal stabilizer is correctly configured before takeoff. Prompted by a Bombardier design review of the avionics architecture of the pitch trim indication and alerting system that revealed software errors in the input/output concentrator, data concentrator unit, and/or adaptive flight display could generate misleading pitch trim indication to the crew, leading to incorrect horizontal stabilizer positioning at takeoff.
Requires modifying the weather radar redundant wiring. Prompted by a report that an incorrect wiring arrangement was detected around the weather radar system.
Requires revising the existing aircraft flight manual to provide the flight crew with new warnings for “Autoflight” and “Engine Failure in Climb During (V) ALTS CAP or (V) ALTV CAP.” Prompted by a revision to the procedures to ensure that all applicable altitude capture modes used and annunciated in the affected fleet are included and to more clearly denote these altitude capture modes.
Supersedes AD 2022–19–03, which required incorporating new revisions to the airworthiness limitation section of the existing airplane maintenance manual (AMM) or instructions for continued airworthiness (ICA) to establish a five-year life limit for certain main landing gear actuator bottom attachment bolts and new life limits for the rudder bellcrank. The FAA has since determined that new and/or more restrictive tasks and limitations are necessary, requiring further revisions to the airworthiness limitation section of the AMM or ICA.
Model(s): Helicopters with Installed Radar Altimeters
Published: July 5, 2023
Effective: July 10, 2023
Requires Canadian-registered helicopters operating in the U.S. to revise the limitations section of rotorcraft flight manuals to incorporate limitations prohibiting certain operations requiring radio altimeter data due to the potential presence of 5G C-band interference.
Supersedes but retains requirements of EASA AD 2013-0061, which mandated repetitive inspections for corrosion, installation of protection against corrosive environment, testing for insulation and operation of the microswitches in the engine IDLE/FLIGHT control system and, depending on findings, any necessary corrective action(s). Updated AD requires installation of a serviceable assembly.
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