The fifth prototype in Leonardo’s AW609 tiltrotor program is nearing final completion at the airframer’s U.S. assembly facility in Philadelphia, and it is expected to make its first flight later this summer. During a visit to the site last week by AIN, P5, the first production-conforming aircraft, was seen with its wing mated to the fuselage, while the sixth airframe—which is slated to be the first production aircraft, destined for launch customer Bristow—sat behind it awaiting wing attachment.
Though the construction of these two aircraft will be completed in one end of the AW119 assembly lines, future AW609 production will move to a nearby, recently acquired hangar. Meanwhile, the company expects its AW609 full-flight simulator and flight training device to receive FAA approvals later this year.
According to Bill Sunich, the airframer’s head of tiltrotor marketing, Leonardo has not yet finalized a price tag for the 609, telling AIN that he expects it will be somewhere between $20 million and $30 million per copy. While Sunich declined to discuss order numbers, he noted “we have tremendous interest across all the mission sets—VIP and corporate, search and rescue, EMS, [and] offshore energy exploration around the world.”
FAA Electronic Civil Registry To Roll Out on October 5
The FAA remains on track to roll out its new Civil Aviation Registry Electronic Services (CARES) on October 5, moving functions of the registry currently handled manually to a cloud-based online system. CARES will provide a web-based platform for registering all U.S. aircraft and airmen certifications, replacing the current civil aviation registry processes. Congress in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 mandated development of the system, providing a three-year deadline for implementation.
Jeff Towers, past chairman of the NBAA Tax Committee and general counsel with TVPX, said at the virtual NBAA Aviation Tax & Regulatory Compliance Seminar last week that the system is designed to make the FAA more efficient, make records more accessible remotely, and enable government agencies to better vet for criminal/fraudulent activity.
Roberto Gonzalez, deputy director for the FAA’s office of foundational business, agreed, noting that with the current manual system aircraft registration could take up to eight weeks. Through CARES, that timeframe is anticipated to be reduced to about a week and might even shrink further. Plans call for phased implementation with initial automation and then further functions added over time.
FAA officials have been meeting with industry officials over the development of CARES, and Gonzalez said the agency is looking for feedback. The FAA has developed a web page detailing regular updates about CARES and provided a link for feedback.
Wheels Up Targets Corporate Clients through New Program
Wheels Up unveiled today a customizable program for corporate clients that includes aircraft charter and management and support for whole aircraft sales. Called Up for Business, the program also offers flexible spending for corporate clients to use pre-funded amounts for booking travel on Wheels Up’s fleet or with its partner, Delta Air Lines, through a single account.
Under the program, Wheels Up will provide dedicated account managers and a key account desk to evaluate and understand the travel needs of corporate clients and to produce tailored solutions that are efficient and optimize their spending. In addition, the program offers a turnkey solution for acquiring and upgrading aircraft or divesting a client’s fleet. For companies that own one or more aircraft, Up for Business will arrange a service to lower their ownership costs and provide hands-on maintenance management.
Wheels Up senior v-p Robert Bourrier will lead Up for Business and report to chief sales officer Ken Napolitano. “The travel needs of each company are unique and different,” said Napolitano. “We recognize our job is to be a partner in the process so that our talented sales team, who have decades worth of combined experience, can help optimize a private aviation solution to meet the financial goals and travel needs of every business client we serve.”
Peyton Manning To Chair 2022 Special Olympics Airlift
Legendary quarterback Peyton Manning has signed on as the honorary chair of Textron Aviation’s 2022 Special Olympics Airlift. In the role, he will be encouraging Cessna Citation, Beechcraft King Air, Beechcraft Premier, Beechjet, and Hawker owners and operators to participate in the airlift, which will transport thousands of athletes and coaches to the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games next June in Orlando, Florida.
Since the first Special Olympics Airlift in 1987, nearly 10,000 athletes and coaches have been transported to Special Olympics World Games and USA Games by aircraft owners across the U.S. With this eighth Airlift, Textron Aviation aims to recruit more than 200 aircraft owners to help transport a portion of the more than 4,000 athletes and coaches invited to Orlando. Inbound flights will be on Saturday, June 4, 2022, with return flights to athletes’ home states on Sunday, June 12, 2022.
“Special Olympics athletes embody grit, perseverance, and greatness, so no one could be better suited to serve as the 2022 honorary chairperson for our Special Olympics Airlift than Peyton Manning,” said Textron Aviation president and CEO Ron Draper. “Many dedicated athletes have worked hard to earn their spot at the USA Games in Orlando, and we knew the airlift would fit perfectly with Peyton’s experience both on the field as a legendary athlete, but also off the field as an ambassador, advocate, and fundraiser for many worthy causes.”
Xeriant Aerospace and XTI Aircraft yesterday announced a 50/50 joint venture through which they aim to bring the hybrid-electric TriFan 600 VTOL to market by the end of 2024. The two companies are forming a new company called Eco-Aero, and Xeriant has committed to investing $10 million in the joint venture over the next 12 months, starting with a $1 million deposit.
In addition to the fresh capital, Xeriant will contribute “technology and strategic business relationships.” XTI is mainly contributing the patented intellectual property for the TriFan program and aerospace engineering experience.
XTI CEO Robert LaBelle said yesterday at a press conference in Denver that the formation of the joint venture “means that we’re finally launching the development of the full-scale aircraft, and [it] puts us on the road to certification.” The Colorado-based company is finalizing the design of the fixed-wing TriFan 600 and said it will have the first prototype built and flying by April 2023.
According to LaBelle, the TriFan 600 will provide an alternative to existing business aircraft and helicopters, which he said is a market potentially worth around $20 billion. The VTOL will seat six passengers in standard configuration, rising to nine for air taxi operations.
Want more? A longer version of this article can be found at FutureFlight.aero, a news and information resource developed by AIN to provide objective, independent coverage and analysis of cutting-edge aviation technology.
Wintrust Adds Business Aircraft Finance Division
Wintrust Asset Finance today announced a new division, Wintrust Commercial Finance Aviation Group, that will focus on financing solutions for turbine business aircraft. The group will be led by Michael Cole, an ATP-rated pilot and CFI who previously served as v-p of aviation at Bridgeview Bank Group and managing director of aviation at Bank OZK.
“After serving clients in the aviation industry for years, we decided it was time to form a group to focus specially on this space,” said Kirk Phillips, president and CEO of Wintrust Commercial Finance. “Speed, consistency, and transparency is our commitment to our customers, and I’m confident Michael will help us continue to grow and deliver on this commitment to the aviation community.”
The company said its solutions for the business aircraft industry will be structured to meet the financial requirements of both privately held companies and publicly traded corporations for operation of the aircraft. According to Wintrust, its aviation group will be able to finance new and preowned airplanes, ranging from turboprop singles to ultra-long-range jets, operating under FAR Parts 91 or 135.
NGPA Offering $150k in Aviation Scholarships
NGPA, which supports the worldwide LGBTQ+ aviation community, said its aviation scholarships for the 2021 cycle total more than $150,000. Funded by NGPA member donations and industry partners, this year’s offerings include scholarships for all levels of pilot training, as well as aircraft dispatcher, aircraft maintenance technician, and higher education training.
According to NGPA, the only requirement for these scholarships is a membership to the organization, though all applicants are asked to provide evidence of their contributions to the LGBTQ+ community. The deadline for applications is Aug. 31, 2021.
“The NGPA scholarship program is at the core of what our mission is all about. It’s our chance to effect real change by enabling greater participation in aviation by the LGBTQ+ community and their allies,” said NGPA chair Steven Tustin. “Breaking down the financial barriers to being an aviation professional is a critical component to making aviation a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive industry.“
With this year’s scholarships, NGPA will have awarded more than $900,000 since this program started in 1998.
Dassault Gets Recognition for Sustainability Efforts
Dassault Aviation was recognized in the Financial Times first edition of “Europe’s Climate Leaders 2021” ranking that lists the 300 European companies that have achieved the greatest reduction in greenhouse gas emissions intensity between 2014 and 2019.
A joint initiative by the Financial Times and the institute Statista, the ranking is based on months of research, a review of existing emissions data, public calls for participation, and direct contact with thousands of companies, Dassault said. Companies listed were the “most successful in controlling their greenhouse gas emissions in relation to their revenues,” the French manufacturer added.
Dassault outlined a number of initiatives it has underway that are part of its long-term commitment to sustainability, including actively promoting the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). In addition, it is involved in the Clean Sky 2 European research initiative, as well as with France's civil aviation research council, which is focusing on lowering fuel consumption by reducing aircraft drag and weight.
People in Aviation
Chris Ströh has joined C&L Aerospace as a field service representative, specializing in ATR 42/72, ERJ-135/145/170, and Beech 1900 aircraft. Ströh has a 25-year maintenance background, serving as a senior field engineer who set up bases in several African nations, and most recently as a consultant who worked with operators in Africa.
The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) selected Erin Miller, author of Final Flight Final Fight: My Grandmother, the WASP, and Arlington National Cemetery, for the 2021 Bruce Whitman Trophy. This award recognizes “outstanding individuals who have made significant contributions to aviation or aerospace in the U.S., and who by working with museums and other institutions have promoted an appreciation by students and the broader public of the sacrifices and legacy of members of the military service.” Miller, the granddaughter of Women Airforce Service Pilots member Elaine Danforth Harmon, successfully led a grassroots campaign to fight a U.S. Army decision to deny a request for her grandmother to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC), leading to a bill that was signed into law in January 2016 making WASP members eligible for ANC. Now more than 100 living WASP members are eligible. Miller further has used her books to educate others about the contributions of the WASP during World War II.
Blackhawk Aerospace promoted Donnie Holder to chief information officer (CIO). Holder has served with Blackhawk since its inception 22 years ago, beginning as a receptionist, later moving into IT and marketing.
Sage-popovich (SPI) named John Brattain v-p of maintenance. Brattain, who spent 28 years in the U.S. Army, has more than 20 years of quality assurance management and engineering experience, most recently serving as director of maintenance for SPI and previously working as contract liaison with the Department of Defense. SPI also appointed Joel Brumm as quality assurance analyst manager. Brumm previously served with SPI as a student mechanic while earning his FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) license. Gustavo Perez-Hernandez joined SPI as an aviation analyst. Perez-Hernandez most recently was a consultant to Jets Time and also has served as a consultant to Blackwolf and Associates. In addition, Alex Boatright was named aviation parts sales associate. Boatright has a background in performing aviation inventory audits.
StandardAero named Peter Wheatley v-p and general manager of its helicopters business unit in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Wheatley has served with StandardAero for 17 years, most recently as director of engineering of the helicopters business unit and also has served as director of sales operations for its airlines and fleets division.
West Star promoted James Davis to aircraft maintenance supervisor of the Gulfstream department at its facility in East Alton, Illinois. Davis, who joined West Star in 2014, has more than 23 years of aircraft experience, previously serving with Anheuser Busch, Worldwide Aircraft Services, Eureka Aero, and DynCorp.
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