Signature Rolls Out New Worldwide Covid Standards

Signature Flight Support, the world’s largest FBO chain, has launched SignatureAssure, its Covid-19 response program. Introduced as general aviation flying levels slowly begin to rise, the program encompasses all recommended practices, including social distancing with signage and floor markings, a mandatory employee training plan, and use of personal protection equipment. Health screenings are administered at the start of every worker shift using pulse oximeters and touchless thermometers.

“Trust has always been paramount in aviation and the global pandemic has added a new dimension to earning our customer’s trust—ensuring their health and safety,” said company COO Tony Lefebvre.

In its more than 200 facilities worldwide, a 50-point facility cleanliness checklist has been adopted and is implemented several times a day. It incorporates technologies such as electrostatic sprayers that allow large areas of the terminals to be quickly sanitized. In lounge areas, furniture has been reconfigured to meet current social distancing guidelines and all nonessential common-use items have been removed.

The company has also leveraged its partnership with National Car Rental to provide sanitized rental cars at all of its FBO locations.

“Our customers have come to trust and expect our industry-leading approach, and we are investing in the latest technology to ensure the health and safety of our team members, our visiting flight crews, and the traveling public,” said CEO Mark Johnstone.

Hill Dems Call For Helos To Have TAWS, Flight Recorders

Seven senior Capitol Hill Democrats introduced legislation in both the Senate and the House this week mandating the installation of helicopter TAWS and crash-resistant flight data and cockpit recorders on all transport-category (Part 29) turbine helicopters that can carry six or more passengers, regardless of the type of operation flown. 

The Helicopter Safety Act of 2020 directs the FAA to develop the applicable regulations within 180 days of passage and implement them within one to two years after that. It provides that the FAA Administrator can exempt any civilian helicopter from the regulations but must justify the exemption to relevant congressional committees. 

This legislation is initially sponsored by Sens. Diane Feinstein, Chuck Schumer, Kamala Harris, Richard Blumenthal, Edward Markey, and Kirsten Gillibrand, and Rep. Brad Sherman. Feinstein and Sherman, both of California, were leading proponents of previous unsuccessful legislation calling on the FAA to increase minimum helicopter flight altitudes in the Los Angeles basin. 

Citing NTSB safety recommendations since 2004 that have urged the FAA to mandate the equipment, Feinstein and Schumer referenced two recent high-profile fatal crashes, the FlyNYON accident in New York City that killed five and the California crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others this past January. The legislators believe that both accidents could have been prevented or the investigations benefitted from the safety devices, had they been installed.

Covid and Hurricanes Not a Good Mix

Meteorological predictions are calling for a more active hurricane season this year, with two of the three named storms already making landfall before the traditional start of the Caribbean/Atlantic storm season on June 1. While preparations in storm-vulnerable areas are already in motion, this year organizers face the added complication of having to deal with the Covid-19 threat as well.

“A lot of that is stockpiling water, food supplies, and now with the addition of Covid, additional PPE, contemplating that in a storm even you may very well not have access to those things,” said Christopher Rozansky, executive director of the Naples (Florida) Airport Authority. Speaking in an NBAA webinar last week, he said that during mid-March, when the pandemic began taking hold in the U.S., scientists noticed that the Gulf of Mexico temperatures were warming higher than usual, typically a harbinger of increased storm activity.

Rozansky, whose airport was heavily impacted by 2017’s Hurricane Irma, explained that FBOs should keep their fuel farms topped off as much as possible for evacuating aircraft ahead of the storm and to support recovery traffic.

Another concern that weighs heavily is the safety of their staffers and their families. While the plan may be to keep their facilities open as long as is safely possible, and reopen when prudent, the human element must also be considered.

Duncan Sees Rising Demand for Aircraft Readiness

Duncan Aviation is seeing rising demand from operators to prepare their airplanes for flight readiness, which in turn is keeping its engine Rapid Response Team (RRT) network busier by the week, according to the Lincoln, Nebraska-based MRO provider. “The calls keep coming in,” said Duncan RRT assistant manager Andrew Arcuri. “We are busy talking with customers and providing services where they need us.”

Through MRO facilities in Lincoln, Nebraska; Battle Creek, Michigan; and Provo, Utah, as well as 30 satellite avionics locations, Duncan said it is able to provide unhindered mobile services while following all communicated safety and social distancing policies within customer facilities. Duncan also reminded owners and operators that airplanes are designed to fly and not sit like so many have since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The longer airplanes remain idle, the more likely they are to develop issues that will require more work to prepare them for flight. Flight crews should plan to preflight and conduct engine runs a couple of days ahead of a scheduled flight to provide enough time to address each squawk, Duncan advised.

Charter Execs See Only Temporary Surplus in Pilot Pools

The pool of available pilots has noticeably increased as a result of the drop-off in operations and associated furloughs, but charter and fractional industry executives expect this to be a shorter-term situation and that the job market might tighten up again sometime next year.

“Before Covid hit, workforce [shortage] was like the 8,000-pound gorilla in the room for a lot of us,” Scott Cutshall, senior v-p of business operations for Clay Lacy Aviation, said during an NBAA Leadership Council Briefing webinar held late last week. But for now, he said, “There is definitely temporary relief because of the lower levels of activity right now.” Inbound calls “have skyrocketed” from pilots working at airlines, he said. But he added he didn't think this would result in a long-term change.

Flexjet flight operations v-p Joe Salata agreed, pointing to the fact that pilot turnover has “ground to a screeching halt. We’ve had zero attrition.” But he also concurred that this situation is temporary and could change next year.

Leslie Cheshier, v-p of owner and charter services for Jet Aviation, also said that while the available pilot pool has increased, “We do expect the need for contract pilots to increase as we come out of Covid." She expressed optimism that demand will continue to strengthen. “We do see there’s a huge interest in private aviation. It’s very encouraging that it will increase.”

Magellan Jets Launches Membership Program

Boston-based air charter broker Magellan Jets has launched a membership program, expanding its previous on-demand and jet card offerings. According to company president and co-founder Anthony Tivnan, its membership program provides an easy on-ramp for those who can afford to fly privately, but haven’t previously, and are now seeking a safer post-Covid-19 air travel option. He noted that there are 8.1 million such households in the U.S. with a net worth exceeding $2 million.

Magellan is offering two different annual membership tiers: a basic level for $8,500 ($4,500 renewal) and a premier level for $14,500 ($9,500 renewal). The basic membership provides access to 2000 model or newer aircraft in four categories with a 24-hour callout time. Its premier level halves that callout time, provides access to newer aircraft in the same four categories, allows multi-aircraft use, and includes catering, Wi-Fi, and carbon offsets. Both membership levels come with 12-month locked-in hourly rates and no blackout dates, fuel, or peak surcharges.

“Our membership fees are designed to guarantee access to more options at a pay-as-you-go hourly fixed cost,” said Magellan CEO and co-founder Joshua Hebert. “We have worked hard to provide the greatest value per hour by increasing transparency and eliminating the numerous fees, blackout periods, and ancillary costs. We’re here to elevate the industry and help get America back to work.”

Bristow and Era Complete Helicopter Operations Merger

Offshore helicopter service companies Bristow and Era completed their merger late last week. The new company will be known as Bristow and publicly traded as VTOL on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Legacy Bristow shareholders now own 77 percent of the equity of the new company, while legacy Era shareholders own 23 percent.

The new Bristow company will be headquartered in Houston, have an estimated cash balance of $250 million, and operate more than 300 helicopters including the world’s largest fleets of Sikorsky S-92 and Leonardo AW139 and AW189 helicopters. The fleet will be over 80 percent company-owned.

Former Era CEO Chris Bradshaw will serve as CEO. Combining the companies is estimated to produce $35 million annually in cost-saving synergies. Bristow now has extensive operations in the Americas, Nigeria, Norway, the UK, and Australia, with revenues from offshore oil and gas transportation, as well as search and rescue and aircraft support services to government and civil organizations.

“The combination brings long-overdue consolidation in the industry, better prepares us to navigate today’s market challenges, and ensures we remain the global leader in helicopter services with an outstanding culture focused on safety and providing excellent service to our valued customers,” said Bradshaw.

FSI’s Hibler Flies West

Harland Terrell “Terry” Hibler, 70, a long-time FlightSafety International executive and former corporate pilot, died on May 3 after suffering from the effects of a stroke. 

Hibler spent 28 years with FlightSafety, serving as its director of worldwide airline marketing in the company’s Teterboro, New Jersey office. He became deeply involved in the regional airline market, including serving on the Associate Member Council of the Regional Airline Association, as well as long-time chairman of the Associate Member Council for the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association (RACCA). A Facebook posting credited Hibler for “helping to build RACCA to what it is today.” Through his work with numerous carriers, Hibler helped with the transition from piston and turboprop commuters into the regional jet era.

A U.S. Air Force veteran, Hibler served as a C130 loadmaster in Vietnam. He further was a corporate pilot during most of his career and held 16 type ratings.

He is survived by his wife Karen, daughter Amy, and son-in-law Justin.