This week at the 64th Annual Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) Convention & Trade Show in Dallas, the mood was positive, attendee numbers were relatively high, and exhibitors were excited about opportunities to serve avionics dealers and their customers. After canceling last year’s show due to the Covid pandemic, AEA delayed this year’s in-person event to June from the normal March timeframe.
According to AEA, the show saw “nearly 1,500 avionics manufacturers, repair stations, installers, and other general aviation professionals” attend the four-day event. Most were from the U.S. because of international travel restrictions. With avionics shops seeing record growth and high demand for upgrades to the latest products, a key topic of discussion on the exhibit floor was the personnel shortage.
Thirty-four companies highlighted new products on the first day of the convention, and more than 120 companies filled the exhibit hall. AEA members delivered more than 100 hours of regulatory, technical, and business management training and professional development courses. Attendees were also invited to take Aircraft Electronics Technician (AET) certification and endorsement examinations at no charge, thanks to the AEA Educational Foundation and ASTM International's National Center for Aerospace and Transportation Technologies.
Duncan Aviation components/OEM business development manager Kevin Miesbach was named the AEA Member of the Year and EDMO Distributors the AEA Associate Member of the Year.
AINsight: The ‘Right Stuff’ To Handle Stress
Stress is part of everyday life—it’s unavoidable. In aviation, high levels of stress are prevalent in many occupations; topping the list of most stressful jobs are pilots, air traffic controllers, and aircraft technicians.
Stress can be good (eustress) or bad (distress). Small amounts can provide benefits such as increased alertness and an improved ability to concentrate. Too much stress accumulated over time has been associated with health problems. Studies point to a strong correlation between high levels of stress and an increase in errors, poor decision making and judgment, loss of situational awareness, and confusion.
On the flight deck, obvious stressors may include weather, mechanical malfunctions, and/or ATC delays. Other stressors are more subtle such as aircraft noise, vibrations, and/or constant radio chatter. Outside of the cockpit, “career jeopardy” events such as annual training and biannual flight physicals are stressful. Managing a work/life balance, inconsistent schedules, and time zone changes or circadian shifts are fatiguing and can lead to additional stress.
Preparation, anticipation, planning, communications, CRM, and time management are some of the most effective ways to handle stress. Long-term stress is best dealt with ensuring physical well-being through sleep, diet, and exercise. Likewise, continuous professional training provides the currency and competence in SOPs and emergency procedures. Most importantly, when overwhelmed with tasks it is okay to say “no” or ask for help.
Jet Aviation has expanded its footprint in Switzerland with the announcement that it has purchased ExecuJet’s FBO at Zurich Airport along with parent company Luxaviation’s Swiss aircraft charter and management operation.
ExecuJet’s Zurich facility, which it occupied for nearly two decades, consists of a two-story, 10,800-sq-ft stand-alone terminal with a private passenger lounge, in-house customs and immigration, a landside and smaller airside pilot lounge, shower facilities, kitchen, storage room, lockers, and a 10-seat conference room, along with indoor and outdoor vehicle parking.
In addition, Jet Aviation, which already operates an FBO on the field, will gain aircraft shelter for the first time with 53,000-sq-ft and 27,000-sq-ft hangars, and two additional private ramps totaling approximately 112,000 sq ft.
“Acquisition of the ExecuJet FBO in Zurich enables us to offer a more comprehensive range of services, including hangar space for short- and long-term private parking,” said Stefan Benz, Jet Aviation’s senior v-p of regional operations in EMEA. The purchase of Luxaviation's Swiss air operator certificate (AOC) will also transfer 17 Switzerland-based aircraft to Jet Aviation control, a more than 25 percent increase in the company's EMEA fleet size.
“For our charter customers, Luxaviation’s Swiss aircraft management and charter business significantly expands our fleet in Europe, offering even greater choice in meeting their varying requirements,” added Benz.
Appareo Debuts AIRS-400 4K Image Recorder
Appareo introduced its 4K UHD AIRS-400 airborne image recording system this week at the Aircraft Electronics Association convention in Dallas. It records cockpit audio/video and offloads data via cellular networks.
Suitable for implementation of a flight data monitoring (FDM) or flight operations quality assurance (FOQA) program, the AIRS-400 captures ambient audio, intercom audio, 4K ultra-high-definition video, and flight data from internal inertial measurement units (IMUs) and a WAAS GPS receiver. The AIRS-400 weighs 11 ounces and records altitude, latitude/longitude, groundspeed, vertical speed, attitude data (pitch, roll, yaw), rates of rotation, and acceleration data. Options include Arinc 429 input and ED-155 audio and RS-422 output.
Appareo is also developing the RDM-500 crash-hardened storage module, which meets or exceeds ED-155 survivability standards. The AIRS-400 includes its own internal crash-hardened memory that can store “two hours of video and audio, more than 200 hours of IMU flight data, and 100 hours of Arinc 429 data,” according to Appareo.
A removable SD memory card is available for offloading data, but the AIRS-400 is equipped with cellular connectivity that can transmit data when the aircraft is on the ground. Once captured, the flight data can be analyzed using Appareo’s FDM/FOQA software tools, including its EnVision web-based software. Appareo said installation and setup of AIRS-400 takes just one day.
Army King Air Surpasses 50K Flight-hour Milestone
A U.S. Army Beechcraft King Air 300 has surpassed 50,000 flight hours, Textron Aviation announced this week. In service in a special-missions configuration with the Army since 2009, the preowned twin-turboprop originally delivered to a private company in 1987 is part of a larger fleet of the Army’s Medium Altitude Reconnaissance and Surveillance System aircraft, which provides troops on the ground with imagery and signals intelligence data.
“The King Air Model 300 platform has been a solid performer,” said Col. James DeBoer, project manager for the Army’s Fixed Wing Project Office. “The aircraft was utilized heavily in [Central Command] to fill capability gaps over the past decade. An aircraft that was able to reach 50,000 flight hours, with more than 30,000 hours in mostly austere environments, deserves recognition as do the soldiers who flew and maintained the aircraft, and those who stood at the ready to support its missions through parts replacement, repairs, and other requirements.”
Worldwide, nearly 7,600 King Airs have been delivered since 1964, with the global fleet surpassing more than 62 million flight hours. Additionally, the type has served roles in all branches of the U.S. armed forces.
Bolen Helps Debut Delaware Valley Regional Bizav Group
NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen helped kick off the launch of the Delaware Valley Business Aviation Association (DVBAA) this week. Speaking at the virtual event, Bolen noted that local, state, and regional groups support NBAA’s mission to create a thriving business aviation environment.
He cited the recent collaboration between the organization and DVBAA members in response to TFRs resulting from President Biden’s weekend trips to his home in Wilmington, Delaware, approximately five miles from New Castle Airport (KILG). The groups were able to successfully lobby the TSA to change one of the approved gateway airports into KILG from Newark International to Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley International, an airport that is more accommodating to business aircraft operators.
“That speaks volumes about how important it is that we work together to solve problems,” said Bolen. “Local problems quickly become national and international challenges, and how we deal with it always sets a precedent for what comes next.”
Bolen also touched on how the Covid-19 pandemic attracted new first-time users to business aviation and emphasized the industry's need to support greater diversity, equity, and inclusion. “We can share our experiences, we can promote best practices, and working together I think we can achieve an extraordinary level of efficiency and effectiveness to be relevant to a world that is changing rapidly,” he said.
Michigan FBO Joins the SAF Set
The spread of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the U.S. continues with the announcement that Premier Jet Services (formerly Oakland Air), an FBO at Detroit-area Oakland County International Airport (KPTK), is now stocking permanent supplies of the fuel. This makes it not only the first service provider among the several FBOs at bustling KPTK to do so but also the first in the region.
“Delivering SAF immediately was a key driver in our decision to select Titan Aviation Fuels as our fuel brand supplier,” said company president and CEO Josh Birmingham. “We could not be more excited to make SAF available to the industry, as well as our own fleet of planes.”
Birmingham told AIN that the 10 percent SAF blend, the first tank load of which was received on June 8, will be kept separate from the FBO’s conventional jet-A supply, and Premier has dedicated a 3,000-gallon refueller to dispense it. He noted that the price differential between conventional fuel and the SAF is approximately 25 percent.
Since the beginning of the year, permanent supplies of SAF have been introduced at more than a dozen FBOs in the U.S., primarily on the West Coast.
Kansas Police Officers Awarded Free Ground School
Flight training, testing, and consulting company Ortega Aviation Services (OAS) has awarded private pilot ground school scholarships to nine police officers in the Wichita area. The scholarships were awarded from applications by police officers at an OAS open house held for them.
Each scholarship covers the full $525 cost of 24 hours of classroom instruction and the necessary materials for successful completion. OAS will conduct the course at its Wichita Eisenhower National Airport facility in mid-July.
“We felt that the men and women who protect our families are underappreciated,” said OAS managing member Teresa Ortega. “Our team wanted to express our appreciation with a gift of what we do best—flight training.”
Teresa and chief instructor Kirby Ortega founded OAS in 2019. The wife-and-husband duo previously served as maintenance program sales director and chief pilot for single-engine operations, respectively, at Textron Aviation/Cessna. Combined, they have more than 60 years of experience in flying, flight training, and maintenance programs in Citations, Hawkers, and Beechcraft jets.
AIN Events: Building a Sustainable Flight Department
Don’t miss out—$199 early-bird pricing is ending June 30 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.
California gleaming. Gerrit van Vulpen, a Gulfstream G450 pilot for Jet Edge International, was prepping for a night trip from Southern California’s Van Nuys Airport to Washington Dulles when the “setting sun in the background created these beautiful striations. I just had to stop what I was doing and enjoy the view for a minute.” Us, too, Gerrit. And thanks for sharing!
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