Daher’s latest-generation TBM turboprop single—the TBM 960—received FAA validation on Friday, just two months after the airplane was certified by EASA. The French airframer unveiled the upgraded airplane in early April at the Sun ’n Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland, Florida, and by the end of that month had handed over the first production example to a customer in Germany.
Following Friday’s FAA approval, Daher ferry pilots flew two factory-new TBM 960s to the U.S. over the weekend. A company spokesman told AIN that more details about these airplanes will be provided this week, implying that TBM 960 deliveries to U.S. customers are imminent.
Replacing the TBM 940 in the company’s lineup, the approximately $4.57 million aircraft sports a more efficient Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6E-66XT engine with a five-blade composite propeller and digital e-throttle. An optional Prestige cabin package ups the price to about $4.8 million and adds a new environmental control system, LED ambiance lighting, and electronically-dimmable windows, among other upgrades.
With the new model, Daher’s TBM family is now offered in two versions—the TBM 910 and 960.
CloudNine—the company currently building a 100,000-sq-ft private hangar complex at Los Angeles-area Camarillo Airport (KCMA)—has acquired Channel Islands Aviation (CIA), one of the four service providers on the field. The CloudNine facility, when completed in the second quarter of 2023, will consist of four 25,000-sq-ft hangars, each with its own office space.
The CIA FBO opened in 1976 and had been operated since then by the same married couple; its new owners plan on leaving the facility’s name intact.
“It’s got a great legacy and reputation throughout SoCal,” said Ron Rasak, CEO of both CloudNine and parent company southern California-based commercial real estate developer RKR. “It is well known and is one of the longest-running affiliates of Cessna Aircraft Company in the country.”
Capable of sheltering aircraft up to a Dassault Falcon 8X in its existing 62,000 sq ft of hangar space, the FBO also includes an 8,500-sq-ft terminal with pilot lounge, conference room, flight planning room, gourmet coffee bar, and a multi-rating flight school. Its FAA Part 145 repair station is a factory-authorized service center for Cessna and Cirrus aircraft.
Going forward, CloudNine v-p of operations Nick Martino wishes to modernize the business. “We also want to work with our Cessna and Cirrus services partners to draw aircraft owners from other airfields like Van Nuys, Oxnard, Santa Barbara, and Santa Ana,” he said.
C.B. “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who successfully dead sticked an Airbus A320 to a safe landing on New York’s Hudson River in 2009 after hitting a flock of geese, said late last week that he would step down as U.S. envoy to the Montreal-based International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), effective this Friday (July 1).
Sullenberger, who was confirmed in December as U.S ambassador to ICAO, said in a statement that “relinquishing my role” was not an easy decision. He did not offer a reason for his resignation after just six months on the job, but said, “My departure from ICAO will not end my determination to use my voice as an ardent advocate for the safety of everyone who flies.”
Since his retirement as an airline pilot in 2010, Sullenberger—a former U.S. Air Force fighter pilot who has logged more than 20,000 flight hours—has been serving as a safety spokesman, author, and keynote speaker. “I am deeply committed to aviation safety and security,” he said, adding this commitment predated the 2009 “Miracle on the Hudson” flight and “will remain my focus as I return to private life.”
A nominee to replace Sullenberger at ICAO has not yet been announced.
Partners In Aviation (PIA)’s managed co-ownership program continues to make inroads in the market as a result of reduced aircraft inventory, skyrocketing costs, and jet card client dissatisfaction, according to the Chicago-based firm.
The company has seen a 25 percent increase in inquiries in the past few months, noted PIA president Mark Molloy. Last month, PIA closed five transactions that included a Piaggio Avanti and two Hawker and Gulfstream jets. “It seems we’re in the right place at the right time,” Molloy added.
PIA also is seeing some uplift from existing private aircraft owners who are interested in selling half of their airplanes, which Molloy said enables them to capitalize on market demand, as well as keep their aircraft and crew. “This dynamic creates incremental inventory in this very tight market,” he explained. “Our client base is growing, and as both demand and prices continue to increase in our industry, our value proposition is resonating—and that’s really gratifying.”
Sustainable fuel producer Gevo has concluded a stock offering that it believes will provide the funding required to construct its Net Zero-1 (NZ1) production facility. Given the forecasts of a possible recession and the generally poor market outlook, the company’s directors made the decision to raise capital to ensure, as far as possible, that it can complete the project even in the absence of external financing.
“While this has been a productive quarter and year-to-date, the financial markets have been chaotic,” said CEO Patrick Gruber. “Our recent decision to raise equity was made to ensure Gevo’s balance sheet could withstand the challenging financial markets that we expect over the next two years.”
Gevo currently has offtake agreements in place for more than 200 million gallons per year (MGPY), worth approximately $1.2 billion in sales, with the initial deliveries of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to take place in 2025. Gruber noted that as demand from the aviation industry continues to outstrip supply, that should present opportunities for early movers such as Gevo to establish additional partnerships.
By year-end, the company expects to close on the purchase of land in Lake Preston, South Dakota, and break ground on NZ1, which is expected to produce 55 MGPY of SAF or 62 MGPY of total hydrocarbon fuels. Gevo is currently identifying additional SAF production locations.
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Complete Aircraft Group (CAG) of Exeter, England, has finalized its acquisition of MRO provider Aerocare Aviation Services (AAS), enabling CAG to expand into business aviation. Aerocare is based at Hawarden Chester Airport in Wales.
“[Aerocare] is a company that has developed a great reputation in business aircraft support with a prestigious customer base,” said CAG head of operations Alan Barnes. “We look forward to maximizing group synergy, not just within CAG through our work sourcing and managing high-quality aircraft, aircraft tooling, parts, and components for customers worldwide, but with our aircraft acquisition, teardown, and oversight expertise, and especially with our mobile repair team specialists.”
Further, Barnes said he will work with Aerocare leaders for new business development opportunities and partnerships, including through Aerocare’s paint facility. “We see increasing demand to tap into regional turboprop types for paintwork—such as the de Havilland Q400 and ATR 72, as well as supporting larger business jets like the Bombardier Challenger and Global.”
Additionally, CAG looks to broaden its aftermarket support through the Aerocare acquisition and position the company for preowned business aircraft inspections, according to Barnes.
Following GE’s previous announcement of its plan to separate GE into three independent companies focused on the growth sectors of aviation, healthcare, and energy, the company today announced several changes to its aviation division senior leadership team.
H. Lawrence Culp Jr. has been named CEO of GE Aviation, in addition to remaining chairman and CEO of parent GE; John Slattery, who held the role of president and CEO of GE Aviation, will become executive v-p and chief commercial officer of the division; Russell Stokes has been named president and CEO of Commercial Engines and Services; and Rahul Ghai has been hired by GE as CFO of GE Aviation, succeeding Shane Wright. Slattery, Stokes, and Ghai will report directly to Culp.
Ghai will start as CFO on August 15, working alongside Wright to ensure a smooth transition upon Wright's retirement later this year after 34 years with the company.
“GE Aviation is an exceptional business in growing commercial and military sectors that is shaping the future of flight,” Culp said. “There is tremendous opportunity in aviation over the coming years, and the board and I decided it is the right time for me to take on this expanded role and work even more closely with the team to support our customers, meet the unprecedented demand ramp, and prepare for GE Aviation’s future as an independent public company.”
The crash of an air-taxi Rockwell 690B turboprop twin that resulted in the death of the sole-occupant pilot was the only Canadian-registered business turbine airplane fatal accident last year, according to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada's latest annual report of aircraft incidents and accidents.
On Aug. 16, 2021, the aircraft began its takeoff roll on Runway 12 at Thunder Bay Airport, Ontario. Immediately after rotation, the aircraft entered an extreme bank to the left, continued to roll, and then struck the surface of Runway 7 in an inverted attitude. The pilot was killed and the aircraft was destroyed.
In addition to that fatal accident, there were 17 nonfatal air-taxi accidents in Canada last year involving non-turbofan-powered aircraft—10 airplanes and seven helicopters. “These 18 air-taxi accidents are more than the 13 seen in 2020,” the report says. “But they remain well below the average of 28 accidents per year occurring between 2011 and 2020.”
A single nonfatal turboprop accident was the only major mishap among those involving privately-operated turbine airplanes last year. On Oct. 10, 2021, a Daher TBM 700N was concluding an IFR flight to Westlock Airport, Alberta. During landing, the aircraft touched down hard on the right main landing gear, bounced, dragged the right wingtip, and rolled inverted. The pilot sustained serious injuries and the three passengers received minor injuries.
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