Five Rivers Aviation, the sole business aviation ground handling provider at San Francisco-area Livermore Municipal Airport (LVK), has broken ground on its second phase of construction that consists of a 43,000-sq-ft hangar. The $9 million project at the six-year-old FBO is expected to be completed early in the fourth quarter.
This expansion will accommodate the latest ultra-long-range business jets and bring the Avfuel-branded facility's overall aircraft storage space to 68,000 sq ft. Planned third and fourth phases of development will more than double that total.
“The Tri-Valley business community has long been basing more offices and employees within arm’s reach of Livermore Airport,” said FBO owner Pete Sandhu, who added that many Silicon Valley companies have developed their own flight departments to facilitate long-distance management. “This development will meet some of their demand and reduce the amount of repositioning flights necessary to conduct business in Livermore and the Tri-Valley area.”
Situated outside the region’s fog belt, pilots heading to LVK and its 5,253-foot main runway often experience visual meteorological conditions when the rest of the San Francisco Bay area is socked in, Sandhu said.
FAA OKs J&J Covid Vaccine for Pilots, Controllers
The FAA has cleared U.S. pilots and air traffic controllers to receive Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Covid-19 vaccine following emergency-use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Saturday. This is the third—and the first single-dose—Covid vaccine to get the FAA’s green light for pilots and others who perform safety sensitive duties under the conditions of their FAA-issued airman medical certification.
Like the previously allowed two-dose Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, the FAA will require those getting the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to wait 48 hours before conducting safety sensitive aviation duties, such as flying or controlling air traffic. The waiting period—meant to accommodate any side effects—applies to those holding an airman medical certificate under FAR Part 67 or a medical clearance under FAA Order 3930.3C. This is similar to waiting periods imposed by the FAA for other vaccines, including those for tuberculosis and typhoid.
The FAA said it will evaluate additional Covid vaccines as they receive FDA emergency-use authorization.
Covid Relief Bill Clears House with Mfg, MRO Support
On Saturday, the U.S. House of Representatives approved new relief for aerospace manufacturers along with additional funding for airports, air carriers, and certain contractors as part of the sweeping $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act. The overall package narrowly cleared the full House by a 219-212 vote and is now headed to the Senate for consideration.
New in this particular relief package is the 50/50 cost-share program to help aerospace manufacturers and MROs recall or keep workers on the payroll that would be at risk of furlough as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. House aviation subcommittee chairman Rick Larsen (R-Washington), who was a driver behind the measure, estimated that the pandemic has caused an estimated 100,000 aerospace manufacturing workers nationwide to lose their jobs and that another 220,000 jobs remain at risk of furlough. The measure would set aside $3 billion for the program, which has drawn bipartisan support in both the House and the Senate.
In addition to that relief, the bill would continue the payroll support program for air carriers and their contractors through September 30, setting aside $15 billion in all. Of that, $14 billion is designated directly to air carriers and the remainder to contractors. Another $8 billion would be set aside for airports—$100 million of which is designated for general aviation and non-primary airports.
Virtual NBAA Flight Ops Conference Deemed a Success
NBAA said its three-day virtual Flight Operations Conference that concluded on Thursday “broke new ground in providing access to highly compelling speakers, brand-name industry exhibitors and networking opportunities.” The association produced the conference in collaboration with its Schedulers & Dispatchers Committee (SDC) and International Operators Committee (IOC), each of which have held separate in-person events prior to the pandemic. Overall, NBAA said exhibitors were pleased with business connections at the conference, while attendees were drawn by the offered content and the virtual exhibit floor.
The virtual conference included three keynote sessions: world champion adventure racer Robyn Benincasa, who shared how extreme performance can be applied to business and personal life; “Zen Pilot” Robert DeLaurentis, who flew a South-to-North Pole peace mission, as well as a 27,000-mile, around-the-world flight with 27 stops; and a flight operators town hall featuring NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen, aviation journalist Bill Garvey, NBAA IOC chair Kurt Stehling, and NBAA SDC chair Emily White.
Additionally, there were more than 40 education sessions focusing on emerging technologies, aviation sustainability, Covid-era best practices, professional development, and international protocols, among others. All sessions were recorded and are available through March 25, while new education sessions on aviation safety will be added each week this month to further educate and engage attendees.
GAMA Urges Increased International Cooperation
GAMA is pushing international regulators to strengthen cooperation, concerned that political, budgetary, and pandemic-related complexities are straining those efforts. Association president and CEO Pete Bunce said his members have seen some of this collaboration pull back somewhat, particularly in the area of certification and validation projects.
International regulators have become more hands-on in certification approaches, he told AIN. “We are seeing increased...technical involvement in programs that we did not see before,” he said.
Calling international harmonization a top priority, GAMA chairman Nicolas Chabbert, who is senior v-p of Daher's aircraft division and CEO of Daher Aircraft and Kodiak Aircraft, stressed the importance of collaboration between international regulators. “We cannot just take one piece and isolate it,” he said during GAMA’s recent State of the Industry press conference.
Bunce conceded that some of the pulling back “is probably directly attributable to the political pressure that we’ve seen in the fallout from the Max crashes.” But he noted other factors are playing a role, including reduced budgets of the regulators and the international restrictions and health concerns associated with the pandemic.
However, he was optimistic that the major regulatory agencies remain committed to working together. Key to making progress is transparency, he added. “The more transparent that our members are to the testing process...the more the regulator learns, and the more trust is built...It speeds validation.”
Planning is vital to any flying mission and speakers at the NBAA Flight Operations Conference Airport Assessment 101 webinar drove home that point with valuable advice on preparing for operations into high-use airports such as Teterboro in New Jersey to less traveled international destinations with antiquated facilities and poorly maintained runways.
“Generally, the first thing I [do] is look for an airport that has our minimum runway requirements,” said Chad Patnode, flight operations manager at Pfizer. But, obviously, it doesn't stop there. “You have a lot of characteristics, a lot of quirks, both domestic and international, that may not be so obvious, such as a wavy runway. Airport security is a big thing; will your aircraft, will your crewmembers and passengers be in a safe area? Is there a lack of fencing, for example?”
Patnode also stressed the importance of knowing whether an airport can accommodate an airplane as big as a Gulfstream G650, for example. “So what allows us to have a successful process is proactivity,” he explained. “You do not want to come across these issues, these challenges when you get to the airport. You want to try to identify them before you get there.”
Pfizer’s flight department uses an in-house checklist for any airport to which its airplanes travel, which Patnode said “organically” grew as it came across new concerns or challenges.
Bills Seek To End Contract Tower Controller Penalties
The Senate and House have reintroduced legislation allowing retired FAA controllers to work in federal contract towers without affecting their retirement benefits. This legislation aims to ensure safety and the availability of a pool of trained and experienced controllers to work at the 257 air traffic control facilities that operate under the public-private contract tower program.
Currently, controllers whose retirement is mandated at age 56 are financially penalized for continuing to work at federal contract towers. Senate and House bills would eliminate the penalty. “This legislation removes an unnecessary hiring barrier and a financial disincentive for air traffic controllers who have retired from the FAA, providing a simple and sensible solution to ensuring we have highly skilled and experienced controllers working at federal contract towers and keeping skies safe across the country,” said Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas).
Moran is one of three senators—including Oklahoma Republican Jim Inhofe and Washington Democrat Patty Murray—who reintroduced the Continuity for Operators with Necessary Training Required for ATC Contract Towers Act of 2021. Reps. Julia Brownley (D-California) and Rodney Davis (R-Illinois) reintroduced similar legislation in the House. “Keeping all of our air traffic control towers open and fully staffed is critical for safety and helps our airports serve businesses and aviation enthusiasts in our region,” said Brownley.
Aviation Safety Question of the Week
Provided by
Due to the potential for nuisance warnings, TAWS units are equipped with an inhibit function that pilots may use according to their own intuition. When used like this, is this action safe or unsafe?
A. Safe.
B. Unsafe.
‘Fifty-six Seconds To Live’
A new safety video from the U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST), entitled 56 Seconds To Live, was released days after the NTSB issued its probable cause finding in the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others last January. According to the NTSB, the crash resulted after the pilot inadvertently entered instrument meteorological conditions and experienced spatial disorientation.
“U.S. accident statistics reveal that a helicopter pilot operating under visual flight rules who unintentionally continues flight into IMC will very likely lose control of their aircraft and be dead within an average of 56 seconds,” according to Nick Mayhew, USHST industry co-chair. “We must join industry stakeholders to do everything we can to reverse this alarming and unacceptable trend.”
The 56-second time period is based on a USHST study of 221 fatal helicopter accidents that occurred from 2009 to 2019, and the video offers a graphic depiction of how those 56 seconds feel to a desperate helicopter pilot. Unintentional IMC was one of the top causes in 38 of the accidents.
Concurrent with the video release, the USHST announced a 56 Seconds to Live course, available April 15 on the USHST website. Pilots will be able to complete the free learning management system (LMS) course, which emphasizes critical aeronautical decision-making moments and qualifies for FAA Safety Team (FAAST) credit.
AINalerts News Tips/Feedback: News tips may be sent anonymously, but feedback must include name and contact info (we will withhold name on request). We reserve the right to edit correspondence for length, clarity and grammar. Send feedback or news tips to AINalerts editor Chad Trautvetter.
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