The founders of Jet It, a North Carolina-based fractional ownership program tied to the HA-420 HondaJet, have formally launched a sister brand in Europe called Jet Club. Through Jet Club, Vishal Hiremath and Glenn Gonzales are crossing the Atlantic to bring their fractional model of members purchasing a share of a HondaJet in exchange for using the aircraft for a certain number of days, not hours.
Hiremath, Jet Club Group’s co-founder and CEO, said fractional members in Europe will pay €2,500 per occupied hour, which includes handling and landing fees but not positioning fees. Jet Club will operate with a Maltese air operator certificate and license in Europe, as well as a team that includes experienced HondaJet pilots.
“Launching in a pandemic is an opportunity to get businesses back to work, providing a mechanism that empowers industry to rebuild some of the economic losses caused by the pandemic,” he added. “Providing access from separate terminals, away from crowded airports along with our advanced Covid-19 precautions and adherence to local guidelines, we are confident that our solution is a good fit for Europe at this time and well into the future.”
The European launch comes after Jet It recorded 400 percent year-over-year growth in the U.S. Between the two brands, the organization operates a fleet of 11 HondaJets.
FAA Awards Type Certification for King Air 260
A little more than four months after announcing the Beechcraft King Air 260, Textron Aviation has received FAA type certification for the upgraded twin turboprop. This certification allows customer deliveries to begin, including the first order for a cargo door-equipped King Air 260C that the Wichita airframer announced in early February.
Like the recent upgrades to its larger sibling—the King Air 360—the 260’s flight deck is equipped with Innovative Solutions & Support’s (IS&S) ThrustSense autothrottle, a digital pressurization controller, and Collins Aerospace’s Multi-Scan RTA-4112 weather radar. The 260 also features newly-designed seats created originally for the King Air 360 to provide greater passenger comfort on longer flights.
“The continual conversations we have with our customers play an integral role in the decisions we make about the design of new aircraft, as well as enhancements to our existing fleet,” said Textron Aviation senior v-p of engineering and programs Chris Hearne. “With the King Air 260, we used that valuable feedback and truly elevated the flying experience for both pilots and passengers.”
Textron Aviation began production of the King Air 260 late last year. It has a list price of $6.7 million.
Covid Bill Bringing Key Relief To Aviation Industry
Yesterday's final passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan is bringing much-needed relief as the aviation industry inches toward recovery, industry groups agree. After votes approving the bill in the House and Senate last week, the House yesterday signed off on the final version by a 220-211 vote, clearing the way to release $26 billion more in specific aid to air carriers, contractors, airports, maintenance organizations, and—for the first time—aerospace manufacturers.
“Like every other American industry, general aviation has struggled. We are optimistic that we are beginning a slow recovery, and today’s vote to approve additional support for our industry will put us firmly on a positive path,” said NATA president and CEO Timothy Obitts.
GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce agreed the pandemic has had a significant impact on the industry. “Some of the hardest-hit segments include our manufacturers, maintenance providers, the supply chain, and their respective workforces,” he added and praised the inclusion of $3 billion for a cost-sharing program that helps covers manufacturing and repair station employee salaries.
It also includes $14 billion to extend the air carrier payroll support program through September and $1 billion for their contractors, as well as $8 billion for airports, $100 million of which is for general aviation airports. The bill also provides billions in general loans and grants that could assist the industry.
Hundreds of thousands of flights have already taken off fuelled by Sustainable Aviation Fuels, and we think they could cut carbon emissions by around 80%, compared to conventional fossil-based jet fuels. Alternative fuels will play an important role in ensuring we can keep enjoying the benefits of aviation, while achieving a net zero carbon future.
Women In Aviation International’s 32nd annual conference kicked off today virtually with 30 education sessions that will be released over the two-day event; general sessions highlighting speakers from Boeing, NASA, and the United Arab Emirates, among others; and at least 105 exhibitors.
While deciding against the originally planned in-person event that was to have been held in Reno, WAI2021 will still hand out hundreds of thousands in scholarships over its two days. The 2020 edition of WAI culminated in more than 150 scholarships valued at about $830,000. Boeing began the scholarship announcements during today's general sessions, handing over nine for manufacturing skills, career enhancement, and other training.
During a Student Connect Forum planned for late afternoon, Becky Lutte, professor and researcher at the University of Nebraska Omaha and a member of the FAA Women in Aviation Advisory Board, will provide a snapshot of trends in student enrollments in collegiate aviation programs, including that women represent anywhere from 8 percent to 25 percent of the students. This is above the current representation of 5 percent of female airline pilots and 2.5 percent of maintenance technicians.
Numerous other sessions are on the schedule from Coffee Connects to a lunch hour with the U.S. Coast Guard’s five female African American pilots. Capping off the conference will be a Girls in Aviation Day event on Saturday.
Jetscape, one of four service providers at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), broke ground this week on a new FBO/hangar complex. The $30 million greenfield project on the west side of the field near the control tower will consist of a three-story 27,000-sq-ft terminal and an 80,000-sq-ft hangar capable of sheltering ultra-long-range business jets.
“In terms of people moving their operations to South Florida, the number of large aircraft coming into the market is unbelievable,” said Emlyn David, former CEO of Skyservice Business Aviation, who was brought on as a strategic consultant for the development.
According to Jetscape president Troy Menken, the project is expected to take 18 months, which would put it on track for a third-quarter 2022 opening. The company currently operates out of a 5,000-sq-ft terminal on the northern side of the field in a complex with a trio of 10,000-sq-ft hangars. Menken told AIN that the facility will be returned to the county once the new complex is completed.
Three years ago, the company acquired a separate facility that includes a 32,000-sq-ft hangar with 45 foot-high doors and a pair of 20,000-sq-ft hangars, which it will retain, giving it 152,000 sq ft of aircraft shelter space once the new complex is completed.
Offshore helicopter service provider CHC Group this morning announced a conditional agreement to acquire Babcock International Group’s oil and gas aviation business. This Aberdeen, Scotland-headquartered Babcock division provides offshore oil and gas crew transport in the UK, Denmark, and Australia. It operates 30 aircraft and employs approximately 500.
Subject to pre-closing conditions, the deal is expected to complete in the second quarter. CHC said it will seek clearances for the transaction from antitrust authorities in the UK and Australia, though completion of the deal is not conditional upon such clearances being received.
The proposed transaction continues a consolidation trend in the offshore helicopter business, begun when Bristow Group merged with Era Helicopters last year. Headquartered in Irving, Texas, CHC has operations in the North, Caspian, and Timor Seas, and the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.
Today's announcement follows more than a year of industry speculation that aviation, energy, and defense conglomerate Babcock International was looking to unload this unprofitable unit, the former Bond Helicopters, currently doing business in the North Sea as Babcock Mission Critical Services Offshore. In February 2020, parent Babcock International announced that it was taking a $118.5 million charge related to its offshore aviation business and CEO Archie Bethel said the company was “restructuring our aviation sector to address the cost-base as the oil and gas revenues reduce.”
UK Bizav Provider Looks for Second-half Charter Rebound
UK-based business aviation services company Dominvs Aviation looks for the charter industry to see a 20 percent increase in the second half of this year, as well as stronger demand for preowned aircraft sales. Dominvs's prediction comes after what it called a “positive” 2020 driven in part by a recovery in charter activity.
Dominvs noted that despite a precipitous two-month drop in charter demand early last year due to the Covid pandemic, the sector recovered to 93 percent of normal by year-end. That resulted in £2.9 million ($4.03 million) in charter revenue for the company in 2020.
Last year, its clients typically spent £13,000 per trip on jet charters within Europe, £30,000 on longer flights, £15,000 on leisure flights, and £7,000 on domestic short-haul flights. The most popular destinations it flew to in the summer months last year were Nice and Cannes in the south of France; Palma and Majorca in Spain’s Balearic Islands; Greece; Cyprus; and Egypt. In the winter months, the top destinations for Dominvs clients were Dubai, the Maldives, and the Caribbean.
On the brokerage side of its business, Dominvs said it has closed its first aircraft sale of 2021, with four more jet sales underway, accounting for more than $26 million in transaction value. Dominvs also has “a strong pipeline” of sales and purchase inquiries.
Send Solutions has developed a laser-based system that can help pilots make better landings more consistently. Called Land-DAR, the device uses lidar (light detection and ranging) to determine height above ground and provide precise audio callouts from 500 to five feet.
Approved for installation in aircraft under FAA non-required safety-enhancing equipment (NORSEE) guidelines, Land-DAR can be installed in pressurized or unpressurized aircraft. Total system weight is 14 ounces and consists of a lidar sensor and audio interface box.
Once installed, a companion iOS or Android app is used to set the offset distance from the sensor to the ground with the landing gear down, the input volume, and the desired altitude callouts. Installation is available from Send Solutions dealers, and the system price is $7,950.
Send Solutions has tested Land-DAR on a King Air C90A and RV-10. According to founder David Gray, it could also be helpful for helicopters o give pilots precise distance information for positioning a skid, for example. “It can measure any distance that you want,” he said, and measures up to 100 times per second, with accuracy to the centimeter. “We think there's an application for, let's say, a helicopter where they want to put a skid down and the pilot can't see the skid,” he said. “This could tell them how far off the ground the skid is.”
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