Florida’s Naples Airport (KAPF), one of the most active business aviation hubs in the U.S., continues preparation on its Noise Compatibility Program (NCP) update for the FAA after the public comment period for the ongoing Part 150 noise study ended last week with nearly 1,000 responses.
Like many urban airports, KAPF has long faced complaints from neighbors over noise levels from its aircraft operations despite a voluntary nighttime curfew instituted in 2012 that encourages pilots and aircraft operators to observe "quiet hours” between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. The program has achieved 98 percent compliance, including a 34 percent decrease in violations to date versus a year ago.
This is the fourth Part 150 study prepared by the airport since 1987. The most recent FAA-approved study was done in 1997 and the last noise exposure map update was issued in 2010. Since then, the airport has noted that the mix of aircraft operating there has changed, with fewer flight training operations and more jet movements.
Even though activity is still below pre-recession levels from 1999 through 2008, the airport authority acknowledged “jet activity now makes up an increasingly large proportion of the aircraft fleet.” At the airport board meeting on April 20, board members will decide what recommendations will remain in the document before submission to the FAA.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) students yesterday evening got a first-hand look at the different paths into a business aviation career, learning that they don’t all start with such aspirations nor is there one traditional way to get there. The Air Charter Safety Foundation kicked off its annual Safety Symposium—now held annually at ERAU's Daytona Beach, Florida campus—with a panel involving a cross-section of business aviation leaders who shared insights on various paths into business aviation.
They said they started with the desire or career path to be a police officer, airline pilot, or accountant, among others. The panel, which was streamed live in addition to speaking to students in the audience, also gave an overview of the opportunities that come with business aviation.
Moderated by Jessica Naor, president of GrandView Aviation, the panel emphasized important traits that thread through business aviation, including being a team player, having strong communication skills, and keeping up with technical skills.
When asked by a student how one could break into the tight-knit world of business aviation when airlines are offering guarantees through pathway programs, Steven Friedrich, chief commercial officer for Embraer, stressed to just apply and be engaged. Business aviation is looking for talent, he explained. Jet It founder and CEO Glenn Gonzales reinforced that pilots who want to fly for their operations don’t have to start with the airlines.
One of Bell’s Autonomous Pod Transport (APT) cargo drones crashed on March 14 in a field near Mineral Wells, Texas, in what is being categorized as a “loss of control” accident by the FAA.
The APT 70 experimental aircraft, with registration number N314AL, first flew in 2019. It has a range of 22 miles (35 kilometers) with a 100-pound (45 kg) payload and a maximum speed of 86 knots. The battery-powered aircraft is designed to fly in winds up to 30 mph (48 kph) at temperatures up to 125 degrees F (52 degrees C). Damage to the 300-pound vehicle is unknown.
Bell has long-promoted its line of APT aircraft as a practical solution for the delivery of urgent military and civil cargo including medical supplies. The aircraft was selected by NASA’s Systems Integration and Operations program to perform test flights to validate uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) safety and control infrastructure. The company aims to develop and certify a production model that can carry 100 pounds of payload at speeds up to 100 knots.
The aircraft has the ability to be manually off-loaded and can automatically drop loads at a fixed point or fly over and airdrop payloads. The APT has been tested in beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations and in highly-controlled and congested airspace, including the area around Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) chairman Todd Weeber underscored the evolution of safety culture, noting at the kickoff of the ACSF Safety Symposium yesterday that what has once been looked at as a cost line item is now part of the fabric of how they conduct business. Weeber, who is also COO of Magellan Jets, said, “We had to go fight for training, we had to fight for stuff,” but now, he told attendees, “you are at the epicenter of excellent behavior.”
The symposium, which runs through tomorrow, features nearly a dozen sessions on various aspects of safety from managing the C-Suite to pilot mental health to developing a sustainable aviation safety culture. This year’s event also held a panel on breaking into business aviation for students at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, host of the event.
Opening the first full day of the symposium’s programs this morning, Weeber further noted that ACSF membership has topped 300 and the foundation now has 225 companies representing 278 certifications participating in its Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP)—a voluntary safety event reporting program. “That’s 65 percent of total ASAP participants nationwide, including all airlines,” Weeber said. He added that the foundation is building on that with the flight data monitoring program and noted that it is hoping to encourage safety management systems through a workshop tomorrow.
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Electronic and structural systems producer Ducommun has agreed to acquire Everett, Washington-based aerodynamic systems supplier BLR Aerospace, the companies said today. Expected to close in the second quarter of this year, the transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approval. BLR offers the FastFin tail rotor stability system for helicopters, in addition to winglets, vortex generators, and quiet propellers for airplanes.
“I am delighted to welcome the team at BLR Aerospace to Ducommun as we continue to add proprietary engineered products to our portfolio,” said Ducommun chairman and CEO Stephen Oswald. “This is a first step in our commitment made during Ducommun’s Investor Day last December to increase the amount of engineered products and aftermarket in our revenues…The other exciting aspect of BLR is that they are contributing to the advancement of both the commercial aviation and defense industries through innovation and that is in line with our company’s vision.”
The move comes after Ducommun closed 2022 with a 14 percent increase in revenue to roughly $188 million, resulting in full-year revenue exceeding $700 million for the first time since 2019. The company also ended the year with a backlog of some $961 million after registering commercial aerospace orders of $450 million, resulting in a 35 percent increase over its year-end 2021 backlog.
Purdue University Airport has partnered with Ericsson and Saab on a “lab to life” proving ground to showcase the benefits of private 5G for airports. The partnership aims to show that using private 5G technology can provide a viable alternative and deliver more efficiency and flexibility over typical connectivity approaches.
Airports install sensors and systems that are typically hardwired necessitating connection points through trenches for copper lines or fiber-optic cables. Airports can also use point-to-point radio frequency links, which can be unreliable, or use public cellular connections that come with subscription fees and consumer-oriented performance limitations, the partners said.
Ericsson is providing the 5G network to the Purdue Research Foundation for Purdue University Airport (KLAF), a public-use airfield on the southwest side of Purdue's West Lafayette, Indiana campus. Purdue also is furnishing a lab-to-life testbed throughout its Discovery Park District—a 400-acre, mixed-use development adjacent to the university’s campus. Saab is installing an Aerobahn platform for airlines and ramp management; SAFE Event Management platforms, a security platform for airport operation centers; and ADS-B sensors to track aircraft.
“We are witnessing an uptake in global demand for digitalization at airports that requires stable, secure, and high-performing wireless networking. This unique collaboration enables trials and industrialization of 5G applications and use cases that help solve aviation market needs,” said George Mulhern, head of Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions.
The commercial pilot of a Beechcraft King Air 200 that crashed during departure from Little Rock (Arkansas) Bill and Hillary Clinton International Airport (KLIT) on February 22 received three advisories before takeoff for low-level wind shear (LLWS) and faced rapidly deteriorating weather after departure, according to a newly published NTSB preliminary report. The business owned and operated turboprop twin was on an intended Part 91 IFR flight to Columbus, Ohio. The pilot and four passengers were killed in the accident.
At about 11:50 a.m., the pilot requested and received taxi clearance after listening to ATIS, which included an LLWS advisory alert. Approximately two minutes later, the tower controller transmitted another LLWS advisory alert. A few seconds later, the ground controller issued a similar advisory. At 11:55 a.m., the aircraft departed and no other transmissions were received from the pilot.
Video surveillance showed the airplane taking off from Runway 18 and initially climbing to the south. Just as the airplane went out of sight, the camera recorded a rising plume of smoke about one mile south of the runway’s departure end.
“Shortly after the plume of smoke, the camera appeared to shake from wind, and recorded blowing debris and heavy rain on the ramp,” according to the report. “Just before and during takeoff, the camera showed that the ramp was dry with no rain or noticeable wind.”
Leonardo signed sales contracts for nine AW139 and AW169 helicopters at the recent Heli-Expo show. The manufacturer will deliver two intermediate twin AW139s to Omni Helicopters International in Brazil in 2024 for offshore energy transport, as well as one AW139 to HeliService International in Germany for the same purpose.
HeliService additionally agreed to take a Leonardo AW169 medium twin. Other AW169 customers announced at the show include Global Vectra Helicorp (two); UI Helijet (two) for air ambulance operations in South Korea; and the Phoenix Police Department’s Air Tactical Support Bureau.
The Phoenix order for a single search-and-rescue/multi-mission configured AW169 marks the entrance of the type into the North American law enforcement market. It is already utilized in that capacity in Italy, Norway, Brazil, Argentina, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia, and Indonesia.
Leonardo also announced recent orders for three AW109 GrandNew and Trekker light twins into the South American market. The VIP-configured helicopters were sold to SynerJet Latina, a new distributor responsible for Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Paraguay. Deliveries of those aircraft are expected in 2024 and 2025. Of the more than 900 Leonardo VIP/corporate helicopters flying worldwide, approximately 25 percent are based in Latin America.
People in Aviation
Mark Reeves joined cabin audio specialist Alto Aviation as an operations project manager. He previously served as director of operations at Andover Audio, procurement operations manager at Nuance Communications, and director of engineering and operations at Cambridge SoundWorks.
Polaris Aero promoted Kellie Roby to v-p of its new safety services division. Roby, a certified aviation manager, has prior experience as a safety manager at Part 91 and 135 operations. She joined Polaris in 2021 as the firm’s Midwest sales executive and was promoted to v-p in January. She is also a member of the NBAA Professional Development Program Committee, NBAA Young Professionals in Business Aviation Council, and Bombardier Safety Standdown Advisory Council.
Bill Ross, v-p of product support at Superior Air Parts, was named the 2023 National Aviation Technician of the Year by General Aviation Awards. Ross is an FAA A&PI/A mechanic, commercial pilot, and CFII. He also serves on the board of Western Michigan University College of Aviation.
Duncan Aviation promoted Bob Cornett to airframe manager at the company's Provo, Utah facility. Cornett joined Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1999 as a line service representative after having performed similar duties in the U.S. Navy. He transferred to the Provo facility in 2018 to build the location’s FBO services as manager and served in that capacity until January 2021, when he added the role of accessories shop manager.
Mike Hamilton joined Jet East as regional sales director of the Great Lakes region. Hamilton has more than 30 years of aviation maintenance, operation, and sales leadership experience. Most recently, he served as a regional sales manager with Constant Aviation. He previously was maintenance manager for flight operations and director of maintenance at Great Lakes Aviation, director of maintenance procurement at Travel Management Company, and v-p of operations at Jet East Trenton.
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