Bombardier To Briefly Suspend Most Aircraft Production

Bombardier will suspend work—including aircraft production—at most of its operations in Canada in support of recent mandates from the governments of Quebec and Ontario to slow the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Montreal-based company announced today. The suspension begins at 11:59 p.m. local time today and lasts through April 26, the Canadian airframer said.

It will affect Bombardier’s aircraft and rail production in both provinces. Employees affected by the temporary shutdown will be furloughed for the period, as will corporate office employees whose functions are deemed by Bombardier as less critical in the short term.

A spokeswoman told AIN that a “small number” of employees will also be affected by the furloughs at Bombardier's Wichita location, where Learjets are assembled. “But we cannot comment further until we have personally notified each affected employee,” she said. Its service center in Wichita, which accounts for most of Bombardier's employees there, and other company-owned MRO facilities located globally will remain operational throughout the furlough period, she added.

Also, Bombardier’s CEO and senior leadership team will forgo their pay during the period, and the chairman and board members have agreed to refrain from receiving board compensation for the remainder of the year. Additionally, the company is suspending its 2020 financial outlook so it can assess the impact of the production suspension and other actions the company has taken in response to Covid-19.

JSfirm Adds Passive Hiring Feature

JSfirm has created a “passive job feature” for aviation companies that are looking to hire but have temporarily put those plans on hold due to Covid-19. While many aviation companies are adjusting to the current Covid-19 crisis, “We all must understand this situation doesn’t negate the fact that there is a serious shortage of aviation professionals worldwide through 2038,” the company said.

The passive job feature allows job seekers to leave their resume for a company that might not be hiring now but will be soon. “This will ultimately allow companies to hit the ground running with hiring once the dust settles,” said JSfirm executive director Abbey Hutter. “It takes a few months to land a great person anyway; it’s a bad decision to stop recruiting great people, particularly when they are available and especially during this time.”

Jeff Richards, JSfirm’s operations manager, added, “For a lot of our companies to date, it’s business as usual. However, we do have a number of clients who are experiencing a hiring freeze. Freezing your hiring is separate from stopping your advertising and brand awareness. Now is the best time for companies to be present, let the aviation industry know you will be hiring soon."

Kevin Ducksbury To Chair Air Charter Association

Kevin Ducksbury is stepping in as the next chairman of The Air Charter Association, effective April 1. He will succeed Weston Aviation’s Nick Weston, who is completing his term.

Ducksbury, who has a 30-year aviation background that has included time with Monarch Airlines and Air Partner, founded Emerge Aviation, an aviation consultancy and management services company, in 2012. In addition, he is currently working as a regional director with Dubai-based Air Charter International. Joining The Air Charter Association board in 2018, Ducksbury has been an active participant on several initiatives, including broker training and the association's launch of a podcast.

Looking forward, Ducksbury has outlined a vision to expand the organization’s geographical footprint, as well as to step up its promotion of the air charter industry to the next generation of aviation professionals.

“The association has made great strides during Nick's tenure as chairman, and I look forward to pushing further with the drive and success that the board has created over the last few years, to provide the highest level of support to our members,” Ducksbury said.

Blade Offers Delivery Service During Covid-19 Crisis

Blade is offering delivery service from New York City to the surrounding areas including the Hamptons during the Covid-19 crisis. An unknown number of city residents have relocated to second homes there amid calls from public officials for “social distancing.”

The shared helicopter ride service also announced it will deliver medical and other essential supplies, including textbooks, computers, and clothing for students stranded during spring break. A Blade spokesman said the company would deliver the former at no charge for customers unable to pay. Blade said it can arrange door-to-door delivery service.

Separately, Blade said it is implementing new sanitation protocols for its helicopter passenger flights, including sanitizing all cabins and headsets between flights, removing the mic booms from headsets, and sanitizing all ground vehicles before each pick-up.

Blade ground connect service is available in Miami, New York's Westchester County, Los Angeles, and New York City. Blade uses its own fleet of dedicated SUVs at all New York-area airports.

Hawaii and Florida Quarantine New Arrivals

Popular tourist destinations Hawaii and Florida have taken further action to quell the Covid-19 outbreak by issuing mandatory 14-day quarantines for certain new arrivals into these U.S. states. Hawaii has ordered all people entering the state to self-quarantine, while Florida’s quarantine is targeting those who arrive from Covid-19 hotspots.

To take effect on Thursday, Hawaii’s mandate affects all those entering the state, with an exception for aircraft crewmembers who have a normal temperature upon arrival. Those under the 14-day quarantine order can leave their designated quarantine location only for a medical emergency; violators can be fined up to $5,000, imprisoned for up to one year, or both.

Starting today, Florida is requiring visitors—from areas of “substantial community spread,” including but not limited to the New York City metro area—entering the state through airports to quarantine for 14 days. The order does not apply to those “employed by the airlines and those performing military, emergency, or health response,” but AIN was unable to determine at press time if that also includes air charter crews. Violators face imprisonment of up to 60 days, fines of up to $500, or both.

Genav Steps Up Push for Assistance in Relief Bills

As U.S. lawmakers work to hammer out the final details of a third relief bill, business and general aviation groups have been pushing for recognition of the harm that the extended Covid-19 crisis will play on the industry and seeking assistance in this or future bills covering a range of activities.

Congress hopes to hammer out a compromise shortly that would include some relief to airlines and more general relief that could assist aviation and other businesses, ranging from grants, loans, unemployment assistance, and payroll help. The airline proposals have varied from $50 billion in loans to, reportedly, $25 billion in grants. A separate provision providing excise tax relief appears limited to the 4.3 cents-per-gallon tax on commercial aviation fuel.

Organizations representing various aspects of the business and general aviation community last week urged lawmakers to consider excise tax relief and yesterday asked for help for small airports affected by Covid-19. In a letter to congressional leaders, seven organizations stressed the critical role these airports play in transporting goods and services during emergencies, as well as serving as a lifeline to local communities. 

Other letters and requests have highlighted the strains on small businesses, including suppliers, the need for liquidity and lease obligations relief, and the importance that the airspace remains open to key activities.

Maryland PD Marks 50 Years of Medevacs

The Maryland State Police Aviation Command marked the 50th anniversary of its first civilian medevac mission on Thursday. On March 19, 1970, “Helicopter 108,” a Bell 206 JetRanger, evacuated a motor vehicle crash victim from the Baltimore Beltway. Following medical treatment, the patient survived.

“It took about three weeks before we got our first call because it was all new all over the state,” said the pilot of that flight, retired state police Lt. Col. Gary Moore. That mission marked the first time a civilian agency transported a critically-injured trauma patient from a scene by medevac helicopter.

During the last 50 years, the aviation command has completed more than 180,000 missions and transported some 150,000 patients. It currently operates a fleet of 10 Leonardo AW139s, each of which is flown by a two-pilot crew with two medical providers onboard. 

The Maryland State Police began flying helicopters in 1960 with a single Hiller UH12E, but it was not until 1970 that the aviation command expanded into true en route care medevac operations onboard its helicopters. Over the years the command has transitioned from the Bells to Airbus AS365 Dauphins to the current fleet of AW139s. With the larger helicopters, the command’s mission has expanded to include not just 24/7 medevac, but also aerial rescue, homeland security support, search and rescue, and disaster assessment.

Stevens Aerospace’s Randy Smith Dies

Randy Smith, 54, who spent three decades with Stevens Aerospace and Defense Systems, died on March 20 after a battle with cancer. Most recently v-p of Stevens AOG and mobile services division and based in Nashville, Tennessee, Smith was “one of the company’s most beloved and tenured employees,” Stevens said.

He joined the organization in 1990 as an A&P technician following service with the U.S. Air Force. Over the next three decades, he served as crew lead in Nashville, director of maintenance for the military C-12 program in Greenville, South Carolina, and general manager of the Nashville facility.

He stepped into his current role in 2016, tasked with revitalizing the AOG division. Under his stewardship, the division grew to 13 locations and became a significant contributor to company revenue.

“Randy was a highly dedicated member of the Stevens team who showed amazing commitment and determination in helping the company meet its goals,” said Stevens Aerospace owner Tom Foley. “He was always pleasant to deal with, took on whatever responsibility was given to him, and was a positive, productive force in the company. We are very grateful for his contribution and extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Kristy, and daughter Haley. We will all miss him greatly.”

Garmin GFC 600H Makes Flying a Helicopter Easier

Garmin’s new GFC 600H helicopter flight control system has been certified and is ready for installation in customer helicopters, initially the Airbus AS350 B2/B3. The company has been giving pilots demonstrations of the system’s features in its Airbus AS350 AStar.