Rotorcraft industry leaders addressing the Helicopter Investor conference this week in London expressed measured optimism over prospects for the emerging advanced air mobility (AAM) sector. There was consensus that eVTOLs will be used in lieu of helicopters in some cases, albeit most speakers expressed doubt that this will start happening from 2025, as the more bullish market entrants are insisting.
Lobo Leasing is one of a handful of lessors to have committed to adding eVTOLs, having already made a down payment for Pipistrel’s Nuuva autonomous cargo vehicles. The UK group’s CEO, Dan Roberts, said he is ready to make further payments to the Textron eAviation company with a view to leasing or reselling Nuuvas to operators.
“There’s a lot of talk about [AAM] and it’s a development play for now,” he commented. “Many investors want returns today and there is no short-term return from this. We need appraisers to be able to tell us what the new aircraft will be worth 30 years from now and that will be necessary to get investors backing eVTOLs.”
Bristow is already investing in an AAM future and has provisional order agreements in place with seven manufacturers—Electra, Beta Technologies, Elroy Air, Vertical Aerospace, Eve Air Mobility, Overair, and Lilium. The helicopter operator’s CEO, Chris Bradshaw, said it also has as-yet-unannounced deals agreed with other OEMs and major airlines.
AINsight: Blocking & Tackling To Avoid Runway Incursions
Last week, the FAA held a safety summit to examine and address recent safety concerns. As expected, much of the discussion centered on runway safety where there was a loss of separation between aircraft. Year-to-date, there have been seven high-profile runway incursions and experts say these “close calls are on the rise.”
According to FAA data, there were 1,732 runway incursion incidents nationwide in 2022. Of these events, 1,084—or 63 percent—were classified as pilot deviations. Compared with 2018 and 2019 (pre-Covid), the 2022 data indicates a small decrease of total runway incursions and pilot deviations. Of these pilot deviations, roughly half are caused by general aviation pilots.
The most recent complete quarterly data available from the FAA indicates 365 runway incursions in the last three months of 2022. That’s down from 401 in the same time frame a year earlier.
Since roughly two-thirds of all runway incursions involve a pilot deviation, I will focus on the basic, fundamental, and proven practices for avoiding runway incursions. Using the mother of all sports analogies, I’ll cover all the “blocking and tackling” necessary for pilots to avoid a runway incursion.
Loss of control during climbout in clouds and the subsequent crash of a Cessna Citation 501 on May 29, 2021, was due to the pilot’s spatial disorientation, according to the recently published NTSB final report. The crash killed the instrument-rated commercial pilot, a rated pilot passenger, and five other passengers.
According to flight track data, after takeoff the twinjet entered clouds and made a series of heading changes and several climbs and descents before it entered a steep, descending left turn. “This type of maneuvering was consistent with the onset of a type of spatial disorientation known as somatogravic illusion,” said the Safety Board. “Accelerations associated with increasing airspeed were likely perceived by the pilot as the airplane pitching up although it was in a continuous descent.”
Because the pilot was experiencing spatial disorientation, the final report continued, he likely did not effectively use his instrumentation. He may also have been experiencing a high workload, “which would have had a further adverse effect on his performance. As such, the airplane entered a high acceleration, unusual attitude, and descending left turn from which the pilot was not able to recover.”
EASA certification directorate staff members flew the Leonardo AW609 civil tiltrotor in Cascina Costa di Samarate, Italy, on March 16 and 17 as part of its first round of familiarization activities for the aircraft program. These flights follow FAA pre-type inspection authorization (TIA) flights on February 22 in Philadelphia. Leonardo said both sets of flights constitute “an important step forward in the final stages of the certification process” and set “the right pace on the validation process, together with the FAA certification path.”
Earlier this month, Leonardo reported that the AW609 civil tiltrotor had reached the “final stages of certification” as the FAA prepares to initiate formal TIA flight tests. Along with the test fleet, three customer AW609s remain in final assembly. However, under questioning, managing director Gian Piero Cutillo admitted that an order for four AW609s from an unnamed European customer, announced at last year’s Heli-Expo, was the largest contract it had received for the type. Company officials have declined to reveal details concerning the aircraft’s total order book, likely pricing, or precise timetable for certification.
While Leonardo is noncommittal on estimating a certification date for the AW609, Leonardo emergency medical services specialist Sam Schaab said he expects it to occur “relatively quickly.” The company is marketing the aircraft for a variety of missions, including air ambulance applications.
Due to multiple component availability limitations, comprehensive repair service for Garmin’s GNS 430/530 series, introduced in 1998, is estimated to become limited in the years ahead, according to a March 14 service advisory. This includes all WAAS and non-WAAS GNS 430/530-series GPS navcom and GPS-only avionics.
“Initially, these limitations are estimated to impact a small percentage of repairs beginning in 2024,” said the notice. Garmin will “continue offering repair service when the components required for a specific repair remain available.” Database updates and technical support will also remain available.
The advisory recommends that GNS 430/530 customers “should begin to consider their transition strategy to the newest generation of Garmin in-flight navigation technology, including the GTN Xi series, which offers features like Smart Glide, wireless connectivity, and more.”
Garmin is offering a credit toward the purchase of a GTN-Xi series navigator, GNC 355, or GNX 375 with a qualifying trade-in of a GNS-series navigator. “This trade-in program was launched to assist aircraft owners with their transition from the GNS series to newer generation products,” a spokesperson told AIN.
Flexjet has added its first super-midsize Sikorsky S-76 helicopter to its European fleet, becoming the first private jet operator in Europe to launch an in-house, integrated helicopter division. The new service, initially focused on the UK, follows a similar launch last year by the company in the Northeast U.S. and Florida.
The operator will offer helicopter programs as a standalone service and as an extension to its existing private jet owners as an enhancement of its Gulfstream G650 program in Europe. G650 program owners receive complimentary helicopter transfers to and from their jet at airports in London or the U.S. helicopter service operating regions, providing “last mile” travel.
Alongside the Sikorsky S-76, which will be targeted at regular helicopter program fliers, Flexjet will offer on-demand helicopter charters on its operated and managed fleet of Leonardo AW109s and AW169s. These machines were previously operated by Halo Aviation, the company acquired by Flexjet parent Directional Aviation in 2021. The S-76’s 300-nm range allows connections from London to the south of Scotland, Dublin, or Paris, and every helicopter flight is flown by two IFR-qualified pilots.
The company intends to expand its fleet of Sikorsky S-76s and extend helicopter operations to other regions in Europe in the coming years.
Atlantic Aviation, which operates the lone FBO at Aspen/Pitkin County Airport (KASE), has partnered with the Aspen Flight Academy (AFA) to award $100,000 in flight training scholarships to 11 local high school students who are pursuing private pilot certificates. The students were presented with the scholarships at a ceremony this week.
Atlantic, which announced this program in October, has been a supporter of AFA since 2014. “We’re very proud to partner with Aspen Flight Academy to help grow our future aviators,” said KASE FBO manager Jonathan Jones.
AFA currently has more than 100 students enrolled. Three graduates from the Purdue University professional flight program serve as instructors in the academy’s three Diamond DA40NG diesel piston singles. Forty percent of AFA students are female, as are approximately half of this year’s scholarship program awardees.
“It is an amazing time to become a professional pilot,” said AFA board chairman and American Airlines captain Mike Pearce. “The industry is projected to need tens of thousands of pilots in the next decade. Aspen Flight Academy is proud to help students become the next generation of aviation professionals.”
TAG Aviation in Farnborough, England, showed its support for local charity Emily Ash Trust during its Client Aviation Manager Symposium last week. As part of a team-building challenge during the event, seven groups comprised of employees and industry partners were tasked with building bicycles that will be gifted through the charity to children recovering from cancer.
“TAG understands the importance of helping local communities as part of their social corporate responsibility commitment, as well as global initiatives, and is very excited to be officially supporting the Emily Ash Trust,” said TAG Europe CEO Joanne Goodal.
The Emily Ash Trust was founded in 2002 to raise awareness of the need for bone marrow donors and has evolved to support families that have a child, teenager, or young adult with cancer. TAG Aviation has committed to further assisting the charity through fundraising and volunteer work.
“We are delighted to have been chosen by TAG and to have had the opportunity to join them at this fantastic event. The bikes are amazing and will bring smiles and joy to children and families that are locked in a desperate struggle with cancer,” said Tim Rolfe, chairman of the Emily Ash Trust.
Photo of the Week
Mountain high. Pilot Luke Egan shot this photo of his company’s Falcon 2000LXS EASy during a “spectacularly clear day” at Telluride Regional Airport (KTEX) in Colorado while waiting to depart. “Taking a moment to enjoy the beauty in life,” he explained. Also a good reminder that we should all be doing that. Thanks for sharing, Luke!
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