NetJets, FSI Sign MoU for 20 Aerion AS2s, Training

Aerion has signed a multifaceted memorandum of understanding with NetJets and its sister company, FlightSafety International, including the rights for NetJets to purchase 20 AS2 supersonic business jets. The deal would extend Aerion’s backlog for the Mach 1.4 aircraft to $10 billion, Aerion said.

Under the collaborative agreement, NetJets would become the exclusive business jet operator for Aerion Connect, which is Aerion’s vision for a global mobility ecosystem that enables seamless point-to-point travel across multiple modes of transportation. In addition, Aerion would collaborate with FlightSafety International on a supersonic flight training academy for civil, commercial, and military supersonic aircraft. The Aerion-branded academy will leverage FlightSafety’s global training expertise to serve as a center of excellence for supersonic flight training and education, Aerion said.

Aerion is planning to bring the AS2 to market later this decade, saying plans to kick off production remain on track for 2023.

Meanwhile, Berkshire Hathaway’s 2020 annual report sees its purchase obligations swelling from $6 billion in 2024/25 to nearly $20 billion after 2025, citing increases at NetJets in addition to its energy and rail groups.

As for 2020 results, NetJets and FlightSafety collectively reported an $816 million, or 13.5 percent, drop in revenues in 2020 as Covid-19 eroded flight and training demand. NetJets flight hours slid 27 percent, while FlightSafety’s training hours decreased by 30 percent.

Duncan Adding Satellite Repair at New Chantilly Air FBO

Duncan Aviation is opening a satellite repair station at Chantilly Air’s new FBO at Manassas Regional Airport in Northern Virginia, 30 miles from downtown Washington, D.C. The new repair station joins Duncan’s network of 19 satellite repair stations as well as its three full-service maintenance facilities in Lincoln, Nebraska; Battle Creek, Michigan; and Provo, Utah.

Staffing for Duncan’s newest repair station that will serve customers in the Mid-Atlantic region is underway and the company expects it to become operational next month. Chantilly Air’s facility includes 60,000 sq ft of new hangar space and an FBO that features conference rooms, pilot lounge with private snooze rooms, crew fitness center and private showers, VIP waiting and screening area, and rentable office space.

“Duncan Aviation is excited to have a presence in this region and honored to be housed in this gorgeous new facility,” said Duncan manager of satellite operations Matt Nelson. “Additionally, our relationship with Chantilly Air allows both of us to build on our brands to create a strong, local presence.”

New Bills To Step Up Federal Coordination of AAM

Legislation seeking to boost the development of advanced air mobility (AAM) in the U.S. is now progressing in both the House and Senate with bipartisan support. The proposed bills, “Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act,” call on Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to establish an inter-agency working group to coordinate efforts to develop a complete AAM ecosystem to support widespread operations of new eVTOL aircraft. The House bill, H.R.1339, was introduced last week by Reps. Sharice Davids (D-Kansas). A corresponding bill, S.516, was proposed this week by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) and  Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Arizona).

In addition to the DOT, the proposed working group would include representatives from the FAA and NASA, along with the Departments of Defense, Energy, Commerce, and Homeland Security. Manufacturers of eVTOL aircraft would be invited to join the group, as would service providers, operators, and environmental groups, among others. The bills call for the working group to report on proposals within 180 days after the completion of this work and consider a range of issues surrounding the maturation and benefits of AAM.

The legislation has drawn the support of several key business aviation, rotorcraft, and airport industry groups. GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce said the legislation has the potential to facilitate new transportation options, create jobs and economic activity, and advance environmental sustainability.

Ruag Completes MRO Sale to General Atomics Europe

General Atomics Europe this week completed its acquisition of Ruag Aerospace Services, Ruag International’s business jet and military helicopter MRO business in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. The deal, announced in October, includes the production of the Dornier 228 utility twin turboprop and 420 employees but not the Ruag Aerostructures operation at Oberpfaffenhofen that employs 800 workers.

"With this acquisition, General Atomics Europe is sustainably strengthening its market positioning in the aviation business,” said General Atomics Europe managing director Harald Robl. “We have developed a strategic concept for the future that will open up new growth and value creation prospects for the Oberpfaffenhofen site, far beyond the existing business areas, despite the current economic crisis.”

The sale by Zurich-based Ruag International comes as part of a plan approved in March 2019 to realign its business. The first divestiture under that “unbundling” plan was the 2019 sale of Ruag’s business aircraft maintenance operations in Geneva and Lugano to Dassault Aviation.

4AIR Is First Bizav Purchaser on IATA Carbon Exchange

4AIR announced today that it is the first private aviation stakeholder to make a trade on the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Aviation Carbon Exchange (ACE), a platform where aviation stakeholders can trade carbon offsets to reduce their climate impact.

The private aviation sustainability solutions firm purchased credits to offset 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from ClimeCo via ACE on behalf of client PrivateFly, allowing the charter and jet card provider to meet its offsetting commitment for 2020 operations. PrivateFly has committed to be emissions neutral for 2021, meaning it will offset all of its flights this year at 300 percent of their carbon footprint to account for both carbon dioxide and non-carbon dioxide emissions.

According to 4AIR, the purchased credits support a solar-energy project in India that generates more than 1.5 million MWh annually. Besides reducing carbon emissions, this project spurs economic development and provides job opportunities, it said.

“The Aviation Carbon Exchange is a phenomenal step for increased transparency and simplicity in the process of acquiring carbon offsets,” said 4AIR president Kennedy Ricci. “4AIR is uniquely positioned to aggregate private flight hours from users and operators all over the world to buy offsets on [ACE] at a larger scale. We can help the private aviation community support verified projects worldwide, making it easy for them to meet sustainability goals.”

Constant Aviation Marks First 15 Years

Constant Aviation is celebrating its 15th anniversary since its founding at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Beginning as a single-hangar operation with a handful of technicians, Constant now employs more than 450 people, operates 276,655 sq ft of hangar space in Cleveland and Sanford, Florida, and has a nationwide aircraft-on-ground (AOG) mobile response network.

The MRO has specialized in airframe inspections since its beginning, but through acquisitions and organic growth it has expanded into airframe and engine maintenance, avionics, interiors, and paint capabilities. Its certifications and approvals include work on Gulfstream, Bombardier, Embraer, Cessna, Dassault, Hawker, Beechjet, and Nextant aircraft.

Its AOG team dispatches technicians from 22 cities, having responded to nearly 40,000 calls since 2016. Meanwhile, its 2017 merger with affiliated company Nextant expanded its engineering and production capabilities to include complex accessories and composites. Also in 2017, Constant acquired the multipurpose facility at Sanford, with full-aircraft painting, complete interior installation, and avionics, and on-site non-destructive testing. That facility itself has grown since to 110,000 sq ft.

“Our 15-year record of accomplishment is just the beginning,” said Constant Aviation CEO David Davies. “During our next 15 years, we will build on our core values of service, innovation, and quality, to grow and always remaining focused on helping our clients operate safely, efficiently, and effectively.”

USHST Calls for Light Helo Stability, Autopilot Systems

The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) has unveiled a recommended practices document for developing stability augmentation systems and autopilots in light helicopters. “If light helicopters operating under visual flight rules could be enhanced to meet some of the instrument flight rule stability requirements, many loss-of-control accidents could be avoided,” said Nick Mayhew, USHST industry co-chair. “Aircraft stability would help a pilot maintain positive aircraft control during temporary losses of visual cueing or disorientation.”

According to the USHST, current light helicopters have challenging flight characteristics that impose a demanding pilot workload, while larger Part 29 transport category helicopters have had automatic flight control systems for more than 30 years that enhance safety during IMC and low visibility operations. Those systems are typically too heavy and too complex to integrate into light helicopters.

But Mayhew said new technology could provide a solution for light helicopters. “It may be possible to find automatic flight control system solutions that achieve sufficient stability and reliability through low-cost/low-weight systems.”

The USHST document includes information about automatic flight control functionality and performance and examines systems currently available from OEMs and third-party vendors, as well as those developed for UAS and eVTOL aircraft, with features such as self-leveling, altitude hold, automatic roll and yaw control, and omnidirectional collision avoidance.

Man Indicted for False Aircraft Parts Certification

A Southern District of Florida grand jury last month indicted David Alexander Barcena for falsely certifying that a variety of aircraft parts were airworthy and able to be installed on commercial aircraft, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) inspector general.

Specifically, the indictment alleges that between December 2016 and May 2017 Barcena certified commercial aircraft parts such as anti-icing valves, a hydraulic reservoir assembly, and a landing gear actuator as ready for service. The indictment further alleges that he used falsified FAA airworthiness approval tags for the parts. Barcena obtained the tags from a defunct Part 145 facility where he was employed as a chief inspector, according to the DOT inspector general.

The FAA’s Flight Standards Division Office in Miramar, Florida, is assisting the DOT inspector general in the investigation.

Overcoming Avionics Obsolescence in Legacy Business Jets

Airplanes are built to fly for decades and ideally, a well-maintained airplane will provide many years of safe and reliable service. However, the longer an airplane flies, it’s inevitable that the avionics will need to be upgraded. With fast-moving technology, required safety mandates, and parts obsolescence, compliance with regulatory standards and overcoming technology barriers can be challenging for legacy jet owners and operators. Join us for this free webinar on April 19th as we discuss avionics obsolescence in the legacy business jet market and the proactive approach avionics manufacturers are taking to make retrofit upgrades more affordable and manageable.

Aviation Can't Dodge Calls To Reduce Enviro Impact

Airlines and aircraft manufacturers are using different tools to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from flights, starting with increased use of sustainable aviation fuel. But this remains a costly option for aircraft operators, and in the long-run fleets will have to be replaced with cleaner more fuel efficient equipment. The question is how can this progress be paid for, given the financial impact on the industry due to the pandemic.