In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and subsequent sanctions by Western countries, Bombardier “has suspended all activities with Russian clients, including all forms of technical assistance.” The Canadian airframer added that it will continue to adhere to international laws, regulations, and sanctions as they evolve.
According to industry data provider Jetnet, the Russia-based Bombardier fleet consists of 72 aircraft, including 35 Globals, 13 Challenger 850s, fifteen 600-series Challengers, eight 300-series Challengers, and a lone Learjet.
“As a company with deep roots in communities around the world, we are first and foremost concerned with the loss of human life and the toll this conflict is taking on families,” the OEM said in a statement released on Friday. “We would like to reiterate our condolences to everyone who has suffered loss over the past days. We will do our part, in any way possible, to help the governments of the world pursue an end to this horrific conflict.”
In addition, the Montreal-based manufacturer and the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation have jointly pledged $150,000 to the Canadian Red Cross and are encouraging all team members to donate to worthy charitable causes that are supporting the victims of this conflict. “We will continue to seek opportunities to further address the humanitarian crisis as well as promote peace,” it concluded.
There were no distress calls from the pilot of a Pilatus PC-12 before it crashed into the Atlantic Ocean near Beaufort, North Carolina, about 2 p.m. on February 13, according to an NTSB preliminary report. All eight aboard—the commercial pilot, student pilot, and six passengers—were killed. The turboprop single was operating VFR under Part 91.
The approximately 30-minute flight was marked by unanswered or delayed responses by the pilot to ATC calls, altitude excursions, penetration of an active restricted area, and flying below an assigned altitude. Queried by the controller for not responding to earlier radio calls about entering the restricted area, the pilot replied he “was trying to get out” and was unable to receive the transmissions.
In the final few seconds of the ill-fated flight, the controller issued the local altimeter setting because the airplane was 2,000 feet below the assigned IAF crossing altitude for the RNAV approach into Beaufort Michael J. Smith Field. But then the airplane started climbing rapidly. The controller called the pilot and asked him to report his altitude because radar showed the airplane at 4,700 feet msl and “climbing quickly.” There was no response and radar contact was lost.
The airplane crashed about three miles offshore in about 60 feet of water. Dive crews recovered an ELT and a Lightweight Data Recorder.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is proposing to amend its drug-testing requirements for pilots and others in safety-sensitive transportation jobs to include oral fluid testing in addition to urine testing. “This will give employers a choice that will help combat employee cheating on urine drug tests and provide a more economical, less intrusive means of achieving the safety goals of the program,” said the DOT.
“The advantage of every oral fluid collection is that it will be directly observed, as opposed to most urine collections, which are unobserved,” said the DOT. “While directly observed urine specimen collections have long been the most effective method for preventing individuals from cheating on their drug tests by substituting or adulterating their specimens, directly observed urine collection may only be done in certain circumstances due to employee privacy concerns. Unlike directly observed urine collections, an oral fluid collection is much less intrusive on the tested employee’s privacy.”
While the DOT conceded it does not have data on how much cheating is occurring, it said “the problem exists and poses a direct threat to transportation safety.” The proposal also includes other provisions to update the regulation and to harmonize it with new mandatory guidelines for federal workplace drug testing programs. Comments must be submitted by March 30.
Blade Air Mobility posted strong revenue growth last year and CEO Rob Wiesenthal told AIN that he expects the trend to continue. “We were pleasantly surprised on the revenue side where we beat pretty much all the analysts’ estimates. We restarted our airport [shuttle] products and started beating—on a run-rate basis—the 2019 pre-pandemic number of flights to JFK [airport] and back. Leisure routes that only used to run on weekends have become seven-day-a-week businesses.”
Meanwhile, Wiesenthal said, the company's financials were “substantially improved.” Revenues for the year increased 156 percent, to $67.2 million. In the fourth quarter, revenues jumped 208 percent year-over-year, to $24.6 million, and were up 371 percent from the same period in 2019. Although Blade remains in a mode that emphasizes market growth over profitability, the company still managed to post an $800,000 profit in the fourth quarter.
In May it raised an estimated $365 million via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) combination with Experience Investment Corp. and became a publicly-traded company. Buoyed by fresh capital, Blade made several significant growth moves, including the acquisition of Trinity Air Medical and the $12 million acquisition of Richmond, British Columbia-based Helijet’s passenger routes.
Blade is looking to expand into other markets as well, including South Florida. “We believe in South Florida there is a real understanding and appreciation of helicopters and excitement to make the transition to eVTOL,” according to Wiesenthal.
Business aviation operators who use Collins Aerospace ARINCDirect flight planning services have on-demand access to FAA-certified aircraft dispatchers and air traffic specialists. Always ready to help support the unique mission profile of corporate flight departments around the world, ARINCDirect flight coordinators can be reached by phone, email, message and even aircraft data link.
Canada’s Transportation Safety Board reported that preliminary figures show the number of aviation accidents increased last year compared with 2020. The agency said this was due in part to gradual resumption of commercial air transportation activity and a higher-than-average amount of activity in other segments, such as aerial firefighting. Nevertheless, the overall number of accidents and incidents in 2021 was lower than the previous five-year average.
The number of aviation accidents (190) reported to the TSB in 2021 was 12 percent more than in 2020 (170), but about 11 percent lower than the five-year average of 214. There were 22 fatal accidents and 31 fatalities in 2021, compared with 12 fatal accidents and 16 fatalities in 2020.
Also, accidents involving commercial operators (including business aircraft charters) increased from 54 in 2020 to 62 in 2021 (an increase of about 15 percent) while those involving private operations (including recreational and business flying) increased from 114 to 127 (or approximately 11 percent).
There were 495 aviation incidents reported to the TSB in 2021. This number represents an increase from the previous year of 421 but is still below the five-year average of 794.
Jet Access, the lone service provider at Indianapolis Regional Airport (KMQJ), has broken ground on a 22,250-sq-ft heated hangar. The project, to the west of the FBO terminal, will nearly triple the community aircraft storage space on the field, and provide shelter for ultra-long-range, large-cabin business jets such as the Gulfstream G650 and Bombardier Globals, which could not previously be accommodated.
The hangar, which is expected to be completed in the third quarter, will feature infrared tube heating, ground power plug-ins, and LED lighting. “There is a significant shortage of hangar space in Indianapolis, and we are uniquely positioned to invest in our operations at [KMQJ],” said company CEO Quinn Ricker. “The new hangar will impact a significant sector of the business community—those who are currently doing business in Indianapolis, along with those who are looking to expand in or relocate business to Indianapolis.”
South Korea’s WP Investments, along with Honeywell and previous investor Atlantis, are the main backers for a $170 million funding round for eVTOL developer Volocopter. The Germany-based startup announced the fresh investment on Friday, reporting that it has now raised a total of $579 million.
The funds will support Volocopter’s efforts to bring the two-seat VoloCity vehicle to market, as well as to complete the development of its VoloDrone autonomous freighter and the larger VoloConnect passenger aircraft. They will also be used for work aimed at establishing the first air taxi services, likely starting around 2024, in several cities expected to include Singapore, Rome, and Paris.
Under the March 4 agreement, Seoul-based WP Investments will launch a joint venture with Volocopter to develop passenger flights in South Korea. New backer Honeywell Aerospace has been pursuing a leadership role in the advanced air mobility sector, providing technology to several aircraft developers, including propulsion systems, fly-by-wire controls, and cockpit displays.
According to Volocopter, the first commitments for its latest funding round give the company a pre-money valuation of $1.7 billion.
Want more? You can find a longer version of this article at FutureFlight.aero, a news and information resource developed by AIN to provide objective coverage and analysis of cutting-edge aviation technology.
New Zealand-headquartered PHI International has secured a two-to-three-year aviation services contract with Australian natural gas producer Woodside as the operator for the Scarborough Joint Venture. Through the agreement, PHI will provide transport services of personnel from the Learmonth Airport to offshore energy sites in the Carnarvon Basin off the northwest coast of Australia. Partners in the Scarborough JV include Woodside Energy, Scarborough, and BHP Petroleum Australia.
This contract begins in 2023 and PHI will utilize three transport-configured Sikorsky S-92A helicopters, operating from Exmouth, to provide daily passenger transport and on-call aviation support.
The Scarborough natural gas development is 233 miles northwest of the Burrup Peninsula. It includes a floating production unit and a 430-kilometer (267-mile) gas pipeline that connects the development to a liquified natural gas (LNG) train at the Pluto LNG facility.
PHI COO Mike Price said the contract is an “acknowledgment of the high-quality passenger transportation services we provide around the clock globally using the S-92.” PHI is the largest S-92 operator in the region.
Aviation Safety Question of the Week
Provided by
What is the effect on the landing distance of a 1 percent runway downhill slope?
A. A 10 percent increase in the landing distance.
B. No effect, since a 1 percent slope is really small and therefore the effect is negligible.
C. A 10 percent decrease in the landing distance.
D. All of the above may be correct, depending on the actual runway length.
Count on AIN for Full Coverage of EBACE
As ever, you can count on AIN for full coverage of EBACE 2022. Our team will publish three of our award-winning daily EBACE Convention News editions at the show on May 23, 24, and 25. We will also have comprehensive real-time reporting of all the top news at AINonline.com and in our daily e-newsletters. If you are an exhibiting company that wants to share news or propose pre-show interviews and briefings, please contact show editor Chad Trautvetter.
AINalerts News Tips/Feedback: News tips may be sent anonymously, but feedback must include name and contact info (we will withhold name on request). We reserve the right to edit correspondence for length, clarity and grammar. Send feedback or news tips to AINalerts editor Chad Trautvetter.
AINalerts is a publication of AIN Media Group, 214 Franklin Avenue, Midland Park, New Jersey. Copyright 2022. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.
