Bombardier’s Biggin Hill Site Adds Mx Apprenticeships
Bombardier’s London Biggin Hill service center is about two months into its first 36-month aircraft maintenance apprenticeship program that aims to create a pipeline of future maintenance techs and support the area’s economy, the Canadian airframer announced yesterday. Through a combination of virtual classroom and on-site training, the 16 apprentices in the first class expect to earn EASA Part 66 modules (B license) certification and Level 4 City & Guilds Diploma in Aerospace and Aviation.
A collaboration between the service center and training and apprenticeships provider Seetec, the program is supported by KLM UK Engineering and the Department for Education. Graduates will have an opportunity to earn full-time positions at the service center upon completion of the program.
Bombardier added that the program will help provide technicians for an expansion of the London Biggin Hill site now underway, with completion expected next year. The project involves the construction of a new and larger facility encompassing nearly 250,000 sq ft and simultaneously accommodating up to 25 aircraft, including Bombardier's flagship Global 7500. The new service center will replace the existing facilities Bombardier has occupied since opening the Biggin Hill operation in 2017.
After years of advocacy by the business aviation industry, the U.S. IRS recently shifted its position on federal excise taxes (FET) largely in favor of aircraft owners. Since around 2012, the imposition of FET on private aircraft owners has cut across virtually all management services, including related flights conducted under FAR Parts 135 and 91. The IRS position contradicted the core purpose of levying FET on taxable transportation services by air.
In this overly broad interpretation, the IRS tried to impose on the amounts paid by the owner for aircraft management activity and related flights on the owner's aircraft.
Although the final regulations improve the FET exemption for travel on your own managed aircraft, the IRS may still impose FET if you travel outside the boundaries of the new regulations. And if you fail to comply with the FARs, you may receive a troubling visit from the FAA. Having greater clarity in the final FET regulations is a welcome change, but you may only be able to use the exemption if you plan well ahead of takeoff.
Mass. Bills Target GA with More Taxes, $1k Landing Fees
House and Senate bills have been introduced by Massachusetts legislators that would impose a $1,000 landing fee on private and commercial general aviation operations and repeal the 6.25 percent state sales tax exemption on aircraft purchases.
The bills to repeal the 15-year-old tax exemption—H2923 and S1797—are not the first such efforts by Massachusetts lawmakers. All previous attempts have failed, primarily because of input by general aviation advocates. In reference to the latest bills, NBAA noted that a 2019 study of the economic impact of the state’s airports “demonstrated that the exemption is critical to a strong general aviation industry.”
Meanwhile, S2305, which would impose a $1,000 landing fee for general aviation aircraft, is a first. Its stated purpose is to “mitigate the climate impact of private and corporate air travel,” including air taxi and aircraft rental operations.
NBAA countered that “general aviation is taking aggressive action to meet sustainability goals and reduce emissions. This legislation would have a devastating effect on the industry, result in job losses, and not move the needle on sustainability.”
Eviation: All-electric Alice To Fly Later This Year
After taking delivery of the first electric propulsion unit (EPU) supplied by sister company MagniX, Eviation Aircraft said this week its all-electric Alice aircraft is slated to achieve first flight later this year. “The MagniX delivery is one of the key milestones in getting emission-free, low-cost, all-electric aviation off the ground with the first flight of the Alice,” said Eviation CEO Omer Bar-Yohay.
According to Eviation, FAA type certification of the airplane is expected by the end of 2023. This is about 12 months later than initially targeted, with the delay largely caused by disruption from a fire that in January 2020 damaged an earlier prototype during ground testing in Prescott, Arizona. The source of the fire was traced to a fault in a ground-based battery system.
The company, which is now based in Arlington, Washington, claims Alice will be able to carry nine passengers more than 500 miles. Eviation would not comment on reports that the design has been changed—leaked images published online in January showed a reworked model with two forward-facing propellers on the horizontal stabilizer of a T-shaped tail. The original prototype had a pair of pusher propellers on the wingtips and one more on the aft fuselage.
Want more? A longer version of this article can be found at FutureFlight.aero, a news and information resource developed by AIN to provide objective, independent coverage and analysis of cutting-edge aviation technology.
Argus Sees Big Rebound in U.S., Europe Bizav Flights
Business aviation traffic jumped dramatically, but not surprisingly, year-over-year (YOY) in April, reaching triple-digit-percentage increases in both the U.S. and Europe, even as it ebbed in both regions over March operations, according to new TraqPak data from aviation research specialist Argus International.
In the U.S. last month, flights were up 250.5 percent overall from April 2020, when the wave of lockdowns was in full effect. As a sign of further rebound, the 262,277 business aviation flights logged in April were also up by 359 from April 2019.
Midsize jets showed the biggest yearly gains by aircraft category in the U.S., with flights up 365.9 percent in April. However, flights involving large-jet fractional operators soared last month, marking a 538.4 percent increase. Overall, fractional operations were up 475.6 percent YOY, while Part 135 flights increased 238.5 percent and Part 91 by 219.5 percent. Argus expects May to show another yearly leap in operations, up 94.5 percent.
In Europe, operations were up from April 2020 by 153.9 percent with super-midsize jets up 448.9 percent. The midsize-jets category was up overall by 236.5 percent YOY, with turboprop flights again showing the most modest increase of 83.7 percent. Similar to the U.S., European flights in April slowed from March by 2.3 percent.
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee approved a bill on Wednesday to establish a federal interagency working group to develop a national strategy and foster the emergence of the advanced air mobility sector. The Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Coordination and Leadership Act, S.516, was among several bills the panel passed, clearing the measures for full Senate action.
Introduced earlier this year along with a companion bill in the House (H.R.1339), the AAM Coordination and Leadership Act calls on the Secretary of Transportation to establish the working group, which would make recommendations on the federal role in the AAM sector. “The Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act directs the federal government to take a leadership role to help facilitate the highest level of societal benefit as these transformative and sustainable aircraft are more fully introduced into the national airspace system,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce.
Other bills of note to the aviation community approved on Wednesday included the Ensuring Health Safety in the Skies Act, S.82, to establish a government task force to develop recommendations to address Covid-19-related health and safety issues. Also approved was the Fly Safe and Healthy Act, S.316, seeking a pilot program for passenger temperature checks, and another bill, S.1037, would expand the Department of Commerce’s manufacturing.gov website to highlight government programs with a focus on trade and workforce development.
The JetNet iQ Summit, which makes its return in September, will feature a slate of top industry speakers, the company announced on Thursday. Among the panelists offering their insights will be NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen, EBAA secretary general Athar Husain Khan, IBAC director general Kurt Edwards, NATA president and CEO Tim Obitts, and Pete Bunce, president and CEO of GAMA.
The in-person event will be held on September 15 and 16 at the TWA Hotel at New York JFK Airport. Recognizing the history of the venue, as well the enthusiasm for the resumption of the annual conference, which celebrates its 10th anniversary after a year’s hiatus due to the pandemic, the conference organizers have chosen the theme: “We’re back in time…and in person.”
“Even as we get back to the routine of business flight again, there are many topics we as an industry need to get ahead of,” said Paul Cardarelli, JetNet iQ Summit co-chair and the v-p of sales for Utica, New York-based data provider JetNet. “Strategic planning, fleet forecasting, sales, marketing, and investor and stock analyses all need to be looked at with new vision and new ideas in this new world. Our advocacy speakers are the best at what they do and are the exact people you want to hear these ideas from.”
Fly Louie and Travel Club Form Strategic Partnership
Fly Louie, an alliance of 200 independent charter operators, and lifestyle and travel club Manifest have entered a strategic partnership that will offer charter service options and quotes for flights on Manifest’s website to both members and nonmembers. “As leisure travel returns post-Covid, we are continuing to see incredible demand for private air charter services and wanted to expand this option beyond just Manifest members but to the broader market looking for private charters,” said Manifest v-p of corporate strategy Dan Cohn. “Partnering with Fly Louie will allow us to offer the most competitive pricing in the industry while still maintaining Manifest’s stringent safety and service standards.”
Under an agreement, Manifest will work with Fly Louie to send a charter request to its Part 135 operators and brokers to return quotes within 24 hours. Once a quote is accepted, Manifest and Fly Louie will handle all the logistics of the flight, each of which will be operated under a two-pilot standard. More than 1,700 aircraft are available for charter under the Fly Louie network.
Manifest offers and arranges for its members custom trip experiences to unique destinations in the U.S. and has club chapters in Denver, San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles Basin, Santa Barbara, San Diego, and Phoenix, with plans to add more.
AIN Product Support Survey Now Open
Tell us about the product support you receive from business aviation OEMs. The 2021 AIN Product Support Survey is now open, ready for selected readers to rate aircraft, engine, and avionics support. AIN readers who have been picked to participate in this year’s Product Support Survey should have received their password and link to the online survey by e-mail. The survey needs to be completed by midnight on June 11.
Photo of the Week
Earl of Gray. Jessica Power of Power Aviation Associates took a photo of this 1994 Beechcraft King Air 350 that was extensively updated by Stevens Aerospace and Defense Systems. In addition to its regal metallic dark charcoal-and-red paint scheme, the twin turboprop also came out of the shop with a completely refurbished interior, updated Garmin G1000 NXi avionics, new Blackhawk XP67A engines, and five-blade MT Composite Propellers. In all, the project took seven months to complete. Thanks for sharing, Jessica!
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