Embraer Bizjet Deliveries Hold Steady in Q1

Embraer delivered 11 executive jets in the first quarter, remaining on par with 2018 shipments. As in the first quarter of 2018, the Brazilian manufacturer handed over eight “light" jets (Phenoms) and three “large" jets (Legacys/Lineages) in the first three months of the year. Embraer, which delivered 91 executive jets last year, has projected shipments to fall between 90 and 110 executive jets this year.

While its business jet deliveries held steady in the quarter, Embraer's commercial aircraft shipments slid by three units to 11. Backlog, meanwhile, dipped slightly from $16.3 billion at the end of 2018 to $16 billion by the end of March.

The first quarter marked the 500th delivery of the Phenom 300, a milestone reached in less than 10 years after the aircraft first entered service in 2009—and one of the few current-production business jets to reach that delivery level. One of the most-delivered aircraft over the last decade, the Phenom 300 is in operation in more than 30 countries and has accumulated more than 780,000 flight hours.

Also in the quarter, Embraer announced it had captured the first Phenom 300E and Praetor 600 business jet sales to Brazilian customers. Its delivery lineup is slated to expand this year with Embraer recently receiving Brazilian ANAC approval for the Praetor 600.

Jet Aviation To Expand to Arizona

Jet Aviation has acquired a share of the Scottsdale Jet Center, which is under development at Arizona’s Scottsdale Airport. The airport is currently served by two FBOs. Planning is underway on the new complex, which will be branded under the Jet Aviation name.

The initial phase of construction will include an 8,500-sq-ft terminal along with a 30,000-sq-ft hangar, with additional phases as required to support customer demand.

“We are committed to growing Jet Aviation’s position as a leading FBO service provider,” said David Paddock, the General Dynamics subsidiary’s senior v-p and general manager for its U.S. regional operations, who next month will take over as president of the Jet Aviation group. “Scottsdale is a highly attractive location to business jet owners and operators and is regularly ranked in the top 15 U.S. airports. Having a presence in Scottsdale will enable our customers to have greater connectivity across the Jet network.”

The new $24 million FBO is expected to open in late 2020 and will bring the company’s global network to 35 locations. 

Garmin Adds Features to King Air Flight Deck

Beechcraft King Air models 200 through 350 equipped with the Garmin G1000 NXi flight deck can now be upgraded with new features and optional hardware under a supplemental type certificate recently issued to Garmin. Many of the new features are a free upgrade, available from Garmin dealers and include a split-screen view on the multifunction display and decoded TAFs on both the multifunction and primary flight displays.

Owners and operators of G1000 NXi-equipped King Airs can purchase a new Bluetooth-enabled audio panel, which is a slide-in replacement for earlier models (or an option for new G1000 NXi installations). Features of the new audio panel include “home theater-like music effects” such as selectable bass boost levels and equalizer effects. The audio panel includes auto-squelch, a six-place stereo intercom, and up to three music inputs. Two pilots can use split-comm mode so each can independently transmit and receive using two separate frequencies. Recording complex clearances is made easier with a built-in digital clearance recorder, which stores up to 60 seconds of audio.

The audio panel also incorporates Garmin’s 3D audio, which spatially separates incoming audio on stereo headsets. The Bluetooth connectivity allows connection of a smartphone or tablet for phone calls, streaming audio, or controlling certain Garmin action cameras.

Garmin’s GWX 75 Doppler-based, solid-state radar is compatible with the latest King Air G1000 NXi upgrade.

Operators, Fuel Providers Face New Fuel Tax in Canada

The Helicopter Association International is reminding operators that Canada is implementing a new fuel surcharge on airplanes and helicopters operating in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, and Saskatchewan. While tax collection means are still unclear, HAI advises that operators, distributors, wholesalers, and producers must now register with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) if they fly or do business in those regions, including international operators. Authorized through Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Pollution Pricing Act, the registration requirements will further extend to Nunavut and Yukon on July 1.

The rates are designed to reflect a carbon pollution price of $20 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) in 2019, rising by $10 per tonne annually to $50 per tonne in 2022, according to the CRA. For aviation gasoline, this equates to beginning at 4.98 cents per liter, rising to 12.44 cents on April 1, 2022. For jet fuel, this is 5.16 cents per liter, increasing to 12.91 on April 1, 2022.

While registration is required for Nunavut and Yukon, the fuel surcharge rates were set at $0 for those territories.

HAI expects the CRA to provide further guidance on collection of the fuel tax. “We don’t have the exact numbers, but I’m sure there are numerous U.S. and Canadian helicopter operators that routinely fly in the Canadian provinces mentioned on the CRA website,” said Matt Callan, HAI director of regulations and international affairs, in an association news brief.

Magellan Jets Rolls Out New Membership Offering

Elevate, a new private jet membership offering from Magellan Jets, will include a 30-day refund to members who aren’t satisfied with the program, the Boston-based jet membership and on-demand charter broker announced Thursday. The new program allows members to purchase hours in 10 aircraft types—including the Phenom 300 and aircraft in Magellan’s Sikorsky Helicopter Service—365 days a year with no blackout days or peak surcharges. 

Members who aren’t satisfied with the program can get a refund on their remaining funds up to 30 days after their first flight, according to Magellan.

“The launch of Elevate is, by design, removing the red tape that has restricted the benefits and freedom of private jet travel for too long,” Magellan Jets president and co-founder Anthony Tivnan said. “We invite our members to fly on their schedule 365 days a year, using the right aircraft for their mission, at one consistent price without all the hidden surcharges and fees.”

FAA Official: Agency Cultural Change is Working

Efforts to “change the culture within the Aircraft Certification and Flight Standards District Offices [FSDOs]” as part of an FAA overhaul are working, John Duncan, deputy associate administrator of aviation safety, said late last week at the Flight Safety Foundation’s 64th annual Business Aviation Safety Summit (BASS) in Denver. “We’ve recognized we need to work with the [business aviation] community,” Duncan told attendees of BASS, which is held in partnership with NBAA. “We’re all on the same team.”

Duncan cited the consolidation of FSDOs’ functions as one success. Now, “One executive is responsible” for interpreting regulations that previously could be subject to eight opinions. “We intend to have a consistent outcome in that way,” he said.

The new Compliance Program policies that encourage cooperation have replaced “the way the FAA has behaved in the past...using punitive measures to try to beat you into submission,” he added.

Duncan acknowledged the FAA’s own commitment to safety and procedures have come under question in the wake of the Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines 737 Max losses, and that it now faces multiple investigations. “We welcome them,” he said of the inquiries. “Part of the challenge that you can probably see in the press is a lack of understanding of exactly how we manage risks.”

Guimbal Suffers First Fatal U.S. Crash

Shortly after noon on Saturday, a 2017 Helicopteres Guimbal Cabri G2, N572MD, owned by JSC Investment Group in Fort Meade, Maryland, crashed into the Chesapeake Bay less than one mile off Kent Island at Bloody Point near the Bay Bridge, killing both occupants. Maryland authorities identified the two as pilot Charles Knight and passenger Matt Clarke. Knight had rented the helicopter from Monumental Helicopters in Tipton, Maryland. It was the first fatal crash of a G2 in the U.S.

Monumental was offering a two-day transition course in the G2 that included seven hours of ground and five hours of flight time. Weather conditions in the area were reported as lifting fog with winds at 5 to 10 knots. Citing weather conditions, the Maryland State Police declined to dispatch one of its Leonardo AW139s to the scene. A witness in the area reported hearing the helicopter’s engine misfiring immediately before the crash. The main wreckage was recovered in 55 feet of water Saturday evening. The accident was the second involving a G2 in the U.S. in less than two weeks; there have been a half-dozen since 2016.  

On April 26, 2019, a 2015 Cabri G2 owned and operated by Precision Helicopters crashed and came to rest on its side at the McMinnville, Oregon airport during a training flight. The instructor and student were not injured.

HeliOffShore Safety Program Drawing Fresh Support

HeliOffshore's Safety Intelligence Program (HSIP) could draw financial support from the International Association of Oil & Gas Producers’ (IOGP) proposed new Joint Industry Project (JIP) to fund safety programs in the upstream energy business, HeliOffshore announced at its annual conference over the weekend. Currently under review, the proposed project could result in a £600,000 ($785,000) investment toward safety programs, HeliOffshore added. Initially, the JIP would support HSIP, as well as operational effectiveness workstream projects such as evidence-based training, pilot eye-tracking research, a new weather and rig location trial, and human hazard analysis training and support work.

HSIP is now gathering operational data from operators that collectively account for around 85 percent of the global offshore helicopter fleet. HeliOffshore’s Safety Steering Group has given approval to expand the program to include flight data monitoring data for full flights and all parameters. The HSIP team is finalizing a new industry report that will give a summary of the sector’s safety performance. 

Correction: The May 3 edition of AINalerts contained an incorrect link to the full blog, AINsight: Nothing Static about Dynamic. The blog can be accessed here.