VistaJet is forecasting that its four Bombardier Global 7500s will each log 1,400 flight hours in their first year of operations. “We've had four of these put into our fleet; we own all of them,” company chief commercial officer Ian Moore told AIN. “These aircraft are actually at the moment on a run rate of 1,400 hours on an annual basis—all four of them. If you're doing 110 or 120 hours [per aircraft] in a month, if I run right there for 12 months, we're getting to 1,400.
“Usually that would take us years to build up,” Moore continued. "I've never had a Global 7500 to sell charter before, but usually, maybe you get to 700 hours per year, then you get to 900, you get to 1,100. To be straight to a run rate of 1,400 hours for all four of them [is an achievement]. It just shows you how instantly attractive this aircraft is.”
VistaJet took delivery of its first two Global 7500s in April and by October had taken two more. Moore said it would take at least two more of the 7,700-nm twinjets this year, with a further seven expected to join the fleet before year-end 2022.
Honeywell Aerospace has extended its engine service authorizations by designating Duncan Aviation’s Provo, Utah maintenance facility as a Honeywell AS907 (HTF7000) line service center. Duncan Aviation invested in training and tooling to gain the authorization, it said.
“The Provo engine line has a team of factory-trained technicians to perform engine removals and installations, line-level inspections, maintenance and repair, and service bulletins,” said Duncan Aviation Provo engine line assistant manager Eric Sorensen. “We have the tooling and spare parts to perform fan balancing and gearbox seal replacement, among other maintenance tasks.”
As a result of the new authorization, Duncan will file MSP warranty claims for program customers receiving AS907 line service maintenance at the Provo facility. Honeywell AS907-series engines are in service on a number of super-midsize business jets, including the Bombardier Challenger 300/350, Gulfstream 280, Embraer Legacy 450/500 and Praetor 500/600, and Cessna Citation Longitude.
Early findings from the first study of the effects of using 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in both engines of an Airbus A350 have provided promising early results, Airbus said today. Known as ECLIF3, the study into in-flight emissions and associated ground tests began earlier this year and recently resumed. It involves Airbus, Rolls-Royce, German research center DLR, and SAF producer Neste. The interdisciplinary team, which also includes researchers from the National Research Council of Canada and the University of Manchester, plans to publish its results in academic journals in late 2022 or early 2023.
In April, the A350 flew three flights over the Mediterranean Sea pursued by a DLR Dassault Falcon 20 chase plane to compare in-flight emissions of both kerosene and Neste’s hydro-processed esters and fatty acids (HEFA) sustainable fuel. The team also carried out compliance tests using 100 percent SAF and experienced “no operational issues.”
In-flight emission tests using 100 percent SAF and a HEFA/jet-A-1 fuel blend resumed this month, while the team also performed ground-based emissions testing to quantify the benefits of SAF for local air quality. The research team found SAF releases fewer particulates than conventional kerosene at all tested engine operating conditions, which points to the potential for reduced climate impact and improvement in air quality around airports, said Airbus.
Charter broker New Flight Charters reported a 72.3 percent year-over-year increase in bookings in October and a 68.9 percent boost from October 2019, topping overall Part 135 industry gains of 33 percent between October 2020 and October 2021, as reported in Argus International’s TraqPak data.
Jackson, Wyoming-based New Flight attributes the increase to the availability of aircraft not limited by a defined fleet or specific operator. “When demand is outpacing supply, having wide availability of vetted quality aircraft and operators in every corner of the country for our clients is key,” said New Flight president Rick Colson.
During the period, charter demand at New Flight rose 171.4 percent for light jets and nearly 77 percent for midsize jets but just 10 percent for super-midsize and large jets. Demand for turboprops fell 40 percent from a year ago. Year-to-date, charter demand for light and midsize jets climbed 44 percent and 39.7 percent, respectively, while super-midsize and heavy jets increased 6.5 percent and turboprops declined 19.2 percent.
Avionics Update for the venerable King Air
Upgrading your King Air panel with Avidyne’s FMS/LPV solution will improve your aircraft’s flight deck capabilities with more features and simplicity of operation. Learn more about Avidyne’s FMS and LPV Upgrade Solutions for your King Air.
Aviation insurers are looking at safety management systems (SMS) as an “extremely important tool” when evaluating risk, said John Brogan, president and CEO of United States Aircraft Insurance Group, stressing the need for companies to fold such an approach into their operations. “The insurance industry is behind it and believes in it,” Brogan told attendees at the recent Corporate Jet Investor Miami event.
He noted the stress the insurance market has come under by a number of factors—from rising costs to liability trends—and said, “That’s where safety management systems come into play for us.” While it is still too early to determine quantitatively, he said insurers, in general, see that SMS programs are “moving the needle on safety. They've done it on the airline side and the airlines have reaped the benefits...with the reduced accident rate and reduced overall insurance.”
General aviation is not there yet, Brogan added, “But I can assure you that your aviation underwriters are looking for that.” Further, underwriters are not just looking for a checked box that a company has an SMS. “The underwriters want to visit. They want to look under the hood and feel the SMS. They want to feel that it's part of your culture and that it's active,” he said. “That will be an ingredient in the soup for underwriters pricing the risk.”
The Canadian Business Aviation Association (CBAA) has selected Wilmington, Delaware-based PilotsGlobal, a digital platform that seeks to bring pilots together with business aviation and airline companies, as its “Industry Partner of the Month” for its support to business aviation employers in Canada.
“PilotsGlobal provides an essential service to business aviation employers, and we are delighted that we can help connect them to our operator members,” said Anthony Norejko, president and CEO of CBAA. Since its establishment in September 2021, the talent search firm had played a key role in helping Canadian businesses to recruit flight crew during the post-pandemic recovery, helping spur growth in business air travel in Canada, CBAA said.
“We are honored to be recognized by CBAA for our efforts in aerospace. Canada has always been and remains a top priority market for us, and we see a tremendous potential for Canadian business air travel to grow even further in the post-pandemic world,” said Artem Sagan, CEO of PilotsGlobal.
Sagan told AIN the award was for the month of November, and that the CBAA picked such industry partners in recognition of recent achievements.
The Registry of Aruba (TROA) has established a scholarship for female students wishing to pursue programs in aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach campus in Florida. The Registry of Aruba Scholarship will award $6,000 annually to incoming freshmen pursuing programs within Embry-Riddle’s College of Aviation.
TROA CEO Alexandria Colindres said the scholarship has been established “as part of our mission to help bridge the gender gap in the aviation industry.” Colindres added that "in addition to offering financial support, we aim to mentor the recipient as she initiates her career."
Masa Alkodsi, who entered her first year at the university in August, is the first recipient of the scholarship. “My end goal as a woman in aviation is to inspire young girls to think about a career in not just aviation, but the STEM field in general,” she said.
“This scholarship opportunity generously provided by TROA is encouraging, even for women like me who already attend Embry-Riddle,” added Brittney Porter, a representative of the university’s Women’s Ambassador Program. “Through our Women’s Ambassador Program and other programs, we are making progress, but there is much more to be done.”
Recently launched Four Corners Aviation is building its leadership team with senior appointments in the areas of client services, sales, operations, and safety and security.
Aquila Aviation Venture, which formed earlier this year through a partnership between venture capital firm City+Ventures and brokerage and consultancy Mente Group, announced the establishment of Four Corners Aviation in October. Earlier this month, the company rolled out its first new product, Freedom, which takes a “corporate jet as a service” approach to selling and delivering business aviation lift.
To develop this model, Four Corners Aviation named its initial senior leadership team: Diana Schneider, v-p of client services; Ray Bennett, v-p of sales; Mike Jefcoat, v-p of operations; and Phil Leone, v-p of safety and security.
Schneider, who joined Four Corners Aviation's predecessor in 2019, has a financial, managerial, and organizational background. Bennett has 30 years of aviation sales experience, having held management roles in the areas of avionics, fractional aircraft, manufacturing, parts distribution, and aircraft management. Jefcoat spent 18 years as an airline pilot and has served as the chief pilot and director of operations for FlightWorks. Leone, meanwhile, spent 26 years in the New York Air National Guard as an aircraft commander, instructor, evaluator, and chief of safety.
What is the effect of an aircraft's aspect ratio on induced drag?
A. The higher the aspect ratio, the higher the induced drag.
B. The lower the aspect ratio, the lower the induced drag.
C. The higher the aspect ratio, the lower the induced drag.
D. All of the above statements are correct.
AIN Events: Building a Sustainable Flight Department
AIN continues to host one-day regional conferences to help corporate flight departments become more sustainable, with the next set for December 8 in Fort Lauderdale. Attendees will learn about aviation’s contribution to carbon emissions, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), regulator/government roles in minimizing aviation emissions (including CORSIA and carbon credits), and making sense of carbon offsets, among others. You’ll also have an opportunity to network with other top-tier aircraft operators and presenters. Another future sustainability forum will be held in Los Angeles on January 19. Register today, as seating is limited.
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