With the focus on sustainability next week at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas, World Fuel Services will be ensuring that aircraft flying from the annual convention can fill up with World Energy-produced sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). During the show, WFS will be offering a 30 percent SAF blend at Henderson Executive Airport and, for the first time, at Harry Reid (formerly McCarran) International Airport through the Atlantic Aviation FBO there.
In addition, the Miami-based fuel provider is offering a new book-and-claim service for operators who fuel on their way to Las Vegas for the show. The book-and-claim process allows customers to purchase SAF no matter where they are in the world and claim the carbon reduction credits, even though the actual fuel purchased is added to the general supply chain and dispensed at a different airport where SAF is available, to be consumed by a different aircraft. Strict accounting procedures eliminate double counting and ensure only the customer who pays for the sustainable fuel receives the credit.
With current SAF distribution currently clustered predominantly on the U.S. West Coast near biofuel refineries, transporting it long distances is costly and can negate the environmental advantages it holds over conventional jet-A. Book-and-claim offers business aviation users and operators the ability to support the development of sustainable fuel, even when the nearest supply of it may be hundreds if not thousands of miles away.
Energy drinks have become popular in many parts of society and certainly among pilots. These drinks are unregulated and contain many ingredients that I have never heard of. But rather than praise or disapprove of their consumption, my focus is on reminding pilots that there may be dangers in doing so.
A simple search of the ingredients can raise alarming concerns. The stimulant properties of these drinks can raise blood pressure and therefore increase the risks of heart attack and stroke.
I understand the struggles of staying awake and alert during a long duty day. But, when a pilot needs to go to sleep afterward, energy drink consumption potentially can cause insomnia.
The FAA doesn’t have much of a stance on energy drinks, given that these drinks are unregulated. However, a lack of sufficient research makes it impossible to guarantee that a pilot would not test positive for some banned substance on a DOT test after consuming an unregulated product such as an energy drink.
Who wants to risk their career by being the “index case” to prove that a legal substance ingested caused a false positive on a DOT test? I am not saying that all unregulated substances are harmful and should be avoided at all costs. I am only reminding pilots that they potentially put their careers at risk when consuming unregulated substances.
Global flight activity cooled by 1.5 percent month-over-month in September but was strong enough to remain 37.2 percent higher than a year ago, according to Argus International’s latest Market Intelligence TraqPak report. North American flights were flat month-over-month, but a 35.9 percent yearly gain nevertheless made it one of the strongest months on record. At the same time, Europe posted a stronger jump in operations in September, up 54.9 percent year-over-year, Argus reported.
The company also released its fourth-quarter/holiday forecast, calling for current trends to continue through the fourth quarter. It predicts that flight activity in North America will be up 30.5 percent compared with fourth-quarter 2020 and up 10.7 percent over the same period in 2019.
Argus tracked just under 300,000 business aviation flights in North America in September, the second month in a row that activity has reached that level and 14 percent more than the figure for September 2019. All operational categories improved year-over-year, with fractional operations leading the way with a 42.2 percent increase. Large jets enjoyed the biggest year-over-year jump in activity in North America, climbing 54.2 percent.
More than 87,000 business aviation flights were posted in Europe in September and aircraft in all categories flew more. The remaining regions combined for 33,000 business aviation flights, a third consecutive month-over-month cooling but also a 19.4 percent improvement from September 2020.
Partners In Aviation (PIA) reported that it has completed 15 new co-ownership agreements, matching 30 aircraft co-owners, in the past 120 days. The Chicago-based firm developed a managed co-ownership model that pairs two owners to one aircraft.
Under these new agreements, owners have been placed in a range of business aircraft, from light jets such as the Phenom 100 and Citation M2 to super-midsize and large-cabin models, including a Bombardier Challenger 604 and Dassault Falcon 900LX. The new co-owners’ aircraft will be based in 15 states.
In one example, PIA matched co-owners to three Phenom 300s during the three-month period. And it has made another Phenom 300 match that is scheduled to close next month.
“The ongoing interest in private aviation, in general, is yielding groundbreaking results for the industry,” said PIA founder Mark Molloy. “Our recent growth underscores how interest in and adoption of PIA’s managed co-ownership program is resonating with private aviation users. Many of our customers were previously traveling via charter or jet card and were looking for a better value proposition. Because we now have a volume of co-owner candidates throughout the country, the program works, and works well, for the full spectrum of business aircraft.”
ACJ319neo To Make Inaugural Appearance at BACE
The Airbus Corporate Jets ACJ319neo will make its NBAA-BACE debut next week in Las Vegas. To be on display at the company's BACE static exhibit (#A309) at Henderson Executive Airport next Tuesday through Thursday, the aircraft is owned by Germany-based K5 Aviation and is that aircraft management and charter operator’s first ACJ319neo, a spokesman told AIN.
K5 is the largest operator of Airbus narrowbody bizliners in Europe, with four ACJ319s currently in its fleet. Further, K5 is set to soon operate two ACJ widebodies.
Four large living areas with lie-flat beds, a king-size bedroom with en suite bathroom and stand-up shower, and a 55-inch TV are among the standout amenities of K5’s ACJ319neo. The airplane also features a new in-flight entertainment system and high-speed Wi-Fi for video streaming and video calls. “K5 Aviation’s ACJ319neo will turn heads at the show with contemporary luxury styling in each of the four-cabin zones,” said ACJ president Benoit Defforge.
An ACJ TwoTwenty cabin immersive presentation via virtual reality will also be featured at the airframer’s static exhibit, which will be shared with Airbus Corporate Helicopters. Nearly 200 ACJs are in service and flying on every continent, including Antarctica, the company said. More than 1,800 private and business aviation Airbus helicopters are in service worldwide.
Documentary To Examine First Mach 1 Flight
On Oct. 14, 1947, an aircraft broke the sound barrier for the first time, achieving a milestone some had thought would never be reached. A new documentary celebrating that achievement will air on Tuesday, October 12, on the Smithsonian Channel.
The documentary, “Breaking the Sound Barrier,” will examine the life of legendary test pilot Chuck Yeager, who flew more than 300 combat hours in World War II by the age of 22. He was also chosen for the mission to fly the rocket-powered X-1, the first of a line of experimental aircraft that continues to this day, beyond Mach 1.
Built by Bell Aircraft, the then-top-secret, bullet-shaped, air-dropped X-1 was designed for one purpose: to fly faster than the speed of sound and explore any mysteries that lurked in that flight regime.
The documentary describes the previous efforts that claimed aircraft and lives before Yeager strapped into the bright orange Glamorous Glennis (named after his wife) for his date with history. His achievement 74 years ago changed the course of aviation history and affected how we fly today.
Air Ambulance Charges Continue Rapid Ascent
The cost of helicopter air ambulance transport continued to soar between 2017 and 2020, rising 22.2 percent in the U.S., more than three times the cumulative 6 percent inflation rate for those years. That's according to a study from Fair Health, a nonprofit organization that manages a healthcare database of privately billed healthcare claims. However, the rate of increase closely matches the overall medical inflation rate of 22.9 percent for the period.
Between 2017 and 2020, the average charge for helicopter transports rose from $24,924 to $30,446, while the average charge for fixed-wing transports increased even more, by 27.6 percent, from $19,210 to $24,507. Meanwhile, the average Medicare reimbursement rate for the period for both forms of transport increased only 4.7 percent, rising from $3,570 to $3,739 for helicopter transports and from $3,071 to $3,216 for fixed-wing transports.
Covid transports accounted for 7 percent of fixed-wing transports in 2020. In that year, the states with the highest use of helicopter air ambulances—as a percentage of medical claims filed—were Idaho, New Mexico, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wyoming, while those flying the longest-distance transports were Hawaii (126 miles), North Dakota (115 miles), Wyoming (110 miles), Nebraska (94 miles), and New Mexico (90 miles).
Flight Training Schools Order 30 Cessna 172 Skyhawks
Textron Aviation announced two orders this week for a total of 30 of its Cessna piston singles.
Twenty Cessna 172 Skyhawks will go to Sichuan Longhao Flight Training in China. It will use the high-wing airplanes, to be delivered throughout 2022, for primary pilot training in southwest and central China. According to Textron Aviation, China is seeing growth in its pilot ranks because of the government’s efforts to accelerate the training and development of pilots. Fourteen Skyhawks, three simulators, and a Citation M2 make up the school’s current fleet.
“We are pleased to be part of the efforts in China to cultivate new generations of pilots and promote the common development of aviation,” said Textron Aviation v-p of China sales and strategy Mike Shih.
An order for 10 more Skyhawks also came from Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus, which will expand the school’s fleet to 20 Skyhawks at a time when enrollment for pilot training is growing. Deliveries are expected to begin in the first quarter of next year. “The addition of these aircraft is a major step toward our vision to meet industry demands by providing students with experience from a primary trainer all the way to a business-class airplane,” said K-State Salina dean and CEO Alysia Starkey.
Photo of The Week
BACE is back, baby! To get ready for the return of NBAA-BACE next week in Las Vegas after a hiatus last year due to the pandemic, we dove into the AIN photo archive from the last BACE in 2019, which also was held in “Sin City.” This image, taken by AIN photographer Barry Ambrose on a scissor lift, gives a bird’s eye view of Embraer’s static display at the 2019 show. We hope to see many of you in Las Vegas next week at our booth (#2026) or press room (W222/223). AIN's NBAA-BACE landing page is also carrying news from the show.
If you'd like to submit an entry for Photo of the Week, email a high-resolution horizontal image (at least 2000 x 1200 pixels), along with your name, contact information, social media names, and info about it (including brief description, location, etc.) to photos@ainonline.com. Tail numbers can be removed upon request. Those submitting photos give AIN implied consent to publish them in its publications and social media channels.
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.
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