Latvia-based FCG OPS, the ground handling division of Flight Consulting Group, has expanded its operations into Scandinavia. The company, which has established itself as a business aviation services provider throughout the CIS, Baltic States, and Eastern Europe, has begun operations at four airports in Finland: Pori, Tampere-Pirkkala, Rovaniemi, and Turku.
Among the services provided are aircraft handling, best fuel price search, concierge, catering, and limousine ground transport. “This expansion to Scandinavia is an important step for FCG OPS,” the company noted, adding careful attention to customers' needs will bring true value to this market. “This region has unique specifics which should be considered.”
Over the past few months, FCG added new ground handling locations at Rijeka and Bol in Croatia and at Banja Luka Airport in Bosnia Herzegovina, which with this latest expansion brings the company’s ground handling footprint to 41 airports in 20 countries.
Survey Shows Canada Bizav Firms Competitive With Pay
Salaries and benefits offered by business aviation companies in Canada are generally equal to or higher than those offered by airlines and other aviation companies, according to results of the Canadian Business Aviation Association's (CBAA) 2019 Compensation Survey. Conducted by the Wynford Group with responses from 54 CBAA member-organizations, the survey provides detailed salary and cash comparisons, as well as business aviation compensation practices, incentive plans, and work conditions. Information on recruitment, turnover, and retention practices is also available from the survey, which is the second one since CBAA launched the biennial report in 2017.
Results of the survey show that salaries for management positions in business aviation are 12.7 percent higher than those for airlines and 3.7 percent more than those positions in aircraft maintenance and manufacturing. For maintenance positions, the salary differential is 16.7 percent above those in the airlines, and 17 percent higher than similar positions in maintenance and manufacturing.
Among flight crews, the average salary differential is 4 percent greater than at airlines, and 4.9 percent bigger than flight crews working for aviation maintenance companies and manufacturers. “While we are a niche within the aviation sector, we are a lucrative one,” said CBAA president and CEO Anthony Norejko. “We are always looking to hire the best and are willing to compensate them accordingly.”
Orgs Urge Caution on Commercial Space Ops Integration
With commercial space operations anticipated to double by 2023, general aviation, airline, air traffic, airports, and pilots organizations are collectively cautioning the FAA to ensure airspace efficiency and safety is taken into account when licenses are granted. Eight organizations wrote Stephen Dickson, who was sworn in as FAA administrator last month, urging the FAA to take into account all airspace users as it develops a final rule on commercial space licensing. “It is vital to integrate commercial space users into the National Airspace System (NAS), rather than segregating these operations and penalizing aviation users,” the letter said, also stating, “It is crucial that the FAA preserve the aviation industry’s $1.6 trillion annual U.S. economic activity, which accounts for 5.1 percent of the U.S. GDP.”
On the safety front, the groups asked that the FAA ensure requirements address risks to other aviation users. “Ensuring safety is vital for a growing commercial space industry and is the path for true integration into the NAS,” the letter said.
They also believe commercial space licensees should pay into the NAS. “This would be consistent with commercial airlines and general aviation that have long supported the government’s air traffic management system and airport improvements through various taxes and fees on the transportation of people and cargo, as well as fuel excise taxes.”
Astronautics continues to expand the market availability for its AFI47000 Roadrunner drop-in replacement electronic flight instrument (EFI) with approval from the Brazilian Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC). The nod, covering installation on A109/119 helicopters, follows European Union Aviation Safety Agency approval in July and U.S. FAA supplemental type certification in June.
“STC approval from the national civil aviation agency of Brazil allows A109/119 operators in Brazil to realize the cost, ease, and safety benefits of Astronautics’ RoadRunner when upgrading to modern electronic flight instrument systems on their helicopter fleets,” said Astronautics president Chad Cundiff.
Designed to reduce operating and maintenance costs, RoadRunner was developed as a lower-cost replacement option for legacy five-inch attitude director and horizontal situation indicator electromechanical units, offering increased safety functionality that is found on a modern EFIS such as HTAWS and synthetic vision. It is readable in all lighting conditions and can provide notable weight savings. The unit further is designed for ease of installation with a wiring adapter harness that fits into existing slots for electromechanical units.
Astronautics has begun customer shipments of the units, which are available through the company’s dealer network.
Comlux Adds Another ACJ320neo to Airbus Orders
Comlux announced today that it has placed a new order for an Airbus ACJ320neo, taking its total orders for the type to four and those for all ACJ models to 20. Cabin outfitting will be done by Comlux Completion in Indianapolis.
“Airbus and Comlux have both made a business out of setting new standards, of which the ACJ320neo and our growing fleet of them are the latest examples,” said Comlux chairman and CEO Richard Gaona. He also noted that Comlux is the largest customer for the CFM International Leap-1A-powered ACJ320neo family and now has four Neo cabins booked for outfitting at its Indianapolis facility.
According to Airbus Corporate Jet, orders and commitments for the 6,750-nm ACJ319neo and 6,000-nm ACJ320neo now total 15. Around 200 ACJ bizliners are in service worldwide, the OEM added.
Comlux’s fleet currently includes the ACJ318 and ACJ319, as well as the Boeing BBJ767 and BBJ777; Bombardier Challenger 850 and 605, and Global 6000; Embraer Legacy 650; and Hawker 900XP.
Drones Find Niche in Wildlife Management
Thanks to the advancement of drone technology, the practice of wildlife hazard management at airports is now being enriched by the development of remote-controlled predator replicas that can descend from the sky and scatter pest birds. Some airports have tried to use replica predator drones as an experimental technique. Gary Searing, executive director of Birdstrike Committee Canada, notes that remote-control predator-like aircraft have been around for decades. “Their effectiveness depends upon the species of birds being dispersed and the skill of the operator,” he said.
“Some commercial [drone] uses are directly useful for airport operations—for example, aerodrome ground lighting inspections—and promise gains in efficiency. Their use by airports as part of their overall wildlife hazard management plan is also a potential benefit of this new technology,” said David Gamper, ACI World director of safety.
Appropriate use of the technology requires integration into the airport’s approach to wildlife management. “Drones are being used experimentally to manage wildlife from the air and can maneuver over hazardous wildlife to harass, or just be used for surveillance purposes,” said Gamper. “Drone technology will probably never replace the need for manned patrols and interventions, but could assist with reducing the frequency of patrols. Coordination between the remote monitoring center and operators that might respond to wildlife sightings is required.”
Wilson Air Center founder, business aviation advocate, and philanthropist Robert A. Wilson is this year’s recipient of NBAA’s 2019 John P. “Jack” Doswell Award. To be presented during NBAA’s convention next month in Las Vegas, the award recognizes “lifelong individual achievement on behalf of and in support of the aims, goals, and objectives of business aviation.”
A retired Tennessee Air National Guard lieutenant colonel, Wilson founded the fixed-base operation chain in 1996 in Memphis, Tennessee and since has added locations in Charlotte, North Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Houston, Texas. Active within the business aviation community, he has served on NBAA’s Security Council, as well as on the boards of the Pilatus Owners and Pilots Association and Citation Jet Pilots Association. He additionally is executive v-p of Kemmons Wilson.
Wilson further has donated time and airplane use for flights with Make-A-Wish Mid-South Foundation and the Veterans Airlift Command. Through his Robert A. and Susan C. Wilson Foundation, he funded the Wilson Timeless Voices of Aviation Theater at the Experimental Aviation Association Education Center in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Citing Wilson's “outstanding contributions” to the business aviation community, NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen said “he has also demonstrated a tireless commitment to promoting safety and security throughout our industry, as well as devotion to giving back, through his involvement in a number of philanthropic initiatives.”
Precision Aviation Grows Capabilities with Acquisition
Precision Aviation Group (PAG) has acquired Momentum Services Corp. (MSC) in a deal that’s expected to expand PAG’s maintenance capabilities. “The addition of MSC to PAG further diversifies our MRO capabilities by expanding our services into LCD cockpit displays,” PAG president and CEO David Mast said.
Mast further stated the MSC roll-up enables PAG to provide its customers with next-generation avionics repair services, which will be integrated with its avionics repair stations in Long Beach, California, and Atlanta. Added MSC president Jon Defina: “We have worked closely with the management team of PAG throughout the acquisition process and believe that this partnership will provide significant benefit to our customers, vendors, and employees."
A portfolio company of private equity firm GenNx360 Capital Partners, PAG is an MRO and provider of supply chain products for fixed-wing and rotary aircraft with 10 locations and eight repair stations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Singapore, and Brazil. “Today's acquisition will help [PAG] to reach more customers and offer them additional products and services,” said GenNX360 managing partner Daphne Dufresne. “We are keen to provide further support to PAG as it continues to build out its business and deliver on its strategic goals, both organically and through further acquisitions.”
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People in Aviation
Jet Support Services (JSSI) named Gary Strapp senior v-p of global program management and technical services. Strapp, who will steer program management, pricing, and technical services for JSSI, formerly spent 30 years with NetJets, including holding the roles of technical support and maintenance reliability, v-p of administration, and v-p of finance for the fractional ownership provider.
Weston Aviation hired Ruth Tootill as aviation fuel manager. Tootill formerly was account manager of general aviation fuel sales in the UK for Air BP and has 23 years of oil industry experience.
West Star Aviation appointed Rusty Gardner avionics install manager at its East Alton, Illinois (ALN) location. Most recently project manager in West Star’s avionics department, Gardner has more than 19 years of aviation experience that also includes positions with Flying Colours, Jet Aviation, Duncan Aviation, and the U.S. Air Force.
Private Jets hired Denver Craddock as director of maintenance based at Wiley Post Airport in Bethany, Oklahoma, and Stephanie Zepeda as director of charter sales, primarily at Naples Municipal Airport in Florida. Craddock, who previously has held maintenance supervisory roles, will be responsible for the maintenance of Private Jets’ fleet of 19 aircraft. Zepeda, who has 15 years of industry experience, will develop relationships with new and existing clients across Florida.
Dave Yip rejoined Hong Kong-based Metrojet as director of business development. Yip, who has 20 years of business and commercial aviation experience, served as a maintenance planner with Haeco before first joining Metrojet in 2006 as an engineering support manager and later taking roles, including COO, with Hongkong Jet.
John Benoit joined Universal Avionics as director of strategic business development, leading market development activities with airframes and avionics manufacturers, developing product roadmaps, and fostering partnerships. A U.S. Navy veteran, he brings 20 years of aerospace experience to his new role, previously holding posts at Esterline Avionics Systems, Aviage Systems, Performance Software, and Honeywell Aerospace.
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