Falcon Jet Owner/operator Group Formed

Dallas-based aviation entrepreneur Sean Lynch has founded the Falcon Jet Owners and Operators Association as a way for people flying Dassault business jets to exchange information and keep their aircraft in service longer. Lynch owns MRO-focused business aviation companies Engine Assurance Program and Marklyn Jet Spares and is also the current president of the Love Field Pilots Association.

“Our objective is to provide a way for members of the Falcon Jet community to talk to each other, both in person and online,” said Lynch. “I’ve heard so many operators say that they would like an additional forum that is owner- and operator-centric for sharing stories and comparing notes. We’re giving it to them. Our first step is to track the most pressing topics of interest, so we’re beginning by polling the owner/operator community.”

He added that the new organization plans to work in collaboration with Dassault Falcon and is not meant to be a replacement for factory technical or troubleshooting support. Lynch said he eventually plans to hold gatherings at larger events such as regional forums and conventions and ultimately hopes to organize its own destination event with fly-ins, a static display, breakout sessions, and sponsor exhibits.

Pandemic Changed Russian Bizjet Traveler Habits

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the habits and ways of Russian business travelers, according to key speakers at a Russian United Business Aviation Association (RUBAA) expo—dubbed RUBAE—last week at the Moscow Vnukovo-3 FBO. While Europe remains the primary destination for Russian business jet flyers, previous top-list getaways UK and France have given way to the Baltic states, Greece, and Cyprus, according to RUBAA executive director Anna Serezhkina.

This finding was confirmed by EBAA COO Robert Baltus at RUBAE. According to statistics on aircraft operations out of Russia’s three largest business aviation hubs—Moscow Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports, as well as Pulkovo in St. Petersburg—business jets recorded 16,000 flights to and from Europe in the first seven months of this year.

According to Baltus, Russia-Europe air traffic has stayed “comparatively well.” This traffic hit its lowest point in April 2020 at about 500 flights, but has been on the rise this year and hit 3,500 flights in July.

While traffic levels are now about the same as they were in 2018 and 2019, destinations differ, reflecting the current Covid-19 situation and geopolitics. For example, Nice has been replaced by Riga as the most popular destination for Russian business jets. However, Baltus believes that the air connection between Russia and Western Europe might improve if state authorities introduce an internationally recognized so-called Covid passport for air travelers.

Chevron, Gevo Mull Deal To Boost SAF Production

Petroleum fuel provider Chevron has signed a letter of intent with renewable fuel producer Gevo that would see the two companies partner to increase the supply of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Under the proposed deal, Chevron will invest in the development of one or more production facilities that would be operated by Gevo, using its proprietary technology to produce SAF and renewable blending components for motor gasoline.

Gevo’s products are synthesized from inedible industrial corn products. Its patented process separates the sugars from the proteins and uses them to make jet fuel, while the remainder is used for livestock feed. As a result of its investment, Chevron would receive offtake rights to market approximately 150 million gallons of sustainable fuel (mainly SAF) and other renewable fuel products a year.

“This potential investment leverages Gevo’s innovative approach to producing sustainable aviation fuel, complementing other renewable fuels investments we are making as part of our higher returns, lower carbon strategy,” said Mark Nelson, Chevron’s executive v-p of downstream and chemicals.

The agreement is subject to regulatory approvals; if consummated, SAF production under the deal is expected to commence in 2025.

Abu Dhabi Charter Firm Makes Offer for Falcon Aviation

UAE-based helicopter and jet charter operator Abu Dhabi Aviation (ADA) has announced formal plans to take over Falcon Aviation, the other main helicopter concern based in the UAE capital.

In a disclosure to Abu Dhabi Securities Market, where it is listed, ADA said last week that it had decided to “send a formal acquisition offer to Falcon Aviation Services,” following the signing of a letter of intent in April to go ahead with an “expansion plan” involving Falcon.

ADA officials confirmed that a possible deal is in play, while a representative of Falcon Aviation did not respond to a request for comment. AIN also understands that the MRO facility set up by Falcon Aviation at Dubai South could be taken over by another business aviation company with a strong presence in the Middle East.

As a leading oil and gas player in the Middle East, ADA was issued the first AOC in the UAE in 1976. Its fleet now embraces 65 aircraft, including 56 mostly Bell and Leonardo helicopters and seven fixed-wing Bombardier jets. As of 2019, Falcon Aviation’s fleet consisted of 26 helicopters and seven airplanes.

Falcon Aviation is understood to be privately owned by a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family. Its website lists Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan as chairman of the board of directors.

New Ross Aviation FBO Joins Paragon Network

Ross Aviation’s latest acquisition, the former Stuart Jet Center—one of two service providers at Witham Field (KSUA) in Florida—is now the newest member of the Paragon Network. For Ross, this location represents its 14th facility in the group of upscale FBOs. Paragon Network was founded in 2011 and now numbers 111 locations in 26 countries.

To be accepted, prospective FBOs undergo a facility and service audit conducted by Paragon. Each member must also comply with a set of core standards to remain in the group. Clients using the network are eligible for Paragon Preferred status, which includes access to custom fuel pricing, dispatching of fuel requests to network locations, and reservations through the group’s website.

“Ross Aviation at Stuart Jet Center is a perfect alternative to the more congested FBOs at [Palm Beach International Airport],” noted Paragon Aviation Group president Megan Barnes, adding that the location on the state’s Treasure Coast makes a quick access point for business and pleasure travelers alike. “We are honored to continue our symbiotic relationship with Ross Aviation in providing passengers and crewmembers the best in safety, service, reliability, quality, and value at each one of our FBOs around the globe.”

GAT Installing First Goji Geotainment System

Global Aviation Technologies (GAT) is the first to install Gotham Studios’ Goji Geotainment System, a new plug-and-play hardware and software replacement to Collins Aerospace’s legacy Airshow in-flight entertainment (IFE). Goji features a 4K three-dimensional moving map and flight information and more than 5,000 video and audio stories of cities and points of interest displayed on cabin monitors and streamed to passengers’ personal devices via Wi-Fi. GAT is completing the inaugural installation on a Bombardier Challenger 850 at its hangar at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport.

GAT owns the STC and is the leading supplier of Goji, created by Arlington, Virginia-based Gotham, which is led by Peter Nissen and Russ Johnson. Nissen is an Emmy award-winning producer. Johnson is an expert on IFE, cabin management, connectivity, and airborne broadband.

The system comprises a 6- x 4- x 2-inch box weighing 1.4 pounds that is connected to an aircraft’s FMS for GPS capability, and its database is updated automatically. 

For GAT, Goji represents a new segment of business for the company. GAT v-p of operations Jerome Cottner told AIN his company is targeting charter operators for the product although it will offer the system to any interested operator. “We really feel that it’s going to be a slam dunk for charter operations,” he said.

Cottner estimates that installation will take about 10 working days. The cost of the system, including installation, is $64,000.

EBAA Head Hopes For Return to Normalcy in 2022

Business aviation has been recovering from the shock caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, but its complete return to normalcy will not happen until next year, according to EBAA COO Robert Baltus. Addressing participants last week at Russian business aviation conference RUBAE in Moscow, he said the industry suffered less than the airlines but nonetheless experienced serious drops while remaining a viable and flexible tool of transportation.

Today, turboprops and light and midsize jets fly more than before the pandemic, Baltus observed. Heavy jets were approaching their pre-pandemic activity in July, though bizliners are still flying markedly less. Worse, the bigger jets are not exploited to full capacity yet, since they do less cross-Atlantic flying and instead count flight cycles on shorter routes over land, lasting 1.5 to three hours.

The impact of Covid-19 on European countries has been different, he said. Statistics on the number of business aircraft flights over the first seven months of this year and the same period in 2019 indicate that many Western European countries have yet to recover. “Comparatively, Eastern Europe feels fine,” Baltus observed. In pandemic times, there has been a considerable rise in traffic in the Baltic states and southeast Europe, with the exception of Slovakia and Kosovo.

Thales Begins Flying FlytX Helicopter Avionics

Thales has begun flight testing its compact FlytX helicopter avionics suite in a Helicopteres Guimbal Cabri G2. The suite is adaptable to helicopters of all sizes for both new production and retrofits and available with one to four screens.

In the Cabri, Thales pilots will test fly the single-screen version of FlytX to make short-loop adjustments to improve the performance and system maturity before its integration into customer programs. The avionics already have been selected by Airbus Helicopters and the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) to equip the Guépard, the future light joint helicopter, as well as by Russian Helicopters’ VR-Technologies for the VRT500 turbine single. Test flights are scheduled for next year in the VRT500. 

Benefitting from more than a decade of research, FlytX is designed to reduce crew workload and improve situational awareness, is cyber-secure, and offers up to 40 percent reduction in weight, size, and energy consumption compared to current avionics suites, according to Thales. It also is natively connected and “promotes cooperation with other actors in the aviation ecosystem,” according to the company. Testing in the Cabri will continue into 2022.

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