Gulfstream Aerospace yesterday officially opened a 73,000-sq-ft paint hangar at its Appleton, Wisconsin service center and large-cabin completions facility. The expansion is part of a plan announced by Gulfstream in 2021 to allow it to perform the entire aircraft completions process in Appleton. The company said that this growth has significantly increased operations and created more than 200 jobs in the region.

“This latest expansion in Appleton is another example of our continued investment in people and facilities as we expand to meet the demands of the growing Gulfstream fleet,” said company president Mark Burns. “Our customers already benefit from the quality and craftsmanship of our aircraft completions work and the unrivaled support we offer in Appleton. The opening of this new paint hangar means that we can provide even more convenience and options to Gulfstream customers.”

The $15 million paint facility has the capacity to complete the exterior coating process for up to 48 aircraft per year, according to Gulfstream. The company teamed with Wisconsin-based Global Finishing Solutions to develop a proprietary paint booth design to allow this high output.

Gulfstream Customer Support expanded operations at the Appleton Service Center in 2019 with a $40 million, 190,000-sq-ft facility that increased maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities and included a customer design showroom.

BRICS is the snappy acronym for the geopolitical pact that unites Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The term was coined in 2001 by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill, who, at a time when South Africa wasn’t yet in the group, said the first four nations would by 2050 dominate the global economy. Today, the five states account for 42 percent of the world’s population.

So, it’s little wonder that in the first decade of this century, business aircraft sales executives were salivating over the prospect of penetrating these exciting markets. Trade shows such as ABACE in China, LABACE in Brazil, and JetExpo in Russia were hot-ticket events. Today, I blush when I recall that I was one of many breathlessly excited cheerleaders for the impact the BRIC block (as it then was) could have on the industry.

Why do I blush? Because BRICS is now at the heart of the potentially violent discord between the traditional Western powers and states that reject their hegemony. BRICS is an undeclared rival to the G7 group that includes the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK. That might seem like a bit of healthy competition until you keep in mind that India, China, and South Africa seem quite content to accept Vladimir Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

EASA will have overall responsibility for monitoring the aviation industry’s progress in achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 in the wake of the European Parliament's approval this week of the ReFuelEU Aviation regulations. Among the measures that will be enforced are steps to deter operators from tankering fuel to avoid making jet-A1 purchases at some airports, which results in heavier aircraft and increased pollution from fuel burn.

EASA will now promote and measure the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and monitor the resulting reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. ReFuelEU Aviation sets targets for minimum percentages of SAF to be used as a blend with jet fuel in flights from 2025. The first report on what is hoped to be increased SAF availability and use will be published in the fourth quarter of that year.

The aim is for 70 percent of all fuel supplied in EU airports to be SAF by 2050; of that, 35 percent would be synthetic aviation fuels that have greater potential to cut emissions. The scope of the new regulation covers at least 95 percent of all traffic departing European airports.

Asheville, North Carolina-based AOne Parts & Logistics has celebrated its 2,500th transaction by donating $2,500 to a charity picked by the milestone customer, San Pablito Ranch flight department of Hebbronville, Texas. The Part 91 operator selected the Museum Foundation of Hebbronville for the Jim Hogg County Vaquero Monument Campaign. San Pablito signed a contract with AOne to support its parts and service requirements for four years.

“Giving back is a belief AOne has shared from its inception,” said AOne managing partner Jack Caloras. “Giving to members of the team and to our clients is what we believe and who we are. 

“To be in a position that allows us to share such a meaningful milestone for AOne with a client is both satisfying and humbling,” he added. “The thought of combining giving and having a little fun was important to AOne Parts.”

AOne’s services embrace buying and selling aircraft (including some for part-outs), helping owners and representatives to decide what to do with their aircraft, providing valuation analysis for inventories and assets, supplying parts required by operators around the world, seeking parts inventories that reflect a “moving forward support direction,” and partnering with OEMs and suppliers to improve market share.

Two U.S. helicopter air ambulance services are marking decades of service to their communities. Intermountain Life Flight (ILF) is celebrating its 45th anniversary and Classic Air Medical is commemorating its 35th.

Both are part of the Intermountain Health System, have served nearly 200,000 patients, and transport more than 11,000 patients annually. Together, they form the nation’s largest air ambulance service supporting not-for-profit healthcare, with 31 bases throughout the Mountain West and 56 aircraft.

ILF began service in 1978 with one helicopter at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City and has transported 118,756 patients by airplanes and helicopters more than 17.3 million miles. It is the only U.S. civilian air medical transport program authorized by the FAA to perform hoist rescues.

Today, ILF operates seven helicopters and three airplanes, including Cessna Citation and Bombardier Challenger jets. In addition to hoist rescues, ILF provides specialty medical transport services including neonatal, pediatric, high-risk obstetrics, mechanical circulatory support, and respiratory support.

Classic Air Medical joined Intermountain Health in 2021. It operates 22 helicopters and 10 fixed-wing aircraft from 24 bases across New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho.

“The longevity and reputation of these two trailblazing air medical programs shows Intermountain’s commitment to providing coordinated care as close to home as possible,” said Tony Henderson, CEO of Classic Air and executive director of medical transport services for Intermountain.