French airframer Daher has reached a milestone with the rollout of the 1,000th TBM-series airplane. The landmark turboprop single, a TBM 940, will be delivered later this week to U.S.-based owner-operator James Hislop, an experienced private pilot and investment banker, at the company’s Pompano Beach, Florida facility. Hislop also serves as a volunteer pilot with several charity organizations, including Mercy Flights Southeast, Angel Flights Northeast, and Patient Airlift Services.
“The TBM 940 topped the list in areas of speed, range, and payload, while also incorporating all of the safety features,” explained Hislop. “It is built more to a commercial-grade compared to general aviation standards.”
Since the inaugural TBM 700 made its debut in 1990, Daher has continually improved the design up to the TBM 910 and 940 that are now in production and represent the sixth evolution of the airframe. According to Nicolas Chabbert, senior v-p of Daher’s aircraft division, when the TBM family was launched in the 1980s, some in the industry questioned whether there was a market for single-engine pressurized turboprops, leaving them to doubt whether the company's initial sales goal of 600 would ever be realized.
“Looking ahead to the next 1,000 TBMs, we maintain our firm commitment to continue delivering aircraft that provide the optimum combination of speed and operational efficiency for owners and operators,” said Chabbert.
UK Bizav Faces Brexit Uncertainty as EU Talks Struggle
Speakers at a British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) Brexit webinar yesterday tried to paint a positive picture of what the industry will face when the transition period for the UK’s departure from the European Union (EU) ends on December 31. However, with just 71 business days remaining, multiple uncertainties remain regarding the regulatory framework that will apply for UK and EU companies and how market access might be impacted.
Almost 200 webinar participants were reminded that much of the uncertainty hinges on the ongoing negotiations over the future relationship between the UK and the EU. At the start of September, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson unilaterally imposed an October 15 deadline, while also introducing legislation that would override some aspects of the Withdrawal Agreement signed last year to provide a legal foundation for the transition period. EU leaders have protested that this will amount to a breach of international law, raising concerns that this could undermine efforts to reach industry-specific agreements such as the Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) that it is hoped will apply when the UK ceases to be a member of EASA at the year's end.
BBGA chairwoman Aoife O’Sullivan, who is a partner with The Aviation Law Firm, insisted that even if negotiations break down, there will still be sufficient legal framework to support continuity in the short term.
Marathon Aviation, the lone service provider at Marathon International Airport in the Florida Keys, has opened its new FBO and hangar complex on the west end of the field. The company broke ground a year ago on the facility that replaces the one destroyed by 2017’s Hurricane Irma.
The Avfuel-branded facility—which features a 3,000-sq-ft, two-story Key West-style terminal—was built to the latest hurricane standards, with a second-floor veranda, pilots lounge, shower facilities, 10-seat A/V-equipped conference room, a café, and a spacious kitchen. A 12,000-sq-ft hangar with 28-foot-high doors can accommodate aircraft up to a Gulfstream G650.
Marathon's new facility caters to larger turbine-powered business aircraft and is available 24/7, with expedited customs service and concierge support. A separate facility owned by the same company located at the eastern end of the 5,000-foot runway handles smaller general aviation piston aircraft.
“The Marathon Aviation team is thrilled to welcome guests to our iconic new FBO, providing a fully immersive, luxury Middle Keys experience,” said company owner Marty Hiller. “As a launchpad for U.S. Customs and a gateway for the region’s tourism, five-star resorts, and world-renowned fishing industry, we’re proud to unveil this investment in the local community, economy, and our customers ahead of the busy winter season.”
Russian Officials: Supersonic Bizjet To Be New Design
Russia will not use the concept of its Tu-160 bomber as the basis for its supersonic business jet, as it was initially proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to recent statements made by Anatoly Serduykov, head of the aviation cluster of the Russian Rostec corporation. Instead, the new aircraft will be a clean-sheet design.
“During the design of such an aircraft, we plan to use the experience of Tupolev and the experience of other design schools—Sukhoi and MiG,” said Serduykov. “There is a research project being carried out by the Russian Central Aerodynamic Institute, which focuses on the design of a second-generation supersonic aircraft.”
Military aircraft have their own specifics, particularly in how they are used while in supersonic mode, he added. This requires a specific airframe design.
Serduykov’s views are shared by leading Russian aviation analysts who point out that placing a comfortable passenger compartment into a military aircraft design is highly problematic. In addition, analysts said, military aircraft do not fit into international civilian standards either in terms of noise levels or emissions.
Serduykov predicts the global demand for supersonic business jets may amount to about 400 aircraft worth $30 billion to $50 billion.
CAE Goes Digital To Build ‘Airside’ Community
CAE, which this summer introduced the Airside digital platform to provide career and training resources for pilots during the Covid-19 pandemic, said the site has attracted more than 10,000 visitors since it went live in June. CAE developed Airside after surveying more than 3,000 pilots in April, after the pandemic had shut down many areas of the globe. The training provider sought to create a pilot community and engage with its customers during the pandemic and has continued to add features to the platform.
“CAE is building a strong pilot community on Airside and providing the information and tools required to get through these challenging times,” said Nick Leontidis, CAE’s group president of Civil Aviation Training Solutions. “With the Airside platform, CAE is reinforcing its commitment to safety and excellence with resources that will allow pilots to sharpen their skills, remain connected to the industry, and emerge better prepared to pursue their dreams of flying.”
Content surrounds training, career, and lifestyle sections with features such as a resume builder, proficiency information, and pilot myth-busting. “CAE’s digital team will continue to enhance Airside as we grow our digital-product portfolio and serve the civil aviation industry with outstanding pilot-training experience,” Leontidis added.
FCG Opens Two New Baltic-area Crew Lounges
European aviation services provider FCG OPS has expanded its operations in the Baltic area with the opening of two new crew lounges at Lithuania’s Kaunas International Airport and in Estonia at Tarfu Airport. At both locations, the company is certified for handling of business aviation, military, and commercial charter flights. In the year prior to the start of the Covid pandemic, its number of flights handled at Kaunas had increased by 40 percent, while those at Tarfu rose by 20 percent, FCG reported.
Part of the Flight Consulting Group (FCG), which has been in operation for two decades, FCG OPS provides flight-dispatch and ground-handling services throughout Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, and the CIS. It also operates a full-service FBO at Riga International Airport in Latvia, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year, as well as crew lounge/briefing areas at Estonia’s Tallinn International and Kuressaare airports; and Lithuania’s Vilnius International, Palanga International, and Šiauliai International airports, all of which offer complimentary Wi-Fi.
The company noted that crew rest is one of the most important factors of flight safety. “Our crew briefings in Riga and Tallinn have been highly praised by crews from all around the world,” it said. “Now pilots and flight attendants can be confident that they will have the same comfortable areas and impeccable service when arriving on a quick return flight to Kaunas and Tarfu.”
NASA Selects Airbus HCare for H135s
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has signed a $15 million HCare Infinite maintenance agreement with Airbus Helicopters Inc., the manufacturer's U.S. operation. The contract covers NASA’s three H135s that are entering service this month at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida.
Airbus will be responsible for H135 helicopter flight operations at KSC, supporting NASA with two pilots, two mechanics, and a program manager on site. NASA will operate the H135s for a variety of missions, including security around rocket launches, emergency medical services, and personnel transport.
The maintenance agreement initially covers two years with the option to extend it up to 10. HCare Infinite guarantees the customer’s full fleet operational availability, including maintenance, technical support, and the supply of spare parts, tools, and consumables.
Airbus Helicopters’ range of HCare material management services starts with Easy (on-request catalog services) and Smart (four by-the-hour options), before progressively building up to Infinite (full availability commitments). “Our customers’ success lies in their ability to ensure aircraft are ready to take off the second they need them, and our HCare support solutions provide the guarantee that we have taken care of everything to ensure their full fleet availability,” said Anthony Baker, v-p of customer support and services at Airbus Helicopters Inc.
Wicker, Collins Offer Bill To Extend Air Carrier PSP
As the Payroll Support Program (PSP) for air carriers is set to lapse at the end of the month, two key Senate leaders are moving to continue the program at least through March 2021. Senate Commerce Committee chairman Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi) and Appropriations Committee chairman Susan Collins (R-Maine) yesterday jointly introduced the Air Carrier Worker Support Extension Act of 2020 to extend the program for the next six months with $28 billion in funding that encompasses both new appropriations and unspent CARES Act money.
The bill, S.4634, would include protections to ensure the funding is spent as intended and includes a measure aligning airline payroll expense calculations for smaller air carriers to the exact standards and criteria of large carriers.
“The CARES Act successfully saved thousands of jobs that support the airline industry,” said Wicker. “However, the market has not turned around as much as we had hoped, and additional relief is needed to prevent more than 60,000 aviation sector employees from losing their jobs beginning October 1.”
NATA president and CEO Tim Obitts and Jonathon Freye, NATA's v-p of government and public affairs, cautioned in a message to members that the bill is still a “heavy lift,” but said, “While the path forward for this bill remains unclear…Chairman Wicker’s staff shared his sense of urgency [to move the bill]."
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People in Aviation
MySky hired Erica Da Veiga to serve as a sales manager within the company’s European team, covering business development in countries that include Switzerland, the UK, Germany, and Austria. Da Veiga brings more than a decade of private aviation experience to her new role, including as a founding partner of Vertis Aviation, head of charter sales at Comlux Aviation, and partner and managing director at Glaronia Aviation.
Safran Helicopter Engines named Sébastien Jaulerry executive v-p of support and services. He succeeds Olivier Le Merrer, who is retiring. Jaulerry, who most recently was general manager for the Eurasia region of Safran Electrical and Power’s EWIS division, has more than 25 years of experience with the company, beginning as a workshop manager in 1994.
Evans Composites appointed Mike Campbell as president. Campbell has more than 29 years of leadership experience, including with the U.S. Navy and also with multiple aircraft repair stations.
Business jet broker Jetcraft appointed Fabrice Roger and Massimo Burotti as sales directors in Europe. Roger, a French national who is relocating from Miami to Nice, has been with Jetcraft since 2013. Burotti joined Jetcraft from Bombardier, where he was a sales director for Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, and Hungary. He will be based at the company’s London headquarters.
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