Embraer Gets Nod for Synthetic Vision Guidance System
Embraer has received a thumbs up from Brazil’s ANAC and the FAA for its synthetic vision guidance system (SVGS) on the Praetor 500 and 600, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer announced today. This makes it the first business jet OEM to receive SVGS certification, it added.
The newly certified system provides pilots with a dynamic perception of position, trend, and motion that allows pilots to shoot approaches to a decision height of 150 feet agl (SA-CAT I), 50 feet lower than the standard decision height. According to Embraer, this increases operational efficiency and permits access to more airports during inclement weather and lower-ceiling approaches.
SVGS can be used with or without the Embraer enhanced vision system and is now available for new-production Praetor 500/600s. It can also be retrofitted to Legacy 450/500s and Praetor 500/600s at any Embraer owned or authorized service center.
“At Embraer, we are committed to continuously improving our products to deliver the ultimate experience in business aviation,” said Embraer Executive Jets president and CEO Michael Amalfitano. “Thanks to our engineering team and partnership with Collins Aerospace, Embraer is proud to offer business aviation’s first synthetic vision guidance system on the Praetor 500 and Praetor 600.”
EBAA is expanding its efforts to enable the industry to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals with the creation of two working groups to develop guidelines surrounding the new Standards and Training for Aviation Responsibility and Sustainability (Stars) initiative.
A concept developed from a group of young business aviation professionals across Europe with the support of the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC), the Stars program was created to establish a set of standards and resources for companies to achieve accreditation for progressive social and environmental best practices. The program is set up in three tiers and designed to enable even the smallest operator to participate.
Comprising representatives from business aviation companies, one working group will focus on environmental standards, while the second will focus on social standards. Once completed, the standards will be integrated into the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) and the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH), as well as available for standalone use for organizations that do not involve operating aircraft or providing ground services.
“The road to recovery from Covid-19 can and should happen in a sustainable way across all industries,” said EBAA secretary-general Athar Husain Khan. “Stars aims to provide the guidance and resources to do so.”
Eco Helicopters Launching Urban Air Mobility Operations
Eco Helicopters plans to begin urban air mobility (UAM) charter flights in Southern California with a fleet of Robinson R44 Raven II helicopters that will be converted to electric propulsion as soon as the STC is FAA approved, it announced on Friday. Instead of waiting for the STC and then building an operating network with a fleet of electric-powered R44s, the company aims to grow a UAM-type charter business in piston-powered R44s and then transition them to electric power. The UAM flights in the four-seat piston singles will begin in the second quarter of next year.
According to Eco Helicopters, it will share the benefits of what it says will be a much lower cost of operation from the electric motors with charter customers and the owners of helicopters that will be leased back to the operator. “The idea is to not wait for the final STC but to put aircraft into charter and tours and create that business model and keep expanding. Then we swap out the engine and install the electric power unit,” said Ric Webb, Eco Helicopters CEO and owner and founder of OC Helicopters. “We want to get in business now and not years from now.”
Eco Helicopters is an offshoot of charter company OC Helicopters, which is based at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California.
FlightSafety International expanded its Gulfstream G280 training with the addition of a simulator at its Wilmington, Delaware facility, marking the third location where it offers training on the type. The company, which is the authorized training provider on the G280, also provides simulator training for the super-midsize jet at its centers in Savannah, Georgia, and Dallas.
Noting that a range of training programs will be offered for the G280 in Wilmington, Nathan Speiser, executive v-p of sales and marketing, said, “We work closely with Gulfstream to ensure our simulators and training programs reflect the exact operating characteristics of the aircraft and meet the highest standard set by aviation regulatory authorities around the world.”
Equipped with the Collins Pro Line Fusion PlaneView 280 avionics suite, the simulator incorporates a dual flight management system with LPV and RNP capabilities, an integrated flight information system, and a head-up guidance system with enhanced vision system that provides for EFVS touchdown and rollout training.
The simulator further features FlightSafety’s CrewView collimated glass mirror display, Vital 1150 Visual System, and a new advanced instructor operating station.
Omni Introduces Airbus H175 To Brazil
Omni Taxi Aereo will be the first operator of the Airbus H175 super-medium helicopter in Brazil. The aircraft has arrived in country and is slated to fly cargo and passenger transport missions for the oil and gas industry. Omni’s current fleet includes Airbus H135, H155, and H225 helicopters, which transport passengers and cargo to offshore platforms and ships while also providing emergency medical services for the oil and gas industry.
Omni CEO Roberto Coimbra said the H175 has the range “to reach 100 percent of Brazil’s offshore installations and [with the] high technology equipment on board it is a very promising aircraft” to serve the Brazilian oil and gas market.
“With currently 40 aircraft in service having accumulated more than 85,000 flight hours, the H175 has set new standards for offshore operations across the world and I thank Omni for introducing the aircraft to the important Brazilian oil and gas market,” said Airbus Helicopters oil and gas v-p Regis Magnac.
The H175 was designed to principally serve the offshore energy market and can transport 16 passengers up to 160 nm. The aircraft is equipped with Airbus’s Helionix avionics suite, four-axis autopilot, and can perform fully automatic oil platform approaches in Rig’N Fly mode.
NBAA Planning Series of Tax, Transactions Forums
NBAA is planning a busy month of professional development seminars in October covering numerous issues surrounding aircraft transactions, ownership structures, and taxation. The NBAA GO series of virtual professional development seminars come as the association works to bring most of the information that it typically would have presented in tandem with its annual NBAA-BACE event, along with additional features and discussions, to its members online.
NBAA will kick off the Virtual Aviation Tax & Transaction Review on October 13, presenting a series of three live and three pre-recorded sessions featuring industry experts who will provide an overview of key tax and regulatory issues.
Live sessions include “The A to Z of Tax Depreciation for Aircraft Owners: How to Maximize Deductions and More” on October 13 at 2:30 p.m. EDT; “Tax Aspects of a Successful Aircraft Transaction” on October 20 at 2:30 p.m. EDT; and “CARES Act Business Tax Changes” on October 27. The hour-long live sessions will include interactive question and answer forums. Pre-recorded sessions include “Regulatory Aspects of a Successful Aircraft Transaction;” “Tools to Share Aircraft Costs and Increase Utilization;” and “Planning for Non-Business Use of Aircraft."
NTSB Offers Course on Managing Accident Communications
The NTSB is offering a virtual course on managing communications in the aftermath of an aircraft accident or incident. To be held on October 22 and 23, the “Essentials of Managing Communications During an Aircraft Accident or Incident” course is a condensed version of its traditional course to help prepare attendees on what they could expect in the days immediately following an accident or incident. The course also is designed to prepare attendees on their role with the media.
According to the NTSB, the course will explain how the agency organizes an accident site and what to expect in the immediate aftermath. It further provides strategies for air carrier and airport staff to proactively manage communications during the on-scene phase of the investigation and how the NTSB media relations specialists coordinate press conference and release of accident information.
Attendees will learn of what information airport and air carriers are responsible for, how to make provisions for communicating with family members, and questions or requests that might be extended to air carriers, airport staff, family members, disaster relief agencies, local officials, and others. Registration costs $850.
Aviation Safety Question of the Week
Provided by
According to available data, what are the three main risk factors in takeoff excursions?
A. Rejected takeoff initiated at a speed greater than V1, loss of pilot directional control, and rejected takeoff initiated before V1 is reached.
B. Rejected takeoff initiated at a speed greater than V1, loss of pilot directional control, and poor aileron control.
C. Rejected takeoff initiated before V1 is reached, loss of pilot directional control, and poor aileron control.
D. None of the above.
Web Manuals Grows Customer Base 25% in 2020
Web Manuals, a provider of digital manual systems and regulatory documentation for the aviation industry, has increased its customer base 25 percent since the start of the year. The increase to more than 300 customers comes mostly from U.S.-based companies.
Business aviation—specifically Part 135 operators, as well as drone and air freight companies—is largely behind the growth, noted Web Manuals director of operations America Krister Genmark. Also contributing to the growth was Web Manuals’ offer of limited-time, free services to aviation providers because of Covid-19.
“Our industry needs to support each other to strengthen and grow post-Covid,” Genmark said. “We are encouraged that many of our freemium customers are now enjoying the long-term benefits of digitization, and we are keen to aid new businesses starting out in aviation. With border restrictions and regional regulations constantly changing, we expect the role of digitization to remain important as aviation businesses strive to stay compliant at all times whilst rebuilding.”
Webinar: Autothrottle Safety and Performance Benefits
Autothrottles greatly simplify the operation of turboprop engines, helping the pilot not only manage power changes automatically during busy flying periods in terminal airspace but also add major safety benefits. For the first time, the Innovative Solutions & Support autothrottle system is now available for PT6-powered airplanes, and webinar attendees can learn about how the system works and all of the benefits it offers. Please join us on November 4 as AIN editor-in-chief Matt Thurber moderates an in-depth discussion with Tom Grunbeck, director of autothrottle products at Innovative Solutions & Support, and Aaron Tobias, FAA consultant DER flight test pilot.
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