Jackson Hole Becomes Latest To Demo SAF

Jackson Hole Airport in Wyoming became the most recent location for business aviation operators to sample sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) last week when Avfuel provided 7,300 gallons of the blended fuel to Jackson Hole Aviation, the airport-operated FBO. As demonstrated in events earlier this year such as at Van Nuys, California, in January and at several locations in the U.S. and Europe ahead of EBACE, SAF is a drop-in replacement for standard jet-A.

“These demonstration-type days are key to raising awareness on the viability of sustainable aviation fuel,” said Keith Sawyer, the Ann Arbor, Michigan-based fuel provider’s manager of alternative fuels. “They prove the concept that the product exists, it is safe, and it provides a great benefit to the environment.”

The shipment represented a reduction of two metric tons in the life-cycle CO2 emissions. As supplying SAF continues to represent a hurdle in the widespread use of the fuel, Avfuel hopes that events such as this will raise awareness of it and encourage further production in the fuel supply chain.

“The Jackson Hole Airport plans to have this fuel on-site when it is readily available,” said Jim Elwood, the airport’s executive director. “We look forward to the day when using this cleaner, efficient fuel will set standards, not only for our airport but also for airports and aviators around the globe.” (Join AIN tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. ET for a free one-hour webinar on Sustainable Aviation Fuel 101.)

NTSB Alaska Forum Spotlights Training, Infrastructure

Citing concerns that more than 200 Part 135 crashes in Alaska have collectively resulted in some 80 fatalities since 2008, NTSB chairman Robert Sumwalt on Friday stressed a need to improve training, risk management, use of technology, and aviation infrastructure in the state to improve overall safety. Sumwalt moderated a daylong session with more than two dozen industry, NTSB, and FAA officials to develop solutions to reverse the Part 135 accident trends. He called Part 135 “essential to Alaska” and acknowledged unique terrain and  weather challenges, but added, “We cannot accept those factors as an excuse.”

Dana Schulze, director of aviation safety for the NTSB, added statistics show CFIT, loss of control in flight, midair collision, and unintended encounter with IMC account for the majority of Part 135 fatal accidents in Alaska. They underscore a need for improved CFIT training, operational monitoring, and safety management systems. These “will really help move the needle on safety,” she said.

Participants in the session called for better infrastructure and operational procedures that facilitate increased use of IFR. They also pushed for increased weather monitoring and fuller use of ATC programs. A key concern is that some organization steps forward to continue to pursue safety programs, particularly as the Medallion program takes steps to shutter. 

WingX: European Bizav Activity Continues Downward Trend

European business jet departures continued their downward trend last month, with August’s totals down by 10,000 departures compared to July, according to data released last week by industry monitor WingX. Year-over-year, August’s activity was down by 2.3 percent, with a trend of -1.9 percent so far for 2019. Only Spain has bucked that trend, showing growth for the year.

Germany, the UK, Italy, and Switzerland saw year-over-year declines in August between 6 and 10 percent, while Greece, Austria, Turkey, and Russia saw increases over the previous August. Flights from Russia into Europe saw a strong boost, while domestic European activity was down 2.4 percent.

“August rounded off a slower summer than last year, flights down by 2 percent but still busier than other summers since the 2009 crisis,” said WingX managing director Richard Koe. “The overall decline is due to a prolonged dip in light aircraft activity, especially owner and private missions.” He added that geographically the decline is more severe in Germany and the UK, which reflects the deteriorating conditions faced by the economies in both countries.

Overall, the light to midsize jet sector was down by 4 percent, with declines of 11 and 8 percent in Germany and the UK, respectively. The ultra-long-range and large-cabin jet segments rose year-over-year in August, with flights up by 3 percent, according to WingX data.

New FBO and Airport To Serve Williston, North Dakota

Sloulin Field International Airport—which has been serving Williston, North Dakota, since 1947—and its FBO, Signature Flight Support, are scheduled to close on October 10 simultaneously with the opening of Williston Basin International Airport (XWA) and a new FBO there. Sloulin is being decommissioned because it faces expansion constraints, design issues, a significant increase in air traffic, and the need for runway refurbishment.

Williston Basin has been under construction since October 2016 and will initially open with 7,500-foot-by-150-foot Runway 14/32. So-called “stub outs” will be included to accommodate the future 4,500-by-75-foot crosswind Runway 4/22. The airport is located about 10 miles northwest of Williston, slightly farther away from the city than Sloulin.

At XWA, general and business aviation will be served by Overland Aviation. Although this is the first full-service FBO for Overland, the company has been operating a facility at Sloulin, providing flight training, scenic flights, and aerial photography since 2011.

Overland Aviation’s new 51,000-sq-ft facility at XWA will include an executive passenger terminal and crew lounge, a private terminal for oil-laborer crew change flights, and management and rental office spaces. According to Overland’s founder and president Tanner Overland, “Our heated hangar will be capable of storing large aircraft up to a Gulfstream G650.” Also located within the Overland Aviation facility will be a U.S. Customs general aviation facility.

EASA Director: Align UAM Noise, Safety Levels

EASA executive director Patrick Ky sees no need to develop a comprehensive set of worldwide standards for unmanned aircraft as their use is “very local.” However, in a meeting with the transport committee of the European Parliament last week he urged all stakeholders to agree on what the acceptable level of noise and the targeted level of safety is for autonomously operated aircraft flying in urban environments.

“I think that if we want to push forward—and I think we should—with the use of drones in cities, we need an answer on this as soon as possible because it will trigger a lot of constraints for the development of the drone industry,” Ky told the committee.

In his view, if the acceptable noise level turns out to be very low, no current unmanned aircraft would be able to fly in urban areas and their deployment would be limited to specific zones, such as over rivers. Ky added that a closer definition of the acceptable safety risk from these flights “possibly will have an impact on the weight of drones and redundant systems that they can carry on board.”

Duncan Obtains SmartSky STC for Challenger 600 Series

Duncan Aviation has received FAA approval for an STC permitting installation of SmartSky’s Wi-Fi system on Bombardier Challenger 601, 604, 605, and 650 business jets, the Lincoln, Nebraska-based MRO provider announced. Certification coordinator Russ Kromberg worked with SmartSky’s technical team on antenna placement to achieve the best connections and speeds inside the cabin.

The SmartSky system, using a mix of air-to-ground 4G LTE and 5G technologies, allows onboard users to hold in-flight conference calls, stream movies, and upload and download content during flight. Portions of the network should become available later this year.

“Duncan Aviation is an exceptional, visionary partner who knew exactly what their customers wanted and provided critical input for our design requirements,” said SmartSky chairman and CEO Haynes Griffin. “Our system meets or exceeds that high bar Duncan Aviation helped set, giving customers the internet speed they’ve long demanded using SmartSky’s patented bidirectional, low-latency network.”

Kromberg said Duncan is currently working on STCs to place SmartSky equipment on the Bombardier Challenger 300 and Learjet 45, as well as the Dassault Falcon 900 and 2000. He expects those STCs to be approved next year.

Air Charter Association Offers Broker Training Program

The Air Charter Association is continuing its effort to expand industry best practices with a new qualification course for aircraft charter brokers. Designed to offer continuing professional development and reinforce the standards and best practices that the Air Charter Association promotes, the four-stage program will involve a series of training days over the next year and culminate in a qualification.

An introductory broker-training seminar is scheduled for September 17 at the Air Charter Expo in Farnborough to provide an overview of the program. Level one foundation training is to follow in November, beginning the qualification process. Training will also include a practical “on-airport” day to enable participants to get a better first-hand understanding of airline, handling agent, and FBO operations. Assessments will start during the second training module, continuing through the third and fourth sessions.

“This series of training days have been designed to deliver a set of skills and experiences to enable brokers to maintain standards and best practices,” said Julie Black, deputy chair of the Air Charter Association. “It is an excellent opportunity for air charter professionals at all levels to learn more about every aspect of chartering an aircraft.”

Black added the program will also cover “topics relevant to successful relationship management as the tripartite bond between customer, broker, and operator is of paramount importance even in an increasingly digital age.”

Volocopter’s eVTOL Plans Boosted by $55 Million Investment

Volocopter, the German start-up developing the VoloCity eVTOL aircraft and air-taxi service, today announced that it has raised just under $55 million in fresh investment. The company said that the new funds from the first closing of its Series C funding round will allow it to take the new model to commercial launch within the next three years, implying that this would be before the end of 2022.

The first closing of the Series C round was led by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, which was among Volocopter’s early backers. The privately owned Chinese automotive group has interests in car brand such as Volvo and Lotus.

Following the start of the Series C round, Geely has become a minority investor, alongside existing strategic investors including German car group Daimler. Founders Stephan Wolf and Alexander Zosel are, between them, Volocopter’s largest investor.

The latest funding round has more than doubled the total capital raised by Volocopter since its foundation in 2011 to just over $93 million. The company expects to complete the Series C round by the end of 2019 and is continuing talks with other prospective investors.

Free Webinar Tomorrow: Sustainable Aviation Fuel 101

While sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is a drop-in replacement for turbine engines, there is a lot more to this new fuel than meets the eye. Manufacturing and distributing SAF is just a technological hurdle, but getting the new fuel into widespread use is going to require a robust pull on the demand side. Aircraft operators need to know what SAF is, how it runs in turbine engines, how it benefits the environment, where it can be purchased, and how much it will cost. Join us tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. ET for this free one-hour webinar on SAF presented by Marcelo Goncalves of Embraer and Thomas Parsons of Air BP. Sponsored by World Fuel Services.