Citing Covid-19, JetSuite Grounds Fleet, Furloughs Crew

Dallas-based business jet charter operator JetSuite has grounded its all-Embraer fleet—four Phenom 100s and eight Phenom 300s, as reported in October—and furloughed most of its crewmembers as the Covid-19 crisis drags on, according to a statement posted to the company’s website on Thursday. However, sister company JSX (formerly JetSuiteX) appears to be operating its scheduled flights with 15 Embraer ERJ-135s and seven ERJ-145s.

“The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting state of emergency around the country has caused an unforeseeable, dramatic downturn in the entire aviation industry and our business in particular,” it said. “As a result, effective April 15, 2020, we have grounded our fleet and furloughed most of our crewmembers. For those of you who were scheduled to fly this week or in the weeks ahead, please accept our deepest apologies for this sudden, but unavoidable and necessary, cancellation of all flights until further notice.”

JetSuite did not respond to AIN’s multiple inquiries seeking further comment about the shutdown and the apparent continuation of JSX flights since the website for the latter operator does not include a similar statement about fleet grounding and crewmember furloughs. Last year, JetSuite announced plans to expand its fleet offerings beyond the Phenom 100 and 300.

Boeing Joins Covid-19 Relief Effort Using Its Own BBJ

Boeing used a BBJ from its corporate fleet for its first transport mission supporting aid for the Covid-19 pandemic, delivering more than half a million masks from China to New Hampshire. The Boeing 737-700 transported 540,000 medical-grade masks in a donation organized by First Robotics founder Dean Kamen.

Kamen, also a founder of Deka Research and Development Corp., worked with Deka to secure the masks from manufacturers in China that will be delivered to healthcare professionals in New Hampshire. “Another life-saving delivery of PPE has arrived in New Hampshire,” said New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu. “Thanks to Dean Kamen for facilitating this deal, and to Boeing for donating the cost of this mission transport. The state will deliver these masks to the greatest areas of need across New Hampshire so those on the frontline have the necessary resources to fight Covid-19.”

Plans are in the works by Boeing to further support Covid-19 relief using its Dreamlifter and ecoDemonstrator aircraft, the OEM said.

Angel Flight Orgs Create Distribution Network for PPE

The Colorado Hospital Association (CHA) is coordinating with the volunteer organizations Angel Flight West and Central to create a distribution system to ensure personal protective equipment (PPE) reach remote hospitals, primarily in Colorado, but also in Nebraska and Kansas. Angel Flight pilots are volunteering aircraft, fuel, and their time to fly PPE throughout the region. Most of the flights are operating out of the Denver area. Centennial Airport officials have set aside space for the collection of PPE.

“These missions are essential,” said Benjamin Anderson, v-p of rural health and hospitals for CHA, adding they substantially cut the time it would take to get this equipment to remote hospitals to just a few hours. Importantly, he added, is the collaboration has gained recognition and creditability among the organizations donating the PPE and now those organizations are readily channeling available equipment and other donations.

Ivan Martinez, director of outreach and wing operations for Angel Flight West, estimated that as of last week some three dozen of the missions had already been flown by his organization alone. Angel Flight West’s missions have primarily been in the Western areas of Colorado, while Angel Flight Central is reaching some of Colorado and a few hotspots and areas in need in Kansas and Nebraska.

Duncan Transforms GIV Shuttle Interior

Duncan Aviation recently completed a unique major renovation project on a Gulfstream GIV-SP. A Duncan client used the long-range twinjet as a corporate shuttle, often flying up to 14 passengers on long international trips. As the aircraft came due for its 96-month inspection, which required the removal of the interior, the customer expressed dissatisfaction with the aircraft’s seating configuration and challenged Duncan’s design team to come up with one that better suited its needs.

The resulting interior on the aircraft, which Duncan delivered earlier this year, features 14 individual club seats in walnut brown leather facing toward the cockpit, as on an airliner, many of which perch on rotating bases allowing them to pivot 180 degrees when needed. Other work conducted during the period included the 5,000-landing inspection and the application of a full custom paint scheme.

"Our client had specific mission requirements and although what they were asking us to complete was difficult, we embraced the challenge and delivered a product that substantially surpassed their expectations, all while staying within their budget,” said George Bajo, Duncan’s completions and modifications specialist.

Avfuel Waives Fuel Training Subscription Fee

To help ease operational difficulties for its customers amid the Covid-19 pandemic, Avfuel has waived the initial training subscription fee for its FAA-approved Part 139 line fuel safety and supervisory courses through June 30. The offer gives Avfuel customers free access to all of the online Avfuel Training System content for a year upon new initial sign up.

The training program offers a range of topics that includes fuel handling and fire safety; contaminants and fuel testing methods; procedures for receiving a load of aviation fuel; aviation fueling components; fuel storage systems, mobile fueling equipment, aircraft fueling and general operations, including misfueling prevention; best practices for record-keeping; and procedures for handling diesel exhaust fluid.

“We hope this offering helps our partners focus on what’s important right now—health and safety,” said Randy Harrison, the Michigan-based fuel provider’s quality assurance manager. “Even operations seeing a dip in activity can use this time strategically to meet training requirements and come out of the crisis more prepared.”

GE, Brightwater UAG ink T700 engine support agreement

GE Aviation is now offering its TrueChoice Commercial Services maintenance plan for its T700 helicopter engine, including for the Sikorsky S-70i Firehawk and commercial UH-60 Black Hawks, the Lynn, Massachusetts-based engine maker announced late last week. As part of that announcement, it has signed an exclusive authorized repair and services provider agreement with Brightwater United Aero Group (UAG) to cover certain non-military customers flying the engine, the variants of which include the -701D on the Firehawk and -701C/D on commercial Black Hawks.

Connecticut-based Brightwater UAG and Brightwater Arista Aviation Services Group in Alabama join the network of GE-licensed MROs supporting the engine through the agreement, which covers the repair, upgrade, lease, and exchange of T700 engines and parts. That includes new OEM parts as well as used, serviceable parts that meet OEM standards.

“This specific helicopter marketplace is rapidly expanding and wanted an OEM-sponsored solution,” said UAG president Jamie Gelder. “We, at UAG and Arista, are delighted to participate with GE in servicing an incredible group of customers who operate this equipment providing a range of essential missions.”

Also covered under the agreement are civil and municipal operators of used Black Hawk helicopters purchased through the U.S. Army Black Hawk Exchange and Sales Team (BEST) program, GE Aviation said. More than 100 million flight hours have been accumulated on the turboshaft and turboprop T700/CT7 engine family.

EASA Issues Covid-19 Guidance for Helo Ops

EASA has issued guidance for continued helicopter operations in the face of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic. Aside from following previous EASA guidance on aircraft cleaning and disinfection and physical distancing, the agency now recommends including Covid-19-specific items in operational considerations and preflight briefings.

Other than medical flights, the agency urges operators to only fly “essential” missions such as offshore; sea-pilot transfer; and windfarm, pipeline, and electric line patrol and then only with a minimum crew. For all missions, the impact of wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks, goggles, and gloves, in concert with normal required survival equipment such as life jackets, survival suits, and emergency breathing devices, should be factored into risk assessments, including the danger of foreign object debris from it, particularly while rotors are turning.

For air ambulance flights, preflight briefings should include discussion of crew/cockpit separation from medical passenger(s), the legality of innovative or temporary solutions such as use of patient isolation systems, use of ventilation/air conditioning systems, and procedures in the event of patient isolation system malfunction. EASA counsels, “Where possible, a separate briefing with ground personnel/hospital staff prior to arrival/departure (should be conducted) to reduce the risk of cross-contamination during transfer of patients.” EASA also counsels air ambulance operators to “as much as possible, maintain the same crews to avoid cross-contamination among all the staff.”

FAA Hits Jem Air with $220K Penalty for Crew Issues

In its latest enforcement action surrounding possible illegal charter activity, the FAA has proposed a $220,000 civil penalty against Jem Air Holdings of Raleigh, North Carolina. The agency is alleging the operator used three unqualified pilots as seconds-in-command on 18 flights between April 25, 2019, and May 19, 2019.

According to the FAA, the pilots allegedly had not completed required annual flight-competency checks and written or oral knowledge tests and the agency further alleged “each flight operated by Jem Air with unqualified crewmembers was careless or reckless so as to endanger lives or property.”

Jem Air has asked to meet with the FAA to discuss the case, the FAA said. The operator did not comment on the allegations.

The proposed civil penalty comes as the FAA has become more aggressive in its enforcement of possible illegal air charter activity. Just this month, the agency announced a $1.5 million proposed civil penalty against B E L Aviation in Odessa, Texas for allegedly conducting unauthorized flights, and last month it issued an emergency revocation of the operating certificate of Paradigm Air Operators for allegedly conducting dozens of unauthorized charter flights, including for major sports teams.

Industry groups have urged the FAA to clamp down on illegal activity, saying such operations jeopardize safety, hurt competitiveness, and harm the industry as a whole.

AIN Webinar: Keeping Bizav’s Supply Chain Moving During Crisis

Join us this Thursday (April 23) at 12:00 p.m. EDT as AIN senior editor Charles Alcock moderates a webinar discussion on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the business aviation supply chain and how the industry is responding. He will speak with three senior leaders from this sector—Marc Drobny, president of business aviation at StandardAero; Todd Winter, president and CEO of Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics; and Aaron Hollander, CEO of First Aviation Services. Register today for this FREE hour-long webinar.