1

From the Editor

LATELY IT SEEMS THE CASH REGISTER is just

waiting to run out of receipt paper every time I
queue at the super market. If its not that, its
being stuck behind the person shuffling
through a three week stack of coupons and
holding up the rest of the line. And at the
airport check-in desk there is always the old
lady in tennis sneakers inquiring about her
connection to Chillicothe - a destination
suspended over a month ago.
Needless to say I have learned to be patient
but it is sure tempting to push that old lady
aside.
Think about it. If you start waiting 40 minutes
a day from the time you are 20 through to the
age 50, you will have spent an entire year of
your life waiting! So when time is money, you
can understand the irrationality of a CEO
traveling on a business trip with the airlines.
After all, the whole reason for flying a business
aircraft is to save time. And in the life of a
CEO, saving time creates money, which is what
the CEO is supposed to be generating for the
stockholders. Put another way, a company,
especially during a downturn, cannot afford to
lose business because The Man is stuck
waiting in line at OHare or Manchester.
In this issue, BARTs Senior Editor, Marc
Grangier is tackling this very subject on page
80. Find out in his article, The Truth about
Business Aviation how it can take nine hours
for the airlines to cover a distance of just
620NM. Buoyed by the remarks of London
Executive Aviations CEO Patrick MargetsonRushmore, the article also makes the clear
distinction between business and luxury.

When profits are up and the economy is great,

no one raises an eyebrow to a business
airplane. But when the market tumbles,
Business Aviation becomes an easy target for
politicians who make it difficult for the
Business Aviation associations to present the
reality of the sector and defend the interests
of its players.
Of course its always great for a business
aircraft manufacturer to see a 45 year old hot
shot living like a pharaoh emerging from a
$500,000 limousine carrying a $1,000 attach
case and looking to order a $800,000,000 jet
decked out like a Moorish bordello. The idea
in this case is to build up as prestigious a
machine as money can buy - and believe me,
some real eye-poppers are created - with
impressionistic purposes overlaying real
business comfort and safety. Their
destinations are such business-like places as
Nice, Vegas, Liechtenstein and Miami Beach.
As anyone familiar with the real Business
Aviation knows, luxury aviation is its own
creature and, unfortunately, is giving a wrong
perception to the public as well as to the
legislator. When I was flying in a company
airplane, I was never even sure if I was going
to receive a cup of coffee, said Brian
Humphries, former CEO of Shell Aircraft
International, where he was accountable for all
Shell aircraft worldwide.
We are well away from the bottles of
champagne adorning the aircraft interiors of
glossy brochures and magazines. Its time for
the real Business Aviation to stand up and
embrace its role as a time machine and a real
tool for the economic development.

The crisis should not be an alibi for not going forward. A man finds himself by facing the challenge.
Antoine de St Exupry

CONTENTS

B USINESS A VIATION R EAL T OOL

Member

32
EBACE FEVER
This years EBACE is set to give the industry a much needed shot
in the arm and as always, BART the Official EBACE Publication
tells you who to visit and why at Europes number one
Business Aviation gathering.

64

AVIONICS, ENGINES, HELICOPTERS AND TURBOPROPS

Avionics manufacturers continue to push the boundaries of
innovation, Steve Nichols reports. Jack Carroll explains how
engine makers are creating more power with less weight
and then looks at the latest rotorcraft developments.
Marc Grangier reports on cost-effective turboprops
that are defying the recession.

82

BUSINESS VERSUS LUXURY

In a special report Marc Grangier sets the record straight on
why Business Aviation is a real tool and not a luxury.
Environmental expert Guy Visel reports on Hubbard Aviation
Technologies quest to quiet the engines of GII and GIII aircraft.
We preview a Russian revival at Jet Expo and LeRoy Cook
reports from the cockpit on how to fly with maximum efficiency.

96

THE DETAILS
In Maintenance Matters we look at OEM product support and
cost-per-hour programs. Giulia Mauri explains Italys proposed
tax on private aviation. Great Circle Services detail the dangers
of fuel exhaustion while Jack Carroll profiles SuperJet
International. Finally Brian Barents of Aerion Corporation speaks
about the future of Supersonic Business Aviation.
DISPLAY
More than 60 aircraft will
be present on EBACEs
18,000 square-meter static
display area.

OUR COVER
With a maximum cruise speed
of 527 ktas, the Citation TEN is a
hot contender for the title of
fastest business jet.

AGENDA
EBACE 2012
May 14-16
Geneva, Switzerland
FARNBOROUGH INTL
AIRSHOW 2012
July 9-15
Farnborough, UK
JETEXPO 2012
September 27-29
Moscow, Russia

CESSNA SIGNS SERVICE AGREEMENT

WITH SHANGHAI HAWKER PACIFIC
Cessna has signed a preliminary agreement to work towards appointing Shanghai
Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre (SHPBASC) as an authorized service facility.
SHPBASC currently provides lounge facilities, handling and maintenance, repair
and overhaul (MRO) for business aircraft at Shanghais Hongqiao International
Airport. Authorized service facility status will allow SHPBASC to support Citation
Sovereigns operating in northern Asia. SHPBASC is a joint venture between
Shanghai Airport Authority and aircraft service company Hawker Pacific.
Scott Ernest, Cessna president and CEO, said: This agreement is the first step
towards SHPBASC being awarded authorized service facility status. We are committed to China and our valued customers here; this facility will further enhance
Cessnas support network across the Asia-Pacific region.

HAWKER 125 SERIES

COMMEMORATES 50 YEARS
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC)
announced this year marks the 50th anniversary
of its Hawker 125 midsize business jet series. The
Hawker 125 one of the worlds first business
jets completed its maiden flight on Aug. 13,
1962, in the form of the Hawker Siddeley DH125
Jet Dragon and the first delivery took place nearly two years later on Sept. 10, 1964.

JET AVIATION HONG KONG OPENS NEW INTERIOR SHOP

Jet Aviation Hong Kong recently expanded its service offerings to include interior services. Located in Tsuen Wan in the Kowloon area
of Hong Kong, the new 483.10 sq. m. (5,200 sq. ft.) interior shop is fully outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment throughout four equally divided work bays, adding comprehensive interior refurbishment capabilities to the companys maintenance facility.
Each work bay provides broad support for upholstery, carpeting, faux finishing and eco-friendly spray-painting. The shop has also been
outfitted with a clean room, a buffing area with the brightest lights available and a cyclone dust collection system, along with a rotary
screw air compressor. This kind of production environment, coupled with the companys highly skilled team of interior specialists, is
designed to support the highest quality and service standards.

8 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

THIS IS NOT AN AIRCRAFT.

Its my handshake in Shanghai.

Its my deal in Dallas.
Its a hardworking factory back home
counting on me to make it happen.
We get it: Your business aircraft is how you stay ahead in a world

of ever-increasing expectations. We are dedicated to supporting your

aircraft and to helping your company succeed. Discover how CompleteCare,
our full complement of business aviation services, can help you attain the next
level of success. Visit our website at www.standardaero.com/we_get_it.
AVIONICS

PAINT

ENGINES

AIRFRAME

COMPLETIONS

Copyright StandardAero 2012. All Rights Reserved.

GAMA COMPLETES ACQUISITION OF RONALDSON AIRMOTIVE

Gama Group, the global Business Aviation and services company, announced the acquisition of
Ronaldson Airmotive Ltd, the Oxford based engine and components overhaul organization.
Ronaldson Airmotive further strengthens the range of aerospace engineering capabilities available through the Gama engineering group of businesses. Ronaldson joins both Gama
Engineering Ltd and Gama Support Services Ltd in the provision of an extensive range of engineering products and services for fixed and rotary wing aircraft operators. This includes comprehensive design, certification, maintenance, repair, overhaul and modification services
already established in dedicated facilities at Fairoaks and Farnborough.
Ronaldson Airmotive , founded in 2007 by Rob Ronaldson and the late James Balmer immediately established itself as the premier piston engine and component overhaul UK based facility.
Its EASA Part 145 approval covers Lycoming and Teledyne Continental Motors engine overhaul and repairs, fuel, ignition and governing component overhaul and repairs, together with in
house specialist NDT services.

CAMO4jets RECEIVES EASA APPROVAL RATINGS

CAMO4jets AG has received EASA authorization to perform Airworthiness Reviews (ARC) and CAMO management for all Cessna
Citation models, as well as, all Embraer business and commercial aircraft. The authorizations enhance CAMO4jets expanding line of
CAMO services, which includes Airworthiness Reviews and CAMO management on a significant range of Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier,
Dassault, and Gulfstream models.
This new development boosts our comprehensive CAMO offerings, said Colin Brickman, Continuing Airworthiness Manager at
CAMO4jets. The authorizations help us fill a growing niche and serve the many operators that want to outsource their CAMO to airworthiness specialists like ourselves. Since its launch in 2010, CAMO4jets has become known for its specifically tailored management service packages. The group already boasts a range of CAMO approvals including EASA (Part M, Subpart G & I), Cayman Islands CAA and
Bermuda DCA.
Many operators are finding that outsourcing a CAMO is an intelligent way to delegate responsibility, said Brickman. There are many
obvious benefits such as stricter cost control, higher aircraft utilization, reduced ground-times and improved dispatch reliability. We
have taken legal responsibility for CAMOs on behalf of a range of operators, and because our engineers have experience stretching back
over 25 years, we offer consistent and reliable service.

CESSNA AND AVIC

JOIN FORCES IN CHINA
Cessna and Aviation Industry
Corporation of China (AVIC) are signing two strategic agreements to jointly
develop general and business aviation
in the Peoples Republic of China. The
agreements together pave the way for
a range of business jets, utility singleengine turboprops and single-engine
piston aircraft to be manufactured and
certified in China.
The first agreement between AVIC
and Cessna/Textron is an overarching
agreement between these companies
that is intended to lead to the formation of joint ventures that will pursue
various activities pertaining to the
development of general aviation businesses in China, including the establishment of an aircraft service network
in China.

10 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

EMBRAERS LEGACY 650 EXECUTIVE JET CERTIFIED IN INDIA

Embraers large-sized Legacy
650 executive jet has received
type certification (TC) from
the Directorate General of
Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India,
paving the way for Legacy 650
customers to register and
operate the aircraft in India.
The Legacy 650 at Hyderabad
is a significant event since it is
the sixth Embraer Executive
Jet model to gain Indian certification, said Jos Eduardo
Costas,
Vice-President,
Marketing and Sales, Asia
Pacific Embraer Executive
Jets. The 2012 version of the
Legacy 650 is making its debut here while on the first leg of its worldwide demonstration tour
which began this month. Launched in 2009, the Legacy 650 is the latest executive jet offered
by Embraer. All of Embraers executive jets in production today the entry-level Phenom
100, light Phenom 300, super-mid-size Legacy 600, large Legacy 650 and ultra-large Lineage
1000 are now certified in India.

DNA. It Matters.
Examine each and every aspect of a Falcon and youll find genius at work.
But what makes a Falcon a Falcon is in its genes. Lightweight strength
and maneuverability, battle-tested in Mirage and Rafale jet fighters.
Unrivalled credentials for engineering excellence and technological innovation.
And generation after generation of business aircraft that consistently
prove best in class for performance and efficiency. And for pure genius.

Find out why. Scan the code.

Or visit falconjet.com/dna

G150 FLEET SURPASSES 100,000 FLIGHT HOURS

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.s wide-cabin, high-speed G150
experienced two significant milestones recently: the fleet surpassed 100,000 flight hours and the 100th G150 rolled off the initial-phase production line, nearly six and a half years after the
aircrafts original entry-into-service.
With the longest range at the fastest speed, an advanced avionics suite and the most comfortable cabin, the G150 is the best in
its mid-sized cabin aircraft category, said Stan Dixon, vice president, Mid-Cabin Programs, Gulfstream. It has a dispatch reliability rate of 99.88 percent and an availability rate of 92.59 percent.
When the G150 entered service in 2006, it was the first
Gulfstream business jet to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration for Stage 4, the industrys most stringent noise standards.
All Gulfstream current production aircraft are Stage 4 compliant. The G150 is also certified to meet the steep approach landing criteria at
London City Airport.

API BLENDED WINGLETS

EASA APPROVED FOR FALCON 900
Aviation Partners, Inc. (API) announced that the European
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) granted Supplemental Type
Certificate (STC) approval for its High Mach Blended Winglets
on Falcon 900 Series aircraft on March 8, 2012. The initial FAA
STC was issued on September 2, 2011. Certification of the
Winglets represents the culmination of a two-year development
program and exhaustive flight testing, and comes on the heels of
a similar certification for Falcon 2000 series aircraft in April 2009.
API is now working on a similar Winglet certification for the
Falcon 50 family.

WORLD FUEL SERVICES

SELECTS ARGUS TRAQPAK FBO
ARGUS Market Intelligence has welcomed
World Fuel Services Air Elite Network as
the latest customer of TRAQPak FBO.
TRAQPak FBO is an integrated source of
operational, financial, and contact information related to aircraft operations at any airport within the reach of the U.S. Air Traffic
Control system. With accurate and timely
flight information, maintained in a secure
and professional interface, World Fuels Air
Elite FBOs can be better prepared to meet
the needs of air traffic traveling to their airport as well as monitor the activity at nearby airports.
We believe that TRAQPak FBO provides
our network with the best balance of functionality, cost and flexibility for our FBO
clients. This program is an important facet
in our overall offering to our global network of 1,100 FBOs, stated Marty Hiller,
Exec. V.P. Business Aviation, at World
Fuel Services.

12 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

LYON-BRON TO MEET AMERICAN STANDARD

Lyon-Bron airport kicked
off grooving work on its
runway, in compliance
with Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA)
standards. It is the first
French business airport
to adhere to the standard.
This improvement work
means that the runway
will be closed at night
from Monday to Saturday
for six weeks.
Grooving the runway at Lyon-Bron is a first for Frances Business Aviation airports
since French Civil Aviation standards do not include grooving. It is therefore not
mandatory. Having just joined the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and
in an effort to break into the UK and US markets, Lyon-Bron is adapting and improving
its offer for international operators.
The FAA standard is an American Civil Aviation regulation applied by many countries,
notably Canada and the United Kingdom. Grooving consists of creating transverse
grooves approximately 38mm (approx. 1.5) apart, 6mm (approx. 0.24) in width and
depth, over the entire length of the runway. It aims to prevent water from stagnating on
the runway surface. Water drains away in the grooves, thereby preventing puddles from
forming. This technique prevents the risk of aquaplaning.

DEMAND INCREASES FOR FLIGHTSAFETY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

FlightSafety International continues to experience increased demand for its training services in the Middle East and surrounding region.
We have experienced a significant increase in demand for our services in the
Middle East and surrounding region, said Scott Fera, Vice President, Sales and
Marketing. The high quality training FlightSafety provides, and the investments
we are making in new programs and simulators throughout our network of
Learning Centers, are expected to further increase our presence in this important
area.
FlightSafety provided well over 2,000 training events to Customers from the
Middle East in the past year. This includes pilot, maintenance, flight attendant and
dispatch training for operators of a wide variety of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Training has increased significantly since 2007. Cessna aircraft programs
were up by 26%; Embraer 92%; Gulfstream 22%; Sikorsky 84%; and maintenance
training was up by 30%.

ExecuJet SOUTH AFRICA

RECEIVES ARGUS PLATINUM RATING

CESSNAS
NEW CITATION M2 MAKES FIRST FLIGHT
Cessnas new Citation M2, announced less than six months ago, made its first
prototype flight. The flight lasted a little more than an hour and a half and included tests of the avionics system, autopilot, engine system, aircraft systems and
instrument approaches. The prototype took off and landed at Wichita, Kan., MidContinent Airport (ICT) where Cessnas main manufacturing facility is located.
I am excited to say the aircraft performance, handling characteristics and
Garmin G3000 avionics were exceptional, just as we had anticipated, said Peter
Fisher, Cessnas engineering test pilot who flew the Citation M2. With this
essential program milestone complete, we are looking forward to a successful
flight test program and FAA certification so our customers can soon enjoy this
great aircraft.

ARGUS International, Inc has recently awarded

ExecuJet South Africa with the ARGUS Platinum
Rating for 2012. ExecuJet Africa is the only operator to have received the Platinum Rating as a charter operator on the African continent.
ARGUS PROS, a wholly owned subsidiary of
ARGUS International, Inc., is the leading audit
organization for aircraft operators around the
world. It holds authorizations from two world-recognized standards organizations.

14 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

WORL D - C L AS S T RAIN I N G. W O R L DWIDE R E AC H.

Come to Paris-Le Bourget for

Dassault Falcon 7X Training

lightSafetys industry-leading factory-authorized

Falcon 7X aircraft training is now available in Paris.
Our highly experienced instructors, outstanding

Customer service, new Level D-qualified simulators and

advanced training system and tools will exceed your

expectations. No matter where you live, we can provide
Falcon 7X factory-authorized training tailored to meet
your exact requirements. Choose Falcon 7X training in
Paris-Le Bourget or Dallas/Fort Worth. At either location,
you benefit from our high-quality programs and receive
the value you deserve.
Expanding our Falcon 7X training program is just one of
the many initiatives were taking to serve business aircraft
operators in Europe and around the globe. We continue
to invest in new high-quality training programs, advancedtechnology simulators for current and next-generation
aircraft, and in expanding our global network of conveniently
located training facilities. Schedule your Falcon 7X training
now in Paris or in Dallas whichever center is most
convenient for your operation. bientt. See you soon.

At Falcon, teaming with FlightSafety

reflects our passion for technology.
John Rosanvallon
President and CEO, Dassault Falcon

Contact us at Paris-Le Bourget Learning Center +33 1 49 92 1919 paris@flightsafety.com

Scott Fera, Vice President Marketing 718.565.4774 sales@flightsafety.com flightsafety.com

A Berkshire Hathaway company

JET EXPO 2012 THE GATEWAY TO SUCCESS IN RUSSIA

The only Business Aviation exhibition in Russia and the CIS will take place in Vnukovo3, building on last years successful switch to this single venue for both exhibition halls
and the static display of aircraft.
Jet Expo 2012 will be held on 2729 September in the Vnukovo-3 Business Aviation
Terminal, the single most popular Russian GAT accommodating up to 70% of Moscow
traffic and standing tall in Europe with up to 200 flights per day. The new dates have
been selected so that Saturday is now available as one of the days, so people with a busy
schedule can visit the exhibition on a weekend, avoiding the generally heavy Moscow
traffic.

GROSSMANN JET SERVICE

ATTAINS SIX SIGMA
CERTIFICATION
Grossmann Jet Service, the Prague-based executive jet operator, recently concluded Six Sigma
certification, following attendance of training
courses in London and Prague. The Six Sigma
methodology is recognized worldwide and
ensures that every project carried out within the
certified organization follows a defined sequence
of operation, removing any obstacles and ensuring a perfectly tailored service.
The structure of Six Sigma provides a highly
disciplined method of training that enables
organizations to focus on developing and
delivering near-perfect products and services.
The word Sigma is a statistical term measuring how far a given process deviates from
perfection. The key ideology behind Six
Sigma is that if the number of defects in a
process can be measured, they can systematically be eliminated to get as close to zero
defects as possible. An organization that has
achieved Six Sigma certification demonstrates a dedication to efficient processes
across the board and allocates fewer
resources to correction and more towards
production.

16 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

BLACKHAWK ADDS
SILVERHAWK AVIATION
TO PARTNER NETWORK
Blackhawk has added Silverhawk Aviation
of Lincoln, Neb., to its growing roster of
authorized marketing and installation
facilities.
Blackhawk recently completed an agreement that makes Silverhawk Aviation its
newest dealer and service support center.
Founded in 1991, Silverhawk Aviation
began as a single-aircraft charter service.
In its first decade, Silverhawks fleet grew
to 13 aircraft including business jets. The
company developed a certified FAA
Repair Station and became a full-service
fixed base operator (FBO) at Lincoln
Municipal Airport. Today, Silverhawk provides comprehensive maintenance services for commercial and private aircraft
and operating systems. The company has
earned an ARG/US (Aviation Research
Group/United States) Gold Rating for
charter service excellence.

FLIGHTSAFETYS FALCON 900 SIMULATOR

RECEIVES FAA QUALIFICATION
FlightSafety International is pleased to
announce that its new Dassault Falcon
900 EASy series aircraft simulator has
received Level D qualification from the
United States Federal Aviation
Administration and the European
Aviation Safety Agency. The simulator
will be used during training for the
Falcon 900EX EASy, DX and LX aircraft
at FlightSafetys Learning Center in
Dallas, Texas.
The Level D qualification of
FlightSafetys new Falcon 900 EASy
series aircraft simulator by the FAA and
EASA demonstrates our ability to design
and manufacture high quality simulators,
visual systems and displays that replicate
the flying characteristics of the aircraft
they represent and meet or exceed the stringent standards of aviation regulatory
agencies around the world, said Bruce Whitman, President & CEO.
FlightSafety has also recently added Level D qualified simulators at the Dallas
Learning Center for the Falcon 7X and Eurocopter EC135 aircraft. Simulators for
the Pilatus PC-12 NG and Gulfstream G280, Gulfstream G450, and Gulfstream G550
will be installed at the Learning Center later this year and will receive FAA Level D
qualification. Qualification by other regulatory agencies around the world will be
applied for and obtained according to customer needs.

MORE POSSIBILITIES...

...FOR THE JOURNEY

Three cabin spaces and incredible range.
Powered by Rolls-Royce engines, you can fly from London to New York
or Dubai to Johannesburg in total comfort. The largest living space in
its class divided into three separate areas allows you to work or rest.
And with the largest baggage compartment in its class, you can carry
everything you need to do more. Find out more about the Legacy 650
and our six other exceptional models at EmbraerExecutiveJets.com
Latin America +55 12 3927 3399, U.S., Canada and Caribbean +1 954 359 5387,
Europe, Middle East and Africa +44 1252 379 270, China +86 10 6598 9988,
Asia Pacific +65 6734 4321

HUBBARD AVIATIONS QS3 INSTALLED ON AERODYNAMICS GIII

Aerodynamics Inc. (ADI) have announced that they have completed the purchase and installation of the Hubbard Aviation Technologies (HAT) QS3 Hushkit System on their
Gulfstream III and placed the aircraft into service. According to Scott Beale, chairman of ADI
The decision to acquire the QS3 Hushkit system was easy as this was the only system available that allowed us to fly the aircraft with all the capabilities and performance that
Gulfstream designed into the aircraft and still remain Stage 3 compliant.
After listening to the aircraft departure Scott commented WOW! The sound was comparable to a GIV departure further, an experienced Hawker 800XP Captain who witnessed the
departure said that is quieter than my aircraft.
Bernard Weiss, President of HAT said We are extremely pleased that a company with a
solid 50 plus year reputation has decided to purchase the QS3 Hushkit system as a way of
meeting the US and European Stage 3 noise requirements thus keeping these solid airplanes
competitive for many more years. Further, the collaboration of their sales and installation &
support capabilities makes ADI a solid choice in which to expand our capabilities

EUROCOPTER CELEBRATES ITS 20th ANNIVERSARY

In 1992, the Eurocopter Group was created via the merger of the helicopter divisions of Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm (MBB) in Germany
and Aerospatiale in France. At that time, the Group had around 12,000
employees and 11 subsidiaries and participations.
Twenty years later, the Group boasts an impressive track record, with
20,000 employees in the Group and 30 subsidiaries and participations in
21 countries, 33 percent of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet, and
more than 11,300 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 149 countries.
Eurocopters worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports some 2,900 customers.
Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter
range in the world.

CAE TO LAUNCH BUSINESS

AVIATION TRAINING IN ASIA
CAE will begin training pilots and
maintenance technicians this year for
business aircraft and civil helicopter
operators in Asia. Gulfstream G450
and G550 training and Sikorsky S76C++ training will be offered in 2012.
Training for the Bombardier(i) Global
5000(i), Global Express(i) and Global
Express XRS(i) business aircraft will
be available in early 2013. CAE
intends to deploy a training program
for the Dassault Falcon 7X aircraft
soon thereafter; the date will be prescribed by market conditions.
CAE training customers in Asia
include Beijing White Bear Business
Aviation Corporation, GMR Aviation
Pvt. Ltd of India, Shanghai Deer Jet
and other business aircraft operators.

18 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

BOMBARDIER TO BOOST GLOBAL AIRCRAFT TRAINING

Bombardier Aerospace announced that
it will expand its customer training to
the Asia-Pacific region with the addition
of a new Authorized Training Provider
(ATP) location for Global 5000, Global
Express and Global Express XRS business aircraft. The recently announced
CAE training program and Level D FullFlight Simulator (FFS) will significantly
boost access to pilot and maintenance
training for Global aircraft customers in
the region.
The new FFS will be ready for training
in 2013 and will be operated by CAE, a
global simulation and training leader,
with whom Bombardier has been successfully collaborating for several years for the benefit
of customers. The simulators final location will be announced later.
Bombardier continues to ensure that our customers around the world have access to the
highest level of training and services as close to their bases of operation as possible, said
ric Martel, President, Bombardier Customer Services & Specialized and Amphibious
Aircraft.

GE Aviation
Business & General Aviation

The power to go
where you want to go
Introducing the GE Passport Integrated Propulsion System
The GE Passport is the worlds first integrated propulsion system (engine, nacelle and thrust reverser)
specifically designed for ultra-long range, large-cabin business jets. Incorporating advanced
technologies, the GE Passport offers longer range from reduced fuel consumption, fewer emissions
and enhanced cabin comfort created from reduced noise and vibrations.* With the GE Passport,
you have the power to fly powerfully, more quietly and efficiently anywhere you want to go.
To learn more, visit geaviation.com/bga.

*Compared to current ultra-long range

business jet propulsion systems.

P.180 AVANTI II INTRODUCED TO CHINA

Piaggio Aero and CAEA (Beijing) Aviation Investment Co., Ltd are jointly introducing the Piaggio Aero P.180 Avanti II aircraft in China presenting the extraordinary Italian multi utility aircraft for the first time as a certified aircraft in China
at ABACE 2012.
Piaggio Aero and CAEA Aviation are participating together at the 2012 Asian
Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition as the Chinese Group has been
appointed as the Exclusive Sales Agent for Piaggio Aero P.180 Avanti II aircraft
in mainland China. The two companies have also announced that the delivery of
the first 2 P180 Avanti II aircraft will take place next July, when the first of the
Piaggio Aero aircraft registered in China will land in Beijing following the contract sale signed earlier this year in February.

EMBRAER LINEAGE RECEIVES

HOT-AND-HIGH ALTITUDE
CERTIFICATION
The Embraer Lineage 1000 has added hotand-high altitude to its impressive list of
operational capabilities, having been certified for such missions in both Brazil and
the US.
Designed to operate into weight-restricted
airports like Teterboro, NJ and such challenging airports as London City and Aspen,
the ultra-large Lineage 1000 now has another significant achievement in its portfolio,
said Ernest Edwards, President, Embraer
Executive Jets. The Lineage 1000 is now
capable of operating at airports above
13,000 feet such as La Paz, Bolivia, one of
the highest airports in the world at 13,357
feet. This is an important milestone since
we have made an already operationally flexible aircraft even more flexible.
The High-Altitude Takeoff and Landing
Operation (HALTO) tests were completed
in February when it achieved twin certifications from Brazils ANAC and the US
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The new hot-and-high capability will be
offered as an option and will be initially
available for Brazilian and US operators.

20 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

AIROPS 5 SELECTED BY LEADING

CORPORATE JET OPERATORS
Airops Software have announced that two more
leading Farnborough based corporate jet operators Acropolis Aviation and Triair have selected
the AIROPS 5 aviation management system to
support all aspects of their growing Commercial,
Operations and Management activities.
Airops Software provides IT solutions for the
executive and commercial aviation industry. Be it
providing accurate quotes, matching customers to
aircraft, maintaining client databases, creating
flight schedules, recording fees and charges,
crew scheduling, operations board, etc. the
AIROPS 5 aviation management system has been
designed and developed to improve efficiency and
accuracy and the speed of response to clients
enquiries. AIROPS 5 is the preferred aviation
management system for over 40 leading aviation
operators and service providers around the world
including Gama Aviation, TAG, Dassault Aviation,
Titan Airways, Airbus, MoD, British Aerospace,
Antonov Design Bureau and Jet Aviation.

FLYING COLOURS
COMPLETES FIRST BLACKHAWK MODIFICATION ON KING AIR C90

Flying Colours Corp., a leading global aviation service company specializing in aircraft
completions, maintenance and refurbishments, has completed and delivered its first turboprop Blackhawk modification following the signing of a service agreement with
Blackhawk Modifications Inc. at the NBAA 2011 conference.
The first project, which completed at the end of February, entailed modifications to a privately owned King Air C90 at Flying Colours Corp.s Peterborough location. The aircraft
underwent a series of maintenance, avionics and interior modifications which have
improved cost effectiveness and performance from the aircraft. The principal modification to the turboprop involved a full Blackhawk XP 135A engine upgrade which provides
increased true air speed, maximizes aircraft range and supports more efficient climb
rates. The engine upgrade also reduces maintenance requirements in the future.
Operating costs and safety systems were also enhanced following a complete fuel cell
replacement, a general propeller overhaul and a full radar upgrade.

OCEAN SKY
ANNOUNCES NEW
JET CENTER AT LUTON

INDIGO LYON SELECTED AS SALES REPRESENTATIVE FOR AERION SBJ

Ocean Sky has announced a

multi-million pound upgrade of
its Fixed Base Operation (FBO)
at London Luton Airport.
The new development will
include a passenger lounge,
improved parking facilities, a
concierge service and a large
security area for efficient screening.
'We are forecasting a significant
increase in turnover at Luton following the new FBO's opening.
With space for up to 30 aircraft,
our annual movements will double to more than 9,000 and we
expect fuel uplift to exceed 15m
liters in the first year of operation,' said Ocean Sky CEO
Stephen Grimes.

The expanding international aircraft sales and services company, Indigo Lyon, headed by Peter Smales,
has been appointed as an international sales representative for US-based Aerion Corporations Supersonic
Business Jet (SBJ). UK-based Indigo Lyon will be
responsible for actively marketing and promoting the
worlds first supersonic business jet and for securing
fresh introductory order commitments worldwide
(with the exception of the Americas).
Indigo Lyon joins ExecuJet Aviation Group, headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, as an international
sales representative, and Florida-based Aero Toy
Store, Aerions exclusive representative in the
Americas.
Designed to carry eight to 12 passengers efficiently
at high subsonic as well as supersonic speeds up to
Mach 1.6, the SBJ will be powered by two Pratt &
Whitney JT8D-200 series engines, offering an intercontinental range of over 4,000 nm and operating
costs similar to todays large business jets. With a
30ft long, 6.2 ft stand-up cabin, full galley and lavatory, its double club cabin comfort will be comparable
to that of current midsize jets.

Jet Aviation Geneva

Count on our local expertise; benefit from our global MRO network
Meet the team who can do it all. Specialized in Gulfstream, Bombardier Global Express, Hawker
series, the Dassault Falcon 50 and 900 and the Boeing Business Jets aircraft, as well as a number
of smaller jets, we have been providing base and line maintenance, repair and overhaul and avionics
support to mid and large cabin aircraft since 1969. And if your aircraft is grounded you can always
count on our 24/7 AOG support on short notice. Our Geneva team takes care of you here while you
benefit from our global network everywhere else. Personalized to Perfection.

Jet Aviation Geneva

Tel. +41 58 158 1111 | AOG 24/ 7 +41 58 158 4848
jgva@jetaviation.ch | www.jetaviation.com /geneva

Visit our global MRO locations:

Abu Dhabi Al Bateen Kuala Lumpur
Basel

London Biggin Hill

Boston/Bedford

Moscow Vnukovo

Dubai

Riyadh

Dusseldorf

Singapore

Geneva

St. Louis

Hong Kong

Teterboro

Houston

Zurich

Jeddah

Now
Serving
Houston

10

BEECHCRAFT KING AIR 250 ACHIEVES EASA CERTIFICATION

Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC)
announced its Beechcraft King Air 250, the
latest derivative of the best-selling turboprop Beechcraft King Air line, has
achieved European Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA) certification. The Beechcraft King
Air 250 received FAA certification in June
2011, followed by type certification from
the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil
(ANAC) in November.
Were looking forward to starting deliveries of the King Air 250 in Europe very
soon, said Sean McGeough, president,
Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Its
versatility has made the King Air a popular
choice in the European market for
decades. In fact, according to EUROCONTROL, the King Air B200 series has been
the most flown business aircraft in Europe
over the last four years. Now, as a result of
HBCs customer-focused engineering, the
King Air 250 is even more attractive to
operators in the region delivering substantial improvements in takeoff performance while increasing speed, range and
climb.

FAA SELECTS ROCKWELL COLLINS

HEAD-UP GUIDANCE SYSTEMS

HONEYWELL AND INMARSAT

TO OFFER IN-FLIGHT CONNECTIVITY

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has selected

Rockwell Collins Head-up Guidance Systems (HGS) with synthetic and enhanced vision to support its NextGen implementation and applied research efforts.
The technology, which is being installed on the Boeing 737 flight
simulator in the FAAs Flight Operations Simulation Laboratory
(FOSL) in Oklahoma City, will be used to study how operators
can safely achieve benefits such as lower landing minima by
using head-up displays with synthetic and enhanced vision during different phases of flight in low visibility conditions. The technology will also support the approvals and development of the
guidance material necessary to implement those new operations.
Every day, airlines and corporate fleets using our HGS save time
and money by keeping aircraft on an optimal flight path, said
Craig Olson, senior director, Head-up Guidance Systems for
Rockwell Collins. Well be working closely with the FAA to
demonstrate how the addition of synthetic vision on the HGS can
save even more time and money by keeping aircraft safely flying
when the weather tries to interfere.
The selection of Rockwell Collins HGS for this research is part of
a larger FAA effort to evaluate currently available technology to
determine how it can be implemented and utilized to improve
access to U.S. airports resulting in fewer delays, less diversions
and fuel savings.

Honeywell and Inmarsat have signed an exclusive agreement to

provide global in-flight connectivity services to business, commercial, and government aviation customers around the world.
Under the terms of the agreement, Honeywell will develop, produce, and distribute the onboard hardware that will enable users
to connect to Inmarsats Global Xpress network.
This exclusive agreement is estimated to represent $2.8 billion for
Honeywell in sales of hardware, customer service, and maintenance to airlines, government entities and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) over the next two decades. Global Xpress is
scheduled for launch in 2013, with global service for commercial,
Business Aviation, and government customers available in 2014.

22 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

ECLIPSE ANNOUNCES
PAPERLESS COCKPIT
Eclipse Aerospace has announced that
North American Jet Charter Group
(NAJ), the largest operator of the
Eclipse Jet in North America, has
recently been approved for a paperless cockpit on Part 135 flights. The
iPad will now become an Electronic
Flight Bag (EFB) for all NAJ operated
Eclipse Jets. This approval gives pilots
the option to use Foreflight or
Jeppesen en route and approach
charts as well as paperless versions of
General Operating Manuals and
Minimum Equipment Lists all
stored and referenced through the
iPad interface.
Already certified for single pilot Part
135 operations, NAJ takes maximum
advantage of the advanced technology
provided by the Eclipse Twin-Engine
Jet.

EASA OKS BLR FASTFIN FOR BELL 212S

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)
has certified the FastFin Tail Rotor
Enhancement and Stability System for installation and flight on Bell 212 helicopters.
Certification for Bell 204s and 205s is imminent, and EASA certification of BLRs bestselling Bell 412 FastFin System is in work.
European operators of these Bell medium
helicopters may now join their North
American counterparts in realizing significant
performance improvements in hover load,
wind azimuth tolerance, hover stability and
safety. In 2009, Rotor & Wing magazine recognized FastFin with its Editors Choice
award for best safety enhancement.
With FastFin installed, most operators will
enjoy a 10-15 percent increase in useful load,
said Dave Marone, Vice President of Sales
and Marketing for BLR Aerospace. From the
snow-covered Austrian Alps to the hot-high
environment of Southern Europe, operators
can expect marked improvements in safety
and reduced pilot workload.

Jet Aviation Geneva

Enjoy our local hospitality; experience our global FBO network

Meet the team who understands the needs of business travelers. As a gateway to Switzerland
and France, Geneva is one of the busiest business aviation airports in Europe also due to the
fact that the city is home of international headquarters for several global companies, the United
Nations, the Red Cross and other international organizations. Our attentive and caring FBO staff
makes it easy for you to travel in and out of the airport with quick and easy arrival and departure.
Our Geneva team delivers the best in local service; our global network assists you everywhere else.
Personalized to Perfection.

Jet Aviation Geneva

Tel. +41 58 158 1111 | AOG 24/ 7 +41 58 158 4848
jgva@jetaviation.ch | www.jetaviation.com /geneva

Visit our global FBO locations:

Boston/Bedford

London Biggin Hill

Dallas

Palm Beach

Dubai

Riyadh

Dusseldorf

Singapore

Geneva

St. Louis

Houston

Teterboro

Jeddah

Zurich

Now
Serving
Houston

11

PEOPLE
Joe Clark, Founder and CEO of
Aviation Partners, Inc. (API)
announced the promotion of
Gary Dunn to Vice President of
Sales and Marketing.

effective January 2 nd . Karen

joins from another FBO company at Stansted Airport where
she held the position of
Operations Controller for five
years. Karen had started her
career in aviation as cabin crew
with Monarch Airlines in 1986.

CEPA, the three-year old

Central European Private
Aviation organization, has
announced a new Advisory
Board comprising four leading
Business Aviation figures. The
new Board comprises Oliver
Stone, Managing Director of
London-based Colibri Aircraft
Ltd, the private aircraft brokerage and asset advisory firm.
Legal
specialist
Alan
Cunningham, Asset Finance
Partner at DLA Piper, Philippe
Linard founder of the AELIS
Group and Jean Michel Bonte,
Co-Founder and shareholder of
Aelia Assurances.

Gore Design Completions has

brought in two industry veterans to lead the companys engineering and production teams.
Mike Slattery joins GDC as
Director of Production with 30
years of senior management
experience in corporate aviation.
Eric Wildhagen joins GDC as
the companys Director of
Engineering and Certification.
Mr. Wildhagen has 20+ years of
senior management experience
in corporate and VIP aviation. A
team of approximately 100
employees will report to Mr.
Wildhagen in this new role.

Esling, who has more than 25

years experience in the aviation
industry, comes to Gulfstream
from Cessna Aircraft Co.,
where he served as senior vice
president of international sales,
Europe, Middle East, Africa
and Asia. Prior to working at
Cessna, Esling was employed
by BAe Commercial Aircraft,
BAe Corporate Jets and
Raytheon Aircraft Inc.
Gulfstream has also appointed
Matthew Sandidge as senior
regional sales manager for
International Sales in Russia.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.

named veteran international
sales executive Trevor Esling
as regional senior vice president, International Sales,
Europe, Middle East and Africa.
He reports to Scott Neal, senior
vice president, Sales and
Marketing.

Jet Support Services, Inc.

(JSSI), the leading provider of
hourly cost maintenance programs for the Business
Aviation industry, recently
appointed industry veteran, Jill
Adams, as Vice President for
California and the Western
United States region.

Karen Hein-Jones
CRS Jet Spares, has named
Forrest Bullard to the position
of West Coast Sales Manager.
Bullards role is to build relationships, support customers
and spread recognition for the
company within the states of
California, Oregon, Washington,
Idaho, Nevada, Utah, Arizona,
and New Mexico.
Forrest has 10 years of experience in the Business Aviation
industry. He joined the CRS
team 2007.
CRS Jet Spares has also named
has named Sam Roszel Florida
Regional Sales Representative
for CRS Jet Spares. Sam has
over 30 years of experience in
the Business Jet market, from
small charter operators to
OEMs such as Hawker
Beechcraft.

ExecuJet Cambridge , has

appointed Karen Hein-Jones
to the position of FBO Manager,
24 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

FlightSafety International has

announced that Bob Reding
has joined the company as
Senior Advisor to the CEO.
We are pleased and proud that
Bob has joined the FlightSafety
team, said Bruce Whitman,
President & CEO. Bob will be
involved and contribute to all
components of our business.
His experience and contacts in
the aviation industry will help to
secure new opportunities for
FlightSafety.
Meanwhile, FlightSafety has
announced that John Brasfield
has been promoted to Manager
of the companys Cessna
Aircraft Maintenance Learning
Center in Wichita, Kansas.
Nancy Ritter has been promoted to Manager of FlightSafety
Academy in Vero Beach,
Florida. She replaces Daniel
Greenhill who is leaving the
company.

SuperJet Internationals
Board of Directors has appointed Nazario Cauceglia new
Chief Executive Officer of
SuperJet International, joint
venture between Alenia
Aermacchi
(51%),
a
Finmeccanica company, and
Sukhoi Holding (49%).

Trevor Esling
In his new role at Gulfstream,
Esling is responsible for leading
the Europe, Middle East and
Africa sales team. He will work
with current and new customers, including those in
Russia, and will be based in central London.

Robert Clare, Director of Sales

for U n i v e r s a l A v i o n i c s ,
announced that R o b e r t
Randall has been appointed to
OEM Sales Manager for
Universal Avionics. Mr. Randall
is affiliated with Universals
U.S. Midwest Office in Wichita,
Kansas with much of his work
based out of a satellite office in
Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mr. Randalls
overall responsibility will be
developing and maintaining
existing sales of Universals
products to U.S. Original
Equipment Manufacturers
(OEM).

12

EUROPEAN UPDATE

2012 SET TO BE CRUCIAL YEAR FOR EBAA GNSS LANDING SYSTEM

NOW OPERATIONAL
The first fully operational GNSS Landing System (GLS) approach to
CAT I decision height was made by an AirBerlin flight to Bremen airport in Germany; this marks the beginning of the operational use of
satellite navigation (GNSS) for all phases of flight, including the most
critical approach and automatic landing phases.
GLS is a precision approach operation using the ICAO-standard GBAS
(Ground Based Augmentation System) components. It is the result of
over 15 years of collaboration between multiple international partners.
It is an alternative to the current precision approach standard, the
instrument-based landing system (ILS).
GLS allows the same operations as ILS but removes several of its
drawbacks, such as critical and sensitive areas on the airport that
Business Aviation faces many challenges, and with a host of new
EU legislation, the industry expects more to come. So now is the
time to be proactive.
As emphasized by EBAA CEO Fabio Gamba, European decisionmakers must recognize the circumstances of aviation. Business
Aviation in particular is trying to make a healthy recovery after the
difficult years following the worldwide economic crisis. It does so,
however, in the face of new political hurdles and rising operating
costs. These include a worrying proliferation of national taxes, a
burdensome EU ETS, a faulty Single European Sky due to the lack
of Member States political will, a recast of the slots regulation that
deprives Business Aviation of historical rights under current form,
and other important initiatives in domains such as ground handling,
noise, and Community Guidelines on State aids at regional airports.
We fully expect to take up our responsibilities as respected members of the European airspace community, said Rodolfo Baviera,
EBAA Chairman. But we are also working with legislators and regulators to ensure that the measures put in place help boost the
European economy, not weaken it.
Business Aviation is therefore taking important proactive steps.
One initiative is the creation of an International Standard for
Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH). It is mirrored on the sectors
successful International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations
(IS-BAO), which is a recognized European Standard and has over
500 operators registered globally as being in compliance.
Another important initiative includes Business Aviations campaign
to curtail illegal charter flight activity within Europe. It aims to discourage the operation of aircraft without a valid Air Operators
Certificate (AOC) or which are non-compliant with traffic rights.
EBAA has published guidance for operators, brokers, passengers,
politicians, authorities and regulators. Additionally, it was a recent
guest presenter at the European Commission where it won the
commitment of national inspectors and EASA to work together to
devise solutions to prevent and repress illegal flights.
Twenty-twelve is a pivotal year for our industry. There are many
tough choices to make and challenges to face, Fabio concluded,
and we the collective we of industry and government must do so
sensibly and wisely.

require changes in take-off holding position and aircraft spacing under

low visibility operations, restricting thus capacity. Its interface is also
designed to be very similar to the ILS one, minimizing therefore the
need for additional pilot and air traffic controller training.
EUROCONTROL supported the development of GBAS since 1999
through active participation in ICAO standardization activities and
developed its own GBAS program in 2001. Since 2009 the EUROCONTROL activities have shifted to support primarily GBAS CAT III projects (fully automatic approach and landing), notably through SESAR
and ICAO. With Europe, the USA, Japan and Russia working on
GBAS CAT III prototypes as an upgrade of the current CAT I systems,
the full spectrum of precision approach operations using satellite navigation should become available in the future, says Bo Redeborn,
EUROCONTROL Director SESAR and Research.
Certified GBAS CAT I equipment is currently available from major
avionics suppliers; more than 200 aircraft worldwide are already
equipped and an increasing number of airlines are choosing GBAS.
GBAS programs are ongoing in more than 15 states worldwide, over
30 stations are installed in Russia and in addition to the one now operational in Germany, further systems in Spain, Australia and the USA
are in the operational approval phase.
Research is ongoing in and outside SESAR to reach more flexible
approach designs to reduce noise and wake vortex and we are confident that this will be reached in the future, says Bo Redeborn.
DFS has obtained the first worldwide full operational approval for a
GBAS ground system and AirBerlin made the first successful landing
following the accreditation, we wish them every success in their
GBAS operations and hope that their example will soon followed by
many others, he adds.

26 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

COMMERCIAL OPERATORS
NOW INCLUDED IN THE MODIFIED
ITALIAN TAX

The Italian government has worked upon an amendment to

the controversial Italian Luxury Tax originally adopted in
December 2011. The amended version will result in a set of
new rules that will quite considerably change the obligations
of Italian and foreign operators to Italian tax authorities. It
will be presented this afternoon to the Senate and voted on
by the end of the week, after having been approved without
changes by the Lower House of Parliament. It will eventually
supersede the rules established by the decree in December
2011.
The new rule introduces a tax on Italian and non-Italian commercial operators. This new tax on 'aero-taxi' will be paid by each
passenger for each leg and is equivalent to 100 on legs of less
than 1,500km and 200 for legs above 1,500km; the fee will be
paid by the operator around modalities not fixed yet but which
will be set by the Tax Office within 60 days from now. According
to our interpretation, a return flight to Italy consists of two legs
and will therefore require a double payment of the above-mentioned figures. Any additional domestic flight inside the Italian
territory will count as an additional leg. This is a "new" tax,
imposed this time on passengers of air taxis. This move of the
Italian authorities is unfortunately in line with the taxes already
existing in other countries (UK, Austria, Germany).
As regards the tax on non-commercial operations established
in December 2011, the amounts initially considered have been
reduced by 50% (e.g. for aircraft up to 1,000 kg, 1.5 /kg were
foreseen, while in the amended version this has been dropped
to 75 ). These amounts will continue to be charged to both
Italian and non-Italian operators however the significant
change compared to the previous rule is that non-Italian noncommercial operators will be charged only if the aircraft stays
more than 45 days on Italian territory instead of the previous
limit of 48 hours. Non-Italian registered aircraft having spent
more than 45 days on Italian territory will be subject to the tax
on a pro-rata monthly basis, i.e. 1/12 of the annual rate for
each month spent in Italy in excess of the 45 days tax exemption period.
Source: EBAA

13

EMBRAER
DELIVERS 13 BUSINESS
JETS IN Q1 2012

ROCKWELL COLLINS
ANNOUNCES 25%
DIVIDED INCREASE
Throughout the first quarter of 2012 (1Q12),
Embraer delivered 21 jets to the commercial
aviation market and 13 to Business Aviation.
This result surpassed the 20 commercial
and eight executive jets recorded in the
same period of 2011. On March 31, 2012,
the firm order backlog totaled USD 14.7 billion.
According to Embraer, the development of
the midsize Legacy 500 jet is on schedule to
go into service in the second half of 2013.
The first engine run was successfully performed and ground tests have begun. In
1Q12, the Company delivered the 300th jet
of the Phenom family and the 100th executive jet to the Brazilian market, which also
was the first Phenom 300 in a MEDEVAC
version. During the period, four Phenom
100s, eight Phenom 300s, and one Legacy
600/650 came to a total of 13 jets delivered.
The highlight was the sale of three ultralarge Lineage 1000 jets to Minsheng, of
China, and the delivery of a large Legacy
650 jet to movie star Jackie Chan, who is the
ambassador for Embraer Executive Jets. In
the area of customer support, Embraer
announced the creation of a dedicated
Business Aviation service center in the city
of Sorocaba, located 90 kilometers from So
Paulos State capital.
Embraer maintains the projection it disclosed in February, of delivering from 105 to
110 commercial jets, 75 to 85 executive jets,
and 15 to 20 large executive jets, in 2012,
thus achieving net revenues of USD 5.8 to
USD 6.2 billion.

28 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

Rockwell Collins has declared a quarterly

dividend increase from 24 cents to 30 cents
per share on its common stock, representing a 25% increase. The dividend is payable
June 4, 2012, to shareholders of record at
the close of business on May 14, 2012.
The increase in our quarterly dividend rate
reflects Rockwell Collins ongoing commitment to return value to our shareowners,
and demonstrates the confidence we have in
our ability to generate strong earnings and
operating cash flow, said Patrick Allen,
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial
Officer of Rockwell Collins.
Meanwhile Rockwell Collins has reported
second quarter fiscal year 2012 net income
of $161 million compared to $150 million in
the same period last year. Earnings per
share for the quarter were $1.09, an
increase of $0.13, or 14%, from earnings per
share of $0.96 in the second quarter of 2011.
Earnings per share growth were twice the
rate of net income growth, principally due to
the favorable effect of the companys share
repurchase program.
The company reported total sales of $1.16
billion for the second quarter of 2012, which
were down 5% when compared to $1.22 billion reported for the same period a year ago.
Total segment operating earnings were relatively flat at $240 million, but total segment
operating margins increased to 20.7% of
sales, up from 19.8% of sales in the second
quarter of 2011.
Current year net income and earnings per
share include a net benefit of $15 million, or
$0.10 per share, from lower income tax

expense primarily due to a favorable adjustment resulting from the completion of prior
period tax audits.
Cash provided by operating activities for the
first six months of 2012 totaled $45 million,
compared to $127 million in the prior year.
The $82 million reduction in cash from operations was primarily driven by $62 million of
higher employee incentive payments made
in the first quarter and $50 million of higher
income tax payments, partially offset by
cash receipts.
As the balance between our business segments continues to shift toward Commercial
Systems, we remain focused on leveraging
our operating system to increase the earnings power of our company, said Rockwell
Collins Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer, Clay Jones. Despite the
expected revenue headwinds this quarter,
both business segments achieved greater
than 20% operating margins, which resulted
in a 90 basis point expansion of total segment operating margins. Shareowner value
was further enhanced by using our balance
sheet capacity and repurchasing more than
9 million shares of common stock so far this
year, reducing the outstanding share count
by 5%.
Jones went on to state, Both business segments are expected to experience growth in
the second half of the year, but at a lower
level than previously expected. However,
our focus on controlling cost in a volatile
environment should still allow us to achieve
full year earnings per share in the range of
$4.40 to $4.60. Based on confidence in our
ability to continue generating strong earnings and operating cash flow, we are
increasing the quarterly dividend by 25%,
effective in the third fiscal quarter.

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT
EXPECTS CHINA AND INDIA TO
CONTINUE DRIVING DEMAND
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) announced that it continues to see strong long-term growth prospects for Business
Aviation across Asia and has identified it as a key growth market for the coming decade. This viewpoint is supported by new
research that reveals that demand for business aircraft deliveries in the region has increased dramatically since 2001.
According to recent JETNET research, deliveries of business
aircraft across Asia increased by 133 percent during the 20062010 timeframe when compared with the period between 20012005.
Asias share of worldwide business aircraft deliveries increased
from 5.4 percent to 8.7 percent between the periods 2001-2005
and 2006-2010. North America, for so long the dominant force
in Business Aviation, saw its share decrease from 67 percent to
55 percent during the same period. HBC believes that this shift
in delivery share signifies the growing importance and influence of emerging markets presence in the worldwide Business
Aviation market.
HBC saw a 103 percent increase in the number of jets and a 97
percent increase in the number of turboprops it delivered to
Asia between 2006-2010 when compared to the period 20012005. JETNET data also shows that HBC accounted for 41 percent of the total number of deliveries in Asia during the past
decade.
Over the past few years Asia has really been the driving force
behind the global economy, with burgeoning economies such
as China and India helping the region post GDP growth scores
of 8.3 percent, McGeough said. This growth is driving up
demand for Business Aviation and is apparent in the increase in
the number of deliveries during the second half of the past
decade.Furthermore, McGeough said, the proportion of the
business aircraft market that is for sale which is often used as
an indicator of the health of the whole market is relatively low
in the region. That figure currently stands at around 7 percent
compared with 12 percent in North America and 16 percent in
Europe, suggesting that the market in Asia remains strong.
Meanwhile, Hawker Beechcraft has announced the sale of 10
King Air turboprop aircraft to the Chinese aviation company
Avion Pacific Limited. The order, which was secured at the
Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (ABACE)
in Shanghai, China, is worth approximately $50 million. The
King Air 350i and King Air C90GTx aircraft will be used for a
variety of missions including VIP travel, pilot training, aerial
mapping and weather modification. Deliveries are scheduled to
begin in the fourth quarter of 2012.
This announcement is a strong endorsement of our King Air
aircraft, serving as further evidence of the developing light turbine market in China and of the King Airs role as the aircraft of
choice for market leaders, said Dan Keady, HBC Vice
President, Asia Pacific.
As one of the worlds most popular business aircraft, the King
Air will prove itself in China as it has in other global markets as
the best and most cost-effective light turbine aircraft solution.
King Airs are very capable of supporting the majority of regional business travel needs, and they are often a better suited for
transport missions than either light jets or mid-light jets.

Visit us at EBACE
Booth # 428

14

CEOs CORNER

A PIVOTAL YEAR
By Fabio Gamba

n my last note I concluded that

Business Aviation still had a bright
future in Europe, in stark contrast
with the current situation. By the
same reasoning, I maintain that 2012
is going to be a make or break year,
or at least a year of transition and I
am not predicting this on the basis of
the Maya calendar or any celestial
serendipity, but rather on a few indicators that I will expand on.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating as the saying goes, but we anticipate 2012 to be a pivotal year for
Business Aviation for various reasons.
Firstly, with a forecasted 0.6% of GDP
growth, European economies are not
expected to contract despite scaremongers pessimistic predictions, in
particular when it comes to the
Eurozone. Its true that there will be
important contrasts between the various Member States, notably in the
South where Portugal, Greece, Italy
and Spain should all see a recession
oscillate between -3% and -0.5% of their
GDP.
But with the aggressive austerity measures put in place by their respective
governments, their financial markets
have, according to pundits, already
weathered the worst. All in all however, these countries only account for
around 19% of the total BizAv movements in Europe. Given that there is
an undeniable correlation between
GDP and BizAv movements (of 0.80),
the rest should logically follow this
thin growth.
How does it contrast with 2011? Last
years first semester recorded very
robust growth and was totally in line
with the recovery period of the post2009 financial crisis, but the pace
diminished gradually up to the negative results from October on. There is
no more recovery; we are joining a
new phase of its own, one of stagnation, of financial cuts, of privatization
and, indeed, of austerity. As a result,
demand alone will probably not suffice to keep the BizAv sector afloat. In
order to guarantee its sustainability,

30 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

other elements will have to be factored in. There are basically two: a
reshuffle of the supply more product
visibility through e-commerce, a
diminution of empty legs, a progressive decrease in the number of illegal
flights, together with a reduction in
the number of operators through consolidation. On the other hand, a drop,
or at least stabilization, of the operating costs.
What are the EBAAs proposals as we
face this new situation? Well, these
are essentially two-pronged; of an
operational and aero-political
nature. With respect to the former,
the EBAA will concentrate on the definition and the implementation of a
new Code of Conduct that will help
Fixed-Based Operators (FBOs) and
other ground handling agents follow
standards in line with the recast of the
EC Ground handling Directive, with
the ultimate aim to allow them to considerably lower the number of audits
as verification constitutes the crux,
together obviously with the Code
itself, of this measure.
The fight against illegal flights is
another area where we will continue
to be active. After a successful information campaign inaugurated in 2010,
during which we mainly addressed
the demand side by stressing the fact
there was no insurance coverage during a so-called illegal flight, we have
progressively shifted towards a wider
approach by focusing on the supply
side as well. Today, we estimate that
between 6-8% of the 650,000 annual
BizAv movements can be considered
illegal. The number is striking
because of the relative impunity they
enjoy today. They directly impact the
yields of those who respect the rules
and which, in order to survive, must
accept to operate sometimes at prices
below Direct Operating Costs (DOC).
On the aero-political front, this year is
rich in events. Well see the kick-off of
the EU ETS, which has proceeded
amidst strong protests from very powerful countries (such as the U.S.,
China, Japan or Russia to mention but
a few); no satisfactory solutions have

been found yet by the Commission,

raising doubts about its legitimacy
and its applicability. In earnest, BizAv
should not worry about this aspect too
much. After all, only 9% of BizAv
movements are inter-continental, and
an international non-compliance with
the scheme would probably not
change dramatically the odds at stake
for European operators.
More importantly, the complexity and
cost of the Monitoring, Reporting and
Verification (MRV) requirements
under Directive 2008/101/EC must
be kept in line with the size of the
operator and of its emissions. Thanks
to Eurocontrols ETS Support Facility,
we expect to offer significant reductions of costs for those who use the
tool. We were successful in raising
the potential number of users, by
obtaining from the Commission a
raise of the threshold for smaller emitters from 10 to 25,000 tones. 2012 will
also be the year of the implementation
of the Functional Airspace Blocks
(FABs), an important pillar of the
Single European Sky predicated by
the Commission in its quest to catch
up with the more efficient U.S. ATM
system.
But all is not rosy, and many insidious
caveats remain to be addressed before
FABs can be ticked. Finally, 2012 will
also be the year of the recast of the
slot Regulation and of the Ground
handling Directive. The EBAA initially
welcomed the announcement of the
former, as it could give rise to grandfather rights for non-scheduled operators but, alas, the Commission instead
chose to ignore our legitimate claims.
This prompted the Association to
commission a counter-study, finalized
in January 2012, and to undertake an
important lobbying campaign at the
European Parliament. A first reading
on slots is not expected anyhow
before 2013.
We might record a very flat growth
this year, and maybe even experience
a slight recession. But laying down
today strong milestones for the future
is vital if we want to reap the benefits
of the bright prospects still in store
for Business Aviation in Europe.

15

PREVIEW
By Paul Walsh

Spring arrived out of the blue

this year, and almost
immediately the talk turned to
EBACE 2012, taking place May
14-16 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Already the signs suggest that
this years show will give the
industry a much needed shot
in the arm.

owever, with over 300 exhibitors

its not always clear where to
start - thats where BART comes
in. As the official EBACE publication,
were offering our annual EBACE preview in the following pages, telling
you who to visit and why at Europes
number one Business Aviation gathering.
One thing stands out this year: people are more determined than ever to
promote their products, make connections and inform themselves on the
biggest industry challenges. Pre-show
bookings emphasize that EBACE
remains the top European focal point
for these activities.

FOCUS

EBACE remains
the focal point
for the promotion
of the Business
Aviation industry
in Europe.
32 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

EBACE 2012

KICK STARTING
THE RECOVERY

Our shared purpose

is the success of your trip.

Visit us at EBACE 2012, Exhibit #7080,

to discuss your unique requirements and to learn how our solutions can help you achieve success.
14th - 16th May, Geneva, Switzerland
Telephone +44 (0) 1279 665 212 eurosales@univ-wea.com universalweather.com

16

PREVIEW

DISCUSS

From May 14-16,

industry leaders
will descend on
Geneva to make
connections and
deals.

EBACE 2012

Like always, the exhibition will take

place in the sprawling and state-of-theart Geneva PALEXPO, covering more
than 100,000 square meters distributed in seven halls.
Nearby at Geneva International
Airport, more than 60 aircraft, including nearly every major business aircraft design in current production, will
be on display in a special 18,000square-meter static display area.
Once again EBACE 2012 is gearing
up to be a success, notes Gabriel
Destremaut,
EBAA
Manager,
Convention and Special Projects.
Exhibitors are booking more space
than ever and were on target to meet
last years 500+ record.
Of course success can bring new
challenges, for instance is EBACE in
danger of losing the intimate character
that sets it apart from some of the larger aviation shows? Or in other words,
could EBACE become the victim of its
own success?
Youve got to put it in perspective,
says Destremaut setting the record
straight. We had over 12 000 attendees in 2011, which is less than half
the number attending NBAAs annual
convention so I dont think this is
going to happen. Theres also the
proximity to the static display: if you
want to see the aircraft you just have
to walk outside. Finally Geneva adds a
special dimension to the show: its a
safe city and right in the heart of
Europe.

we all know how fulfilling a Business

Aviation career can be, so its great
that the EBAA is spreading the word.
Indeed, EBACE2012 marks the highpoint of a crucial year for the organization. Buoyed by the energy and fresh
ideas of CEO, Fabio Gamba, the EBAA
is making a renewed push to highlight
the significance of Business Aviation
to policymakers. Its also an opportunity for Gamba to tackle the various
challenges facing our industry.
We may be facing headwinds, but
that means we must push harder
against them, said Gamba at the organizations recent AGM. We must
demonstrate the significance of our
industry. And we must use our expertise and influence to assist politicians
and regulators as they weather the
global crisis.

More than just Sales

Remember EBACE is more than just
an opportunity to sell your product or
service, it also offers an important educational dimension. The show is a
must if you want to keep pace with the
latest regulatory developments, or
learn and connect with the industrys
top decision makers.
Over the three days of the show
there will be a range of information
sessions, covering topics such as safety and environment, aircraft transactions and SESAR.
Interestingly, there will be a session
on Business Aviation as a career during the show. Selected students from a
handful of schools will be able to meet
professionals from various exhibiting
companies. Its a welcome initiative;

Industry Focal Point

EBACE is a great opportunity to discuss the new EBAA initiatives. One
example is the EBAAs creation of an
International Standard for Business
Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH). The standard mirrors the sectors successful
International Standard for Business
Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO), which is
a recognized European Standard and
has over 500 compliant operators registered globally.
The EUs Ground Handling
Regulation recast did not include airports of less than two million passengers, which is primarily the types of
airport from which Business Aviation
operates. Therefore we have anticipated the needs of our industry and developed up-to-date standards that are also

34 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

aligned with the regulations,

explained Brian Humphries, EBAA
President. We will conduct our own
quality and safety assessments of
Fixed Base Operators and ground handling against this standard, enhancing
both safety and customer experience
to the benefit of all.
Another important initiative includes
Business Aviations campaign to curtail illegal charter flight activity within
Europe. It aims to discourage the
operation of aircraft without a valid Air
Operators Certificate (AOC) or which
are non-compliant with traffic rights.
EBAA has published guidance for
operators, brokers, passengers, politicians, authorities and regulators.
Additionally, it was a recent guest presenter at the European Commission
where it won the commitment of
national inspectors and EASA to work
together to devise solutions to prevent
and repress illegal flights.
Nobody is saying that Business
Aviation will get an easy ride over the
next couple of years, thats why its
imperative for the industry to join
together to discuss and debate the
best path forward. At EBACE youll
have the opportunity to participate in
the discussion.
But lets not forget the business side.
EBACE 2012 will welcome visitors
from five continents and many will be
keen to see the new innovations and
services that the industry has to offer.
So if you havent done so already, get
out your pencil and mark your calendars for May 14-16 and well see you in
Geneva.

Design by Marc Newson, MN Aerospace Limited for Freestream Aircraft Limited

Project Management by Freestream Aircraft Services

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Yours can fly.

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www.lufthansa-technik.com
Call us: +49-40-5070-5553

More mobility for the world

17

PREVIEW

EBACE 2012

BOMBARDIER PROMOTES
PRODUCT PIPELINE

face, which translates into reduced

drag and an increased aerodynamic
performance.
In addition, Cossette notes that the
composite makeup of the airframe has
cost benefits too: Unlike metal, composite materials are less vulnerable to
corrosion and fatigue, meaning operators can save on the need for maintenance.
We might also hear about the latest
Learjet brand ambassador, as in early
March Bombardier announced that it
named top-ranked tennis champion
Novak Djokovic as the latest addition
to its ambassador line up. He now
joins a roll that includes the likes of
John Travolta, Frank Gehry, Valery
Gergiev and Lang Lang.
On the Global side, its all about economic and environmental efficiency.
Ensuring overall efficiency both in
terms of economics and the environ-

By Nick Klenske

Bombardier remains tight

lipped about its EBACE plans,
but one can speculate that the
focus will be on its crowded
product pipeline. According to
Annie Cossette, Senior Advisor
and Spokesperson, PR and
Communications, Bombardier
Business Aircraft, the Canadianbased company will be flying
aircraft from its three product
families Learjet, Challenger
and Global onto the static.
But beyond this, really all we
can do is speculate
Program Updates

REPORTS

We can expect
significant news
on the status of
the Global 7000
and 8000 (top)
and the progress
on the Learjet 85
(bottom).

Considering that the company currently has three new jets in the works,
one can expect considerable news on
the status of the Learjet 85 and Global
7000 and Global 8000 programs. On
the Learjet 85 side, Cossette says we
can expect to see considerable
progress in the coming months, which
is good news as the 2013 entry into
service date is quickly approaching.
The Learjet 85 will be the first business jet to feature a primarily composite airframe, says Cossette. The jets
carbon fiber fuselage and wing structure creates an incredibly smooth sur-

36 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

mental impact played fundamental

roles in the development of the Global
7000 and 8000 concepts, says
Cossette. The results of this focus are
remarkable, as, according to Cossette,
both jets offer a fuel efficiency that is
up to 18 percent lower than the current large category leader.
In terms of details, the Global 8000 is
set to boast an unparalleled range of
connecting Los Angeles to Sydney or
Miami to Delhi non-stop. Its 7000
sibling also comes with impressive
range credentials, capable of connecting such city pairs as New York to
Mumbai, Beijing to Washington and
London to Singapore.

18

PREVIEW

GLOBAL

Global Vision
flight deck
featured on the
Global 5000 and
Global 6000
(left).
Bombardier VP
Andy Nureddin
shakes on line
maintenance
agreement with
Qatar Executive
VP Tilmann
Gabriel (right).

Global Vision
Although at press time Bombardier
was yet to release any concrete
news, we expect big news on the
entry into service of the first Global
Vision aircraft before the end of the
First Quarter so that will likely be a
hot topic in Geneva.
Bombardier had expected to certify
the Global models in late 2011, with
first customer deliveries in early
2012. However, during its fourth
quarter earnings call, held in March,
the company formally announced the
hold, said the delay is not due to the
aircraft itself, but rather is related to
interior completions.
The Global Vision flight deck will
be featured on Global 5000 and
Global 6000 jets.
The Global Vision flight deck is
designed to deliver a completely new
cockpit experience, says Cossette.
By combining the best in technological advancements with superior
designer aesthetics, it provides pilots
flying Bombardier Global aircraft an
unprecedented level of control and
comfort.
Further, the Global Vision flight
deck introduces the Rockwell Collins
Pro Line Fusion avionics suite and
features quite a list of state-of-the-art
technology: four high-resolution 15inch diagonal active matrix liquid
crystal displays (LCD) arranged in a
T-shape working in concert with the
Head-up Guidance System (HGS),
personalized formats of display information, an electronic checklist, maps
with graphical flight planning, an
integrated cursor control panel, a
Synthetic-Enhanced Vision System,

38 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

EBACE 2012

paperless operation enabled by Dual

Electronics Charts, a Future Air
Navigation
System
(FANS),
Controller-Pilot
Datalink
Communication (CPDLC), a Wide
Area Augmentation System (WAAS),
Localizer Performance with Vertical
Guidance (LPV) and a MultiScan
Weather Detection system.
Bombardier Aerospace and
Rockwell Collins will be the first to
certify synthetic vision on a head-up
display (HUD) as part of the Pro
Line Fusion avionics system on the
Global Vision flight deck, notes
Cossette.
Customer Service
Last but definitely not least,
Bombardier will also promote its everexpanding aftermarket service network for its business aircraft customers. Recently, the company
announced the addition of a new Line
Maintenance Facility in Qatar. Based
at Doha International Airport, Qatar
Executive, Qatars Airways Corporate
Jet Division, will service Challenger
300, Challenger 604, Challenger 605
jets, along with the entire lineup of
Global business jets.
Qatar Airways has built a successful
business flying and maintaining
Bombardier business jets under the
Qatar Executive banner and they
know our aircraft intimately, says
ric Martel, President, Bombardier
Customer Services & Specialized and
Amphibious Aircraft. Maintenance
and repair services are central to a
positive ownership experience, and we
are extremely pleased to extend our
relationship with Qatar Executive to

support the growing base of

Bombardier customers in the Middle
East.
This move is in line with the companys commitment to adding a global
service network to provide better service to its rapidly expanding global
customer base. Including the Qatar
center, Bombardier now has 57
Authorized Service Facilities and
LMFs catering to Bombardiers business aircraft customers. These centers
are located across 28 countries and are
supported by the companys nine company-owned service centers based in
North America and Europe.
EBACE regulars will be custom to
hearing about new service center
openings, as Bombardier has been
busy with expansion announcements.
In fact, just over the past two years
alone the company has granted a
remarkable 11 new ASF and LMF designations, including the opening of its
first wholly owned service center outside the North American market, at
Amsterdams Schiphol Airport.
Bombardier is further set to inaugurate a wholly owned business aircraft
dedicated facility in Singapore in 2013.
Bombardier is committed to putting
its customers first by offering the
highest level of support as close as
possible to their operational bases,
concludes Cossette. With its comprehensive product line, groundbreaking
technology and growing service network this isnt hard to believe.
Bombardier is located at booth # 7001

2012 Rockwell Collins. All rights reserved.

Pro Line Fusion features an intuitive touch-screen interface and a compact head-up

Pro Line Fusion

display that lets pilots of light to midsize aircraft fly head-up and eyes-forward while

Eyes-forward intuitive
touch-screen interface

simplifying their flight experience. And because its Ascend-enabled, pilots have
access to a global information network that helps them get to their destinations more
efficiently. Only from one company. Learn more at rockwellcollins.com/prolinefusion.

Compact head-up display

Globally networked
mission-critical information

For a personal demonstration of Pro Line Fusion,

visit us during EBACE, Hall 6, Exhibit 436.

19

PREVIEW
Cessna demonstrated equal
measures of courage and
confidence when it first
announced an updated
replacement for the Citation X,
the Citation Ten, and followed
up rather fearlessly with the
introduction of the Citation M2
and Latitude, last September
and October, respectively.
Jack Carroll reports.

he Citation Ten has been moving

along on schedule since its introduction at NBAA in October,
2010 and in fact made its first flight in
January. Since the Citation X is still
being sold, it is technically on the list
of models. When it enters service after
certification, the count will be nine
Citations, as the Ten replaces the
Roman numeral version.
For now, the Citation X is still the
fastest business jet, at Mach 0.92, just
tickling the sound barriers edge. The
Ten may be a hair faster, but whether
it will retain the fastest title depends
upon the performance of the
Gulfstream G650. As far as anyone can
tell, the jousting jets are evenly
matched in the speed department and
its still a bit too early to quote odds.
Performance improvements over the
X include a slight speed increase to
approximately 527 ktas and a 3,240 nm
range. Runway length and ceiling
remain at 5,140 ft. and 51,000 ft.
respectively.
Among other refinements, the 8-11
passenger Citation Ten will feature the
new Garmin 5000 avionics suite, a 15inch cabin stretch, a new cabin
design/configuration, Cessnas new
proprietary Clarity cabin digital
entertainment system and performance-boosting elliptical winglets.
The Citation Ten is on track for FAA
certification in mid-2013, followed by
first deliveries in the second half of
2013.

SPEED

Awaiting the
"TEN",
at Mach 0.92,
the Citation X is
still the fastest
business jet.

Positioning The Citation M2

And Latitude.
In addition to the new entries, the
Citation lineup covers just about every
niche in the business aircraft spectrum. It includes the entry-level
Citation Mustangwhich recently
passed the 400-delivery markand on

40 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

EBACE 2012

CESSNA CITATION
FAMILY GROWS TO TEN

up to the CJ 2+, 3, and 4; the XLS+,

Sovereign and Citation X . If there is a
missing niche, no doubt Cessna will
invent one.
Now about the two all-new models:
The new Citation M2 is positioned
between the Mustang and the Citation
CJ Series. In fact, the M2 features the
latest Garmin 3000 avionics, similar to
those of the CJs. So which type of customer is most likely to own an M2?
As Scott Ernest, Cessnas President
& CEO, explained in an earlier BART
interview, Our operators feedback

clearly indicated a market for a

Citation with the speed, size and range
of our new M2. We expect to attract
customers who are new to the Citation
family or, for example, Mustang owners looking for the next logical step up
in our line, or CJ1+ owners who want a
new, more advanced Citation.
Priced affordably for all it offers at
$4.195 million USD, the M2 can comfortably carry two crew and six passengers at a maximum cruise speed of
400 KTAS and a range of 1,300 nm. A
key ability of the M2 is to operate in
and out of airports and runways as
short as 3,250 feet. No slouch in the
time-to-climb area, it will reach 41,000
feet in just 24 minutes. Powered by
two of the latest versions of the
Williams FJ44 engine, the FJ44-1AP21, each with nearly 2,000 pounds of
thrust, the M2 will also have excellent
hot and high performance.
The new engines also allow more
time between expensive overhauls,
increasing from 3,500 to 4,000 hours;

the 500 additional hours amount to

roughly a years worth of flying typical
business aircraft missions, thus reducing the owners operating costs significantly. As a bonus, a number of
options on other Citation models are
standard on the M2, for example
Weather Radar and a Terrain
Awareness and Warning System
(TAWS). And even wee winglets.
What, you didnt notice?
Less than six months after introduction, the M2 prototype made its first
flight on March 9th, so its safe to say
the aircraft is on schedule to FAA certification in the first half of 2013, followed closely by initial deliveries in
the second half, if all goes according
to plan. As it surely should if the M2s
early first flight and Cessnas past performance record are any indicators.
Oh, yes, as to the first flight, as test
pilots are wont to do, Peter Fisher,
Cessnas Engineering Test Pilot, said
upon landing after the one and a half
hour flight, The aircrafts overall per-

formance, handling characteristics

and Garmin 3000 avionics were exceptional, just as we anticipated.
Excellent! (Our readers would expect
nothing less.)
Positioned between the Citation
XLS+ and Citation Sovereign, the
Citation Latitude features Cessnas
widest cabin ever at 65, a flat floor
and a 6 cabin height. Its range was
recently increased from 2,000 to 2,300
nm, precisely that of Embraers forthcoming Legacy 450. But of course,
that could merely be a coincidence.
Range aside, what should make the
Latitude particularly attractive to customers is the spacious cabin, which
measures 16 feet from the cockpit to
the rear lavatory, has a flat floor and
with its 6-foot height is considered a
stand-up cabin; at least for passengers
who are not taller than 6 feet. In any
event, its a quite roomy cabin - as you
will see at EBACE in mock-up form that should prove to be a crowd pleaser. As will be a price of just $14.9 million (USD).
As to projected performance the
Latitude can spring off a runway as
short as 3,900 feet and climb direct to
43,000 feet in just 23 minutes and continue to destinations as distant as
2,000 nm.
Up front in the cockpit, the Latitude
is equipped with the Garmin 5000
avionics suite that features three 14inch LCD displays and four touchscreen control panels. The aircrafts
options include satellite weather and
an ICAO Type 1A flight data recorder.
The first flight of the Citation Latitude
is scheduled for mid-year 2014, with
entry into service expected in 2015.
Cessna is located at booth #7081

MAGNET

The Citation M2
(top left) will
draw new
customers to the
Citation family
says Scott
Ernest, Cessna's
President and
CEO (top right).
The M2 features
a fully integrated
Garmin G3000
avionics suite.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 41

20

PREVIEW

EBACE 2012

DASSAULT STAYS AT
THE CUTTING EDGE
shipping, automotive and industrial
engineering.
At Dassault, CATIA allows designers simulate all levels of the manufacturing process, defining every aircraft c omponent , right down to
cables and the fasteners. They analyze each part to see how it interacts
with its surrounding parts - any
prob lem s that aris e ar e q uick ly
remedied.

By Paul Walsh

I
DESIGN

Dassaults
engineers are
world leaders in
the use of
CATIA (top).
Falcon 2000S
featuring new
inboard slats and
winglets (center).

n a spacious Parisian office-space,

400 engineers and designers quietly put the finishing touches to
Dassaults latest business aircraft.
Engineers test the avionics, while
others analyze the landing gear
theyre working as if their project is
almost completed. And in many ways
it is: the parts are assembled, the cockpit is completed and the aircraft has
been filled with fuel.
However Dassaults so-called super
mid-sized (SMS) jet wont fly this year
and manufacturing wont begin either.
The aircraft exists, but only in the
world of CATIA 3D design software an innovation with origins in Dassault
Aviation, which has revolutionized the
design process in industries such as

42 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

The work bears fruit during the

manufacturing phase, when technicians fit the aircrafts pieces together
as if it was a giant 50,000 piece puzzle. Dassault estimates that CATIA
cuts assembly times in half and eliminates assembly problems altogether.
And the software constantly evolves:
at Dassault it gives engineers access
to 3D representations of mechanical
components and aircraft systems.
The French manufacturer is clearly is
proud of its role in CATIAs development - speaking at length about how its
helping them to build faster and more
fuel-efficient aircraft. But, when it
comes to the type of aircraft they are
now building, Dassault maintains a veil
of silence, announcing only that certification is due for 2016, with an official
launch next year.

For almost everything else, we will

have to wait and see. Indeed, its very
unlikely that Dassault are working on a
super mid-sized jet - were much more
likely to see a larger aircraft emerge.
The Falcon 2000S
As engineers work on turning the
SMS concept into a reality, Dassaults
innovativeness continues in other
areas. Last year the company launched
the Falcon 2000S complete with
inboard slats, high-Mach blended
winglets and a new generation PW308C
engine.
The aircraft has just finished its first
year of flight testing, accumulating
nearly 300 flight hours in more than
100 flights. Its due to be certified by
the end of this year.
The Falcon 2000S flies so smoothly
that many pilots will want to operate it
manually, said Jean-Louis Dumas,
Dassault Flight test pilot, Weve found
that the aircraft handles well in all
aspects of the flight envelop while offering very large safety margins.
At M.80, the Falcon 2000S has a
range of 3,350 nm (standard aircraft, 6
pax, NBAA IFR reserves, 85% Boeing
Annual Winds). It will climb directly to
41,000 feet in 19 minutes, reach a midcruise altitude of 45,000 feet and offer a
certified ceiling of 47,000 feet. The aircraft will also be able to land at 95% of
its MTOW, or about 39,300 lbs, which
enables it to tanker more fuel.
Its approach speed is only 108 knots
and this, combined with an advanced
autobraking system, allows it to land at
airports with steep approaches and
shorter runways such as London City
Airport.
We optimized the platform with a
long list of standard options, cutting
edge technology and industry leading
features with the Falcon 2000S, said
John Rosanvallon, President and CEO
of Dassault Falcon. Our proudest
accomplishment, though, was designing an aircraft that burns 10% less fuel
than aircraft 20% smaller while offering
a very competitive price.

21

PREVIEW

LINKS

Dassault's
technical ingenuity
is enhancing its
reputation in
emerging
markets. The
company offers a
FDM developed
with CAE
Flightscape,
RUAG validating
the data (top
right).

Flight Data Monitoring

Dassaults ingenuity also trickles
down to flight operations, indeed the
company now offers a Flight Data
Monitoring (FDM) service designed
specifically for Falcon operators.
Heres how it works. After a flight, an
operator downloads data such as acceleration, velocity, G-forces, and path
from a Quick Access Recorder (QAR)
and uploads it to a dedicated website.
The results are online within minutes
allowing the operator to identify unstable approaches and deviations from
standard operating procedure.
Dassaults preferred partners in the
project, CAE Flightscape and RUAG,
validate the data and identify significant events that operators use to tailor
training programs and optimize flight
operations.
In other maintenance news, Dassault
Falcons owned service center (DFS)
at Paris Le Bourget continues to see
growing demand for maintenance ser-

44 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

EBACE 2012

vices on both newer and legacy aircraft. The center boasts six dedicated
Falcon hangars and has an average of
20 falcons in the workshops at any one
time.
Strong links with the Dassaults production facilities have been crucial to
the centers success. Indeed, in the
past 12 months, DFS has carried out a
7X wing replacement and a 7X forward
fuselage replacement - jobs that could
signal the scrap heap for other aircraft
models.
Not at Dassault, however. On both
jobs, DFS technicians worked closely
with Dassaults production teams to
get the job done on time for the customer. According to DFS General
Manager, Jean Kayanakis, Dassaults
technicians used CATIA software to
predict how the forward fuselage
replacement would impact the aircrafts overall structure, shaving an
estimated three weeks off the turnaround time.

Global Reach
Developments like these are enhancing Dasssaults reputation not only in
Europe but across the globe. Take
India, where 20 Falcons are currently
operating from airports in Delhi,
Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Pune
and Hyderabad. China is another
growth market. We sold our first new
Falcon to China in 2006 and the market has now grown to become our
largest for new aircraft orders, and the
most promising, said Rosanvallon
recently. Dassault Falcon continues
to add to its sales and customer service teams and making significant capital investments in the country.
Dassault opened a new marketing
office in Beijing in 2010 with a similar
office opening recently in Shanghai.
However in spite of all this global
activity, Dassault isnt in danger of
neglecting its European roots.
Dassaults Head of Communications,
Vadim Feldzer told BART that there
are many signs of life, with renewed
activity in Germany and Russia. Right
now European owners are reluctant to
trade up to a new jet, but as the market recovers, buying activity should
increase. And in spite of lingering
uncertainty, the French manufacturer
is driving technological innovation at
dizzying pace. European economies
may be stagnating, but in Business
Aviation a company like Dassault cant
afford to stand still.
Dassault is located at booth # 7090

Visit us at the

EBACE

Booth #1953

22

PREVIEW

EBACE 2012

EMBRAER
AIMS FOR DOMINANCE
Tulio Pellegrini is fully conscious of
this gap, especially because this category now constitutes approximately 28% of
worldwide business aircraft sales, but
says that for the time being, Embraer
has no short or medium time plans to
fill it.
Of course Embraers existing models
are keeping their hands full. This year
the manufacturer has already signed an

By Marc Grangier

AMBITION

Embraer will be
a major
Business
Aviation player
by 2015, says
COO Marco
Tulio Pellegrini
(top).
The mid-light
Legacy 450 is on
its way to
certification
(center).

ith a family of seven business jets, Embraer intends to

be a major player in the
Business Aviation market by 2015.
This is what Marco Tulio Pellegrini,
Senior Vice-President Operations and
COO Embraer Executive Jets, recently
told BART. But with five business aircraft already flying and two more in production, couldnt Embraer already claim
to be a major player? Well it appears
that the people at Embraer are modest Tulio Pellegrini points out that
Embraers business aircraft portfolio
still lacks the long range jet that would
fit between the Legacy 650 and the
Lineage 1000.

46 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

agreement to sell three ultra-large

Lineage 1000 to Chinas Minsheng
Financial Leasing Co. Overall it expects
to deliver 75 to 85 light jets and 15 to 20
large jets, in 2012. Since 2002, the company has delivered a total of 500 business jets 230 Phenom 100, 70 Phenom
300, 190 Legacy 600 and 650 and 10
Lineage 1000.
Europe, Middle East and Africa
According to Colin Steven, Embraers
Vice-President Marketing & Sales for
Europe, Middle East, the Brazilian manufacturer has significantly boosted its
sales presence in EMEA, growing from
four representatives in 2009 to seven in
2012. Future expansion expected in the
near future, particularly in Southern

Europe, Scandinavia, Saudi Arabia and

Sub-Saharan Africa.
Embraer also recently became a
founding member of the new African
Business Aircraft Association (ABAA),
designed to encourage the growth of
the aviation infrastructure within the
region and influence the air regulators.
Steven notes that Chinese investments
in Africa have exceeded $85 billion
since 2005, with all the new capital
being spent on energy, transport and
metals. Sooner or later these companies
will need executive transportation, and
Embraer want to be sure that they are
in position to fill the void.
Production Facilities
On the production side, Embraers
innovativeness continues unabated.
Last December, it inaugurated its new
customer center and Phenom 100 and
300 final assembly lines at Melbourne
International Airport/Florida. In midmarch, it also announced the construction of an adjacent new facility which
will employ at least 200 highly skilled
engineers devoted to R&D for product
and technology development across
Embraers business lines, with an initial
focus on executive jet interiors.
Embraer will also construct two new
industrial units at Evora/Portugal.
These 15,000 square-meter new facilities will produce metallic and composite
structures (mainly wings and horizontal
stabilizers) for the Legacy 450 and 500.
Legacy 450 and 500
The Legacy 450 and 500 are both well
on their way to certification at the latest
by 2014. Both aircraft boast a stand-up
cabin (6ft 1.82 m), and a flat floor, they
have the best cabin volumes in their
class, the largest windows and the best
pressurization (6,000ft max.). They are
also the only jets in their segments to
offer a wet galley and also provide the
biggest baggage capacity (110 ft3 3.11
m3 in the main compartment and 40 ft3
1.13 m3 in the internal compartment,
which is heated and pressurized.

23

PREVIEW

ADVANCED

The first
prototype of the
Legacy 500 was
rolled out last
December (top).
The aircraft will
be equipped with
Rockwell Collins
Pro Line Fusion
Avionics
(center).

The Legacy 500 competes with other

super mid-size aircraft such as the
Bombardier Challenger 300 or the
Hawker Beechcraft 4000, with a range
of 5,000 NM (LRC, 4 passengers, 2
pilots and NBAA IFR reserves). Its
high cruise speed reaches M 0.82,
with a take-off distance (MTOW, sea
level, ISA) of 4,600 ft. Direct operating
costs are estimated at 2,755 US$ per
hour, lower than the two above-mentioned SMS aircraft according to
Serpa. Regarding the mid-light Legacy
450, which will compete with the
Citation XLS+, the Lear 45XR or the
Cessna Latitude, or even the
Gulfstream 150 in the mid-size category, it will have a range of 2,300 NM, a
high speed cruise of M 0.82, a take-off
distance of 4,000 ft and direct operating costs of 2,423 US$.

48 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

EBACE 2012

One of the key advantages of these

two new aircraft is their fly-by-wire flight
control system, as they will be the only
business aircraft below US$ 50M to
offer FBW (Legacy 450 and 500 are
both priced under US$ 20M).
The Legacy 450 and 500 FBW will
have only two modes of operation - normal and direct and the integration
between fly-by-wire and autopilot will
provide improved comfort when flying
under turbulent conditions. The closed
loop control delivers more effective
reaction than conventional autopilot systems, reducing aircraft oscillations in
turbulence and enhancing passengers
experience.
During the development of the FBW
system, a delay was caused by problems in the complex integration of the
remote control units, but this was successfully solved. Performance is also
enhanced by weight savings, not only
with the flight controls system itself, but
also with airplane structure, which can
benefit from lower loads in specific
areas due to built-in envelope protections and automatic compensations.
Embraer has also elected to replace
conventional yokes or sticks with sidesticks, which allows a more spacious
and cleaner cockpit. Auto throttles are
used instead of auto thrust when
engaged, throttles will move with thrust
variations, and the rudder is controlled
through conventional pedals. For Serpa,
the FBW flight controls, together with
the Rockwell-Collins Pro Line Fusion
avionics, Synthetic Vision System

(SVS), Vertical Navigation (VNAV),

Auto- Throttle, paperless cockpit capability and an optional Enhanced Vision
System (EVS) and Head-up Guidance
Systems (HGS), give these jets a unique
flight deck.
The Legacy 450 and 500 have a 98%
systems commonality. The 500 is
approximately 1.2 m longer than the
450 thanks to the adjunction of a fuselage section, and therefore differences
relate to cables/tubes length as well as
fuel system customizations. Both aircraft will be powered by Honeywell
HTF 7500 E engines, with a max takeoff thrust of 6,540 lb, and will adopt the
same engine hardware. There will be a
common type rating for the two aircraft
as both share cockpit layout and position of displays and controls; avionics
functionality, architecture and philosophy, operational procedures, aircraft
feel, handling and pilot techniques.
The Legacy 500s flight test program,
the S/N 001 started taxi tests on March
13th. On March 9th, the wing to fuselage junction and power-on started on
S/N 002, while fuselage junction started
on S/N 003. Flight by wire development
is on track for first flight during the
third quarter of 2013.
The 500 and 450 have already got the
industry talking and prove that
Embraers goal of being a major
Business Aviation player by 2015, is
well in sight.
Embraer is located at booth # 7041.

24

PREVIEW

EBACE 2012

By Paul Walsh

As we wait patiently for the

impending recovery,
Gulfstreams story is a bright
spot on Business Aviations
horizon. Two new Gulfstream
models, the G280 and G650,
are spreading excitement
through the industry and the
Savannah based OEM is
working night and day to
get the planes to buyers by
mid-2012.

ndeed the OEM is making progress

on all fronts. Just look at the G280s
flight test program where three test
aircraft have flown over 1,835 hours
during more than 685 flights; theyve
completed the 100 percent rejected
take-off test and finished all function
and reliability activities.

GULFSTREAM
EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS
planes in the hands of our customers.
The G650 is meeting our performance
expectations.
Importantly the flight tests confirm
that the G650 will give customers the
range they need to complete demanding international business trips think
Dubai to New York or London to
Buenos Aires - without the hassle of
fuel stops. Put more precisely,
Gulfstreams flight-test data shows
that the G650 can achieve 7,000 nm
(12,964 km) at Mach 0.85 and 5,000
nm (9,260 km) at Mach 0.90.
Range and speed have become
especially important in every market
segment, says Scott Neal, VP Sales
and Marketing. People are flying farther for business, and Gulfstream aircraft are well positioned to meet their
needs.

SCHEDULE

Gulfstream is
working day and
night to get the
G650 (center)
and G280
(opposite) to
buyers by mid 2012.

And in test scenarios the G280 is

exceeding expectations: extensive
flight testing showed that the aircraft
flies 3,600 nm (6,667 km) with four
passengers at Mach 0.80 with NBAA
IFR reserves. This is farther than originally promised and in addition to
more range, the aircrafts balanced
field length has been reduced from
4,960 feet (1,512 m) to 4,750 feet
(1,448 m). Not bad you might say, but
then Gulfstream has always been
something of a standard setter in the
industry.

50 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

Entry into Service Beckons

Then theres the G650; so far certification tests have confirmed its stall
speeds and minimum control airspeeds.
As well certification testing of its
hydraulics, the fly-by-wire flight controls and its fuel system is completed.
Were steadily moving through the
test points required for FAA and EASA
type certification, said Pres Henne,
Senior Vice President, Programs,
Engineering and Test.
The closer we get to certification,
the more excited we get to put these

Satisfying a Global Need

Gulfstream was one of the first
OEMs to recognize that Business
Aviations center of gravity would
gradually move to emerging market
economies. The foresight has certainly
paid off in Asian markets such as
India, which is now home to 20
Gulfstreams.
We have been providing long-range
transportation to Indias largest companies for decades, says Roger
Sperry, Regional Senior Vice

The convenience factor alone of

Gulfstream Beijing will help our
Chinese customers lower their maintenance costs and increase aircraft
availability, notes Burns.
Gulfstream Beijing, will consist of an
82,000-square-foot hangar and 22,000
square feet of offices and back shops.
When we induct the first aircraft for
maintenance, customers will be
delighted to find the same extraordinary level of service they have become
accustomed to receiving from
Gulfstream factory service centers outside of China, says Burns. In the
long run, we see this expansion of our
service capability as essential to maintaining our No. 1 position in the
President. Indeed we have facilitated
that growth by enabling executives to
move rapidly and easily from continent
to continent.
He adds: Our market in the Asia
Pacific has been our fastest growing of
recent years, today accounting for 27
percent of our aircraft-order backlog.
Weve been moving more product support resources into the region to support todays operators and position
ourselves for growth.
Customer Service
Speaking of market leadership, its
hard to overlook Gulfstreams success
in supporting the products it delivers.
The manufacturer consistently gets
top marks in BizAv customer support
surveys.
Right now, if an operator runs into a
problem they can call Gulfstreams
tech-ops center directly and if necessary a Gulfstream technician can simulate the problem in a flight simulator as
if he was in the cockpit with the pilot.
Gulfstream also offers its PlaneParts
cost-per-hour maintenance program
for G150, G350, G450, G500 and G550
models and recently extended the program to the G650 and G280.
The PlaneParts concept is simple. If
an aircraft part is removed due to failure, life limit or wear, Gulfstream will
replace it in exchange for monthly
payments based on the aircrafts
model and age. The program also
includes optional coverage for several
aircraft systems installed during finalphase manufacturing, including water
and waste, entertainment and in-flight
information as well as others.

Since we launched PlaneParts in

October 2010, 100 Gulfstream customers have signed up, said Mark
Burns, President, Gulfstream Product
Support. This program provides them
with the peace of mind that comes
with predictable maintenance costs.
We want to offer this high level of service to G650 and G280 operators.
The Network Continues to Grow
Also - to keep pace with growing
global demand Gulfstream is constantly expanding its service network.
In February this year, it announced
that it would be opening a business
jet service center at Beijing Capital
International Airport, in conjunction
with Deer Jet and Grand China
Aviation Technik making Gulfstream
the first OEM to offer maintenance,
repair and overhaul services for its
customers in China.

Chinese market in terms of market

share and reputation.
Aside from East Asian growth,
Gulfstream remains fully committed to
Europes market potential. Were executing a strategy to sell and support
aircraft around the world and Europe
is a big part of that, says Neal.
European companies that have
interests extending beyond the continent will be more insulated from the
general slowdown, so well continue to
invest; indeed right now were expanding our factory service center in Luton,
England.
Overall our strategy is simple: our
market is worldwide; we need a worldwide presence and were investing
accordingly.
Gulfstream is located at booth #7061

NETWORK

Gulfstream is the
first OEM to offer
maintenance,
repair and
overhaul
services for its
customers in
China (center).

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 51

25

PREVIEW

EBACE 2012

ALL SYSTEMS GO FOR

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT

economists and third-party industry

analysts agree the timing of that recovery remains uncertain.
Boisture noted that the company is
taking advantage of this pause to verify the value proposition of the aircraft
in light of additional new technology
that may be applicable to this already
dominating platform. He says that
this evaluation could potentially result
in a benefit to current order holders,
as well as future buyers.
Repositioning for the Future
In general, the downturn hit Hawker
Beechcraft particularly hard, with the
company already having suspended its
Hawker 400XP program due to slow
sales a year earlier, and laying off
nearly 800 workers in 2011.
It is also interesting to note that, as
of early February, the company
replaced Boisture as CEO with Robert

By Nick Klenske

2011 came to a less-thanperfect close for Hawker

Beechcraft. After much hype
about its new Hawker 200 light
business jet program (known
originally as the Beechcraft
Premier II), the company
announced in December that
the single-pilot aircraft was
officially put on hiatus until
further notice.

C
PERSISTENCE

The nomination
of Robert S.
Miller as HBC
CEO (bottom) is
a good indication
for the
continuance of
the company.
Hawker 900XP
and King Air 250
pictured.

iting the ongoing economy as the

deciding factor, company
Chairman Bill Boisture stated the
program was at a natural pause
point, noting that developmental testing was nearly complete and certification testing was, at the time, just starting. This means we are well positioned to continue from this point
when the time is right, he said without giving any indication of when that
time may be.
As you are well aware, our industry
is facing one of the most challenging
markets in its history, he stated in a
letter addressed to employees. The
light jet segment has been particularly
hard hit, and most manufacturers have
made difficult decisions and are hopeful for a timely recovery. Unfortunately,

52 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

S. Steve Miller. However, Boisture

remains as chairman.
In a sense, this is good news coming
from HBC. It was generally believed
that Boisture was brought on board to
put the company in an attractive position for being sold. But the appointment of Miller seems to indicate otherwise and that instead the company is
positioning itself to wait out the recession and build for the long run.
Besides, any financial advisor would
be quick to point out that todays market is anything but ideal for selling.
Bill is going to stay here and work
with me as we approach the challenges in todays depressed market,

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26

PREVIEW

says Miller. Ill be charged with looking at some of the financial challenges
we are currently facing, and Bill will
continue to focus on designing, building and selling great aircraft.
Its interesting to note that in the
early 1970s Miller played a pivotal roll
in the turnaround of Chrysler and,
from that experience, authored the
book The Turnaround Kid: What I
Learned Rescuing Americas Most
Troubled Companies. Perhaps well see
a similar title coming from his experience at Hawker Beechcraft.
In fact, were already seeing some
indications of a turnaround. Boisture
was quick to point out that, although
the light jet market is struggling, other
market segments are starting to show
stability.
As a result of these indicators, we
are increasing our turboprop and jet
aircraft production rates to meet the
market demand for 2012, says
Boisture. Business Aviation still has
an essential role to play in todays
economy, and were positioning our
lineup to fill this role.

DISPLAY

HBC will exhibit

its flagship, the
Hawker 4000
(left)
and the light jet
Premier 1A
(right).

Great Aircraft, Great Show

It is exactly this attitude of positioning itself for the future that Hawker
Beechcraft will be bringing into
Geneva.
EBACE is and has always been both
a good and very important show on
the Hawker Beechcraft schedule,
says Sean McGeough, HBC President,
EMEA. It is by far the best of the
regional shows and, at least in my
opinion, due to the sheer number of
economic buyers in attendance, is the
best show period.

54 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

EBACE 2012

Although Hawker Beechcraft is

looking at such developing markets
as Brazil, China and India, Europe
remains an important market for us,
he continues. But the reality of the
situation is that the global marketplace is tough and Europe is even
tougher.
McGeough explains that last year
Europe was the only stagnant, or nogrowth, market. In 2011, Europe
actually contracted, where other markets including the North America
market saw at least some growth,
he says. As a result, Hawker
Beechcraft is expanding its focus
from Europe to Europe, the Middle
East and Africa.
At Hawker Beechcraft, our strategy
is market based, says McGeough.
Pointing to the Hawker 200 as an
example, he notes that the industry is
very much still in a downturn. The
upturn the industry envisioned isnt
happening as quickly as we thought.
That being said, there are still positive signs, and weve positioned ourselves to emerge at the forefront once
that long-awaited upswing begins.
McGeough says the company will
be bringing its entire line up to the
EBACE static, including:
Hawker 4000: The companys flagship boasts a composite fuselage and
an impressive standard in terms of
quality, performance and value within
the super-midsize business jet class.
It has a range of 3,280 nautical miles,
a maximum Mach 0.84 cruise speed,
and is powered by Pratt & Whitney
Canada FADEC-controlled engines
and a Honeywell Primus EPIC avionics system.

Hawker 900XP: With its foundation

in the best-selling Hawker 800 midsize
lineage, the Hawker 900XP adds new
Honeywell engines, winglets and a
larger cabin meaning increased performance, range, efficiency and comfort.
Beechcraft Premier IA: Leading the
light jet segment, the Premier IA combines speed, cabin size and efficiency
with an updated interior, avionics and
five year warranty.
Beechcraft King Air 350i: Equipped
with the Rockwell Collins Venue cabin
management system and state-of-theart Beechcraft FlexCabin capability,
the King Air 350i brings unprecedented cabin comfort, business capability,
in-flight productivity and entertainment to the turboprop market.
Beechcraft King Air 250: This next
generation turboprop features composite winglets and lightweight composite propellers that provide
improved runway performance, range,
speed and climb. It also comes with a
ram air recovery system that maintains peak performance when the antiicing system is activated meaning
the King Air 250 is a high-performance, all-weather aircraft.
Beechcraft King Air C90GTx:
Equipped with such key enhancements as composite winglets and a
cabin that is 50 percent larger than
some very light jets, this aircraft seats
up to seven and includes an in-flight
accessible, heated and pressurized
baggage storage area.
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation is located at booth # 7060

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27

PREVIEW

EBACE 2012

HONDAJETs HIGH HOPES

TEST

HondaJet's two
conforming
aircraft F1 and
F2 will be joined
by two additional
flight test aircraft,
the F3 and F4
later this year.

flight came on the one-year anniversary of flight-testing of the companys

first HondaJet. The third bird, known
as F2, joined the flight test program
on November 18, 2011.
Michimasa Fujino, Honda Aircrafts
CEO said, The first flight of a flight
test aircraft is an important milestone
for an aircraft certification program,
and the fact that we achieved F2s first
flight shortly after receiving its
engines illustrates our teams preparation and readiness.
F2 flew from the companys world
headquarters at Greensboros
Piedmont Triad International Airport.
The crew completed a variety of
checks, including: takeoff and climb;
landing gear operation; flap operations; aircraft handling; air data system checks with instrumentation; and
an Instrument Landing System
approach using the flight director. The
pilots and telemetry teams said that

Honda Aircraft Company is

pressing ahead with its
certification program.
Liz Moscrop delivers the word
on the third bird.

SYNTHESIS

The HondaJet's
concept combines
high speed
performance with
high fuel
efficiency says
Honda's CEO
Michimasa Fujino
(center).

he Honda Aircraft Company

stand is always an exciting place
to visit at the European
Convention and Exhibition (EBACE).
Each year the model on the booth
boasts new upgrades and there is a
slew of interesting additions to the certification program. This year should
be no different. Back in December
2011, Honda announced that it plans
to begin flying two additional flight
test aircraft, F3 and F4 this year, and
to add structural test aircraft to its certification program.
The aircraft subsidiary of US-based
Honda Motor Company will likely also
show off the design of its new
Maintenance Repair and Overhaul
(MRO) facility in Greensborough,
North Carolina, which will encompass
more than 80,000 square feet. In
October the OEM announced that the
design phase was due to be finalized in
the first quarter of 2012, with construction scheduled to begin in quarter two.
As we go to press there have been no
updates, but Geneva will likely bear witness to the new plans. Occupancy is set

56 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

to begin in the first half of 2013. This

timing supports the HondaJets scheduled certification and entry into service
in mid-2013.
Expect updates, too, from its
European sales and service center network offerings, and possibly news on a
base for its European flight training
operations.
Flight-testing
Back in December the OEM
announced the first flight of the third
FAA-conforming aircraft in the program, and announced milestones for
the remaining test fleet. The third

the aircraft performed quite well.

Honda has subsequently expanded
F2s performance envelope as the aircraft has begun its test mission work
in earnest.
Fujino added, F2s first flight was
the result of extensive planning, hard
work and execution by many teams
and individuals across our organization and our supply chain partner network. The aircrafts performance is as
expected and flying in the aircraft is
exhilarating.
The first conforming HondaJet, F1,
which flew for the first time on
December 20, 2010, had already

achieved key benchmarks that meet

or exceed the aircrafts designed performance goals. In March 2011,
Honda said that the aircraft had
achieved a maximum speed of 425
KTAS (489 mph) at 30,000 feet, sur-

Dan Lynch, President of the

Greensboro Economic Development
Alliance said, Hondas decision to
expand its Greensboro facility validates the strength and vitality of our
aviation cluster, and its plan to invest

European Presence

passing its performance commitment

of 420 KTAS. The jet has subsequently achieved a climb rate of 4,000 feet
per minute, beating its target of 3,990
FPM, and a maximum operating altitude of 43,000 feet.
However, while the flight test aircraft are highly visible and vital to
the manufacturers certification program, the structural test aircraft are
just as essential to the project. Fujino
explained, In 2011, we made major
progress on FAA structural component tests and entire aircraft structural tests with the second conforming
aircraft, ST1, and we successfully
completed all limit load tests for the
aircraft structure.

an additional $80 million and create

419 more high-paying jobs demonstrates Hondas commitment to our
community and to the entire State of
North Carolina.
Fujino said, After a rigorous evaluation of various site alternatives, we
concluded that we could best serve
our customers and complement
HondaJet dealer service facilities by
placing our MRO facility in North
Carolina, where we are delighted to
begin writing this next chapter of our
growth.
Honda Aircraft will expand its
already substantial presence at the
Greensboro Piedmont Triad Airport
(PTI) with the new facility, which will
be an extension of its world headquarters campus. The OEM has
leased 54 additional acres at PTI
Airport, and the new facility will
make use of 20 of these acres. With
current and future expansion plans,
Honda is leasing more than 130 acres
at PTI. Today its R&D, manufacturing and headquarter buildings occupy more than 500,000 square feet of
space on approximately 80 acres.
We have 180 aerospace companies
in the state employing more than
9,500 workers, but Honda Aircraft
Company is the crown jewel, concluded Lynch.

The company has also teamed with

FlightSafety International (FSI) to
provide flight training in Europe. FSI
is developing a Level-D full-motion
flight simulator for the OEM. The
first simulator will be installed in
Hondas headquarters, and a
European location will be announced
shortly.
The regional facilities will be strategically located in close proximity to
customers in the regions surrounding the U.K., Germany, and Spain. In
the U.K, Honda is partnering with
TAG Aviation at Farnborough
Airport. Central European customers
will go to Rheinland Air Service in
Germany, while in Southern Europe;
Honda has teamed with Aviastec in
Madrid.
This year showgoers looking at the
latest developments would do well to
heed what Fujino said back in 2008,
When I designed the HondaJet, I did
not compromise performance and
comfort. I did not compromise cost
and quality. The concept for
HondaJet was to offer both high PROGRESS
speed performance and high fuel effi- Honda Aircraft
ciency with superior comfort.
has made major
progress on the
Honda Aircraft Company is located HondaJet's
at booth # 7021
structural
component tests.

MRO Facility
At last years National Business
Aviation Association show, Honda,
along with senior officials from the
State of North Carolina and the
Greensboro Economic Development
Alliance, announced that it had
selected Greensboro as the location
for its new HondaJet MRO facility.
The manufacturer will invest an additional $20 million to build the new
venture, bringing its total capital
investment for construction of its
North Carolina facilities to more than
$120 million.

At EBACE four years ago Honda

announced that it would establish a
European network of three HondaJetexclusive sales and service centers.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 57

28

PREVIEW

EBACE 2012

BEST IN CLASS
BUSINESS AVIATION TRAINING

Todays Business Aviation

training providers offer more
realistic situations than ever
before. Liz Moscrop reports on
why business is booming.
LEADER

FlightSafety
International's
Farnborough
center provides
a full range
of pilot
development
courses as well
as JAA training.

hat would you do if you were

flying a twin-engine business
jet into Farnborough Airport
and one of the engines went out on
final approach? Fortunately pilots today
get to practice such scenarios from the
comfort and safety of advanced simulators. This gives them a much better
chance of getting plane and passengers
safely down to the ground.

58 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

One of the big names in the

Business Aviation training industry
is FlightSafety International, which
offers training for pilots of fixed and
rotary-wing aircraft, maintenance
technicians, flight attendants and
dispatchers. The company provides
training for most OEMs, including:
Bell, Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault,
Embraer, Eurocopter, Fairchild,
Gulfstream, Hawker Beechcraft,
Piaggio, Pilatus, and Sikorsky.
FSI has centers worldwide, but
European customers will most likely
head to Farnborough or Paris.
Farnborough provides a full range
of pilot development courses as well

as JAA training. Simulators on site

include: Beechjet 400A, Cessna
Citation Excel, II, Bravo, Mustang,
Sovereign #2, CJ2, Bombardier
Dash 8-400 Series #2, Gulfstream
G550/450, Hawker Beechcraft
Hawker 750, 800XP #2, King Air 200
Series and the Sikorsky S-92.
Over in Le Bourget the FlightSafety
/ Falcon Training Center offers training on the Cessna Citation II, Citation
V, Embraer EMB120, ERJ135/145 #1,
ERJ135/145 #2, ERJ170/190 #1, the
Dassault Falcon 10/100, Falcon 20,
Falcon 2000, Falcon 2000EX EASy,
Falcon 50, Falcon 900 and Falcon
900EX EASy variants.

In March FSI announced that it had

seen increased demand from Middle
East customers , which might hint at
an EBACE announcement that the
company will set up shop somewhere
in the region. Scott Fera, VP, Sales
and Marketing said, We have experienced a significant increase in demand
for our services in the Middle East and
surrounding region. He added, The

grams and services that meet the specific needs of our customers.
FlightSafety has also invested in 14
new Level D- simulators that will be
installed at FlightSafety Learning
Centers this year and next. New aircraft coming online include: the
AgustaWestland AW139, Bombardier
Challenger 605, Global 5000 and
Global 6000, Embraer Legacy 450 and

investments we are making in new

programs and simulators throughout
our network of learning centers, are
expected to increase our presence in
this important area.
FSI says it provided more than 2,000
training events to customers from the
Middle East in the past year. These
include pilot, maintenance, flight attendant and dispatch training for operators of a wide variety of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
Moreover, the company says that
training has increased significantly
since 2007. Cessna aircraft programs
were up by 26%; Embraer 92%;
Gulfstream 22%; Sikorsky 84%; and
maintenance training was up by 30%.
Customers from the region train today
in Asia, Europe and throughout North
and South America.
Demand increased the most from
Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel,
Kuwait, Oman, and Turkey. Fera said,
As with all regions of the world, we
continuously measure the current and
expected future demand for our training services and add new programs
and locations as appropriate to ensure
that we offer access to conveniently
located, high quality training pro-

650, Falcon 900LX, Gulfstream G280

and G650, HondaJet, Pilatus PC-12 and
Sikorsky S-76D.
Earlier this year the training provider
announced that it had expanded its
service for helicopter operators. Over
the last five years the company has
built a dedicated helicopter learning
center in Lafayette, Louisiana,
equipped with Level D qualified simulators for Sikorsky S-76C+/C++ and S92 helicopters, and Level 7 qualified
flight training devices (FTDs) for the
Bell 206B/206L and Bell 407.
FlightSafety also added Level D Sims
for the Eurocopter EC135 in Dallas,
Texas; the Sikorsky S-76C+/C++ in
West Palm Beach, Florida; the
Sikorsky S-92 to its Farnborough facility, and a Level 7 qualified flight-training device for the Eurocopter AS350 in
Tucson, Arizona.
The company has also installed its
VITAL X visual system on all of its
helicopter simulators and FTDs.
Visual database enhancements include
a model of New York City, imagery
specific to medevac operators, and
scenes for offshore operations, such as
heliports in the Gulf of Mexico and
highly detailed oil platforms.

Training today is focused very much

around practical scenarios and case
studies of real life events. Jeff Roberts
CAEs Group President, Civil
Simulation Products, training, and services said, We practice specific situations that have actually occurred. For
many of our clients we create and
develop line oriented real time situational awareness and tailor training
around that.
This means lots of time spent outside
the simulator and in the classroom,
where students pick an incident apart.
Roberts continued, We put a situation
in front of a class and get them to look
at the decision making at critical parts
of the event. We reconstruct the story
and ask, what would you do?
This frequently throws up many different ways that students could have
tackled the situation, and helps them to
think of ways of handling a crisis successfully should such a situation occur.
Training providers will also present
situations actually in the simulator, so
students can fly their way out of danger.
With a network of training centers
that spans across four continents
North America, South America,
Europe, and Asia CAE trains more
than 75,000 crewmembers every year
in every segment of aviation. The company also builds and develops Level-D
full-flight simulators.
Although there is no restriction on
where students can train, the most likely venues for Europeans are
Amsterdam, Burgess Hill (in the UK)
and Emirates-CAE joint venture in
Dubai, although the companys
Brussels center offers training on the
Dornier 328.
Located near Schiphol Airport, CAEs
Amsterdam training centre offers a full
package of services and has simulators
for Boeing B737NG, Bombardier
Challenger 300 and 604 and Fokker F100 F-50 F-70 types.
CAEs Burgess Hill training center is
south of London in West Sussex. The
facility houses 13 civil and business
full flight simulators (FFS), with
capacity to grow to 16. Burgess Hill
offers training on Airbus, Bombardier,
Dassault, and Embraer variants. CAE
describes it as an anchor location in
the Airbus-CAE cooperation, and the
center offers Airbus A320 and A340
training. It has recently added
Bombardier Lear 40, Lear 45, and Lear
45XR training, and also offers Global

SPECIALTY

Flight simulators
at the Flight
Safety Falcon
Training Center
in Le Bourget
cope with the full
range of
Dassault Falcons.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 59

29

PREVIEW

EBACE 2012

5000, and 6000 programs. Dassault

Falcon pilots can train on the Falcon
900 EX EASy, Falcon 2000 EX EASy,
and Falcon 7X aircraft platforms. The
UK venture is also the European base
for Phenom 100 and Phenom 300
training as part of the Embraer CAE
Training Services joint venture.
Burgess Hill recently added the
Cessna Citation II to its offerings, and
offers Citation XLS training.
Over in Dubai, UAE, Emirates-CAE
Flight Training is the result of CAE and
Emirates joining forces to offer training
to operators in the Middle East, Europe,
Africa, and Asia. The center offers training on Airbus ACJ (A320), Bell 212 Bell
412, Boeing BBJ (Boeing 737NG),
B777-200, Bombardier Global 5000, and

CURRENT

CAE simulators
come with visual
airport databases
that change
constantly to
keep up with
changing airport
environments.

shortly Challenger 604 and 605 types. It

also offers Dassault Falcon 7X, 900EX
EASy, Falcon 2000EX EASy, Gulfstream
G IV, G V, G450 ,G500, G550, and
Hawker Beechcraft Hawker 750XPi,
Hawker 800, Hawker 800XP, Hawker
800XPi, Hawker 850, Hawker 850XP,
Hawker 850XPi, Hawker 900XPi variants.
Mubadala Aerospace and Abu Dhabi
Aviation (ADA) also announced last
year that they would establish an
advanced helicopter synthetic training

60 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

facility in Abu Dhabi. Mubadala subsidiary Horizon Flight Academy

(Horizon), has signed a contract for a
CAE 3000 Series FFS for the
AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter.
H.E. Nader Ahmed Mohammed Al
Hammadi, ADAs chairman said, ADA
is the largest commercial helicopter
operator in the Middle East and we are
delighted to be partnering with
Mubadala Aerospace to develop additional training capabilities for the
region.

Both FSI and CAE ensure their

trainees work through the toughest
scenarios, particularly at the most critical phases of flight. CAEs Roberts
said, The most common idiosyncrasies occur during the arrival or
departure sequences. We also train
pilots to deal with abnormal normal
processes, hot and high or cold weather, or a systems malfunction. We look
at incidents that occur round the world
and use these.
Naturally flight attendant training is
high on the agenda for private aviation
firms. The big two offer several such
courses. Cabin crews have to be well
versed in safety, as well as different
cultures. However, what to eat on
board is also important. To this end
the European Business Aviation
Convention and Exhibition is running
a conference session on catering at its
annual show. Specialist private aviation catering firm Alison Price on Air
is fielding chef Daniel Hulme, its
inflight director to talk about the
importance of what food to serve and
how it is presented during flight.
People on a business trip want to eat
healthily, and Hulme will offer suggestions on how to go about that.
So training on all aspects of a corporate flight is a serious issue. In the
unlikely event of a bumpy landing at
Farnborough, rest assured the crew
will have been through it several times
before.

30

PREVIEW
EBACE always brings forth
plenty of interiors
announcements. A swathe of
the worlds top design and
completions houses will also be
on site promoting what they
offer. Liz Moscrop looks at what
makes for a comfortable ride.

EBACE 2012

AIRCRAFT INTERIORS
TO SHINE AT EBACE

he worlds top bizjet designers

understand what is required on
board a business jet. For most
owners the cabin is simply an extension of their lifestyles elsewhere
their offices, or their homes. This
means in todays environment there
has to be a place to work. Inflight
entertainment and connectivity (IFEC)
is a necessity.
Preventative Measures

SPECIALISTS

Lufthansa
Technik
specializes in
customized
interior solutions
(top).
Completion
facility at
Jet Aviation Basel
accommodates
Boeing and
Airbus.

Michael Bork, aircraft interior architect in Germanys Lufthansa Technik

(LHT) said, A state-of-the-art in-flight
entertainment and cabin management
system is a must have on board VIP
and VVIP aircraft. Thus, our innovation center in Hamburg is investing a
lot of time and money to develop and
offer customized solutions, like our
nice HD system. Additionally,
IDAIR, our joint venture with
Panasonic Avionics Corporation,
merges the depth of knowledge and
expertise of two industry leaders to
develop and provide new solutions to
VIP customers worldwide.

62 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

Switzerlands RUAG Business

Aviation understands the need for
state of the art IFEC systems on board
aircraft. The companys core competencies are maintenance services,
however, RUAG also offers cabin
refurbishment, up to and including
complete redesign of the aircraft interior, as well as system upgrades on inflight-entertainment systems. It also
offers satcom installations as well as
avionics systems, and VIP aircraft
painting. This allows the company to
provide a full service-portfolio at one
single downtime. Last summer the
firm also set up a central AOG support
center for its four sites at Geneva,
Lugano, Bern and Munich.

To prevent problems at a later stage,

working intensively with designers
and completions houses from the outset is an essential part of the aircraft
interiors creation process. Basels Jet
Aviation takes a consultative approach
to its work. Elisabeth Harvey manager
interior design explained, After initial
discussions we draw up plans, which
we turn into renderings and even a full
size mock up if required.
Jet Aviation Basel announced earlier
this year that it had selected Rockwell
Collins venue high definition cabin
management system (CMS) as a retrofit option on a narrow-body Boeing
Business Jet (BBJ2). Dave Austin,
Collins Vice President and General
Manager, cabin systems said, Venue
has quickly become the most selected
HD cabin system in all market segments, with more than 120 installations ranging from turboprops to large
VIP jets, and Jet Aviations selection of
it further supports its popularity.
Neil Boyle, VP Completions Center
at Jet Aviation Basel added, An important part of Jet Aviations completions
strategy is to be the front runner in
high quality cabin technology and outfitting. Part of this strategy is to provide our customers with a CMS that
supports the wide variety of advanced
audio and media applications and systems.
Fellow Swiss management, charter
and outfitting firm Comlux has a VIP
cabin
completion
center
in

EXPERTS

RUAG offers
cabin
refurbishment
and system
upgrades on
in-flightentertainment
systems (left).
Gore Design
Completions
have extensive
experience in
head-of-state
and wide-body
business aircraft
worldwide
(right).
Indianapolis USA. Head designer of
Comlux Creatives Tim Callies recently
worked on an Airbus ACJ319 that the
company operates under management
contract for an undisclosed customer
in Russia. The ultra spacious ACJ319
cabin is certified for 19 passengers.
The main room offers a VIP lounge
with L-shaped divan, two club seats
and a large dining table for six guests.
At the front of the cabin, a fully private
compartment offers a large bedroom
with two beds completed by a dedicated bathroom with shower. The cabin
features also a first class seating area
at the back for the guests of the principal.
Callies said, A shower is important.
Most people have a shower they dont
use, but like one on board just in case.
Often people request a dining area, or
an office that can also be a comfortable
area where everyone can sit together.
LHTs Bork elaborated on what people want most. Showers of course,
plus: living rooms, master and guest
bedrooms, nice bathrooms, lounges,
dining and conference areas, etc. The
possibilities are only limited by the
size of the aircraft and the budget.
Customers ask for whatever configuration you can imagine
He explained that he viewed LHTs
interior architects job as being to
balance all wishes, tasks und functions into a perfect layout and design,
so our customers get their perfect aircraft.
San Antonio, Texas-based Gore
Design Completions also believes that
interiors are far from average - each
being uniquely designed. Jeff Potter,
Director of Business Development

said, We customize the aircraft to the

owners specific request. He
explained that most people look for
comfort on board. Gore does all its
interiors work in house and has a selfsupporting manufacturing shop on site
with capabilities for cabinetry and
sheet metal, parts fabrication as well
as a complete machine and upholstery
shop.
Refurbishment
For customers who do not want to
wait three years for a new aircraft,
refurbishment is proving an increasingly popular option. Companies
such as Canadas Flying Colours
have cornered the market in highend revamps. Sean Gillespie,
Director Completion Sales and
Management said, We are experiencing an increased demand for midsize business jet refurbishments.
The Ontario-based company has
experienced a steady growth in
orders since the beginning of the
first quarter with particular demand
focused on the Challenger 300,
Challenger 604, Falcon 900 and
Hawker 800 models.
Gillespie added, We have seen a big
increase in mid-size refurbishments
from both corporate and private owners who are looking to re-enter the aviation market. Other clients are completing refurbishments that have been
planned but put on hold over the
recession. We are currently working
on a total of ten mid-size jet projects
and our backlog is starting to build
with another four complete projects in
the pipeline.

Completions houses sometimes get

so busy that they outsource to third
parties, such as Yankee Pacific subsidiary Cabin Innovations. The firm
offers engineering and production personnel, and has supplied over 200 interiors for Bombardier Challenger and
Global aircraft, as well as extensive
custom cabinetry and mechanical systems
support
for
Airbus
A318/319/320/340 and Boeing
727/737/747/767/777 VIP completions. In addition the company has
provided staff for specialized projects
for small and mid-size cabin aircraft
such as Piaggios, Cessnas, Hawkers
and Falcon Jets.
EBACE will doubtless yield more
exciting interior announcements.
Keep your eyes peeled for news from
the IFEC sector especially.

LEADER

Yankee Pacific
subsidiary Cabin
Innovations
(above) has
supplied over
200 interiors for
Bombardier
Challenger and
Global aircraft.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 63

31

AVIONICS

PREVIEW EBACE 2012

AVIONICS PUSH THE

BOUNDARIES OF INNOVATION

FAR-OUT

Esterline CMC
Electronics will
be promoting its
SmartDeck
integrated
avionics suite
(top) at EBACE
this year.
ARINC Direct will
be promoting its
new iPad app.

The EBACE event in Geneva,

which is being held on May 1416 2012 this year, is usually a
great showcase for avionic
products and upgrades for the
business aircraft community.
The worlds leading companies
are all exhibiting this year. But
what will they be demonstrating
or displaying?
Steve Nichols takes a closer look.

64 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

erhaps better known for its aircraft maintenance and flight services products, ARINC launched
a new iPad cockpit app for pilots at
NBAA in Las Vegas last year.
The free app, which features on the
Apple iTunes web store, gives pilots
access to their flight plans, weather,
NOTAMS and charts on their ARINC
account. Updates while airborne can
be
uploaded
via
Inmarsats
SwiftBroadband satcomms service.
The app lets pilots update flight plans
using their iPads touchscreen, which
can then be emailed back using sign
and send technology.
Meanwhile,
Esterline
CMC
Electronics (CMC) says it will promote its new SmartDeck integrated
avionics suite and PilotView electronic
flight bags (EFB), SureSight
enhanced vision system (EVS) sensors, and intermediate-gain satcom
antenna.
SmartDeck was selected recently by
Evektor of the Czech Republic for the
multipurpose EV-55 Outback aircraft.
The advanced design and scalability of
the SmartDeck cockpit will support

the additional features required for the

special mission versions of the EV-55.
The FAA-certified SmartDeck system offers an intuitive user interface
that increases the ease and accuracy
of flight management, and significantly streamlines flight operations. Its
advanced architecture supports scalability to various types of aircraft. It also
provides the growth capability to meet
continuously evolving air traffic management requirements and support
maintainability - all of key importance
to owners and operators.
CMC recently launched a powerful
second-generation processor for all its
certified Class 2 PilotView EFB products. The new Intel Dual Core i7
processor seamlessly enables a wide
range of advanced software applications. The state-of-the-art processor
delivers high-end graphics capabilities
for all of CMCs EFB products for
both new products as well as the retrofit of fielded units with full form and fit
interchangeability.
Certified for Class 2 and Class 3
usage, more than 25 STCs are available for the PilotView EFB on aircraft
ranging from the Gulfstream GlV/GV,
the Bombardier Challenger and
Global Express/XRS, to the Boeing
737.
CMC also recently delivered its
500th SureSight EVS sensor. The
SureSight CMA-2600 sensor is in operation on multiple aircraft platforms,
including the Bombardier Global
Express and Global 5000, the Dassault
Falcon 900, 2000 and 7X, and the
Boeing Business Jet.
The third-generation SureSight
CMA-2700 sensor, which received
Type Certification in November 2011,
offers the highest resolution available
for an EVS sensor and four times the
resolution of currently certified systems. This sensor was selected for the
Bombardier Global aircraft with the
Global Vision Cockpit and the
Bombardier Challenger 605.
Flight Display Systems (FDS) of
Georgia, USA, manufactures in-flight
entertainment products and cabin
management systems, including moving maps, high-definition LCD monitors (5 to 52), monitor mounts, iPod
docks, Blu-ray/DVD players, and
flight view cameras.

suite for Part 25, larger business jets

and commercial aircraft.
Cessna was the first aircraft manufacturer to announce selection of the
G5000, choosing it for the Citation
Ten business jet.
The G5000 is designed specifically
for crew-flown turbine aircraft and
combines a dual multi-sensor flight
management system (FMS), touchscreen vehicle management units,
and multi-pane cockpit displays.
The G5000 widescreen displays with
touchscreen controls give pilots more
useful information at their fingertips
than ever with worldwide weather,
synthetic vision, aircraft synoptics
and electronic flight charts all being
available.
The G5000 cockpit features WXGA
high resolution, wide aspect ratio (12-

ADVANCED

The Garmin
G5000 comes
with a dual multisensor flight
management
system (top).
Honeywell's
Falcon 900EX
Easy Primus
Epic cockpit
feature large
liquid crystal flat
panel displays
(center).

It recently received approval from

the European Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA) as a Part 145 maintenance
organization.
This approval supplements an existing Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) certification and allows Flight
Display Systems to provide form
8130-3 Dual Release (EASA/FAA) on
all service work performed on products listed in the FAA Repair Stations
Approved Capability List.
On display will also be FDSs moving map displays, Select cabin management systems, and range of
mounting arms, including those for
the iPad.
Garmin says it will once again feature its G5000 integrated avionics
inch or 14-inch diagonal) primary
flight displays (PFD) and multi-function displays (MFD). These can also
accommodate video inputs from infrared enhanced vision system (EVS)
sensors or video cameras.
Garmin also offers a new G1000
glass cockpit retrofit for Hawker
Beechcraft King Air 300/350s. The
glass cockpit system includes two,
26.4cm (10.4in) primary flight displays and a 38.1cm multifunction display.
It will also display its G600 all-glass
Flight Display System, which is ideal
for retrofit. And its new GTN 750 - a
fully integrated GPS/NAV/COMM
solution with touchscreen controls
and a large display giving you access
to high-resolution terrain mapping,

INTUITIVE

Rockwell Collin's
Proline Fusion
features
touchscreen
primary and
multi-function
displays.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 65

32

AVIONICS

PIONEERING

Universal
Avionics will
demonstrate the
UNS-1Fw FMS,
along with a
range of other
avionics
equipment.

graphical flight planning, geo-referenced charting, traffic display, satellite weather and more.
H o n e y w e l l will be showing its
range of upgrades, including retrofits, modifications and upgrades to
engines, avionics and communication
systems.
It will have a Dassault Falcon
900EX on the static park and indoors
expect to see its Primus Epic integrated avionics solution, as featured
in the recently FAA-certified
Embraer Legacy 650.
Featuring large liquid crystal flat
panel displays, its liquid crystal displays are scalable, allowing charts,
maps, and electronic engine instrumentation images to be resized for
easier viewing with both 2D and 3D
graphic models.
Its Primus Elite flight deck features
liquid crystal displays and is available
as a retrofit or forward-fit application.
It also expects to show its improved
DU-885 display as fitted as part of the
PlaneDeck
enhancement
for
Gulfstream GIV and GV aircraft
upgrades. The DU-885 flight deck
upgrade provides growth capabilities
for future communication, navigation,
surveillance/air traffic management
(CNS/ATM) functions, including
WAAS-LPV, RNP, FANS1/A, and
ADS-B (ln).

66 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

PREVIEW EBACE 2012

It will also be featuring its safety
products, including SmartLanding
and SmartRunway. SmartLanding
helps reduce the risk of runway
excursions by alerting crew members during the landing process if
they are going too fast, if they are too
high or if they are outside their landing procedures.
Rockwell Collins will be showcasing its Pro Line Fusion integrated
flightdeck at EBACE. Featured will
be the touchscreen primary and multifunction displays, plus visitors can
see the synthetic vision systems
demonstrated on a head-up display.
It is now much easier to put flight
plans onto the Pro Line Fusion system as well.
Pro Line 21 will also feature highly
as well. It is a family of flexible avionics system solutions designed for a
wide range of aircraft and missions,
both as forward and retro fit.
Rockwell Collins Venue high-definition cabin management system will
also be a key feature at the show. It
now features touch screens and can
be controlled via an iPad app, downloadable from Apple.
Passengers are able to download
and install the app, connect to the
cabins Wi-Fi system and instantly
take control of Venue as they board.
Venue delivers entertainment technology, incorporating new digital,
high-definition audiovisual capability,
16:9 displays, new media centre
devices and software-programmable
switch panels.
Rockwell Collins will also be promoting its flight planning services.
With a new Berlin office, it says it is
providing even more support and
commitment to its European customers.
Finally Universal Avionics will
announce the FAA TSO approval of
its new airborne data link communication system, the UniLink UL-800
and
UL-801
Communication
Management Units (CMU).
UniLink UL-800/801 offers full
ACARS and Communications
Management
Unit
(CMU)
Functionality. The unit is LINK 2000+
provisioned for the upcoming
equipage mandate issued by EUROCONTROL. UL-800/801 represents

Universals third-generation data link

communications system.
With emerging datalink mandates
and the approval of Iridium for its
use, customers are actively searching
for solutions to meet their needs.
Universal Avionics UniLink system is
a full-featured system meeting the
needs of exceedingly complex
Communication, Navigation, and
Surveillance (CNS) Air Traffic
Management (ATM) environment.
The first customer installation of
UniLink, in a Falcon 50 aircraft, is
expected to receive FAA STC
approval. This installation will be the
first installation of UniLink UL-80X
with operational approval for Future
Air Navigation System (FANS).
The UniLink UL-800 and UL-801 is
Future Air Navigation System
(FANS) enabled to support aircraft
flying on the North Atlantic Tracks as
well as European airspace, where
mandates for FANS compliance are
upcoming. (Aircraft equipped for
FANS are exempted from the LINK
2000+ mandate).
It is compatible with ACARS VDL
Mode 2, which is a high-speed and
high-capacity digital communications
network providing up to 20 times the
message capacity of todays commonly used Aircraft Communications
Addressing and Reporting System
(ACARS).
Use of VDL Mode 2 tends to be
more cost effective than ACARS as
service providers encourage its users
to transition to the new network. Its
increased speed and capacity supports Controller Pilot Data Link
Communications (CPDLC), in which
pre-defined sets of text-based instructions and messages replace routine
voice communications thereby alleviating ATC radio congestion.
The UniLink units are therefor a
major step forward for Universal
Avionics in terms of future-proofing
its products.
Universal will also be showing its
wide range of avionic equipment,
including high-definition cockpit displays, TAWS, Vision-1 Synthetic
Vision system, plus communications
equipment.

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electronic charts, SafeTaxi diagrams, Garmin ESP stability augmentation, class B TAWS terrain alerting,
RVSM compliance*, proven digital AHRS and onboard radar. Plus, optional Iridium-based worldwide weather
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33

PREVIEW

EBACE 2012

ENGINE OEMs STILL

WORKING THEIR MAGIC

By Jack Carroll

GREEN

Engine OEMs
are producing
more power with
less emissions,
Rolls-Royce's
BR710 (left),
Snecma's
Silvercrest
(right).

he engine OEMs must have more

wizards on staff than in Harry
Potter books the way they continue to solve the myriad problems posed
by their demanding customers, who
want more, more, more and in the
same breath less, less and still less.
Customers want more power from
lighter, smaller engines, yet at the
same time reduced operating costs
through increased fuel efficiency,
while helping save the planet by spewing out fewer emissions of all types.
Well the engine makers are doing just
that for business aircraft OEMs and
their needy customers every day; and
along the way crafting some certified
miracles.
While we cant get into all the techniques theyre usingwed run out of
spacewe
can
provide
a
summary/update on the engine makers, though there are few breaking
news to be found at this point as all
engines have notoriously lengthy ges-

68 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

tation periods. But thats all part of an

industry-wide safety first tradition.
So, what are the engineers and their
alchemy up to these days? Which
engines are powering which aircraft?
Snecma Silvercrest
Well begin with Snecmas
Silvercrest engine, nicely-named but
surprisingly silent of late. It has been
estimated by industry sources, that
over $100 milliona reasonable
amount, considering Snecma was
starting from scratch - has been invested in the program to date, which
includes creating a core engine
demonstrator, which by all accounts
from Snecma was successful in every
aspect during over 80 hours of the
toughest testing, including maximum
takeoff speed and temperature redline.
All core components were inspected
after testing and after a stringent
analysis of all test data, Snecmas conclusions were that the Silvercrests
performance exceeded the companys
initial goals by significant margins.

Mandates were a 15 percent fuel burn

reduction, as compared to similar
engines in its 9,500 to 12,000 lbs thrust
category, a 50 percent NOx reduction
over the ICAO CAEP/6 standard as
well as much smaller noise print up to
20 EPN decibels less than Stage 4
requirements. That was a great start
and the Silvercrest engineers could
well have slapped themselves on their
collective backs if no one else was
around to do it.
The Silvercrest was designed to
develop 9,500 to 12,000 lbs of thrust, to
power super-midsize to large cabin
business jets as well as 40-60 seat
regional airliners. Its major selling
points are: a simplified architecture,
reduced parts count to cut maintenance costs and lower specific fuel
consumption, as well as a combination
of reduced noise and emissions. We
hope to see a news release sooner or
later. Might the Silvercrest be chosen
for a long-rumored business aircraft
project, we hope? Will there be an
announcement at EBACE?

Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce concentrates on the
commercial airline industry for its
main source of revenue, but it allocates quite a bit of effort and energy to
the Business Aviation sector as well.
And being Rolls-Royce, the company
focuses on the upper end of the market; the heavy iron aircraft, if you will.
In fact, the latest member of the
BR700 series, the BR725, producing
16,100 lbf, was selected to power
Gulfstream Aerospaces flagship, the
G650. Certified by the FAA in 2009,
the BR725 propelled the G650 to
Mach 0.995, thus challenging the current speed superiority of the Citation
X. First deliveries of the G650 are
scheduled by year end and with about
a 200 order backlog, were looking at
some 400 BR725 for Rolls-Royce to
produce. Rest assured, they have a
very good start on that number.
Back to the BR 700 series, the
BR710, with a 14,000-23,000 lbf, serves
on the Gulfstream G500 and G550 as
well as the Bombardier Global
Express. According to a Rolls-Royce
spokesman, all the latest Rolls-Royce
models have emissions and noise levels that are well below current regulations and have the capability to meet
future, more stringent requirements.

The most recent member of the

popular Tay 611 series is the 611-8C
with 13,850 lbf. It powers the latest
G350 and G450 business jets. It features a wide chord fan with a wellproven chore and a new digital electronic engine control system.
Electronic control of the Tay611-8C
allows it to be integrated into the new
systems architecture of the G350 and
G450, as well as reducing fuel consumption, compared with earlier versions of the engine. In 2011, the Tay
611-8C engine received CAEP6 certification.

An earlier version, the Tay 611-8 was

chosen for the Gulfstream IV, which
was, with some 450 Tay-powered units
sold, the most successful large cabin
aircraft in the world at the time. Small
wonder why Rolls-Royce is so loyal to
the Gulfstream family, and vice versa.
Moving down the line, the AE 3007, in
the 8,000 lbf class, provides the impetus behind over 900 Embraer regional
jets and its large-cabin Legacy 600 business jet, as well as the Citation X. The
Tay family accounts for nearly 2,000
engines in service, which have accumulated over 30 million flight hours.

Pratt & Whitney

Pratt & Whitney Canada has more
than 48,000 engines in service worldwide, which is quite a credential. The
ongoing news at P&WC continues to
be the development of the PurePower
(tm) PW800 and PW1000G advanced
turbofan engines; the latter mainly for
airliners. The PW800 is in the 9,000 to
16,000 lbs thrust category and best
estimate for its entry into service is
2014.
The PW300 turbofan series, in the
4,500 to 7,000 lbs thrust class, consists
of nine models, with nearly 3,000
examples produced, accounting for
some 7,000,000 flight hours. PW300s
power Bombardiers Learjet 60 and
forthcoming Learjet 85, the Citation
Sovereign, Falcon 2000 DX, 7X and
Gulfstream G200. As an aside, the
PW308 will power Burt Rutans White
Knight launch aircraft for rocket-propelled Space Tourist Buses. The company doesnt expect to sell too many
for that purpose. But its nice to know
theyre there.

POWER

Rolls-Royce's
BR710 powers
the Gulfstream
V, Gulfstream
550 and the
Bombardier
Global Express
(top).
Pratt and
Whitney's
PW300 series
comprises nine
models, with
nearly 3,000
examples
produced
(center).

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 69

34

PREVIEW

EFFICIENT

GE Honda's
HF120 is only
368 lbs while
producing a
take-off thrust
of 2,095 lbs.

In the mid-jet class, Pratt & Whitney

has the answer with the PW500 turbofan in the 2,700 to 4,500 thrust range. It
features seven models in the range,
with 2,500+ produced. Youll find members of the Citation family in the group,
such as the Citation XLS+, as well as
Embraers Phenom 300. On the entrylevel stage, the PW600 fills the bill, with
a 900-3,000 lbs thrust range, and is currently on the Eclipse 500, Phenom 100
and Citation Mustang.
We should mention that the JT15D
was P&WCs first turbofan engine. In
the 2,200 to 3,100 lbs thrust class, it
entered the market in the 70s and
powered Cessnas earlier Citation
models, as well as Hawker
Beechcrafts 400XP. For the numbersminded, more than 6,600 of these were
produced and have racked up some 41
million hours of flight time. At last
count, of course.
Of course were not forgetting the
venerable PT6A old reliable with 85
models accounting for over 325 million
hours, over the years. The PT6A has a
power range of 500 to 1,700 shp and
youll find it on just about any turboprop aircraft operating, from the Twin
Otter to the Pilatus PC-12.
To support the many engines in the
field, Pratt & Whitney Canada fields
one of the largest support systems in
the business, with 30 company-owned
Service Centers, more than 100 Field
Support Representatives, and a central
24/7 Customer First Center so an
operator never feels alone.

70 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

EBACE 2012

GE Aviation
GE Aviation recently certified a new
engine! It is the only such announcement in this section, but it is most welcome. Actually, EASA certified the
H80 first in December, 2011 followed
by FAA certification in March, 2012.
The Czech-built GE Aviation H80 turboprop will initially power the
Thrush 510G agricultural aircraft
and Aircraft Industrys L410 commuter
aircraft, but should find its way to
other aircraft as well.
GEs pride and joy is the Passport,
featuring a weight of only 3,700 lbs
and a thrust of 18,200 lbs. It is the
choice of Bombardier Business Jets
for its forthcoming ultra-long range
Global 7000 and 8000 models. The
Passport features an integrated propulsion system, including nacelle and
thrust reversers. GE claims the new
engine will have specific fuel costs
eight percent lower than other engines
in the 10,000 to 20,000 lbs class, a double-digit margin to CAEP/6 regulations on all emissionsNOx, smoke,
hydrocarbons and CO2. The Passport
will produce up to 16,500 lbs of thrust
for the Global 7000 and 8000; the latter
with a range of 7,900 nm.
In the CFM family, a 50/50 collaboration with GE over thirty years, the
CFM 56-5B, in the 22,000-23,000 lbs
class, is the choice of Exeutive/VIP
configured Airbus ACJ 318 and ACJ
319 operators, while the CFM56-7B is
the exclusive powerplant for the
Boeing BBJ.

Moving down to more standard-sized

business aircraft, the CFE738 with 5,918
lbs of thrust powers the Falcon 2000
and features dual, redundant digital
engine controls. The CFE Company
was formed by GE and the Garrett
Division of Allied Signal; now
Honeywell. And how does such an
arrangement work? GE is responsible
for the engine core and control system,
while Honeywell handles the front fan,
low-pressure turbine and accessory
gearbox.
Last, but not least, GEs CF34 family
includes the CF34-3, with up to 9,220 lbs
of thrust and powering Bombardiers
Challengers, including the 601, 604, 605
and 850. The CF34-8 at 14,510 lbs thrust
operates on the Challenger 870/890 as
well as Bombardiers CRJ series of
regional airliners. And the CF34-10 at
up to 20,360 lbs thrust is Embraers
choice for its ERJ 190/100 and 195/100
regional jets as well as the Lineage 1000
large-cabin business aircraft, based on
the ERJ 190.
Another GE Aviation partnership is
that with Honda Aircraft, called GE
Honda Aero Engines. Working in tandem, GE and Honda successfully integrated their technologies to produce
the HF120 turbofan, which will initially
power the HondaJet. The HF 120 features an uncooled, single-stage HPT,
the latest Blisk technologies, and a low
emissions combustor. For a light
engine at only 368 lbs, it produces a
takeoff thrust of 2,095 lbs.
According to a GE spokesman, highflow, wide-chord fan blades, thigh temperature materials and advanced features are providing real performance
advantages including reduced fuel burn
and high thrust to weight ratio, while
the sophisticated combustor and fuel
nozzles combine to reduce all emissions.
The HF120 will meet noise levels
much quieter than Stage 4 requirements.
The testing target is more than 15,000
hours, meaning the engine will be well
seasoned and mature when it enters
service on the HondaJet in 2013.
Honeywell
Honeywell reached a milestone of
over one million flight hours on its
HTF 7000 family, its latest generation
turbofan, which now numbers 600

units in service. The HTF 7000s

power output ranges from 6,500 to
7,500 lbs of thrust, for a thrust-toweight ratio of 5.5:1. The HTF 7000
was originally certified in 2002 and
began its long-term service in 2004 on
the Bombardier Challenger 300. The
HTF 7200-50G will power the soon-tobe-certified Gulfstream G280 and the
HTF 7500E variant was specified by
Embraer for its Legacy 450 and 500
models, now in development. On the
latest models of the HTF 7000 series,
Honeywell will rely on its latest combustor system, featuring what it calls
the HTF SABER technology suite.
The system is expected to reduce Nox
emissions by 25 percent, while the
noise levels of the engines on the
Challenger series will be the lowest in
their class.
Honeywells stalwart TFE731 series
has seen many upgrades and
improvements since the original
geared turbofan engine was certified
back in 1972. The current model is
the TFE731-50R, for which 70
improvements were made. Making
the TFE731-50R, as Honeywell puts it,
70 Ways Better.

The betterment includes improved

core and LP spool technologies, a
new Digital Electronic Engine
Control (DEEC) and a new complete
nacelle and thrust reverser system.
According to Honeywell data, the
changes have resulted in greater versatility, improved temperature margins, a better lapse rate than the
TFE731-5BR and, depending on altitude, up to eight percent specific fuel
consumption.

The ubiquitous TFE731-5 powers a

wide range of business aircraft including the Hawker 750, Falcon 900EX/LX,
Learjet 40/45 and Gulfstream G150.
The TFE 731-50, the latest variant, is
certified on the Hawker 800XPR
upgrade as an STC and also powers the
Hawker 900XP. The company offers
numerous upgrades for earlier models
in the TFE731 series as well as engine
conversions, e.g. TFE731-5AR to -5BR
for the Falcon 20 and 900.

LASTING

The Honeywell
HTF7000 began
long term service
on the
Challenger 300
in 2004.

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35

PREVIEW

WAY-OUT

The
experimental X3
high-speed
hybrid is
equipped with
two turboshaft
engines that
power a fiveblade main rotor
system (top).
The economical
A119 Koala can
carry seven
passengers at
139kt.

EBACE 2012

HELICOPTER OEMs
HOVER PATIENTLY
BEFORE EBACE
The Big Four helicopter
exhibitors are lining up for
EBACE and Jack Carroll takes a
look at their latest innovations.

72 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

urocopter has made a big splash

already this year, having logged
191 orders at Heli-Expo. To date,
the company has corralled 53 percent
of the civil and paramilitary markets,

as well as 15 percent of the military

market. At last count the company had
delivered 11,300 helicopters in 149
countries and supports nearly 3,000
customers worldwide.
Naturally, the company wants to
keep on increasing its market share,
which it intends to do by developing
new helicopters, such as the EC175, in
the final stages of development and
expecting certification this year, and
continue refining and updating existing models in its unmatched, very full
line of 14 rotorcraft, including variations, ranging from light singles to
medium twins, such as the versatile
Dauphins, to transport VIPs or roughnecks the oil & gas guys, and on
up to the seemingly unstoppable, allweather, toughest missions, Super
Puma heavyweight.
Oh yes, and let us not forget
Eurocopters experimental X3 highspeed hybrid, which is back to test
flights and, being a bit more conventional than Sikorskys retired X2 speed
record holder, could be a future candidate for production. We may learn
more at EBACE
The latest Eurocopter update was
introduced at HAI in February and in
the blink of an eyeor eyes the
EC130 T2 light twin accumulated 105
orders from seven operators covering
a with range of missionsas do all
Europter aircraftincluding oil and
gas, aerial tourism, EMS and general
utility. The 1+7 passenger aircraft is
equipped with Eurocopters familiar
Fenestron(tm) shrouded tail rotor.
The EC130 T2 is powered by a
Turbomeca Arriel 2B2 turbine, rated
at 816 shp, giving it a 137 kts speed
and a range of 335 nm. The upgrade
results in a higher maximum gross
weight, a 10 percent speed increase
and much greater fuel efficiency than
its predecessor.
Additional orders written up at HeliExpo covered just about every model
niche, including the enhanced single
engine AS350 B3e of the popular
Ecureuil family, to the next-generation
EC175 in the seven metric ton categoryboasting a 30 percent performance
increase, to the 11-ton EC225, a
favorite in the Oil & Gas Industries.
Confirming the strength of the Oil &
Gas Industry, the leasing company,
Milestone Aviation Group, bullishly

placed an order for 15 EC225s, while

the cash register kept ringing with the
sale of 35 EC175s to three operators.
As Lutz Bertling, Eurocopters
President & CEO, proudlyand with
good reasonsproclaimed, The overall success of Eurocopter at Heli-Expo
2012 demonstrates the global markets
continuing recovery. And our high
order volume serves to demonstrate
the value of Eurocopters successful
strategy of continually investing,
improving and innovating. Sounds
like theyre getting geared up for the
next 20 years. As Bertling adds, With
the same focus and determination to
continue our industry leadership.
From the looks of things right now,
that would be difficult to doubt.
AgustaWestland:
Advancing The Art Of Rotary Flight
Besides outstanding performance,
there is one word that comes to mind
when one thinks of AgustaWestland
helicopters: Beautiful, or Bella, as they
say in Cascina Costa di Samarate,
Italy. They are indeed smooth operators. The line starts with the AW 119
Ke, Koala. Its an economical, reliable light single able to carry 1+7 passengers in a large cabin at up to 139
kts and 515nm.
The e stands for enhanced, as you
might expect. With its P&W 1,002 shp
turbine, it can lift nearly 1,600 lbs and
has a 15,000 ft ceiling. The A119 Ke is
a favorite of police aviation units, such
as New York Citys, a major U.S.
breakthrough in that market, as well
as EMS operators. Some 200 are hard
at work worldwide.
The original A109 dating back to the
early 70s has evolved steadily over the
years to the AW109 Power, the
AW109 Grand and more recently the
AW109 Grand New Often likened to

Flying Ferraris, deservedly so, the

sleek 109s typically carry 1+7 passengers and are adaptable to a wide range
of missions; even a custom-built, high
altitude mountain rescue version for a
Swiss operator.
The AW109 Power is the choice for
high altitude and high temperature
operations. It has a maximum cruise of
155 kts, a 19,600 ft ceiling and a 512
nm range. The Power is single-pilot
IFR certified to perform Category A
take-offs from elevated helipads without any payload reduction. It can be
equipped with either Turbomeca or
P&W engines with FADEC systems.
Sikorsky Global Helicopters
While Sikorskys main interestits
bread and butter is in the military
helicopter market, that is not to say it
pays less attention to its civil products.
On the contrary, the company is well
recognized for maintaining the highest design, construction and safety
standards across the board; with all
areas benefitting from the companys
military research and development.
Its commercial helicopter line at the
top end of Sikorskys Global
Helicopters organization is limited to
the S-76C and S-76C++ at the present,
while the S-76D program continues to
gain momentum toward certification,
especially since the FAA certification
of its Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S
turbines late last year. Pratt &
Whitney Canadaalso a subsidiary of
United Technologieshas completed
more than 10,000 hours of flight testing the engines as well as in test cells.
Bell Helicopter Breaks The Mold
After trimming long-in-the-tooth
models or slow sellers over the past
several years, Bell has become lean

and mean again. The company marked

a major turning point in 2010 with the
introduction into service of the Bell
429 light twin GlobalRanger; an
instant success. It was, after all, Bells
first clean sheet design in decades, so
you might say it was a case of pent-up
demand.
The medium class 429 is certified for
single or dual pilot IFR operation and
WAAS precision approaches. The
roomy 1+7 passenger aircraft is
equipped with Bells BasiX-Pro integrated avionics system with dual digital 3 axis autopilot. From inside a
streamlined, low-drag cabin-top enclosure, Two Pratt &Whitney Canada
PW207D1 turbines rated at 1,100 shp
each move the 429 along to a 155 kts
maximum speed, a range of up to 400
nm and a certified ceiling of 20,000
feet. An enhancement approved by
Transport Canada allows a weight
increase of 500 lbs to 7,500 lbs maximum, which allows a greater range
and increased loiter time. Operators
will be pleased to know that a simple
retrofit kit is available through Bell.
At Heli-Expo 2012, Bell revealed its
next-generation super-medium twinengine entry, the Model 525
Relentless. The wide-cabin, 2+16-passenger aircraft was obviously designed
with oil & gas, EMS and SAR roles in
mind. The engine of choice is the GE
CT7-2F1 turbine (2X) with FACEC, the
latest version of the CT7 family.
Projected speed is 140 kts, with a maximum range of 400 nm. Maximum gross
weight is 18,000 lbs with a useful load
of 4,000, placing the Relentless at the
high end of the medium category.
More news, such as estimated times
to first flight and certification of the
Relentless 525, will possibly be issued
at EBACE.

SUCCESS

The S-76C
benefits from the
Sikorsky's
military research
and
development.
First clean sheet
design in
decades, the
Bell 429 light
twin was an
instant success.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 73

36

PREVIEW

EBACE 2012

BUSINESS TURBOPROPS
DEFY THE DOWNTURN

When turboprops are flown at

the correct altitude and
airspeed, they are extremely
efficient and burn nearly half
as much fuel as most light jets,
which in turn lowers their hourly
rate. No wonder they are
growing in popularity.
Marc Grangier reports.

T
ROBUST

Durable and
cost-efficient,
turboprops have
fared well during
the recession.
Pilatus PC-12
(top),
Cessna Caravan
(bottom).

urboprops superb short-field

take-off and landing capabilities
mean they can have access to
small regional airports with short runways. This is why turboprop sales
have not dipped like those of the light
jets. It may also explain why manufacturers like Piper, DAHER-SOCATA or
Piaggio Aero, who wanted to put new
light jets on the market, decided to
suspend or slow down their development, preferring to push the sale of
their existing turboprops, while of
course continuing to improve them.

74 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

In terms of fleets, the Beech King Air

family - from the King Air 90 to the
King Air 350iC - dominate the market,
with a total of 5,893 aircraft (on January
1st 2012). The largest share belongs to
the King Air 200 and B200 with 1,738
aircraft. Then comes the rugged
Cessna Caravan 208 and 208B with
2,005 aircraft. The Pilatus PC-12 and
12NG total 1,208 aircraft, while 811
Piper Malibu Jetprop and Meridian
have been delivered. The TBM family
700A, B, C1 and C2 and 850 - totals 654
aircraft. And 216 Piaggio Avanti P180
and Avanti II are currently in operation.
These figures concern the models
presently produced and marketed. A
number of other models are still flying,
even if they are no longer produced,
such as the Cessna Conquests, the
Piper Cheyennes, the Fairchild
Swearingen Merlins, the Mitsubishi
MU-2s, the Beech Starship or the
Rockwell/Gulfstream
Turbo
Commanders. Concerning these latter
models, 763 aircraft are still flying, and
many observers regret that the production of this stable high-winged twin,
pressurized turboprop aircraft - one of
favorites Bob Hoover toys - was prematurely stopped.
Single or Twin-Turboprops?
The question of single versus twin is
a touchy subject and while Hawker
Beechcraft will give you arguments in
favor of twins, as it is the only manufacturer of business twin-turboprop
aircraft today, other manufacturers

like Pilatus or DAHER-SOCATA will

demonstrate that singles are as safe as
twins, and more economical to operate.
But when it comes to commercial
flights in Europe, the twins have the
upper hand.
Under existing EASA regulations,
operators are not allowed to fly commercial single-engine flights in IFR conditions (SE-IMC/night flights), as it is
already the case, and has been for a
number of years, in countries like USA
and Canada. But the situation could
change soon. Assuming budget and
resources are available, EASAs development of new regulations for SEIMC/night flying is scheduled to start
this year, which means that a formal
EASA recommendation to the
European Commission could emerge
in 2016!
In terms of sales, the new commercial
SE-IMC/night flight regulations could
greatly contribute to TBM-850 and PC12NG sales. Air charter companies
looking for alternatives to their light
jets for short European trips, might just
opt for a single engine turboprop.
The Main Contenders
Cessna
Up to now, Cessna has delivered 120
Caravan 208s and 208Bs in Europe,
plus 1,885 in the rest of the world. And
sales continue for this rugged aircraft,
which has established its own niche.
No wonder the manufacturer continues to improve them. Recently, EASA

certified Honeywells TPE331-12JR turboprop engine for the aircraft,

enabling European operators to take
advantage of the engines improved
power, lower cost, enhanced fuel efficiency, and low noise levels.
The TPE331-12JR has improved
maintenance intervals of up to 3,500
hours between hot section inspection
and 7,000 hours between overhaul,
further reducing cost of operation. At
cruise, the TPE331-12JR burns as
much as four gallons an hour less fuel
for similar speeds than the original
production turboprop. The Caravan is
certified in 100 countries and the fleet
has amassed more than 13 million
flight hours. In the past twelve
months, weve seen a very strong
interest in the Caravan, said Pana
Poulios, Cessnas European Sales
Director.
As well - in cooperation with Yingling
Aviation, Cessna is offering the OASIS
executive cabin retrofit installed under
a Supplemental Type Certificate
(STC). This interior provides seating
configurations for up to 10 people with
two forward facing seats behind the
crew, a four-place club seating area
with executive side tables, and an aft
divan with seating for two. More than
100 Caravan and Grand Caravan fitted
with the OASIS interior have been
delivered to date.
Blackhawk, which is specialized in
performance improvement systems for
single- and twin-engine turboprop aircraft, recently delivered Africas first
XP42A Cessna 208B Caravan upgrade
system to FliteCare, a company based
in Pretoria and providing business,
leisure and general air charter services
throughout South Africa. The XP42A
system includes a factory-new Pratt &
Whitney PT6A-42A engine with 850
continuous shaft horsepower (SHP),
with a 1,000-hour, no-calendar-limit
Pratt & Whitney warranty, exchanged
for the Caravans existing engine.
The package also features a new,
wide-chord, 100-inch diameter Hartzell
four-blade propeller; a new carbonfiber composite cowling and high efficiency inlet duct produced by
Blackhawk Composites and a new 40percent larger oil cooler. Thanks to
the upgrade, FliteCares Caravan has
increased engine power by 25 percent.
The system also doubles the Caravans
standard rate of climb with less fuel
consumption, increases take-off
weight by four percent, improves take-

REGULATION

Under existing
EASA regulation,
single turboprops
like this TBM 850
are not allowed
to fly commercial
IFR flights in
Europe.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 75

37

PREVIEW

EBACE 2012
than a singleengine turboprop on typical 300600 nauticalmile trips.
Thanks to its Flexcabin system, the
cabin can be easily reconfigured for
business or cargo transportation.
Equipped with a Rockwell Collins Pro
Line 21 integrated avionics, the King
Air 350i can often operate from runways shorter than 3,000 feet and at
maximum weight, its twinengine
climb rate ascends to 2,730 feet per
minute.
Concerning the King Air 250,
Tannahill mentioned that it now features composite winglets and lightweight composite propellers, delivering improved runway performance,
range, speed and enhanced climb. The
King Air 250 has a new ram air recovery system that maintains peak performance when the anti-icing system is

WINNER

Certified in 100
countries, the
Cessna Caravan
fleet has
amassed more
than 13 million
flight hours.

STYLE

The TBM 850

cabin features
supple leather
and fine wood in
true European
styling.

off performance and safety margins

and increases cruise speed by 15 percent. For Blackhawk CEO Jim Allmon,
The upgrade is being very well
received, and I think the entire African
continent is a burgeoning market for
Blackhawk.
DAHER-SOCATA
Nicolas Chabbert, Senior VicePresident of DAHER-SOCATA
Airplane Division, was happy with his
companys results in 2011: Deliveries
of the TBM 850 remained steady. A
total of 38 TBM 850s were provided
to customers in America, Asia-Pacific
and Europe, equaling last years number. Since the introduction of the
new model in 2006, 260 units have
been sold. Last year was the fourth
best year for the TBM aircraft family
since 1990, whose 600th aircraft
rolled out of the factory last October.
The combined fleets flight time has
now reached more than 910,000
hours.
We attained our delivery goals in
2011 despite the very difficult economic environment worldwide, resulting in
the TBM 850 gaining market share,
explained Chabbert to BART
International. Most of the TBM 850s
purchased in 2011 were acquired by
U.S. customers (84%). Latin America
was in second position with 10%, followed by Asia-Pacific. Concerning
Europe, it represented 5% of the sales,
down from 13% in 2010.

76 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

Included in DAHER-SOCATAs 2011

activity were the companys initial deliveries of new TBM 850s in Singapore,
and the first multi-mission TBMMMA
version provided to Argentina.
Chabbert believes that the TBM 850
Model 2012 should help boost sales.
Among other benefits it includes an
exclusive maintenance program that
lowers scheduled maintenance costs
for five years or 1,000 hours.
Hawker Beechcraft
For Christi Tannahill, Hawker
Beechcraft Senior Vice President,
Global Customer Support: The
nextgeneration King Air 350i is the
greenest aircraft of its segment. It can
take more passengers farther on less
fuel, its cost per seatmile being less

activated, resulting in a high-performance, all-weather aircraft.

Improvements have also been made
to the King Air C90GTx. They include
an increase in gross weight and the
addition of composite winglets, which
improve climb performance and further increase fuel efficiency. Featuring
a cabin 50 percent larger than some
very light jets, the C90GTx seats up to
seven passengers. It includes an inflight accessible, heated and pressurized baggage storage area, along with
a private aft lavatory as standard.
Last February, Hawker Beechcraft
and its local distributor, Hawker
Pacific, announced the delivery of a
fleet of five King Air turboprops to
the Royal Flying Doctor Service

38

PREVIEW

EBACE 2012
(RFDS) Eastern Division in Australia.
The two King Air 350C (cargo door
variant) and three King Air B200C
aircraft join a fleet of air ambulance
aircraft operated on contract for New
South Wales Department of Health
Air Ambulance.
The delivery of the King Air 350C
aircraft marks the first of this type
into service for the RFDS. The King
Air turboprops are well suited for
medical evacuation missions as they
feature large pressurized, environmentally controlled cabins with high
cruise speeds and the payload/range
required to expeditiously transport
critical-care patients, said Jay
Gibson, Vice President, Special
Missions and Corporate Government
Relations. Additionally, the King
Airs are capable of operating from
short, unimproved runways, providing additional flexibility during critical situations in the remote areas of
Australia. The RFDS utilizes the
King Air B200C extensively throughout Australia for aero medical primary response and inter-hospital transfers. The King Air 350C is the first in
the region that is fully dedicated to
the air ambulance mission.
Earlier this year, Hawker
Beechcraft Global Customer Support
announced the setup of its Quick
Response Team to provide immediate
response to AOG situations to owners and operators at a number of
business, political, sporting and
lifestyle events across the globe.
Weve positioned more than 1,000
customer support professionals
worldwide, empowered with the tools

FUTURE

Piaggio Aero
Avanti (top)
and Pilatus
PC 12 (bottom).
While working on
new projects, the
European
turboprop
manufacturers
remain discreet
about their future
plans.
78 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

and authority to get the job done,

said Tannahill. Among large international events, Hawker Beechcraft
Quick Response Team will be present at the Summer Olympics, July
27-Aug. 12 in London.
Piaggio Aero
According to Piaggio Aero general
manager Eligio Trombetta, the company is currently working on several
new product upgrade programs for
its P.180 Avanti II, including new and
quieter propellers (those who have
had the opportunity to watch an
Avanti on final approach will appreciate), an improved environmental control system (ECS), a digital cabin
management system (CMS) and antiskid brakes.
Some of those improvements,
which will be standard on production
aircraft by the middle of this year,
will also be made available as retrofits to owners of existing aircraft. A
totals of 216 Avantis has been delivered to date, and of those, more than
half are in the Americas. Floridabased fractional operator Avantair
remains the largest commercial fleet
operator of the type with 56 aircraft
in service, each averaging more than
100 flight hours per month.
During last years NBAA, Piaggio
confirmed that it was working on a
new aircraft, the P1XX, but the companys co-chairman Jose DiMase,
recently stated that: It was not the
time now to reveal program details,
though the company continues to
explore whatever opportunity that
makes sense. Piaggio Aero has two
major shareholders, Mubadala and

Indias Tata Group, and DiMase

admits that the final strategy rests
with them.
Pilatus
The Swiss aircraft manufacturer,
which had delivered its 1000th PC-12 in
June 2010, delivered its 1100th aircraft
in November 2011. Though the rate of
production has been slightly lowered
due to the economic crisis in the
United States where nearly 80% of its
aircraft are sold - Thomas Bosshard,
CEO of Pilatus Business Aircraft Ltd,
is very optimistic about the future, as
Since its introduction to the market in
1994, the PC-12 program has greatly
exceeded all expectations originally
set for it by Pilatus, and we anticipate
continued popularity of the PC-12 NG
for many years to come.
In order to lower production costs
and partially compensate the high rate
of the Swiss franc, Pilatus has looked
for new production schemes. Fuselage
and wing cell assembly work has long
been carried out for Pilatus by OGMA,
in Portugal. A second partner was
found last year: PZL Swidnik S.A. in
Swidnik, Poland (200 km south-east of
Warsaw). Although Pilatus has no
intention of abandoning OGMA, the
choice of a second production facility
outside Switzerland will encourage
healthy competition between the two
suppliers, whilst providing better
strategic safeguarding of PC-12 production operations.
The PC-12 NG performs many roles,
including executive transport, commuter, medical evacuation (medevac),
police and border surveillance, cargo
transport, military liaison, and regional
airliner. The PC-12 fleet has amassed
3.3 million flight hours of operating
experience, including thousands of
hours in some of the worlds harshest
environments. For the 10th consecutive year, PC-12 operators have ranked
Pilatus customer support as the best in
the industry. Pilatus also hopes to create a new market with its special mission PC-12 Spectre, designed for medical evacuation missions and to support government, military and law
enforcement roles.
For Leonard Luke, Vice President of
Government Sales for Pilatus Business
Aircraft Ltd, The basic PC-12 Spectre
features a standard retractable sensor
platform, and a 9-passenger utility interior with a sensor operators console.
Most Spectre aircraft are highly modi-

fied to tailor to the customers specific

mission requirements. Customization
can include communications and surveillance equipment, external pods,
medevac interiors and a paratrooper
jump door.
Though no information has leaked
up to now, one must not forget that
last year Oscar J. Schwenk, Pilatus
Chairman and CEO, officially declared
that its company was developing a new
aircraft for the civilian market: the PC24. And he indicated that more details
would be revealed about this project in
2012, when the concept will be presented to the public. Will it be at
EBACE or NBAA? Well have to wait
and see.
Piper
Piper President and CEO Simon
Caldecott told BART that his company
has enhanced both pilot and passenger comfort for its signature series of
2012 model year M-Class turboprop
Meridian. The Meridian seats six persons with club seating. It is powered
by the P&WC PT6A-42A 500 shp turboprop and has a 260 KTAS / 482
km/h max cruise speed and a range of
1,000 NM / 1,860 km. The standard
equipped list price is US$2,071,500,
equipped with the Garmin G1000
avionics suite.
New design changes have enhanced
pilot comfort and cockpit access
through incorporation of newly
designed seating. The cockpit provides more elbow and hip room and
additional seating comfort. The newly
designed side panels have larger map

pockets capable of handling pilot

iPads, which are quickly becoming
essential flight tools.
Tepid Growth
This years fleet report (see BART
International February-April 2012)
showed that the turboprop market is
growing steadily. In 2011, the fleet
grew by 507 units (3.93%), up from
growth of 3% last year. However,
according to Forecast International,
which recently issued an analysis of the
world turboprop market, while the
global economy is recovering from the
recent financial crisis, growth in the
United States and Europe, the two primary markets for turboprop aircraft,
remains tepid.
Demand from other areas of the
globe, including emerging economies
such as China, India, and Brazil, is not
expected to grow quickly enough to
replace lost orders from customers in
Northern America and Europe. In all,
the production of 3,768 business turboprops is expected between 2011 and
2020 on January 1 st 2012, the total
fleet amounted to 13,381 units.
However, the latest statistics issued by
JETNET for the pre-owned turboprop
market indicate that the percentage of
fleet for sale numbers are down compared to last year - well below the 10%
mark - which means that we are clearly
moving into a sellers market, and turboprop sales now show increases greater
than 50% in average asking prices. A
positive sign for the future.

UPWARD

Powered by a
P&W PT6A-42A
the Piper
Meridian

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 79

39

PREVIEW

EBACE 2012

AROUND THE EXHIBITION

recognized, accepted and/or approved
by most of the major corporate aircraft
manufacturers. This acceptance, combined with Avtraks compliance focus
and competitive pricing, provides customers with a workable solution for
managing a mixed fleet of any size.
Avtrak provides customers with a single, easy-to-use, real time compliance
management and tracking service
backed by qualified compliance specialists (A&P/IA). The ability to track
and manage a mixed fleet with a single, analyst supported system has
been a key Avtrak feature from the
start.

Air BP Aviation Services

(Booth# 1953)
Air BP, the specialized aviation division of BP, is one of the worlds largest
suppliers of both aviation fuels (both
Jet Kerosene & Aviation Gasoline) and
lubricants (for both turbine and pistonengined aircraft). It currently supplies
over 26 million tones (around 8 billion
gallons) of aviation fuels and lubricants to its customers across the globe
per annum.
Air BPs international spread is
impressive with services at over 600
airports in some 50 countries, with
local offices in almost half of these
countries.
Av8jet (Static Display)
Av8jet is an Aircraft Sales &
Management company offering
Turnkey Jet & Rotary Management,
24/7 Flight Planning, Technical,
Financial & Crew Management. It has
a global network of sales partners
APPROVED offering acquisitions & consulting serEBACE 2012 will vices.
feature a
multitude of Avtrak, LLC (Booth# 2234)
exhibitors from Avtrak brings quality and value to corthe Business porate aircraft maintenance tracking,
Aviation industry. planning and management. Fast, easy
Don't forget to to use and supported by qualified
visit our A&P/IA Compliance Specialists,
partners. Avtraks web based systems are used,
80 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

Baldwin Aviation Safety

& Compliance (Booth# 2300)
Baldwin Aviation was founded in 2004
on the premise that smaller flight
departments need and deserve the
same level of quality resources, services and safety management as their
multinational counterparts. By developing flexible proprietary software,
Baldwin Safety and Compliance is
able to deliver a quality safety management program tailored to each
flight department while overcoming
budget and employee constraints.
Their safety management program
and proprietary Safety Barometer
are tools that can be used in any size
flight department to monitor its safety
culture.
Blackhawk Modifications Inc.
(Booth# 483)
Blackhawk Modifications is a recognized leader in providing engine performance solutions to the global turboprop fleet. With the largest
installed fleet of STC twin-engine turboprop upgrades, Blackhawk is the
worlds largest non-OEM buyer of
new Pratt & Whitney (P&W) turboprop engines.
One of its newly certified engine
upgrade packages will boost the
power and capabilities of hard-working Cessna Caravan aircraft, expanding mission profiles and dramatically
improving productivity for thousands
of operators around the world.

BLR Aerospace (Booth# 1931)

BLR Aerospace, a NASA Technology
Transfer Licensee, is focused on developing the highest performance aerodynamic solutions in the industry, and
BLRs superior designs are backed by
unsurpassed manufacturing quality.
BLR, now in its 20th year, holds
patented technologies for improving
flight performance of fixed and rotary
wing aircraft, and has certified over 60
Supplemental Type Certificates.
CRS Jet Spares (Booth# 428)
From its very inception in 1982, the
goal of the Corporate Rotable &
Supply team has been to provide business jet customers with a cost effective, high-quality alternative to OEM
spares and rotable parts.
Today CRS has grown to be the preferred supplier to Fortune 100 and
Fortune 500 corporate flight departments worldwide. They have achieved
their goal by offering a unique balance
of technical expertise, quality products
and a total dedication to customer satisfaction, all while maintaining costs
that are significantly below their competitors.
EADS SECA (Booth# 1332)
Over the past 60 years, the development of EADS SECA has mirrored
that of modern aviation and taken full
advantage of the tremendous technological
aviation
innovations.
Progressively, EADS SECA has
reached an impressive level of knowhow in the engine maintenance activities for regional and business aircraft.
Approved as an authorized overhaul
facility by the major aircraft engine
manufacturers, EADS SECA performs
all type of works : scheduled and
unscheduled maintenance, light
repairs, major overhauls, hot section
inspections (HSI) and foreign object
damage (FOD) repair.
ExecuJet Aviation Group
(Booth# 136)
The ExecuJet Aviation Group offers a
diverse range of services including
pre-owned and new aircraft sales, air-

craft management for private and commercial registered aircraft, aircraft

charter, aircraft maintenance, aircraft
completions management and fixed
base operations.
ExecuJet manages 150 business jets
worldwide under the most stringent
safety standards. Its commercial fleet
is operated under the regulatory
umbrella of seven regional civil aviation issued air operating certificates
(AOCs).
Gore Design Completions
(Booth #661)
Gore Design Completions, founded by
Jerry Gore and Gore-Walters, got its
start in the completions business
eleven years ago with a head of state
B767-300ER.
The company is a leading supplier of
custom aircraft interiors with extensive experience in head-of-state and
VVIP aircraft, including the latest
generation in wide bodies. An
approved completion and maintenance facility
for single aisle and wide body aircraft,
the San Antonio, Texas based operation performs interior design, engineering, avionics and project management service for customers worldwide.
Jet Aviation (Booth# 7040)
Jet Aviation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE:
GD) was founded in Switzerland in
1967 and has grown to become one of
the leading Business Aviation services
companies in the world. Close to 5,600
employees cater to clients needs from
25 airport facilities throughout
Europe, the Middle East, Asia and
North and South America.
Jet Aviation has become the largest
employer at Basels EuroAirport and
with its work force of close to 1,700
professionals; the company represents
the largest operation in terms of personnel within the Jet Aviation group.
The facility includes eight large
hangars with a total of 353,425 sq.ft.
(31,808 sq.m.).
Jet Support Services, Inc. - JSSI
(Booth# 939)
Founded in 1989, Jet Support Services,
Inc. (JSSI) is the worlds largest independent provider of hourly cost maintenance programs for aircraft engines
and airframes.

JSSI provides its clients with comprehensive, flexible and affordable financial tools for managing the often
unpredictable costs of operating and
maintaining nearly all types of turbinepowered aircraft, including jets, turboprops and helicopters. JSSI serves
clients around the world by managing
maintenance services through its
international network of Technical
Advisors.
Lufthansa Technik (Booth# 443)
Lufthansa Technik is one of the leading independent providers of maintenance, repair, overhaul and modification services for civil aircraft. With tailored maintenance programs and
state-of-the-art repair methods,
Lufthansa Technik ensures the unbroken reliability and availability of its
customers fleets. Lufthansa Technik
is an internationally licensed maintenance, production and development
organization.
RUAG Aviation (Booth# 1396)
The RUAG Group is an international
aerospace and defence technology
company with production sites in
Switzerland, Germany, Sweden,
Austria, Hungary and the United
States. It currently generates more
than half of its net sales 53% outside the Swiss domestic market.
Innovative products and services of
outstanding quality form the basis of
RUAGs worldwide success. RUAG
thus invests around 8% of its revenues
in research and development. It collaborates closely with international technology partners including Airbus,
ASML, Astrium, Boeing, Bombardier,
Dassault, the European Space Agency
(ESA), Hilti, Krauss-Maffei Wegmann
and Rheinmetall.
StandardAero (Booth# 671)
StandardAero is one of the worlds
largest independent providers of services including engine and airframe
repair and overhaul, engine component repair, engineering services,
interior completions and paint applications. StandardAero serves a
diverse array of customers in business and general aviation, airline, military, energy and VIP completions
markets.
StandardAero provides a global service network of 12 primary facilities in
the U.S., Canada, Europe, Singapore

and Australia, along with an additional

14 regionally located service and support locations.
Universal Avionics Corporation
(Booth# 639)
Universal Avionics manufactures and
markets an extensive line of advanced
avionics. Product lines include the
EFI-890R Flat Panel Display; a line of
LCD Integrated Cockpit Displays;
Vision-1 Synthetic Vision Systems;
Terrain Awareness and Warning
Systems; Cockpit Voice and Digital
Flight Recorders; Radio Control Units;
and the Application Server Unit which
integrates charts, electronic documents and checklists with displays
systems.
Universal Weather and Aviation
(Booth# 7080)
Since 1959, Universal has seen clients
face incredible challenges, and delivered the solutions they need to prevail. To do this, they leverage what
makes them unique: providing the
complete global resources their customers need, all coordinated and executed by their team members around
the world.
With a broad array of services and
capabilities, Universal helps clients
overcome the unexpected. The company offers knowledge, experience, and
resources that come from more than
50 years in business, in which theyve
facilitated more than 2.5 million global
trip legs.
Vector Aerospace (Booth# 1332)
From facilities in Canada, the United
States, the United Kingdom and South
Africa, Vectors employees serve a
global customer base consisting of private and commercial operators, government agencies and defense departments.
Their service portfolio includes support for various types of turbine
engines, dynamic components, structures and avionics.
Vector Aerospace holds approvals
from some of the worlds leading
OEMs including: AgustaWestland,
Boeing, Sikorsky, Rolls-Royce,
Eurocopter, Pratt & Whitney Canada,
General Electric, Turbomeca, Sagem
Avionics, Rockwell Collins and many
other manufacturers and suppliers.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 81

40

REPORT

BUSINESS VERSUS LUXURY AVIATION

IT'S A BUSINESS TOOL

By Marc Grangier

The title of our magazine

BART: Business Aviation Real Tool
- says it all. As far as we are
concerned Business Aviation is
nothing more and nothing less
than a real tool conducting
successful business.

DISTORT

Billionaire
lavishness sends
the wrong
message about
Business
Aviation.

owever, for many, Business

Aviation is the epitome of the billionaire lifestyle. For example,
Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch, owns a Boeing 767-33A that,
although from the outside looks ordinary, has an interior outfitted with
chestnut wood and decorated in gold.
It even has its own air missile avoidance system.

82 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

The Sultan of Brunei bought his

Boeing 747-430 for at least $100 million, and then spent $120 million fitting it out with a range of luxury items,
including solid gold washbasins.
American billionaire and Dallas
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban flies
his own Boeing 767-277, which features custom-made seats to accommodate the teams tallest players.
Last February, Boeing delivered the
first Intercontinental VIP 747-8 to an
undisclosed Middle Eastern head of
state. The airplane will enter service in
2014 after its VIP interior is installed.
Offering a total of 5,179 square feet
(481.1 square meters) of cabin space nearly twice the size of a standard tennis court - it will have a range of about
8,840 nautical miles (16,372 km). To
date, Boeing has received orders for
nine 747-8 VIP aircraft.

In terms of luxury flying, one of the

most extravagant examples is the
Airbus A380 ordered by Prince AlWaleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia to
serve as his flying palace. It is
presently being retrofitted under a
$485 million contract (aircraft price
included).
The 747-8 usually seats 600, but on
Al-Waleed bin Talals aircraft plenty of
room had to be cleared for a range of
perks. Theres an on-board garage so
that the prince can be driven right to
the threshold of the airplanes elevator. After arrival, he can retire to his
master suite - one of five, each with
king-size beds and computer generated prayer mats always facing Mecca while up to 20 extra-guests have to
make do with sleepers that are the
equivalent of first class.
The real extravagance begins elsewhere on the planes three floors:
theres a concert hall that seats ten
and has a baby grand piano/ a boardroom with a holographic projector,
and a full-size sauna. The most entertaining perk is a well-being room that
has a projector capable of beaming up
an enormous image of what the plane
is flying over - thus creating a magic
carpet effect.
Why Companies
Use Business Aviation
Needless to say, examples like these
give Business Aviation a bad name.
However, just a few minutes of
research will show that overall, busi-

With a business aircraft, on the

other hand, life gets much easier.
You chose the time and date of
departure, and if the return flight
has to be postponed, just ask the
crew to prepare a new flight plan.
A business aircraft lets you visit
several customers in one day, taking
off just after a meeting has ended
and quickly arriving at your next
destination. Bringing along employees is another advantage as theyll
help you prepare the next meeting or
discuss proprietary matters en route.
In fact, a NBAA survey revealed that
72% of passengers aboard business
airplanes are non-executive employees.

ness aircraft are invaluable, time-saving tools. In an increasingly competitive and global marketplace, Business
Aviation is truly a tool that directly
contributes to growth, a Swiss CEO
told BART.
In other words, business people simply cannot afford to ignore the benefits
that Business Aviation brings, a point
made clear with a quick comparison to
the commercial airlines.
Very often, a business person will
make a last minute decision to visit a
potential customer or negotiate a contract so booking a seat on the next
airline flight isnt a viable option.
Remember, three percent of all commercial airline flights are cancelled,
and nearly one quarter are delayed,
meaning the odds of getting on the
next flight arent stacked in the business persons favor.

Lets say your final destination is

not served by an international airport
but only by a small airfield with an
unpaved or grass runway. With a
light jet or turboprop youll have a
distinct advantage. And of course its
perfectly possible to hold a meeting
on an aircraft, such as when there is
no conference facilities available or
because a stop is too short to allow a
transfer to the nearest city.
Businesspeople often say that one
of the great things about flying in
their own aircraft is that it allows
them to easily transport specialized
or bulky equipment. This is because
most business aircraft have a walk-in
baggage area accessible during
flight - making things a lot easier if
you put your documents in your suitcase before boarding the plane on a
transcontinental flight.

Once, when I was working for an

executive charter company, I had to
organize a flight from Italy to London
for a top European banker. During
the flight he learned that he would
need his lawyer at the next meeting.
Unfortunately, the lawyer happened
to be on holiday in Marbella. Thanks
to Business Aviation, this really wasnt a problem, at least for the banker,
who simply asked the crew to reroute
the aircraft to Spain.
When Time Matters
For trips that do not originate and
end at large hub airports, Business
Aviation is almost always the most
efficient option as the time savings
can be significant. For example, you
wont be able to get from Geneva to
Biarritz by airline in less than 10
hours 50 min (with an aircraft transfer in Paris), whereas flying direct by
business jet youll do the trip in one
hour and 15 minutes.
And did you know that a NaplesLuxemburg flight - only 628 NM takes a minimum of nine hours by airline, with two stops en route! The
return flight Luxemburg-Naples is
even longer, taking no less than 21h
45 min, with a departure at 9:05, a
night stopover in Amsterdam and an
arrival in Naples the next day at 9:05.
Even in a single engine turboprop,
that same trip takes less than two
hours and 15 min.
Time differences that favor business
jets can even be greater in continents
like Africa, where it is often very difficult to make fast radial flights.
A flight from Yaound, Cameroon to
Nouakchott, Mauritania 1,800 NM takes between 21 h 30 min and 44 h
and 25 min on an airline, depending
on the time of departure. You can
make the same trip in a business aircraft in approximately 4 h 30 min,
even allowing for a same day return
after a one to two hour meeting at the
destination when flying Business
Aviation.
Youll find a similar situation in CIS
countries, where Moscow still acts as
an important hub for connecting former Soviet republics. An airline flight
from Bukhara, Uzbekistan to Almaty,
Kazakhstan - 575 NM - cannot be
completed in less than 19h 45 min
with a transfer in Moscow
Domodedovo, while the same flight in
a business jet will take less than an
hour and a half.

DEFINITION

No need for a
royal barge. Any
aircraft flown for
purpose of
business is a
business aircraft.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 83

41

REPORT

Spreading the Word

VALUE

For conducting
business - forget
the champagne.
A good internet
connection is all
you need.

The efficiency gains business aircraft

bring are self-evident. However, the
extravagant, luxury interiors and eye
watering price tags grab all the media
headlines. This isnt helped by the fact
that some operators explicitly market
their service as an extension of the
luxury lifestyle, while failing to emphasize the economic and time-saving
benefits that they also offer.

84 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

BUSINESS VERSUS LUXURY AVIATION

Now that the public mood has turned

against business and banking excesses, these operators are plainly shooting themselves in the foot.
We risk squandering the chance of
a sustained recovery, if we dont portray ourselves intelligently, says
Patrick Margetson-Rushmore, Chief
Executive of London Executive
Aviation (LEA). There is still a temptation for many operators to emphasize the champagne lifestyle in their

marketing, which is a self-defeating

folly given the general public mood.
The zeitgeist is still very critical of
excessive City bonuses, so it is vital
we distance ourselves from so-called
corporate greed, adds MargetsonRushmore. We should instead promote the true value of Business
Aviation, which is all about saving precious time - an essential ingredient for
the economic recovery that will benefit
us all.
Margetson-Rushmore notes that the
positive message about Business
Aviation should be brought to the fore
during this summers London
Olympics, when the industry will take
an important share of the strain on
Londons travel infrastructure and
allow many to fly to London without
delay.
Euro 2012 gives operators another
chance to promote messages of timesaving and value. Fans travelling
abroad face significant challenges
because of where the matches are to
be played, he says. Fans may need to
shuttle between Donetsk and Kiev in
Ukraine, which could be a challenge
as the cities are more than 400 miles
apart.
With limited options for scheduled air
and ground transportation, this situation is almost a case study for why
Business Aviation is so invaluable.
Rather than losing days or weeks out
of the office, fans chartering aircraft
with their friends could fly out to see
all the live action and be home again
within hours, continues MargestsonRushmore. Splitting air charter costs
between six or eight passengers could
make the expense per person very
attractive, especially when you factor
in savings on hotels and ground transportation.
When you look at it this way, the
financial attractiveness of Business
Aviation is crystal clear. BART
International is a staunch supporter of
this message. Indeed its the message
weve been promoting for the past 24
years.
So lets just repeat it one more time:
Business Aviation is a significant economic contributor and an real business tool.

After ten years in the air,

its time to pop the cork.
When Avinode took off in 2002 it forever changed the aviation industry.
For the first time, everything you needed to buy and sell air charter was
available online. Today we are the worlds largest online marketplace for
air charter, spanning five continents, and bringing together 80% of the
global charter market.
We think thats cause for celebration and hope you do too!
Join us on May 15th at 17:00 in booth #749 at EBACE to celebrate
Avinodes first decade. Welcome.

Join us for a celebratory

mingle in booth 749.

www.avinode.com

42

FLIGHT DEMO

SIERRA UPGRADED CITATION G501SP

ADDING VALUE TO GOOD AIRFRAMES

By LeRoy Cook

RETROFIT

The G501SP
upgrade brings
Garmins
Synthetic Vision
Technology to
early Citation
models.

ierra Industries has been developing improvements for older

Cessna Citations for nearly 30
years, adding value to good airframes
that could benefit with a little tweakingif you can call more wingspan,
increasing fuel capacity and swapping
out the old Pratt & Whitney JT15D
engines for new Williams FJ44s a little tweaking.
Now, Sierra can add a glass cockpit,
with the arrival of its G501SP retrofit,
which replaces the Citation 501s

86 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

instrumentation with flat LCD PFD

and MFD displays from Garmin, an
installation that looks as modern as
any new light jet.
The G501SP upgrade compliments
Sierras wing and engine upgrades,
but can be done to any early Citation.
At press time, four conversions had
been completed. After touring the
extensive complex at Sierras Uvalde,
Texas base, we were privileged to ride
along on a flight to New Orleans
Lakefront airport, a 530 nautical-mile
hop that showed the utility of the integrated panel.

The original Sperry SPZ autopilot is

retained, but its now integrated with
the Garmin gear. Options can include
the Cobham Magic engine display
units installed in the demo airplane
and an L3 Trilogy electronic standby
instrument. Some owners may opt to
keep their old mechanical standbys or
engine instruments, but that hasnt
been the case thus far.
The integrated G501SP suite
includes dual GDU 1040 PFDs, capable of displaying SVT (synthetic
vision terrain) information, TAWS-B,
TAS 820 or TAS 850 and ADS-B. With
the GDL 69A receiver, XM weather
and radio can be integrated. Another
GDU 1040 serves as an MFD (a 12inch MFD is optional), all supported
by dual GDC 74B air data computers
and GRS 77 AHARS units. The
avionics include twin GIA 63W radio
modules, GMA 1347 audio panels,
and GTX 33 ES TIS/ADS-B-capable
transponders (GTX 33D transponders are optional), along with the
GWX 68 weather radar and various
interface gear. For those who want to
move beyond the G1000-style human
interface, a GCU 477 remote keypad
controller is a normally-installed
option, as is Garmins Synthetic
Vision Technology. The remote
boxes are located in the avionics compartment behind the radome.

Getting Underway
Steve Guzek, was to be our demonstration pilot on the flight into KNEW,
New Orleans Lakefront airport.
Starting the Sierra Stallions FJ44-2A
engine retrofit is largely a push-button
automated exercise. The Magic EIDS100 electronic engine instruments are
turned on before start to monitor the
speeds and temperatures; the first
engine surged to only 850 degrees,
well under limit, and the generatorassisted second lightoff went to only
800.

With the LCD panels glowing, we

called Houston Center for the clearance to KNEW, direct to Cotulla VOR,
then Tibby VOR to join the OLEDD
One arrival, all of which Guzek
entered quickly with the full keyboard
on the pedestal controller; the entrys
scratch pad is on the MFD screen.
The optional 12-inch center screen
was slightly larger than the 10.4-inch
PFDs.
Once we found our way around the
intuitive Garmin system, which
makes sense even for the uninitiated,
the displays gave us every desired bit
of information, including weather,
traffic, ADS-B, terrain, HITS (highway in the sky) and SVT (synthetic
vision technology). Takeoff bug
speeds were entered; V1[subscript 1]
was 100, Vr was 102 and V2[subscript 2] was 104.
The Stallion exhibited decidedly nonCitation-501 capability. From Uvaldes
5,255-foot runway, it blasted through
the V-numbers and vaulted over the
4,000-foot cloud tops, showing 4,000
fpm initially and sustaining 3,500 fpm
at 200 knots. We were still indicating
2,600 fpm passing through 18,000 feet.
We were initially limited to FL270
but then continued to FL410. The
climb rate was 800 fpm out of FL360
and was 500 fpm nearing FL410,

where we still had 2,000 feet of certification limit left. The Stallion is a good
strong climber.
Once settled in with 100% power
selected, the IAS was 200 knots; at -62
C. OAT, we were truing 417 knots,
with a total fuel flow of 1000 pph. The
wind vector in the corner of the PFD
showed 65 knots from our rear quarter. A particularly enthusiastic thunderstorm topping 45,000 feet required
one small deviation; otherwise, we
headed direct to TBD, which we were
to cross at 11,000 for the OLEDD
arrival into KNEW. The interface with
the venerable Sperry autopilot seemed
flawless and the vertical speed planning derived from the G501SPs computers announced our need to
descend to make the crossing exactly
on time. An idle-power descent at 215
KIAS and .676 Mach had us descending at 3600 fpm, well under the Mach
.705 limit.
Vectors from New Orleans Approach
augmented the arrival routing and we
only had a couple of deviations around
the wet buildups. When we leveled at
2,000 MSL for the expected visual,
KNEW was nowhere to be seen, with
a blanketing stratus layer right over
the vital real estate. We preferred to
see the G501SP panel on an ILS anyway. A short vector over Lake

Pontchartrain was needed to line us

up for the localizer to 18R; about 75%
N1[subscript 1] pushed us along at
220 knots for maneuvering.
The SVT took the strain out of the
obscuration, showing us exactly where
we were, visual or not, while we meandered over the featureless estuary.
The flowing HITS alignment boxes
directed us toward the unseen runway, clearly visible on the PFD with
the flight path symbol nestled up the
threshold. A quartering tailwind
showed up as a misaligned flight director cue, but what really mattered was
the path to the pavement.
Vref was the Citation 501s usual 95
knots, which Guzek turned into a fine
example of touchdown skill, placing us
onto the wet runway with hardly a ripple. With 1,200 pounds remaining out
of the 3,000 at startup, the trip had
been accomplished easily, in spite of
its challenges.
At the G501SP Advanced Flight
Decks standard price of under
$300,000 US, the Citation 501 gains all
the capability of newer light jets and
with the FJ-44-2A engines it can deliver performance far beyond its original
specs. We were impressed.

PLAIN

The intuitive
G501SP system
makes sense
even for the
uninitiated, says
BARTs test pilot
LeRoy Cook.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 87

43

PROFILE

HUBBARD AVIATION TECHNOLOGIES

By Guy Visel

Call me old fashioned, but I

think theres a great deal of
value left in some of the older
aircraft on the market today.
Unfortunately, changing
regulatory conditions means its
getting more and more difficult
to fly them.

THE SCIENCE OF QUIET

SHHHHH!

The QS3 Noise

Suppression
System keeps
GIIs and GIIIs
flying despite
growing noise
restrictions.

ake the early Gulfstream II and

III: a little more than 250
Gulfstream IIs were produced
from 1967 to 1979, and about 180 are
still in service. This aircraft was followed by the Gulfstream III, which
offered a larger wing bringing
increased speed and range: just over
200 of these were produced.
Currently, 80% of the GII/III fleet is
based in the U.S., followed by Mexico
(7%). Europe accounts for just one
GIIB and two GIIIs.
Owners and operators of GIIs and
GIIIs love their reliability, comfort and
performance - but they also have to
contend with stricter noise regulations
in Europe, the U.S. and other parts of
the world.
Yet one man was determined to keep
his GII flying in spite of the growing
noise restrictions. His name is Stanley
S. Hubbard, Chairman and CEO of
Hubbard Aviation Technologies.

88 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

Hubbard, a successful U.S. broadcasting entrepreneur, has owned several Gulfstreams in his lifetime. To get
around growing noise restrictions, he
decided to outfit his GIISP with a
noise suppression system from Stage
III Technologies. He was so impressed
with the product he bought the intellectual property rights to it in 2008 and
built a company, Hubbard Aviation
Technologies, to manufacture and
market it. Named QS3, it goes
beyond the capabilities of a typical
hush-kit. Indeed, it deserves its own
name: Hubbard Aviation Technologies
calls it a Noise Suppression System.
The QS3 Noise Suppression System
consists of four elements:
An alternating-lobe exhaust nozzle
that attaches to the back of the RollsRoyce Spey 511-8 engines
A fuselage-mounted, acousticallylined and fixed titanium-core ejector

A cascade-style thrust reverser

(TR)
A noise signature more in line with
modern aircraft versus the harsh
cracking often experienced with the
Spey engines
The QS3 system mixes the hot
exhaust with ambient air to lower the
temperature and velocity - without
thrust loss. The alternating lobes set
up separate axial vortex patterns that
interact with each other to enhance
mixing. By breaking up the jet core
into 10 smaller cores, the nozzle shifts
the low-frequency jet noise to a higher
frequency that can be more easily
absorbed.
What makes this patented nozzle
unique is its ability to reduce noise
without degrading the engines overall
performance. Gulfstream II and IIIs
outfitted with the QS3 noise suppression system meet Stage 3 (U.S. equivalent to ICAO Chapter 3) requirements
without any operational restrictions meaning the aircraft can take off at
Max Gross Weight with normal flap
settings and no reduction in EPR. The
result:
A much quieter sound profile at two
of the measuring points
A slight Stage 3 excess of 1.7 dB on
the sideline limit (but still within the
maximum excess allowed of 2 dB at
one point)
A cumulative reduction of the noise
level of 6.2 dB compared to the Stage
3 requirements.
At fly-over, the STC validated QS3
GII noise level is 82.6 decibels - well
below the 93.0 decibels of an original
GII or the Stage III maximum of 89
decibels. And approach limits are 96.5

dB, which is 1.5 dB less than Stage 3

requirements and 5.5 dB below the
original GII levels.
Bernard Weiss, President and COO
Hubbard Aviation, likes to stress that
there are now two hush-kits approved
by the FAA to meet Stage 3 standards,
but only one (his companys QS3
Noise Suppression System) that is certified by EASA to meet Chapter 3 standards and most importantly allows the
airplane to meet the new standards
with out any changes to performance
or capabilities.
Hubbards system costs around $1
million, quite an investment for aircraft
that you can pick up second hand for
around $750,000 (GII) and between $1
and 3 million (GIII). Both of these airplanes have impressive performance
numbers comparable to many of the
newer more expensive jets. Thus, the
investment makes sense for those owners and operators who fly an average
number of hours per year. Indeed, the
higher variable costs on a GII or GIII
(compared to a newer airplane) are offset by much lower capital amortization
costs per year. Technically, both aircraft are good for many years to come,
and continue to be supported by the
manufacturer.
Regulatory Hurdles
Lets look at some of the regulatory
hurdles that the QS3 system is trying
to overcome. Noise is regulated first
by certified noise standards, which
are defined by the International Civil
Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and
adopted world-wide for aircraft type
certification issues. All new aircraft
types certified after January 1, 2006
have to comply with what is called
Chapter 4. The aircraft certified prior
to that date must comply with Chapter
3 limitations. The much older Chapter
2 aircraft are forbidden in Europe and
are progressively becoming non-compliant with national regulations in
many parts of the world. Formally, this
applies only to subsonic jet aircraft of
more than 75,000 lbs (34,000 kgs).
Apart from certification issues, operators also have to face local, regional
and national noise operating restriction regulations. As many airports
were taking noise reduction measures
on an individual and uncoordinated
way, in 2002 the European
Commission issued Directive 2002/30
on operational noise restrictions at

local airports. The aim was to harmonize all individual restrictions, but previously implemented measures were
grandfathered in, even if not consistent with the Directive. More so, the
Directive was not applied in the same
manner by all member states when
translated to their national regulations.
Needless to say, a revision was necessary and has recently been worked
out by the European Commission. The
revision of the Directive 2002/30 is
part of the EU Commission Airport
Package, which also includes slots and
handling, and will now become a
Regulation. Compared to a Directive,
which needs to be translated into
national legislation by all 27 EU
Member States, a Regulation immediately takes effect and is applicable to
all EU Member States. The EU
Commission proposal was finalized by
the end of November 2011 and is now
working its way through the normal
EU regulatory process and being submitted to both the European
Parliament and the European Council.
Final approval and implementation can
be expected in about one years time.
The new regulation is to establish
rules to facilitate the introduction of
operating restrictions in a consistent
manner on an airport-by-airport basis
so as to help improve the noise climate in accordance with the ICAO
principle of the balanced approach.
The balanced approach is defined as
the coherent policy that considers the
whole range of available measures to
address the noise problem, namely
not just aircraft noise at source, but
equally land-use planning and management, noise abatement operational
procedures and operating restrictions.
It also gives the Commission a more
active role in the application of the
regulation (aiming at harmonizing
rules to avoid distortion of competition
between airports).
The proposed Regulation updates
the definition of marginally compliant
aircraft, which are Chapter 3 compliant by a cumulative margin of less
than 10 EPNdB (almost equivalent to
Chapter 4). Individual airports may
consider operational restrictions up to
these levels for the marginally compliant aircraft, but need to carry out environmental, health and economic
assessment to justify these additional
measures.

As far as Business Aviation is concerned, in theory it will not have too

much impact as it affects turbine aircraft with an MTOW of 75,000 lbs (34
tons) or more, or with a seating capacity of 19 passengers or more. Airports
concerned are those registering more
than 50,000 civil airplane movements
per year (no longer just IFR or commercial). However, operators are
always prudent to check the local
noise rules at their planned destination, as some may have taken more
restrictive measures prior to the
implementation of the European
Directive and future Regulation.
Up to now, the U.S. has been much
more tolerant to the much older Stage
2 (the U.S. equivalent to Chapter 2),
which is prohibited in Europe. In the
States, business aircraft of less than
75,000 lbs were specifically exempted
from stricter noise regulations enacted
in 1990 to limit the financial burden on
private/corporate aircraft owners and
operators. The recently passed FAA
reauthorization bill includes a provision that will result in the phase-out of
Stage 2 business jets of less than 7,000
lbs. But aircraft upgraded or modified
to comply with Stage 3 noise levels
will still be allowed to fly in the U.S.
Hubbard Aviation Technologies QS3
Noise Suppression System provides a
valuable solution for complying with
noise restrictions on both sides of the
pond creating even more added
value for the GII and GIII aircraft. To
explain the complicated European
noise issues, Hubbard is organizing a
demonstration tour at various
European BizAv airports prior to presenting its modified Gulfstream III aircraft at EBACE 2012. The tour begins
in London Luton on Thursday May
10th, then flies to Paris Le Bourget on
the same day. And on Friday May 11th
the aircraft will fly to Geneva Airport.
Hubbard Aviation Technologies target market consists of U.S. owners
who occasionally fly to European destinations. The main selling point:
Hubbards noise suppression system
is a practical solution for GII and GIIIs
operators needing to comply with the
latest noise regulations on both sides
of the Atlantic, with the added bonus
of giving these classic business jets an
extension to their operating life.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 89

44

PREVIEW

JET EXPO MOSCOW 2012

A RUSSIAN REVIVAL

By Paul Walsh

Jet Expo got the formula just

right last year by placing the
static display and exhibition
beside each other at Vnukovo
3 airport and attracting visitors
in their thousands.

ut show organizers wont be resting on their laurels in 2012.

Theres always room for
improvement and experimentation,
Jet Expo organizer Alexander
Evdokimov told BART. Competition
for buyers attention is extremely high
nowadays, and our market is extremely dynamic, so youll never stay on top
by repeating the same old tricks.

POTENTIAL

Jet Expo
demonstrates
the vast potential
for Russias
Business
Aviation market
says show
organizer
Alexander
Evdokimov.
Sukhoi Business
Jet (right).
90 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

Evdokimov says that he is committed to bringing new dimensions to Jet

Expo. By innovating you can bring in
more exhibitors and more revenue,
which can be invested into promoting
and improving the show. So in the
end, everybody wins.
Jet Expo may boast some new special features this year, but its core
philosophy remains the same. Since
its launch the show has been a dedicated platform allowing exhibitors to
speak directly with potential buyers.
Our admittance procedures rule out
window shoppers, says Evdokimov,
and it makes it much easier for people to do business.
And when it comes to Business
Aviation end-users, Jet Expo does
everything in its power to boost the
numbers. Of course the location helps:
Vnuckovo 3 boasts over 200 flights a
day and over 70% of Russias Business
Aviation traffic. Its a real hot-spot for
our end users, says Evdokimov. And
its very easy for principals to walk
across to our exposition and see
whats happening in the industry. Last
year thats exactly what they did, and
this year, thanks to our additional
offerings this year, we expect even
more to come.
He adds, Theres a simple sales formula: only one lead out of ten will turn
into an offer and only one offer out of

several will turn into a sale. Were not

planning on bringing in millions of
people, but the more high-caliber visitors we have the better. Even if the
visitor is not ready to purchase right
away, he may prove to be the valuable
future contact.
Russian Business Aviation Market
Business Aviation operators in Russia
certainly need to do all they can to keep
the sales revenue coming in. After
years of rapid growth the industry has
stagnated somewhat: a number of
recent set-backs havent helped either.
For instance, last September Russias
Federal Air Transport Agency suspended the licenses of some smaller
Russian operators in response to a fatal
Yak-42 accident.
The government has brought in new
restrictions and has banned certain
older aircraft, says Evdokimov. But
Russian Business Aviation has a modern, technically advanced fleet so the
effect on our industry is minimal. Also
Russia has just joined the WTO; so in
some areas regulations are loosening
up - certain customs rules and Siberian
fly-by fares may be waived in 2014.
Certainly, plenty of companies are
keen to exploit Russias market potential. Executive transport company,
Avolus, is planning to extend its Jet
Card Europe to Russia & CIS this year.

Avoluss Jet Card Europe offers 25

hours or more of flight time for a single, up-front payment and unlocks
access to over 1,000 airports in Europe
and unlimited use of Avolus extended
fleet worldwide. The Jet Card is available in three cabin sizes - Light,
Medium and Large - with no hidden
fuel or airport surcharges.
Meanwhile Business Aviation operator VistaJet is making Russian headway. We are seeing unprecedented
demand in Russia and other fastgrowth developing markets in which
we operate, said Founder and
Chairman Thomas Flohr, who also
emphasized the importance of
Business Aviation for Russian industry.
If you are the owner of a mining company with assets in Siberia and Central
Africa, you cannot afford to spend up to
three days flying commercially
between Novosibirsk and Luanda.
One company that is committed to
raising standards in the Russian
Business Aviation industry is Avia
Solutions Group, which recently won
the Russian Ministry of Transports
Golden Chariot public award for its
outstanding performance Russias
transport sector.
We have extended our capabilities in
Central and Eastern Europe as well as
the CIS region, said Group Chairman
G.Ziemelis. We can proudly say that
we play an important role in Russias
aviation sector.
Finally JFI are capitalizing on Russian
opportunities; the aircraft management
and charter services provider recently
entered an agreement with Moscowbased Best-Jets LLC to form JFI Russia.
I expect JFI Russia to make an integral contribution to our growth this
year, said JFIs CEO, Bill Cripe.
Were getting to the point where we
are moving our airplanes to where our
business is. JFI moved a GV, several
GIVs and a Challenger 601 to Moscow
last year where it has sales, handling
and dispatch, and new business lead
support.
The message for this years Jet Expo
is that in spite of the challenges, the
potential for growth in Russias
Business Aviation market is enormous. In other words, you can count
on Jet Expo 2012 to be a hive of
Business Aviation activity next
September.

QUALITY

You wont find

window
shoppers at
Jet Expo - just
principals and
executives
getting down to
business.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 91

45

2012

27-29 SEPTEMBER

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
AVIATION EXHIBITION

+7 495 748 88 87
www.jetexpo.ru

Jet Expo 2012 welcomes you at Vnukovo-3 airport

FROM THE COCKPIT

FLYING EFFICIENTLY

IN PURSUIT
OF PERFECTION
By LeRoy Cook

Everyone wants to conduct

their flight in a routine manner,
all the while involving the least
amount of fuel, time,
discomfort, inconvenience or
risk; and these are quite often
conflicting choices. Efficient
use of an aircraft always
involves achieving the desired
goal without squandering
money, but inherent in that
pursuit is coming to an
agreement on the most
important intent of the mission.
Penny-wise and pound-foolish is
the result of chasing small
increments of efficiency.

ven so, in an age of thousand-dollar fill-ups for even relatively short

flights, efficiency is mostly measured by either minimizing the time in
the air or the fuel used for the trip.
These are not mutually compatible, in
that going faster generally requires
more fuel, assuming no change in the

flight conditions. If you pull the power

back, fuel flow will drop, but at some
point youll feel like youre crawling
and your view of the reduced fuel burn
is clouded by the need for speed. Your
boss didnt buy a 350-knot airplane to
fly at 250 knots, even if slowing down
does save gas.
The secret, then, is to find the right
balance, not throwing money away in
pursuit of high-speed cruise, yet completing the trip in a reasonable amount
of time. By the same token, youll want
to avoid rough air for the passengers,
even if choppy winds are favorable for
your direction of flight, and you would
prefer to manage fuel stops to avoid
inconvenient ground delays. Thus,
there is theoretical efficiency,
achieved at the expense of all other
objectives, and practical efficiency,
which is a compromise of choices.
Go High And Stay High, If You Can
For maximum efficiency, turbine
engines do their best work by converting cold air into super-hot air, so
youve already learned to fly as high as
practical and stay there for as long as
you can. But, youve also learned that

ATCs wishes dont always match your

desires, and that the winds at altitude
arent always favorable and temperatures aloft arent always ISA. In addition, erosion of power output at high
altitude yields diminishing returns in
the speed department, as true airspeed drops off when power fades.
Technology gives us an edge, so put it
to work in flight. Use the cockpit readouts available in the GPS or flight
management system to confirm the
wind vector, and use the fuel flow
totalizer in your flight plan menu to
watch the landing fuel numbers shrink
or grow.
The objective is to find as high an
altitude as you can that offers favorable winds and a smooth ride; Ive
always felt that wallowing along in
chop takes the edge off cruise speed,
so smooth air is to be sought for more
than just comfort. Naturally, lower is
frequently best going westbound (but
not always) and youll generally be riding high on strong tailwinds while flying east. The other common rule of
efficiency is to use max-cruise power
when fighting a headwind, to minimize
the time spent with the wind in your

PLANNING

Investing time in
pre-flight
planning pays
dividends once
youre in the air.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 93

46

FROM THE COCKPIT

face, and to pull back to maximumrange power when riding a tailwind,

letting nature buy the gas.
Fly A Plan

REWORK

Stay flexible and

ready to alter the
plan if the
weather isnt as
advertized.

You should also invest time in preflight planning, studying the wind flow
at the 500 and 300 mb levels for pressure pattern routings. In the northern
hemisphere, a westbound flight path
that curves north of the lows and south
of the highs can make up knots by
switching off the headwind or even
finding a tailwind. Note where the jet
stream winds are supposed to be running today and use the wind vector
readout to confirm the forecast in flight.
Take advantage of the computerized
flight planning tools we have available
today, which can whip up a best-efficiency routing for you in mere seconds.
That said, stay flexible and be ready to
alter the plan if ATC wont cooperate
or the weather isnt as advertised.
Naturally, flying direct to the destination, or at least to an arrival gate for the
approach, is always desirable. Miles
flown in the wrong direction are wasted
miles that have to be made up later in
the trip. If you can get direct, always

94 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

FLYING EFFICIENTLY

take it, clipping off a few airway miles

here and there.
Seeking the shortest route even
applies to requesting a departure runway that minimizes any twisting and
turning to get on course. This assumes
the on-course departure wont come at
the expense of climb restrictions. I will
not, however, use a contrary runway at
an uncontrolled field, just to save a few
miles. Without a control tower to referee conflicts, theres a safety issue I cant
accept, so Ill go with the unbridled flow
instead of swimming upstream.
Remember, broadcasting intentions
means nothing if youre not heard.
When departing, theres a case to be
made for taxiing out on one engine,
starting the second engine as the holdshort line is approached. I think thats
best reserved for two-crew cockpits,
because the interrupted checklists and
added workload are a bit risky for a single-pilot operation.
Getting to altitude quickly pays off,
but if you are fighting a headwind its
more efficient to increase climb speed
to reduce the percentage lost to the
wind. Conversely, use maximum climb
in a tailwind because youre still moving downrange smartly, even with the

slow airspeed of the climb. At the end

of the headwinds-plagued trip, youll
want to make an early request for a
gradual descent to enlist the aid of
gravity to gain free speed and perhaps
find lighter winds at lower altitude. And
in a tailwind situation, youll want to
hang on to the altitude as long as possible, seeking an idle-power profile
descent to the arrival pattern, perhaps
increasing the descent rate to 3,000
fpm or more.
The bags-in-back loading option also
picks up a few knots, by unloading the
horizontal tail to lessen drag, versus
adding weight in the nose compartment. As long as loading limits are
respected, moving the C.G. aft
improves efficiency.
Fuel Management
Stretching range to avoid a fuel stop
is always a wise choice for efficiency,
as long as it can be done safely.
Pulling power back to take it on home
might cost you a few more minutes in
the air, but if you have to make a stop
youll waste at least an hour, and probably more, by descending, gassing up
and climbing back to altitude. Why not
spend that time aloft, sitting comfort-

ably in the aircraft? Never sacrifice

alternate fuel reserves to skip a stop,
of course.
If a fuel stop is required, you can
minimize the in-flight and ground
delays by using the most convenient,
reliable location that doesnt take you
too far off a direct course. Again, practical efficiency often outvotes theory; if
its the middle of the night, or noise
curfews are a possibility, or you are
relying on old fuel-availability information, its best to go with a bigger field
thats a known quantity. But smaller,
off-the-beaten-path airports often avoid
ATC delays and get you on your way
quicker. Dont waste miles, but consider the time factor.
Maintain the equipment, for maximum efficiency. If a gear door is sagging or a theres a pressurization leak,
or your engines arent making book
fuel flow, having the shop take a look
at the problem might pay off. Fixing
faulty rigging can also result in a
decrease in fuel burn.
Automation Saves
Use the autopilot to gain efficiency. It
can hold a precise heading and altitude, it never overshoots a turn and
itll roll out exactly on the centerline,
leaving you to concentrate on power
settings and advance planning. While
you still need to be able to hand-fly in
a pinch, its desirable, more often than
not, to employ the autopilots superior
touch, given todays level of sophistication. The autopilot will save fuel, do a
smoother job for the passengers and
keep ATC happier.
As with any piece of equipment, however, make it a point to know exactly
how the autopilot works and always
keep yourself in the loop, rather than
just ride along beside the silicon-based
crewmember. Yes, you can hand fly an
approach, but not as well or with as
much time to run the checklist while
you talk with ATC and confirm the
minimums. Let a good autopilot do the
grunt work but never give up your
management role.
Efficiency is a goal, not a criterion.
Flying efficiently should just make
sense, saving dollars out the tailpipe
when you can, using the airplanes
max cruise speed as it was intended;
when its needed. Thats practical efficiency.

TECHNOLOGY

Using the
autopilot saves
fuel, gives
passengers a
smoother flight
and keeps the
ATC happy.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 95

47

MAINTENANCE
MATTERS

OEM PRODUCT SUPPORT

SERVICE WITH A SMILE

By Bernard Fitzsimons

Business jets are essentially time

machines, so minimizing
dispatch delays and
responding rapidly to AOGs
are crucial.

eeping customers happy is not

pure altruism on the part of business
jet
manufacturers.
According to Bombardier more than
60 per cent of the new business jets
ordered are replacement aircraft for
current owners. Since owners typically
trade up to bigger models their loyalty
is extremely valuable, and they tend to
react badly to being told they will have
to take a commercial flight because
their own aircraft has an unresolved
technical issue or is waiting for a part.
At the same time, business jet ownership is becoming geographically more
diverse: as much as 70 per cent of
Gulfstreams recent orders have come
from outside North America. So the
OEMs are extending their networks of
service centers into new regions while
refining the range of services they offer.
The support actually constitutes a
major business in itself: Gulfstreams
product support network employs more
than 3,300 people, and the aftermarket
accounted for nearly a quarter of
Cessnas $2.99 billion revenues in 2011.

VALUE

Gulfstreams
new warehouse
at London Luton,
brings the
inventory value
from $25 million
to $40 million.
96 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

New Hangars
In their traditional markets of North
America and Europe, the OEMs are
continuing to reinforce their support
offerings. Gulfstream is responding to
a revival in sales and increase in flying
hours by more than doubling the size
of its service center at Westfield,
Massachusetts, and adding 100 more
staff, increasing the size of the workforce by nearly 80 per cent.
At Dallas Love Field the company
has reopened the 5,700 sq m Hangar F
to service the G200 and G280 midcabin aircraft, increasing space at the
site by nearly 18 per cent and creating
another four large-cabin slots in other
hangars. And at its Lincoln, Nebraska,
component repair, modification and
overhaul facility Gulfstream has added
a brake shop to the wheel and tire
shop that started operation in March
2010.

In Europe the company moved last

year to a bigger hangar at London
Luton, where more than 170 staff support the continents highest volume of
transient Gulfstream traffic. The 7,000
sq m hangar can accommodate up to 12
aircraft and includes a large booth for
painting wings and ailerons. EASA
Continued Airworthiness Management
Organization authorization enables the
facility to handle maintenance planning,
airworthiness management and airworthiness reviews for customers.
Hawker Beechcraft is building a new
northeast U.S. regional service center
at New Castle airport in Wilmington,
Delaware. With 3,700 sq m of hangar
space plus back shops and offices it will
offer airframe, engine, avionics and
mobile service support for the companys entire product line. Guest offices
will be available for customers to use
while their aircraft are being serviced.
In Europe the company has added
MNG Jet at Istanbul Ataturk to its network of limited line service centers.
MNG Jet also cooperates with Hawker
Beechcraft services in Chester, UK, to
provide AOG services.
Bombardiers wholly owned service
center at Amsterdam Schiphol, the
newest of its nine OEM service centers
worldwide, saw its monthly visit rate
increase by 33 per cent in 2011 and is
boosting staffing levels by 30 per cent
in response. Opened in May 2010, the
facility has extended its capabilities to
include Challenger 850 aircraft in addition to the Learjet 40/40 XR, 45/45 XR
and 60/60 XR, Challenger 300, 604 and
605, Global 5000 and Global Express.
Cessnas new Citation Service Center
in Valencia, Spain, is due to open later
this year, with 5,800 sq m of hangar

space. Providing both scheduled maintenance and round-the-clock services,

it will complement Cessnas Paris Le
Bourget service centre, which itself
started 24-hour operations in April
2011, with hydraulic and battery
shops, parts support and avionics modifications.
Dassault Falcon added a 28th
Authorized Service Center to its network last year when JetAlliance in
Vienna became a Line Service Center
for the Falcon 2000 classic. Five of its
ASCs at Little Rock, Arkansas;
Wilmington, Delaware; Reno, Nevada;
Sorocaba, Brazil; and Paris le Bourget
as well as six Satellite Service Stations
are company owned. The latest satellite
station opened in January at West Palm
Beach, Florida, to enhance provision
for operators n Central and South
America as well as the eastern US. It is
authorized to perform A checks up to
4A+ level and houses an AOG Go
Team. The other satellite service stations, which have technicians, AOG
support tooling and a targeted inventory of spares are at St Louis, London
Luton, Rome, Moscow and Nice.
Embraers wholly owned service center at Paris Le Bourget has opened a
branch at London Oxford Airport to
provide routine inspection, servicing,
troubleshooting, LRU replacement
and remote aircraft on ground (AOG)
support.
Regional Reorientation
In the wake of recession and a precipitous decline in aircraft sales in
their traditional markets, the OEMs
have been turning much of their attention to Brazil, Russia, China and India

the so-called BRIC countries and

other emerging economies where
sales have continued to grow.
Embraer, itself one of the symbols of
Brazils economic progress, already
has more than 100 executive jets operating in the country and is planning a
new service centre for them at
Sorocaba, 90 km from So Paulo. The
20,000 sq m facility will have a hangar
five times the size of the current centre at Embraers So Jos dos Campos
headquarters, where world-wide customer support is coordinated.
Dedicated technicians for remote services in emergency situations are now
based at So Paulo Cogonhas, along
with a mobile maintenance unit to
respond to AOGs.
The company is also boosting its
ASC network in Asia. Metrojet in
Hong Kong has provided line and base
maintenance of the Legacy 600/650
and Lineage 1000 for customers in
China and Mongolia since late 2011. In
India, a stock of parts is planned, to be
housed at an Air Works facility in
Bangalore to support the six EASCs in
the country; they include Indamer,
which has added support for the
Lineage 1000 to its existing Legacy
and Phenom 100 services. Hawker
Pacific in Singapore, where a full
inventory of spares was established in
2010, will support Embraers whole
executive jet portfolio. And JapCon is
set to provide maintenance to future
Embraer operators in Japan.
In Russia, Jet Aviation Moscow
Vnukovo, which has been providing
line support at the airport since 2009,
has added a stock of spares for the
Legacy 600 and 650 and will provide
24/7 AOG support.

COVERED

Cessnas Mobile
Service Units
cover the main
Business
Aviation centers
in the US,
Canada and
Europe (left).
Hawker
Beechcrafts
Mobile Technical
Support offers
AOG
maintenance,
parts changes
and avionics
inspection
(right).

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 97

48

MAINTENANCE
MATTERS

EXPANDING

Gulfstream
recently added a
new brake shop
to its facility at
Lincoln
Nebraska.

Gulfstream has teamed with Hainan

Airlines subsidiaries Deer Jet, which
has a fleet of 26 Gulfstreams, and
Grand China Aviation Technik to operate a service center at Beijing Capital.
Gulfstream Beijings 7,600 sq m
hangar will service Deer Jet and other
Gulfstream aircraft and some nonGulfstream models. The company
already has two authorized warranty
repair centers in the region, Metrojet
in Hong Kong and Jet Aviation in
Singapore, with on-site stocks of parts
and materials. Jamco in Japan is a warranty line service centre.
Hawker Pacific Business Aviation
Service Center at Shanghai Hongqiao
has become a Line Service Center for
the Dassault Falcon 900, 2000 and 7X,
providing line maintenance and A/A+
inspections. As the fleet matures, it is
expected to become a Major Service
Center capable of C checks.
Air Works India in Mumbai supports
Gulfstream aircraft in the country,
using parts supplied by the major supply bases in Madrid, Dubai, Hong
Kong and Singapore. As a Bombardier
Authorized Service Facility, Air Works
has added maintenance for the Learjet
60/60 XR to its AOG support for the
Challenger 300, 604 and 605 and
Global series. The facility has also
been appointed an ASC for the
Hawker Beechcraft Premier and

98 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

OEM PRODUCT SUPPORT

Dassault Falcon 900: to further bolster

support Dassault, which has about 20
aircraft operating in the country and
deliveries scheduled for several more,
has opened spares distribution centers
in Chennai and Mumbai and added a
field support team in Mumbai.
The Middle East is an established
market for business jets and recent
years have seen steady expansion of
the support services available in the
region. Dassault has ASCs in Dubai
and Jeddah, a spares distribution center in Dubai and a technical office in
Jeddah to support a regional fleet that
already numbers 60 aircraft and is
expected to grow by 15 per cent over
the next two years.
Qatar Executive at Doha has become
a Line Maintenance Facility for
Bombardiers Challenger 300, 604 and
605 and the Global series. The corporate jet division of Qatar Airways operates its own Bombardier fleet of three
Challenger 605s, two Global 5000s and
a Global Express XRS and has a 6,200
sq m hangar at Doha. Services include
deep cleaning, exterior washing and
bright work polishing.
The addition of Doha brought the
OEMs network of authorized service
and line maintenance facilities to 57 in
28 countries. They are due to be
joined next year by a full scale company-owned and operated service center
in Singapore. The second Bombardierowned facility outside North America,
Singapore will provide light and heavy
maintenance to all Learjet, Challenger
and Global models.
In 2010 ExecuJet in Dubai became
an ASC for the current line of Hawker
Beechcraft jets. ExecuJet facilities in
Lanseria, South Africa, Lagos and
Sydney have also become ASCs for
HBC, while Cape Town and
Melbourne became Line Service
Centers.
Mobile Support
Gulfstream introduced the first airborne aircraft maintenance and support program 10 years ago, and last
year it added a second dedicated
Gulfstream 100 while enlarging the
Airborne Product Support team that
responds to warranty customer AOGs
in North America and the Caribbean
to nine pilots and eight technicians.
The technicians capability extends to

engine changes and major structural

repairs. For AOGs outside the G100s
range Gulfstream flies parts or personnel to an airline hub to connect with a
commercial flight.
Gulfstream is also introducing Field
and Airborne Support Teams, initially
in Europe and subsequently in other
regions. The North American FAST
will have access to the APS aircraft as
well as the mobile support vehicles
strategically located across the United
States.
Bombardier launched its Parts
Express service in the United States in
2007 using shares equivalent to a
Learjet 45 in the OEMs Flexjet fractional ownership fleet to dispatch parts
and mobile repair parties to AOG jets
under warranty. The service was
extended to Europe in 2009, and last
year Bombardier added a dedicated
Challenger 601 in Dubai to make Parts
Express available from North Africa to
central Asia and India as well as the
Middle East.
Cessna introduced the first Mobile
Service Unit at its San Antonio service
center in 2007. Since then the US fleet
has grown to more than a dozen and
the provision has been extended to
Canada and Europe: the first MSU in
Europe was based at Lyon Bron in
2010. Capable of hoisting the Citation
Xs AE3007 engine, each unit is
equipped with a ground power unit, an
air compressor, jacks for all Citation
models, a rear-mounted lift and a
hydraulic mule. Cessna says planned
and unplanned services by MSUs generally are more convenient and less
expensive than flying to fixed maintenance locations. They handled more
than 2,300 events in the field last year.
Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer
Support has based Mobile Technical
Support teams and ground support
vehicles in California and the northeastern US. Services include on-site
troubleshooting, minor scheduled
maintenance, limited scope time
items, parts changes, avionics
research for Part 91 operators and
engine removal and reinstallation on
the entire family of HBC aircraft. They
are staffed by specially formed Global
Experience Teams, and a GET support
aircraft is available for AOG missions.
The OEMs have also taken to
deploying on-site support teams at

photography: paul cordwell - cordwell.aero

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E
AC
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t E 234
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i
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s
Vi S t a
49

MAINTENANCE
MATTERS
events that attract large concentrations of business jets, from the World
Economic Forum to the Super Bowl.
Hawker Beechcrafts Quick Response
Team has already attended four events
this year and will be at the
Indianapolis 500 in May and the
Summer Olympics in London. The
Olympics are also on the schedule for
Cessnas MSUs, along with the
Kentucky Derby and Indianapolis 500
in May; they have already attended
another four major sporting events,
including the Super Bowl and the
Masters golf tournament.
Dassault deployed a technical team
at Zurich in January to coincide with
the World Economic Forum, with similar support planned for sporting
events such as the Summer Olympics
in London and the Daytona 500 in
Florida. The teams provide troubleshooting assistance and coordinate
with local ASCs and the nearest parts
warehouse to minimize delays in
return to service in the event of an
AOG: at Zurich, parts from Dassaults
Paris Le Bourget worldwide distribution center could be available within
three hours.
Bombardiers Olympic plans include
five field service representatives onsite in the London area between 23
July and 17 August, a mobile response
team in close proximity to London airports, plus back-up from Bombardiers
own Schiphol Service Center and the
Authorized Service Facilities at TAG
Aviation Farnborough and Ocean Sky
Jet Centre, Luton.

SUPPLY

Dassault added
spares worth
nearly $40
million in 2011
boosting its
global inventory
to $700 million.

Spares Supply
Dassault added spares worth nearly
$40 million in 2011, boosting its global
inventory to $700 million, and partnered with UPS to open a new regional
distribution center with $9 million in
spares in Singapore. The spares are
held at 13 distribution centers in 11
countries and include 130,00 unique
part numbers. Dassault says it shipped
98 per cent of spares on the day
required by the customer and shipped
92 per cent of more than 250,000
spares on the same day.
Hawker Beechcraft teamed with
Schenker Logistics to open new international parts distribution facilities in
London, Dubai and Singapore in 2010.

100 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

OEM PRODUCT SUPPORT

With inventories valued at more than

$40 million of the most commonly
ordered parts, the new centers offer
expedited dispatch of critical parts,
real-time tracking and round-the-clock
availability. Since they opened, the
company says, its overall dispatch reliability has improved, with Schenkers
aeroparts logistics service shipping
them to customers and service
providers in their regions in under 20
hours. Along with other centers in
Dallas, Johannesburg and Beijing,
they make $375 million in spares available worldwide.
Gulfstream has opened two new
European warehouses in the last two
years. A new parts depot at Madrid
Barajas in Spain holds nearly $65 million in Gulfstream parts, with room for
large items such as landing gear and
windshields and climate-controlled
space for perishables, including batteries. A new warehouse at London Luton
has enabled inventory there to
increase from $25 million to $40 million. Both can ship parts anywhere in
Europe or the Middle East within 24
hours. Worldwide, Gulfstream has
$1.2 billion worth of parts and materials, including another $9 million at Jet
Aviation in Basel.
Bombardier has been working hard
to improve its parts support, primarily
by investing in parts to improve availability. Other initiatives include what
the company says is an industry-leading parts satisfaction guarantee and

more stringent criteria to reduce the

incidence of no fault found (NFF)
parts. There have also been price
reductions on thousands of consumable parts, the result of negotiating
lower prices with suppliers and achieving better economies of scale.
Bombardiers Parts Logistics operations are centered on two super warehouses in Chicago and Frankfurt, plus
regional parts depots in Dubai, So
Paulo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney,
Beijing and Tokyo Narita. The parts
satisfaction guarantee waives shipping, labor and restocking charges for
unused AOG parts, recommended
parts that fail to fix a fault or parts that
are defective on arrival. The NFF
effort involves tracking suspect and
rogue units at the serial number level,
and a dedicated component reliability
team to follow up with troubleshooting
and corrective action.
Cessna is increasing the number of
parts at the European distribution
facility it shares with Bell Helicopter in
Amsterdam from 3,500 to more than
10,000.
All this activity adds up to remarkable growth in the OEMs provision of
business jet support and entails major
investment on a global scale. As
Gulfstream Aerospace president Larry
Flynn observed during last Octobers
NBAA show in Las Vegas, We are
acutely aware that superior service
and support sells airplanes.

MAINTENANCE
MATTERS

COST PER HOUR PROGRAMS

PAYING BY THE HOUR

Photo Jet aviation

By Steve Ells

Plunging into the world of

aircraft ownership can be a
disorientating experience.
Thats why many hire experts for
advice on all aspects of the
purchasing process.

maintenance expert might come

in handy too, and the best of
these will advise you to put the
airplane on a guaranteed maintenance
program (GMP).
Why? Because owning an aircraft
can entail a host of nasty maintenance
surprises. Indeed a major, unplanned
powerplant repair will dig deep into
your pocket and could lay waste to a
profitable year. As Dave Labrozzi,
President GE Capital puts it, The
biggest wildcard in owning an aircraft
is maintenance expense.
Guaranteed Maintenance Programs
eliminate this uncertainty, and there
are plenty of interesting options available either by OEMs or by independent third party providers such as Jet
Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) or
Powerplan.
Here are the basics. Owners sign up
upon the purchase of a new engine or
aircraft. After an evaluation and interview the companies present plan proposals that can include overhauls,
inspections, normal maintenance tasks
such as line maintenance, maintenance for the Removal and
Replacement (R and R) of time-limited
components, and accessories. But the
proposals might also make provision
for catastrophic loss, rental engine
support, labor costs for troubleshooting, line maintenance, engine R and R
and engine shipping costs.
You can sign up either at the time of
purchase, or further down the line, by
paying a catch up charge or opting for
a Pro-Rata enrollment that is offered
by JSSI and Powerplan.
In return for a monthly fee you get a
boring and repetitious maintenance
experiencethe best kind really
with no surprises and no unplanned
for costs.
BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 101

50

MAINTENANCE
MATTERS

COST PER HOUR PROGRAMS

Jet Services Support Incorporated

(JSSI)
Starting back in 1989, JSSI is really
the grandfather in the GMP world.
And over the last two decades it has
continued to expand its services and
fine tune its menu of management
options. Selected clients have the
opportunity to choose from a do-all,
comprehensive Tip-To-Tail program.
This program covers not only scheduled, unscheduled and catastrophic
failure modes of powerplant maintenance, but also includes the same professionally-managed attention-to-detail
care on airframes and APUs. JSSIs
GMP program covering airframe
maintenance is a relatively new addition to their menu of services. At the
present its only available on selected
airframes; but plans are afoot to
expand the airframe list.
Other clients can choose from GMP
that start at the top-of-the-line
Platinum program or from a number
of others including Premium, Select,
Unscheduled and Term. This menu is
tailored to provide exactly the right
program for each client.
There are also stand-alone programs
that cover APU maintenance costs.

FLEXIBLE

JSSI programs
are fully
adaptable. They
offer coverage
on major
scheduled
events,
unscheduled
events, life
limited
components and
future
airworthiness
directives.
102 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

Self Reserve
Operators that dont have their own
maintenance staff, work space, and
tooling, or cant or arent interested in
adding maintenance to the company
profile are a perfect fit for companies
like JSSI.
The JSSI engine coverage packages
are much more than an hourly cost
maintenance program for smoothing
out monthly maintenance costs. JSSI
programs are fully adaptable to better
serve the needs of each client. A typical JSSI Premium powerplant coverage package includes major scheduled
events, unscheduled events, life-limited components, 24/7 technical support, future mandatory and recommended service bulletins and future
airworthiness directives. They also
have a JSSI Technical Advisor on site
during engine shop visits, troubleshooting labor allowance and rental
engine details.
Optional add-on services include coverage for freight and shipping, R and R
expenses and plus coverage that is an

added value for clients wishing for

additional off-site/AOG support.
Clients that dont need the life-limited
component coverage choose the Select
program. Clients that choose to selfreserve, like the local on-demand charter operator mentioned earlier, may
choose to join the JSSI Unscheduled
Engine program. This program provides 100 percent coverage of unscheduled maintenance, including catastrophic engine failure, rental engine costs,
FOD gap coverage, troubleshooting
engine R and R and freight.
JSSI programs are more than an insurance policy to cover costs. In the event
of an unscheduled maintenance event,
members of the JSSI Technical Support
Team will step in as needed. Company
Directors of Maintenance (DOM) are
freed up to continue their daily responsibilities as they are relieved of the
logistical headaches that always take
place during an off site maintenance
event. JSSI arranges to get personnel,
parts, and equipment to the site. If needed a rental engine is found and shipped.
When the damaged engine arrives at
the repair facility, a member of the JSSI
technical staff will be on site to witness
the tear down.
In addition, JSSI lessens the total
expense due to the buying power they
have for aircraft parts and maintenance
services. JSSI then adds another layer
of confidence by utilizing a trust to hold
maintenance reserves separately from
its corporate funds.
Powerplan
And then theres Powerplan. Like
JSSI, Powerplan saves the operator /
owner from the burden of paying the
peaks of scheduled and unscheduled
maintenance by providing a guaranteed
hourly rate which turns variable maintenance costs into fixed costs.

Powerplan is available for both,

engines and APUs on virtually all models of jets, turboprops and helicopters.
The program offers several options to
support the individual management of
the aircraft and to meet the specific
needs of each owner or operator.
And Powerplan offers a buy-in enrolment and the pro-rated cost share variant. The latter enables an enrolment
with no up-front payment and provides
immediate protection.
The Advantages of
Cost per Hour Programs?
An operator may counter when
offered JSSI or Powerplan coverage by
saying that they already have a pay-bythe-hour plan from the engine manufacturer. All engine manufacturers do offer
these plans-JSSI and Powerplan programs offer an additional layer of coverage plus the benefit of an experienced
tech staff member acting as the owners
advocate when dealing with warranty or
maintenance issues. Again, the owner is
relieved of struggles and free to concentrate his or her energies on what they
do best.
So there are plenty of benefits to
GMP. The first, and the one the company financial officers (CFO) love is a stable maintenance budget. Multiply the
contracted hourly rate by the number of
hours flown a year and next years
maintenance budget is done.
Theres also a tax advantage for GMP
users. Maintenance expenses are tax
deductible. While very sharp and experienced operators that opt to self
reserve for maintenance may spend less
on maintenance than GMP users,
money set aside in self reserve accounts
can add to the companys tax liability.
Its well known that GMP programs
add to aircraft value. Mark Verdesco,
Director of Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales for

Dassault Falcon Jet said, When Falcon

takes an airplane in on trade without a
GMP, it immediately enrolls the airplane and deducts the enrollment costs
from the trade-in value.
Airplanes that are enrolled in GMP
programs are worth more and are easier to sell.
JSSI pay per hour programs are transferrable to new ownership. And if the
airplane is sold, the client can either
transfer the fund reserve to a new airplane, a different owned airplane or
leave the programs value with the aircraft being sold.
In addition to all those advantages,
lenders like GMP protection. In fact,
according to a paper by David J.
Wyndham of Conklin and deDecker,
financial institutions and lenders may
require that engines be on a GMP as a
condition of a loan for asset protection.
Turbine powerplants are very reliable.
This reliability comes at a cost, though
and one unscheduled shut down due to
damage from one rock or a flock of
birds is the wrong time to wish for the
coverage a GMP provides. GMPs make
good business sense, and JSSI and
Powerplan are ready to tailor a program
that fits every operators needs.

VALUE

Aircraft enrolled
in guaranteed
maintenance
programs are
worth more and
easier to sell.

51

THE DOCKET
If you are planning to fly to Italy
this summer, you should
consider an increase in costs
for landing your private jet on
Italian soil.

TAXATION ON INTERNATIONAL AVIATION

HOW TO IGNORE THE

CHICAGO CONVENTION

By Giulia Mauri, Partner, Verhaegen Walravens

VIOLATION

The Italian luxury

tax imposed on
aircraft could be
in breach of
European laws.

s of March 5th, owners of aircraft used for non-commercial

operations in Italy are required
to pay an additional landing tax. The
new taxation, known as Salva Italia,
has been introduced by governmental
decree and subsequently converted
into law.
The Salva Italia decree contains several measures aimed at reducing the
Italian deficit and balancing the budget.
One of the measures adopted by the
Monti Government has been to tax socalled luxury goods, including high
caliber cars, yachts and private aircraft.
Unfortunately this includes a tax on
Italian registered aircraft and in some
cases on foreign aircraft.
At the time of writing this article, several amendments to the law are being
discussed. The latest available version
of the law provides a taxation for commercial and non-commercial operations. For non-commercial operations,
the tax is due on Italian registered aircraft or on foreign aircraft making a

104 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

stop-over in Italy of more than 45 consecutive days. The amount due is calculated based on the take-off weight of
the aircraft and varies from a minimum
of 0.75 per kilogram for aircraft having a take-off weight up to 1,000 kilograms to a maximum of 7.55 per kilogram for aircraft having a take-off
weight of more than 10,000 kilograms.
Commercial flights have also been
taxed (this taxation is new as it was not
included in the original version of the
law). This new tax on aero-taxis will
be paid by each passenger for each leg
and it amounts to 100 on legs of less
than 1,500km and 200 per leg for legs
above 1,500km.

The new tax has been criticized by

the European Business Aviation
Association (EBAA), the Italian
Business Aviation Association (IBAA)
and the European Helicopter
Association (helicopters are taxed
twice as much as airplanes). The
EBAA, in coordination with its national
and international partners, is acting on
several different fronts. EBAA has
been busy making contacts with
Italian authorities in order to explain
the industrys position. More so, the
tax services of the European
Commission have also been involved
as the Italian luxury tax could be in
breach of European law.
It is regrettable that the Italian government does not seem to recall what
happened with the so-called Soru taxation. Indeed, Salva Italia must give
regular travelers to Italy a feeling of
dj-vu mixed with an impression of
incoherence. Not so long ago, the
Italian Constitutional Court, backed
by a decision of the European Court
of Justice, decided that a tax very similar to the one introduced by the
Monti Government was unconstitu-

tional and in breach of several principles of European law - including the

free provision of services and the
right of establishment. Following the
decision of the Italian Constitutional
Court, the luxury tax introduced by
the then governor of Sardinia, Mr
Soru, on yachts and private jets, was
abolished.
It is interesting to note that the case
against the law of the Sardinia Region
introducing the so-called Soru Tax
was brought by the Italian State.
The State not only argued that the tax
infringed on established principles of
European law - and was backed by the
European Court of Justice on this
point - but also that the tax did not
conform to the States general principles of taxation. It would be interesting to know what changed in the general principles of European law as well
as the Italian rules on taxation that
prohibited the 2006 luxury tax but
allows for the adoption of a substantially identical tax just six years later.
The Situation in Europe
The increase of taxation on international aviation is a phenomenon that is
rapidly growing in Europe. Increased
taxation is often justified by environmental reasons, even though, as we
will see here below, revenues generated by such taxation may also be used
for solidarity purposes.
Several Member States impose taxation on air passengers. The method of
taxation adopted by most European
countries is a charge levied per-passenger departing from, or arriving to,
an airport located in the territory of
the relevant country.
This is how the UKs Air Passenger
Duty (APD) works. The duty was
introduced in 1994 and, at that time,
its amount was so low that no objections were raised by airlines. On
December 6, 2006, the Chancellor of
the Exchequer announced it was the
governments intention to double the
amount of APD. The duty has since
been increased several times. The
duty applies to all passengers, with
some exceptions, and it is calculated
on the basis of the distance between
London and the capital city of the destination country.
The revenues generated by this duty,
which at times was purportedly
increased for environmental reasons,
will not be reinvested in environmental projects. If it was expected that the
tax would be criticized by airlines, less

expected was the criticism received by

environmentalists who argued that the
tax actually encourages air passengers
to believe they are doing their bit for
the environment, making them less
likely to contribute to carbon offsetting schemes.
Following the example of the UK,
Ireland introduced its own APD,
whose amount is calculated in the
same manner as the UK APD.
Following the crisis of the Euro-zone,
there have been several talks in
Ireland to abolish the APD in order to
promote tourism. Unfortunately, a deal
could not be found between the Irish
Government, who proposed to scrap
the tax against an obligation of airlines
to increase flights to and from Ireland,
and the airlines, who indicated that
they could not commit to such an
increase. The Irish APD therefore
stands.
Another interesting example of passenger duty is the so-called Alitalia
tax. In 2008, the Italian Government
increased an existing Boarding Tax
from 1 per passenger to 3 per passenger. The additional amounts levied
from the increase of the Boarding Tax
have been used to cover the costs of
unemployment benefits for former
Alitalias employees. In other words, a
perfect example of a solidarity tax.
Notwithstanding some pressure from
the International Air Transport
Association and the European Low
Fare Airlines Association, the tax was
maintained.
The scope of these taxes varies from
the noble aim of protecting the environment to the financing of unemployment benefits of former employees of
a bankrupt national carrier. Whatever
the reasons for these taxes, their pro-

liferation is certainly not among the

aims those who believed in the future
of aviation and in the great contribution that a sound aviation industry can
bring to the global economy.
The Chicago Convention: enfant
mal-aim
It would be useful if the ICAO took
an official position on this type of taxation. Indeed, the Chicago Convention
of 1944, the backbone of the international aviation community, states:
No fees, dues or other charges shall be
imposed by any contracting State in
respect solely of the right of transit over
or entry into or exit from its territory of
any aircraft of a contracting State or persons or property thereon. (Article 15)
The declared purpose of the
Convention is to foster the development of international aviation in a safe
and orderly manner and to establish
international air transport services
operated soundly and economically
and on the basis of equality of opportunity. If we read the prohibition of
Article 15 in light of the purpose of the
Convention, it becomes apparent that
the aim of this instrument is to avoid a
proliferation of taxes on international
aviation - proliferation that would create inequality among operators and
impair the sound development of air
services.
Suffice it to say, the Convention has
been ratified by 191 States. I believe it
is legitimate to wonder what the future
of aviation would be if each one of
these ratifying states would add taxation on flights departing or landing in
its territory.
However, even if the purpose of the
Convention seems clear, its interpretation has given rise to irreconcilable
court decisions.

MIX-UP

Italian PM
Mario Monti and
his government
fail to
differentiate
aviation and
luxury.

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 105

52

THE DOCKET

TAXATION ON INTERNATIONAL AVIATION

In the 1990s, the municipality of

Zaventem, the town where Brussels airport is located, introduced a levy to be
paid by all passengers departing from
or arriving at Brussels Airport. Several
airlines brought action against this measure and the Belgian courts, at all levels
including the Council of State and the
Belgian Supreme Court - upheld the airlines position, holding the tax in breach
of Article 15 of the Chicago Convention.
Specifically, the courts ruled that the tax
was charged on passengers solely for
the right of entry into, or exit from, interpretation of international treaties. tent for the interpretation of the
Even though the reasoning followed Convention.
Belgian territory.
ICAO should therefore step in and
On the basis of this case law, a by the High Court may be criticized on
recent proposal to reintroduce an air several grounds, it shows how differ- bring some clarity to the issue. This
passenger duty in Belgium has been ent courts may get to opposing conclu- might help national legislators when
sions even when confronted with the considering the adoption of new taxadropped by the Government.
In the Netherlands, the so-called position adopted by other courts. tion on aviation activities, as well as
Dutch Ticket Tax, introduced to Indeed, the High Court, examining judges when confronted with interprereduce air traffic and pollution, was Belgian case law, dismissed it, stating: tative issues.
An increased role by ICAO in clarifysubsequently abolished. However, I confess to not following all of its reaeven if the end result is the same as soning. While according it all due ing the meaning of the prohibition of
that in Belgium, the reasons are differ- respect, I regret that it does not lead me Article 15 could also be coupled with a
campaign to increase awareness of the
ent. Even though Dutch courts held to alter my conclusion.
Are We Heading Towards 191 effects that taxation on aviation has
that the Dutch Ticket Tax was not in
not only on operators, but also on airbreach of the Chicago Convention, the Different Local Taxes?
The fact that different judges have ports. In particular for Business
tax was subsequently abolished.
Indeed, as indicated at the time by Jos reached opposing and irreconcilable Aviation, often mistakenly considered
Nijhuis, president of Schiphol Airport, positions on the interpretation of the as luxury aviation by legislators, it is
the introduction of the tax had the prohibition of Article 15 indicates that important to be able to indicate the
immediate consequence of a decrease there is still some work to be done to exact consequences an increased taxain air traffic from Schiphol to neigh- promote a coherent interpretation of tion has on the aviation industry as a
whole, i.e. not only on aircraft operathis international treaty.
boring countries.
A key role could be played by the tors, but also on airports.
Low cost airlines started operating
The example of the Netherlands is
Civil
Aviation
from Belgium or Germany and tour International
operators started selling travel pack- Organization, the international body particularly interesting as the Dutch
ages that included departing airports created by the Chicago Convention. Ticket Tax was abolished not because
located in surrounding countries. ICAO could issue clear guidance on of a purported damage to the airlines,
Following the deterioration of the eco- what type of taxation is prohibited but because of the heavy loss of traffic
nomic conditions of Schiphol airport, under the Chicago Convention. experienced by Schiphol airport.
I would also venture to say that this
Indeed, current ICAO guidelines on
the tax was finally abolished in 2009.
The introduction of the Dutch Ticket taxation and charges have proved to type of taxation on international aviation should be systematically chalTax was challenged in court. Dutch be silent on this issue.
The European Court of Justice, in its lenged. As clearly shown by the judgjudges upheld the validity of the tax
and structured their final decision on very controversial decision on the ment of the English High Court, the
the basis of the reasoning followed by validity of the directives extending the existence of taxes similar to the ones
the English High Court in the case con- EU Emission Trading Scheme to the challenged has been construed as
aviation industry, has recently indicat- additional evidence that nothing can
cerning the UK Air Passenger Duty.
However, the UKs High Court deci- ed that the European Union is not be reproached to such taxation MEDIATION sion has been heavily criticized by bound by the Chicago Convention. Inaction has been interpreted as acquiICAO could step scholars as being UK-centric and as This decision alone then implies that escence.

in to highlight the misapplying general principles of European institutions are not compenegative effects
of Italys
Giulia Mauri welcomes readers' comments on these topics.
proposed
She advises national and international clients on all aspects of aviation and transport law,
luxury tax on
including asset finance and leasing, safety regulations, carrier's liability and litigation matters.
Business
She can be reached at info@bartintl.com
Aviation.
106 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

53

SAFETY SENSE

RULES AND REGULATIONS

FUEL EXHAUSTION
By Michael R. Grninger
and Capt. Carl C. Norgren
of Great Circle Services AG (GCS)

ERROR

A wrong fuel
indicator on an
ATR-72 ended
up with fatal
results.

veryone knows that lift is generated by speed and speed is generated by a propulsion system fed by
fuel. Without fuel, a motor-powered
aeroplane becomes a glider.
Research by EASA indicates that a
total of 30 accidents and 35 incidents
between 1970 and February 2011 were
attributed to fuel exhaustion, causing a
total of 322 fatalities.
According to ICAO fuel exhaustion is
defined as no usable fuel remains on
the aircraft. The risk of fuel exhaustion has been present in aviation ever
since the beginning of powered-flight.
The consequences of fuel exhaustion
have grown as aircraft have become
larger and faster. At the same time the
means of controlling the risk of fuel
exhaustion have improved significantly. Today multiple tools are available
to the flight crew to safely manage the
fuel supply carried on board. It is up to
the crew to make use of these tools in
order to ensure flight safety.
Several causal factors of fuel exhaustion have been identified. Technical
factors, as far as they have been identified, have already been taken care of
or will be. EASAs NPA 2011-13 proposes additional certification require-

108 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

ments towards an enhanced Fuel

Quantity Indicator System including
additional indicating and alerting features.
Organizational and human factors
are much less easily addressed. Two
recent key accidents highlight the
continued need for crew alertness,
awareness, and discipline in following
defined standards.
Tuninter Flight 1153 The ATR-72
ditched on August 6, 2005, into the
Mediterranean Sea after a double
flame-out. Post-craft investigation
showed that a wrong fuel indicator
had been installed leading the gauge
to over read. The displayed fuel figure
was higher than actual fuel quantity.
This fault could have been detected on
ground before departure by the crew
had they adhered to operating procedures.
The captain had already flown the
aircraft on the day before the ditching,
August 5th. He had logged a faulty fuel
quantity indication. Overnight
mechanics replaced the fuel quantity
indicator. But they installed the wrong
replacement instrument, one for ATR42 instead of one for ATR-72. The
newly installed instrument showed a
considerably higher amount of fuel
than the fuel actually on board. But
the difference of the amount indicated
remained undetected.

As required by operational procedures, the captain had noted 790 kg of

fuel on board upon landing on the companys Aircraft Technical Log (ATL).
The following day, August 6th, when he
resumed his duties on the same ATR72, TS-LBB, he read 3100 kg on the fuel
gauge. The captain trusted in the assurances given by the Flight Dispatcher,
although his pre-flight documentation
was not complete. In fact, the fuel slip
was missing. At that stage he could
have developed some doubts about the
actual quantity of fuel on board.
But he continued to prepare for the
flight and ordered an additional 700 kg
of fuel to reach the required 3800 kg
for the flight from Tunis to Bari. The
quantity was set in the fuel panel. The
refuelling slip of this uplift contained a
quantity of 465 kg. No questions were
raised by the flight or the ground crew.
During the flight from Tunis to Bari,
the crew did not complete the operational flight plan (OFP), against company operational procedures. The compilation of the OFP is not an unnecessary
bureaucratic act. It is an instrument to
validate essential calculations and flight
characteristics. Had the crew crosschecked the fuel used with the fuel
planned, a difference of 400 kg in fuel
consumption as per fuel gauges would
not have gone unnoticed: The difference was 37% on a flight of 101 minutes.
The Fuel Used indicator displayed a figure compatible with the consumption
planned, but incompatible with the fuel
quantity indicated. The difference
would have been noted, had the fuel
consumption first been recorded and
then been analysed properly by the
flight crew.
On August 29, 2010, the captain of
Perimeter Aviation flight 107 turned
his Dash 8 back to Winnipeg from
where it had just departed. The crew
realised while conducting the 10,000 ft
climb check that they did not have
enough fuel on board to safely complete the flight. In this case, the outcome was fortunate. The crew had followed the checklist procedure and
detected the difference between the
expected and the actual fuel quantity.
Procedural non-compliance on the
ground had caused the crew to depart
without having uplifted the fuel necessary for the flight intended. The crew
had radioed the required fuel figure to

54

SAFETY SENSE

the FBOs customer service representative. The representative was distracted

and didnt pass the fuel order to the line
service foreman.
Company procedures required the
pilots to supervise refuelling procedures. Instead both pilots walked away
from the aircraft. They had seen the
fuel truck under the wing. They did
not know that the fuel truck operator
did not know how much fuel was
needed. As the foreman couldnt start
the refuelling process, and since other
aircraft needed refuelling, and after
the foreman had tried unsuccessfully
to contact the pilots, he left the Dash 8
to refuel the other aeroplanes. The
crew came back and boarded the aircraft. The fuel truck had left. The
flight crew believed the fuel upload
had taken place. But they did not
check the fuel quantity and remained
unaware of what had happened while
they had left the aeroplane standing
unsupervised on the tarmac.
Simply adhering to company procedures would have avoided this embarrassing and costly mistake.

CRASH

Tuninter Flight
1153 ditched into
the
Mediterranean
Sea after a
double flameout.

One of 10 Basic Risk Factors

According to the Flight Safety
Foundation fuel exhaustion is one of the
ten basic risk factors which need to be
managed by air transport organizations.
Fuel exhaustion risks can be mitigated
by establishing appropriate operational
procedures and by training crews to
adhere to them. Flight Operations managers can minimize the risk by providing both an ATL and an OFP which
allow the crew to detect disagreements
between the planned and the actual fuel
figures easily.

110 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

RULES AND REGULATIONS

The Flight Crew

As the Last Line of Defence
Gliders are fun to fly, but only, if they
are designed as gliders. Motor-powered aeroplanes losing all thrust are
much less fun to fly.
EASA has collected a number of accidents and incidents in which fuel
exhaustion played a role. The number
is much higher than what we might
have expected.
Flight crews can take several basic
precautions to manage the fuel supply
and to minimize the risk of fuel
exhaustion. Safe fuel management
starts with the flight preparation.
Check weather and plan flight accordingly. Additional headwinds and
expected weather deterioration at the
destination need to be taken account
of. Calculate minimum fuel correctly.
How reliable are the parameters of
your flight planning system? How
accurate are the weather data underlying the fuel calculation? Calculate estimated uplift based on the fuel quantity
on board after the previous flight and
compare to the actual uplift after refuelling. Never ignore missing fuel
receipts. If the original cannot be
found, request a copy from the fuel
supplier. Be extremely careful with the
unit of measurement. The same figure
in liters, kilograms or Gallons makes a
huge difference. Record all required
data on the ATL and the OFP.
Once airborne perform regular time
and fuel checks according to the flight
plan. Confirm the quantity indicated
by the gauges and pay attention to any
irregularities. Make prudent use of the
FMS to forecast fuel remaining at
arrival. Take fuel imbalances serious-

ly. They can be a symptom of a fuel

leak. Only balance the fuel after you
have understood the reason behind
the imbalance. Maintain situational
awareness regarding en-route alternates and the weather situation enroute and at destination and alternates. Last but not least, know when to
declare a fuel emergency, and dont
hesitate to declare a fuel emergency
when you encounter one.
Managing fuel levels and reacting to
changes requires good airmanship
and decision-making skills. In most
fuel exhaustion accidents disrespect of
procedures, poor CRM and poor decision-making are at the heart of the failure to prevent and to react appropriately and to maintain flight safety.
Follow the procedures, even when
they seem to be bureaucratic in nature.
Completing forms is a means, not a
goal. The goal is to cross-check the fuel
figures in order to detect discrepancies
between the actual and the required
fuel level in all phases of flight.

Michael R. Grninger is Managing

Director and Capt. Carl C. Norgren is
Head of Business Development of Great
Circle Services (GCS) Safety Solutions.
GCS assists in the whole range of planning and management issues, offering
customized solutions to strengthen the
position of a business in the aviation
market. Its services include training
and auditing (IS-BAO, IOSA), consultancy, manual development and process
engineering. GCS can be reached at
www.gcs-safety.com and +41-41 460 46
60. The column Safety Sense appears
regularly in BART International.

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55

PROFILE
By Jack Carroll

SWIFT

The SBJ
program was
launched four
months after the
entry into service
of the Sukhoi
SuperJet in April
2011.

t took some time before the Sukhoi

and its SuperJet 100 regional airliner finally landed a launch customer.
Surprise! It was Aeroflot, The Russian
Flag Carrier, and Sky Alliance member, which now has six aircraft in operation. According to Nazario Cauceglia,
CEO of SuperJet International, the aircraft are performing to expectations
and generating positive feedback from
customers.
Says Cauceglia, The feedback we
are getting is excellent and we find the
passengers most impressed with the
large, quiet cabin and overall comfort.
Aeroflot is now set up with 12 business
class seats with a 38-inch pitch and 75
seats in economy with a 32-inch pitch.
The economy section configuration is
3+2 seating, while business class is 2+2.
This year SuperJet International, in
charge of sales in the western markets, is expecting its major task and
first delivery to the Mexican airline
Interjet. The first SSJ100 destined for
Interjet will be completed, customized
and delivered at the hangar in Tessera

112 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

SuperJet INTERNATIONAL

SUKHOIS SUPERJET 100

GETS DOWN TO BUSINESS

(Venice, Italy). The contract with

Interjet (15 aircraft plus 5 options)
confirms the real belief in the future
market for 100 seats aircraft. Interjet is
currently the 2nd airline in the Mexican
domestic market and a highly recognized airline in the Latin American
region.
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 entered service in April 2011, yet the Sukhoi
Business Jet (SBJ) Program entered
into our business just four months
later. Why the big rush? one might
ask. Says Cauceglia, We were actually pushed into this market as we continued to get more inquiriesespecially from operators of purpose-built
large-cabin jets than one would
expect at such an early stage.
Anyway you look at it, SuperJet
International, a joint venture between
Alenia Aermacchi a Finmeccanica
Companyand Sukhoi Holding, would
have some tough selling ahead of it
against stalwarts Airbus, Boeing and a
more recent arrival, Embraers
Lineage 1000.

Well then, how does one present the

advantages of a new business jet?
What features do they stress? As
Cauceglia emphasizes, First and foremost we focus on the cabin size. No
one in the SBJs category or price
range can match our cabin. We are not
up there with the Airbus ACJ or
Boeing BBJ of course, but were much
more affordable, in the $50 million
area. And thats for a completed aircraft.
Ive heard the saying, Sell the cabin
and youll sell the plane. Well Im
sure its not all that simple. But dont
tell Cauceglia that. He continues: Our
advantages are precisely what passengers and prospects weve talked with
say they want most in a business aircraft. Again, we cant place too much
importance on cabin size. The cabin
volume is nearly 4,200 cubic feet, the
foor area alone is 714 square feet, our
width is over ten feet and the height is
6 feet, 11 inches; enough for just about
any basketball player. In a word, its
immense.

He stops for breath. It is much larger

than any conventional, purpose-built jet
on the market but what surprises a lot
of people is the fact that our cabin is
wider and higher than that of the
Lineage 1000, which is based on the
Embraer 190 airliner. Thats an undisputed fact, not just sales talk. The
cabin diagram from the sales brochure,
comparing several business jets, is a
clear convincer for skeptical readers.
This is one big airplane for sure, which
is one reason why the company is also
exploring a cargo version.
Under that large cabin, in addition to
extra fuel tanks, is an amazing amount
of baggage space. A 20-suitcase diva on
the ilk of Lady Gaga would absolutely
love it. That is one hidden advantage,
says Cauceglia, plus the cabin is amazingly quiet, even on takeoff; credit due
to our green engines that even with
their power (16,100 lbs. each on takeoff) have a much smaller noise print
than similar aircraft. And with the new
engines, Aeroflot is reporting about 8
percent less fuel burn than other
engines in their category.
He adds: Of course, were talking
about a VVIP business jet here, so in
that role with 8-12 passengers, the comfort level is obvious. In a government
role well carry around 20-30 passengers and even for corporate missions
with about 40 passengers theyll all
have plenty of space and comfort,
including a meeting lounge at the rear,
in an aircraft intended for 100 passengers.
Comlux Commits
To The Sukhoi Business Jet.
At NBAA last October, Comlux The
Aviation Group, announced a purchase
agreement for two Sukhoi Business
Jets, plus two options. Was it good fortune, super salesmanship or a Link
Connection? Or was Comlux simply
looking to fill a niche in its array of 19
aircraft in service, with ten on the way,
including the first two SBJs? No matter; SuperJet International, the sales
and marketing agent, nailed down the
order, which is what really counts.
The total sale with options is estimated to be worth some $200 million
(USD) and the first to SBJs are scheduled for delivery in 2014.
The VIP interiors will be designed
and completed at Comlux America in
Indianapolis, Indiana, which is also the
first approved SBJ Completion Center.

While the two SBJs will be completed

to Comluxs specifications and livery,
Cauceglia points out that, Ultra-rich
customers to have tend to already
have relationships with a wide range
of completion centers worldwide.
We can deliver those green, without interiors and of course these people are free to take them wherever
they wish. However, we have been

be in total agreement with Mr.

Cauceglias words: Comlux has earned
its reputation in the worldwide
Business Aviation market by offering a
one-stop-shop solution for the widest
range of wide-cabin VIP aircraft. With
this launch order we are pleased to be
able to offer our clients a new choice of
VIP aircraft to complement our existing
fleet.

working in concert with the designers

at Comlux on a standard, yet adaptable
interior which will be included in the
price of the aircraft, as I mentioned.
And I can ensure our customers that
this interior will be constructed to the
highest standards, with top quality
materials and furnishings. According
to Cauceglia, he first standard interior
configuration is close to completion at
Comlux America.
Says Cauceglia, This new partnership with SuperJet International and
Comlux is a great achievement by
both parties. Im pleased to say that
the SBJ order officially launches he
Sukhoi Business Jet program, which
were certain will soon become a
strong competitor in the wide cabin
VIP market segment. The partnership
was natural. We have a niche product
that fits perfectly into their wide range
of aircraft and Comlux has plenty of
experience marketing VIP-configured
airliners and working with the highest
ranking individuals.
So there you have it. But rest
assured that the completion is already
preparing its defenses against this new
Russian interloper.
Richard Gaona, President of Comlux
The Aviation Group, who has a long
history marketing Airbus ACJs, adds a
few well-chosen words that happen to

Were convinced that the SBJ,

equipped with the latest fly-by-wire
technology and integrated modular
avionics, with deliver the efficiency
and reliability demanded by our VIP
clients. As to the existing fleet, as far
as we can see, when the new SBJ
enters service with Comlux, it will be
positioned between its ACJ 318 and
Global Express.
And what is the next steps for the
SBJ? Says Cauceglia, We know that
VIP travelers flying to the UK prefer to
land at London City Airport rather
than flying into Heathrow Airport with
all its problems and delays, so we are
currently working on steep approach
permission for the SBJ.
According to Cauceglia, the areas of
greatest sales potential are the U.S.
well into the futurethe Middle East,
Asia, Russia and South America.
Europe is not so great for us at the
present time and China has huge
potential in the future as Business
Aviation restrictions are relaxed there.
But at some point we intend to be very
active there. And now that SuperJet
International is somewhat on a roll
all it needs are a few more customers
in the Comlux league. For sure,
theyre off to a great start.

LAUNCH

With the
acquisition of
two airplanes,
Comlux Aviation
Group is the
launch customer
for the Sukhoi
Business Jet .

BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012 - 113

56

INSIGHT

AERION SSBJ

AERION SEES SUPERSONIC POTENTIAL

Growing environmental
concerns have muted hopes
for the success of supersonic
business jets. However, one
man sees potential where
others see problems thats Brian Barents, Aerion
Corporations Vice Chairman.
He spoke to BART about the
future of supersonic Business
Aviation.

REALISTIC

Aerion has
always been
sensitive to
environmental
issues and its
not going to
change says
Brian Barents

BART: Theres demand right now

for large, ultra-long range business
jets and the next logical step seems
to be into the supersonic realm. What
are your thoughts on the market for
supersonic business jets?
Barents: Well Im convinced that
there is a future for supersonic
Business Aviation. At Aerion weve
maintained the order book that we
had before the downturn. The interest is still there and were talking to
many people who embrace the need
for supersonic travel.
BART: Its clear that noise restrictions
and environmental regulations will
become stricter both in Europe and
the United States in the future. Will
this significantly impact the future for
your product?
Barents: Not necessarily, at Aerion
weve always been very sensitive to
environmental and noise issues. Right
now were in compliance with the
noise emission standards and environmental regulations both in the U.S.
and Europe. And as they change, well
be able to adapt our design and operational parameters accordingly: theyre
certainly not going to be a show-stopper for our plans.
As you know, right now, supersonic
flight over the U.S. is prohibited. But
Aerions SSBJ gets around this
restriction, so to speak, by flying efficiently at high sub sonic without sacrificing range. Indeed, our entire business case is based on the idea that
the aircraft can fly at high sub sonic
over the U.S. and then unrestrictedly
over water. This is important

114 - BART: MAY - JUNE - 2012

because, frankly, the restriction is

unlikely to be eased in the current
environment.
We have a realistic business case that
works within todays rules and regulations and uses technologies that are
currently available. Its what sets the
Aerion SSBJ apart from other proposed supersonic business jet models.
BART: Your latest development is
Aerions
subsidiary,
Aerion
Technologies, which offers consultancy to OEMs on laminar flow technologies. Can you tell me a little about
this?
Barents: Aerion Technologies is a
vehicle that offers consulting to OEMs
in the sub-sonic arena. Aerions
Natural Laminar Flow technology is
highly scalable for both supersonic
and subsonic aircraft but also for transonic aircraft in the Mach 0.8 to 0.9
regime. The application of our low
sweep wing technology can greatly
improve high-speed transonic aircraft
in terms of both speed and range efficiency. So OEMs are interested. This
past year weve had some very successful engagements with several very
prominent manufacturers. Theyre
looking at improving existing aircraft
and proposed aircraft, and in both
cases we can help them.
Right now, Aerion Technologies targets sub-sonic applications, but it
could eventually become a way for us
to establish a joint-venture with an
OEM to develop Aerions Super Sonic
Business Jet. There are plenty of
options on the table; another would be

for an OEM to take on the Aerion

SSBJ themselves. In all of this were
mindful that airplane development is a
long cycle proposition and these
OEMs are looking ahead to five, six,
seven or eight years out. Were optimistic that our discussions will bear
fruit especially now that the worldwide
economy is slowly recovering from the
aftermath of 2008 and 2009.
BART: There is a lot of talk now about
Chinese and East Asian markets. Have
you received much interest in the
Aerion SSBJ from potential Chinese
buyers?
Barents: In our initial market analysis,
we didnt really try to measure the market size for China because the market
really didnt exist. And it still doesnt
today for all practical purposes.
Intuitively, I would say, yes, as the market grows in China it will increase our
likelihood of selling to Chinese highnet-worth individuals. Having said that,
as China expands as a trading partner,
more people will need to travel both to
and from China, whether theyre
Chinese nationals or foreign nationals.
This in turn will boost demand for
supersonic aircraft travel.
However, we arent engaged in discussions with potential Chinese partners.
Of course we know that Chinese companies are looking to gain a foothold in
the U.S. aerospace market by investing in smaller firms. All I can say is
that, were watching the industry and
were watching whats going on.
BART: Finally, will Aerion have a big
presence at EBACE 2012?
Barents: We will be on display as we
have been in the past. We cant afford
to miss it really, especially when you
think of the interest weve generated on
previous visits. We have a strong customer base in Europe and well continue to make inroads on the continent.
There you have it: the future is bright for
Supersonic Business Aviation. BART
certainly supports the Aerions project
and well be keeping you updated as it
progresses steadily towards realization.