It's one of your worst nightmares. You’ve captained a trip to a remote area of an African country, and your first officer and one of the executive passengers have contracted a local disease — maybe dengue fever, but you’re not sure. The trip came up fast, and researching disease hazards and health care infrastructure was definitely not on your mind. But it sure is now, as you scramble to cope with a situation you never had time to envision.
The business jet fleet in Greater China is expected to grow by 74 aircraft this year, bringing the total number of executive aircraft in the region to 445 aircraft. That represents an 20% increase over 2013. That is the conclusion of Hong Kong-based Asian Sky Group in its latest and most in-depth report yet on business jet activities and trends in the region.
Air BP, Sunbury on Thames, U.K., announced the appointment of Norbert Kamp as Global Sales and Marketing director. He will report to Air BP CEO David Gilmour. The appointment follows the retirement of Peter O’Callahan earlier this year.
CAE and Brazilian training partner Lider Aviacao are launching a new helicopter pilot training program in Sao Paulo for Sikorsky S-92 helicopter operators. The new training, expected to begin in mid-2014 with a CAE 3000 Series Level D-qualified S-92 simulator, builds on the existing CAE-Lider Aviacao joint venture. Lider is one of the largest helicopter operators in Brazil.
A return-to-service flight, also known as a post-maintenance check flight, can be one of the most hazardous missions undertaken by a business aircraft operator. Some flight departments rate them as their highest risk missions. Often, aviation managers personally take active roles in planning, executing and debriefing the flights.
St. Kitts has opened a new private terminal with a YU Lounge at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport. The YU Lounge services both private and commercial customers as part of an effort by the St. Kitts & Nevis government to encourage tourism. Located west of the main airport parking apron, the facility includes arrival and departure lounges, along with a dedicated crew lounge. It also offers ground handling services for aircraft operators. The terminal is a joint venture between the St. Kitts & Nevis government, the St.
Line Operations Safety Audits (LOSA), Aviation Action Safety Programs (ASAP) and Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) programs complement each other. All provide useful data for an operator’s safety management system (SMS).
Business aviation advocates are hopeful that the IRS is moving forward on new guidance on taxing aircraft management fees, but are still awaiting firm word on whether they will be treated as commercial or noncommercial activities. The IRS in 2012 released a memorandum that called management fees commercial activity and stated they should be treated for tax purposes accordingly. That memorandum spurred a large number of audits resulting in hefty tax assessments — some in the “high six figures” or more — on management companies and their customers.
While the 8X is essentially an iteration of the three-engine model one digit removed, its additional cabin space and increased fuel load make it the French planemaker’s most comfortable long-ranger.
When queried about a possible stretch of the widebody Falcon 5X now in development, Olivier Villa, Dassault’s senior vice president for Civil Aircraft, blunted the question saying such a derivative “is not in the picture at this point.” That response naturally resulted in a follow up, and Villa accommodated, saying, “There will be derivatives of the 5X, but let us finish the first one.”
