The Obama administration is again accusing business jet operators of enjoying “subsidies” and availing themselves of “loopholes that give advantages to the wealthy and to corporations that average Americans and average businesses don't have.” The so-called loophole is depreciation. For every other business, depreciation is normal course of business. But for business jet operators, apparently it is a loophole.
Part 135 operators are increasingly adopting Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAPs), says Chris MacWhorter, senior technical advisor for FAA's Flight Standards Service. Currently, 19 Part 135 operators and eight Part 135/91K operators have the programs in place, which provide a means for employees to voluntarily report safety issues and events. The Air Charter Safety Foundation has begun a program that would enable smaller operators to participate and ACSF Director of Safety Russ Lawton says four operators are on board with more in the works.
Argus TRAQPak data shows that February 2013 flight activity levels decreased from January, finishing the month down 2.3% overall. The results by operational category were mostly negative with the exception of fractional activity, up 0.8% over January. Part 135 and Part 91 flight activity were both down for the month, 4.5% and 1.7% respectively. Reviewing the individual market segments, the Part 91 large cabin segment posted a 5.5% month over month increase, while the Part 135 turboprop segment posted an 8.3% month over month decrease.
Dassault expects to see a boost in Falcon sales and slight increase in deliveries to 70 Falcon business jets in 2013. The improving sales would follow a year in which Dassault's Falcon net order intake (minus cancellations) increased by more than 50%, from 36 in 2011 to 58 in 2012. Deliveries were up last year by three units from 2011 to 66. But with the lead time in orders to deliveries, Dassault's production output is still reflecting slow orders during the downturn and is well beneath the 2010 peak of 95 deliveries.
Daher-Socata announced Feb. 7 that the worldwide TBM 700 and TBM 850 fleet has passed the one million flight-hour milestone. With a total fleet of 620 high-speed, single-engine turboprops, the overall fleet flies an average of 120,000 hr. annually. Daher-Socata' claims its TBM 850 is the world's fastest single turboprop aircraft, with a maximum cruising speed of 320 KTAS at FL 260 (in ISA conditions).
Zenith Jet's recently released 10-yr. forecast, says total business aircraft deliveries for the 2013-2022 forecast period are projected to be 9,400 units representing $253 billion in revenues based on 2012 pricing. The company made several interesting points: It sees the emergence of another high-end category above, but not replacing, the current Ultra-Long-Range (ULR) segment with its own distinct customer buying preferences and requirements.
NBAA advises that as of Feb. 7, ICAO rules require aircraft flying to Europe be equipped with Controller-Pilot Datalink Communications (CPDLC) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C) systems in order to access two preferred routes in the North Atlantic Organized Track System (NAT OTS). The association observes that only a fraction of business aircraft are equipped for the new requirement.
Duncan Aviation has partnered with Flightcraft to open an avionics installation and repair facility at Portland International Airport (PDX) in Portland, Ore. Located on the international airport at 7777 N.E. Airport Way, the shop is the newest in Duncan Aviation's list of 30 facilities located throughout the United States.
Despite high hopes for a growing Indian business aviation market, importing business aircraft into India has become more difficult because of increased bureaucracy, a business aviation advocacy group says. Along with the usual monthly aircraft acquisition committee meeting, India's civil aviation minister is now said to be scrutinizing every application personally. Rohit Kapur, president of the Business Aviation Operators Association of India (BAOA), says this has been going on for about five or six months and the backlog has reached around 40 aircraft.
The eighth generation of the S-76 line is powered by newly developed, twin dual-channel FADEC-controlled Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S engines, each producing 1,077 shp. These give the S-76D 14% more takeoff power and an 8% better fuel burn rate than the 922-shp Turbomeca Arriel 2S2 engines that power the S-76C++. They also take the S-76 full cycle in its choice of engines.
In response to growing demand in Asia, Jet Aviation Singapore is building a maintenance hangar adjacent to its current FBO and maintenance operation in Seletar Aerospace Park. The hangars will be integrated and incorporate two stories of office space in addition to new battery, tire, upholstery and workworking shops, including two paint spray booths. The new hangar will have an arched roof tall enough to accommodate Boeing BBJ and Airbus ACJ aircraft.
Any public company operating a business aircraft must decide early on how the costs of running the corporate aviation department will be borne. These costs may be allocated internally, or the department may be treated as a service and its costs absorbed by the company as a whole.
General aviation advocates are working to help regrow membership in the General Aviation caucuses in the U.S. House and Senate. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen recently issued an “action call” urging his members to appeal to their local lawmakers to join the caucuses. “The caucuses will be vital in the coming year, as those serving in the 113th Congress face a policy environment that could have repercussions for general aviation,” Bolen tells members.
Dubai World Central (DWC) has signed an MOU with Aircraft Support Industries (ASI), the Australian firm that specializes in developing aircraft maintenance facilities, systems and equipment, to jointly provide clients with build-to-suit and related services in the design, development and construction of aircraft hangar and maintenance facilities at DWC's Aviation District.
The Gulfstream Aerospace facility in Lincoln, Calif. is now an Authorized Service Station for Howell Instruments' products including ITT, EPR, fuel flow and fanspeed indicators as well as fan speed amplifiers, tachmoters, and Howell's AUTOTemp and AUTOTAK indicators. Gulfstream notes that there are approximateley 900 Gulfstream GIVs, GIIIs and GIIs flying worlwide, most of which are equiped with Howell Instrument products. Gulfstream Lincoln is EASA and FAA certified to perform inspection and repair of electromechanical components, avionics, wheels, brakes and tires.
While not yet officially Beechcraft Corp. as we go to press, the newly forming company that is emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection already has received a rating on expected new debt. Moody's Investor Service assigned a B1 corporate family rating to Beechcraft Holdings, LLC on a proposed $375 million term loan that will be used as part of its financing to exit from Chapter 11. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on Feb. 1 confirmed Hawker Beechcraft's reorganization plan, clearing the way for the company to emerge from bankruptcy.
Most FBOs should experience steady growth in business in the range of 4-6% in 2013, said John Enticknap a principal of Aviation Business Strategies Group (ABSG), at the 2013 NBAA Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference. “The FBO industry has not fully recovered from the economic downturn over the past several years,” Enticknap said. “Yes, 2012 was a better year than 2011, but there has been a modest shakeout of FBOs who had been operating marginally.
The NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention will now be called the Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (BACE). “NBAA's largest U.S. show has been referred to as an 'annual meeting' [since its 1947 inception], but in recent decades, it has grown in size and importance to be much more than just a meeting, and this change reflects that reality,” says NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. At the same time, Bolen says the change strengthens the brand for all NBAA-related shows. While the U.S.
On Jan. 30, 2013, an F3 category tornado with 137- to 179-kt. winds ripped through Adairsville, Ga., leveling five dozen structures, damaging almost 100 others and killing one person. This 900-yd.-wide twister reportedly sustained average 140-kt. winds for more than 20 mi. before dissipating. It crossed Interstate 75, flung vehicles into the air and damaged or destroyed entire neighborhoods.
EPIC announced the release of the iGo EPIC app at the recent NBAA S&D Conference in San Antonio. The app offers easy search functionality and fuel pricing for FBOs within the EPIC FBO Network. For EPIC cardholders there is an added convenience of getting account specific pricing by FBO location and quick access to Bravo Rewards information and account login.
