European Business Air News - November 2009

BUSINESS AIR NEWSE U R O P E A N

ISSUE 198 NOVEMBER 2009

UK environmental consultancy APEM Ltd has invested £370,000 in a bespoke Vulcanair Observer to use as an aerial survey platform.The aircraft was collected from Naples by full-time pilot Karl Trotter (right) and pilot Sam Couchman. Full story page 4.

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Portugal’s OMNI Aviation group,which has brought a Challenger 300 into service to expand its long haul capability, can now offerseven aircraft certified for airambulance flights.

Group member EmergênciaMédica Internacional (EMI) based inCascais has added the capability oftwo Learjet 45s to its air ambulancefleet. These complement a Learjet 31and a Learjet 40, which EMI claims tobe the first ever in air ambulanceconfiguration, as well as a Falcon 50,Falcon 900 and a Bell 222.

The company’s president and co-founder Capt José Miguel Da Costasays that the Learjet 45s will haveLifePort AeroSled Plus, allowing theinstallation of two stretchers peraircraft. “The air ambulance servicesform a mainstay of our business. Formore than ten years we have

successfully repatriated patients andwe have transported human organsor blood throughout the world.”

All EMI aircraft have beenpurpose-fitted by specialists withmodern equipment for intensivecare, Da Costa says. In addition to one to two stretchers and additional

bottles of oxygen, other equipmentincluding high tech monitors,ventilators, defibrillators, syringepumps and blood gas analysers are put on board for use in airambulance operations.

“The cabin is transformed withinminutes into a fully equippedemergency room,” says RicardoPereira, EMI md. Pereira says jets andhelicopters are in demand for rapidrepatriation from remote accidentlocations in Europe. “There is a needfor flights to smaller or higher-altitude destinations and airportswith short runways and landingstrips. After a ski accident in the Alpsfor instance, a patient can be flown toa hospital within the shortest timeand be given intensive medical careduring the flight.” But he says:“Increasingly, patients are beingflown from the Arab region to

specialist clinics in Europe and inaddition an increasing number ofusers like insurance companies,assistance companies, healthorganisations, private companies orgovernment authorities request ourservices regularly.”

He says the company can ensurethat a highly trained aeromedicalteam will be ready for departure on air ambulance flights at shortnotice to provide smooth andcomfortable bedside to bedside airambulance transport.

Stefan Buschle, chief commercialofficer, says the Challenger 300 willprovide useful additional long haulbusiness for the OMNI AviationGroup, which consists of 18companies operating 55 aircraft andhelicopters, and was founded 20years ago by Capt Da Costa and Capt Rui de Almeida.

Medical transport to clinics expands demandfor EMI’s growing ambulance fleet

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EMI has expanded its air ambulancecapability to seven aircraft.

FlyingGroup, which has brought thefirst of two Falcon 7Xs into operation,has acquired the main originalbuilding and adjacent hangar atAntwerp airport. Bernard VanMilders, ceo, says: “The growth ofFlyingGroup and the continualextension of the fleet require greaterinfrastructural capacity at ourAntwerp base.

“This is why FlyingGroup decidedto invest in the acquisition of theAirventure buildings. The companynow has an additional hangarmeasuring 1,200 sq m and 260 sq mextra office space. The famousbuilding, characterised by its 1930sarchitecture, will in the first instanceaccommodate FlyingGroup’s ever-growing fleet.”

“The acquisition of two newFalcon 7Xs and the extension of ourinfrastructures at Antwerp willenhance our services to passengersand aircraft proprietors,” he adds.

FlyingGroup , which also has basesin Rotterdam, Luxembourg, Paris andCannes, says the 7X has an operatingradius of over 5,900 nm and a non-stop flying range of 13 hours. Mildersadds: “The Falcon 7X makes itpossible to link intercontinentaldestinations with no stop-over. Inaddition to seating two in the cockpit,the 7X can accommodate 16 in thecabin. It can reach a cruising speed of905 km/h at an altitude of 15 km.”

He says the 7X is the first corporatejet to be equipped with a digitalflight-control system (fly-by-wire)and EASy piloting systems.

FlyingGroupexpands asFalcon 7Xs

enter serviceGermany’s DC Aviation will bring anew dimension to its long haulcapability with the addition of twoLegacy 650s. Steffen Fries, ceo, says:“We are extremely proud to be one ofthe first European charter providers towelcome two Legacy 650s into ourfleet. We plan to use this new aircraftmodel to continue the expansion ofour long haul fleet, as well as ourinternational flight service. Thisaircraft will enable us to offercomfortable, non-stop flights onbusiness routes such as London-Dubai or Dubai-Singapore.”

The first Legacy 650 is due fordelivery in the final quarter of 2010,with the second aircraft due to arrivein 2011. Fries says: “The Legacy’sperformance offers advantages for air traffic controllers, and ultimatelyour operations.”

DC Aviation, he points out, alreadyoperates two Legacy 600s on long-haul charter flights. Includingmanaged aircraft, DC Aviation hasaround 20 business jets for charter.Fries says: “As business peoplewithout a personal jet currently do notwant to commit themselves to onebusiness jet operator with long-termcontracts or 25 hour jet cards, DCAviation has developed a specialfrequent flyer programme for chartercustomers. In the ‘DC Aviation LoyaltyClub’, flights become less expensivethe more frequently a customer flies in central Europe. In addition,positioning costs will also be waivedin the selected ‘loyalty region’.”

Fries says the Legacy 650s willcomplement a diverse fleet rangingfrom the short haul Learjet 45XR to the long range jet Gulfstream 550and four A319s with modified 19-seat vip seating plans or a 48-seatvip configuration. DC Aviation GmbH was formed as a result of the merger of Cirrus Aviation andDaimlerChrysler Aviation.

DC Aviationrewards frequentflyers ahead of

Legacy 650introduction

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Masterjet readies A320 for 2010 debut page 2

Elite goes IFR with new Grand page 2

Aviation Beauport pays tribute to founder page 3

Bespoke Observer enhancessurvey capabilities page 4

Association plansdevelopment drive for central Europe page 5

SPECIAL FOCUSOperator review of Arab Gulf States page 10

ME & MY AIRCRAFTCabin class piston page 6

For fuel, ground services and all your trip arrangements

Observer takes on ecology roleObserver takes on ecology role

2 NOVEMBER 2009 EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

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John Garrison Jr.President and CEOBell Helicopter

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Masterjet will make available forcharter an Airbus A320 in a 26-seatconfiguration by the summer of 2010.

The company has headquarters inLisbon and two operational bases inParis le Bourget and Geneva wherecharter aircraft are based. Masterjet isalso located in London, Jeddah, NewDelhi and Malta.

Edward Queffelec, head of aircraftsales, says that the company isattracting a great many more EasternEuropean and Middle Eastern clientsto add to its clients base whichincludes a substantial European mix.

Queffelec says that, despite thedifficult world economic conditions,clients are expressing a preference forlarger aircraft. “This means flyingeither Airbus or Boeing aircraft. Weintend to operate a number of vip-configured airliners in the future.”

Masterjet is an official partner ofFokker Services for the marketing ofmaintenance and completion

products and is partnered withPatrick Mauboussin Aircraft Design.The first project with PMAD is the

painting of the A320 that Masterjet isbringing into service.

Masterjet has also signed a

cooperation agreement with AirFrance Consulting, the subsidiary ofAir France, to provide businessaviation consultancy services.

Queffelec, son of the founder ofthe company Philip Queffelec, saysthat buyers are tending to believe thatthe market has bottomed out and areclosing on acquisitions. “Aircraftacquisition and trading is pickingup,” he says.

Philip Queffelec: Masterjet founder.

Edward Queffelec: more acquisitions.

Masterjet readies 26-seat A320 for debut next year Elite gains fullIFR approvaland expandsGrand fleet

UK operator Elite Helicopters, basedat Goodwood aerodrome, is planningto bring a third managed A109SGrand into service by the end of theyear. The fleet expansion coincideswith CAA approval to carry out fullIFR public transport operations.

Sharon Douglas, operationsdirector, says: “After 15 years ofexperience with a variety ofhelicopters operating under VFRconditions, we are delighted to takethe company to the next level of operations.”

Elite Helicopters reports gooddemand for the two Grands that havealready been brought on streamaugmenting a fleet that includes two R22s for training, an R44, aJetRanger, two LongRangers and twoAS350 Squirrels.

Operations manager Bill Leachsays: “The Grands are a real asset forour fleet, with high capability. Theycan take six passengers and plenty ofbaggage. The speed is good with thecapability of 145 knots.”

He adds: “Earlier in the yearbusiness was quiet, however in thepast two to three weeks the level ofenquiries has grown significantly andnot just in numbers but in the qualityof those enquiries. I was expectingSeptember to be much quieter than ithas turned out to be.”

Elite Helicopters was launched 15years ago by Glenn Curtis and SharonDouglas in 1995. “It started smallwith the management of oneJetRanger and has grownsignificantly,” says Leach. Thecompany, which carries out servicesto a mix of county shows, sportsevents and vip charter, was firstestablished at White Waltham nearMaidenhead in Berkshire.

In early 2001 it took over thehelicopter charter operation andflight training school at Goodwoodfrom Stephenson Aviation, givingElite Helicopters extensive coveragethroughout southern England.

In 1998 Elite Helicopters securedthe contract for the operation of the heliport at FarnboroughInternational ’98. “The company hascontinued to be awarded thecontract for the event since and iscontracted through 2012,” saysGlenn Curtis.

Elite also runs all groundoperations in connection with theHelitech exhibition which is held bi-annually at Duxford, and licenses aheliport for operations inconnection with the British GrandPrix. Leach says: “Flights to themajor sporting events, such as theEpsom Derby, Royal Ascot, theFestival of Speed, GloriousGoodwood, the Revival Meeting andthe British Grand Prix, are specialityoperations that Elite Helicoptersmajors in.”

Elite luxury is winning business.

NOVEMBER 2009 3EUROPEAN BUSINESS AIR NEWS

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Jersey-based Aviation Beauport hasrestructured following the death oflong time group md Capt GregGraham. Group chairman and ownerMike Bell has assumed the role of mdwhile finance director Maggie Barnessteps into the newly-created post ofdeputy md, with former chief pilotPaul Holroyd promoted to director offlight operations.

Bell, who acquired the original aircharter business in 1985, paid tributeto the late Capt Graham, who was the driving force behind the growth ofthe company from a small air taxiservice to an operation employingover 40 staff and flying a range ofdifferent jets.

“When I bought the originalcompany, it was on the understandingthat Greg came and ran it for me.When we started out, we had a pipedream that one day we would see afleet of jets littering the apron. To havemade that a reality is testament toGreg’s drive, energy and enthusiasm.To many people he was ‘AviationBeauport’ and I, and everyone here,

owe him an enormous debt.”The company, which celebrated its

40th anniversary this year, isexpanding its fleet.

Aviation Beauport now owns ormanages a number of aircraft,including its Citation XLS and therecently acquired Falcon 2000EXEASy and is acquiring a new CitationMustang which is due to arrive inJanuary 2010.

Bell says: “The acquisition of theMustang will give us a wider range ofoptions as I feel there is definitely a

market for businessmen doingshorter trips. The Falcon, which wetook delivery of in April, is alreadymaking a big contribution to ourbusiness and I would expect to see a35 per cent uplift in turnover nextyear, with a further 25 per cent growthin 2011 when we factor in thecontribution from our new light jetand additional work for the Falcon.”

He adds: “The arrival of the Falcon,being a wide-bodied jet, has alreadyopened up new markets for us andwas a quantum leap forward in therange of aircraft available for charter.”

In addition to its long-establishedair charter operation, AviationBeauport also has a corporatemanagement division offeringeverything from hangarage and flightplanning to a complete turnkeyservice. It has made significantinvestment in its terminal facilitiesand new booking and admini-stration systems.

Aviation Beauport, one of theoldest-established FBOs in Europe,recently extended its purpose-built

terminal in order to further improveits executive lounge and cateringfacilities and now boasts an additionalprivate lounge for vips. It alsoprovides dedicated IT facilities forvisiting crew following a completerevamp of the reception and bookingareas. Other features includeextensive on-site parking and a woodpanelled boardroom overlooking theapron, which can accommodate up to12 executives for a round tablediscussion as well as receptions forparties of up to 30 people.

Last year the company handledapproximately 5,100 aircraft move-ments, with passenger numbers inthe region of 15,000.

Customer services manager DaveHeaney says: “Pilots know that we canbe relied on to pass on any messagesthey relay to us while passingoverhead, and we’re happy to do so,but this personal service alsoincludes the door-to-door transportwe offer, our hotel and limousinebooking service and the provision of aSmart car for use by visiting crew.”

Aviation Beauport pays tribute to founder as itrestructures company for further growth

Capt Greg Graham: tributes to founder.

Portugal’s Heliavia is lobbying forLisbon airport to provide a new fullservice dedicated executive terminal.The company’s gm Vitoria Henriquessays that it has taken the matter upseveral times without success.

“However,” she says, “Heliaviadoes its utmost to ensure that the lackof a dedicated private terminal doesnot affect its clients. When they arrive at the airport we have our ownstaff waiting who take themimmediately in our minibus and putthem aboard our aircraft. If they haveto wait for an airport slot we have ourown facilities where they pass thetime in comfort.”

Heliavia, which operates a Falcon2000EX EAsy, an AS350 BA and aFalcon 900B provides photographyand film services as well as executivecharter.

Henriques says: “It seems to us thatthe market is growing. Our ownexisting clients are our best adver-tising medium as they recommendHeliavia’s services to others.” But shereports that the economic recessionhas brought price undercutting.

“There is a problem with the pricesthat some companies are quoting justto take clients from other companies.They are quoting prices that do notcover flight costs.”

Heliavia campaigns for new Lisbonexecutive aviation facility

LEA updates the world via Twitter

London Executive Aviation (LEA) isnow talking to the world throughTwitter. LEA’s ‘tweets’ include updates on the UK company’sservices and destinations, the latestempty leg opportunities and links tonew footage on the operator’sYouTube channel.

Patrick Margetson-Rushmore,ceo, says: “We’ve got over 200followers already. We’re eager to be atthe leading-edge of new technologiesand social media. Twitter is 21st-century word-of-mouth and a greatway for us to talk to our customersand potential customers. We’relooking to add inventive tweets allthe time.” George Galanopoulos,LEA’s md adds: “We’re really excitedabout how we can use new media topromote and improve our business.”


Publisher: ..........................David Wright

Editor: ..................................Rod Smith

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Reporter: ........................Claire Morrison

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LuxAviation reports that it is carryingout intensive telemarketing tocombat the drop in demand andaverage yield caused by the globaleconomic recession. However,Christian Heinzmann, ceo, reportsthat its Citation XLS is provingpopular with clients.

The company, an air taxi operatorwhich specialises in flights forgovernment, executive and vipclients, says it is working with otherlocal and international operators aswell as main charter brokers togenerate business. As well as charterit offers brokerage and consultancy.

LuxAviationspreads its

marketing net

Wyndham London, Chelsea Harbour, London SW10 0XG

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Chauffeur Services

NOT JUST ECOLOGICAL. EAGLELOGICAL.

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Heli Austria is bringing a BO105 LS A3Superlifter into service. Roy Knaus,ceo, says: “We will use it for all kindsof twin-engine work includingpassengers and aerial and also forconstruction flights in cities.

“The hook is rated for 1,350 kg and the maximum gross from theSuperlifter is 2,850 kg. Also, flying inhostile environments, this is a twin-engine aircraft that outperformsany single, such as an AS 350 B3, at altitude.”

Heli Austria’s fleet now includestwo Bell Super 204Bs, four AS350s,five AS355s, an MD 520N and an MD902 Explorer.

The company, which has bases at St Johann Pongau, Heliport

Karres, Imst, Hochgurgl andSaalbach-Hinterglemm, specialisesin a wide range of operationsincluding passenger, freight and air

ambulance/medevac. It also providessurvey and surveillance, photographyand film, aerial works, fire andsightseeing and leisure services.


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UK environmental research specialistAPEM Ltd has expanded the scope ofits aerial surveys by bringing aVulcanair Observer into service(photo page 1). “The Observer isspecifically designed as an aerialsurvey platform,” says md Dr KeithHendry. “It has an integral surveyhatch and a Perspex nose making itideal for aerial survey work andremote sensing.”

He adds: “We have just sold ourprevious aircraft, a Cessna 172 whichwas also photo-modified. Twinengines give us much more flexibilityin terms of range, speed to survey siteand of course being able to undertakesurveys over large expanses of water.”

The company, brainchild of fishbiologist Dr Hendry, was launched in 1987. It is a niche environ-mental consultancy specialising in undertaking applied research,surveying and managing aquatichabitats such as rivers and lakestogether with coastal and off-shore areas.

It has grown steadily over the yearsand now employs 50 scientistscovering all aquatic disciplinesincluding fisheries, ecology, waterchemistry and hydrology infreshwater and marine environments.

APEM has three main laboratoriesin England at Manchester, Oxford andDorset as well as offices in Bangor inWales, and Dublin in Ireland and iscurrently expanding into Scotland.

Dr Hendry says: “APEMundertakes environmental investi-gations, such as impact assessments,

for the water and power industries.For example we investigate the effectsof abstraction by water companies onrivers and lakes, investigating theimpacts on fish and river ecology. We are extensively involved with boththe conventional and renewablepower industry. This includesexamining the effects of coolingwater discharge for power stations onrivers and coasts, thermal plumeanalysis and assessing the impacts onwater quality and ecology.

“We are also involved in the twoUK barrage projects, the Severn andMersey, and the Solway Tidal Scheme,investigating the effects of these

renewable energy proposals on fishpopulations. Offshore windfarms areanother area of expertise, where weare developing innovative highresolution aerial survey techniques toassess bird populations before andafter construction.”

He adds: “Other areas we areinvolved in include rivergeomorphology assessment. Ouraerial survey equipment can getdown to a ground resolution ofaround 2 cm. With this we canundertake detailed assessment ofriverine sediments, gravels, cobbles,boulders and using colour, sands andsilts. This enables us to investigate theeffects of hydropower schemes whichhave the effect of interrupting gravel(sediment) transport downstream,leaving large areas of river beddenuded of gravel. This has knock-oneffects for spawning fish.”

APEM also uses infra-red

photography to identify invasiveplants, accurately mapping themalong river corridors so thateradication can be effectivelytargeted.

Hendry reports that aerial surveyhas been a substantial growth area forthe company over the past four years.“We expect this to accelerate,” headds. “For offshore windfarm birdsurveys, our new methodologies haveresulted in immediate success,having been well received by both thepower companies and regulators.Similarly our work in rivers is set toincrease dramatically with thelaunching of our Fluvial InformationSystem software (FIS). This combinesparticle sizing with depthmeasurement to produce fish habitatmaps for rivers as well as a host ofother geomorphological informationrequired for the new EU WaterFramework Directive. Our aim is tomake the FIS an essential monitoringand information tool for rivers, notjust in the UK but across Europe.”

The purchase of the six-seaterVulcanair Observer was funded byLombard, the asset finance arm ofThe Royal Bank of Scotland. Based atLeeds/Bradford airport the Italian-built aircraft has a maximum speed of370 kmph and a maximum range ofalmost 1,600 km.

Hendry says: “The aircraft hasbeen fitted with the latest ingeographic information systemsoftware and we believe this will be a real benefit to both new andexisting clients.”

The APEM Ltd staff line-up has increased to meet rising demand.

Expanding environmental research specialist sees Observer as the ideal new all-purpose aerial survey platform

Environmental surveys are a mainstay.

Dusseldorf-based Triple Alpha, amember of Ocean Sky AviationGroup, expects to add anotherChallenger 300 to its managed fleetbefore the end of the year.

The company’s Hans Pfeiffer saysthat the aircraft is popular withcharter clients because of itsexcellent range and spacious cabin.“The addition of a second Challengerwill give us good options. The currentChallenger, which we operate with an

attendant, can take nine but we findthat it is usually commissioned forfour or five passengers.”

Pfeiffer says the Challenger 300 isequally popular with families goingon holiday and businessmen. “We arecatering to a demand from Russia,where clients especially like largeraircraft for their holidays, and forthose who like comfort to work inwhen carrying out corporateassignments,” he adds.

Eleven compete for Isle of Man tender

The Isle of Man government is studying 11 submissions after putting its airambulance service out to tender. “We plan to make the decision by Christmasand the contract will start in April 2010,” says Michael Morrison, seniorexecutive officer, health services division.

“The department is required to review all major contracts with third partieson a regular basis to ensure good governance and to seek best value for moneyon behalf of the Manx taxpayer.”

The air ambulance service transfers Manx patients who are too ill to travel byscheduled airline or by sea or those needing urgent specialist treatment in theUK (See EBAN September 2009). It is currently delivered by Woodgate ExecutiveAir Charter.

A Heli Austria medevac team in operation.

Triple Alpha plans to add secondmanaged Challenger 300

Heli Austria welcomes Superliftercontribution to all-round capability


Tomkova: conferences planned.

Industry leaders havelaunched an association toestablish the Czech Republicas a key regional hub forprivate aviation.

Dagmar Grossmann,chairman and founder ofCentral Europe PrivateAviation (CEPA), says:“Business aviation is arelatively new field in centralEurope with a huge growthpotential for its share on theEuropean market. CEPA’s aimis to support and developbusiness aviation in CentralEurope.”

CEPA, she explains, is avoluntary, non-governmentaland non-profit association ofprivate citizens and legalentities that will represent theinterests of producers,operators, service and trainingorganisations, aircraft andhelicopter brokers andsupporting organisationsincluding financial, insuranceand publishing companies.

“It welcomes both indiv-

iduals and companies asmembers,” she adds.

Antonia Tomkova, md andco-founder, says theassociation’s primary aim is torepresent its members’interests at national,European and internationallevels and support the growthof private aviation in theCzech Republic and abroad.She adds: “The associationwill also have an educationalarm in order to disseminateinformation about the currentclimate in business aviation inCentral Europe, attract theattention of other operatorsand participate in andsponsor conferences onbusiness aviation.”

CEPA will initially focus on Bulgaria, the CzechRepublic, Croatia, Hungary,Poland, Romania, Slovakiaand Slovenia.

Board member JaroslavMalinsky says: “All thesecountries are a potentialwealth of new business for the

region, providing new marketsfor the business aviationindustry. In the CzechRepublic, private jets heldonly a small percentage oftotal flight volume untilrecently, and interested clientswere often directed towardforeign companies who couldprovide the service. Today,there are 19 business jetsregistered in the CzechRepublic.”

Grossmann says CEPA willalso focus on promisingmarkets such as Belarus,Ukraine and Russia. She isfounder of Grossmann JetService, a Czech private jetoperator, which has becomeCEPA’s first member.

“Based on the responsewe’ve received from brokersand business jet operators, itis clear that the launch ofCEPA is the right step to taketo achieve a common goal –the development of businessaviation in Central Europe,”Grossmann says.

Grossmann: regional focus.

Malinsky: 19 jets registered.

Association plans developmentdrive for central Europe

Rizon, which plans to base fivejets in Doha, Qatar, andanother in London, is workingtowards a February 2010completion of its new US$16million 13,000 sq m hangarand FBO terminal facility atLondon Biggin Hill.

Group ceo Patrick Enzconfirms: “The change inmanagement and oursimultaneous commitment toa parallel hangar and FBO andvip terminal development inDoha, due to open in thesecond quarter of 2010, meansthat we are a little bit later thanoriginally scheduled, but bothprojects are advancing well.”The latest additions to theDoha-based fleet are a Hawker 900XP and aChallenger 605 and Rizon hasalso been bolstering itsmanagement team in the UKand Qatar, ahead of significantrecruitment of staff.

Jackie Nikolajsen, gm at the

Biggin Hill facility, joins from ExecuJet Europe, wherehe was technical directorbased in Denmark. In Doha Faisal Alam, former head of maintenance anddevelopment at Bahrain-basedBexAir and former chiefoperating officer of DelmunAviation Services, is newly-named gm. Andrew Pearce,who joined Rizon UK in Mayfrom TAG Aviation as directorsales and marketing, has beenpromoted to Rizon group headof aircraft management andcharter. A head of marketingand communications has beenchosen and Rizon is currentlyrecruiting for a financedirector. Both positions will bebased in Doha.

Rizon, which also hasoffices in Bahrain and the UAEis targeting business in India,Russia, Africa and the Far East as well as the Middle Eastand Europe.

Rizon brings Hawker andChallenger on stream

Agrarflug Helilift findsqualified and experiencedpilots are in short supply.

Robert Rücker, flightoperations manager ofGermany’s Agrarflug Helilift,reports that the latest additionto the Ahlen-based operator’sfleet, a Bell 212, has settled in well. Agrarflug Helilift now operates 12 Bell 212salong with six 205s, 10 206B JetRangers, a 206LLongRanger, four 412s and an AS350.

But Rücker says thecompany, whose business isabout 95 per cent aerial work,does have difficulty in findingqualified and experiencedpilots. Around 50 per cent ofAgrarflug Helilift’s businessinvolves leasing outhelicopters on long-termcontracts but it provides avariety of other services.

AgrarflugHelilift enjoys

Bell 212

From Norway to Malta, from Madeirato Moscow. Our clients order flights for business trips as well asfamily vacations.”

The company says it likes toprovide alternatives to jets that aremore economical and can operatefrom unpaved and short runways thatare found at the many small airports.There is a need to recruit pilots but the requirements are high,particularly in terms of time logged,because of single pilot operationalrequirements.

Ad Astra Executive Charter,formed a year ago as daughtercompany of Aviation AssetManagement, a multi-purposeaviation business, reports thatgrowing demand is forcing it toenlarge its fleet but that expansion isfocusing on turboprops and possiblya small jet in 2010 rather than piston aircraft.

Cessna has produced a number of twin pistons and some of the older models have been reclaimedand adapted for useful income-generating work.

Úlfar Henningsson’s Icelandiccompany Gardaflug Inc has owned aCessna 337G since 1988. He recalls:“It was purchased in New Jersey in the US in poor condition andneeded a huge amount of work before it was ferried to Iceland as ithad been standing still for three years.During my ownership it has under-gone the replacement of many partsand it has also benefited fromextensive renovation work involving

avionics, a new interior, cabin sound-proofing, engine overhaul and bubblewindows.” Henningsson says thisnames “just a few” improvements.

The 337G was originallypurchased to carry out an ocean birdsurvey between Iceland andGreenland and also conduct inlandsurveys for birds and reindeer. “It isequipped with a photo hatch and wehave done some vertical photographyof cliffs and nesting areas,”Henningsson explains.

The 337G’s strength andattractions include its high wingconstruction and easy manoeuv-rability, giving the photographer aclear view out the side window withthe wing behind. The aircraft isexclusively used for all kinds of aerialsurvey charter.

Henningsson says: “Themaintenance has been extensive, butsince our period of operation is onlyMay through September we haveample time to work on the aeroplane,but you have to maintain a highstandard and do preventivemaintenance in order to be contentwith owning and operating aSkymaster. Still there is little difficultyin finding spare parts. YinglingAviation has proven an excellentsource in the past and still is. Butwhat has changed drastically is thepricing of spare parts and that hasincreased beyond all reason.”

Henningsson warns: “To be happywith the dispatch rate you have to beon your toes in fixing everything thatcomes up, right away. We have nothad any major difficulties as theaircraft is made ready over the wintermonths. The performance is muchlike with any light twin,manoeuvrability is vastly enhanceddue to the centreline thrust, and inlow level aerial survey at slow speedthe long range tanks have providedmore than nine hours of endurance.”

Although Avgas is only available at a few locations, and sometimes not at major airports, there has notbeen any fuel supply problem.“However, when operating inGreenland you have to plan wellahead since Avgas is only available invery few locations and is veryexpensive,” Henningsson says.

He says he is biased in favour ofthe aircraft having owned and flownthe Skymaster for over 20 years. “Ifind it hard to mention anydrawbacks but the maintenanceissues have sometimes beenbothersome. It is a very safe aircraft tooperate and is very much appreciatedby my customers. I plan on owningand operating it for years to come.”

Scotland’s Loganair can make surethere are no maintenance or spare

Twin piston aircraft tend to besuitable for the short haul chartersector with a target market of three toeight passengers. They also appeal tothe safety-conscious as well as thoselooking for a modest capitalinvestment. Many owners prefer tohave an aircraft that has thecapability to fly to an alternativeairport in the unlikely event of anengine failure. Charter flights canoften also be conducted both at night or in poor weather conditions.

But single-engined aircraft aremuch more economical to operateand turboprops are much morecapable and easier to fuel so there islittle incentive for manufacturers tokeep producing twin pistons.Ensuring a supply of AVGAS inregions such as Eastern Europe canalso pose problems.

Although the overall numbers arereducing there are a wide variety ofmulti-engine pistons operating forprivate, corporate and charter ownersin Europe. Many are used for pilottraining but significant numbers areused for business and pleasure.

The PA34 Seneca tends to be athree-passenger aircraft while theBeechcraft Baron, one of the mostpopular light twins ever produced, isoften favoured by executives forbusiness travel and accommodatesup to five passengers. The PiperAerostar also tends to be used forbetween two and five passengers orup to 450 kg of freight. The sectorcontains a spread of Cessnasincluding the 310 which takesbetween two and five passengers with the 401 having a similarcapability allied to a wider and morecomfortable cabin. The 402 is more popular with groups of six toeight and the 404 Titan canaccommodate up to ten.

Among its rivals are the PiperChieftain which ferries eightpassengers and can operate frommany remote airstrips while the

Diamond Twin Star is a populartraining aircraft.

For some charter operators twinpistons are part of a diversified fleetthat also focuses on turboprops andmay be considering adding jets.

Poland’s Ad Astra ExecutiveCharter has added a Beechcraft BaronG58 to its fleet but is has also broughta second, factory new Beechcraft 90Gti into service. “Our goal is to

become the biggest businessturboprop operator in EasternEurope,” according to the company’sDorota Kowalska. The AOC fleet alsooffers a Beechcraft B200GT while theflight training side relies on theDiamond DA-20 Eclipse, the CessnaC172S G1000 and the Diamond DA-42 Twin Star.

The company says: “We’re flyingtaxi, so we fly where the need is.


Diamond TwinStar

Learjet 45

Piper PA-34-220T Seneca V

Beechcraft Baron G58

Piper PA-44-180 Seminole

Me & My Aircraftthroughout 2009

DECEMBER

Super midsize jets

Make your opinion count!Whichever type of aircraft you own or operate, we are keen to hear your views. Log in atwww.ebanmagazine.com and youwill find voting forms for each typein your fleet. It takes moments tocomplete, and the more replies wereceive the better our final reportswill be. Your user number and pin ison the back of the mailing sheetincluded with your magazine, orrequest a reminder on the web site.

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aircraft

Multi-task workhorses are becoming much rarer as owners trade up to turbine power

AirMed: relies on pistons.

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Vulcanair P68


parts problems. It carries out its ownmaintenance on both its Islanders ata purpose-run facility in Kirkwall,Orkney, and, over the years the airlinehas built up a very significant spareparts holding.

Loganair introduced the Islanderinto service in 1966 and the twoaircraft that the airline now fly joinedthe fleet in the early 1990s.

Commercial director JonathanHinkles says: “We do operate some adhoc charters with the aircraft inOrkney, although primarily within theOrkney Islands and up to Fair Isle. Weare interested in ad hoc operations inthis arena, although we wouldn’treally seek ad hoc work which couldnot be serviced from our Kirkwallbase. We operate quite a number offlights for organisations such asutility providers, who need to takestaff out to the smaller islands.”

He adds: “We have beenundertaking charters up to Fair Isle tocarry construction workers buildingthe new bird observatory there andduring the winter we operate adedicated freight charter with theIslander each week to NorthRonaldsay to carry perishablefoodstuffs to the island. It does nothave a pier capable ofaccommodating roll-on, roll-offferries and during the winter the seastate often means that the air serviceis the only practical way ofguaranteeing food supplies to the 75island residents. This operates inaddition to the three daily scheduledpassenger flights from Kirkwall toNorth Ronaldsay.”

But Loganair’s capacity for ad hoccharter is limited by the two aircraft’sprimary commitment to operationson behalf of the Orkney IslandsCouncil. Hinkles says: “We carryaround 20,000 passengers per year onthis operation and it is one of thelongest-standing Islander operationsin the world. Much of the downtimewithin the schedule is required forplanned maintenance and so thosead hoc charters that we undertakehave to fit around these tworequirements. Most of the ad hoccharter activity – such as the utilitycompany flights – is an extension ofthe social obligations which arisefrom the main operation in Orkney inany case.”

The aircraft are therefore mainlyused on Loganair’s Orkney-inter-island schedule, which is a PublicService Obligation (PSO) contractand includes the world’s shortestscheduled flight (at two minutes)between Westray and Papa Westray.

Additionally, Loganair will beoperating extra flights this winter dueto a ferry being away on refit and theconsequent need to still get childrenacross to school between the islandseach day.

The maintenance facility isoperated by Loganair under its EASA145 approval. Historically, Loganairhad a larger fleet of Islander aircraftand so it was fully utilised carryingout maintenance for the Loganairfleet, but following the closure ofLoganair’s air ambulance operationsin 2006, the fleet size has reduced.

Hinkles says: “As a consequence ofthis, we now have some sparecapacity in Kirkwall and are activelydiscussing the opportunities to carry out third party maintenancework including 150 and 300 hourchecks and SB190 inspections with a

number of other Islander owners and operators.”

The Islanders use Avgas butHinkles says: “As things stand, wehave no ongoing fuel supply issueswith Kirkwall. Our main issue is thatthe cost of aviation fuel (both Avgasand Jet A-1) in the Highlands andIslands is very high and has increaseddisproportionately to the fluctuationsin world jet fuel prices. Supply itself isnot a problem.”

Peter Johnson is anotherrespondent happy with the BN-2Islander. Johnson, who operates aBN2B-26 says he is satisfied with themaintenance support and value andvery satisfied with the dispatchreliability and operating capability.

“The best aspect is the STOLcapability but the worst thing is thatwater leaks into the cabin.

AirMed, based at Oxford airport,owns and operates four multi-enginepiston aircraft. This includes twoPiper Seneca III’s and two Piper

Chieftains. Pistons make up nearlyhalf of AirMed’s fleet of nine aircraft which includes a further fourPiper aircraft (turboprops) and theLearjet 35A.

The piston fleet is multi-role withtheir main function being air

ambulance. However all of theaircraft can be reconfigured to beused as passenger and cargo aircraft.One of the Senecas has also beenmodified to allow its use as an aerialphotography and survey aircraft.

“Our piston fleet plays a vital rolewithin AirMed” says Jane Topliss, themarketing manager. “They provideour clients with the best possiblechoice and ensure that the most costeffective aircraft is provided for thejob. This may be a Seneca for thesmaller local airfields like Bembridge,or the Chieftain for eight passengerson a trip to the continent.”

The smaller and more costeffective aircraft like the Senecas andChieftains are crucial to the businessaviation and medical repatriation


aircraft

Lisa Humphries of Capital Air Charter which operates six Piper Chieftains.

A Beechcraft Baron G58 joined Ad Astra's AOC fleet in September 2009.

Gardaflug operates a rebuilt Cessna337G which it acquired in 1988.



aircraftindustry, according to AirMed. “If theoption of using this type of aircraftwas removed then many of the lessurgent medical repatriations orpassenger flights would either simplynot happen or would becomeextremely expensive. We also find it afantastic way of introducingpassengers to the benefits of businesstravel. Many clients who first fly inour Seneca migrate in time to ourlarger aircraft for their longerdistance requirements.”

AirMed Engineering, themaintenance arm of AirMed, not onlymaintains its entire Piper fleet at itsEASA 145 Part M approved Oxfordfacilities, it also offers third partymaintenance and holds a large storeof spares and parts for Piper andCessna. More recently it has alsobecome an approved maintenanceand parts supplier for the turbopropCessna 208s. “AirMed Engineeringcontinues to work on broadening itsthird party maintenance activities,”says Topliss.

The Cessna 300 and Cessna 400series bring praise for low operatingcosts. Giora Oren of Oren Aviation &Tech says he is very satisfied with themaintenance support and dispatchreliability and satisfied with theoperating capability and value. “Thebest things is the speed and lowconsumption of fuel and the mostdesirable upgrade is a diesel engine,”he says.

Norbert Amberger says that theC421C is a good short range aircraftand he is satisfied with themaintenance support and dispatchreliability and very satisfied with

the value. He says: “The best thing is the low operating cost and theworst aspect is that the Avgassituation in Eastern Europe is bad.”However, he reports that the aircraft’slow-cost operation is bringing ingrowing business.

Another respondent says he is verysatisfied with the maintenancesupport and dispatch reliability ofthe C421 Golden Eagle. He is alsosatisfied with the operating capabilityand value. “The best thing is that theaircraft is spacious and quiet and theworst thing is the toilet,” he adds.“The most desirable upgrade is adigital fuel management system.”

Capital Air Charter has been

operating Piper Chieftain aircraftsince the company was launched in1991. The company’s Lisa Humphriessays: “Today we own and operate sixof them along with one King Air 200and one Blackhawk-modified KingAir 200. Although the King Airs areour flagship especially with the sexyBlackhawk machine we wouldn’t behere today if it were not for the

versatility of our Chieftains, whichhave proved to be the backbone of thecompany. They are good solidworkhorses and cater very well forour freight contracts, air ambulancecontracts and they also offeraffordable air taxi flights. We have thecapacity to equip them with cargonets and offer them for freightpurposes especially as they all havecargo and crew doors. Air ambulanceis also easy as we offer them withLifeport stretchers and we also havethe executive fit with leather seats forthe charters.”

Humphries asks: “How manytypes of aircraft can fulfill all of thoseroles today? I believe we are the

largest Chieftain operator in Europeand still see them as part of our futureas we grow into other markets.”

The Diamond Twin Star also hasits fans. Stuart Cook says he is verysatisfied with the maintenancesupport. “I use Bristol Flying Centrewho are excellent.” he adds: “Idecided not to use Diamond atGamston as they have under-investedto support the number of aircraft soldin the last few years” He is alsosatisfied with the value and verysatisfied with the dispatch reliabilityand operating capability. Cook adds:“The best thing is the economy andthe worst thing was Thielert goingbust and not honouring thewarranty.” The most desirableupgrade, he adds, would be morepowerful engines. “It is a fabulousprivate owner aircraft which is anabsolute pleasure to fly.”

Another respondent says he issatisfied with the maintenancesupport, dispatch reliability andvalue and very satisfied with theoperating capability. The best aspect,he adds, includes the fuel efficiencybut he says the worst aspect is themaintenance costs for the Thielertengines and long range tanks are adesirable upgrade.

Allan Krintel of CB Data is a fan ofthe Partenavia P.68B. He is satisfiedwith the maintenance support anddispatch reliability and very satisfiedwith the operating capability andvalue. Krintel adds: “The best thing isthat it is very good for short fields andeasy to handle in most situations. The worst thing is that it is not goodin icy conditions.”

Chris Evans of Fantasy Foods sayshe is unhappy with the maintenancesupport for the P.68B. “Airframe partscan take a long time to obtain,” hesays. But he adds: “The aircraft hasbeen operated since 1988 and thereliability is excellent.” Evans issatisfied with the operating capability

Diamond Twin Star devotees Stuart Cook and Catherine Hempson flew to Dinard to enjoy a lunch at the La Duchesse Anne restaurant in St Malo. Cook says it is “a fabulous owner aircraft.”

AirMed operates four multi-engine pistonaircraft.


and value and very satisfied with thedispatch rate. The best aspect, hesays, is the handling but the worstthing is icing and the most desirableupgrade is turbo charging.

There is a high degree ofsatisfaction with the Piper twin pistonseries. One company, which has twoPiper Aztecs permanently out oncontract, says it is very satisfied with

the maintenance support, dispatchreliability, operating capabilityand value.

Rene Jorgensen of Dane SwedeAviation is satisfied with themaintenance support, dispatchreliability, operating capability andvalue of the PA31-325CR.

Kurt Bjerneby says the PA34 is a“good compromise for the owner/

pilot operating up to 500 nm.” He issatisfied with the maintenancesupport. “There is good support fromour workshop which often has sparesin stock,” he says. “Long experience ofthe aircraft type and proofedcomponents for many years givesgood dispatch reliability. Additionallyour aircraft are well IFR equipped andgive good operation capability year

round on short runways”Bjerneby likes the good

performance, load capability andservice performance IFR. He saysthey are good workhorses.

But Capt Armand G Baccala ofStiftung, Franz und Erika Gribi saysmaintenance support for the PA-34-220T is too expensive and he is nothappy with the value. However he is


aircraftvery satisfied with the dispatchreliability and satisfied with theoperating capability. “It is ideal forCPL/IR/IMC training but the suctionpumps and magneto-clutches havetoo short a life and the TBO is tooshort,” he adds. The most desirableupgrade, he says are “glass avionics ortrading up to a light turboprop.”

Carl-Gustaf Werner of LidingoBilcenter AB says the PA-310 and PA-31-350 give maintenance supportproblems. “It is hard to find anexperienced technician,” he says.

But the dispatch reliability issatisfactory and the aircraft is a goodworkhorse although icy conditionscan be a problem. “The aircraft isdefinitely cheaper to operate than aturboprop and the lack ofperformance doesn’t matter so muchon shorter flights,” he observes. Thebest aspect is the total cost ofoperation and the worst aspect thetechnical support. Werner would likea vortex kit upgrade.

Leigh Westwood of Air Jota Ltdsays he is satisfied with themaintenance support, dispatchreliability, operating capability andvalue of the PA31-310 Navajo. “It is agood utility aircraft covering a widerange of uses but the the crew andcargo door could fit together better,” he says.

Twin pistons have an establishedniche as cost-effective short haulaircraft and there is regret thatmanufacturers no longer have muchincentive to develop new types. Theyare economic to operate but their ageis slowly curtailing widespread use.

Edmund Hewertson, md of the UK-based PropStar Aviation, says theSeneca V stands head and shouldersabove its rival piston twins. “From apilot’s point of view, having recentlypassed my 400th hour on the V, I can testify to its excellent handlingcharacteristics and strength,” he says.

“Having flown most of the othertwins around at one time or anotherit stands head and shoulders abovethe rest. I think the best aspects still remains the simplicity whetherfrom the point of view of a pilot or an owner.”

PropStar Aviation operates twoPiper Seneca V aircraft, one based atthe company’s headquarters atKemble in Gloucestershire and theother from Liverpool’s John Lennoninternational.

Hewertson says: “The latestvariants of these aircraft are verywell appointed with full leatherinteriors and the latest avionics kit.In addition they have featuresusually found only on larger aircraftsuch as TCAS, weather radar, airconditioning and even yawdampers. These are truly the aircraftfor air taxiing in the 21st century. Inaddition our aircraft have the latestIO360-RB engines which, combinedwith modern shaped propellers,

allow the Seneca V to cruise at 180knots, getting our customers to theirdestinations 20 per cent quickerthan the ageing Seneca II fleetoperated by the majority of ourcompetitors.”

Hewertson says PropStar Aviationchose to operate the Seneca V afterexhaustive research because it offersthe most versatile combination of

payload, fuel burn, reasonablepurchase price, proven track record,ease of maintenance and speed.

He adds: ”It is not by luck that theUK air taxi business has beendominated by Piper twins (Aztec/Seneca/Navajo) for nearly 40 years.From an operator’s point of view it issuch a shame there may never be aNavajo V.”

In order to accommodatecustomers’ needs, PropStar Aviationhas added a B200 King Air to itsAOC.

Hewertson says maintenance isstraightforward and rates theperformance as much the same asany flight school PA34 but he reports that the cruising speed is“nicely enhanced.”

PropStar Aviation pilot praises Seneca V’s strengths

number of companies from Europeand the United States to sign up asmembers within MEBAA during thedownturn. Balkar says there is firmevidence that more owners andoperators of aircraft, from countriesincluding the US and Russia, arelooking for a new home base in theMiddle East.

Manufacturers have had to workharder to find and open up newmarkets in the region. “The currentglobal situation was bound to haveaffected the Gulf CooperationCouncil (GCC) and Middle Eastcountries,” Balkar points out. “Buthow much longer this will last andhow strong the effect will be is yet tobe seen. Business in the regionoverall was down by approximately20 to 40 per cent and some countriesand some operators may haveperformed better than others.”

Slower businessThis year’s cycle of important eventsin the Middle East has alsocontributed to the constraint ondemand. The hot and humidsummer season was followed byRamadan and the Eid holidays, timeswhen business is generally slowerthan the rest of the year. Balkar says:“Much depends on how soon andfast the economy recovers not onlyhere in the Middle East but globally.”

The volume of jet charter in theregion, he adds, had dropped overallby up to 40 per cent over the last sixmonths but demand is on the riseagain and hence charter volume isincreasing accordingly.

The six GCC countries of SaudiArabia, Kuwait, the UAE, Oman,Bahrain and Qatar, have been adriver of the wider Middle Eastmarket. But as Balkar points out theArab Gulf and Middle East businessjet market is still in its infancy and

suffers from a shortage of investmentin key sectors. “We are way behindEurope and this needs to beaddressed. Investors always seem togo for the operational side, but MROfacilities are seriously lacking in thebusiness aviation sector. The lack ofMROs that are able to servicedifferent size aircraft cripples themanufacturers as they won’t sellaircraft that cannot be serviced.Operators are forced to set up MROsand FBOs because they are missingin the region.”

Balkar says that some financecompanies see business jets as toysand luxury products. “MEBAA istrying to change this viewpoint.Business jets are becoming necessarydrivers of development. Companiestake business decisions to invest inbuilding an impressive headquarters.It is also a business decision to investin a jet. But it should be seen as amoveable asset. If companypersonnel need to be close tosomething that is happeningelsewhere in the world it can move itsjet to where it matters. In Europe and

the US the sector has developedthanks to finance companies likeCredit Suisse, Citibank and RoyalBank of Scotland and they have alsoinvested in the Middle East marketbut only because national banks herehave not done enough.”

He adds: “Good facilities areavailable at Dubai airport, which is avery modern airport, but facilities arenot always sufficient for the businessaviation segment.” Balkar points outthat the dedicated business jetairport at Al Bateen in Abu Dhabi hasproved to be an excellent investmentin the development of facilities. “Weneed to see more of this type ofinvestment. We know Dubai plansalso for a complete aviation city at AlMaktoum international airport andthat similar projects are planned inQatar and Bahrain.”

However he warns thatmonopolies should be avoided. “Themarket for aviation support servicesneeds to open up to allow newcompetitors to enter the region insectors including ground handling,flight catering and vip/executiveterminals and lounges. This willimprove industry growth and furtherenhance the quality of services.”

Essential servicesDespite the continuing turbulence inthe world economy, he points out,business aircraft continue to providea fundamental and essential service.“The benefits of business aviationwill play a key role in the rebound ofthe regional economic markets aswell as globally. We still see aviationcompanies expanding their facilitiesand fleets.

“Markets like Asia and the MiddleEast continue to be developed, as thepotential for business aviationremains viable. Perhaps othermarkets may have a less-definedeconomic future, but fromconversations with industry leadersand financial insiders, we believethat there remain cash buyers andmotivated investors. The businessaviation market has experiencedsubstantial growth over the past tenyears and I am confident that it willcontinue on an upward trend.”

Balkar says that client patternsand perceptions have changed overthe past few years. “Business jets areno longer seen as a luxury catering toonly royalty and the rich and famous.Today, business aviation has alsobecome a necessity. The ‘off balancesheet’ clients have made a lifestyledecision to use private jets and theyare not willing to go back toscheduled commuting.” However hereports a higher demand for light andmidsize jets as clients become morebudget conscious.

Elite Jets is investing in the future.A new Falcon 7X is scheduled fordelivery in March 2010 as part of an


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ARAB GULFSTATESREGIONALREVIEW

The private aviation market in theArab Gulf states has weathered theglobal recession well compared with other regions. Companiesheadquartered inside and outsidethe area are building business basesin important country markets suchas Saudi Arabia, manufacturers areseeking new outlets, and the talk is ofa steadily paced business recovery.

Ammar Balkar, president and ceoof Elite Jets, based at Dubaiinternational airport, who hashelped launch three business jetstart-up companies in the MiddleEast, is among many who see signs of an upturn.

“There are already positive signsof recovery: for example, there havebeen several announcements byregional operators of new aircraftdeliveries and the fleet of businessjets in the region continues to grow,”Balkar says. “Also there has been asharp increase in demand forpassenger charter flights for the oiland gas industry to and from Iraqover the past six months.”

Balkar, also president of theMiddle East Business AviationAssociation (MEBAA), adds: “I amsure the business will come back. It is a cycle and we have seen it before. I do not see any reason why businessshould not pick up and when it does we will see more and moreoperators, MROs and supportservices. But this time the growth will be slower and not as before when it was in the range of 15 to

25 per cent annual increase, whichwas not normal. We would like to seea healthy growth of around five toseven per cent.”

Signs of recovery are also evi-denced by the number of new entriescoming onto the market.

The Middle East market’sresilience has motivated a rising

Resilient Middle East shows signs of recoveryand works towards era of steady growth

Royal Jet: Expansion in Saudi Arabia is a priority.

Elite Jets: Falcon 900DX is popular.

MAC Aircraft Interior Specialists reportsa steady demand.


Confidence When you are buying an aircraft, you need to have confidence in the ability of that aircraft to meet your mis-sion requirements.

The same applies to your advertising - you need to have confidence that your media partner will deliver the message accurately to your target audience.

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Ask the question - ‘Can you prove that you reach all of those people you claim to?’ We at EBAN are proud to say ‘Yes we can’

Please ask to see our latest circulation state-ment.

When you are buying an aircraft,

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ability of that aircraft to meet your

mission requirements.

The same applies to your advertising

– you need to have confidence that your

media partner will deliver the message

accurately to your target audience.

One way to achieve this is to advertise

in publications whose circulation is

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EBAN’s circulation is audited to reach

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The company’s fleet now includesa Challenger 850, Gulfstream 200,Learjet 40XR, Global 5000, EmbraerLegacy, G-550, G1V SP and a G-V.“Charter companies need to offer aglobal service to clients in the MiddleEast if they are to build business,”Zürcher adds.

Royal Jet’s O’Hare says thecompany’s recent commercial andoperational alliance withARABASCO in Saudi Arabia is ofgreat strategic importance. “Royal Jethas been serving the Saudi market for

a number of years from its AbuDhabi base; and this move intoSaudi Arabia is again part of its five-year diversification plan to expandoperations right across the region.”

He says that Royal Jet is nowoffering private jet charter fromARABASCO’s key hubs in Jeddah,Riyadh, Medina and Yanbu. Royal Jetis now offering private jet charter, aswell as domestic and internationaltravel from Saudi Arabia, using theGulfstream 300 and BBJ which cancomfortably accommodate up to 12

and 30 passengers respectively, tocities ranging from London toMoscow and Kuala Lumpur. Royal Jetis basing a crew, a full operationsteam and logistics team in SaudiArabia and extending its servicesacross the Middle East.

The agreement sealed an alliancebetween the two companies whichare chaired by HE Sheikh HamdanBin Mubarak Al Nahyan of Royal Jet and Sheikh Khalil MohammedAwad Bin Laden of ARABASCO. Royal Jet operates under theARABASCO operator certificate.ARABASCO is an FBO andmaintenance specialist whosestrengths include management andground handling services.

Achieving growth in a key regionalmarket such as Saudi Arabia is animportant focus of Royal Jet’sexpansion strategy, according to HESheikh Hamdan. “Increasing RoyalJet’s presence in the region was partof our strategic five-year plan andthis alliance will help us consolidateour position. Saudi Arabia is thesingle largest and most matureprivate jet market in the region, andthere are significant benefits that areopening up here, especially whenone enters the market with anestablished brand and productoffering. This is a market where wehope to establish a significantpresence, and this agreement is an

aircraft management agreement.“Several other aircraft managementproposals are currently undernegotiations, and subject to theiroutcome, our fleet will be expandingaccordingly,” says Balkar.

Earlier this year the companyrecruited a second manager ofground operations.

F&E Aerospace, organisers of thebiennial Dubai Airshow 2009, reportsattracting a record number ofbusiness aviation manufacturers andservice providers to participate in the11th staging of the event. Gulfstream,Hawker Beechcraft and BombardierAerospace are among more than 100companies featured in the eventwhich runs from 15 to 19 November.

But all charter operators arehaving to work hard to try andmaintain and increase business.

Alison Weller, director F&EAerospace, points out that theaviation industry and its players arefacing one of their most challengingyears, especially more specialisedbusiness jet firms. This has promptedsuppliers and service providers tolook to more resilient markets, suchas the Middle East. “Businessaviation remains a key element of theDubai Airshow,” she says.

MEBAA predicts that the MiddleEastern market is set to expand 15 to20 per cent per annum over the nextfour years, to become a US$1 billionindustry. Similarly, a recent report bythe Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation(CAPA) declared that the Middle Eastregion “will be growing while othersare stagnating”.

CAPA chairman Peter Harbisonsays: “A picture emerges of apotentially remarkable and long-term sustainable growth path in theMiddle East, rather than anexcessive, unplanned, over-hypedbubble which is about to burst, asmany outside the region, and somewithin, may believe.”

Abu Dhabi’s Royal Jet says thatprospects for the Middle East regionas a whole look promising. ShaneO’Hare, president and ceo, says: “Thegreen shoots of recovery are evidentin many sectors, leading to organicgrowth overall. Different markets and different industries have theirown speed of recovery, of course, and each organisation has to bestjudge how it will respond to itsfinancial situation.”

He adds: “Before the currentdownturn began, industry studiescredited the Middle East’s chartermarket with 23 per cent annualgrowth in the period 2006 to 2008with the local market for private jetservices worth about $500 million ayear, of which Royal Jet held around16 per cent. Royal Jet showed year-on-year growth in the order of 25 to30 per cent. Because of our strategyof diversification and risk manage-ment, Royal Jet has had a good 2009so far with a 15 per cent increase invip charter business year-on-yearand our newly launched charterbrokerage is likely to record a strongprofit in its first year of operations.”

Resilient strategyHe says another important

backbone of the company is RoyalJet’s Medical Evacuation Servicewhich specialises in private patienttransfers, with over 1,000 successfulmissions to date. Its aircraft are fittedwith state-of-the-art medicalequipment and intensive carefacilities, enabling critical carepatient transfer; and its specialistdoctors are experienced across avariety of clinical disciplines. “This service also addresses the needsof the international corporateneeding repatriation or emergencyevacuation.”

O’Hare concludes: “The outlookfor the coming months is lookingextremely positive and fully validates

our resilient business strategy ofdiversification and moving into newmarkets across the region. Inaddition, there has been a growth indemand for large aircraft such as the BBJ.”

Demand, he says, has also held upin the super mid-size market butready availability has resulted in adownward pressure on revenue andyield in this category. “It is quitecommon for a business executive tofly to, say, Riyadh and then on toKuwait and then back to Abu Dhabiall in one day, which simply wouldnot be possible in any other way.”

Royal Jet reports a rising demandfor aircraft management and isdiversifying into a number of other areas.

O'Hare says: “This diversificationhas included the setting up of abrokerage service, in addition to fleetplanning and aircraft acquisition,another partnership with ARABASCOin Saudi Arabia and theestablishment of genuine productdifferentiators, particularly in serviceareas such as the ‘Your PersonalChef’ programme.”

He adds: “The brokerage service isa key aspect of Royal Jet’s growthstrategy and has already enjoyed anexcellent response having startedoperations at the start of the year.After nearly a year’s service, thebrokerage service is likely to addsignificantly to the overall company’sbottom line at the end of thefinancial year. There is especiallystrong demand for flights into andout of Europe; but with the brokeragebeing a global service, Royal Jet canfind the right aircraft at the best pricefor any request, for any journey.”

Majestic Executive Aviation,which has UAE and Austrian AOCs, isdeveloping business from bases inDubai, Vienna and the Ukraine. It isalso building business in the United States and China. “We see theArab Gulf as a pivotal hub in ournetwork. It has been ever since ourchairman Farooq Arjomandlaunched our private charteroperation with his personal Learjet60,” says company president PhilippZürcher. “That jet is still popular withour clients although our fleet hasexpanded considerably.”

The Arab Gulf is a high priority for VistaJet, aircraft pictured above, according to Dr Elias Maroun, evp sales and marketing, MiddleEast, and chairman Thomas Flohr (pictured below).


business growth strategy is toincrease its fleet by aircraftmanagement. “Apart from our fiveBBJs we also operate two mid-rangeGulfstream 300s, a long-range G-IVSP, a Learjet 60 and a Challenger 604.We are now firmly on target to morethan double our fleet to over 20aircraft by 2012. Royal Jet is currentlyrefurbishing its five BBJs at a cost ofsome $50 million. It also continues todevelop its FBO facility.”

He says the BBJs are considered tobe the ultimate in vip private jettravel and the preferred choice forclients who include vvips,government, heads of state, and highnet worth individuals (hnwis).

O’Hare points out that, unlike theUS market, business aviation in theMiddle East is more dependent onthe region’s large number of hnwis.He says there are an estimated250,000 in the Middle East. “Theseare the potential end users for thebusiness jet market,” he says.

Elite Jets has also brought a Falcon900DX into service. “I am extremelypleased with it,” says Ammar Balkar.“In November 2008 Elite Jets hadreceived its first Falcon Jet, the 900B –and our clients truly enjoy with greatpleasure their travel experience. The900DX is an advanced large-size,wide-body business jet withintercontinental range thatembodies the best of Falcon Jetscharacteristics – long range,

acclaimed cabin comfort andremarkable versatility – with uniquesafety and performance features. Itexemplifies excellence in travel forthe corporate vip or leisure traveller.The 900DX doesn’t have thelimitations or restrictions otheraeroplanes have and it can go whereother aircraft can’t. It is approved toland or depart at London City airportand it performs well, especially in hotweather zones. Thus, you’ll haveaccess to many smaller airports,which is especially valuable onmulti-sector trips.”

Balkar says the 900DX can fly from London to Boston in sevenhours flat. “Also of great interest toour clients from Saudi Arabia will bethe aircraft range from Jeddah – forexample all the way up to Moscow,Singapore, Bangkok, Cape Town oreven Sierra Leone non-stop withouthaving to refuel.”

Key marketTrevor Esling, Cessna’s vpinternational sales, says the MiddleEast remains a key market forCessna. The company is well-positioned to meet the emergingneeds of the region’s businessaviation market having models witha wide range of capabilities. “Theparticular aircraft qualities admiredby Middle Eastern business jetcustomers are large cabin spaces,ample storage space, range and APU-powered air-conditioning for whenthe engines are not running andpassengers are boarding andawaiting takeoff. Therefore, theinterest in Cessna aircraft in theMiddle East has mainly been in thelargest aircraft in our fleet – theCitation XLS+, the Citation Sovereignand the Citation X.

“In fact, with the installation ofwinglets, the Citation X is now able tofly a key route such as Riyadh-London direct and non-stop. Clearly,should we develop a larger aircraft,the needs of the Middle East marketwill be high on our priorities.”

Cessna and Wallan Aviation, itsauthorised sales representative andauthorised Citation service centre forthe Middle East, have been investingsignificantly. Esling says: “We nowhave, for example, a service engineerbased in the Middle East to supportcustomers in the region.”

Elite Jets is an example of the waythat companies are taking aninternational approach to business.Established in January 2004, it is nowowned by a group of businessmenfrom the UAE and Jordan; and 49 percent owned by the JML Group.

Other companies are also takingdelivery of new aircraft. Embraer has

delivered a Legacy 600 to Dubai’sTitan Aviation. The jet belongs to anundisclosed customer, and joinsTitan’s portfolio of managed andoperated aircraft, which includes two other Legacy 600s. A Lineage1000 is also scheduled to be deliveredin 2012.

Colin Steven, Embraer vp,marketing and sales Europe, theMiddle East and Africa – executivejets, says Embraer expects moreorders and deliveries from the region.Capt Sakeer C Sheik, md of TitanAviation, says: “On Titan’s sixthanniversary, it is a pleasure to comeback to Embraer to take delivery of this third Legacy 600. Ouroperations with this aircraft are verysuccessful, not only because it is aproven and reliable platform, butalso due to the tremendous supportprovided by Embraer all over theworld. Our company continuesinvesting in the expansion of itshighly qualified staff, in order tobetter serve our clients and to beprepared for new opportunities.”

Titan Aviation says that “theLegacy 600 performs excellently, withmuch less maintenance hassle, inspite of our clients’ high utilisationrate.” It adds: “The maintenancetracking support services providedby Embraer, such as Flight Docs andthe Embraer Executive Care (EEC)programme, are great tools for us to serve our clients in the mostefficient ways.”

The first Legacy 600 joined Titan’sfleet in June 2008, frequently flying to London City Airport. Sheik says: “This would not be possiblewithout the certified steep approach capability.”

Pilots also have the ElectronicFlight Bag which provides preciseaircraft performance calculationsand electronic copies of manuals and charts, reducing pilot work-load and allowing a paperless cockpit environment.

The second aircraft, Titan Aviationsays, has proved to be a veryimportant business tool for its owner.Delivered to Titan in July 2009, the jethas already accumulated more than200 flight hours. “The High-SpeedData equipment provides a betteruse of time, increased work produc-tivity, and more entertainmentpossibilities on frequent seven-hourbusiness flights from Dubai toEurope and to South east Africandestinations,” Sheik adds.

The third Legacy 600, he says,comfortably accommodates 13 pass-engers in three distinct cabin zones.

Sheik continues: “Amid theongoing financial crisis, the privatecharter market did see a slump indemand worldwide; however,compared to the rest of the world, thecharter market in Middle East ismaintaining a reduced but, steadydemand for charter products,exhibiting trends of consolidation.We see benefits in the recentcorrection in the market. One visibletrend is consolidation, where severalweak charter operators havewithdrawn, leaving the market forthe strongest players. The benefit isthat charter prices have becomerealistic and rightly priced.”


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important step in that direction. Byleveraging our expertise andexperience, we will be able to achievea competitive edge and capture asubstantial share of this highlylucrative market.”

Sheikh Khalil says: “We believethat the alliance is a significant boostto executive business aviation inSaudi Arabia, a market that has seensubstantial growth in the past and isexpected to continue growingdespite the economic slowdown.”

ARABASCO says: “There willalways be a market for premium jetservices, especially in Saudi Arabia.Our business comes from theupmarket segment, which hasmaintained sufficient levels ofliquidity and will never compromiseon the luxurious standards ofbusiness travel that they have beenaccustomed to.”

Companies in private aviationsupport services also see alliances asa way forward.

AVISA Aviation Safety Systems hassigned a business alliance agreementwith Arabian Jets on providingaviation safety services in the MENAregion. Arabian Jets is a specialistaircraft engineering consultancy

with offices in Jeddah, Riyadh,Amman and Beirut. It focuses onaircraft technical management,engineering and maintenanceservices, pilot training managementand human resources.

Royal Jet’s O’Hare says anotherimportant aspect of Royal Jet’s

Titan Aviation: expanding fleet.


throughout 2009. Edwards says: “Wenow have aircraft of every majorbusiness manufacturer on our fleet,totalling more than 75 from theBeech 200 through to the BBJ. Withinthe region we operate the Challenger604 and that is shortly to be joined byanother two types, which we will beannouncing later in November. The604 is a great aircraft for the region, itis reliable, popular with our clientsand has the range and payload abilityto carry out everything that ourclients need to do.”

Most companies in the region, hesays, privately agree that there hasbeen a slump of around 40 per centin charter hours. “That really doesseem to have changed now, butthings aren’t yet back up to wherethey once were. However, it’s now avery positive market with ananticipated recovery which will be farfaster than the rest of the world.”

New customersEdwards adds: “We attract newcustomers by focusing on what isimportant to them specifically; inboth aircraft charter and aircraftmanagement there are variousaspects that each client feels isimportant and that’s how we developour services for them – individually.There’s really no such thing as a ‘onesize fits all’ service in this industry.”

Thomas Flohr, founder andchairman of VistaJet, says: “There isno doubt that the current economicclimate has made life very difficult forsome sections of the private aviationindustry and no one has escaped itsimpact. Although our growth hasslowed from our predictions 12months ago, I am still delighted thatwe have more than doubled our year-on-year revenues in the Middle East,and grown overall revenues by 22 percent in 2009 so far.”

He adds: “The Middle East isextremely important to us and we willcontinue to focus on strengtheningour position within this key market,as well as Europe (including theCommonwealth of IndependentStates), Asia and Africa. Earlier thisyear, we put in place a new manage-ment team of considerable aviationindustry experience, poised to take usonto greater success and growth.”

Operators in the Arab Gulf havehad to work in a sector where overallbusiness levels may have dropped byaround 40 per cent due to the globaleconomic recession. But strongcompanies have consolidated andadded international dimensionsthrough partnerships or anexpansion of bases. These companiesare looking forward to a recoverywhere business grows at a steadypace and facilities, such as FBOs andmaintenance centres, are added atkey locations.

There is cautious optimism thatthe Arab Gulf and the wider MiddleEast is better placed than mostregions to take advantage of thebusiness recovery.

Titan Aviation, he says, has foundthat clients still want to travel byprivate jet even when times aretough. The company believes thatnow is a good time to diversify.

Sheik says: “Titan is seeing severalopportunities especially in aviationhuman resources. We are receivingmore requests for crew placementthan ever. Fleet restructuring isoffering new opportunities andchallenges for us to provide crewwith different sets of competence. Italso focuses on supplying skilledmanpower which ranges fromstructural engineers to aircraftinterior completion manpower. Wehave also established our operationsin India, which is a strategic locationfor us – the country itself is a buoyantmarket, and we can serve other Asiancountries from this location.”

Sheik sees a demand for turnkeysolutions which cover ownership,legal requirements and advice oncorporate structures. “We haverecently walked through the entireprocess of aircraft completion forthree Legacy 600s with servicesincluding identification, completion,and delivery right to the doorstep ofaircraft owners, and a Challenger300, three Phenom 100s and aLineage 1000, among others, are inthe pipeline for 2010.”

Demand holding upRoger Patron, commercial director ofMAC Aircraft Interior Specialists,which has completed therefurbishment of three Falcon 20aircraft for Egypt Air Maintenanceand Engineering, also confirms thatdemand in the private aviation sectorin the Middle East is holding upreasonably well.

“People are cautious but,although orders are down, they arestill coming in,” he says. The Falcon20s are for government use and many heads of state in the Arab Gulfcountries of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait,Bahrain, Oman, the UAE and Qatar are refurbishing aircraft.Charter operators are also expressinginterest in updating interiors as acost-effective alternative to renewalof aircraft.

Stephen Whittaker, md MACInteriors, says the company willpartner Egypt Air Maintenance andEngineering on many other projectsin the future.

The international dimension andjoint venture approach haveindividual and collective merits.

Dave Edwards makes the samepoint on behalf of Gama AviationFZC, which is the UAE-based arm ofthe international Gama Group.Gama, is a 26-year-old businessaviation group headquartered atFarnborough in the UK. Edwards, thegroup’s gm, currently heads up theUAE operation. He says AOCformalities should be complete bymid-November 2009 enabling Gamato be fully operational in the region.

He adds: “Over the past 12 monthswe have slowly been building up ourexperienced team in the region andnow have all of our regionalmanagement team in place,including operations managerRichard Lineveldt, and we are verymuch looking forward to rolling outthe full business package.”

The Gama Aviation charter fleet inthe region includes the Challenger

604 and local services are providedfrom the Sharjah base. But, inEurope, there is availability of a G-IV,two Learjet 45s, three Super King Air200s, Hawker 1000, Hawker 800,Hawker 800XP, Challenger 601, twoChallenger 604s and a G550.

Edwards says: “Sharjah inter-national airport benefits significantlycompared to Dubai in that it is less congested and enjoys goodfacilities for business aviation.Sharjah itself is an importantbusiness destination in the UAE andas well as handling traffic for thatEmirate it is, with the recent openingof new trunk roads, a verycompetitive alternative to Dubai.”

Edwards adds: “It is a 17-minutedrive from Dubai’s main businesscentre and the airport has no holdingor congestion – while Dubai might befaster to get to, you then spendadditional time waiting in a queue totake-off. Sharjah is a real crediblealternative to Dubai. The airport hasgood facilities in general, although itdoes lack a dedicated businessaviation terminal. We are aiming toaddress that as, in November 2008,we announced plans to build an FBOand hangar facility there for our fleetand our customers to use. Thatproject is about to get off the groundnow and we know that as theworldwide economy begins to growagain it will be a very popular facilityfor the region.”

He says that finding a pilot withthe required combination of skillsand experience can be difficult evenduring an economic downturn.“They obviously have to haveexceptional flying skills but they alsoneed significant management skillsto manage aircraft when they areaway from base, acting as thecompany’s front line in problemsolving and customer liaison. Airlinepilots aren’t always the right fitbecause of the way in which theairlines operate in a reasonablyregimented fashion; business aircraftpilots have to have the skills of apilot, a dispatcher, a handling agent, a negotiator and a customerservice manager, so finding thatcombination can be difficult, even inthe current market as good pilots arestrongly held on to.”

Edwards points out that theworldwide economic climate has nothelped the market anywhere and theMiddle East has suffered.“Companies have closed down andflying hours have reducedsubstantially, despite what some ofthe press releases might have said.But there genuinely are signs in theregion now that the market is startingto become slightly more buoyantagain, in particular on the aircraftmanagement front. Where lots ofowners had been grounding aircraftwe are now seeing a surge of interestin the services we’re offering – whilewe might be new to the region, we’recertainly not new to the industry.”

Globally Gama has added aircraft

From left are Elite Jets’ director of operations Capt Grant Davies, chief pilot Capt Kamal Rupasinghe and flight safety manager Capt Wilhelm Gunnar.

Royal Jet: growth targets.

Gulfstream rolls out new G250Gulfstream has rolled out the all-new G250, which remains onschedule for customer deliveries in 2011. The G250 is capable oftravelling 3,400 nautical miles at0.80 Mach and has a maximumoperating speed of 0.85 Mach. Withan initial cruise altitude of 41,000feet, the G250 can climb to amaximum altitude of 45,000 feet.Gulfstream says it features thelargest cabin in its class, with 17 to35 percent more floor area than anyother super mid-size business jet.The additional space provides for alarger lavatory, an improved galleyand increased storage.

Signature upgrades at GatwickSignature London Gatwick hascompleted a renovation of itsdedicated fixed base operation. Itfeatures new restrooms, kitchen,window treatments and furnish-ings, as well as two vip lounges anda crew lounge with business centre.

The FBO has also recently addeda new service for passengerstransiting to and from the comm-ercial terminal. With advancenotice, Signature can arrange forpassenger pick up at thecommercial aircraft and transit tothe FBO where the customer canclear customs and immigration.

HondaJet takes shapeMajor structural assemblies for thefirst conforming HondaJet aircrafthave now been completed, thecompany reports, in preparation forfirst flight in early 2010. On October7 the successful first flight of theHondaJet Advanced SystemsIntegration Test Facility took place,incorporating actual aircraft sys-tems hardware and software, inst-alled in a spatially-representativemanner, and interconnected withactual aircraft electrical harnesses.

Dasnair’s Falcon 7X leadsthe fleetA Falcon 7X operated by Dasnairrecently passed the 2,000 flighthour mark, making it the leader ofthe Falcon 7X fleet. It enteredservice in July 2007 and has carriedover 2,100 passengers and made543 stops in 73 countries. It haslanded at several challengingairports such as Saint-Moritz inSwitzerland and La Môle insouthern France. The longest flightfor the aircraft, 12 hours and 19minutes, occurred on April 16, 2009 from Pise, Italy to Rio deJaneiro, Brazil.

Avcon sells Embraer in the eastEmbraer has appointed Avcon JetAG of Austria as an authorised salesrepresentative for the entire line ofits executive jets, from the entrylevel Phenom 100 to the ultra-largeLineage 1000. Avcon will coverBulgaria, Croatia, Hungary,Macedonia and Serbia.

OK to market PC-12Pilatus Aircraft Ltd has appointedOK Business Aircraft, sro as its newdealership for south easternEurope, with responsibility forsales, marketing and service of thePC-12 NG in the Czech Republic,Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia,Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro,Former Yugoslav Republic ofMacedonia, Bosnia andHerzegovina, Kosovo, and Albania.

OK Business Aircraft is located atPribram Airport, near Prague.

Assistair adds two moreFBOs to networkAssistair Business AviationHandling, the FBO division of theMallorca-based Assistair Group,has added two new FBOs to itsexisting Palma, Barcelona El Pratand Valencia airport bases.

Bombardier makes historyin SchipholBombardier Aerospace is to locateits first wholly owned Europeanaircraft service centre at SchipholAirport in Amsterdam, in supportof over 550 Learjet, Challenger andGlobal aircraft in the region. It isexpected to begin operation inearly 2010.

FSI approved for Bell212/412/430 trainingFlightSafety International hasreceived JAA TRTO approval in theUK for its Bell 212/412 and 430training programmes. The Bell212/412 and 430 simulator has alsobeen qualified by EASA. The sim-ulators and training programmesare located in Fort Worth, Texas.

Duncan opens in EuropeDuncan Aviation is to open aEuropean office in 2010. TonyGilbert, Duncan Aviation’s vp ofinternational business, will move toEurope in January in order to locatethe perfect site and staffing.

Cessna launches greensoftwareCessna has launched GreenTrakFlight Planning software, a flightplanning program for currentproduction Citation operators thatoptimises a flight profile not onlyfor time and cost, but also for thelowest carbon footprint.

GreenTrak is a proprietarysystem, the first offered by ageneral aviation manufacturer thatuses a process known as costindexing to minimise total trip costby balancing the costs of directoperation, fuel burn and carbonemissions. GreenTrak will optimisebusiness jet operations forproposed regulatory programmessuch as “cap and trade” and forEurope’s planned EmissionsTrading Scheme (ETS).

BACA awards for GamaAviation and Tyrolean Jet ServicesThe Baltic Air Charter Association(BACA) announced the winners ofthe 2009 BACA Excellence Awardsat its 60th anniversary lunch inLondon. Best general aviationoperator was Gama Aviation; bestairport Farnborough; best handlingagent Inflite Jet Centre Stanstedand the global excellence awardwent to Tyrolean Jet Services. Bestgeneral aviation operator finalistsincluded Hangar 8 and LondonExecutive Aviation while globalexcellence award finalists includedDC Aviation (Stuttgart) and JetexFlight Support.

I N D U S T R Y N E W S . . .

Catherine Gaisenband: new markets.


PLUS A ROUND-UP OF CARGO, PASSENGER AND BUSINESS AIR CHARTER NEWS

MEDEVACIAC examinesMiddle Eastpotential

ISSUE 3 OCTOBER 2009

The Royal Travel Office has brought a new vip S-76C++ into service for use by the UK’s Royal family and its household.

Capt Christopher Pittaway,manager and chief pilot of TheQueen’s Helicopter Flight, says: “The S-76C++ most closely meets themission requirements by providing aquiet and comfortable cabinenvironment, low carbon footprintand best value for money.” He adds: “It will continue to provide the Royal Family with a high quality andefficient helicopter travel service. Wehave enjoyed excellent productsupport from Sikorsky over manyyears and I look forward to acontinued relationship.”

The S-76C++ features engine, airvehicle, interior and avionicsupgrades, he points out. These includea more powerful Turbomeca Arriel 2S2engine, an inlet barrier filter to protectthe engine against erosion andenvironmental contaminants, new vipinterior and optional Health andUsage Monitoring System and a quietmain gearbox using Quiet Zonetechnology that significantly reducesinterior noise levels without anyweight maintenance penalties.

Carey Bond, president SikorskyGlobal Helicopters, says the companyhas provided helicopters for the Royalfamily since the early 1950s includingthe R4, S-51, S-55, S-58, S-58T, S-76Band the S-76C+ helicopters.

Super King Air brings in businessfor Phenix Aviation

France’s Phenix Aviation says thatdespite the economic recession itsSuper King Air is doing well in a quietmarket. The company’s Jean Boriesays general problems in the privateaviation sector include findingqualified and experienced pilots andcombating difficulties caused byprice cutting.

Le Havre, Borie says, has only onepassengers security filter for alltraffic. “If boarding has to be made atthe same time as a large charter flight,vips can be stuck at the gate.”

UK Royal familyupgrades to S-76C++

The Royal choice.

Robin van Meeuwen has become thefirst owner of a PC-12NG in the UK togain his CAA type rating after trainingat the new Pilatus facility atBournemouth.

Van Meeuwen, md of the Cobham-based control and automationsystem group Crestron, took deliveryof the $4.2 million nine-seater aircraftafter trading in the Piper Meridian hehad flown for two years.

He says: “With the companytrading within most Europeancountries, the choice of using charteraircraft or becoming an owneroperator required some seriousconsideration. Although I enjoyflying, and have wanted to fly since Iwas a boy, the budget had to include acompany pilot so that I am able tospend time in the back working withmy fellow directors.”

Van Meeuwen adds: “Weconsidered jets but realised that the

operating costs were just astro-nomical. Many of the aircraft we

considered that were double the costof the PC-12 were perhaps faster butactually lacked the cabin space,versatility and range that is offered bythe PC-12. There’s no point in beingeven 100 knots faster if you have tokeep landing for fuel.”

In a typical week the aircraft isused to carry management ortechnicians from the aircraft’s base atFairoaks near Woking direct todestinations within the UK includingManchester, Doncaster andEdinburgh, and Dublin, Antwerp,Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Madrid,Milan, Oslo and Stockholm.

Van Meeuwen says: “Oneimportant consideration for uschoosing the PC-12 was that it couldbe operated in and out of smallerairfields and airports closer to yourfinal destination, rather than larger

international airports. Also theaircraft is based at Fairoaks, just 30minutes from my home, and only 15minutes from the office. Jet aircraftneed to be operated from airportswhich are more than an hour away.”

Bob Berry, chairman of the UK,Ireland and Spanish distributor ofPC-12 range, says: “Robin is the latest of just a few of the 14 owners inthe UK who have decided to pilottheir own aircraft. I would say that it is unusual as most owners use theseaircraft as a convenient way of getting from one place to the otherwithout the hassle of airlineschedules and airport terminals. Fewhave the ambition to self pilot – theirinterest is more about how muchspace is in the club class cabin andthat there is a proper lavatory forbusiness and family travel.”

Crestron md gains CAA type rating but puts work demandsbefore personal enjoyment of piloting PC-12NG

As an air charter operator how much of your

business is booked by brokers? Forty per

cent? Sixty per cent, or more?

The charter broker is a vital link in the business

air transport process, and in some cases they

account for a majority of a fleet’s flight hours.

This magazine is for them.

You’ll never find a better opportunity to put

your services in front of buyers from all over

Europe and Middle East.

Contact Pauline Watkins

01279 714508

[email protected]

Or visit

www.charterbroker.aero

for more information

Robin van Meeuwen: qualified to pilot the PC-12NG.

EMBRAER

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Legacy 600

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Phenom 100

New Embraer Phenom 100 EASAspecification. Offered ex factory: Deliveryend November 2009. Exterior all over whiteto accept customers own scheme : InteriorTOPAS. All extras and escalation included$3,250,000. All enquiries to +(44)7764227196 TRG. Email:[email protected]

HAWKER BEECHCRAFT

800BG-WYNE, 1993 S/N 258240, TT 5758 hours,EU-OPS compliant, MSP Gold, Hawker 1000flight deck, TCAS II, Dual FMS, EGPWS,New paint / interior refurb 2006. Availablefor immediate sale, $3.35m, offers invited.Contact: Ben Dean Tel +44 208 564 3701Airclaims Ltd. Web: www.airclaims.com.Email: [email protected]

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S/N 22431. Only 7370 TT, excellentpedigree! Never flew commercial! Part 91use only! 27 seats, 19 Part 91 certified. FreshHSI, excellent paint, gorgeous new interiorw/forward state room. Fresh “C” inspection.View at Dubai Air Show! Tel: +1 954 771 1795Aero Toy Store Inc. Web:www.aerotoystore.com. Email:[email protected]

747SP-31

S/N 21961. 6,300+ nm range! Luxuriousforward cabin, mid cabin and second floor.Seven lavatories, two galleys. The aft cabinis configured with 64 commercial seats. 157total passenger capacity! View at Dubai AirShow! Tel: +1 954 771 1795 Aero Toy StoreInc. Web: www.aerotoystore.com. Email:[email protected]

BOMBARDIER

Challenger 604

2005, S/N 5623. TT 1,360 hours. EU-OPScompliant. Collins Pro-line 4 Avionics.Honeywell Mark V EGPWS. Exterior paint2006 silver/black. 6 Club in medium brown

leather + 3 seat divan in black cloth.Airshow 410. Contact: Ben Dean Tel +44 208564 3701 Airclaims Limited. Web:www.airclaims.com . Email:[email protected]

Challenger 605

S/N 5728. Brand new! View at Dubai AirShow! Jar-Ops compliant. USD$1.2 m+ inoptions. Direct TV, datalink, triple IRS, LDS,RAAS, video encoder, EVAS, floorplan 1 tenpax interior with four place berthable divan.Won’t last! Tel: +1 954 771 1795 Aero ToyStore Inc. Web: www.aerotoystore.com.Email: [email protected]

Global Express

S/N 9139. View at Dubai Air Show! Jar-Opscompliant, engines on Corporate Care, APUon MSP. Heads-Up display, triples, beautifulnew “Pininfarina Edition” 13 passengerinterior w/four place conference groupmidcabin & 16G divan aft & more! Tel: +1954 771 1795 Aero Toy Store Inc. Web:www.aerotoystore.com. Email:[email protected]

Learjet 45XR

2005, D-CHLM, S/N 45-0266. 1,180 TT,engines on MSP, Honeywell Primus 1000, 4tube EFIS, EU-OPS 1. Satcom, SELCAL.London City steep approach. 8 single seats,

light beige leather, Airshow 400, beltedtoilet seat. Tel: +377 93 30 80 02 BoutsenAviation. Web: www.boutsen.com. Email:[email protected]

Learjet 60

2002, D-CROB, S/N 60-0261. 3,956 TT, NDH.On JSSI 66%, APU, Dual FMS UniversalUNS-1C, HF, JAR OPS 1, satcom, Airshow400, satellite telephone, internet (Satcom).4,995,000 US$. Tel: +377 93 30 80 02 BoutsenAviation. Web: www.boutsen.com. Email:[email protected]

DASSAULT

Falcon 900B

1990, HB-JEI, S/N 0086. 11,144 TT, engines& APU on JSSI (100%). FMS Honeywell FMZ920D/GNS-X. Dual HF Collins HF 9030,TCAS II, Airshow, 15 pax interior. NDH,CAMP, 3C c/w November 2007, JAR OPS1,12,500,000 US$. Tel: +377 93 30 80 02Boutsen Aviation. Web: www.boutsen.com.Email: [email protected]

DORNIER

328-300 Jet

2002, G-CJAB, 15 seat VIP configuration.MSN: 3,200. 2 x PW306B engines. TT: 1,710hours, 1,496 cycles. Offers are invited byAMS Aircraft Limited for the purchase of theabove aircraft. Written bids to be receivedno later than Tuesday 17th November 20091600hrs GMT. Tel: +44 1444 443636 Fax:+441444 443737 AMS Aircraft Limited. Email:[email protected]

Advertise your vacancies immediately:[email protected]

DORNIER 328-300 Jet

Offers are invited by AMS Aircraft Limited for the purchase of the above aircraft.Interested parties can obtain aircraft specification and tender documents by contacting

AMS [email protected] or +44 1444 443636

Written bids to be received no later than Tuesday 17th November 2009 1600hrs GMT at the following address:

AMS Aircraft Limited, The Priory, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3LB, UKTel: +44 1444 443636 Fax: +44 1444 443737 E-mail: [email protected]

15 Seat VIP Configuration

FOR SALE BY TENDER

D.O.M. MSN Registration Engines Total hours Total cycles

Feb 2002 3200 G-CJAB 2 x PW306B 1,710 1,496

Is pleased to announce due to its continued growth an opportunity for an experienced

Senior Sales ExecutiveSalary negotiable and dependant on experience.

Based at Oxford with a flexible shift pattern,we require a self motivated person with

drive and ambition with a proven track record inGeneral/Business Aviation sales environment.

Please send cv to [email protected] the attention of the sales manager.

OUR NEXT ISSUE:DECEMBER 2009

FINAL BOOKING DATE:NOVEMBER 24th

Career opportunities

Documents

European Business Air News - November 2009