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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

A Black-Hole Departure Into Lake Erie
Flying Tired
Business Pilot Liability
Going Paperless
on Your Next Crossing
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 CONTENTS AUGUST 2018
Business & Commercial Aviation

11 Intelligence
Edited by William Garvey,
Jessica A. Salerno and Molly
McMillin
Boeing and Embraer
Sign MOU

Bombardier Production and

Office Workers Ratify Contract

DOT Acknowledges 1,500-hr.

Requirements Have Unin-
tended Consequences

U.S. Military Is Giving Big

Bonuses to Pilots Who Stay

NBAA Urges Pilots to Stay

32 Away From Volcanic Ash

2018 Operations NASA to Collect Data on

Public Acceptance of Sonic
Planning Guide Booms

42 How to Use the

Planning Guide Features 80 Fast Five With Fred Lewis,
Chairman, Black Pilots of
America Inc.
46 Production
20 Single-pilot
Aircraft Tables Overload
Richard N. Aarons
A black hole departure into
Lake Erie Departments
DIGITAL EXTRAS
7 Viewpoint
22 Accidents in Brief
32 Pilot Report:
Pilatus PC-24
68 Point of Law
77 On Duty 
Fred George
Tap this icon in articles
A business jet in a class
all its own
78 Advertisers’ Index
in the digital edition
of BCA for exclusive 72 20/Twenty
features. If you have not
signed up to receive your
digital subscription, go to 64 64 Flying tired
Patrick Veillette
Recovery from sleep loss
80 BCA 50 Years Ago
aviationweek.com/bcacustomers is not so simple. If you
accumulate sleep debt,
there will be compounded
Paper or Digital?
For the latest 26 James Albright
interest and an uphill
battle to recover.
developments, go to
www.bcadigital.com
Selected articles from
Going paperless on your
next crossing 69 BCA Marketplace
BCA and The Weekly
of Business Aviation,
as well as breaking news
stories and daily news
72 Keep up with
all the news
and blogsfrom
updates
BCA editors “like”
us on facebook
facebook.com/avweekbca
COVER and follow us on twitter
Cover photo pf the PC-24 twitter.com/avweekbca
courtesy of Pilatus aircraft

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 1

 Business & Commercial Aviation

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the Business of Art Department Scott Marshall — scott.marshall@aviationweek.com

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It’s time.
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 Viewpoint
Final Salute
20,000 hr. aloft inspiring decades of copy
IT WAS AN UNORTHODOX, BUT DELIGHTFUL, MEMORIAL. WE, A
sizable crowd, were gathered in the Holly Hills Country Club
in Ijamsville, Maryland, cocktails in hand and following the
lead of a songster belting out, “I wish I was in the land of cotton,
old times there are not forgotten . . .” Yup, “Dixie.” Turns out it
was one of his favorite tunes. The Tennessee sour mash — no
ice, please — slide show, storytelling and laughter were all in
honor of a recently departed magazine brother of formidable
accomplishment.
Richard L. Collins, long
the editor-in-chief of Fly-
ing and later AOPA Pilot
magazines, spent most
of his life south of the
Mason-Dixon Line, and
clearly preferred that lo-
cus. His accent so echoed
his native Arkansas, I
was taken aback when I
learned we both as young-
sters had once been a sub-
way token from Times
Square. His father, Leigh-
On a media bus in France (right: Dick Collins)
ton, had moved the family
to the Big Apple to publish
his then-new little magazine, Air Facts, but Dick eventually and
happily returned to The Land of Opportunity.
As you surely know, Dick Collins grew to become one of gen-
eral aviation’s foremost champions, a practitioner almost with-
out equal — he logged 20,000+ flight hours, almost all in light
aircraft crisscrossing the U.S. – and a passionate, expert and
prolific writer-teacher in matters of aviation safety. And as you
also probably know, the community lost this singular advocate
back in April when Dick took his final flight West, joining his
beloved wife, Ann, who died in 2012. Dick was 84.
While Dick and I were professional colleagues — a footnote:
My first aviation story, a one-pager, appeared in the 1973 In-
strument Flying annual to which Dick contributed five features,
along with two by a Princeton-educated test pilot named John
W. Olcott — his stature in the business was unique and unri-
valed at a time when general aviation roared. It seems unbe-
lievable in retrospect, but in 1977, the year Dick assumed the
editorship of Flying, general aviation manufacturers delivered
some 17,000 aircraft. And did so again the following year and
the year after that.
When I last spoke with Dick about a year and a half ago, he
was then retired as Flying’s editor at large, had grounded him-
self after nearly seven decades of piloting, and scrapped his
storied but worn Cessna P210. I called to get his assessment
of the state of the industry he knew so long and well; he was
www.bcadigital.com
William Garvey
Editor-in-Chief
william.garvey@informa.com
clearly not content with its circumstances. “What industry?”
was his surprising response. “It barely exists today.” He noted
that Cirrus was the leader in light plane production for deliv-
ering 301 aircraft in 2015, adding, “Cessna used to build that
many on Saturday.”
There’s no question that Dick lived to see close-up the in-
dustry’s zenith and its nadir. During his watch, we were awash
in new airplanes, but most of those are now turned middle-
aged. The private pilot
population has halved,
costs are skyrocketing
and airports — think
Meigs, Santa Monica,
East Hampton and oth-
ers — are under siege or
gone altogether. Grim air
facts.
However, I am sorry
Dick did not live to attend
the JetNet iQ Summit in
White Plains, New York,
this past June 20 or the
NBAA’s Regional Forum
held the following day at
Westchester County Air-
port. Participants at both gatherings were numerous and en-
thusiastic — giddy almost — about what’s coming. Clearly, they
see business and general aviation as ascendant once again, and
point to all manner of trend lines to support that view.
And while increasing the pilot population and operational
activity will require an imaginative, collective effort, there
are pockets from which to draw inspiration. Consider, for ex-
ample, Dallas Executive Airport. Municipally owned and long
an also-ran facility to Love Field and DFW, KRBD is now being
regarded by city fathers as a place of economic promise.
Rather than turn the general aviation field into another clut-
ter of condos, they’ve invested local and federal tax dollars in
the former Redbird Airport, building a passenger terminal
and conference center, a control tower, now refurbishing and
extending Runway 13/31, developing a maintenance operation
on its west side and enticing the Commemorative Air Force to
make it their permanent home, with the CAF hosting a major
air show and soon building an education center and museum.
The city’s leaders want KRBD to grow in traffic, revenue, em-
ployment and importance. That’s an encouraging development
for a transportation segment too long under duress.
As it happens, Dick took special pride in the fact that a
nearby Dallas thoroughfare, Collins Avenue, supposedly hon-
ored a Confederate forebearer who, presumably, sang “Dixie”
with gusto as well. BCA
Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 7
 Readers’ Feedback
A Weighty Problem
Fred George’s “Aircraft Weight Integrity”
(July 2018) underscores a problem that
pilots often ignore at their peril. Over
time, airplanes tend to gain weight,
even as their engines degrade, inching
toward TBO.
But a wing can only support a finite
load, and this fact is sometimes difficult
to explain to the chap in the back whose
belief it is that throwing money at the
pilot will overcome the essential laws
of physics.
Simplifying the situation using good
old mechanical displays can break
down the wide chasm of incompre-
hension between the captain and the
human cargo.
Yea rs a go, th ree f r iends a nd I
chartered a float-equipped Cessna 206
based in La Tuque, Quebec, to deposit
us to another buddy’s fishing camp
in the northern hinterland, for a long
weekend of camaraderie and not a lot of
actual fishing. Naturally, our cargo of
World-class
service
at your
service.
With its world-class FBO’s, Kissimmee Gateway Airport provides the highest levels of service
to you and your aircraft. We’re also closest to the Orange County Convention Center
and Orlando’s theme parks, and we offer amenities such as our warbird museum and a
nearby golf course. No wonder Kissimmee Gateway Airport is Central Florida’s Number One
general aviation airport. To learn more, visit kissimmeeairport.com.
8 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
sustenance, both liquid and solid, was
enough to choke a horse.
Not wishing to offend our intel-
ligence, sensibilities or good taste, the
pilot showed us to the loading ramp.
“Time for the weigh-in,” he announced,
brightly. Before us was a large wooden
table floating inches above the concrete
platform.
On the adjacent wall was a large,
solid wheel like the ones in the carnival
midway where the carny tries to guess
your weight. But, no guessing here.
“OK,” the pilot said, “you guys stand
on the platform with all your stuff.” We
complied, sheepishly.
The big needle in the center of
the wheel, calibrated to the payload
performance of a 206 on floats, swung
around and landed on 52 mi. “That’s how
far this plane will take you and all your
stuff,” he explained. But our destination
was 68 mi. north, so we were instructed
to off load anything and everything
necessary to bring the mark on that big
wheel to the magic number of 68.
T he pi lot d id n’t c a r e wh at we
offloaded: boots, bug spray, duffel bags,
steaks (in the event we came up short
on fish), wine, Scotch, coffee . . . even
people.
The wheel beca me the a rbiter,
wresting responsibility from the pilot.
He didn’t have to go into the finer
details of lift-over-drag ratios. He didn’t
care if we were 180 lb. each, or 200,
with or without clothes. He was just the
dumb pilot who takes his orders from
the magic wheel. And nobody argues
with the magic wheel.
By mounting the scale, we became
part of the solution, and by definition,
fully onside with the outcome. Everyone
arrived happy, albeit sans some fishing
tackle and layers of clothing. But we
kept the scotch close by.
Maybe all FBOs should install magic
wheels in their departure lounges.
Pretty safe insurance against over-
loading an aircraft that is only trying
to do its best.
James R. O. McIntyre
Montreal
Article Spot On
Just a quick note to let you know that
Lou Churchville’s “Hotel California” (May
2018) was a great article. Lou and I
have been friends since the 1980s when
he worked for Page Avjet in Orlando.
He was our salesman when we did a
complete airframe/avionics/interior
upgrade on Limited Brands’ Boeing
727-100. I was the chief of maintenance
who supervised the completion.
As for the article, it was spot on since
I have known and worked with Norm
Hill when we operated Gulfstreams for
many years. Lou has been a friend of
mine since those early days. Keep more
articles coming concerning corporate
aviation. Job well done. Thank you.
Tim Ritchie
Via Email
www.bcadigital.com
 CONNECTED BY SPEED

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In nature, the falcon is a ferce fghter. In business, the Falcon 8X is just as powerful and agile. Every inch refects its military DNA, with lean and
mean aerodynamics and advanced Digital Flight Controls to get you to places others can’t. Nothing fies like a Falcon because no other jet is
built like one. Fierce. Fast. Agile. Falcon 8X.
INTELLIGENCE
EDITED BY WILLIAM GARVEY,
JESSICA A. SALERNO AND
MOLLY MCMILLIN
william.garvey@informa.com
jessica.salerno@informa.com
molly.mcmillin@informa.com

NEWS / ANALYSIS / TRENDS / ISSUES

▶ NASA HAS LAID OUT A THREE-PHASE PROGRAM to collect data on public accep-
tance of reduced sonic booms using the Lockheed Martin Skunk Works-developed low-boom
Jet-A and Avgas
demonstrator, which has been designated the X-59A QueSST. Community response data gath- Per Gallon Fuel Prices
ered by the Low Boom Flight Demonstration July 2018
(LBFD) program will be provided to the FAA
Jet-A
and International Civil Aviation Organization Region High Low Average
(ICAO) to help define a standard for en route
Eastern $9.02 $4.50 $6.30
noise that will permit civil supersonic flight
over land. First flight of the X-59A from Skunk New England $7.63 $3.90 $5.28
Works is scheduled for mid-fiscal 2021. In Great Lakes $8.54 $3.65 $5.70
Phase 1, Lockheed will conduct initial check-
Central $8.04 $3.18 $5.03
out flights followed by envelope expansion
flying into fiscal 2023, according to Craig Southern $8.48 $4.35 $6.17
Nickol, LBFD project manager. The aircraft will then be handed over to NASA for Phase 2 — Southwest $7.04 $3.40 $5.41
acoustic validation testing by Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB in California.
NW Mountain $7.84 $3.65 $5.42
This will measure and characterize the reduced boom, or sonic “thump,” in different flight and
atmospheric conditions, he told the AIAA Aviation 2018 conference here June 28. In Phase 3, Western Pacific $8.40 $4.14 $6.02
“the rubber will hit the road,” Nickol says, when the X-59A conducts a series of community- Nationwide $8.12 $3.85 $5.67
response tests. This will begin with an initial overflight survey at Edwards in the first half of
fiscal 2023, followed by multiple campaigns in which the aircraft will be deployed to fly over
representative U.S. communities in representative weather conditions.
Avgas
Region High Low Average
▶ IN LATE JUNE, THE PILATUS PC-24
Eastern $8.28 $5.00 $6.61
twinjet made its first landing on an unpaved
runway as part of a test program by the Swiss New England $7.45 $5.00 $6.01
manufacturer to obtain “Rough Field” certifica- Great Lakes $8.59 $4.79 $6.13
tion in the fourth quarter 2018. The landing was
Central $7.69 $4.29 $5.53
at Woodbridge Airfield, northeast of London,
chosen for its “optimum test conditions.” From the onset, Pilatus has said that the PC-24 was de- Southern $8.42 $4.25 $6.27
signed for “off-road” operations, or operations on short, unpaved runways. According to the Stans, Southwest $6.99 $4.33 $5.68
Switzerland airframer, there are more than 20,000 unpaved runways worldwide with a length of at
NW Mountain $8.46 $4.70 $5.93
least 2,810 ft., and thus available to the new jet. For more detail on the PC-24, please see our
pilot report, by Senior Editor Fred George beginning on page 32. Western Pacific $8.09 $4.80 $6.37

Nationwide $8.00 $4.65 $6.07

▶ DUE TO SEVERAL ACTIVE VOLCANOES, including Kilauea in Hawaii and Fuego in
Guatemala, the National Business Aviation Association is urging pilots to avoid flying in areas
with volcanic ash. “Don’t do it,” NBAA said. Pilots should plan a route with a wide clearance
from volcanic ash clouds, which can dam-
age the engines and the aircraft, it said.
Pilots should stay informed through nine
Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers, SIGMETs
and NOTAMs, NBAA advises. It also encour-
ages pilots to refresh their knowledge oper-
ating procedures when flying near areas of
volcanic ash. If they inadvertently encoun-
ter the ash, for example, they should reduce
thrust to idle if altitude permits and reverse course out of the ash cloud. Pilots should also
alert air traffic control when they encounter volcanic ash outside of areas already known to
have ash. “The best practice for operating near volcanic activity is simply to avoid it,” said
John Kosak, NBAA Air Traffic Services program manager of weather.
The tables above show results of a fuel price survey
of U.S. fuel suppliers performed in July 2018.
This survey was conducted by Aviation Research
Group/U.S. and reflects prices reported from
over 200 FBOs located within the 48 contiguous
United States. Prices are full retail and include all
taxes and fees.
For additional information, contact Aviation
Research/U.S. Inc. at (513) 852-5110
or on the Internet at
www.aviationresearch.com
For the latest news
and information, go to
www.bcadigital.com

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 11

 INTELLIGENCE
Changi Airport Group to Open
Bizav Terminal At Seletar
Changi Airport Group plans to open
a 10,000-sq.-m business aviation
terminal at Singapore’s Seletar
Airport to handle 700,000 passenger
movements a year.
Raisbeck STC for
King Air Prop
Raisbeck has received an FAA STC for
its fve-blade composite swept pro-
peller and four-blade aluminum swept
propeller for the King Air 300/300LW.
12 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
▶ BOMBARDIER PRODUCTION AND OFFICE WORKERS, members of Unifor Locals
112 and 673, recently ratified new three-year collective bargaining agreements that will increase
job security, its top priority, the union said. The old agreement expired June 23. The contracts
include yearly wage increases of 0.5% in the first year, 0.75% in the second year and 1% in the
final year, and enhance dental benefits, pensions and a retirement incentive program. “With so
much economic and political uncertainty in the aerospace sector, the bargaining committee
was committed and successful in negotiating
better working conditions for members,” said
Scott McIlmoyle, president of Unifor Local 112.
The agreements cover 2,100 employees working
in production at the company’s Downsview plant
in Toronto and in technical office and clerical po-
sitions. The site includes engineering, research
and development and a 24/7 customer support center for Bombardier aircraft. Employees there
assemble the Q400 turboprop and Global 5000, 5500, 6000, 6500 and 7500 business jets.
▶ FRACTIONAL AIRCRAFT OPERATOR EXECUTIVE AIRSHARE recently announced
expanding its service to Rocky Mountain commu-
nities with the establishment of base in Denver,
Colorado, and featuring Embraer Phenom 300s,
the company’s most popular aircraft. The new base
will be supported by flight crews and customer
service representatives. The company also serves
customers in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Austin,
San Antonio, Texas; Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Kansas City, Missouri; and Wichita,
Kansas. “Bringing our private aviation solutions to Denver is a natural decision for us,” says John
Owen, Executive AirShare president and CEO. “The Denver market is one of the most desirable
destinations in the country and has long been a part of our vision for growth.”
▶ ACCORDING TO A RECENT REPORT BY THE DEPARTMENT of Transportation’s
Inspector General (IG), the FAA has completed just under half of the initiatives it agreed to
following a June 2015 “call to action” forum focused on preventing runway incursions. The IG’s
June 27 report said that as of November 2017, FAA had completed 10 of 22 initiatives designed
to prevent incursions of unauthorized aircraft, vehicles or persons on a runway. Two initiatives
were cancelled, but 10 still are in progress. Runway incursions have increased 83% in recent
years, from 954 in the government’s 2011 financial year to 1,744 in fiscal 2017, according to the
report. “While the number of serious Category A and B incidents is relatively low, they fluctuated
over the same timeframe, ranging from a low of 7 in fiscal year 2011 to a high of 19 in fiscal year
2016,” the IG said. The office noted the Jan. 9 aborted landing of an Aeromexico Boeing 737
at San Francisco International Airport (SFO). A controller ordered the pilots to go around after
seeing the aircraft had lined up on the wrong parallel runway, which was occupied by a Virgin
America Airbus A320. It was the third such incident at SFO in six months. FAA’s 10 completed
initiatives include measures to educate pilots on signs, markings and other visual aids at high-
risk airports and updating a “best practices” list for airport surface and movement areas. The
remaining 10 call for the agency to complete data analyses and studies related to controller
and pilot fatigue, implement new technologies, and include airport construction graphics for all
towered airports in Notices to Airmen. Six of those initiatives are behind their originally targeted
completion dates. Seven of the remaining initiatives depend on implementing or testing new
technologies. While FAA has a monitoring plan to track the status of the initiatives, “the plan
does not tie the initiatives to quantifiable goals or other specific metrics that could be used to
determine whether the initiatives are effective,” the IG said.
www.bcadigital.com
▶ SIMCOM AVIATION TRAINING HAS ADDED a new Citation Mustang FAA Level C K-State Gets FAA
full-flight simulator and is offering initial, recurrent and upgrade training for Mustang aircraft at
its Scottsdale, Arizona, training center. In addition, Simcom recently acquired Turbine Solutions
Waiver for UAS Line-of-Sight
Inc., (TSI), an aircraft training provider for Daher TBM series
turboprop pilots. The acquisition provides TSI customers Kansas State University’s (K-State)
with new options, including additional in-aircraft training Polytechnic Campus in Salina, Kan-
support, according to John Warnk, Simcom’s training cen- sas, has received an FAA waiver to fy
ter manager. “The acquisition will allow us to better tailor unmanned aircraft systems beyond
training to the specific needs of the customer.” Turbine the line-of-sight. According to K-
Solutions will continue to operate from its location at the State, it is the frst waiver of its kind
Camarillo Airport in Camarillo, California, and will provide granted to a university by the FAA.
on-site training when requested. Simcom operates 51
simulators for a range of jet, turboprop and piston-powered aircraft. It runs a training center in The certifcate waives the rules re-
Orlando, its headquarters, along with centers in Humberside, UK, and Scottsdale. garding maintaining visual sight of
the aircraft, during research opera-
▶ FOLLOWING MONTHS OF NEGOTIATIONS, BOEING AND EMBRAER signed tions. Removing that restriction will
provide insight into regulation and
a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to set up a joint venture (JV) comprising Embraer’s
safety measures for UAS in the na-
commercial aircraft and services business. The Brazilian manufacturer’s executive and military
tional airspace, university offcials
aircraft are not part of the MOU. The non-binding agreement, announced July 5, sees Boeing
say, adding the waiver is the frst sig-
taking an 80% stake Embraer’s commercial operations, while Embraer will control the remain- nifcant step in the university’s efforts
ing 20%. Management of the new company will be based in Brazil and will be led by a president to further develop a safety case for
and CEO who will report to Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg. Boeing will “have operational and longer-range small UAS operations.
management control of the new company,” it said. The companies expect the transaction to
close by the end of 2019 following all shareholder and regulatory approvals, including gaining
support of the Brazilian government.
Nextant Introductory
▶ SURF AIR, THE MEMBERSHIP CARRIER BASED IN CALIFORNIA, on July 5 filed Discount Pricing Ends
a counterclaim to a lawsuit filed by Encompass Aviation saying that the latter demanded pay-
ments far in excess of proposed contract rates. In June, Encompass filed a lawsuit against Surf
Air seeking $3.1 million in damages after Surf Air on
June 16 terminated its agreement with it to provide
Pilatus PC-12 flights on its California route system
and switched to Advanced Air for that service. In its
counterclaim, Surf Air said it had paid Encompass
$14 million over the past year and that requests for financial details and backup information to
substantiate invoices have not been met. Further, it said Encompass had “conjured a plan to As of Aug. 1, Nextant Aerospace
oust management and take over Surf Air for itself.” Surf Air is seeking damages. Surf Air began ended its introductory discount pric-
flight services in 2013, but last year it changed its business model, deciding to no longer control ing for installation of Pro Line Fusion
flight and maintenance operations and contracted with third-party operators, including Encom- avionics on Challenger 604XT air-
pass. Surf Air leases aircraft and then subleased them to Encompass. craft. The Cleveland, Ohio company
said it expects to complete seven
▶ ATP FLIGHT SCHOOL, BASED IN installations in 2018 and is selling
JACKSONVILLE, Florida, recently took delivery and scheduling installations into the
of 10 new Cessna 172 Skyhawks adding to the 15 second quarter of 2019.
Skyhawks it accepted last December raising the
school’s total training fleet to 323 aircraft. Those aircraft will be used in ATP’s Airline Career Pilot
Program, which it says takes students with no experience to be ready for an airline pilot job in a
little more than two years. In the past two years, ATP has taken delivery of 70 trainers, about half
of them new Piper Archers. In April, the flight school announced an additional firm order for 30
more Archers with an option for another 70. ATP said its aircraft fly 253,000 hours a year and
that it has placed more than 530 pilots with airlines over the previous 12 months.

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 13

 INTELLIGENCE
VistaJet Reports 32% Increase
Charter operator VistaJet reported
a 32% increase in new subscrib-
ers during the frst half of 2018 with
Europe doubling the number of new
contracts against the same period
in 2017 and that North America
accounted for 25% of total global
hours fown. Thomas Flohr, VistaJet’s
founder and chairman, said, “Our
unique feet and technology platform
ideally places us to lead the market
and seize new opportunities. We are
committed to becoming the number
one player in every market in which
we operate, and we are on course
to progress quickly towards our goal
over the remainder of the year.”
EMS EC-135 Makes Emergency
Landing Near Chicago
Traffc on Illinois’ Interstate 57 came
to a near standstill on July 7 when a
medevac helicopter made an emer-
gency landing in a grassy area on
Chicago’s South Side, injuring all four
people on board.
The Airbus EC-135 air ambulance,
operated by Pentastar Aviation, was
en route from St. Mary’s Medical Cen-
ter in Hobart, Indiana, to Advocate
Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn,
Illinois. Those aboard included the
pilot, a paramedic, a fight nurse and
a patient. All four were transported to
nearby hospitals for treatment.
The helicopter was recovered from
the scene by the National Transporta-
tion Safety Board, which took an on-
board surveillance camera to its lab
in Washington for examination into
what had occurred in fight.
14 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
▶ ACCORDING TO AN ARTICLE on military.com, the U.S. Marine Corps is offering its
pilots a bonus of up to $210,000 if they agree to stay in the service for an addition six years.
The U.S. Air Force and Navy have announced similar bonuses. The bonuses, the article said,
will target the captains and majors the Marine Corps wants to retain including pilots of the AV-8
Harrier, F-35B, F/A 18 Hornet, MV-22 Osprey, KC-130 Hercules, along with UH-1 Huey, AH-1 Co-
bra and CH-53 helicopter pilots and F/A-18 weapons systems officers. Fixed-wing and MV-22
pilots with less than 11 years in uniform who are willing to serve another six will see the big-
gest bumps with an extra $35,000 per year,
over the life of their contract. Marines who prefer
a lump-sum option can pocket $178,500 at
once, according to a draft copy of the MARAD-
MIN. Those with less than 11 years in who want
to stay only another four years can pocket an ex-
tra $30,000 per year, or $120,000 total. Pilots
of those aircraft who’ve served between 11 and
13 years can also earn $120,000 over a four-year contract, and those with 13 to 14 years in
qualify for $60,000 over two years. F/A-18 weapons systems officers and Huey, Cobra or CH-
53 pilots with less than 13 years in are eligible for $80,000 over four years. Those with between
13 and 14 years in can pocket $40,000 if they sign on for another two years.
▶ SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION ELAINE CHAO RECENTLY acknowledged
what has been apparent to many in the aviation community — that the 1,500 hr./ATP require-
ment to become a U.S. airline pilot, which was mandated by Congress and cemented into regu-
lation by FAA in 2013 — has had the “side effect” of “reducing the number of pilots” and
should be revisited by Congress. Chao said the so-called “1,500-
hr. rule” means there are “pilots who can very safely fly in our
skies” prevented from becoming Part 121 airline pilots because
of the flight hours required. “So,” she said, “I think that Con-
gress needs to have this discussion.” Congress could include such
a change in the FAA reauthorization legislation now being considered.
There are exceptions to the rule — a former military pilot can qual-
ity for an ATP certificate with 750 hr. and a graduate of a four-year
baccalaureate aviation degree program can become a commercial
airline pilot with 1,000 hr. — but otherwise pilots need 1,500 flight
hours and an ATP to become a first officer. Previously, a pilot could take the right seat with just
250 hr. logged. U.S. regional airlines say they have been the most affected by the change.
Since the rule was imposed, over 100 regional airports in the U.S. have seen
a more than 33% reduction in flights and more than 60 airports have seen a
50% drop in flights, according to data provided by the Regional Airline Association
(RAA), which noted that 20 airports have had airline service discontinued altogether.
Moreover, significant retirements of major airline pilots reaching age 65, combined with in-
creased flight activity is causing the carriers to vacuum pilots from the regionals and business
aviation charter operators and flight departments. Critics of the rule argue that flight hours alone
are not a sufficient metric to judge prospective airline pilots. “The pilot profession has now be-
come the domain of the elite. If you don’t have access to your own wealth or good credit to get
private loans, you have a very hard time accessing this career,” said RAA President Faye Black
Underscoring that view, Chao said the rule, “has actually made it so much harder . . . to enter
this field.” The Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) has strongly opposed attempts to revise the
rule, arguing such efforts jeopardize safety. The group has long argued that any shortage in the
supply of qualified commercial pilots is caused by uncompetitive salaries offered by airlines, not
by overly strict training requirements.
www.bcadigital.com
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 INTELLIGENCE/FBOs
Jet Linx Opens New
Detroit Terminal
Jet Linx, based in Omaha, Nebraska,
has opened a new private terminal in
Detroit. The terminal includes a pri-
vate meeting room, executive lounge,
Wi-Fi connectivity and staffng. It is
Jet Linx’s 14th base location.
London Oxford Receives Second
Sapphire Pegasus Award
Oxfordjet FBO and London Oxford Air-
port received the “Best Business Avi-
ation Airport” award for the second
successive year. The airport is one of
only a handful of U.K. business air-
port that has seen consistent growth
over the past 10 years and remains
one of the top 20 business European
business aviation airports.
16 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
▶ WEST STAR AVIATION RECENTLY acquired
hangars at Perryville Regional Airport, (KPCD) in Perryville,
Missouri, and will soon establish it as its fourth full-service
maintenance facility. The other three are in East Alton, Illi-
nois; Grand Junction, Colorado; and Chattanooga, Tennes-
see. The company closed on its fourth hangar at KPCD in
late June, expanding its footprint to over 120,000 sq. ft. in hangar and office space. The larg-
est hangar can accommodate multiple large–sized corporate aircraft. The site also features a
28,800 sq. ft. state-of-the-art paint facility with a downdraft filtration system which can accom-
modate large-sized business aircraft. The company has named Kyle French to a general man-
ager of all its Perryville operations. “I am excited to play an integral part in West Star’s planned
expansion and look forward to bringing the West Star mix of experience and capability to our
customers at KCPD,” French said. West Star Aviation specializes in the repair and maintenance of
airframes, windows, and engines, as well as major modifications, avionics installation and repair,
interior refurbishment, surplus avionics sales, accessory services, paint and parts. In addition to
its full-service facilities, West Star runs maintenance operations at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport
in Aspen, Colorado; Chicago Executive Airport in Chicago, Illinois; Centennial Airport in Denver,
Colorado and Conroe-North Houston Regional Airport in Houston, Texas.
▶ JETEX ANNOUNCES IT HAS SIGNED a Memo-
randum of Understanding (MOU) with AERIA airport man-
agement company to be the exclusive FBO operator and
manager of the newly built FBO in Abidjan, the economic
capital of Côte d’Ivoire. Jetex made the announcement dur-
ing the 2018 European Business Aviation Convention and
Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva, Switzerland. For the current FBO — at the Félix-Houphouët-Boigny
International Airport — the handover is scheduled for July of this year.“We are happy to appoint
Jetex as the sole and exclusive FBO operator in Abidjan,” said Mr.Gilles Darriau, C.E.O. of AERIA.
“Jetex has high standards for FBOs, which is exactly what we were looking for.”“We chose Abidjan
because it is an economic powerhouse for West Africa. It’s a very urbanized and industrial city,” said
Jetex President (Europe) Salem Youssef. “We’re excited to offer VIP service and become the first
to do so I the region. We’re looking forward to welcoming passengers at our new FBO very soon.”
▶ TAG FARNBOROUGH AIRPORT HAS BEEN AWARDED carbon neutral status by
the Airports Council International Europe (ACI Europe), making it the world’s first carbon-neutral
business aviation airport.To achieve carbon-neutral status, an airport must have mapped its
carbon emissions, reduced CO\0x2082 emissions under its direct control, engaged with others
on the airport site to reduce their emissions,
and invested in responsible and credible pro-
grams to offset residual carbon emissions.
In the past decade, TAG Farnborough Airport
has reduced carbon emissions over which it
has direct control by 42%, or 2,183 British long tons, and invested more than $1.31 million in
energy efficiency projects over the past five years.Projects with a focus on energy efficiency,
staff accountability and awareness training, driven by the airport’s ISO14001 certification, have
been key contributory factors in achieving carbon neutrality at the airport, it said.These projects
have included upgrading to LED lighting across most of the airport site, which at the control tower
alone saved 15% (13,902 kW/hr.) of total electricity consumption in the first two months. This
year, the airport committed to Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin energy supply, which will
see the airport’s annual footprint reduced by a further 2,000 British long tons and help support
the renewable energy sector.
www.bcadigital.com
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 FAST FIVE
Fred Lewis
Chairman
Black Pilots of America Inc.
Pine Bluff, Arkansas
A member of the Houston
Independent School District
for 42 years with a master’s
degree in education adminis-
tration, Lewis rose from science
teacher to become a middle
school principal. Later, he
worked as an officer of budget
and finance in the district’s law
enforcement department. He
was a cofounder of the BPA and
later elected president before
being elevated to his current
position. He is also a partner
in the pampering, feeding and
flying of a 1966 Mooney M20E.
TAP HERE in the digital edition
of BCA to hear more from
this Interview or go to
aviationweek.com/fastfive
18 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
INTERVIEW BY WILLIAM GARVEY
Questions for Fred Lewis
When was the BPA formed and what’s its purpose?
1 Lewis: It was created as a 501(C) nonprofit flying organization in 1997. We have
three purposes: (1) to promote all aspects of aviation among minorities; most
don’t have any idea that there are hundreds of jobs in aviation beyond being a
pilot, and we try to expose the kids to all of that and impress upon them that
there’s more than basketball and football; (2) to encourage young people to stay
in school; and (3) to have fun aviating and getting together with people who share
your enthusiasm.
So, it’s a relatively young organization. Had there been nothing like it before?
2 Lewis: There was the Negro Airmen International, which was founded by former
Tuskegee Airmen instructors — Ed Gibbs, Charles Alfred “Chief” Anderson, Charles
Smallwood, Roscoe Draper and others. Anderson was the chief instructor who
trained the Tuskegee Airmen of World War II fame. In 1997, we reorganized and
changed the name to Black Pilots of America. Every Memorial Day weekend we
hold “Operation Skyhook” in which we have a pylon competition, flour bag bomb
drops, balloon bursting and formation flying. Operation Skyhook was held in
Tuskegee for a number of years and was then moved to our present location in
Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
Is your membership exclusively black?
3 Lewis: No, color doesn’t matter to us. If you want to be a part of us, come on. You
can be purple for all we care. As long as you’re enthusiastic about flying, that’s
all that counts. You don’t have to be a pilot, either, though most of our 800 mem-
bers are. These include lawyers, doctors, educators, commercial pilots and even
a photographer, among others. Collectively, we own some 100 airplanes, though
many have partners — I’ve got two partners on my Mooney. When I bought it 20
years ago, gas was under $1 a gallon; now it’s $5 or $6 a gallon, so there’s less
flying, but I still fly.
How do you educate kids about aviation?
4 Lewis: All the chapters invite kids out to the airport to show them airplanes and
how they work. We use Facebook and social media. Our biggest national effort
is a piloting scholarship program to attend the BPA’s “Les Morris” Summer Flight
Academy. Every chapter has their selection and money-raising process. At my
home chapter in Houston, applicants have to write an essay, they must have a B
average or better, be of good conduct and get references from their teachers. Then
we interview them and rank them. This year 11 boys and five girls from throughout
the country were sent to the Summer Flight Academy in Houston. We pay for their
housing and flying and they have 40 hr. of classroom sessions and receive 10 hr.
of flight instruction during the two-week period — a $3,600 value. This year the
academy was held from July 7 through 21.
You’ve got a big gathering planned in New York.
5 Lewis: We do, indeed. Our annual general membership meeting is set for Aug. 16
through 18 in Melville, Long Island, and is being hosted by our New York Metro
chapter. We’ve encouraged BPA chapters from throughout the country to attend.
New York City is a big draw — we have trips planned to the Statue of Liberty, Ellis
Island and the 9/11 Memorial — so we expect a good turnout.
www.bcadigital.com
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Cause & Circumstance
Single-pilot Overload
A black-hole departure into Lake Erie
BY RICHARD N. AARONS bcasafety@gmail.com
Cessna 525C (Citation CJ4,
A N614SB) crashed into Lake Erie
moments after takeoff from Run-
way 24R at Cleveland’s Burke
Lakefront Airport (KBKL) on Dec. 29,
2016, at 2257 EST. Darkness, windy,
snowy, marginal VMC existed at the
airport at the time.
The pilot, his wife, two sons, a neigh-
bor and the neighbor’s daughter were on
board returning to Ohio State Univer-
sity Airport (KOSU) in Columbus where
the airplane was based. The group had
initially departed KOSU about 1730 and
arrived at KBKL about 1800. The visit
to Cleveland would be quick. Their mis-
sion was to attend a basketball game
and head home. All six were killed and
the airplane destroyed when it crashed,
broke up and sank into the lake. The en-
tire flight lasted less than 90 sec.
The two-week search and recovery ef-
forts for the airplane and its occupants
captured national media attention. The
weather during the effort was miser-
able, the lake wind-blown and icy, and
the water murky. Nevertheless, local,
state and federal public safety agencies
ultimately recovered the victims and
some of the airplane.
The pilot’s family and his guests were
well-known in Columbus. He was CEO of
a beverage distribution company and an
enthusiastic private pilot. He had accu-
mulated 1,205 hr. total time, 427 of them
in multiengine turbine airplanes. He had
logged 121 hr. of nighttime flying and 145
hr. of actual instrument time.
The pilot earned a Cessna 525 (CJ4)
single-pilot type rating on Dec. 8, 2016,
after completing an FAA checkride in
the accident airplane. The rating was
added to his private pilot certificate that
already included ratings for single-en-
gine and multiengine airplanes, instru-
ment and helicopter. Two weeks later,
he completed a CJ4 simulator-based re-
current training course at FlightSafety
International.
At the time of the accident, he had a
total of 56.5 hr. in the CJ4. Of that time,
8.7 hr. were as pilot-in-command, which
20 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
included the practical test. His most re-
cent logged flight was on Dec. 17 from
Orlando International Airport (KMCO)
to KOSU. His night experience in the
CJ4 totaled 16.8 hr.; actual instrument
in make and model totaled 2.5 hr., and
simulated instrument totaled 16.1 hr.
The pilot had owned a Cessna 510
Mustang for about two years before pur-
chasing the CJ4. He had logged 372.9
hr. total time in that aircraft. He was in
good health with no significant medical
issues.
On Dec. 29, the day of the accident,
the pilot arose about 0600 and was in
the office by 0800. He visited a con-
struction site and returned to the office
after lunch. He left for the day around
1600. By the time he started the engines
for the return flight to KOSU, he had
been up and about for 17 hr.
The pilot had received weather brief-
ings before leaving Columbus and they
were reasonably accurate — IMC but not
especially difficult for the CJ4’s avionics
and systems although perhaps challeng-
ing for a tired pilot in a new airplane.
The observations from KBKL and
Clevela nd Hopk ins Inter nationa l
(KCLE) indicated that marginal visual
conditions prevailed at the time of the
accident. Precipitation was reported in
the 1-min. observations at KBKL until
2251, with none reported at the surface
until 2342. While the surface temper-
ature remained above freezing after
the airplane landed at the lakefront fa-
cility and about the accident time, the
dew point temperature remained below
freezing the entire time with precipita-
tion occurring on and off in the snow
shower activity.
At 2253, the observed conditions at
KBKL were: wind, 260 deg. at 25 kt.,
with gusts to 31 kt.; 8 mi. visibility in
light snow; scattered clouds at 1,200
ft., broken clouds at 2,200 ft., overcast
clouds at 3,200 ft.; temperature, 1C, dew
point, -2C; and altimeter, 29.74.
At 2300, the conditions at the airport
were: wind, 260 deg. at 22 kt., with gusts
to 31 kt.; 9 mi. visibility; scattered clouds
at 1,500 ft. AGL, broken ceiling at 2,300
ft. AGL, overcast skies at 3,900 ft. AGL;
temperature, 1C, dew point, -2C; and al-
timeter, 29.74.
There were no SIGMET advisories
valid for Burke Lakefront at the acci-
dent time; however, AIRMET advisories
Zulu, Tango and Sierra, issued at 2145,
were valid and forecast IFR conditions
due to precipitation and mist, moderate
icing conditions below 10,000 ft. MSL,
and moderate turbulence below 10,000
ft. MSL. The possibility of a trace to
light icing was present at low altitudes
at the time of the accident.
www.bcadigital.com

How It Happened
NTSB investigators reviewed ATC com-
munications, the CVR transcript, ADS-
B data and FADEC unit data to create
the following timeline:
At 2247, the pilot contacted the KBKL
tower controller and requested an IFR
clearance.
At 2250, he requested a taxi clear-
ance, and 5 min. later informed the
tower controller he was holding short of
Runway 24R and ready for takeoff. The
controller subsequently cleared him for
takeoff and instructed him to turn right
to a heading of 330 deg. and maintain
2,000 ft. MSL after departure. The pilot
acknowledged the clearance.
At 2256:33, the engine power in-
creased, and 15 sec. later the airplane
became airborne.
At 2257:09, an automated voice an-
nunciated “altitude.” A second “alti-
tude” annunciation followed 14 sec. later.
(Safety Board investigators noted that
in normal operations, the altitude prese-
lect mode will provide an annunciation
passing ±1,000 feet from the prese-
lected altitude. Once tracking the se-
lected altitude, the system will provide
an alert if the airplane deviates more
than 200 ft.)
At 2257:25, a sound similar to a de-
crease in engine power was recorded.
Two seconds later, the EGPWS annun-
ciated an excessive bank angle warning.
(The EGPWS will provide a warning if
the bank angle exceeds 50 deg. when
the airplane is operating 210 ft. above
ground level or higher.)
At 2257:29, about 2 sec. after the bank
angle warning, the tower controller
www.bcadigital.com
Richard N. Aarons
Safety Editor
bcasafety@gmail.com
instructed the pilot to contact departure
control. The CVR recorded “to depar-
ture six one four sierra bravo;” however,
the tower controller did not receive that
communication. (The CVR will record
any audible sound that is picked up by
the cockpit area microphone or a con-
nected microphone such as on a pilot’s
headset. However, any sound picked up
by a pilot’s headset will not be transmit-
ted unless the push-to-talk switch is si-
multaneously depressed. The presence
of the pilot’s response on the CVR re-
cording in conjunction with the absence
on the ATC recording is consistent with
the pilot not having the push-to-talk
switch depressed.)
At 2257:37, the controller again at-
tempted to contact the pilot. However,
2 sec. after the controller’s transmis-
sion, the EGPWS provided a “sink rate”
warning to the pilot. The pilot again re-
sponded, “six one four sierra bravo,” but
this was not received by the tower con-
troller. (The EGPWS will provide a sink
rate warning when the aircraft is within
2,450 ft. of the terrain. At 2,450 ft., the
triggering descent rate is 5,007 fpm.
This varies linearly to a descent rate of
964 fpm at 10 ft.)
Beginning at 2257:43, the EGPWS
provided “pull up” warnings at 1.6-sec.
intervals until the end of the CVR re-
cording. During that time, a sound sim-
ilar to the overspeed warning began,
which continued until the end of the
recording at 2257:58.
The tower controller made several addi-
tional attempts to contact the aircraft, then
initiated search and rescue procedures.
ADS-B position data helped investi-
gators re-create the flight profile:
Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 21
The airplane had crossed the de-
parture end of the runway and began
a climbing right turn. (The bank angle
steadily increased until 2257:31, when it
reached about 62 deg. (right wing down).
Over the next 14 sec., the bank angle
decreased to about 40 deg. right wing
down. The bank angle decreased fur-
ther to about 25 deg. right wing down
shortly before impact.)
About 2257:28, the airplane became
established on a magnetic course of
310 deg. During that time, the airplane
reached an altitude of approximately
2,925 ft. MSL. About 5 sec. later, the air-
plane entered a descending right turn
that continued until the final data point
that was recorded at 2257:52 and was
located 1.83 mi. northwest of the airport.
The altitude was 775 ft. MSL, about 205
ft. above the lake.
A Safety Board performance study in-
dicated that after takeoff the airplane’s
pitch attitude was about 5 deg. nose up
for approximately 8 sec. The Citation
accelerated to about 215 kt. The pitch at-
titude increased to about 16 deg. nose up
and the rate of climb reached over 6,000
fpm during the initial climb.
Beginning about 2257:25 and continu-
ing over the next 12 sec., the pitch at-
titude began to steadily decrease until
reaching about 15 deg. nose down. The
airplane accelerated to about 300 kt.
and the rate of descent reached about
6,000 fpm once it became established
in the descent. The maximum operat-
ing limit speed (VMO) below 8,000 ft. is
260 KIAS.
The ADS-B data included informa-
tion related to the altitude preselect and
heading bug settings. The altitude pre-
select setting was consistent with the
2,000-ft. altitude assigned to the acci-
dent flight. The heading bug was set to
240 deg. until 2257:11. Over the following
12 sec., the heading bug was reset to 329
deg., where it remained for the duration
of the flight. The CVR recording ended
at 2257:58.
No visual cues were available to the
pilot during this departure. KBKL is lo-
cated along the south shoreline of Lake
Erie within the metropolitan area of the
city. The airport elevation is about 584
ft., which is approximately 14 ft. above
the level of the lake. Visual cues are
available from the city lights south of
the airport. However, there is a lack of
visual cues north of the airport due to
the lake’s expanse.
Two local pilots discussed with in-
vestigators the lack of visual cues at
Cause & Circumstance
the airport at night. One described
the conditions as a “black hole” during
a dark night, VFR departure. The sec-
ond noted that turning toward Lake
Erie and away from the lights of the
city may result in “absolute darkness”
for a pilot.
The Investigation
Two weeks of bad weather made re-
covery diff icult. The airplane was
fragmented. The nose section was
not recovered other than the bag-
gage compa r tment doors a nd the
nose landing gear assembly, which
had separated from the airframe.
The cockpit window assembly — pi-
lot and copilot windshields and side
windows — was structurally intact.
Each window was shattered but re-
mained in place, except for portions
of the copilot windshield outer pane,
which was missing. The copilot’s
windshield exhibited a red impact
mark near the center of the wind-
shield. (The mark was examined by
ornithologists from the Smithsonian
Institution — National Museum of
Natural History; no evidence of bird
feathers or DNA.)
No portions of the cockpit controls
or instrumentation were recovered
other than the center pedestal as-
sembly that was separated and dam-
aged. The right throttle lever, f lap
handle, engine run-stop switches,
Accidents in Brief
Compiled by Jessica A. Salerno
Selected accidents and incidents in June 2018.
The following NTSB information is preliminary.
▶ June 17 — About 1120 EDT, a Piper
PA-30 (N8674Y) was heavily damaged
during the landing rollout at Vero Beach
Regional Airport (VRB), Vero Beach,
Florida. The private pilot and passenger
were not injured. The Piper was operated
by the pilot as personal flight and
departed VFR from Vero Beach about
1040. The pilot confirmed twice that the
landing gear was extended while on short
final approach and the airplane touched
22 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
and friction adjustment handle were
missing.
Sections of the left- and right-side
fuselage structure were recovered
but badly deformed. Smaller sections
of the airframe structure including
wing carr y-through spar sections
and structural splice assemblies also
were recovered.
The aft, right-side cabin seat frame
and the pilot and copilot seat frames
were not recovered. Severa l seat
cushions, including the pilot and co-
pilot seat-back cushions were located.
The left and right w ings had
separated near the wing roots and
showed extensive fragmentation and
deformation.
The left engine was never found;
however, the deformed left exhaust
assembly was located. The right en-
gine and its inlet and exhaust assem-
blies were recovered, but its forward
bypass duct and fan case assemblies
had separated and were lost. The fan
blades remained attached to the hub.
Each blade exhibited gouges, scrap-
ing and deformation (curling) at the
blade tips consistent with rotation
at impact.
The right fuel delivery unit was sep-
arated and recovered. The unit exhib-
ited damage consistent with impact.
No anomalies consistent w ith a
pre-impact failure or malfunction of
the airframe structure, f light con-
trols or engines were observed.
down near the touchdown markings. After
about 500 ft., the nose gear collapsed
and the airplane came to rest upright on
the runway.
▶ June 29 — About 1245 MDT, a
Champion 7GCAA (N9026L) crashed
while maneuvering near Arthur,
Nebraska. The pilot was killed, and
the airplane was heavily damaged. The
airplane was registered to and operated
by Last Pass Aviation. It was VFR for
the flight that departed without a flight
plan from Thomas County Airport (TIF),
Thedford, Nebraska about 1215. Several
witnesses attending a cattle branding
event saw the pilot performing aerobatic
maneuvers. Following a loop and rolling
maneuver, the airplane began to climb
and subsequently rolled left, and made
a series of left turning spins, which
continued until ground impact.
Airplane Control
Interviews with his instructor deter-
mined that the pilot was trained to con-
sistently use the autopilot after takeoff
after reaching at least 300 ft. AGL.
The instructor also told investigators
the pilot had inadvertently pressed the
autopilot transfer button instead of the
autopilot engagement button on two oc-
casions during training without recog-
nizing the error.
Another possible factor — the CJ4’s
attitude presentation was different from
the Mustang’s. The attitude indicator
presented by the PFD on the Cessna 525
was an egocentric (“inside out”) type
display. An “inside out” perspective in-
volves a fixed aircraft symbol and mov-
ing horizon similar to what a pilot sees
when looking outside of the aircraft. On
the other hand, the Cessna 510 utilizes
an exocentric (“outside in”) display. An
“outside in” perspective involves a fixed
horizon and a moving aircraft symbol.
Studies have demonstrated, said the
Safety Board, that pilot performance
with sole experience using either of
these types of displays is similar; how-
ever, performance degrades when ex-
perienced pilots switched between the
two types of displays. This, of course,
can contribute to spatial disorientation.
The f light guidance panel (FGP),
located on the glareshield, allows the
pilot to select manual or autopilot guid-
ance for airplane control. The autopilot
▶ June 24 — About 1115 CDT, an
Ercoupe 415-D (N94070) crashed near
Monmouth Municipal Airport (C66),
Monmouth, Illinois. The two private
pilots were killed and the airplane was
destroyed. It was VFR during the flight
and no flight plan had been filed for
the local flight that departed Galesburg
Municipal Airport (GBG) Galesburg,
Illinois, at 1049. Airport surveillance
video from Galesburg showed that the
airplane taxied from the hangar area
toward the end of Runway 21 at 1044.
The airplane then taxied along the
parallel taxiway to the first intersection
where it made a left 180 deg. turn
and continued to taxi back to the end
of Runway 21, and departed at 1049.
A preliminary review of the radar data
showed that the airplane traveled west
after departure from GBG, made several
turns and continued west. The final radar
www.bcadigital.com
button is located on the upper row of
button controls near the right side of
the panel. Autopilot engagement is in-
dicated in the flight control system dis-
play area along the upper portion of the
primary flight display (PFD). There is
no indication of the autopilot status on
or near the autopilot button on the flight
guidance panel.
Investigators said a comparison of
the Citation 525 systems and those of
the Citation 510 revealed that the auto-
pilot engagement button on the latter is
located in a slightly different location on
the AFCS panel. Autopilot engagement
is indicated along the upper portion of
the PFD in both airplanes. In addition,
an indicator light adjacent to the auto-
pilot button on the AFCS panel is illu-
minated when the autopilot is engaged.
Spatial disorientation is always pos-
sible in black-hole departures (and many
other situations.) The FAA Civil Aero-
medical Institute’s publication, Introduc-
tion to Aviation Physiology, defines spatial
disorientation as a loss of proper bearings
or development of a state of mental confu-
sion as to position, location or movement
relative to the position of the earth.
Factors contributing to spatial disori-
entation, says the FAA, include changes
in acceleration, flight in IMC, frequent
transfer between VMC and IMC, and un-
perceived changes in aircraft attitude.
The Safety Board’s investigators also
pointed to the FAA’s Airplane Flying
Handbook (FAA-H-8083-3A), which
target was recorded 2.17 mi. south-
southwest of the accident site. Two
witnesses, who were 0.5 miles northeast
of C66, stated that the airplane was
traveling east to west and flew very low
over their house. They added that since
they live near this airport they are very
used to hearing normal engine sounds
and this engine did not sound normal
since the engine was sputtering and
backfiring. They stated that the airplane
flew about 30 ft. above them, made
a steep left bank toward south, then
impacted the ground in a wooded area.
After impact the airplane burst into
flames. They both ran to the accident site
to provide assistance but were unable to
help due to the fire an extreme heat.
▶ June 29 — About 2010 CDT, a
Robinson helicopter (N787SH) registered
to Concho Aviation LLC, of Sterling City,
www.bcadigital.com
describes some hazards associated with
flying when the ground or horizon is
obscured. The handbook states, in part:
“The vestibular sense (motion sensing
by the inner ear) in particular tends to
confuse the pilot. Because of inertia, the
sensory areas of the inner ear cannot de-
tect slight changes in the attitude of the
airplane, nor can they accurately sense
attitude changes that occur at a uniform
rate over a period of time. On the other
hand, false sensations are often gener-
ated, leading the pilot to believe the at-
titude of the airplane has changed when
in fact, it has not. These false sensations
result in the pilot experiencing spatial
disorientation.”
The Accident Chain
This CJ4 black-hole departure lasted less
than a minute and a half. The pilot had less
than 10 hr. command time in an airplane
whose instrumentation and controls were
slightly different from a similar airplane in
which he had several hundred hours. Dur-
ing training, those slight differences had
led the pilot to mis-select autopilot modes.
He was also seeking guidance from a PFD
that displayed dynamic attitude differ-
ently from that with which he was famil-
iar. There were no visual cues from the
black night outside the cockpit once the
right turn began. Even routine departure
communications went awry, perhaps be-
cause he failed to finger the push-to-talk
button correctly.
Texas, was destroyed when it crashed for
undetermined reasons while on landing
approach to its home base in Sterling,
Texas. The commercial pilot, who was the
sole occupant, was killed in the accident.
The flight originated about 1958 from
a work location on the McEntire Ranch,
Sterling City, Texas. A witness stated
that she saw the helicopter on a normal
approach to its home base landing site.
As the helicopter approached the trailer,
into the wind, about 5 ft. above the
trailer, it backed off the approach and
began to spin. The helicopter climbed
to about 20-25 ft. while spinning to the
left. The witness heard a noise similar
to a rapid reduction of engine power and
the helicopter hit the ground. There was
no evidence of contact with obstructions
during the approach and no radio
distress calls from the experienced pilot.
A company pilot reported that the wind
Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 23
A quick exploration of the NTSB ac-
cident database shows that black-hole
departure accidents are not uncommon.
Black holes have trapped all manner of
pilots from solo pilots in single-engine
trainers to airline crews in commercial
operations.
Black-hole departures are essentially
zero-zero takeoffs once the airplane ro-
tates. They require planning, concen-
tration and alertness. The abrupt loss
of visual cues followed by low-altitude
pitch changes and turning maneuvers
is disorienting.
Despite all the hype popular media
gives “multitasking,” humans can only
attend to one thing at a time. (While we
can move our attention quickly among
a number of things, the results are not
always positive.) Successful black-hole
departures depend on the flight crew
performing the basics one step at a time
— rotate, establish climb, configure the
aircraft, engage the FD/AP and keep
your attention inside. Until all that is
squared away, don’t even think about
turning maneuvers. If something in the
sequence isn’t working as planned, level
the wings, climb and (when you can) let
ATC know what you are doing.
At one time or another we’ve all been
taught that the proper sequence of cock-
pit duties is to aviate, navigate and com-
municate. This sequence is nowhere
more important than during the execu-
tion of a black-hole departure, and espe-
cially as a single pilot. BCA
was about 10-12 kt. from the south about
the time of the accident. The helicopter
had flown a previous flight of about 3.7
hours duration on the morning of the
accident. The pilot of that flight did not
report any anomalies with the helicopter.
The helicopter was configured with single
pilot flight controls on the right side,
and the left side pilot controls (pedals,
collective, cyclic) were not installed. Three
ammunition cans containing tools and
several loose shotgun (discharged and
undischarged) shells were present within
the wreckage area. The operator stated
that the helicopter was routinely utilized
in cattle roundup and predator mitigation
operations.
▶ June 28 — About 1130 CDT, a
Cessna T210N (N6386C) lost directional
control while landing at Pocahontas
Municipal Airport (M70), Pocahontas,
Cause & Circumstance
Accidents in Brief
Arkansas. The pilot was not injured, and
the airplane was heavily damaged. The
airplane was registered to and operated
by ALC Aviation Services LLC. It was VFR
for the flight that departed without a flight
plan from Henry County Airport (PHT),
Paris, Tennessee about 1025. While
landing on Runway 36, the pilot stated
he was unable to maintain directional
control after the left brake “froze up.” The
airplane subsequently exited the left side
of the runway, hit a ditch and nosed over,
damaging the right wing.
▶ June 15, — At 1538 CDT, a Cessna
172N (N734BS) was destroyed when it
hit a power lines and terrain near Rotan,
Texas. The pilot and passenger were
fatally injured. The aircraft was registered
to and operated by Aero Photo as a
business flight. It was VFR for the flight
that originated from the Midland Airpark
(MDD), Midland, Texas, about 1331, and
Spicewood Airport (88R), Spicewood,
Texas was the intended destination.
The airplane had departed 88R earlier
in the day to perform aerial photography
missions. After completing several missions
the airplane landed at MDD, reportedly to
refuel. After departing MDD on the accident
flight, the airplane flew photography
missions near Midland, Odessa and
Lubbock, Texas. After completing the
missions near Lubbock the airplane traveled
southeast to return to 88R.
The airplane hit a non-electrified
power lines that crossed a canyon near
Rotan, Texas. The power line that was
struck was suspended from wooden
poles about 20 ft. high that were on the
peaks of the adjacent ridges forming the
canyon. The power lines were estimated
to be about 130 ft., above the floor of
the canyon.
The airplane came to rest inverted
about 900 ft. from the power lines and
the direction from the center of the
canyon where the power line crossed to
the accident site was about 50 deg.
24 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
▶ June 14 — About 1445 MDT, a
Rockwell International 112TC (N4954W)
was heavily damaged during a forced
landing the near Cheyenne Regional
Airport/Jerry Olson Field (KCYS),
Cheyenne, Wyoming. The pilot and
passenger were not injured. The airplane
departed a private airstrip and was
en route to KCYS at the time of the
accident. According to preliminary
information, while in cruise flight, the
engine starting running rough and lost
power. The pilot attempted to restore
engine power but was unsuccessful.
During a forced landing to the field, just
east of the approach end to Runway
26, the outboard portion of the right
wing separated and the empennage and
fuselage were bent and wrinkled.
▶ June 15 — About 1542 Alaska
daylight time, a tailwheel Cessna 180
(N2957K) sustained heavy damage
during an impact with sand dunes,
following a loss of lift during departure,
about 85 mi. east of Kotzebue, Alaska.
The airplane was registered to Airframe
Innovations Inc., and operated by
Northstar Aero LLC Part 135 flight when
the accident occurred. The pilot was not
injured, one passenger received minor
injuries, and the remaining passenger
was seriously injured. It was VFR and
company flight following procedures
were in place. The flight departed the
Fairbanks International Airport (PAFA),
Fairbanks, Alaska, about 1024.
In a statement provided by the
pilot, he wrote that the wind at the top
of the sand dunes was estimated to
be between 10-20 kt. After walking
off and inspecting several downhill
departure routes, he marked off the
most favorable downhill departure into
the wind. After loading the passengers,
he ensured the BAS shoulder harness
system was being worn correctly and
began the departure.
He described the departure as a
typical sand dunes departure with some
rocking and bouncing but the airplane
accelerated rapidly downhill and into the
wind. After lifting off near the bottom of
the dune, the airplane started gaining
airspeed. As the airspeed neared Vx,
the head wind component ceased, and
the airplane began losing altitude. In
an effort to avoid a sharp wall of hard
packed sand, he stated that he turned
toward lower terrain. He attempted to
match the angle of the sloped terrain
and executed a full power stall onto
the surface in an effort to minimizing
cart wheeling and flipping over. The
airplane hit the sand dune, which
resulted in substantial damage to the
forward fuselage and serious injuries
to the passenger seated in the right
front seat. The pilot stated to the NTSB
investigator-in-charge that he credited
the lack of more serious injuries to a
recently installed BAS, Inc., four-point
shoulder harness and lap belt restraint
system.
▶ June 17 — At 0930 CDT, a Cessna
T210F (N6107R) nosed over during an
off airport forced landing in Desdemona,
Texas. The private pilot and one
passenger received minor injuries,
and another passenger was seriously
injured. The airplane was heavily
damaged.
The Cessna departed the Dublin
Municipal Airport (9F0), Dublin, Texas,
about 1920, en route to the Gregory M.
Simmons Memorial Airport (GZN), Cisco,
Texas. The pilot stated that the engine
began running rough during cruise flight
at 500 ft. AGL. He leaned the mixture
and the engine roughness went away.
A few minutes later, the engine began
running rough once again. He switched
fuel tanks and there was no change in
the engine operation. Shortly thereafter,
the engine stopped running. He made a
forced landing in a soft, sandy field and
the airplane nosed over inverted. BCA
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Operations
Paper or Digital?
Going paperless on your next crossing
BY JAMES ALBRIGHT james@code7700.com
W
e’ve all heard the say ing,
“When the weight of the pa-
perwork equals the weight of
the airplane, you are ready to
fly.” And it’s never more true than when
you fly oceanic. On those flights, not only
do you have the master document, en
route charts, track messages, weather,
NOTAMs, equal time points and plot-
ting charts, but there are also all those
checklists to consider. Now take all that
and multiply it by the number of legs on
a trip and you have an administrative
mess on your hands.
Even if you are an organizational ge-
nius, you then have the problem of find-
ing a fax machine or compatible printer
at airports and hotel lobbies where
your ability to communicate in the na-
tive tongue is doubtful. But then a near
miracle: The electronic tablet arrives
to rescue us from the paper nightmare.
Going electronic can be a traumatic
experience for some; or it can be an easy
transition that just takes a flight or two
to fully embrace. While younger pilots
may have the edge here, some “sea-
soned” pilots have an advantage because
the fundamentals are fully established.
No matter your comfort level with the
26 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
electrons, a few questions remain. Is any
of this legal? What are the tasks to be
accomplished? How do we adapt these
analog tasks to digital media? What
about using a portable GPS? How do
you archive your oceanic “paperwork?”
And finally, is going digital really better
than good ol’ paper?
After four decades of f lying with
three-ring binders, organizational tabs
and multi-color highlighters, I brought
science to the art of keeping things
straight when flying across seemingly
every ocean or sea in the world. But then
I hired two younger pilots who noticed
our cockpit iPads were sitting unused.
They started to purge the paper from
my cockpit, and I found myself the stu-
dent in a craft where I thought I was the
master. But I vowed to learn and after
10 paperless crossings, I think I have
what it takes to teach again. There were
mistakes along the way; perhaps you
can learn from these and start off with
something that works.
Is Any of This Legal?
The rules for what electronics you can
and cannot use on an airplane have been
around since 1961, when things like hear-
ing aids, heart pacemakers and electric
shavers were first added to a list of per-
missible portable electronic devices.
Tech-savvy crewmembers started to
use portable calculators and computers
as soon as they became widely avail-
able and administrators found them-
selves lagging behind in establishing
guidelines on what was and wasn’t ac-
ceptable in cockpits. I was using a Texas
Instruments SR-52 programmable cal-
The amount of paper on a
single oceanic leg versus
the high-tech alternative.
culator to compute takeoff and landing
data in a U.S. Air Force Boeing 707 in
1983. Nobody stopped to ask if the data
was good, whether the calculator could
somehow interfere with cockpit avion-
ics, or even what happens if the calcula-
tor was lost or broken.
Those circa-1960s rules were de-
s i g n e d t o pr ot e c t t h e s en s it i ve ,
analog-based very high frequency om-
nidirectional range (VOR) receivers
long before the days of GPS. When all
you had were a couple of VORs for find-
ing your way around in the muck and
cockpit avionics that weren’t necessar-
ily designed to protect against onboard
interference, you had to worry about
stray electrons. The determination of a
www.bcadigital.com

device’s potential for interference was
left to the operator or pilot in command.
In 1993, Advisory Circular 91.22-1 at-
tempted to provide more guidance to
the unregulated chaos. That AC has
since been updated several times and in
2017, AC 91.22-1D at last answers many
of our questions about what portable
electronic devices (PEDs) can be used
and when. The answer depends more on
the airplane than the PED.
If your aircraft was designed and cer-
tified to meet the requirements of Radio
Technical Commission for Aeronautics
(RTCA) DO-307, Aircraft Design and
Certification for Portable Electronic De-
vice (PED) Tolerance, then you can use
PEDs for all phases of flight.
If the manufacturer hasn’t certified
your aircraft as PED-tolerant, you can
take steps on your own to do so or can
conduct a risk evaluation under RTCA
DO-363. But this appears to be an ex-
pensive process well above a private
operator’s capability. The bad news is
that these AC 91.21D (Paragraph 7.2)
requirements apply to private as well as
commercial operators while operating
under Instrument Flight Rules (IFR).
The good news is there is an exception:
If an aircraft has not had PED tolerance
demonstrated, the operator (for com-
mercial operations) or pilot in command
(for non-commercial operations) may al-
low PED operation during cruise flight.
The same latitude applied to PEDs in
the cabin applies to the cockpit: If your
aircraft is certified as PED-tolerant, you
can use PEDs during all phases of flight;
otherwise, you are restricted to using
them during cruise flight only. But there
are additional restrictions to PEDs used
www.bcadigital.com
as electronic flight bags (EFBs). AC 120-
76D defines an EFB as any device that
hosts applications which are generally
replacing conventional paper products
and tools, traditionally carried in the
pilot’s flight bag. Typical applications
include aircraft manuals, logs and other
forms, weight and balance programs,
flight plans, oceanic plotting systems
and electronic charts. These restric-
tions mean you cannot simply grab an
Apple iPad or your smartphone and as-
sume that you have an acceptable EFB
for cockpit operations.
When EFBs were first allowed for
use during IFR operations, the only
options were bulky tablet computers.
My first experience was with a Fujitsu
1610, a uniquely small laptop computer
that normally cost about $2,000; but its
price more than doubled once it was re-
branded as an EFB. The additional cost
went into electromagnetic compatibility
(EMC) and rapid depressurization test-
ing. These tests are expensive and the
rules in AC 120-76D are unbending.
When operating under FAR Parts 91
Subpart K, 121, 125 or 135, the certifi-
cate holder/operator must demonstrate
that all portable EFB components are
electromagnetically compatible with
aircraft navigation and communication
systems. Here again, if the aircraft is
certified as PED-tolerant, you are good
to go. Otherwise, a risk assessment in
accordance with RTCA DO-363 must be
completed or the radio frequency emis-
sions characteristic of the PED must be
obtained through an RTCA DO-160 test.
These same operators must deter-
mine how their EFBs will survive a rapid
decompression using the tests specified
Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 27
Pilot Greg Bongiorno prepares for his
next North Atlantic crossing.
in RTCA DO-160. While such tests are
conducted with some brands of EFBs,
the test results are proprietary and not
publicly available without cost. If you
are a Jeppesen customer, however, a call
to the company’s customer service line
can get you a copy of the Apple iPad’s
decompression testing results.
So, after all those technical acro-
nyms, is using an Apple iPad or other
portable electronic device as an EFB
legal? If you are operating under Part
91, yes. You can use these devices under
IFR during cruise flight. If your aircraft
was certified as PED-tolerant, then you
can use them during all phases of flight.
If you are operating commercially, you
have to obtain PED test results.
Once you get started, many of the
procedures and techniques used in the
world of paper apply to your electronic
world. Filling out a form on a tablet is
very similar to doing so with paper and
pencil. But when flying oceanic, many
paper methods are ill-suited for an elec-
tronic tablet.
What Are the Tasks to
Be Accomplished?
The primary chores facing any pilot fly-
ing oceanic and remote routes can be
divided into three groups: administra-
tive, plotting and archiving. We’ve been
doing all three with pen and pencil for
years and it would seem a simple matter
to bring our analog techniques into the
digital world. That is certainly true with
the administrative chores, provided you
have a good service provider, a good in-
ternet plan and the right applications.
In the analog world, we are condi-
tioned to picking up the phone anywhere
in the world and calling our dispatcher
or flight planning service. We do this
to bring ourselves up to date with any
changes to the present plan and then up-
dating our flight preferences. It is then a
matter of chasing down a fax machine
with lots of paper. Among the many re-
quired papers are the flight plan that is
destined to become our master docu-
ment, weather, NOTAMs, any relevant
track messages and equal time points.
To these we add a stack of forms we
keep on file, such as oceanic checklists,
navigation logs, radio logs and perhaps
a data-link checklist.
Plotting requirements were once
spelled out where every pilot could see
Operations
them. The original version of Advisory greatly simplifies complexities. Many
Circular 91-70 required plotting for any service providers can deliver f light
turbojet operator where the route seg- plans, track messages, weather, permits
ment between the operational service and other administrative must-haves. If
volume of ICAO standard ground-based the service provider also hosts an iPad-
navigational aids exceeded 725 nm. AC compatible application that allows on-
91-70B deleted that language and many screen annotations, real-time updating
pilots assumed it was time to retire their and syncing with other iPads, the transi-
plotters. But the language still exists in tion from paper can be almost seamless.
FAA Order 8900.1, Volume 4, Chapter 1, We started with our existing flight
Paragraph 4-80.A. You still have to plot, plan format with ARINCDirect using
despite any arguments that GPS has its iPad application, and quickly learned
made the practice obsolete. It hasn’t, but that typing onto the master document
it can help. (As we shall see.) was easier than writing onto the screen
Finally, the last step in the oceanic with a stylus or a pointed finger. As
paper drill is to archive everything in we grew comfortable with the system,
case you need to refer to it in the future.
You may want to duplicate the trip to
duplicate your success. Or, on a grim-
mer note, you may need to provide the
paperwork to prove to a regulatory au-
thority that your trip was a success and
not the cause of a gross navigational
error. This applies even if you know you
did everything right. If, for example, the
aircraft behind you deviated from its re-
quirement to adhere to a specified Mach
number, proving you were diligent can
spare you the oceanic “nasty gram.” For
whatever reason, paper archiving usu-
ally means stuffing everything into an
oversized envelope, labeling, and then
finding an oversized filing cabinet.
Our first, failed attempt at electronic plotting.
Adapting Paper
we added to our customized format to
Tasks to Digital include all our oceanic and data-link
checklists, turning the master docu-
Two truisms of aviation become quickly ment into an easy single-source file.
evident when converting paper admin- While a paper master document is still
istrative tasks to electronic: There are easier for writing and faster, it is often
many ways to accomplish the same hard to read after the fact. The elec-
goals and having a one-stop-shop source tronic version, however, still has a draw-
back for most of
us. If you are get-
ting a domestic or
oceanic clearance
read over the ra-
d io, it is faster
for most of us to
write that down
on a pad of paper
than on an iPad.
Many of our pilots
use Bluetooth key-
boards fastened to
their iPads to
speed data entry,
but even they re-
alize the quick-
est way to record
a clearance is on
The electronic master document appears identical to the paper paper.
version, but pilot annotations tend to be easier to read. As easy as the
28 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
transition to electronic administrative
record-keeping was, the transition to
oceanic plotting on an iPad proved to be
problematic. We already subscribed to
ARINCDirect for flight planning and
Jeppesen Flight Deck (JeppFD) for en
route charts, with both applications set
up for iPads issued to each pilot. You
can use other vendors, but having the
master document in a readable form,
such as Adobe PDF, makes cutting and
pasting the route from one application to
another easier and less prone to typing
errors. Simply drag the cursor over the
route of flight and release. Select “Copy”
from the pop-up menu. Then go to the
second applica-
tion and hold your
f i nger over the
menu asking for
the route. Release
your finger and se-
lect “Paste” from
the pop-up menu.
Once you’ve done
that, the first plot-
ting task is to ver-
ify the courses and
distances between
each waypoint.
T h is plot ti n g
s t ep i s v it a l t o
ensure the flight
management
system (FMS) is
going where the oceanic clearance re-
quires. If you now do this with a plot-
ter on a paper chart, why not try the
same plotter on the iPad? While this
can work, it is finicky. You have to place
the plotter gently on the iPad to prevent
the electronic chart from moving. Get-
ting a distance is even harder. The most
common paper method is to construct a
ruler using lines of latitude (1 deg. of lati-
tude equals 60 nm) and place that ruler
over the course line between waypoints
to measure distance. Trying this on the
iPad invariably moved the chart in posi-
tion and scale, which invalidated the ad
hoc ruler.
JeppFD does offer an electronic plot-
ter that can be dragged over a waypoint.
But it doesn’t automatically center over
waypoints and the size of the course line
can throw off the measurement by as
much as 4 deg. JeppFD does not offer
magnetic variation on the electronic
chart, so plotting courses requires
finding the correct magnetic varia-
tion from another chart or the FMS,
prior to converting the JeppFD’s true
course to magnetic. JeppFD distance
measurements are possible by cutting
www.bcadigital.com
 Making a precise post-position plot
using JeppFD.
and pasting waypoint coordinates. The
result is highly accurate, but the process
is cumbersome. We also tried the chart
built into ARINCDirect, but the lines of
latitude were too faint and infrequent to
be useful. We also tried commercially
available electronic plotting charts. But
these required the courses to be drawn
point by point and introduced the pos-
sibility of plotting errors. Many of our
pilots are satisfied with the JeppFD pro-
cess:
(1) Cut and paste the route of flight
from the master document to JeppFD.
(2) Use the built-in electronic plotter
to measure the true course, realizing a
possible 2 to 4 deg. error.
(3) Find the magnetic variation in the
aircraft FMS, add or subtract from the
true course to determine the magnetic
course.
(4) Cut and paste the “from” and “to”
waypoints for each route segment into
a new JeppFD route to determine the
nautical miles between waypoints.
I agree this is a workable solution,
but I do not like the possible course er-
ror and I find the need to retrieve the
variation from the aircraft FMS incon-
venient. My hybrid solution is to cut and
paste the entire route one more time
into Garmin Pilot, where the magnetic
course and distances are available
automatically. I cannot, however, use
Garmin Pilot for the next step, where
JeppFD truly shines.
A portable GPS’s depiction of an aircraft
2 deg. after waypoint passage, including
a 2 nm SLOP.
Even if you are flying the highest
tech cockpit, an FMS programming er-
ror can lead you astray into the path
of another aircraft. A reroute is a ripe
time for entry errors that typically re-
sult in the airplane heading for a way-
point that is a degree in error. Let’s say
your original routing was from 51 deg.
www.bcadigital.com
north/50 deg. west to 51 deg. north/40
deg. west. A reroute changed the sec-
ond coordinates to 52 deg. north/40 deg.
west. A reroute can be hectic and if in
the confusion you missed that single key
and typed “1” instead of “2” in the new
waypoint, you can easily find yourself
on the wrong track. Advisory Circular
91-70B and North Atlantic Document
007 require a post-position plot about
10 min. after waypoint passage. When
traveling approximately east-west at
most latitudes this can be done after 2
deg. of longitude. Seasoned oceanic avia-
tors know this is the best way to detect a
waypoint insertion error before a loss of
separation occurs.
While you can electronically accom-
plish a post-position plot on a PDF chart
by “eyeballing” the
coordinates, using
the built-in tools
in JeppFD are far
more accurate.
About 10 min. after
waypoint passage,
note your position
of f you r F M S or
GPS and press the
course line in the
approx i mate po -
sition. Then f ine
tune the displayed
coordinates finish-
ing with “Done.” Do
not “Add to Route”
or select “Direct To.” The post-position
plot should rest precisely on your course
line with any strategic lateral offset pro-
cedure (SLOP) applied. (The post-posi-
tion plot should never be more than 2 nm
off the course line as a result.)
Drawing a course line on a chart —
paper or electronic — is a great way to
Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 29
ensure you avoid a gross navigation er-
ror (GNE). Making careful post-position
plots is a vital part of your duties as an
oceanic pilot. The aircraft’s FMS and
GPS cannot be expected to cross-check
themselves. If the course was entered
into the FMS incorrectly, for example,
everything on your displays will show
you precisely on course, albeit the
wrong course.
A portable GPS on a cockpit window rail.
What About Using
a Portable GPS?
Many crews buy portable GPS units
known as “hockey pucks” because of
their shape and size. These are battery
powered, can receive Wide Area Aug-
mentation System (WAAS) accuracy
improvements, and can support several
electronic devices through Bluetooth
communication. They can then moni-
tor a flight’s progress in a Bluetooth-
enabled iPad that rivals the aircraft’s
navigational accuracy. These crews
might tell you their navigation backup
is far superior to the old paper chart
with hand-drawn post-position plots.
And in many ways they are correct. But
Operations
the requirement for a recorded post-
position plot remains.
Before buying a portable GPS, re-
member that it is a PED and the regula-
tory guidelines spelled out in Advisory
Circulars 91.22-1 and 120-76D apply.
Generally speaking, the rules set down
for your iPad apply also to these por-
table GPS units. For most aircraft,
these regulations could limit your use
while on the ground and while in cruise
flight. I’ve been using such a system
for about a year now and have been
impressed with its accuracy.
The requirement to record a post-
position plot is easily accomplished
with a portable GPS and an iPad. You
simply wait until the appropriate time
and press the “Home” and “Power”
buttons simultaneously. The iPad will
“grab” the screen shot and give you the
option of emailing the photo. We email
each photo to our dispatcher who then
files it away with the rest of our trip pa-
perwork. Some applications are better
than others when it comes to archiving
trip paperwork. Regulatory guidelines
for keeping all oceanic paperwork for
six or 12 months seem to have disap-
peared. But most of these still assume
you are archiving that paperwork.
How Do You Archive Your
Oceanic ÔPaperwork?’
A common argument against the need
to archive is that if you do everything
Faulty Mach number technique impacts everyone along the same track.
30 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
correctly, you will never get a call from
an inspector demanding proof that you
made all the necessary master docu-
ment annotations, plotted your course
and recorded your post-position plots.
But this isn’t true at all. Consider the
case of faulty Mach number technique.
Let’s say you are in the middle of a trio
of business jets flying along the same
oceanic track. You and
the lead aircraft have
filed a speed of Mach
0.80 while the last air-
craft filed for and was
approved to fly Mach
A post-position plot
can catch an FMS
programming error.
0.83. The oceanic con-
trol center will have
built in longitudinal
separations based on
each aircraft f lying
those filed speeds. You can expect the
minimum distance between you and the
lead aircraft, with a little more for the
tail aircraft who will close that dis-
tance over time. Now let’s say there is
an unexpected tailwind. If you and the
last aircraft continue to fly the filed
Mach numbers, you will start to miss
your estimated waypoint times and
will have to notify ATC if the ETA is
more than 2 min. late. ATC expects
this. But now let’s say the first air-
craft’s pilot is alarmed at passing the
waypoint early and decides to slow
down to avoid the extra radio call. If
you end up with a loss of longitudinal
spacing, expect the oceanic control
center to ask for paperwork from you
and the lead aircraft. They need to
know who messed up; you want to make
sure they know it wasn’t you.
As previously mentioned, the old
method of archiving oceanic paperwork
usually involved stuffing everything into
an envelope or folder and filing all that
away into a filing cabinet. I once took
over a flight department that had three
very large filing cabinets with years of
paperwork. I threw all of it, except for
the last six months’ worth, away. It was
still impossible to find anything.
The new method depends on your
flight-planning service provider. If you
combine ARINCDirect’s flight planner
with its Flight Operations System, ar-
chiving is nearly automatic. It is up to
you, however, to place things in logically
named folders. Even if your service pro-
vider doesn’t have such an easy system,
there are file transfer systems that are
compatible with the iPad and a more
conventional laptop or desktop com-
puter. DropBox, for example, offers you
a way to save all those PDF documents
and screen grab photos. Here again, la-
beling individual files and folders will
make archiving and future searches
easier. Best of all, you don’t have to buy
three very large file cabinets. This may
be the most obvious part of going digital,
but the advantages go much further.
Is ÔGoing Digital’
Really Better?
My flight department started the paper-
to-digital transition with a large dose of
skepticism. I still have my original set of
compass dividers issued to me in 1979.
My Air Force plastic plotter has circled
the globe several times and the ritual
of drawing on a plotting chart is deeply
ingrained in my pilot persona. My fel-
low pilots were only marginally less at-
tached to paper but only because they
are marginally less aged than me. But
we plunged in. We gradually stopped
carrying paper master documents,
track messages, weather and then oce-
anic checklists. The last shred of our
past lives was the plotting chart. But
now it is gone, too.
So we are paperless now. There have
been additional pleasantries. The old
scramble for a fax machine or printer
are done forever. I’ve been in countless
foreign hotel lobbies trying to make
countless hotel clerks understand that
the 60-page facsimile transmission
monopolizing their fax machine was
critical. I thought it was a great leap for-
ward when I got these paper products
by email but then found I had to lug a
portable printer around for those times
nobody else understood my need for pa-
per. But those days are over, too. I get
everything emailed to me on my iPad
with a worldwide cellular account.
Now, I can sleep in, safe in the knowl-
edge that fewer trees are being felled
and that my cockpit will be just a little
bit less cluttered. BCA
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Pilot Report
Pilatus PC-24
A business jet in a class all its own
BY FRED GEORGE fred.george@informa.com
T
he much-anticipated Pilatus PC-24 might well be named
the big Swiss surprise. Many people confuse it for a turbo-
fan-powered variant of the PC-12. That would put it in the
light jet class of the Cessna Citation CJ4 or Embraer Phe-
nom 300, a market segment already overcrowded.
But it’s actually a midsize jet with a
slightly larger cross-section than a Cita-
tion XLS+. Admittedly, it has 7 in. less
headroom in the center of the cabin;
however, that’s because it has a con-
tinuous flat floor rather than an 8-in.
dropped aisle. The main seating area is
2.7 ft. longer than in the XLS+, affording
comfortable seating for six people in the
standard executive interior. With 500
cu. ft. of cabin volume, interior size alone
puts the PC-24 into a midsize jet class
that’s sparsely populated, now that the
Gulfstream G150, Hawker 900XP and
most of the midsize Citations no longer
are in production.
“We wanted a small widebody,” says
Pilatus Chairman Oscar J. Schwenk. “In
the beginning, it was even wider. But that
caused too much drag. We think we have
a good compromise now.”
The PC-24, similar to the PC-12, has
several exclusive qualities that arguably
move it into a class of its own. The sig-
nature feature is its 17-sq.-ft. aft cargo
door that swings up to provide access to
a 90-cu.-ft. aft, pressurized cargo com-
partment. Incorporating the large door
into the aircraft design was no mean
feat, considering the aircraft’s 8.8-psi
pressurization system and strict empty
weight budget. The proximity of the
wing trailing edge and rear-mounted
engine air inlets to the cargo door posed
further challenges to Pilatus engineers.
The jet was designed from the outset
for unimproved runway operations, un-
like other jets aircraft adapted to that
role after certification. The rugged,
trailing-link main gear are fitted with
four large, 73-psi tires. Each wheel has
32 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
than 400 lb. compared to using tradi-
tional midsize aircraft turbofans. Being
able to use lighter weight engines had a
trickle-down effect on overall airframe
weight because beef can be taken out
of engine mounts, support structures,
wings and landing gear.
APUs are virtually musts in midsize
aircraft, but Pilatus couldn’t afford
the 300-lb. heft of the third engine. So,
it worked with Williams to develop a
a triple-disc brake for sure stopping. novel quiet power mode (QPM) for the
The engines are mounted high on the right engine that reduces ground idle
aft fuselage to keep them clear of de- rpm while providing sufficient electri-
bris kicked up by the tires. The flaps cal power for the vapor-cycle air condi-
have heavy gauge aluminum skins on tioner or electric cabin heaters when the
the bottom surfaces and they’re eas- aircraft is parked.
ily repaired. Final unimproved runway The right engine, operating in QPM,
tests now are underway with approval
slated for later this year.
The quick-change interior is another
distinguishing feature. In minutes, some
or all of the chairs and furnishings can
be removed or repositioned, allowing
the aircraft to be reconfigured as a four-
seat passenger plus 200-cu.-ft. cargo
combi, a double-club cabin for eight peo-
ple or a 10-seat commuter. All the chairs
easily can be removed to convert for air
freight or air ambulance missions.
“Other aircraft in this class can be
compared to the BMW 7 series or Mer-
cedes S-Class,” says Bruno Cervia, who
heads research and development for
Pilatus. “We wanted to build a Porsche
Cayenne.”
It’s also the only business aircraft
priced under $23 million to have a laser
inertial reference unit, a key component
of an RNP 0.1-capable navigation sys-
tem. This, along with other standard
avionics components, makes the aircraft
well positioned to take full advantage of
the FAA’s and Eurocontrol’s 21st cen-
tury air traffic management upgrades
that are intended to make flying safer,
more efficient and more environmen-
tally friendly while increasing airspace
system capacity.
Strict weight control enabled Pilatus
to fit the PC-24 with two Williams FJ44-
4A-QPM light jet engines, saving more
www.bcadigital.com
 ASK FRED
Send your questions
about this article to:
fred.george@informa.com

also appears to make less noise than
a typical APU, based upon our obser-
vations. That’s good news for airport
neighbors.
“Weight control? We’re expert at it,”
says Schwenk. “It’s a continuous game
with Pilatus. It’s always about payload
and range.”
The end result of the weight sav-
ing campaign? While the aircraft has
gained nearly 1,000 lb. from Pilatus’ ini-
tial estimates for BCA’s 2018 Purchase
Planning Handbook, a typically outfit-
ted PC-24 still weighs about 1,000 lb.
less than a Citation XLS+. The aircraft,
though, is typically Swiss tough in spite
of its light empty weight. It has a 30,000-
hr. basic design life, exceeded only in its
price range by Embraer’s Phenom 300.
As with the PC-12, Pilatus already is ey-
ing service life extension programs that
will enable the PC-24 to fly well beyond
the 30,000-hr. milestone.
At face value, the PC-24 seems to be a
simple but solid Swiss product. Yet, sim-
ilar to a Patek Phillippe Nautilus, there’s
an impressive array of technologies un-
derneath the surface that makes pos-
sible consistent, precision performance.
For admirers of Swiss engineering ex-
pertise, it’s worth diving deeply into the
details.
Structure and Systems
Walk through the Pilatus factory at
Buochs Airport (LSZC) and you’ll see
a wholesale transformation in the way
the small Swiss firm builds its first jet
compared to its older prop airplanes.
The PC-24 was designed from the out-
set to take full advantage of computer
controlled, high-speed milling processes
and robotic assembly. Skilled Swiss air-
craft factory labor is expensive, so the
new model is being built with fewer la-
bor hours than any Pilatus model in cur-
rent production. And robots will do even
more of the assembly work in the future.
As with most of Pilatus’ previous
models, the PC-24 primarily is an alu-
minum alloy, semi-monocoque structure
constructed of stressed skins and inte-
gral substructure. Cervia doesn’t like
to use castings or forgings for compo-
nents. As a result, most complex metal
parts including wing spars, landing
gear struts and nose gear bulkheads
are machined out of solid billets of alu-
minum alloy. Even the cursor control
device palm grip in the center console
is milled out of a solid aluminum block.
Carbon fiber and other composites are
used mainly for secondary structures,
particularly those with complex curves
such as aero fairings, the radome and
wheel well liners.
Wing aerodynamics proved espe-
cially challenging because engineers
were targeting cruise speeds as fast as
440 KTAS and landing speeds of 100
KIAS or less. Pilatus developed its own
airfoil, one with a cranked-arrow lead-
ing edge with mild sweep outboard and
considerable sweep inboard. The trail-
ing edge is nearly straight, providing an
unimpeded path for cargo vehicles or
ambulances to the cargo door.
A irf low over the w ing becomes
mildly transonic above Mach 0.7. Sig-
nificant drag divergence only occurs
above the aircraft’s 0.74 Mmo, so the
aircraft can cruise efficiently at Mach
0.72 or higher. As shown on the ac-
companying Specific Range chart on
page 36, there’s a 7.5% spread between
Mach 0.65 best range and Mach 0.74

The PC-24 is in the stages of certification

for unimproved runway operations.

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 33

Pilot Report
best speed cruise profiles.
The wing is built in left and right
halves with forward and aft single-
piece, machined spars, plus a short sub-
spar for the aft attach point of the main
landing gear. It’s a conventional ladder
box design using chordwise ribs and
shot-peen formed skins attached with
mechanical fasteners to the interior sub-
structure. Left and right halves are at-
tached in the center by several tension
bolts to form a single piece. The wing
attaches to the fuselage pairs of forward
and aft fittings, plus a forward spigot
and socket fitting to locate the wing on
the fuselage centerline.
The fuselage has forward, pressure
vessel, tail and empennage sections. Pila-
tus worked with the Swiss firm Mecaplex
to develop new generation, lighter weight,
glass-faced acrylic transparencies for the
windshields and cockpit side windows.
The PC-24 midsize jet has 500 cu. ft. of volume, six executive chairs and more interior
room than a Citation XLS+.
The main cabin has 13 stretched acrylic
windows. The left side has one less win-
dow than the right to make room for the
4.4-ft.-high-by-2.1-ft.-wide airstair entry
door. Each side of the fuselage has a Type
IV plug-design overwing emergency exit.
The aft 4.3-ft.-high-by-4.1-ft.-wide cargo
door only can be opened or closed from
outside the aircraft, thus it cannot qualify
as an emergency exit. Counter springs as-
sist closing the main door and opening the
cargo door. An electric winch motor closes
the cargo door. Both main and cargo doors
are secured with mechanically actuated
bayonet-design shoot bolts.
Cervia designed the aircraft to have
virtually all electric power systems.
Electrical power is used for avionics,
lights and cargo door closing, plus land-
ing gear, flap and spoiler actuation,
along with air conditioning and cabin
heating, the hydraulic power pack for
34  Business & Commercial Aviation  |  August 2018
the anti-skid wheel brakes, probe and
windshield heat. Fuel boost pumps and
the pressurization system use electric
power. Electric brakes may be used
on future aircraft if the price becomes
more attractive.
The PC-24 is the first production
business aircraft to use brushless AC
induction starter/generators. Astronics
Corp. attempted to perfect the system 15
years ago with the intention of introduc-
ing it on the Eclipse 500, but the tech-
nology wasn’t ready. Now, it’s making
its debut on the Pilatus jet. Each engine
has a compact, lightweight, three-phase
alternator that generates unregulated,
wild-frequency AC power. A power
conversion unit (PCU) transforms the
AC into regulated 28-volt DC/400-amp
power.
The AC starter/generators produce
considerably more power at low rpm
than conventional DC starter/genera-
tors. Thus, up to 250 amps of power are
available from the FJ44-4A-QPM in the
45.4% reduced idle speed QPM, at least
8% lower than normal idle. Cervia says
air-condition peak demand for rapid
cooling requires only 220 amps, leaving
30 amps surplus for other electrical sys-
tems. Prior to engine start, the aircraft
also may be connected to ground power
for cabin cooling or heating.
In the start mode, the PCUs convert
16- to 29-volt DC power from the aft
battery, the cross-side generator or a
ground power unit into high-voltage,
high-frequency AC power to energize
the starters.
Similar to the PC-12NG, the PC-24
has a forward systems Battery 1 and
an aft start Battery 2. Each 24-volt, 44-
amp/hour NiCad battery is easily ac-
cessible. Battery 1 is on a shelf in the
left nose compartment. Battery 2 is in
a compartment aft of the right wing.
During normal operation with both en-
gines running, Battery 1 is connected to
the left generator and main bus while
Battery 2 is tied to the right generator
and main bus. Bus tie relays connect
normally split buses together when con-
nected to ground power or with only one
generator operating.
The 6,000-lb. capacity fuel system
has mirror-image left and right wet-
wing tanks. Each tank may be refueled
through an over-wing port. A single-
point pressure refueling port ahead of
the right wing allows both wings to be
refilled to a quantity programmed into
an external control panel or fuel synop-
tic page on the MFD.
When the engines are running, main
and transfer jet pumps move fuel to the
engines. DC boost pumps, with motors
in dry cannisters for quick removal and
replacement, provide fuel pressure for
engine starting, cross-feed, cross-flow
and defueling, as well as backing up
the jet pumps. An automatic fuel bal-
ance system keeps left- and right-side
quantities within 200 lb. A warm fuel
recirculation system maintains an even
temperature throughout the wing tanks.
The primary f light controls are
manually actuated. Cockpit controls
are connected to the ailerons, eleva-
tor and rudder by means of conven-
tional chains, sprockets, cables, sector
wheels and push-pull rods. Balance
tabs reduce control force. The rudder
and left aileron tab double as trim tabs.
Pitch trim is provided by the trim-
mable horizontal stabilizer. A rudder
travel limiter reduces movement of
the surface based upon flap position
to prevent rudder lock. A rudder bias
function is incorporated into the yaw
damper to reduce pedal effort by up to
50 lb. due to thrust asymmetry during
engine failure.
As with the PC-12, a pre-stall stick
shaker and stick pusher provide high
angle of attack protection. At high
speed, a Mach trim system adjusts the
horizontal stabilizer position to compen-
sate for Mach tuck above the aircraft’s
0.74 Mmo. The airbrakes also begin to
extend automatically above Mach 0.751
to help prevent the aircraft from accel-
erating much past Mmo.
All the secondary flight controls are
electrically actuated, including the trim-
mable horizontal stabilizer, trim tabs,
ground spoilers, multifunction spoil-
ers and wing flaps. The spoilers extend
symmetrically in flight to function as
www.bcadigital.com
 two-position air brakes, 20 deg. up at the
one-half position and 35 deg. up at full
out. They may be fully deployed above
50 ft. AGL with flaps extended to pro-
vide high drag for steep approaches.
The multifunction spoilers also ex-
tend asymmetrically, in proportion to
upward aileron movement when the
flaps are extended, to augment roll con-
trol authority.
Curtiss-Wright supplies the com-
pact, but powerful, planetary geared
flap actuators and “power hinge” rotary
airbrake and multifunction spoiler ac-
tuators. Unequal length arms and scis-
sors links, fully enclosed in fairings in
the clean wing configuration, control the
movement of the double slotted Fowler
flaps. Cervia insisted on eliminating flap
tracks that could be prone to jamming
due to dirt and debris accumulation.
The interior features two-zone, cock-
pit and cabin temperature control. Air
Comm Corp. in Boulder, Colorado, fur-
nishes the 19-lb., electrically powered,
27,000-BTU vapor-cycle air conditioner,
cockpit and cabin air distribution sys-
tems, and five thermally self-regulating
ceramic heaters for the cabin. When the
engines are running, bleed air heating
is available.
Temperature-controlled bleed air
provides 8.8-psi pressurization, which is
sufficient to maintain an 8,000-ft. cabin
altitude at FL 450. Using departure field
ambient pressure, takeoff and landing
field elevations, the FMS automatically
schedules pressurization for each flight.
Bleed air also is used for engine in-
let and wing leading edge anti-ice pro-
tection, along with horizontal stabilizer
lead edge deice boot operation. The
windshields, Rosemount pitot-static
probes and angle-of-attack vanes are
electrically heated for anti-ice protec-
tion. Dual ice detectors enable auto-
matic activation of the ice protection
system when needed.
The landing gear are fitted with
electromechanical actuators that are
electrically heated to assure proper
operation in extremely cold weather.
The long travel, trailing link main gear
and dual mains are well-suited to unim-
proved runway operations. A 3,000-psi
electric/hydraulic power pack supplies
the triple steel disc, anti-skid power
brakes. Owing to the aircraft’s rela-
tively low V speeds, there is no need for a
brake temperature monitoring system.
Dual 73 psi main tires, long-travel trailing link
landing gear and triple-disc steel brakes are
well suited to rough field operations.
www.bcadigital.com
The 17-sq.-ft. aft cargo door is a signature
feature that’s not available in any other
production business jet.
Mechanical linkages to the rudder
pedals provide 16 deg. ± 1 deg. positive
steering authority, but the nosewheel
also will free caster up to 60 deg. for
tight turns. When retracted, the nose
gear is fully enclosed by three doors.
Outboard doors partially enclose the
main gear, leaving the outboard wheels
exposed. Wheel covers and brush seals
in the wheel wells minimize drag. A
guarded emergency landing-gear ex-
tension lever in the cockpit releases
all three landing gear uplocks, allow-
ing them to free-fall into the down and
locked positions.
Fire/overheat sensors are fitted to
each engine nacelle area. Fore and aft
extinguisher bottles, each containing
Halon 1301, can be individually dis-
charged to either or both engines. Over-
heat detectors in the bleed air system
trigger crew alerting system (CAS)
alerts. Various components can be
Business & Commercial Aviation  |  August 2018  35
isolated to eliminate the overheat condi-
tion. The internal cargo compartment
is fitted with a smoke detector that trig-
gers a CAS alert.
Most business aircraft use a federa-
tion of a dozen or more computers to
control and monitor all those systems.
But the PC-24 is a truly integrated
platform that has a Utility Manage-
ment System (UMS), furnished by
Innovative Solutions & Systems in
Exton, Pennsylvania. The UMS inte-
grates virtually all systems aboard
the aircraft except for the engine
FADECs, digital flight control system
and avionics. UMS-24, as IS&S calls
the system aboard the PC-24, features
open architecture, so it will accommo-
date systems made by a wide variety
of manufacturers. It will handle up to
seven dual-channel data concentration
and processing units (DCPUs), but only
four are needed aboard the Pilatus jet to
handle more than 40 functions.
Each DCPU has dual data channels,
Ethernet and RS422 that use dissimi-
lar hardware and software to mini-
mize the risk of common cause failure
of both systems. Essential functions
are assigned two or three channels,
sometimes in different DCPUs, to
provide redundancy. Crew control of
UMS functions is provided by discrete
switches, levers, knobs and buttons,
plus softkey controls. The UMS pro-
vides indications through the EICAS.
The UMS is context sensitive, so it au-
tomatically calls up the appropriate sys-
tem synoptic on the MFD based upon
checklist item or abnormal situation.
Passenger Comfort
and Convenience
Pilatus seemingly has taken a lesson
from Dassault regarding illusive pack-
aging since the PC-24’s modest exterior
proportions belie its relatively large
cabin dimensions. Its footprint is about
the same as that of the Citation XLS+,
but it offers about 19% more interior
volume.
Primary access is provided by the
forward airstair cabin door. It has a
spring-loaded counterbalance to offset
its heft, a sturdy forward side handrail
and left and right telescoping door sup-
ports that are immune from tangling
woes that can snare support chains or
cables, especially if the wind is blowing
on the ramp. Just inside the aft side of
the door frame, there’s a push-button
switch linked to the hot battery bus that
Pilot Report

PC-24 Performance
These graphs are designed to illustrate the performance of Pilatus PC-24 under a variety of range, payload, speed and density alti-
tude conditions. Pilatus sales engineers in Stans provided the data for all charts. Do not use these data for flight planning purposes
because they do not take into account ATC delays, and less than optimum routings and altitudes, along with other factors that can
alter actual aircraft performance.
0.50

Source: Pilatus
SPECIFIC RANGE (MID-RANGE WEIGHT, ISA) FL 450 High-Speed
0.45 Cruise

Specific Range (nm/lb.)

This graph shows the relationship between cruise speed and Long-Range FL 430
fuel consumption for PC-24 at representative cruise altitudes Cruise FL 410
0.40 FL 390
for a 15,000 lb., mid-weight aircraft. The data indicate that FL 370
FL 450 is the optimum for fuel efficiency at Mach 0.74 or 424 FL 350
KTAS (standard day conditions) at this weight. During our evalu- 0.35
ation flight, we could not duplicate these data due to lack of
airspace. 0.30
Conditions: 15,000 lb., Zero Wind, ISA
0.25
320 340 360 380 400 420 440
Speed (KTAS)
1,852 nm 2,000 nm
4,922 lb. 4,922 lb.
2,000
TIME AND FUEL VERSUS DISTANCE

Source: Pilatus
1,800 High-Speed Cruise
1,626 nm
This graph shows the relationship distance flown, block time 4,329 lb. 1,798 nm
1,600 Long-Range Cruise
and fuel consumption for a typically equipped aircraft having 4,434 lb.

an 11,739-lb. single-pilot BOW and carrying 4 passengers. The 1,400 1,206 nm 1,418 nm
Distance (nm)

3,250 lb. 3,509 lb.

fuel and distance points were individually computed by Pilatus 1,200
for the overall mission. Block speed is 400 kt. on most normal 1,000 785 nm 1,047 nm
missions. Long-range cruise speed varies between 327 to 375 800 2,200 lb. 2,640 lb.

KTAS at FL 350 to FL 450, depending upon aircraft weight. 600 685 nm

364 nm
PC-24 can fly 148 mi. farther at long-range cruise compared 1,173 lb.
1,821 lb.
400
to high-speed cruise. Most operators are likely to opt for high- 330 nm Conditions: NBAA IFR reserves (100 nm)
200
speed cruise on all but the longest missions. 1,047lb. 800 lb. payload, Zero wind, ISA
0
0:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00
RANGE/PAYLOAD PROFILE Time (hr.)
The purpose of this graph is to provide simulations of various trips under a variety of payload and two airport density altitude conditions, with
the goal of flying the longest distance at high speed cruise. Each of the six payload/range lines was plotted using multiple data points by
Pilatus sales engineers as BCA did not have access to flight planning data for the aircraft. Do not use these for flight planning as they are gross
approximations of actual aircraft performance. The dashed hourly cruise lines were computed individually for each hourly mission and they
assume zero payload. Each of the takeoff field lengths assumes flaps 15 deg. configuration. The aircraft can depart BCA’s 5,000 ft. elevation,
ISA+20C airport at MTOW in this configuration and meet FAR Part 23 Commuter Category one-engine inoperative climb requirements.

Takeoff Field Length (ft.) Fuel Burn (lb.) 700 1,000 1,200 1,500
SL 5,000 ft. Gross Takeoff
Time (hr.) 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 5:56
ISA ISA+20°C Weight (lb.)
19,000
Source: Pilatus

2,820 4,750 18,000

2,540 4,060 17,000

oad
Payl d
Max yloa
2,360 3,570 16,000 . Pa
0 0 lb
2 , 0 oad
Payl
, 5 0 0 lb. ad
2,320 3,050 15,000 1 Paylo
0 lb.
1,00 d
ayloa
lb. P
2,280 2,870 14,000 500 ad
Pa y lo
Zero
2,240 2,820 13,000 Conditions: NBAA IFR reserves (100 nm),
Long-range cruise, Zero wind, ISA

12,000
0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000 2,200
Range (nm)

36 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

 Comparison Profile PC-24
Designers attempt to give exceptional capabilities in all areas, including as a whole. Those differences are presented in bar graph form along with
price, but the laws of physics, thermodynamics and aerodynamics do not the absolute value of the specific parameter for the subject aircraft and its
allow one aircraft to do all missions with equal efficiency. Trade offs are a ranking relative to others in the composite group.
reality of aircraft design. For the Pilatus PC-24 Comparison Profile, we compared it to a group of
In order to obtain a feeling for the strengths and compromises of a light and midsize aircraft of five aircraft including it, Citation CJ4, Embraer
particular aircraft, BCA compares the subject aircraft’s specifications and Phenom 300, Learjet 70 and Citation XLS+. Please note: BCA estimated
performance attributes to the composite characteristics of other aircraft in some of the runway performance data for PC-24 because it wasn’t yet
its class. We average parameters of interest for the aircraft that are most available from Pilatus Aircraft. The Comparison Profile is meant to illustrate
likely to be considered as competitive with the subject of our report, and the relative strengths and compromises of the subject aircraft, rather than
then we compute the percentage differences between the parameters of being a means of comparing specific aircraft models in this diverse group
the subject aircraft and the composite numbers for the competitive group to each other.

Comparison Profile (percent relative to average)

Above Average

40%

30%

20%

10%
Average

0%

-10%

-20% PC-24 Price Index

Below Average

-30%

-40%

-50%
.8/2

/2

/3

2
/2

/1

/4

5/5

/1

4/4
4

4/1

0/2
/5

/3

/5

00/
95/
7.0/

94/

14/

57/

92/
h 5.1

.455
,000

,400

,800

.420
l 8.8

481

,190

) 42

) 37
2,91

5,00
ht 4

e 2,0
0.

) 4,8
el) 6

0.

W 0.
th 1

d 2,

g 45

n) 2

n) 2

e) 0

e) 0
d) 1
Widt
rentia

TOW

OW

ruise

uise
Heig

de 4
ISA)
: BO
Leng

ax Fu

0°C

Rang
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: MT

Cruis

Cruis
issio

issio
ayloa

eilin
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d:M

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Cabin

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Altitu
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Bloc
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Spec

Spec

powers up entrance lights, including is heated to 90F (32C) for comfort. A passenger service unit with a reading
“welcome lights” that flood the ground door below the sink conceals the exter- light, eyeball air outlet and drop-down,
near the cabin door, a cockpit dome nally serviced vacuum toilet that folds emergency oxygen mask. Lined side
light, two interior entry area spot lights, down for use when needed. Solid parti- pockets provide storage for personal
two optional entrance upwash lights in tion doors on the cockpit and cabin sides electronic devices, including mobile
the entryway and five optional airstair of the compartment provide privacy. A phones and tablet computers. Parent
lights. The entry lights remain powered drop down emergency oxygen mask is with infant and stand-alone child re-
for 50 sec., or less if the cabin door is hidden in the ceiling. straint systems are available.
closed during the timed period. The 13 windows in the main cabin are An electrically powered, vapor-cycle
The entryway cabinetry, interior among the largest in class and they’re air conditioner, with separate cockpit
doors, bulkheads and all cabin monu- well placed for outside viewing. Along and cabin evaporators, cools the inte-
ments are covered with high-gloss wood with upwash, downwash and aisle lights, rior on warm days. Four electric cabin
veneer. Left of the entry door and behind the windows make the cabin appear heaters, plus an additional one in the
the pilot’s seat, there’s a coat closet. The larger than its measurements. The for- cockpit, each having its own fan, warm
compact wash basin, vanity mirror and ward section has four club chairs with the interior on cold days. The heaters
small storage pocket on the right side foldout worktables and power outlets have ceramic cores that increase elec-
of the entryway, or “welcome center” between facing pairs. The aft cabin has trical resistance as they get hot, so they
as termed by Pilatus, are the only clues two forward-facing chairs, each with automatically regulate current flow to
that the compartment also doubles as a foldout worktable and power out- prevent overheating. Separate cockpit
a forward lavatory. Basin wash water let. Each cabin chair has an overhead and cabin control valves automatically

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation  |  August 2018  37

Pilot Report
regulate temperature between 15C
(59F) and 30C (86F) in each zone.
Twin pyramid cabinets behind the
rear seats provide additional storage.
The aircraft lacks a dedicated galley,
so bring aboard a stocked ice chest, hot
coffee thermos bottles and beverage
cups, if you need refreshments on lon-
ger trips.
Left and right aft bulkheads, plus a
curtain, separate the main seating area
from the cargo compartment. Cargo
nets may be installed at two different
points to provide either 24.7- or 47.9-cu.-
ft. baggage compartments for items
weighing 66 lb. or less. Bulkier items
must be tied down to the full-length seat
rails.
For operators needing more passen-
ger seats, Pilatus offers a six plus two
executive chair layout that eliminates
the rear pyramid cabinets, moves back
the aft bulkheads between passenger
and cargo compartment and installs
two additional chairs in the aft cabin.
Small pyramid cabinets are installed
ahead of the forward club grouping.
A double club arrangement also is
available, among other optional cabin
layouts.
Pilatus offers individual and bundled
options packages. The 105-lb., $424,900
Professional U.S. package includes cock-
pit and cabin Wi-Fi, Honeywell Char-
tlink for electronic Jeppesen charts,
ADS-B In, L3 WX500 Stormscope, 2-D
airport diagrams, Latitude S200 Sky-
Node Iridium satcom, XM radio weather
and entertainment receivers, separate
L3 cockpit voice and flight data record-
ers, integrated cabin management sys-
tem for tablet control of cabin systems
and entertainment, and Gogo Biz 3G
ATG-2000 text, talk and internet ac-
cess. Other options include additional
AC power outlets and USB charging
ports at every seat.

Let’s Go Flying
Avionics Chief pilot Reto Aeschlimann was our
guide and right-seat instructor for the
The Pilatus PC-24’s ACE flight deck, powered by Honeywell Epic 2.0 avionics, evaluation flight. Walking around the
features four 12-in. display screens, a point-and-click graphic user interface and aircraft, we were impressed with the
several advanced features, including a Honeywell Laseref VI inertial reference ease of access to systems and indicators.
system for the left-side flight instruments. The right-side flight instruments use a Opening the left, forward nose compart-
ment door, for instance, provides access
conventional AHRS with magnetometer. to systems Battery 1 and various avion-
ACE has a classic Epic hub-and-spoke layout with dual modular avionics units ics components. Doors on the right side
at the center of the system. The standard system includes dual KTR-2280A multi- of the aircraft provide access to the oxy-
mode digital VHF comm and nav radios, plus UHF glideslope receivers. One KTR- gen bottle refill port, lavatory servicing,
2280A box also has an ADF receiver. A second ADF is optional. A single KN-63 refueling/defueling panel and the aft
DME is standard and a second is optional. Dual SBAS GPS receivers are included. start Battery 2. Remote engine oil level
sensing on the EICAS alerts the crew of
Notably, the dual FMSes are truly multi-sensor, capable of using IRS, GPS, DME
the need to replenish the systems.
and VOR inputs. Dual digital air data computers, connected to conventional Rose- Belting into the left seat, I was im-
mount pitot-static probes, assure high reliability. Also included are a single radio pressed with the human-centered de-
altimeter, RDR-2100 weather radar, TCAS II, L3 ESI-1000 emergency standby in- sign of the flight deck. It’s one of the best
strument system, L3 combined CVR/FDR and Kannad 406 ELT. we’ve seen and well-suited for a classic
Rather than burying control function through myriad touchscreen menu and blindfold cockpit check because of the
sub-menu layers, ACE has several easy-to-reach, stand-alone controls, including shape, position and movement of various
controls. Normal is 12 o’clock on knobs,
left- and right-side audio panels, a cursor control device, a multifunction keyboard, up on switches, levers forward, no aural
and left- and right-side PFD controls. Point-and-click cursor control menu functions alerts and dark annunciator buttons.
are no more than two levels deep. The crew seats have adjustments for
Options include an XMD 157 satellite radio weather receiver, a Honeywell KHF- longitudinal track, height, recline, thigh
1050 HF transceiver, Latitude S200 Iridium satcom system, separate L3 FA5031 and back cushion support, armrest posi-
flight data recorder and FA5033 cockpit voice recorder, and Honeywell AFIS, tion and headrest height. A hand crank
moves the rudder pedal position. Left
among others.
and right USB power ports keep tab-
Wireless EFB and tablet-based cabin management systems are optional. Cur- let computers hosting EFB apps well
rently, the EFBs only are compatible with Honeywell products and services, but charged.
the firm has plans to host third-party apps, such as Foreflight and FlightPlan.com. The PC-24’s Advanced Cockpit Envi-
ronment (ACE) design closely parallels

38  Business & Commercial Aviation  |  August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

that of the PC-12NG, easing the upgrade
transition. It’s powered by Honeywell
Epic 2.0 avionics, the successor to the
Apex system installed in the PC-12NG.
The cockpit has only a few mechanical
circuit breakers dedicated to powering
and protecting essential functions. Most
electrical systems are tied to electronic,
or virtual, circuit breakers.
ACE makes use of the electronic
checklist a virtual must. Each item on
the checklist automatically calls up the
appropriate system schematic on the
EICAS so that the flight crew can verify
proper configuration and/or functional-
ity of the aircraft step by step through
color-coded diagrams. Many of ACE’s
user interface conventions, particularly
when programming the FMS, borrow
heavily from Dassault’s EASy flight
decks in Falcon Jets.
Many general aviation aircraft now
have a runway performance computa-
tion function loaded into their FMSes.
But Pilatus elected to use Guru2, a
stand-alone tablet app supplied by Fly-
gprestanda AB in Malmö, Sweden, for
this function. In contrast to many other
such OEM-supplied airport perfor-
mance apps with which we’ve struggled,
Guru2 is considerably more discover-
able and user friendly, in our opinion.
It’s comprehensive, having a complete
airport database, including runway di-
mensions and alignment, runway slope
and obstacles, plus full AFM aircraft
performance numbers, including V
speeds and runway requirements for
each configuration and for both wet and
dry surfaces.
PC-24 Prototype 3’s 11,533-lb. empty
weight was close to Pilatus’ current es-
timate for the average production air-
craft. With Aeschlimann, me and typical
test aircraft stores, zero fuel weight was
12,324 lb. Fuel weight was 4,300 lb. and
ramp weight was 16,624 lb.
Guru2 asked for our inputs for weight
and balance, wind, OAT, barometer and
aircraft configuration, along with as-
signed runway. It knew Buochs’ 1,475-
ft. field elevation. We entered variable
winds, a 24C OAT and 1014 MB barome-
ter, along with 15-deg. flaps. It computed
90 KIAS for V1, 92 KIAS for rotation
and 102 KIAS for V2. Flap retraction
speed was 127 KIAS and OEI en route
speed was 170 KIAS. Computed OEI
takeoff distance was 3,679 ft. and Run-
way 24 length was 6,562 ft.
To improve OEI second-segment
climb performance for hot-and-high air-
port operations, Pilatus also will attain
approval for flaps 8 deg. takeoffs as a
www.bcadigital.com
post-certification task. when loading the rear cargo bay. After
We star ted the right engine on liftoff, though, pitch response was light
ground power to save the batteries. A and crisp, as was roll response with the
twist of the overhead engine stop/run help of the roll spoilers with flaps ex-
knob to the 12 o’clock position, a push tended and speed below 175 KIAS. With
of the overhead start button and the flaps retracted, I kept taking off my
FADEC plus the UMS takes care of all headset to check interior sound levels.
the start chores. But we still monitored After repeating that a half dozen times,
all engine start indications to provide I concluded that the PC-24 is the quiet-
adult supervision of the computers. est midsize jet we’ve yet flown.
We set the stab at 2-deg. nose up for Using 200 KIAS for climb, we initially
the aircraft’s 33% CG. Setting the stab leveled off at FL 200 for airwork. Roll
pitch trim assures proper elevator re- control effort becomes heavy as speed
sponse at takeoff rotation. With brakes increases. The aircraft would be more
released, it took a healthy push on the pleasant to hand-fly at high speed if the
thrust levers to overcome the rolling re- electrically powered roll spoilers as-
sistance of the low-pressure tires. Once sisted the ailerons, in our opinion.
rolling, steering response through the Pitch effort also was considerable at
rudder pedals was crisp, but differen- high speed, but that’s OK as it prevents
tial thrust and braking was required for over-control. It’s easy to stabilize the
tight turns. aircraft in steep turns using the flight
Aligned with Runway 24, I advanced path vector symbol on the PFD to set
the thrust levers and engaged the au- the correct pitch and the airspeed trend
tothrottles. The engines stabilized at vector to prevent speed deviations.
96.6% N1, producing moderate accel- Idle to maximum thrust changes also
eration. Initial rotation effort was hefty, produce very little pitching moment due
as the main gear are well aft of the CG to the engine exhaust nozzle design.
to assure a stable stance on the ground (See the “Engines” sidebar.)
Engines
Up to 5% more push is available in the Automatic Thrust Reserve mode for one-
engine inoperative takeoffs. It’s a conventional two-shaft, small engine with an
N2 section having a single centrifugal flow compressor powered by a single-stage
high-pressure turbine. The N1 section features a wide-chord blade, damper-less
fan, three axial-flow low- and intermediate-pressure compressor stages powered
by a two-stage low-pressure turbine section.
Two design features make the engine stand apart from competitors. First, it
has a Quiet Power Mode that drops idle rpm by 8% or more to allow the engine to
double as an APU that produces up to 250 amps of electrical power for air condi-
tioning, cabin heating and avionics power. Second, it is fitted with Williams’ Exact
passive-thrust vectoring exhaust nozzles. They use Coanda effect to provide 3
deg. of thrust vectoring during high-power operations. At altitude, sonic choking
of the exhaust flow occurs that negates the 3-deg. deflection of the thrust vector,
according to Ken Shimabukuro, a veteran Southern California-based powerplant
integration engineer.
The engines are fitted with dual-channel FADEC and have 5,000-hr. TBOs.
Business & Commercial Aviation  |  August 2018  39
Pilot Report
Stall behavior is quite similar
to that of the PC-12NG, as are the
indications and stall warning and
protection system. At 16,200 lb.
in the clean configuration, stall
warning was triggered at 111 KIAS,
signaled by stick shaker, an aural
warning and two red “stall” annun-
ciations on the PFD. The pusher
fired at 99 KIAS, causing the nose
to drop and prompting me to fur-
ther reduce pitch attitude, push
forward the thrust levers and re-
cover from the maneuver.
Pre-stall behavior at 16,000 lb. in
the flaps 15-deg. takeoff and 33-deg.
landing configurations was equally
benign. Stick shaker and pusher
occurred at 90 KIAS and 81 KIAS
at flaps 15 deg. and 83 KIAS and 78
KIAS at flaps 33 deg. There wasn’t a
hint of wing roll-off or adverse yaw
during any of the maneuvers.
Using a 200 KIAS/Mach 0.59
climb schedule, we then climbed
up to FL 450 for cruise and han-
dling checks. Once level at a weight
of 15,375 lb. and with the autopilot
engaged, the aircraft stabilized at Mach
0.72 at ISA+3C, resulting in 416 KTAS
with a fuel flow of 490 lb./hr. per engine.
It’s also easy to hand-fly the aircraft
at altitude, should that become neces-
sary. We turned off the yaw damper
and excited Dutch roll with a moderate
thump on a rudder pedal. The aircraft
became mildly divergent, but as soon
as I corrected with rudder input, it
stabilized.
Rolling into a 60-deg. bank turn, the
aircraft was buffet-free up to 2 Gs at
Mach 0.71, the peak buffet boundary
speed. As it slowed down to Mach 0.65
due to induced drag, the buffet bound-
ary decreased.
Aircraft response to air brake exten-
sion is another strong suit of the
PC-24. The multifunction roll
spoilers double as speed brakes.
They produce considerable drag
but very little airframe buffet as
they’re located well outboard of
the horizontal tail tips. The flight
control system also has an air
brake/stab trim interconnect
function that virtually eliminates
any pitch moments during exten-
sion or retraction. Maximum de-
scent rate at the 290 KIAS Vmo
redline approaches 10,000 fpm,
so the passengers will spend lit-
tle time wearing the cup masks
in the event of an emergency descent.
Below 20,000 ft. and 250 KIAS, the
40  Business & Commercial Aviation  |  August 2018
Top/Bottom: The single-point pressure
refueling receptable has selectable refill
quantity pre-set feature. The PC-24 is
the first midsize jet to have an externally
serviced vacuum lavatory system.
landing gear may be extended to has-
ten the descent. And below 200 KIAS,
flaps may be extended to 15 deg. for even
more drag. As with extending and re-
tracting the airbrakes, there is a flap/
stab interconnect that minimizes pitch
moments when extending or retracting
the flaps.
The PC-24 was designed to be as doc-
ile as the PC-12, so our flight plan called
for an approach and landing at Saanen
Airport (LSGK), tightly nestled in the
All interior and exterior lights, including the
landing light arrays, use long-life LEDs.
Bernese Oberland foothills of the
Swiss Alps, southwest of Lake
Thun. The last time we landed at
the airport was in a PC-12NG with
Pilatus test pilot Theddy Spichtig.
This would be our first attempt
in a jet.
Down at 7,500 ft., we picked
our way around clouds, peaks
and ridges at 180 KIAS along the
Simme River until we spotted the
airport. We hugged the hill on
the north side of the airport until
we passed the west end, then ex-
tended flaps to 8 deg., slowed to
150 KIAS and made a tight turn at
the west end of the airport to head
toward Gstaad.
Reversing course over Gstaad,
we extended landing gear and
full flaps to make the plunge to
the 3,307-ft. elevation airport and
landing on Runway 26. It has a
1,050-ft. displaced threshold for
obstacle clearance, leaving 3,443
ft. available for landing. At 14,500
lb., Vapp was 105 KIAS and Vref
was 95 KIAS. Computing unfac-
tored landing distance was 2,350 ft.
When we spotted the runway, we
were a little high and a little fast, but
momentarily extending the airbrakes
corrected both deviations. We crossed
the displaced threshold on speed and
touched down softly due to the long
travel, trailing link landing gear and
low-pressure main tires. With weight
on wheels and wheel spin up, the ground
spoilers automatically extended. Firm
braking slowed the aircraft to taxi speed
by midfield.
We slowly rolled to the west end
of Runway 26, then reversed course
and rolled back to the east end to let
the brakes cool. The aircraft has steel
brakes and no brake temperature indi-
cation. Aeschlimann said that,
based on his experience, that
would allow heat to dissipate suf-
ficiently for takeoff.
For departure from Saanen at
14,400 lb. at 20C (68F) and using
flaps 15 deg., V1 was 90 KIAS,
rotation was 99 KIAS and V2
was 102. Takeoff field length was
2,090 ft.
We departed VFR and then
picked up an IFR clearance back
into Buochs via Willisau VOR
(WIL) and then RONIX IAF
passing over Lake Baldegger. We
requested the RONIX RNAV ap-
proach that it limited to Category A and
B aircraft. The PC-24’s slow approach
www.bcadigital.com
maneuvering speeds easily qualify it as
a Category B aircraft.
Following the procedure around Lake
Zug and then down the north leg of Lake
Lucerne, we descended to 2,550 ft. and
spotted the Bürgenstock that masks
Buochs. We canceled and maneuvered
around the west side over Stansstad to
align with Runway 06.
During the turn Aeschlimann pulled
back the right throttle to simulated en-
gine failure. Light rudder pressure kept
the aircraft in balanced flight. At 200 ft.
above the runway, we executed a simu-
lated OEI go-around.
Initially, I pressed way too hard on the
left rudder pedal. The rudder boost sys-
tem using the yaw damper servo is quite
powerful. I estimate that less than 50 lb.
of pressure was needed to keep the ball
in the center during the go-around.
We climbed to 3,000 ft. over Lake Lu-
cerne and circled around the north side
of the Bürgenstock, blind to the airport.
Aeschlimann allowed me to use both
engines for the final landing on Runway
06. At 13,500 lb., Vapp was 102 KIAS
and Vref was 92 KIAS. At touchdown,
we applied maximum brake pressure.
This requires considerable foot pres-
sure, similar to a maximum effort land-
ing in an Embraer Legacy 650. The
PC-24 stopped in about 2,600 ft. after
crossing the landing threshold.
Conclusions? From a pilot’s per-
spective, Pilatus’ first jet is one of the
most docile, forgiving and predictable
business aircraft we’ve flown. It’s well-
suited to single-pilot operations.
It’s also one of the most integrated,
sophisticated civil aircraft yet produced,
having automation that’s designed to
work for the flight crew rather than re-
place them. The ACE flight deck, for
instance, functions as an additional vir-
tual flight crewmember who seeks to
provide solutions rather than “what’s it
doing now?” problems.
Nits to pick? We’d like to see simpler
EFIS color conventions, such as magenta
for computer-generated targets and data,
cyan for pilot-entered targets and data,
green for all active functions and white or
gray for standby functions. The aircraft
also could benefit from an optional head-
up display. And lighter high-speed roll
control forces would be a plus.
Price and Value
We’ve often written that aircraft man-
ufacturers seek to maximize all de-
sign goals, but in the end, tradeoffs
are inevitable. Glance please at the
www.bcadigital.com
accompanying Comparison Profile
Pilatus PC-24 chart in which we gauge the PC-24
against its most closely priced competi-
Specifications tors, including the Cessna Citation CJ4,
Embraer Phenom 300, Learjet 70 and
BCA Equipped Price........... $8,900,000 Citation XLS+.
The chart shows the PC-24’s sell-
Characteristics ing points are its cabin volume, run-
Wing Loading............................. 54.9 way performance and fuel efficiency.
Power Loading...........................2.68 Its shortcomings mainly are related
Noise (EPNdB)........... 90.9/77.5/91.5 to its empty weight increase relative
to its relatively low maximum take-
Seating.................................. 1+8/11 off, landing and zero fuel weights.
This attribute limits its range with
Dimensions (ft./m) maximum payload and payload with
Internal maximum fuel. With four passengers
Length...........................17.0/5.2 aboard, the aircraft now can fly 1,852
Height............................. 5.1/1.6 nm at high- speed cruise or 2,000 nm
Width (maximum)............. 5.5/1.7 at long-range cruise as shown in the
Width (floor)..................... 3.8/1.2 accompanying Range/Payload Profile
chart. Each additional 200-lb. passen-
Thrust ger costs about 80 mi. of range.
Engine............... 2 WMS FJ44-4A-QPM But our charts only measure a lim-
Output/Flat Rating ited number of performance attributes,
so the PC-24 cannot be evaluated solely
OAT°C................3,420 lb. ea./ISA+8C with those criteria. The charts don’t re-
TBO...................................5,000 hr. veal how quiet this aircraft is inside or
the technology or high level of integra-
Weights (lb./kg) tion of its systems and avionics.
Max Ramp................... 18,398/8,345 Most obviously, it has a 17-sq.-ft.
Max Takeoff................ 18,298/8,300 cargo door that provides access to a
Max Landing................ 16,579/7,520 90-cu.-ft. internal baggage bay and
Zero Fuel......................14,220/6,450 the rest of the cabin. Pilatus calls it the
BOW............................11,739/5,325 Super Versatile Jet for good reason.
Max Payload.................. 2,481/1,125 The plush executive interior can be re-
Useful Load....................6,659/3,021 moved in minutes, allowing the aircraft
Executive Payload................800/363 to be configured as an air ambulance, a
Max Fuel........................5,964/2,705 cargo-liner or a combi passenger-and-
Payload with Max Fuel......... 695/315 cargo jet.
Fuel with Max Payload....4,178/1,895 As with the PC-12, this aircraft was
Fuel with designed to operate from unimproved
Executive Payload...... 5,859/2,658 runways. That’s going to open up thou-
sands of landing facilities that have
Limits never seen jets. Operators will be able
Mmo........................................0.740 to shuttle between major airports and
FL/Vmo............................FL 280/290 back-country strips all over the world.
PSI.............................................. 8.8 The PC-24 is going to be an ideal
upgrade for PC-12 loyalists. It’s also
Climb going to attract current light and me-
Time to FL 450....................... 24 min. dium jet operators looking for more
FAR 25 OEI rate (fpm)....................665 versatility in their business aircraft.
FAR 25 OEI gradient (ft./nm)..........379 And Pilatus product support is sec-
ond to none, according to several in-
Ceilings (ft./m) dustry surveys.
Certificated................45,000/20,412 On balance, we believe that Pilatus
All-Engine Service.......45,000/20,412 will deliver at least 2,000 PC-24 aircraft
Engine-Out Service...30,000/13,608 over the next two decades. It’s clearly
Sea Level Cabin.........23,500/10,660 on track to deliver 2,000 PC-12s, a slap
in the face to doubters who said it would
never build more than 200. The future
Certification....FAR 23 CC / EASA 23 CC
2017 success of the PC-24 would be a fitting
tribute to a small Swiss company that’s
been refuting skeptics for the past quar-
ter century. BCA
Business & Commercial Aviation  |  August 2018  41
Operations Planning Guide

How to Use the

Operating Costs Guide
A benchmarking tool to help flight department managers
draft and analyze budgets for the coming year
This year’s Guide covers only in-production aircraft. Aircraft operat- mission as appropriate for the aircraft
ing costs are presented in a format that separates the operating cost category. (Note: Longer missions will
lower average hourly fuel burns due
information into six areas: Direct Costs, Fixed Costs, Variable Costs, to more time in cruise; conversely,
Annual Cockpit Subscription Services Costs, Annual Cabin Services shorter missions will increase aver-
age hourly fuel burn figures since pro-
Costs and Annual Trip Support Costs. portionally more time is spent in the
takeoff and climb phase rather than
Aircraft Category Direct Costs cruise.)

Aircraft are grouped into six catego-
ries reflecting similarity of aircraft
size, mission and operations. Cate-
gory 1 aircraft are turboprops weigh-
ing less than 12,500 lb. and very light
jets less than 10,000 lb.; Category
2, multiengine turboprops 12,500
lb. or more and light jets 10,000 to
19,999 lb.; Category 3, jets 20,000 to
29,999 lb.; Category 4, jets weighing
30,000 to 40,999 lb.; Category 5, jets
41,000 lb. and up; and Category 6, ul-
tra-long-range jets with NBAA IFR
range above 6,000 nm.
Certain data are common to all
aircraft in a category for purposes
of calculating mission cost by listed
range including airframe systems
parts and labor, engine reserves,
A PU reserves, and propeller re-
serves for turboprop aircraft. Fixed
costs, annual cockpit subscription
services costs, annual cabin services
costs and annual trip support cost
figures are provided for reference
only, and are not included in the Di-
rect Operating Cost (DOC) figure for
each of the mission ranges.
BCA Equipped Price
This number is taken from the May
2018 Purchase Planning Handbook and
reflects BCA-equipped, completed air-
craft. The listed price is based on the
latest model produced.
Direct Costs are calculated based
on the business aircraft missions
shown in BCAÕs May Purchase Plan-
ning Handbook. Three missions are
shown for each aircraft: 300 nm, 600
nm and 1,000 nm. Ultra-long-range
aircraft (Category 6) missions are
1,000 nm, 3,000 nm and 6,000 nm.
The fuel expense for each mission is
based on the fuel burn figure for the
mission, provided by the OEM, and
calculated under conditions shown
in the May Handbook. Missions are
calculated utilizing the manufac-
turerÕs recommended cruise setting;
therefore, cruise settings may vary
from aircraft to aircraft, i.e. max
cruise versus long range. Where the
aircraft cannot cover the mission
distance with an 800-lb. (four-pas-
senger) payload, BCA shows a re-
duction in payload or a reduction in
mission length at the editorÕs option.
Direct Costs include a bundling of
mission fuel consumed from the Pur-
chase Planning Handbook, mainte-
nance labor, parts and reserve costs
from the Variable Costs section of
this Guide, apportioned to the actual
flight time for the listed nm mission
length. Fuel price used is based on
a nationwide average price of $5.50
per gallon for Jet-A at press time.
The fuel consumption f igure ac-
counts for taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise,
descent and landing for the applicable
Fixed Costs (Annual)
This area of expense includes those
costs that must be borne by a flight
department irrespective of the level
of aircraft utilization. The years 2016
and 2017 have been transitional,
particularly for flight crew salaries.
Airline demand for qualified pilots,
retirements and geographical factors
have resulted in substantial changes
in compensation. Salary surveys
published this year quickly become
obsolete as qualified crew demand
outstrips supply.
Salaries: Included are salaries for
Flight Crew, Cabin Crew and Director
of Maintenance where appropriate.
Benefits are not a calculated factor in
salary estimates, which would ordi-
narily cover health care, retirement
and other benefits typical for a corpo-
rate flight department. Salary figures
are based on a nationwide average of
quotes taken by ARGUS from aircraft
operators.
Flight Crew Training: These expenses
are provided by Simhawk.com, the
global flight simulator marketplace.
Expenses shown are based on average
transaction costs for representative
aircraft models on SimhawkÕs mar-
ketplace along with market research.
Actual expenses can vary due to mar-
ket capacity fluctuations, changes in
training locations, and other factors

42 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

such as training volume and length of
commitment.
Cabin Crew Training: These expenses
were provided by telephone survey
with a leading av iation training
company.
Maintenance Training: This esti-
mated cost is per-technician and in-
cludes initial maintenance training
on an aircraft model. Data reflected
here were compiled and analyzed by
ARGUS.
Hull and Liability Insurance: Insur-
ance estimates are based on the
aircraft flown by professional, simu-
lator-trained flight crews.
Hull Insurance: This figure is derived
from quotes of leading aviation insur-
ers. The first number reported is the
estimated annual cost of hull insur-
ance for a particular aircraft based on
its BCA-equipped price as reported
in the May 2018 Purchase Planning
Handbook (Aircraft Bluebook if out-of-
production). The cost is computed by
multiplying a cost per $100 of hull in-
surance factor by the equipped air-
craft price. The figure includes war
risk coverage, which constitutes on
average $0.03 to $0.05 per $100 of hull
insurance.
Hull Insurance per $100: This is the
factor used as a multiplier to arrive at
the total annual cost of hull insurance
for a particular aircraft. It is derived
from actual aviation insurers’ quotes.
Insurance quotes can vary greatly de-
pending upon if the aircraft is covered
under a fleet policy or a standalone
policy.
Liability Insurance per $M: This fig-
ure represents the total annual cost
for liability insurance for an aircraft
model. Aircraft in Category 1 are as-
sumed to carry $25 million in liability
insurance; Category 2 aircraft carry
$100 million; and Categories 3 through
6 carry $200 million in liability insur-
ance coverage. The annual cost is
computed by multiplying the amount
of liability coverage in millions by a
per $M factor supplied to ARGUS by
leading providers of this type of insur-
ance coverage.
Hangar/Office: Expenses shown here
are based on national average annual
costs reported by flight departments
in 2017 and escalated for 2018 based on
the annual rate of expected inflation.
The figures shown in each cost area
are broken down by the six aircraft
categories and will generally be the
same for all aircraft of a particular
category. This figure is an annual cost
www.bcadigital.com
per aircraft and includes hangar and
office rent as well as additional facili-
ties costs such as utilities, ground up-
keep, snow removal, janitorial service
and insurance (other than aircraft
insurance).
For more than one aircraft, it is
valid to multiply the figure by the
number of aircraft to arrive at a total
flight department cost. Actual rental
costs will vary widely from area to
area. It is an average expense and is
the same for all aircraft in a category.
Maintenance Software Programs: This
figure represents the average annual
cost for a software program to track
maintenance activities, intervals and
expenses. This number represents an
average cost as reported by various
providers of maintenance software.
Variable Costs (Hourly)
These expenses are directly related
to operation of the aircraft and are
represented as an hourly cost figure.
Included are Maintenance Labor Ex-
pense, Parts Expense, and Engine,
APU, Avionics***See note six para-
graphs below this one.*** and Propel-
ler Reserves expenses as appropriate.
It is assumed that the aircraft is cov-
ered by a manufacturer’s warranty.
Figures shown are based on aircraft
OEM direct estimates with warranty
effect incorporated unless otherwise
noted.
Service center Maintenance Labor Ex-
pense is computed by multiplying the
Maintenance Man-Hours per Flight
Hour ratio by the nationwide average
service center hourly maintenance
labor cost (Category 1: $105/hr.; Cat-
egory 2: $105/hr.; Category 3: $110/hr.;
Category 4: $115/hr.; Category 5: $120/
hr.; Category 6: $120/hr.). Labor ex-
penses for each Category noted here
were used in the preparation of main-
tenance labor costs per flight hour.
Airframe Systems Parts and Labor:
This figure is a model-specific hourly
expense with warranty taken into ac-
count. It should be noted that war-
ranty periods and coverage vary from
OEM to OEM and are not specifically
defined in this description. Contact
the OEM for policies related to new
aircraft warranty and pre-owned
aircraft within the warranty period
for transfers related to the airframe,
engines, APUs and avionics. The fol-
lowing descriptions define how main-
tenance man-hours and parts expense
were calculated into mission costs:
Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 43
Maintenance Labor Hours Per Flight
Hour: An aircraft manufacturer-sup-
plied ratio of maintenance man-hours
per flight hour. The number reflects
an average for the first five years of
operation while under warranty in-
cluding scheduled maintenance and
unscheduled maintenance events.
Maintenance man-hours per flight
hour are multiplied by corresponding
labor rate, by aircraft category.
Parts Expense: This hourly expense
is derived from model-specific manu-
facturer’s quotes and includes parts
expenses for airframe systems. Air-
craft parts expenses provided by
the OEM have warranty taken into
consideration. It should be noted
that some warranty periods covered
time frames less than five years but
are not specifically called out in the
Guide. The airframe systems parts
calculation assumes unscheduled
maintenance events would be cov-
ered by warranty, and does not in-
clude reserves for engine or APU
overhauls, hot sections or long-range
maintenance events, or propeller re-
serves. Those items are listed sepa-
rately in the variable cost section.
Avionics repair costs during the war-
ranty period would also be covered by
OEM warranty and therefore no re-
serve costs are shown for Categories
1 through 6 platforms. Regulatory
mandates should be separately bud-
geted for when evaluating operating
costs for each aircraft.
Engine and APU Reserves (where ap-
plicable): These expenses are based on
OEM input for in-production aircraft
where provided. Engine and APU
OEMs and 3rd party service provid-
ers offer programs designed to fix or
cover Operator’s scheduled and un-
scheduled maintenance requirements
on a per hour, fee paid basis.
Avionics Reserves (where applicable):
For in-production aircraft, avionics
reserves for Categories 1 through 6
are assumed not to be applicable due
to OEM warranty coverage during
the first five years of operation follow-
ing entry into service. Additionally,
upgrades to cover regulatory man-
dates are not factored in hourly oper-
ating costs.
Propeller Reserves (where applicable):
These expenses are based on OEM
input for turboprop aircraft.
Annual Cockpit Subscription Services
Costs:
These are expenses directly re-
lated to cockpit navigation equipment
Operations Planning Guide
database updates, safety services
associated with Flight Planning,
Cockpit Data Link and other ser-
vices associated with flight opera-
tions. These services are typically
purchased through the OEM in the
case of FMS and GPS navigators or
ground proximity system databases,
and service providers for Data Link,
Flight Planning, Charts and Maps,
and digital Weather-related services.
Information in this section is depen-
dent on cockpit avionics configura-
tion and pricing offered at the time
of aircraft delivery, or as contracted
with a cockpit services provider. Pro-
curement of subscription services
from a provider that offers training
support on use of products as well as
troubleshooting, system configura-
tions on-wing and satellite communi-
cation link setup for service delivery
where needed are highly desirable
support elements. Typical subscrip-
tion costs that vary depending on
mission needs are reflected in this
section. However, annual aircraft uti-
lization and bundling of other ser-
vices may reduce these expenses.
Navigation and EGPWS Databases:
Annual subscription prices are de-
rived from OEM data sources or es-
timated where OEMs do not publish
publicly available pricing and there-
fore should be viewed as directionally
correct for budgetary planning pur-
poses. These expenses vary depend-
ing on cockpit avionics equipment
configurations and are approximated
averages.
Annual Cabin
Services Costs
Cabin Services Costs assume the air-
craft is optioned with appropriate
equipment at time of delivery from
the factory. AirPower Software pro-
vided budgetary planning numbers
for Swift Broadband (SBB), Ka/Ku,
SatTV, cockpit data link and Cabin
Iridium Phone services. Estimated
Air to Ground service costs are de-
rived from published pricing where
available. Cabin services with the ex-
ception of Air-To-Ground and Cabin/
Iridium phone are applicable to air-
craft Categories 4 through 6 due to
suitable empennage and or vertical
stabilizer antenna/radome solutions
and suitable space for installation.
44 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
Not included in Cabin Services Costs calculated for the 2018 Operating Cost
are activation, on-wing field labor Guide. Many operators elect to use a
support, aircraft crew training ex- service provider in the case of Con-
pense or ongoing technical support cierge and International Trip Support
associated with troubleshooting due to complexities associated with
complex satellite communications overflight and landing permitting and
equipment and networks. Many ser- other logistical arrangements.
vice providers offer a continuum of International Trip Support and
support services and should be con- Concierge were not factored in for air-
tacted directly for information re- craft in Categories 1 through 4 unless
lated to ongoing support and service otherwise noted, or the aircraft had
activation. sufficient NBAA IFR range to justify
a budgetary planning estimate.
Annual Trip Support Costs This year’s Guide covers only in-
production aircraft. Aircraft operat-
Annual Trip Support expenses are simi- ing costs are presented in a format
lar for all aircraft in a particular cat- that separates the operating cost in-
egory, reflecting comparable aircraft formation into six areas: Direct Costs,
capabilities and mission utilization. Fixed Costs, Variable Costs, Annual
Trip Support Costs include Catering Cockpit Subscription Services Costs,
Service, Flight Crew Travel, Inter- Annual Cabin Services Costs and An-
national Trip Support, Concierge, nual Trip Support Costs.
Ground Handling and Landing/Park-
ing Fees. Fees reflected are annual General
numbers assigned to specific aircraft
categories. Abbreviations are used throughout
For aircraft in Categories 5 and the tables: “NA” means not available
6, 400 annual flight hour utilization or not applicable to a particular air-
rates were used to arrive at budget- craft model; “NP” signifies that the
ary planning estimates. specific performance is not possible;
For Categories 1 through 4, 250 and “OC” means On Condition. For
annual flight hour utilization rates OEMs that did not participate this
were used. Mission durations vary year, all cost data elements, includ-
substantially, which resulted in a ing mission direct cost, are shown as
change in the way these costs were “NA.” BCA
About ARGUS and AirPower
Software Group Inc.
AirPower Software specializes in the design and development of aviation software
products used to analyze aircraft operating costs, charter and leasing strategies,
and solutions to aid in the identification of business aircraft suitable for various
mission needs. AirPower Software powers the ARGUS CompAir products. ARGUS is
a specialized aviation services company whose mission is to provide the aviation
marketplace with data and information necessary to make informed decisions and
manage risk. We provide software and business management solutions, including
CompAir aircraft analysis software, AVMOSYS business management software,
TRAQPak, CHEQ and ARMOR SMS. TRAQPak provides market intelligence data
and research services as well as expert aviation consulting. Subsidiaries include
ARGUS PROS, a provider of on-site safety audits, and PRISM, a leader in safety
management systems (SMS) and certification services. Founded in 1995, ARGUS
is headquartered in Cincinnati and is actively engaged with business activities
around the globe.
ARGUS, 4240 Airport Rd., Ste. 300, Cincinnati, OH 45226; phone: (513) 852-
1010; http://www.aviationresearch.com. AirPower Software, 850 Teague Trail, Ste. 1142,
Lady Lake, FL 32158; phone: (407) 505-9116; http://www.airpowersgi.com. BCA
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 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 1 — Turboprops <12,500 lb. – Jets <10,000 lb.

Manufacturer Mahindra Aerospace Cirrus Design Piper Textron Aviation
Aircraft Model Airvan 10 Vision SF-50 M500 Cessna Caravan
Category (1-6) 1 1 1 1
BCA Equipped Price $1,700,000 $1,960,000 $2,040,000 $2,050,000
300 nm NA $626 $658 $800
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm NA $1,155 $1,185 $1,562

1,000 nm NP $1,840 $1,968 NP
3,000 nm — — — —
6,000 nm — — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $85,145 $85,145 $85,145 $85,145
First Officer Salary $50,639 $50,639 $50,639 $50,639
Cabin Crew Salary NA NA NA NA
Director of Maintenance Salary NA NA NA NA
$9,000 $16,000 $9,000 $9,000
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training NA NA NA NA
Maintenance Training NA NA NA NA
Hull Insurance per $100 $10,710 $10,780 $12,852 $12,915
Liability Insurance per $M $5,500 $5,000 $5,500 $5,500
Hangar/Office $16,000 $16,000 $16,000 $16,000
Maint. Software Programs NA NA NA $1,523
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor NA NA $98 $82
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves NA $137 $147 $72

APU Reserves NA NA NA NA
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves NA NA $9 $7
Nav Database NA $1,535 $1,000 $1,000
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

NA $350 $350 $350

ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link NA NA NA NA
COSTS

Flight Planning NA NA NA NA
Wx Services NA NA NA NA
Charts & Maps NA NA NA NA
Swift Broadband NA NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku NA NA NA NA
Air to Ground NA NA NA NA
SatTV NA NA NA NA
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Catering Service NA NA $6,000 $6,090
NA NA $4,005 $4,060
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support NA NA NA NA

Concierge NA NA NA NA
Ground Handling NA NA $2,003 $2,030
Landing/Parking Fees NA NA $4,005 $4,060

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

46 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2017

2018 www.bcadigital.com
 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 1 — Turboprops <12,500 lb. – Jets <10,000 lb.

Manufacturer Quest Aircraft Eclipse Aerospace Textron Aviation Nextant Aerospace
Aircraft Model Kodiak Eclipse 500 SE Grand Caravan EX G90XT
Category (1-6) 1 1 1 1
BCA Equipped Price $2,454,725 $2,495,000 $2,575,000 $2,750,000
300 nm $961 $641 $878 $1,163
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $1,876 $1,018 $1,717 $2,320

1,000 nm $3,096 $1,780 NP $3,858
3,000 nm — — — —
6,000 nm — — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $85,145 $85,145 $85,145 $99,595
First Officer Salary $50,639 $50,639 $50,639 $50,639
Cabin Crew Salary NA NA NA NA
Director of Maintenance Salary NA NA NA NA
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training $9,000 $16,000 $9,000 $16,000

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training NA NA NA NA
Maintenance Training NA NA NA NA
Hull Insurance per $100 $15,465 $11,082 $18,025 $17,325
Liability Insurance per $M $5,500 $4,375 $4,625 $5,500
Hangar/Office $16,000 $16,000 $16,000 $16,000
Maint. Software Programs NA NA $1,523 NA
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $107 $89 $79 $379
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $154 $187 $72 $224

APU Reserves NA NA NA NA
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves $8 NA $4 $18
Nav Database $1,000 $3,063 $1,000 NA
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database $350 $350 $350 NA

Cockpit Data Link NA NA NA NA
COSTS

Flight Planning NA NA NA NA
Wx Services NA NA NA NA
Charts & Maps NA NA NA NA
Swift Broadband NA NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku NA NA NA NA
Air To Ground NA NA NA NA
SatTV NA NA NA NA
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Catering Service NA $6,008 $6,090 $6,090
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel NA $4,005 $4,060 $4,060

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support NA NA NA NA

Concierge NA NA NA NA
Ground Handling NA $2,003 $2,030 $2,030
Landing/Parking Fees NA $4,005 $4,060 $4,060

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 47

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 1 — Turboprops <12,500 lb. – Jets <10,000 lb.

Manufacturer Piper Vulcanair SpA Epic Aircraft Evektor
Aircraft Model M600 A-Viator Epic Outback
Category (1-6) 1 1 1 1
BCA Equipped Price $2,928,000 $3,237,140 $3,250,000 $3,500,000
300 nm $699 $556 NA NA
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $1,247 $1,154 NA NA

1,000 nm $2,097 NP NA NA
3,000 nm — — — —
6,000 nm — — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $85,145 $99,595 $85,145 $85,145
First Officer Salary $50,639 $50,639 $50,639 $50,639
Cabin Crew Salary NA NA NA NA
Director of Maintenance Salary NA NA NA NA
$9,000 $9,000 $9,000 $9,000
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training NA NA NA NA
Maintenance Training NA NA NA NA
Hull Insurance per $100 $20,496 $20,394 $22,750 $22,050
Liability Insurance per $M $5,500 $5,500 $5,500 $5,500
Hangar/Office $16,000 $16,000 $16,000 $16,000
Maint. Software Programs NA NA NA NA
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $98 $116 NA NA
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $147 NA NA NA

APU Reserves NA NA NA NA
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves $9 $18 $9 NA
Nav Database $1,300 NA NA NA
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

$350 NA NA NA
ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link NA NA NA NA
COSTS

Flight Planning NA NA NA NA
Wx Services NA NA NA NA
Charts & Maps NA NA NA NA
Swift Broadband NA NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku NA NA NA NA
Air to Ground NA NA NA NA
SatTV NA NA NA NA
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 NA NA
Catering Service $6,000 NA NA NA
$4,000 NA NA NA
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support NA NA NA NA

Concierge NA NA NA NA
Ground Handling $2,003 NA NA NA
Landing/Parking Fees $4,005 NA NA NA

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

48 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 1 — Turboprops <12,500 lb. – Jets <10,000 lb.

Manufacturer Textron Aviation Daher Daher Pilatus
Aircraft Model King Air C90GTx TBM 910 TBM 930 PC-12 NG
Category (1-6) 1 1 1 1
BCA Equipped Price $3,775,000 $3,987,900 $4,194,390 $4,963,400
300 nm $1,147 $596 $596 $797
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $2,147 $1,132 $1,132 $1,473

1,000 nm $3,363 $1,828 $1,828 $2,365
3,000 nm — — — —
6,000 nm — — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $99,595 $85,145 $85,145 $85,145
First Officer Salary $50,639 $50,639 $50,639 $50,639
Cabin Crew Salary NA NA NA NA
Director of Maintenance Salary NA NA NA NA
$16,000 $9,000 $9,000 $9,000
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training NA NA NA NA
Maintenance Training NA NA NA NA
Hull Insurance per $100 $23,783 $27,915 $29,361 $30,773
Liability Insurance per $M $3,875 $5,500 $5,500 $5,500
Hangar/Office $16,000 $16,000 $16,000 $16,000
Maint. Software Programs $5,781 $6,710 NA $2,581
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $195 $82 $82 $156
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $229 $144 $144 $132

APU Reserves NA NA NA NA
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves $14 $9 $9 $9
Nav Database $12,000 $1,300 $1,300 $12,000
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

$6,995 $350 $350 $6,995

ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link NA $6,500 $6,500 $6,500
COSTS

Flight Planning NA NA NA NA
Wx Services NA $500 $500 NA
Charts & Maps NA NA NA NA
Swift Broadband NA NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku NA NA NA NA
Air to Ground NA NA NA NA
SatTV NA NA NA NA
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Catering Service $6,008 $6,008 $6,008 $6,008
$4,005 $4,000 $4,000 $4,005
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support NA NA NA NA

Concierge NA NA NA NA
Ground Handling $2,003 $2,003 $2,003 $2,003
Landing/Parking Fees $4,005 $4,005 $4,005 $4,005

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 49

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 1 — Turboprops <12,500 lb. – Jets <10,000 lb.

Manufacturer Textron Aviation Viking Air Piaggio
Aircraft Model King Air 250 400 Series Avanti Evo
Category (1-6) 1 1 1
BCA Equipped Price $6,295,000 $6,500,000 $7,695,000
300 nm $1,221 NA $964
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $2,218 NA $1,723

1,000 nm $3,439 NA $2,687
3,000 nm — — —
6,000 nm — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $99,595 $99,595 $99,595
First Officer Salary $50,639 $50,639 $50,639
Cabin Crew Salary NA NA NA
Director of Maintenance Salary NA NA NA
$16,000 $9,000 $16,000
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training NA NA NA
Maintenance Training NA NA NA
Hull Insurance per $100 $25,180 $26,000 $42,323
Liability Insurance per $M $3,875 $3,875 $5,000
Hangar/Office $16,000 $16,000 $16,000
Maint. Software Programs $5,781 NA NA
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $195 NA $195
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $272 NA $238

APU Reserves NA NA NA
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves $16 NA $19
Nav Database $12,000 NA $12,000
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

$6,995 NA $6,995
ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link $3,500 NA $3,500
COSTS

Flight Planning NA NA NA
Wx Services NA NA NA
Charts & Maps NA NA NA
Swift Broadband NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku NA NA NA
Air to Ground NA NA NA
SatTV NA NA NA
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 NA $2,000
Catering Service $6,008 NA $6,008
$4,005 NA $4,005
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support NA NA NA

Concierge NA NA NA
Ground Handling $2,003 NA $2,003
Landing/Parking Fees $4,005 NA $4,005

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

50 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 2 — Turboprops ≥12,500 lb. – Jets <20,000 lb.

Manufacturer Embraer Nextant Aerospace Honda Aircraft Co. Textron Aviation
Aircraft Model Phenom 100 EV Nextant 400 XTi HondaJet Cessna Citation M2
Category (1-6) 2 2 2 2
BCA Equipped Price $4,495,000 $4,650,000 $4,850,000 $4,900,000
300 nm $993 $1,428 NA $1,076
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $1,757 $2,553 NA $1,902

1,000 nm $2,806 $4,174 NA $2,952
3,000 nm — — — —
6,000 nm — — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $107,865 $107,865 $107,865 $107,865
First Officer Salary $61,479 $61,479 $61,479 $61,479
Cabin Crew Salary NA NA NA NA
Director of Maintenance Salary NA NA NA NA
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training $27,000 $27,000 $27,000 $27,000

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training NA NA NA NA
Maintenance Training NA NA NA NA
Hull Insurance per $100 $11,238 $17,670 $12,125 $12,250
Liability Insurance per $M $16,500 $15,000 $16,500 $16,500
Hangar/Office $20,425 $20,425 $20,425 $20,425
Maint. Software Programs $3,355 NA NA NA
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $144 $661 NA $192
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $280 $318 NA $288

APU Reserves NA NA NA NA
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves NA NA NA NA
Nav Database $1,400 $5,917 NA $1,400
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database $550 $6,995 NA $550

Cockpit Data Link $6,500 $6,500 NA $6,500
COSTS

Flight Planning NA NA NA NA
Wx Services NA NA NA NA
Charts & Maps NA NA NA NA
Swift Broadband NA NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku NA NA NA NA
Air to Ground NA NA NA NA
SatTV NA NA NA NA
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 NA $2,000
Catering Service $8,566 $8,566 NA $8,566
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel $5,710 $5,710 NA $5,710

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support NA NA NA NA

Concierge NA NA NA NA
Ground Handling $2,855 $2,855 NA $2,855
Landing/Parking Fees $5,710 $5,710 NA $5,710

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 51

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 2 — Turboprops ≥12,500 lb. – Jets <20,000 lb.

Manufacturer Textron Aviation Textron Aviation Textron Aviation
Aircraft Model King Air 250 EP King Air 350i King Air 350HW
Category (1-6) 2 2 2
BCA Equipped Price $6,561,500 $7,344,500 $7,675,000
300 nm $1,220 $1,222 $1,314
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $2,216 $2,187 $2,302

1,000 nm $3,443 $3,389 $3,540
3,000 nm — — —
6,000 nm — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $107,865 $107,865 $107,865
First Officer Salary $61,479 $61,479 $61,479
Cabin Crew Salary NA NA NA
Director of Maintenance Salary NA NA NA
$27,000 $27,000 $27,000
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training NA NA NA
Maintenance Training NA NA NA
Hull Insurance per $100 $24,934 $27,909 $29,165
Liability Insurance per $M $15,000 $15,000 $15,000
Hangar/Office $20,425 $20,425 $20,425
Maint. Software Programs $5,964 $5,964 $5,964
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $195 $195 $195
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $272 $269 $269

APU Reserves NA NA NA
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves $16 $18 $18
Nav Database NA $12,000 NA
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

NA $6,995 NA
ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link $6,500 $6,500 $6,500
COSTS

Flight Planning NA NA NA
Wx Services NA NA NA
Charts & Maps NA NA NA
Swift Broadband NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku NA NA NA
Air to Ground NA NA NA
SatTV NA NA NA
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Catering Service $6,008 $8,566 $8,566
$4,005 $5,710 $5,710
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support NA NA NA

Concierge NA NA NA
Ground Handling $2,003 $2,855 $2,855
Landing/Parking Fees $4,005 $5,710 $5,710

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

52 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 2 — Turboprops ≥12,500 lb. – Jets <20,000 lb.

Manufacturer Textron Aviation SyberJet Textron Aviation
Aircraft Model Cessna Citation CJ3+ SJ30i King Air 350iER
Category (1-6) 2 2 2
BCA Equipped Price $8,295,000 $8,306,452 $8,385,400
300 nm $1,192 $1,030 $1,274
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $2,058 $1,720 $2,271

1,000 nm $3,162 $2,678 $3,522
3,000 nm — — —
6,000 nm — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $107,865 $107,865 $107,865
First Officer Salary $61,479 $61,479 $61,479
Cabin Crew Salary NA NA NA
Director of Maintenance Salary NA NA NA
$27,000 $27,000 $27,000
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training NA NA NA
Maintenance Training NA NA NA
Hull Insurance per $100 $19,079 $20,766 $32,093
Liability Insurance per $M $16,500 $16,500 $15,000
Hangar/Office $20,425 $20,425 $20,425
Maint. Software Programs $1,911 $1,755 $5,964
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $172 $217 $193
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $314 231 $269

APU Reserves NA NA NA
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves NA NA $18
Nav Database $1,400 NA $12,000
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

$550 NA $6,995
ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link $6,500 $6,500 $6,500
COSTS

Flight Planning NA NA NA
Wx Services NA NA NA
Charts & Maps NA NA NA
Swift Broadband NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku NA NA NA
Air to Ground NA NA NA
SatTV NA NA NA
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Catering Service $8,566 $8,566 $8,566
$5,710 $5,710 $5,710
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support NA NA NA

Concierge NA NA NA
Ground Handling $2,855 $2,855 $2,855
Landing/Parking Fees $5,710 $5,710 $5,710

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 53

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 2 — Turboprops ≥12,500 lb. – Jets <20,000 lb.

Manufacturer Pilatus Textron Aviation Embraer
Aircraft Model SVJ PC-24 Cessna Citation CJ4 Phenom 300
Category (1-6) 2 2 2
BCA Equipped Price $8,900,000 $9,195,000 $9,450,000
300 nm $1,251 $1,279 $1,270
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $2,179 $2,263 $2,184

1,000 nm $3,570 $3,458 $3,274
3,000 nm — — —
6,000 nm — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $107,865 $107,865 $107,865
First Officer Salary $61,479 $61,479 $61,479
Cabin Crew Salary NA NA NA
Director of Maintenance Salary NA NA NA
$27,000 $27,000 $27,000
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training NA NA NA
Maintenance Training NA NA NA
Hull Insurance per $100 $22,250 $22,988 $22,488
Liability Insurance per $M $16,500 $16,500 $16,500
Hangar/Office $20,425 $20,425 $20,425
Maint. Software Programs NA $1,755 $3,355
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $184 $182 $171
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $333 $323 $341

APU Reserves NA NA NA
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves NA NA NA
Nav Database NA $12,000 $1,400
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

NA $6,995 $550
ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link $6,500 $6,500 $6,500
COSTS

Flight Planning NA NA NA
Wx Services NA NA NA
Charts & Maps NA NA NA
Swift Broadband NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku NA NA NA
Air to Ground NA NA NA
SatTV NA NA NA
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Catering Service $8,566 $8,566 $8,566
$5,710 $5,710 $5,710
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support NA NA NA

Concierge NA NA NA
Ground Handling $2,855 $2,855 $2,855
Landing/Parking Fees $5,710 $5,710 $5,710

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

54 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 3 — Jets 20,000 lb. to 29,999 lb.

Manufacturer Bombardier Textron Aviation Bombardier
Aircraft Model Learjet 70 Cessna Citation XLS+ Learjet 75
Category (1-6) 3 3 3
BCA Equipped Price $11,300,000 $13,050,000 $13,800,000
300 nm $1,408 $1,575 $1,440
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $2,468 $2,775 $2,515

1,000 nm $3,907 $4,396 $4,003
3,000 nm — — —
6,000 nm — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $140,214 $140,214 $140,214
First Officer Salary $79,629 $77,417 $79,629
Cabin Crew Salary NA $68,374 NA
Director of Maintenance Salary $102,040 $102,040 $102,040
$58,000 $58,000 $58,000
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training NA NA NA
Maintenance Training $10,356 $9,965 $10,356
Hull Insurance per $100 $25,990 $26,622 $31,740
Liability Insurance per $M $26,600 $26,600 $26,600
Hangar/Office $35,375 $35,375 $35,375
Maint. Software Programs $1,736 $1,755 $1,736
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $106 $308 $106
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $598 $388 $598

APU Reserves NA $31 $40
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves NA NA NA
Nav Database $38,500 $24,500 $38,500
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

$6,995 $6,995 $6,995

ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link $8,500 $8,500 $8,500
COSTS

Flight Planning $3,500 $3,500 $3,500

Wx Services $1,400 $1,400 $1,400
Charts & Maps $2,450 $2,450 $2,450
Swift Broadband NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku NA NA NA
Air to Ground $22,740 $22,740 $22,740
SatTV NA NA NA
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Catering Service $24,258 $24,258 $24,258
$16,172 $16,172 $16,172
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support NA NA NA

Concierge NA NA NA
Ground Handling $8,086 $8,086 $8,086
Landing/Parking Fees $16,172 $16,172 $16,172

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 55

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 4 — Jets 30,000 lb. to 40,999 lb.

Manufacturer Textron Aviation Embraer Textron Aviation Embraer
Aircraft Model Citation Latitude Legacy 450 Citation Sovereign+ Legacy 500
Category (1-6) 4 4 4 4
BCA Equipped Price $16,350,000 $16,570,000 $17,895,000 $19,995,000
300 nm $1,900 $1,820 $1,790 $1,848
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $3,232 $3,091 $3,032 $3,142

1,000 nm $5,099 $4,778 $4,814 $4,895
3,000 nm — — — —
6,000 nm — — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $163,031 $163,031 $163,031 $163,031
First Officer Salary $90,560 $90,560 $90,560 $90,560
Cabin Crew Salary $68,374 NA NA NA
Director of Maintenance Salary $122,160 $122,160 $122,160 $122,160
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training $58,000 $58,000 $58,000 $58,000

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training $3,545 NA NA NA
Maintenance Training $10,600 $10,600 $10,600 $10,600
Hull Insurance per $100 $29,430 $29,826 $32,211 $35,991
Liability Insurance per $M $22,400 $22,400 $22,400 $22,400
Hangar/Office $59,547 $59,547 $59,547 $59,547
Maint. Software Programs $1,755 NA $1,755 NA
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $182 $165 $171 $168
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $541 $540 $537 $560

APU Reserves $31 $33 $31 $45
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves NA NA NA NA
Nav Database $15,795 $44,500 $11,910 $44,500
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database $1,050 $6,995 $6,995 $6,995

Cockpit Data Link $8,500 $8,500 $8,500 $8,500
COSTS

Flight Planning $3,500 $3,500 NA $3,500

Wx Services $1,400 $1,400 NA $1,400
Charts & Maps $2,450 $2,450 $2,450 $2,450
Swift Broadband $68,000 $68,000 $68,000 $68,000
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku NA NA NA NA
Air to Ground $22,740 NA NA NA
SatTV NA NA NA NA
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Catering Service $43,874 $43,874 $43,874 $43,874
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel $29,250 $29,250 $29,250 $29,250

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support NA $21,937 NA $21,937

Concierge NA $7,312 NA $7,312
Ground Handling $14,625 $14,625 $14,625 $14,625
Landing/Parking Fees $29,250 $29,250 $29,250 $29,250

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

56 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 4 — Jets 30,000 lb. to 40,999 lb.

Manufacturer Textron Aviation Gulfstream Bombardier Textron Aviation
Aircraft Model Citation X+ Gulfstream 280 Challenger 350 Citation Longitude
Category (1-6) 4 4 4 4
BCA Equipped Price $23,365,000 $24,500,000 $26,673,000 $26,995,000
300 nm $2,164 $2,016 $1,946 $1,808
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $3,643 $3,408 $3,298 $3,080

1,000 nm $5,820 $5,284 $5,120 $4,816
3,000 nm — — — —
6,000 nm — — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $171,408 $163,031 $171,408 $163,031
First Officer Salary $96,205 $90,560 $92,022 $90,560
Cabin Crew Salary $68,374 NA $68,374 $68,374
Director of Maintenance Salary $122,160 $122,160 $122,160 $122,160
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training $58,000 $58,000 $58,000 $58,000

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training $3,545 NA $3,545 NA
Maintenance Training $11,549 $10,600 $12,237 $10,600
Hull Insurance per $100 $42,992 $31,850 $34,675 $35,094
Liability Insurance per $M $22,400 $22,400 $23,400 $22,400
Hangar/Office $59,547 $59,547 $59,547 $59,547
Maint. Software Programs $1,755 $11,501 $8,142 NA
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $273 $254 $131 $190
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $664 $698 $656 $547

APU Reserves $37 $44 $38 $31
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves NA NA NA NA
Nav Database $15,000 $33,500 $48,500 NA
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database $1,050 $6,995 $6,995 NA

Cockpit Data Link $8,500 $8,500 $8,500 $8,500
COSTS

Flight Planning $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 NA

Wx Services $1,400 $1,400 $1,400 NA
Charts & Maps $2,450 $2,450 $2,450 NA
Swift Broadband $68,000 $68,000 $68,000 $68,000
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku NA NA NA NA
Air to Ground $22,740 NA $22,740 NA
SatTV NA NA NA NA
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Catering Service $43,874 $43,874 $43,874 NA
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel $29,250 $29,250 $29,250 NA

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support $21,937 $21,937 $21,937 NA

Concierge $7,312 $7,312 $7,312 NA
Ground Handling $14,625 $14,625 $14,625 NA
Landing/Parking Fees $29,250 $29,250 $29,250 NA

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 57

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 5 — Jets ≥41,000 lb.

Manufacturer Embraer Dassault Bombardier Dassault
Aircraft Model Legacy 650E Falcon 2000S Challenger 650 Falcon 2000LXS
Category (1-6) 5 5 5 5
BCA Equipped Price $25,900,000 $29,950,000 $32,350,000 $35,100,000
300 nm $2,206 $1,940 $2,052 $1,940
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $4,023 $3,297 $3,702 $3,297

1,000 nm $6,298 $5,131 $5,917 $5,131
3,000 nm — — — —
6,000 nm — — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $196,971 $196,971 $196,971 $196,971
First Officer Salary $125,779 $125,779 $125,779 $125,779
Cabin Crew Salary $94,589 $94,589 $94,589 $94,589
Director of Maintenance Salary $159,249 $159,249 $159,249 $159,249
$94,589 $94,589 $94,589 $94,589
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training $3,545 $3,545 $3,545 $3,545
Maintenance Training $10,621 $10,037 $8,574 $11,301
Hull Insurance per $100 $33,670 $38,935 $42,055 $45,630
Liability Insurance per $M $22,400 $22,400 $22,400 $22,400
Hangar/Office $101,230 $101,230 $101,230 $101,230
Maint. Software Programs $8,142 $8,362 $8,142 $8,362
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $317 $339 $150 $339
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $563 $515 $760 $515

APU Reserves $40 $24 $38 $24
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves NA NA NA NA
Nav Database $44,500 $34,500 $48,500 $34,500
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

$6,995 $6,995 $6,995 $6,995

ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link $8,500 $8,500 $8,500 $8,500
COSTS

Flight Planning $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 $3,500

Wx Services $1,400 $1,400 $1,400 $1,400
Charts & Maps $2,450 $2,450 $2,450 $2,450
Swift Broadband NA $78,000 NA $78,000
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku $125,000 NA $125,000 NA

Air to Ground $22,740 $22,740 $22,740 $22,740
SatTV $11,652 $11,652 $11,652 $11,652
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Catering Service $55,446 $55,446 $55,391 $55,446
$36,964 $36,964 $36,927 $36,964
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support $27,723 $27,723 $27,695 $27,723

Concierge $9,241 $9,241 $9,232 $9,241
Ground Handling $18,482 $18,482 $18,464 $18,482
Landing/Parking Fees $36,964 $36,964 $36,927 $36,964

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

58 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 5 — Jets ≥41,000 lb.

Manufacturer Gulfstream Dassault Gulfstream Bombardier
Aircraft Model Gulfstream 450 Falcon 900LX Gulfstream 500 Global 5000
Category (1-6) 5 5 5 5
BCA Equipped Price $43,150,000 $44,800,000 $45,500,000 $50,441,000
300 nm $2,932 $2,109 $2,219 $3,042
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $4,852 $3,635 $4,478 $5,030

1,000 nm $7,465 $5,722 $7,423 $7,756
3,000 nm — — — —
6,000 nm — — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $196,971 $196,971 $196,971 $196,971
First Officer Salary $125,779 $125,779 $125,779 $125,779
Cabin Crew Salary $94,589 $94,589 $94,589 $94,589
Director of Maintenance Salary $159,249 $159,249 $159,249 $159,249
$94,589 $94,589 $94,589 $94,589
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training $3,545 $3,545 NA $3,545
Maintenance Training $20,802 $10,621 NA $13,611
Hull Insurance per $100 $47,465 $58,240 $50,050 $65,573
Liability Insurance per $M $22,400 $22,400 $22,400 $22,400
Hangar/Office $101,230 $101,230 NA $101,230
Maint. Software Programs $9,395 $8,362 NA $8,362
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $307 $396 $391 $188
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $693 $597 $827 $760

APU Reserves $42 $27 $50 $50
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves NA NA NA NA
Nav Database $48,500 $54,500 NA $54,500
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

$6,995 $6,995 NA $6,995

ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link $8,500 $8,500 NA $8,500
COSTS

Flight Planning $3,500 $3,500 NA $3,500

Wx Services $1,400 $1,400 NA $1,400
Charts & Maps $2,450 $2,450 NA $2,450
Swift Broadband NA NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku $125,000 $125,000 $125,000 $125,000

Air to Ground $22,740 $22,740 NA $22,740
SatTV $11,652 $11,652 $11,652 $11,652
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 NA $2,000
Catering Service $55,446 $55,446 NA $55,446
$36,964 $36,964 NA $36,964
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support $27,723 $27,723 NA $27,723

Concierge $9,241 $9,241 NA $9,241
Ground Handling $18,482 $18,482 NA $18,482
Landing/Parking Fees $36,964 $36,964 NA $36,964

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 59

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 5 — Jets ≥41,000 lb.

Manufacturer Embraer Dassault Airbus
Aircraft Model Lineage 1000E Falcon 7X A320 Prestige
Category (1-6) 5 5 5
BCA Equipped Price $53,000,000 $53,800,000 $115,000,000
300 nm $3,709 $2,498 $4,400
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm $6,418 $4,165 $7,349

1,000 nm $10,054 $6,427 $11,425
3,000 nm — — —
6,000 nm — — —
Chief Pilot Salary $225,625 $196,971 $255,297
First Officer Salary $140,000 $125,779 $140,000
Cabin Crew Salary $120,000 $94,589 $120,000
Director of Maintenance Salary $195,500 $159,249 $195,500
$94,589 $94,589 $120,000
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training $3,545 $3,545 $3,545
Maintenance Training $10,621 $20,260 $24,186
Hull Insurance per $100 $68,900 $64,560 $149,500
Liability Insurance per $M $22,400 $22,400 $22,400
Hangar/Office $101,230 $101,230 $107,057
Maint. Software Programs $8,142 $8,362 NA
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $472 $277 $981
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $609 $732 NA

APU Reserves $40 $28 NA
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves NA NA NA
Nav Database $44,500 $54,500 $55,300
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

$6,995 $6,995 $6,995

ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link $8,500 $8,500 $8,500
COSTS

Flight Planning $3,500 $3,500 $3,500

Wx Services $1,400 $1,400 $1,400
Charts & Maps $2,450 $2,450 $2,450
Swift Broadband NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku $175,000 $125,000 $175,000

Air to Ground $22,740 $22,740 NA
SatTV $11,652 $11,652 $11,652
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Catering Service $61,435 $55,446 $61,435
$40,957 $36,964 $40,957
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support $30,718 $27,723 $30,718

Concierge $10,239 $9,241 $10,239
Ground Handling $20,478 $18,482 $20,478
Landing/Parking Fees $40,957 $36,964 $40,957

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

60 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 6 — Ultra-Long-Range Jets

Manufacturer Gulfstream Dassault Gulfstream Bombardier
Aircraft Model Gulfstream 600 Falcon 8X Gulfstream 550 Global 6000
Category (1-6) 6 6 6 6
BCA Equipped Price $57,900,000 $59,300,000 $61,500,000 $62,310,000
300 nm — — — —
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm — — — —
1,000 nm NA $6,806 $7,711 $7,826
3,000 nm NA $19,810 $21,645 $22,352
6,000 nm NA $39,711 $45,126 $46,310
Chief Pilot Salary NA $223,625 $223,625 $223,625
First Officer Salary NA $140,000 $140,000 $140,000
Cabin Crew Salary NA $120,000 $120,000 $120,000
Director of Maintenance Salary NA 195500 195500 195500
NA $98,000 $98,000 $98,000
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training NA 3545 3545 3545
Maintenance Training NA 20260 12880 20505
Hull Insurance per $100 NA $70,241 $67,650 $71,657
Liability Insurance per $M NA $22,400 $22,400 $22,400
Hangar/Office NA $107,185 $107,185 $107,185
Maint. Software Programs NA $8,264 $9,395 NA
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor NA $250 $357 $187
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves NA $787 $927 $760

APU Reserves NA $27 $50 $50
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves NA NA NA NA
Nav Database NA $54,500 $55,800 $54,500
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

NA $6,995 $6,995 $6,995

ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link NA $9,500 $9,500 $9,500
COSTS

Flight Planning NA $3,500 $3,500 $3,500

Wx Services NA $1,400 $1,400 $1,400
Charts & Maps NA $2,450 $2,450 $2,450
Swift Broadband NA NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku NA $125,000 $125,000 $125,000

Air to Ground NA $22,740 $22,740 $22,740
SatTV NA $11,652 $11,652 $11,652
Cabin/Iridium Phone NA $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Catering Service NA $55,446 $61,435 $61,435
NA $36,964 $40,957 $40,957
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support NA $27,723 $30,718 $30,718

Concierge NA $9,241 $10,239 $10,239
Ground Handling NA $18,482 $20,478 $20,478
Landing/Parking Fees NA $36,964 $40,957 $40,957

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 61

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 6 — Ultra-Long-Range Jets

Manufacturer Gulfstream Gulfstream Boeing Boeing
Aircraft Model Gulfstream 650 Gulfstream 650ER BBJ BBJ MAX7
Category (1-6) 6 6 6 6
BCA Equipped Price $68,150,000 $70,150,000 $79,000,000 $88,700,000
300 nm — — — —
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm — — — —
1,000 nm $7,790 $7,790 $9,567 NA
3,000 nm $21,811 $21,811 $27,023 NA
6,000 nm $45,180 $45,180 $57,725 NA
Chief Pilot Salary $223,625 $223,625 $255,297 NA
First Officer Salary $140,000 $140,000 $140,000 NA
Cabin Crew Salary $120,000 $120,000 $120,000 NA
Director of Maintenance Salary 195500 195500 $195,500 NA
$120,000 $120,000 $120,000 NA
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training 3545 3545 3545 NA
Maintenance Training 12880 12880 24795 NA
Hull Insurance per $100 $88,595 $91,195 $105,781 NA
Liability Insurance per $M $22,400 $22,400 $22,400 NA
Hangar/Office $107,185 $107,185 $127,057 NA
Maint. Software Programs $9,395 $9,395 $12,389 NA
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $361 $361 $322 NA
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves $933 $933 OC NA

APU Reserves $50 $50 NA NA
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves NA NA NA NA
Nav Database $55,800 $55,800 NA NA
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

$6,995 $6,995 $6,995 NA

ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link $9,500 $9,500 $9,500 NA
COSTS

Flight Planning $3,500 $3,500 $3,500 NA

Wx Services $1,400 $1,400 $1,400 NA
Charts & Maps $2,450 $2,450 $2,450 NA
Swift Broadband NA NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku $125,000 $125,000 $175,000 NA

Air to Ground $22,740 $22,740 $22,740 NA
SatTV $11,652 $11,652 $11,652 NA
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 $2,000 NA
Catering Service $61,435 $61,435 $61,435 NA
$40,957 $40,957 $40,957 NA
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support $30,718 $30,718 $30,718 NA

Concierge $10,239 $10,239 $10,239 NA
Ground Handling $20,478 $20,478 $20,478 NA
Landing/Parking Fees $40,957 $40,957 $40,957 NA

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

62 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

 2018 Operations Planning Guide

Production Aircraft — Category 6 — Ultra-Long-Range Jets

Manufacturer Boeing Airbus Boeing
Aircraft Model BBJ MAX8 ACJ319 BBJ MAX9
Category (1-6) 6 6 6
BCA Equipped Price $96,300,000 $105,000,000 $105,300,000
300 nm — — —
DIRECT COSTS

600 nm — — —
1,000 nm $8,985 $10,809 $9,668
3,000 nm $25,494 $31,195 $27,299
6,000 nm $53,916 $66,609 $57,895
Chief Pilot Salary $255,297 $255,297 $255,297
First Officer Salary $140,000 $140,000 $140,000
Cabin Crew Salary $120,000 $120,000 $120,000
Director of Maintenance Salary $195,500 $195,500 $195,500
$120,000 $120,000 $120,000
FIXED COSTS

Flight Crew Recurrent Training

Cabin Crew Recurrent Training $3,545 3545 $3,545
Maintenance Training $24,186 24186 $24,186
Hull Insurance per $100 $128,946 $136,500 $140,997
Liability Insurance per $M $22,400 $22,400 $22,400
Hangar/Office $127,057 $107,057 $127,057
Maint. Software Programs $12,389 NA $12,389
Airframe Sys. Parts & Labor $377 $944 $396
VARIABLE COSTS

Engine Reserves OC NA OC
APU Reserves NA NA NA
Avionics Reserves NA NA NA
Propeller Reserves NA NA NA
Nav Database NA $55,300 NA
SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES

$6,995 $6,995 $6,995

ANNUAL COCKPIT

EGPWS/TAWS Database
Cockpit Data Link $9,500 $9,500 $9,500
COSTS

Flight Planning $3,500 $3,500 $3,500

Wx Services $1,400 $1,400 $1,400
Charts & Maps $2,450 $2,450 $2,450
Swift Broadband NA NA NA
SERVICES COSTS
ANNUAL CABIN

Ka/Ku $175,000 $175,000 $175,000

Air to Ground $22,740 NA $22,740
SatTV $11,652 $11,652 $11,652
Cabin/Iridium Phone $2,000 $2,000 $2,000
Catering Service $61,435 $61,435 $61,435
$40,957 $40,957 $40,957
SUPPORT COSTS

Flight Crew Travel

ANNUAL TRIP

International Trip Support $30,718 $30,718 $30,718

Concierge $10,239 $10,239 $10,239
Ground Handling $20,478 $20,478 $20,478
Landing/Parking Fees $40,957 $40,957 $40,957

Copyright © 2018 by BCA magazine, Informa. All rights reserved.

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 63

Safety

Flying Tired
Recovery from sleep loss is not so simple. If you accumulate sleep debt,
there will be compounded interest and an uphill battle to recover.
BY PATRICK VEILLETTE jumprsaway@aol.com

any of us as youngsters yearned

M to become pilots. We envisioned

the ÒglamorousÓ jet-setting
lifestyle with plenty of comely
companionship on trips to exotic loca-
tions like Rio, Tahiti and Paris, feasting
on the local cuisine and strolling along
wide beaches and narrow cobblestone
streets. Little did we know that the oc-
cupation would involve long duty days,
early starts, multiple time zone changes,
uncomfortable hours confined in a tight
cockpit while breathing desert-dry air
and forcing ourselves not to nod off.
John A. Caldwell, Ph.D., co-author of
Fatigue in Aviation, is an internationally
recognized scientist in the area of sleep
deprivation and fatigue countermea-
sures. He asserts that ÒFatigue-related
performance problems in aviation have
been consistently underestimated and
underappreciatedÓ despite decades of re-
search on pilots showing that insufficient
sleep significantly degrades cognition,
psychological mood Òand fundamental
IMAGE SOURCE/ISTOCKPHOTO
piloting skills.Ó
None of us are immune to the prob- showing up for the first trip, especially if The quality of the sleep environment
lems of fatigue. If you have found yourself the report time involves an early wake-up. is an important contributor to rest and
or crewmates overlooking or misplac- Under such frequent circumstances, the recovery, yet we pilots have no control
ing sequential steps, becoming preoccu- average pilot reports for duty on day No. 1 over it and simply have to endure less-
pied with single tasks, having a greatly with a sleep deficit. Strike one. than-restful nights when on the road.
reduced audiovisual scan and being less If you feel that your sleep on the road is ThatÕs strike No. 3. But wait, thereÕs
aware of poor performance, then wel- less restful that your sleep at home, you more to the fatigue problem.
come to the brotherhood of the flying arenÕt alone. NASA studies found that the Have you felt yourself getting even
weary. Other notable warning signs of average pilot sleeps an hour less per night more tired during the progression of a
fatigue include being less likely to per- during layovers than at home due to the tour? This, too, is commonplace since
form low-demand tasks, becoming more significant increase in awakenings while the lack of adequate rest accumulates.
distracted and more irritable, and finally in hotel rooms. Such sleep disruption is This Òsleep debtÓ or Òsleep deficitÓ is
succumbing to a ÒdonÕt careÓ attitude. known to result in daytime sleepiness. real and a real problem. Consider this:
The only way to recover from fatigue is ThatÕs strike No. 2. You have the dreaded 5:00 a.m. show
to get adequate rest. Unfortunately, thatÕs LetÕs say you flew the Òback side of the on day No. 1 of a trip beginning at your
often not an option. Dr. Curtis Graeber, clockÓ and dragged your weary bones home base at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY)
who served as the human factors special- into the hotel room at 5 a.m. How many in California for a nonstop to Chicago
ist for the Presidential Commission on the times has the chambermaid knocked on Midway Airport (KMDW), where you
Space Shuttle Challenger Accident, joined your door a few hours later loudly pro- pick up additional passengers and con-
NASA Ames Research Center in 1981 as claiming, ÒHousekeeping,Ó despite the tinue to New JerseyÕs Teterboro Airport
the principal investigator for a congres- ÒDo Not DisturbÓ sign you hung on the (KTEB). Depending on your driving time
sionally mandated study of fatigue and exterior doorknob? And is it too much to the FBO at Van Nuys, itÕs quite possible
circadian rhythm factors in flight crews. to ask hotels to put a Òquiet closeÓ device you had to wake up at 3 or 3:30 a.m. Once
The NASA research team found that the on guest room doors so that guests canÕt at the New Jersey hotel, you might try to
sleep deficit for a tour often begins before slam them shut? sleep around 7 p.m., but thereÕs the call

64 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

home, shirt pressing, emails and such, 4 a.m. wakeup. Will you drop immediately normal recuperative rest when they go
and it’s more likely you’ll be lights out at into deep restful sleep? Not likely. to sleep at their normal time, and wake
11 p.m., your normal sleep time. You’ve According to Graeber, when sleep is up at their normal time. Doing otherwise
made it through the day with, maybe, 4 hr. attempted at a time abnormal to a per- substantially cuts down on the quality
of sleep. Any normal pilot would have felt son’s circadian rhythm, that person will and quantity of sleep. We can’t simply
groggy all day long. have considerably more difficulty get- “switch ourselves into deep sleep” just
The next morning, you’re bound for ting to sleep and, once successful, will because the crew schedulers tell us this
Toronto’s Pearson International Airport usually awaken within a relatively short is our 10-hr. rest period. Let’s call this
(CYYZ) with a departure time of 7 a.m. time. This is one of the key underlying strike No. 4.
With the paperwork for the international problems for pilots that creates what’s Then, when the alarm clock jolts
trip you plan to be at the FBO no later essentially a career-long battle with fa- you awake in Teterboro — which, by
than 5:30 a.m. local, which translates to a tigue. Simply stated, humans get their the way, is 1 a.m. on your California body
clock — you can be forgiven for reconsid-
ering your career choice. How much deep
recuperative sleep did you manage to get?
How Bad Is the Problem? Clearly not enough. Perhaps it was 4 hr. of
deep sleep, thus starting day No. 2 with an
Between 2010 and 2012, more than 6,000 European pilots were asked to self- accumulated 8 hr. of sleep debt. That’s the
assess the level of fatigue they were experiencing during their flight duties. The equivalent of missing an entire night of
study, “2012 Barometer on Pilot Fatigue,” collected data from members of the sleep. Let’s designate the sleep debt issue
European Cockpit Association, which represents over 38,000 pilots from the na- as strike No. 5.
tional pilot associations in 37 European states. Changing time zones or operating on
The surveys confirm that pilot fatigue is a common, dangerous and under-re- the back side of the clock imposes the ad-
ported phenomenon in Europe. Over 50% of surveyed pilots reported experiencing ditional burden of circadian desynchroni-
zation. Graeber’s research found that the
fatigue that impaired their ability to perform well while on duty. More than four out
circadian rhythm system is unable to ad-
of five pilots had to cope with fatigue while in the cockpit. (Austrian pilots reported just rapidly to sudden shifts. In effect, the
85%, German pilots reported 92% and Danish pilots 93%.) In Britain (43%), Den- system resists changes in its timing and
mark (50%), Norway (53%) and Sweden (54%) the surveyed pilots reported falling stability and complete resynchronization
asleep involuntarily in the cockpit while flying. In England, one-third of the pilots of the body’s biological timing system can
admitted to having awakened to find their colleague sleeping as well. Swedish take several days.
(71%), Norwegian (79%) and Danish (80-90%) pilots acknowledged making mis- Additionally, resynchronization occurs
takes due to fatigue and 92% of German pilots admitted to feeling too tired or at a different rate depending on whether
unfit for duty while on the flight deck at least once in the previous three years. the body must adapt to a westbound or
Dutch pilots stated that they’d been involved in or nearly avoided an incident eastbound time zone changes. Medical
specialists in the field of sleep medicine
or an accident 45 times in the previous six months and in half of those events,
have determined that, depending on
fatigue was to blame. In addition, 65% reported “heavy eyelids” during a flight. the number and direction of time zones
Aviation medical examiners surveyed in the U.K. revealed that 80% believed fa- crossed, it can take days for the circadian
tigue is a medical issue and one with great potential to cause an airline accident. system to resynchronize. And recovery
The union representing NetJets pilots, the NetJets Association of Shared Air- from eastbound flights is more difficult.
craft Pilots (NJASAP), surveyed its members on the subjects of sleep and fatigue. The general rule of thumb is that adjust-
The results were reported in an email on March 8, 2018. In response to the ques- ment to eastbound travel requires 1.5
tion, “During a typical rotation or pairing, what is the average amount of sleep days per time zone crossed. Yet, as pilots
per night, or rest period, that you obtain while away from home?”, 51% reported it is entirely possible to be in a different
getting only 6-7 hr. of sleep and 27% responded they slept only 5-6 hr. Only one time zone each night of a trip. In short, we
don’t get days to resynchronize. Circa-
out of five pilots reported logging sufficient sleep while on tour.
dian rhythm desynchronization is strike
According to Steven R. Hursh, Ph.D., chief scientist of the Institutes for Behav- No. 6. Two batters down.
ior Resources, elements of a fatigue risk management system include duty limits There are substantial differences in
and policies, root cause analysis from fatigue reports, sleep disorder screening various people’s ability to adjust to re-
and treatment, fatigue training and policies for non-punitive “fatigue declaration.” peated time-zone shifts. “Morning peo-
It is important to note that the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement ple,” introverts, the elderly and those
between NetJets and its pilots (CBA15, Section 28.5[F]) allow a pilot to report with stable rhythms have slower rates of
“fatigue” and immediately be placed in crew rest status for a minimum period resynchronization than others. Further-
of 14 hr. In its email to its membership, the NJASAP leaders noted that no pilot more, studies found that crew members
had been disciplined for exercising the contractual fatigue call protection since over 45-50 years of age experience less
total sleep and poorer quality sleep. If
the language was first ratified as part of a 2005 collective bargaining agreement.
you’re in this age group, that’s strike No. 7.
(And on a personal note, not once did I receive any pushback from the assistant The combination of poor sleep quality
chief pilots when I made the fatigue phone-call during my NetJets service. In- on the road as well as trying to sleep at
stead, I always received a sincere, “Thanks for working hard. Go get some rest.” times outside your body’s normal sleep
Many thanks to those bosses who were supportive and understanding.) BCA time will worsen the sleep debt during
the trip. It comes with the job. NASA

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 65

Safety
Sleep Loss Due to Mental and times. (And admit it, how many of us set
at least two alarm clocks for those early
Physical Health Problems morning wake-up’s?) An early report
time is strike No. 8.
There is a grave concern over enduring sleep loss over many years. Lack of sleep The British Association of Airline Pi-
has been linked with a veritable cornucopia of health problems including diabetes, lots (BALPA), together with the Univer-
obesity, memory issues, delayed immune response, cancer and mental health sity College London (UCL) Psychobiology
disorders. Psychiatrist Michael Freeman, a clinical professor at the Department Group, carried out a survey of fatigue and
of Psychiatry, University of California at San Francisco, School of Medicine, sums well-being among British airline pilots.
The study revealed that sleep problems
up this vital and pervasive problem, noting, “You take away sleep, and you’ve got
are correlated with fatigue. As a conse-
a recipe for depression.” quence, fatigue can become self-perpet-
Studies from the Department of Psychology at the University of Durham have uating. It determined that “Pilots may
found that air crews exhibited cognitive deficits, possibly in working memory, that eventually end up in the vicious circle of
became apparent after several years of chronic disruption of circadian rhythms. being too tired to adequately rest or sleep,
Other studies have linked the constant crossing of time zones with learning and which in turn will leave them even more
memory problems, decreased reaction times, increasing incidences of diabetes, exhausted.” (See the “How Bad Is the
heart disease, hypertension and cancer, and reduced fertility. Problem?” sidebar.)
A recent study by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health found that Dr. David Gozal, both a professor at
roughly one out of every eight commercial pilots endured symptoms of major de- the University of Chicago School of Medi-
cine specializing in sleep disorders and
pression prior to their last trip. The study’s authors intend to follow up on that by
a deputy editor of the journal Sleep and
focusing on the role of sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances on pilot depres- Frontiers in Neurology, found that recov-
sion. (See “A Somber Secret,” BCA, August 2017.) BCA ery from sleep loss does not immediately
restore all of the body’s systems. Neural
research found that air crews tend to rather work a hard 12-hr. day that begins and metabolic activity take much longer
accumulate more sleep debt and thus at 7:30 a.m. or work an 8-hr. day that be- to recover. “Recovery is not so simple,” he
become more fatigued as they progress gins at 5 a.m., and they almost always found, adding, “If you accumulate debt,
through a trip. choose the former. Why? The sleep loss there will be compounded interest and an
Does working a pilot hard contribute associated with early morning report uphill battle to recover.”
to fatigue? Yes, it can, but if the pilot is op- times is considerable. NASA research Up to this point I haven’t touched on
erating during a normal “day” cycle and found that the timing of flight activities pilot duties in a typical day, the stresses
then has the opportunity to rest during a and not necessarily the length of the duty involved, and the fatigue-inducing condi-
normal “night” cycle, the average aviator day or the number of segments flown ap- tions under which we work. A 6 a.m. show
will be able to show up for flight duties the pears to contribute more to fatigue. in January for clients who enjoyed a week-
next day adequately rested. You wouldn’t be alone if you dread end of skiing at a ski resort means you are
I’ve asked pilot groups if they would the fatiguing effect of those early report likely walking out to an aircraft that has

Cockpit Environment and Fatigue

Many elements in the flight deck make fatigue worse. Heat,
glare, noise, vibrations, exceptionally dry air and confine-
ment to a seat for hours on end can act synergistically to
deepen the stress on a body’s mental and physical reserves.
A 1977 study by the Royal Air Force Institute of Aviation Medi-
cine found that the combined effect of solar and avionics, par-
ticularly in hot weather conditions, will raise temperatures well
“in excess of the upper limit for effective physiological tempera-
ture regulation.” Solar radiant heat is the primary heat-stress
problem in an aircraft cockpit. The large expanses of transpar-
encies there produce a greenhouse effect. The temperatures
in cockpits of aircraft parked on ramps have been measured
at 50 to 60F higher than realized in adjacent hangars because
of the radiation of solar heating, which, in turn, heats objects
within the cockpit.
Additionally, the study found the heating effect of avionics
could raise cockpit temperatures by 20C (68F) to 30C (86F).
(For more information on cockpit heat see “The Heat Is On,”
BCA, July 2013.)
Pressurized cabin air at high altitude is dry. The lack of
humidity (measured from 3% to 5%) accelerates a body’s
loss of water. The brain is approximately 75% water, and
when it needs to replace lost fluid, it can manifest symp-
toms such as headaches, lightheadedness and fatigue.
Dehydration also can contribute to fuzzy thinking, poor
decision-making and muscle fatigue. Long-term effects
can manifest in wrinkled skin, impaired memory function,
dry hair, brittle nails, constipation, and susceptibility to
colds and sinus infections because of extremely dry nasal
passages.
According to Don Hudson, M.D., aeromedical adviser to
the Air Line Pilots Association, “Dehydration is an under-
rated factor in terms of pilot fatigue. That’s especially true
in international flights. When you are dehydrated, it’s just
another stress factor in performing your job.”
A pilot’s dehydrated condition can be caused by a lack of
water due to high body temperatures, a hot and dry aircraft
environment, excess caffeine consumption, antihistamines
and failing to drink appropriate fluids. The symptoms of
dehydration go beyond thirst. In an effort to respond to the

66 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

been cold-soaked to -20F on the ramp for
maybe the last three days. Preflighting
such an aircraft on a still-dark morning
in the mountains can be breathtakingly
unkind. Conversely, getting an aircraft
ready for a post-maintenance inspection
flight on an August afternoon with the
ramp radiant temperature spiked at 120F
will spike crew fatigue levels as well.
Let’s say your departure is from New
York’s Westchester County Airport
(KHPN) on a Friday afternoon with
weather all around when your lead pas-
senger shows up with an additional golf
buddy for the trip to Bermuda. Suddenly,
you have additional customs paperwork
to file as well as new weight and balance
to calculate that could cause a cascading
set of changes on your loading and fuel.
Naturally, the principal expects the en-
gines to start turning as soon as he steps
aboard and to be rolling within minutes,
oblivious to the considerable stress im-
posed on the crew. Entering New York
airspace at that time and day along with
foul weather guarantees a high workload
environment for the departure with con-
trollers issuing nonstop instructions as
they try to keep the metal moving. You
won’t really catch your breath until climb-
ing through FL 300.
The view from the flight deck at FL
410 on a clear day is one we’d never trade,
but the cockpit itself contributes to fa-
tigue. Sitting confined in small seats for
long hours induces lethargy, as well as
our chances for developing deep vein
Legislation Regarding Crew
Rest and Duty Rules
H.R. 4, the U.S. House of Representatives version of the FAA Reauthorization Act
of 2018, contains a section seeking to update the fatigue rules for FAR Part 135
pilots. Section 517, “Aviation Rulemaking Committee for Part 135 Rest and Duty
Rules,” calls for establishing a rulemaking committee comprising industry repre-
sentatives, labor organizations and safety experts, to review and provide recom-
mendations on pilot rest and duty rules for air charter operations. According to the
proposed legislation, the FAA administrator was to submit a report on the commit-
tee’s findings and issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking based on its recommen-
dations within a year of its submittal to Congress. The bill passed in the House on
April 27, 2018, and was sent to the Senate. We’ll see what happens next. BCA
thrombosis, or DVT. The dry, pressurized a practical real-time fatigue detector, he
air is wicking away precious volumes of says most people underestimate just how
our body’s moisture, thus causing us to be tired they are and how impaired they are
in a chronic state of dehydration for most by that fatigue.
of our hours airborne. Glare, vibrations Admonishments to “be more profes-
and noise all increase fatigue. How much sional” or “show attention to detail” ig-
does the combined effect of these add up? nore the underlying pervasiveness of
The anecdotal evidence suggests it is con- serious fatigue among line pilots. Profes-
siderable. (See the “Cockpit Environment sional aviators will continue to be warned
and Fatigue” sidebar.) to use their rest period productively, even
Despite the forging, most of us are though the scientific evidence is plentiful
Type A personalities who seek out chal- that the human body simply doesn’t flip
lenges and enjoy the sense of doing a job a switch at 6, 7 or 9 p.m. to begin deep
well. So, as a group, we aren’t very good at recuperative sleep in preparation for a 3
stepping away from the plate and saying, a.m. report for duty the next day. It is the
“Coach, I need to sit this one out.” timing of sleep, not the amount of time
In the words of Steven R. Hursh, Ph.D., awake or “in rest,” that is the critical fac-
chief scientist of the Institutes for Behav- tor controlling sleep quality.
ior Resources, “There’s no breathalyzer The facts about fatigue are clear, and
for tired . . . but there should be.” Absent something to sleep on. BCA

brain’s need for fluid, the kidneys reabsorb water through
the urine, creating fluid retention and frequent urges to visit
the bathroom (a disadvantage on extended flights).
Glare is a common element in flight that can contribute to
fatigue as well. The landmark study on this issue was done
by Thomas C.D. Whiteside, Ph.D. of the Royal Air Force Insti-
tute of Aviation Medicine and titled “The Problems of Vision
at High Altitude.” Whiteside points out that “The frequency
with which the pilot’s eyes must alternate from cockpit to
exterior, from near to far, from dark to light, combines with
all these factors to produce a visual environment that most
readily results in fatigue.”
High noise levels can also have serious effects such as
impaired concentration, insomnia and, yes, fatigue. Tasks
that require vigilance, concentration, calculations and
making judgments about time can be adversely affected
by exposure to noise louder than 90 dB. The subjective ef-
fects of hearing loss include distraction, irritability, anxiety,
startle responses, sudden awakening, poor sleep quality,
headaches, vertigo, impairment of concentration, impair-
ment of memory and fatigue, once more. (For more infor-
mation on the effects and mitigation of cockpit noise see
“Cockpit Cacophony,” BCA, October 2008.)
Sitting in the same position for extended periods of
time will lead to discomfort, accelerating the development
of physiological fatigue. An avid BCA reader reports that
the seats in the CRJ series he flies for a regional air car-
rier are so uncomfortable that he has resorted to sitting
on the metal aircraft logbook “can.” Non-ergonomically
dimensioned seats (unsuited to body proportions) inten-
sify fatigue by generating muscular pain in the back, neck
and head, as well as agitation, loss of concentration and
restlessness in the attempt to find better position. Unfortu-
nately, there isn’t any body position that will be comfortable
and painless after a period of time.
Pilot seats, especially for long-range flights, should in-
clude lumbar supports that can be adjusted vertically and
horizontally; a seat back with an adjustable degree of re-
cline; adjustable, stowable armrests; adjustable thigh sup-
ports; horizontal, vertical and lateral seat adjustments; and
adjustable headrests.
These are just a handful of the many environmental fac-
tors endured on a daily basis by line pilots that are known to
worsen fatigue. BCA

www.bcadigital.com Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 67

 Point of Law
Business Pilot Liability
As pilots retire from the airlines and take corporate flying jobs,
what kind of liability are they assuming?
WHEN I FIRST SOLOED IN 1979, THERE WERE MORE PILOTS THAN
jobs. Pilots who had served in Vietnam were in demand, but
even they found that the job market was tough. Today, the
pilot shortage that my generation dreamed of 40 years ago is
finally here.
While many business aviation flight departments and
charter operations complain about losing young pilots to the
airlines, there is another new, complementary phenomenon
underway: Airline pilots, forced to retire at 65, are looking at a
second career in business aviation.
However, many of those gray-haired newcomers may
discover that the corporate flying world can be a strange
and bewildering one. Former four-stripers
accustomed to having luggage stowed and
retrieved by baggage handlers may find it It is usually
demeaning to be told to load the poodle and
the Louis Vuittons on to the aircraft. How- preferable to be
ever, other pilots enjoy dealing with business
aviation’s sophisticated clientele and taking a direct employee
on the challenge of managing the care and of a company
feeding of a multi-million-dollar asset.
But, unlike a young pilot with a fresh ATP
and an empty bank account, the retired air-
rather than a
line pilot intrigued by the challenge of corpo-
rate flying has assets to protect.
contract pilot.
Here are the basic legal protection issues
for corporate pilots:
Insurance: “Approved” vs. “Insured.”
Many pilots believe that being “approved” under a com-
pany’s aviation insurance policy gives them protection. It
does not.
In order for the insurance coverage to apply at all, the air-
craft must only be flown by “approved” pilots. Therefore, if
you fly for Acme Anvil Corp., and you are an approved pilot,
then Acme is covered in the case of an accident. Unless you
are also insured, the insurance may pay Acme following an
accident, and then sue you to collect what the insurer just
paid to Acme. This is called subrogation.
However, if you are approved and insured, then the insur-
ance company cannot sue you for claims that they pay to, or
for, Acme, and the insurance company must provide you legal
counsel and pay judgments on your behalf. Policy language
varies, so a pilot might be an “additional insured,” a “named
insured” or even an “additional named insured.” In some
situations, you may also buy “non-owned aircraft” coverage
that insures you on a policy separate and apart from the com-
pany’s policy. This should be a last resort.
68 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
Kent S. Jackson
Contributing Editor
kjackson@jetlaw.com
Typically, Acme won’t get charged an additional premium
for adding pilots as additional insureds, and some policies
automatically cover employees. Aviation insurance policies
are not standard, so it is worth your time to sit down and
read the policy carefully. It can be as challenging as reading
the Tax Code, but it is always educational.
Forming an LLC: It is usually preferable to be a direct em-
ployee of a company rather than a contract pilot. Company
employees generally enjoy better benefits and more depend-
able income than do contract pilots. If you are a contract
pilot, then providing your pilot services through a Limited
Liability Company (LLC) will not provide a liability shield to
you when you are flying. However, if you cre-
ate a company to provide the pilot services
of other pilots as well, then the LLC will pro-
vide you some liability protection if one of
those pilots is involved in an incident.
Bear in mind that there are other reasons
to form an LLC besides liability protection.
In many states, providing your services
though an LLC may provide you with signif-
icant tax savings. Tax considerations also
cause many companies to prefer to use con-
tract pilots who offer their services through
a corporation or LLC.
CRM/SMS: The best way to protect your
assets is to avoid an accident. Airline pilots
transitioning from the FAR Part 121 world to
the Part 91 world are accustomed to recurrent CRM train-
ing and rigorous risk assessment processes. A friend making
this transition recently commented to me that his new Part
91 brethren “cowboy their way through everything.” The
polite answer from the Part 91 “cowboys” is that the rules al-
low them to exercise judgment, while the Part 121 rules fence
pilots in and don’t allow them to rely on their experience and
judgment.
A retired airline pilot can bring needed changes to a busi-
ness flight operation, but tact is key. You may have 20,000+
hr. flying heavy iron, but you are the new kid in the depart-
ment. Do SOPs make sense? Does the streamlined checklist
still cover all the bases?
Corporate flying is very different from flying on estab-
lished routes, and the flexibility of Part 91 is necessary. You
may have to learn and exercise a broader range of skills in
corporate flying, but then again you might enjoy the more
agile aircraft, refined clientele, broader mix of destinations,
and quiet, civilized FBOs. BCA
www.bcadigital.com
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 20/Twenty
Hawker 800XP
The definitive midsize business aircraft
THE 1995 TO 2005 THE HAWKER 800XP WAS THE BEST-SELLING
Hawker model of all time and the most popular midsize jet of
its era. It’s still a workhorse. Of the 475 units produced, 467 still
are in active service.
These aircraft sold new for $10 million to $13.5 million, but
asking prices now range from $1.4 million to $2.4 million, ac-
cording to Informa’s Aircraft Bluebook price digest. Range/
payload trade-offs almost are non-existent. They can fly nine
passengers more than 2,400 nm and land with NBAA IFR
reserves. The XP indeed signifies for extra performance, at
least when compared with the Model 800 that it replaced. The
upgrade to the 4,750-lb. thrust Honeywell TE731-5BR made a
major difference. Other improvements include boosts in oper-
ating weights, standard Dee Howard thrust reversers, a wing
drag reduction kit adapted from the Hawker 1000, improved
air cycle machine pack and higher capacity TKS wing anti-ice
fluid reservoir.
Cabins typically are configured with two seating areas. The
forward section has a four-chair club section and the aft section
has a single chair on one side and a three-place divan on the
other. The entry vestibule has a 4.6-ft.-long, 48-cu.-ft. luggage
compartment across from the entry door and a 2.4-ft.-long
galley on the left side. The rear of the aircraft has a full-width
lav with optional belted potty seat. There also is a second floor-
to-ceiling luggage closet in the aft cabin. There is no external
baggage compartment.
Honeywell SPZ-8000 or Rockwell Collins Proline 4 avion-
ics is installed on 1995 through 2001 models. Rockwell Col-
lins Proline 21 became standard in 2002, making later models
much more desirable in the resale market. Most systems,
though, are 1960’s vintage including a manual pressurization
controller, parallel buss DC electrical system and TKS “weep-
ing wing” anti-ice system. But, they’re reliable and well known
by maintenance shops.
The aircraft is very pleasant to fly, featuring moderate con-
trol forces in all three axes and excellent control harmony.
It’s especially easy to handle during engine out conditions be-
cause of its bleed air bias rudder boost system. Its long travel,
72 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018
Fred George
Senior Editor
fred.george@informa.com
straight leg landing gear mimic the smooth ride of trailing
link mains.
XP is a relative term as Hawker 800XP still has matronly
performance compared to many other midsize aircraft. While
standard-day takeoff field length is a respectable 5,030 ft.,
it needs 8,800 ft. of runway when departing BCA’s 5,000-ft.
elevation, ISA+20C airport. Above that density altitude, there
are significant weight/altitude/temperature tradeoffs. De-
parting an 8,000 ft. airport on a 26C day and you’re limited to
25,000 lb. — 3,000-lb. less than MTOW and you’ll also need a
9,500-ft. runway. With 3,000-lb. less fuel aboard, max range
could shrink by up to 1,000 nm.
Assuming ISA conditions, it takes 28 minutes to climb to
FL 390. Maximum cruise speed 417 KTAS to 447 KTAS de-
pending upon weight. Range at
XOJET.COM
high-speed cruise is 2,110 nm. In-
termediate cruise speed is 428
KTAS and range is 2, 290 nm.
Long-range cruise speed is 402
KTA S a nd that’s requ i red to
stretch range to 2,450 nm. Plan on
400-kt. block speeds.
On typical 600 nm to 1,000 nm
trips, however, top speed is not
much of an issue. The Hawker
800XP arrives only 8 to 10 minutes
behind most midsize competitors on such trips. Passengers
aren’t likely to complain because the cabin is so comfortable.
The Hawker 800XP has excellent reliability, but scheduled
maintenance isn’t inexpensive. Basic hourly A, B, C and D
inspections are due at 400 hr., 800 hr., 1,600 hr. and 3,200 hr.
intervals. Calendar E, F and G inspections are due at 12, 24 and
48 months, plus a 96-month X-ray structural inspection. There
also is a structural inspection at 1,200 hr. for aircraft that have
flown more than 4,800 hr.
Plan on direct operating costs of $2,750 to $3,000 per hour,
including 300 gal./hr. for fuel burn, $500 per hour for main-
tenance, miscellaneous expenses and about $710 per hour for
Honeywell MSP Gold for both TFE731-5BR-1H engines. They
have 2,100 hr. MPI and 4,200 hr. CZI intervals.
Hawker 800XP’s main midsize competitors are Citation
XLS with a smaller cabin, but best-in-class runway perfor-
mance and a higher asking price; IAI Astra SPX with a tight
cabin, but sprightly performance and comparable resale price;
and Learjet 60 with a much shorter cabin, less range, less
tanks-full payload and a lower asking price.
But, if you’re looking for a midsize aircraft with the most
cabin volume, the most tanks-full payload and virtually un-
beaten dispatch reliability, it’s tough to beat the Hawker
800XP. BCA
www.bcadigital.com
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www.asertecfbo.com Contact: info@hawkeye-aircraft.com | Ofce 727.796.0903 | www.Hawkeye-aircraft.com

LEKTRO Since 1945

The Ultimate Aircraft Tug

Models ranging
15,,,, to 8,,,,, lbs.

Electric Towbarless Certified

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1-8,,-535-8767 1-5,3-861- 88
sales@lektro.com

76 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

 On Duty
Edited by Jessica A. Salerno jessica.salerno@informa.com
News of promotions, appointments and honors involving professionals
within the business aviation community
▶ Aviation Technical Services, Everett, Washington, announced
that Debbie Chandler has joined the company as senior director
of sales. Chandler most recently served as director of sales for
Triumph Product Support Group.
▶ Bangor International Airport, Bangor, Maine, named Aimee
Thibodeau marketing and development manager. Thibodeau for-
merly served as marketing and development director with Old
Town-Orono YMCA in Maine.
▶ Canada Aviation Hall of Fame, Wetaskiwin, AB, has elected its
new Board of Directors. Bob Payne was elected to a three-year
term as Director and was named Secretary of the Board; Rick
Flynn will replace Lynn Hamilton for the one year remaining in her
term. Chairman Rod Sheridan and Directors
Gordon Burturelli and Craig Richmond have
been re-elected to the Board.
▶ CFM International, Cincinnati, Ohio,
named Jean-Marc Domergue vice presi-
dent of contracts, replacing Sharyn Cones.
Domergue joins the company after holding
a variety of positions at Safran Helicopter
Engines. He most recently served as presi- CHARLES NOBLE
dent of customer support and sales.
▶ Dallas Avionics, Inc., Dallas, Texas,
announced that Charles Noble is the new
director of Canadian sales and technical
support. He previously worked for GE and
Honeywell.
▶ Duncan Aviation, Provo, Utah, announced
that Mina Perry has joined the company’s MINA PERRY
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Human Resources team. She will be based in Provo.
▶ Elliott Aviation, Moline, Illinois, promoted Kerry Olson to direc-
tor of Operations, Paint and Interior from Seats and Soft Goods
manager.
▶ Guardian Jet, Guilford, Connecticut, named
Mike McCafferty vice president, Northeast. He
will lead the effort to continue the company’s
presence in the northeastern region.
▶ JetLoan Capital, Stuart, Florida, appointed
Michael Thompson as the company’s new
director of Marketing.
▶ L e e A e r o s pa c e, W i c hi t a, K a ns as, MIKE MCCAFFERTY
announced that Malissa Nesmith has joined
the company as vice president of marketing.
Previously, Nesmith served 14 years as vice
president and chief operating officer at Glo-
balParts.aero, based in Augusta, Kansas.
▶ Million Air (HPN), West Harrison, New
York, named Lauren Rones Payne general
manager. Most recently she was general
brand manager for Gucci. LAUREN RONES PAYNE
▶ West Star, East Alton, Illinois, named Scott
Sweeney general manager of the East Alton
facility. Most recently, Sweeney served as vice
president of operations at Constant Aviation.
Howard Allred has been appointed chief finan-
cial officer. He has served as CFO and director
of finance for a variety of companies, including
Nike and Specialized Bicycle. BCA SCOTT SWEENEY
Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 77
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AERO Specialties Page 77

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Aircraft Lighting Page 79

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AMSTAT Page 31
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Centex Page 74-75

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• Award-winning customer service and amenities
Dassault Falcon Page 10
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Duncan Aviation Page IBC

www.duncanaviation.aero/aircraftsales

FlightSafety International Page 25

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garmin.com TEL: 603-528-6818 | 800-639-6012
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GE Honda Page 15 UNICOM: 122.85
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Gulfstream Page IFC

gulfstream.com/connectivity www.skybright.com
Hawkeye Aircraft Page 76
www.hawkeye-aircraft.com

Hillaero Page 76
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Jetbed Page 70-71

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KaiserAir Page 17
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FAA DER ENGINEERING SERVICES
Kissimmee Gateway Airport Page 8 ALL FAA DISCIPLINES
kissimmeeairport.com

Lektro Page 76 FAA CERTIFICATION PLANS

www.lektro.com
PROPOSAL ASSISTANCE
Piper Page 69
piper.com SUPPORTING TC MANUFACTURERS
Robinson Helicopter Page 4 STC’s & SPECIAL MISSION
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...ENGINEERING HAPPENS
Rolls Royce Page 6
Rolls-Royce.com

Sky Bright Page 78

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SmartSky Networks Page 45

FAA CERTIFICATION SEMINAR:
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The Drake Group Page 78

drake-group.com www.Drake-Group.com
702-796-0911
Ultimate Jet Charters Page 73

78 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

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 BCA 50 Years Ago
T H E A RC H I V E

August 1968 News

“The ATA now proposes ‘Graduated Registration Fees
for General Aviation,’ in which the annual registration fee
would range from $50 to twenty thousand dollars. . . .
Edited by Jessica A. Salerno jessica.salerno@informa.com

. . . . The head of ATA is Stuart G. Tipton, authority on everything, recently called a

press conference to pompously pronounce that the way to supply $100 million per
year for federal airways system improvement is to let the good citizens in general
aviation pick up almost the entire tab.” Torch Lewis, BCA

Bonanza V35A Model 36 (two

models both shown) is longer, has one
more window on each side and has
conventional instead of a “V” tail. Ten
inches of stretch gives true six-place
seating to the latest strike in the
Bonanzas Bonanza lode.
The Nineteenth Annual Reading Opera-
tions and Maintenance Meeting, which nobody
calls it, thundered through on schedule this June. The
show was attended by upwards of 6,000 pilots product-
hawkers, afcionados, and their amorphous following of
aviation writers, celebrities, photographers, FAAers, and
friends. In the winners’ circle: Flagship of the U.S. Jet
Fleet award went to Grumman GII, N100P, National Distill-
ers, Bill Mack, chief pilot.
Captured over the green hills of
Pennsylvania, is the Derringer. Wing
Aircraft’s long awaited two-place twin.
Displayed at the Reading Air show in
June (during which Tony Linck took
our cover photo), the Derringer enters
production this year after a seven-year,
$3 million development efort. The
Derringer, trading interior seating for
aerodynamic efciency, ofers 200-mph
cruise and 900-nm range for $40,500
with radios.

The draft quota has eased for the OH-6A, and

orders are now being accepted for the Hughes 500 exec-
Reading utility copter, with initial delivery set for April 1969. The
1968 executive version will seat fve and have a price tag of
$98,000.

The simplest solution to towing or lifting

light, medium or even heavy aircraft, might be one
of three hand-towed power-driven tractor models
from Aero Tractor.
OH-6A Piaggio PD-808 business jet demonstra-
tor crashed on an instrument approach to
Tow Madrid’s San Sebastian Airport on June 18. All
Louis Bièriot, designer of the first mono-
six occupants, including pilot David Albertazzi, plane, demonstrated the airplane’s
were killed in the crash. Passengers on board potential as a practical transporta-
were executives of Italian electrical appliance tion vehicle by flying the Channel in 37
minutes. The head of Louis Bièriot was
frm which was planning to take delivery of the made especially for USAIG by sculptor
aircraft. BCA Jack C. Gregory.

80 Business & Commercial Aviation | August 2018 www.bcadigital.com

 BACKED BY

2,150 Experts

Duncan Aviation was

founded in 1956 as an aircraft
sales organization and is a founding
member of NARA. Since 1956, we have
conducted more than 3,500 transactions. We
have 2,150 aviation experts worldwide, each with
an average of 12 years with the company. The
aircraft sales team partners with these experts
to provide technical support before, during
and after the aircraft transaction.

www.DuncanAviation.aero/aircraftsales
Experience. Unlike any other.
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