Daher senior v-p Nicolas Chabbert said his company was gratified by its strong first-half 2016 sales showing, delivering 26 TBM 900-series aircraft. Of this, 45 percent were TBM 900s while 55 percent were TBM 930s with the newer touchscreen avionics.

To date, the company has handed over 124 TBM 900 series—93 in North America and 12 in Europe. In total, 786 TBMs have been delivered to date, and Chabbert noted that the company plans to deliver the 800th in September.

Chabbert said the 900 series is selling particularly well in Europe, with sales up “threefold” over typical levels. The TBM Care five-year warranty program combined with the speedy incorporation of the latest avionics advances—including angle-of-attack indication, electronic stability protection, underspeed protection and emergency descent mode—had all helped to drive sales, according to Chabbert.

He said the company will renew its focus on improving the comfort of the aircraft, including adding a side-facing, quick-change, marine-style, electric-flushing toilet as a $35,000 option beginning on 2017 models. Installation of the toilet requires removal of the two rear seats.

The lav is designed with a padded surround, personal item stowage, courtesy mirror, cabin soundproofing and a screened privacy enclosure than can be deployed. The entire package is branded as “Elite Privacy” and has been some 18 months in development.

There are plans to make it available for retrofit for older models. Chabbert called the addition of the toilet a “game changer” that, combined with relaxed EASA charter rules governing single-engine charter aircraft, should make TBMs more popular in Europe.

“A toilet is required for commercial charter operations. We're going to provide the best and most comfortable interior in this class of aircraft,” Chabbert said. “We are going to be thinking more about the passengers. You can be in this cabin for up to five hours.”

Based on customer feedback, Daher will continue to produce both the TBM 900 and 930, Chabbert said, to “provide customers with a choice” of avionics interface preferences. “We try not to impose our preferences on our customers. We deliver what people want,” he said.

“There is a clear acceleration in this program. In the first 15 years, we delivered 324 TBM 700s. In the last 10 years we have delivered many more TBM 850s and 900s,” he said. Some 65 TBM owners have checked in with the company this week at EAA AirVenture 2016, and approximately 45 TBM aircraft are parked on the airshow grounds.

Cirrus Aircraft brought the first two production copies of its single-engine SF50 Vision jet to EAA AirVenture 2016 this week, in addition to prototype aircraft. Cirrus is completing function and reliability testing on the jet, and the FAA will soon begin its own F&R flying, it said. The company noted that it is close to receiving FAA certification for the jet.

“It's been a long-time coming, but it's finally here,” said Cirrus Aircraft chairman Dale Klapmeier. Cirrus said its Grand Forks, N.D. facility is spooled up, with SF50s already on the production line, and that production has been “decoupled” from the certification process.

Meanwhile, Cirrus’s Knoxville, Tenn. delivery center will come on line later this year, initially with deliveries of SR piston series aircraft and then SF50 jets beginning next year. Next month, Cirrus will begin its flight safety review board with the FAA to cover training issues regarding the SF50. Training and deliveries remain on track to begin later this year.

Also at EAA AirVenture, Cirrus received the Joseph T. Nall safety award from the AOPA Air Safety Institute for developing its line of Cirrus Approach instructional courses credited with driving down the Cirrus accident rate threefold and giving Cirrus aircraft an accident rate 50-percent lower than the general aviation average.

“Safety was the most important thing we were after when we started this company,” said Klapmeier. “We wanted to change this industry and we wanted to change it with safety. What we have done in the last three years with Cirrus Approach has truly started to have that vision come true.”

São Paulo ATC officials are briefing pilots on Olympic airspace restrictions in a series of free workshops this week. On Monday night, Air Force Major Ubiraci da Silva Pereira emphasized four steps to help general aviation aircraft operators avoid being considered suspect or hostile during the Olympics airspace restrictions: file a complete flight plan, ensure bilateral communications, maintain the assigned transponder code and keepto the authorized flight plan.

Before entering airspace restricted for the Olympics, general aviation aircraft must undergo a security inspection to receive a code required for filing a flight plan. After flight plan approval, pilots must call a special number manned by five ATC officials for a detailed briefing specifying the exact route. Just in case, pilots were instructed on how to behave if intercepted.

There are still kinks, as the security inspection and flight plan might take three hours or more at airports that limit ramp parking time to two hours. Round-the-clock restrictions in Rio include closing the main general aviation airport, Jacarepaguá, next to the Olympic Village, though in the cities that host only soccer games, restrictions are around game times only.

At Monday’s session at Anhembi-Morumbi University's civil aviation school, coordinated by helicopter pilots' association Abraphe, questions focused on maintaining normal operations during the Games.

The Brexit vote put a damper on Gulfstream sales at the end of the second quarter, but prospects are still good—“better than any [other] time so far this year”—and the continued solid U.S. economy and quick stock market recovery after the UK voted to exit the EU has calmed the jittery nerves of potential buyers, Phebe Novakovic, chairman and CEO of parent company General Dynamics, told investors today. Geographically, half of the jet orders placed in the quarter were from North America, with the remainder from the Middle East, Asia, Europe and South America, “in that order,” she said.

Second-quarter revenues at General Dynamics aerospace division, which includes both Gulfstream and Jet Aviation, fell $124 million year-over-year, to $2.134 billion, as completed Gulfstream deliveries dropped by seven units, to 34. This includes 27 large-cabin and seven midsize jets, compared with 33 large-cabin and eight midsize in the same quarter last year. Aerospace quarterly profits fell by $25 million from a year ago, to $845 million.

At the end of the quarter, aerospace backlog sat at $11.755 billion, about $350 million less than 90 days earlier. Backlog for the G650 extends to 24 months, while it is nine to 12 months for the G150, G280, G450 and G550.

Novakovic also addressed the state of the pre-owned G650 market during the second-quarter investor call. “Some are saying that there are 21 G650s on the market, but we count only 14 on the market, and one of those has a sale pending,” she noted. “With 14 on the market, this is only 7.5 percent of the installed fleet, which is below the normal 10-percent watermark. I’m comfortable that the pre-owned G650 market is appropriate and rational.”

NetJets is hoping to tap into the still relatively small but growing longer-haul business with new pricing incentive programs developed for Challenger 350 and Global shareowners. Launched this month, the cross-country program provides operational savings on 3.5-plus-hour flights for Challenger 350 shareholders who have purchased a minimum of 50-plus hours (1/16th of a share).

The company also has developed a transatlantic program providing savings on five-plus-hour flights for Global 5000 and 6000 shareholders who have purchased a minimum of 50-plus hours. The cross-country flights must fall within NetJets’ cross-country service area, while the transatlantic flights must depart the NetJets Collective Service Area (essentially the U.S. lower 48 states, along with a few locations in Canada) and arrive in the company’s European primary operational area.

The pricing programs are unique for NetJets, which doesn’t typically offer such incentives, said Patrick Gallagher, executive v-p, sales and marketing for NetJets, but represent an opportunity for the fractional provider to grow in the longer-haul space.

“This is really more about capturing a market segment that is relatively small today than it is about the opportunity to create additional incentives,” Gallagher said, adding, “We have plenty of customers that are flying with us today going back and forth to Europe on a Global or going cross-country on a super-midsize airplane like the Challenger 350.” The reception to the company's Challenger 350s and Globals has been “very good.”

But, he added, “There are a whole lot of people still doing that via other means, whether it is commercial or ad hoc charter or owning your own airplane. We are really trying to attack that wallet share that we don’t have today, and we are able to pass along some efficiency gains that we have on flying those longer routes.”

The average flight time for NetJets has remained at two hours for years. “That holds true for much of our industry,” Gallagher said, adding that average is largely driven by economics of an industry that tends to charge by the hour. “About 10 percent of our flights are cross-country. It's obviously appetizing for us to grow that segment,” he said.

The larger aircraft, longer-haul business has been growing at the same rates of its other businesses, he said. “It hasn’t been stagnant. It hasn’t been shrinking,” but it is an area where NetJets sees potential, Gallagher said. “We think it is a great opportunity.”

He also stressed that programs are driven by customer inquiries. “We’ve had a lot of interest in recent months,” he said. “It’s something we simply formalized.  We’re highly confident in our ability to sell it.”

Programs like this are helping NetJets evolve and strengthen during a time that has been tumultuous for the fractional industry. “The fractional industry in general has suffered a lot over the past few years,” Gallagher said. “We’ve seen a number of competitors exit the stage, and we’ve seen consolidation.” He pointed to the exits of CitationAir and Avantair, as well as the merging of Flexjet and Flight Options.

At the same time, NetJets has been growing. Noting the numerous ways to measure growth of fractional operations, he said, “No matter how you slice that, NetJets absolutely has returned to growth.”

The company’s sales numbers have been increasing each year since the downturn, he added. “Our business is doing quite well, but the fractional industry has suffered. We’re growing our market share of a shrinking pie.”

He believes a key factor in the resurgence has been the decision to streamline the fleet and add new anchor models in each market segment. “The customer reception has been great,” he said. He pointed the Challenger and Global acceptance, but also noted the company has increased its Phenom order. 

Many operators will make larger order announcements at the NBAA annual convention, but that will not necessarily translate into full deliveries, he said. “It could not be more different in our case. We’re not only exercising firm orders; we’re exercising the options as well.”

He noted NetJets' recent decision to up its order for the Citation Latitude from 150 of the aircraft to 200 and accelerate the delivery schedule. Gallagher was particularly enthusiastic about the introduction of that model. “We’re very excited about that airplane. I can’t remember an aircraft that we’ve introduced that has so much buzz associated with it,” he said.  “We’ve introduced lots of great airplanes, but the Latitude addresses such a wide segment of the market with midsize jet operating economics but almost a super-midsize cabin. People are finding that very attractive.”

While the new fleet and pricing programs are helping NetJets grow, Gallagher maintained, “The underlying value proposition of Netjets has not changed. People buy with us for guaranteed availability, more consistency and for our reputation for safety. Those remain the key pillars of the NetJets system. We’re excited to introduce a new way for people to tap into that.”

Embraer has launched the next upgrade to its Phenom 100 entry-level jet, the Phenom 100EV, which will be equipped with a new flight deck based on the Garmin G3000 suite and be powered by modified Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F1-E engines. Announced today at EAA AirVenture 2016, the upgraded model is scheduled to reach the market in the first half of 2017.

The 100EV’s modified engines, with 1,730 pounds of thrust, will provide a cruise speed of 405 ktas and 15 percent more thrust at hot-and-high airports. The aircraft has a range of 1,178 nm with NBAAIFR reserves and four occupants. The Prodigy Touch flight deck will be touchscreen-controlled with larger HD displays, split-screen capability and new weather radar.

Toluca, Mexico-based operator Across and Emirates Flight Training Academy are the dual launch customers for the Phenom 100EV. Emirates, which is set to open a new training facility later this year, recently upgraded its earlier order for five Phenom 100Es to Phenom 100EVs.

Membership jet charter firm VistaJet made its 10,000th year-to-date flight on July 27, a milestone reached in record time and two months earlier than last year. The flight was a nonstop trip from Los Angeles to Tokyo on one of VistaJet’s Global 6000s. Its all-Bombardier fleet also includes Challenger 350s, 605s and 850s and Global 5000s.

This accomplishment comes on the heels of a 23-percent rise in global flight traffic in the first half of this year, a spokesman told AIN. The company saw “strong growth” in the U.S. and China in particular, with its largest-ever flight-hour package deals coming out of these regions so far this year, he said.

Ultra-long-range trips have risen substantially from the same period last year, with the company recording triple-digit growth in flight traffic from the U.S. and UK to Asia, the spokesman noted. “Since introducing a domestic VistaJet-branded aircraft to China in 2014, the company has seen a 30-percent rise in Asia traffic,” he said.

In total, 60 percent of VistaJet’s new customer deals this year have come from emerging markets such as China and India, the spokesman said. The company expects this trend to continue “as mature markets face continued economic and political uncertainty.”

“VistaJet’s impressive growth and record flight statistics in 2016 indicate that, despite global economic headwinds, there is still a growing demand for business aviation, with individuals and corporations turning toward the VistaJet model of asset-free flying, said VistaJet chief commercial officer Ian Moore.

The Santa Monica city council has agreed to consider a resolution stating its intention to close Santa Monica Airport (SMO) by June 30, 2018, or as soon as legally permitted. The council on July 26 unanimously approved a motion to consider the resolution at the August 23 meeting. “This motion helps clear the air regarding our intent, which is to close the airport as soon as is possible,” said mayor pro tempore Ted Winterer.

The motion comes just a few months after the U.S. Appeals Court revived a previously dismissed lawsuit by the city of Santa Monica to retain control over the fate of SMO, keeping alive the city’s hopes to shutter the airport.

“We are committed to reclaiming our land, and this motion gets us closer to protecting the health and safety of our residents, and to transitioning the airport land to better uses—uses the community has asked for at the ballot box,” added mayor Tony Vazquez, who introduced the motion with Winterer.

The city council further directed the city manager to report on measures that could be taken near term to reduce the impact of the airport and to implement the proposed resolution. This includes beginning the planning process and environmental analysis for use of the land.

The city noted the 2014 ballot initiative calling for the land to be used for parks, open space and recreational facilities unless voters dictate others, and Winterer stressed the importance of “dispel[ling] rumors that the city wants to turn the airport into a massive development.”

Cleveland-based MRO Constant Aviation is redesigning and refurbishing the interiors of JetSuite’s fleet of 10 Phenom 100s. The first of the updated jets, N580JS, has been redelivered to the Irvine, Calif.-based charter operator, and Constant is in the process of revamping the rest of the fleet.

The aircraft, originally outfitted with BMW-designed leather interiors, are being updated with recovered taupe and coal leather seats, refinished cabin panels, leather cabin drink rails and “luxury options that will add to [JetSuites’] customers’ experience,” said Constant president and CEO Stephen Maiden. The 110V power outlets at each of the four cabin seats and Bose Quiet Comfort headsets will be retained.

JetSuite CEO Alex Wilcox said the company is “happy to be working with Constant Aviation” and expressed confidence that “clients will enjoy the new interiors.” The refurbishment coincides with JetSuite’s recently announced service expansion, with the acquisition of ten 30-seat Embraer E135 jets for use in JetSuiteX, a scheduled per-seat charter service, operated by Delux Public Charter. JetSuite also operates JetSuite Edition CJ3s in its core charter service.

With the Rio Olympics set to open next Friday, business jet operators flying in for the event are being urged to arrange itineraries to undergo additional security checks outside Olympic host city Rio and the São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport, the expected entry for 40 percent of delegations and visitors. “Security inspections at Guarulhos might take 2.5 to 3.5 hours or more, depending on the availability of the Federal Police. For airplanes coming from the U.S., Manaus or Brasilia would tend to be quicker. From Europe, Recife is the best choice,” Universal Weather and Aviation supervisor Adonis Bastos told AIN.

Patricia Aliperti of Brazilian handler Orbital also suggested Manaus and Recife. “For aircraft with sufficient autonomy to reach Rio de Janeiro, we suggest Cabo Frio Airport, since it's an international airport, outside the yellow zone, that doesn’t require slots and has ease of movement, with much faster customs operations,” she said, also noting “much cheaper” handling, parking and airport fees.

Orbital estimates that the actual aircraft inspection should take no more than 30 minutes, “but with the Federal Police acceptance, and presenting the flight plan…the complete process will take about an hour. But than can vary a bit,” she said. According to Orbital, security inspection fees may range up to $750, depending on aircraft model and location.

The future of Piaggio’s Avanti twin turboprop pusher is in question, after the Italian airframer’s statement this week about a new “industrial plan” that will see the company focus primarily on military programs going forward. Annual deliveries for the civil version of the aircraft have dropped into the low single digits for the past several years. An unmanned patrol/reconnaissance version known as the P.1HH HammerHead is currently under development.

“Military platforms provide a sustainable and scalable growth trajectory for Piaggio Aerospace, which has been severely impacted by the contraction of the business aviation market,” said company CEO Carlo Logli in a short press release issued on July 28. The company noted that it would continue to deliver its existing commitments for the Avanti Evo, and when questioned further by AIN, responded only that “At present, the Avanti EVO will continue to be part of the Piaggio business.”

Piaggio, wholly-owned by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Development Company since last year, also announced it is seeking buyers for its engine business, which offers complete maintenance, repair and overhaul of a wide range of powerplants under license from Rolls-Royce, Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney and Pratt & Whitney Canada, as well as its MRO support organization for the 226 Avantis currently in service.

According to the manufacturer, it is now seeking approval for the new restructuring plan from its lenders and the Italian government.

“The shareholder approval of our military-focused industrial plan marks the next phase for one of the world’s oldest aircraft manufacturers,” added Logli. “We now have a state-of-the-art manufacturing base at Villanova and a proven military program with the P.1HH HammerHead, both of which allow us to take on this new challenge.”

On May 29, a P.1HH prototype crashed off the coast of Sicily during flight testing. The company said it is still “assessing the impact” of the accident on the program.

Piaggio also confirmed that the jobs 132 employees who were temporarily laid off in 2014 have now been permanently cut.

Expectations of a protracted downturn in the business jet market have prompted Embraer to lower its delivery projections for this year by some 8 percent. Having so far delivered 26 business jets during the first six months of the year, the company now expects to ship between 70 and 80 light jets by the end of 2016, compared with its previous projection of between 75 and 85, and some 35 to 45 large jets, compared with its earlier estimates of between 40 and 50. Consequently, the company now expects revenues generated by its Executive Jets division to total $1.6 billion to $1.7 billion, compared with its previous projection of $1.75 to $1.9 billion.

Speaking Friday morning during the company’s second quarter earnings call, Embraer CEO Paulo Cesar Silva expressed a need to maintain discipline amid an environment of high levels of used jet inventory and falling prices.

“It is a soft market,” said Silva. “The revisions to the guidance we are making today is in line with what the market is doing…We do not want to fight against the market. So we will no longer fight for market share.”

Silva added that he doesn’t expect any meaningful recovery in the market “for a while.”

“No one expects that in the next two years or three years this market will recover. We still have a lot of used aircraft in the market—around 11 percent of used aircraft inventory compared to the size of the total fleet, so we have around 400 used aircraft in the market.”

Embraer now expects deliveries this year of some 650 business jets compared with the 2008 peak of 1,200.

Readers responding to AIN’s 2016 Product Support Survey rank Embraer at the top, with the highest combined overall average (8.4 out of a possible 10) for newer and older aircraft. Dassault Falcon and Gulfstream (both midsize- and large-cabin jets) tie for second place at 8.2. In third place this year is Bombardier’s Challenger series at 8.1, up 0.1 but matching last year’s third-place finish.

Two manufacturers tied for fourth place, both with a 7.9 rating, up 0.2 from last year, and these are Bombardier’s Globals and Textron Aviation’s Citations. Bombardier’s Learjet support climbed to a 7.8 rating, up from last year’s 7.7, leaving it with a fifth-place ranking.

Textron Aviation’s out-of-production jets see a divergence this year, with the smaller jets climbing by 0.2, to 7.4, but the midsize Hawkers dropping to 6.9.

In the turboprop arena, Mitsubishi’s MU-2s climbed to 9.3 from last year’s 9.1 to top this category, followed by Pilatus’s PC-12s (7.6) and Textron Aviation’s King Airs (7.1), the same placements as last year.

Rotorcraft rankings start with Bell Helicopter at the top of the list (7.5), as it was last year, but with a lower rating (down 0.4), then Airbus Helicopters holding the number-two place (down 0.3 from last year). Sikorsky moved up one place this year to third with 6.5, up 0.2, followed by AgustaWestland with 6.3.

Above and Beyond 

We asked AIN Product Support participants to list their favorite support providers and what they like about the service they receive. Here are some of the companies and people respondents chose to recognize. Read the full list at www.ainonline.com/above-beyond-2016.

Gogo Business Aviation has partnered with Garmin, ForeFlight (JetFuelX) and FltPlan to bring new cockpit and operational applications to its ATG 1000 in-flight connectivity systemfor the light jet and turboprop markets. Starting in the fourth quarter, the ATG 1000 will support the Garmin Pilot, JetFuelX and FltPlan Go apps, adding to the already-supported ForeFlight Mobile, FlightAware Flight Tracker, WSI PilotBrief Optima and myGDC apps.

When connected to the GoGo Biz network, traffic and weather information can be received in flight via Garmin Pilot, while ForeFlight’s JetFuelX helps operators find the best jet fuel prices. FltPlan Go features approach plates on maps; animated weather; auto syncing of NavLogs, weather and routes; checklists; and airport and FBO information.

“Using these apps enabled by Gogo’s ATG 1000 system gives aircraft operators a complete solution for pilots and passengers alike,” said Andy Geist, senior vice president of business aviation solutions for Gogo. “It’s partnerships like these that reinforce the increased utility we provide.”

As part of AIN Publication’s annual survey of users of business aviation, we asked qualified subscribers of Aviation International News, our monthly print publication, to identify "specific individuals for going above and beyond when it comes to product/customer support" of aircraft, engines and avionics, and to explain why they deserve special recognition.

The respondents to the 2016 AIN Product Support Survey named nearly 150 deserving individuals, too many for us to include in the August issue of Aviation International News. So we have included all of them here. You’ll find them listed by company.

To all of you who earned this special recognition from your customers, all of us at AIN Publications offers our heartiest of congratulations! Thank you for going "Above and Beyond" to help keep business aviation flying.

The Czech government has approved an investment to secure the development and production of GE Aviation’s Advanced Turboprop (ATP) family in the Czech Republic. In January, GE Aviation stated its intention to build the ATP in the Czech Republic, but negotiations have been ongoing over the financial incentives. Czech Trade and Industry Minister Jan Mládek announced last week that the “Czech government today approved cooperation with GE Aviation,” and added, “aviation engines will be developed, examined and produced in the Czech Republic.” The approval reportedly includes an investment in a new $385 million facility.

“We’re pleased with the government approval of funds for ATP production,” GE Aviation said, but emphasized the formal agreement has not yet been settled and signed. “GE's hope is to have a formal agreement reached in the coming months,” the company said. “There is still work to be done, but it is moving in a positive direction.”

GE Aviation is investing $1 billion on the program in Europe, with more than 400 engineers in Italy, Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic currently working on the engine, which was selected to power Textron Aviation’s new Denali turboprop single. Full engine test is planned for the end of 2017.

In January, the company outlined plans for a GE Turboprop Center of Excellence that would open in 2020 to build the ATP. The center is expected to create more than 500 new jobs, a 125-percent boost over current employment in the Czech Republic, the company said. The center builds on GE’s previous investments in the Czech Republic, including the 2008 acquisition of Walter Engine, GE noted, adding its “current turboprop factory in Prague is a great success.”

Janice K. Barden, the founder of Aviation Personnel International (API) who was well known within the business aviation community for her contributions over nearly six decades, died on July 31.

Born in Cleveland, Barden obtained a degree in industrial psychology from Kent State University and then spent 15 years working for an airline personnel placement firm. In 1971, she decided to start her own business, API, in New Orleans, establishing the first female-owned and –operated personnel search firm dedicated to business aviation. The firm, now run by her daughter Sheryl Barden, had since placed thousands of professionals in the business aviation field.

Barden had been actively involved with NBAA, serving eight terms as the local committee chair for the association’s annual Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition. She also helped create the annual NBAA Careers in Business Aviation Day.

In 1992, Barden was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to a presidential blue ribbon panel to research training options to address the pilot and aviation maintenance technician shortage. She further was appointed to the President’s committee for the rehabilitation of returning Vietnam prisoner-of-war (POW) pilots.

“In everything she did, Jan always made people feel special and valued. She will be greatly missed,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. Barden was the recipient of numerous awards, including NBAA’s John P. “Jack” Doswell Award for her lifelong achievement in support of business aviation and the NBAA American Spirit Award for her pursuit of excellence and service to others in aviation. She also received a National Aeronautic Association Distinguished Statesman of Aviation Award and was inducted into the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame.

“I am immeasurably proud of the lifelong accomplishments and impact that my mother has made in the lives of professionals working in business aviation,” Sheryl Barden said. Along with her daughter, Janice K. Barden is survived by her husband Chuck McKinnon, the former head of IBM’s flight department.

Platinum Air Center, a new FBO at Jack Edwards Airport (JKA) in Gulf Shores, Ala., began operations this week. One of three service providers at the airport, the facility is based out of a 3,500-sq-ft temporary modular complex—featuring a pilot lounge, flight planning room and work stations with high-speed Wi-Fi—on the southeast side of the nearly 7,000-foot main Runway 9/27.

A new fuel tank farm, holding 20,000 gallons of jet-A and 12,000 gallons of avgas supplied by World Fuels, has been installed. Meanwhile, construction of a $5 million permanent FBO terminal with an adjoining 22,400-sq-ft hangar, capable of sheltering ultra-long-range business jets, is scheduled to start early next year, with a mid-2019 expected completion date.

The location, owned by FBO industry veterans Arve and Emily Henriksen, is the cornerstone of what they expect to grow into an FBO chain. In support of the new development, the airport recently completed a new, more-than-five-acre strengthened ramp to accommodate large corporate and commercial aircraft, along with two taxiway entrances leading to the new FBO, which is a member of the Paragon Aviation Group. JKA averages approximately 290 operations a day, 95 percent of which are general aviation. To attract business the Henriksens said they will initially sell fuel at below-margin prices.

Airbus Helicopters subsidiary Helibras has reinforced its support network for the fleet of about 90 Airbus helicopters supporting the 2016 Olympics in Rio and five cities hosting soccer games. The 2016 Games open on Friday in Rio.

Brazilian armed forces, as well as state police and fire departments, will use the Helibras helicopters for airspace defense, transporting security personnel and aeromedical evacuation during the event, with the city of Rio providing an EC135 and an AS365 for official VIP transport. Seven specially-equipped civilian Ecureuils will also provide aerial images for the media.

Helibras will keep a support team at Rio’s Parque dos Afonsos air force base, as well as client support and logistics managers, four dedicated technical representatives and back office teams between its factory in Itajubá, Minas Gerais, and its logistics center in Atibaia, São Paulo. It has also stocked extra parts, tools and supplies.

Rio's main general aviation airport, Jacarepaguá, is near the Olympic Village and will handle only public safety flights during the Games. Rio's airspace has already been closed to drones, hang gliders and sightseeing flights, which ATC officials note were identified as one of the highest security risks during the Olympics. Heads of state began arriving yesterday for Friday’s opening ceremony. In fact, the Prince of Monaco was among the first dignitaries arriving yesterday, flying into Rio’s Galeao air base aboard a Dassault Falcon 7X.

While landing excursions outnumber takeoff excursions by four times, the latter category of mishaps “still occur at an unacceptable rate,” the FAA said in a Safety Alert for Operators released on Friday. Two-thirds of takeoff-related events are overruns, and turboprops are involved in the largest percentage, followed closely by jets, the agency said.

According to the FAA, it's often errors in takeoff performance calculation that increase the risk of a takeoff runway excursion. “Operators should have procedures in place that provide proper weight-and-balance data, accurate takeoff-performance data and methods for error detection,” it noted.

The FAA said that it is of “primary importance” that weight-and-balance and takeoff performance numbers be verified by both flight crewmembers. In addition, training should also focus on “risk recognition and mitigation” regarding the hazards of incorrectly entering data into the flight management system, electronic flight bags or other electronic devices used for takeoff performance calculations. “Last-minute changes due to passengers and/or cargo adjustments, changes in weather, assigned runway or runway conditions or clearances are fertile ground for errors to occur,” according to the agency.

Using the guidance contained in the FAA Takeoff Safety Training website with “clearly defined” SOPs and training for rejected takeoff decisions also guards against potential errors, the agency concluded.