At this year’s EBACE in Geneva there was a strong feeling that we were seeing an upturn: that came from

operators, aircraft charter brokers and manufacturers from all over Europe. Of course, some will say that business aviation always wears rose coloured spectacles and sees the very best in every situation.

It is true to say that we will never get back in the short term, to delivering 1,000 new business jets in a year but delivering 600 to 700 every year is good for the industry. These numbers add to the overall fleet size and allow some of the older aircraft to be retired, stored and parted out.

Europe also faces a big change with the introduction of the EASA Part-NCC, allowing single-engine turboprop (SETP) aircraft to be operated under commercial rules, and needs to meet the challenges of these new rules for OEM’s, owners and operators.

Asked for his thoughts, Adam Twidell, CEO of PrivateFly, said: “While Europe has been much more cautious about allowing charters on single engine aircraft, the FAA in the States has permitted these flights since 1997.

“Indeed, while Europe is on the verge of permitting charters on SETPs, in the States they even allow single engine piston aircraft to carry fare paying customers.

“The economy of Europe is of a similar size to that of the States, yet our business aviation industry is almost a quarter of the size. There is no doubt that this lifting of the single engine ban will open up the market and help to redress that balance.”

The benefits of allowing SETP for charter include: • Lowering the entry point price for charter customers; • Encouraging many more passengers to see the benefits of charter; • Commercial transformation for

some smaller airports.

“The move will also create entry level jobs for many young pilots. Single engine aircraft can be flown with a CPL (Commercial Pilot’s Licence), allowing many recently-qualified pilots to gain employment and start a career in business aviation, saving them years of painful employment with the low cost carriers!

“There will also be a boost to aircraft manufacturing. We already see a great deal of customer interest in aircraft such as the Swiss Pilatus PC-12. With widespread charter set to be authorised for this and similar aircraft, the manufacturers can look forward to a rush of new orders. Cessna has timed the entrance of the Denali well. With their brand reputation for reliability, this aircraft stands to be very successful in the category.

“And for aircraft owners, never has there been a better time to buy a single engine turboprop aircraft in Europe. Used aircraft prices have fallen to record lows so bargains are available, especially if you are using Euros to buy a UK aircraft in sterling. “Aircraft owners will now be able to fully justify the value of having their own plane and by having the aircraft.”

With this new niche in Europe, there should be an upturn in orders for single engine turboprop aircraft from European based operators, confirmation of which could be found with the extra interest being shown in those single engine turboprops being displayed in Geneva. EBACE was not just about SETPs. Other business jets had news about their progress, with Falcon 8X and Global 7000 both moving closer to entry into service later this year.

See EUROPE page 2

Europe experiences bizav upturn

Terry Spruce

It has been reported that business aviation in Europe is growing and that the continent is set to see an upturn in the industry. Some will say that such growth should benefit business aviation in the United States. Contrails asked Terry Spruce, Senior News Editor, Corporate Jet Investor, to comment.

July, 2017

ORD

IAHto LAX

BGRFRA

GVA

SVO

DXB

to BJS

Number 1 on The Great Circle Route • Closest US port of entry from Europe

• CAT III, 11,440’ (3,486 m.) runway • Excellent weather record–

renowned worldwide for its ability to stay open

• 24 hour on-field Customs & Border Protection

• 24 hour FAA ATC Tower• Custom catering• Contract fuel arrangements • Full service above & below wing • Complete cargo handling

• US Department of Agriculture, Public Health and Animal/Plant quarantine services

• Low cost all inclusive/all aircraft ground and cargo handling services

• No restrictions, surcharges, Canadian NAV/User fees, or other “hidden costs”

• 12 million sq. ft. of ramp space • 20,000 sq. ft. of heated cargo

storage space • FAA/EASA aircraft maintenance • Uncongested access–air and land

BGR’s Marketing Manager Risteen Bahr has been appointed Chair of the Maine Tourism Association, reflecting her wide travel industry experience and long commitment to promoting the local region.

Ms. Bahr has held her present position for more than 10 years, spearheading the airport’s marketing and communications outreach program, with particular responsibility for business development and strategic planning.

Previously Director of Marketing for Bay Ferries, which operates a high-speed ferry service between Maine and Nova Scotia, she was formerly Executive Director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to her role as Chair of the Maine Tourism Association, Ms. Bahr is Chair of the Bangor Historical Society and immediate past Chair of the Down East and Acadia Regional Tourism Organization, The Maine Highlands Regional Tourism Organization for Penobscot and Piscataquis Counties and the Greater Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Her dedication and commitment to local tourism was recognized in 2012 when she received the Maine Governor’s Tourism Award for Commitment to the Community.

2

For all the many complexities of running an airport, where life is governed by rigid schedules and regulations, all ensuring that the right things arrive at the right place at the right

time, there’s an obvious irony. This is perfectly illustrated by the ‘Tales of the unexpected’ headline on the facing page, that it can be one of the most unpredictable jobs in the world.

Never more so than at Bangor International, where our role as the diversion airport of choice sits comfortably alongside the day-to-day routine of scheduled flights to and from other parts of the US, as well as our position as a leader in Trans-Atlantic tech stops, all helping to keep us on our toes.

By its very nature, of course, preparing for the unpredictable is a taxing challenge, made somewhat easier by the meticulous nature of the planning exercise the airport is required by the FAA to carry out every three years. It is a drill that we all take extremely seriously and one that tests every agency likely to be involved, both on and off the airport.

Spending one’s working day surrounded by aircraft of all sizes remains a joy for those of us who are aviation enthusiasts. Our back page of this issue focuses on the International seaplane fly-in, a unique celebration of amphibious aircraft that even those like me see all too rarely.

If you’re in the region in early September, please stop in and experience the BGR brand of service!

Plane spotter’s paradise

Tony CarusoAirport Director

BGR’s Marketing Manager appointed MTA Chair

GAMA and ICAO applaud new emissions standard

This move means that ICAO’s 191 member states can now adopt and implement the new standard in their national regulations. Under the guidelines, the standard would not only be applicable to new aircraft type

designs as of 2020, but also to new deliveries of current in-production aircraft types from 2023. A cut-off date of 2028 for production of aircraft that do not comply with the standard was also proposed.

Describing it as a milestone that enshrines aviation manufacturers’ commitment to mitigate the industry’s impact on climate change, GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce said: “We are proud of the important leadership role that general aviation manufacturers played in developing the new standard over the past six years.”

EUROPE cont. from page 1

The event also saw the third PC-24 built but this example had the first passenger cabin interior. Gulfstream showed the new G500 and many were impressed with what they saw.

Dassault suggested that they are close to announcing a new business aircraft, possibly by the end of 2017.

Other aircraft are coming to the end of their production - the Citation Mustang will finish with around 470 of these very light jets built.

To repeat, there is a feeling that Europe is about to see a bizav upturn in business and the US might well be able to show them how to profitably operate SETPs.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the International Business Aviation Council each released statements applauding the final approval by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on the first international standard to limit CO2 emissions from aircraft.

Thousands of American soldiers, including 480 from Maine, remain unaccounted for from all wars and conflicts involving the US military.

Now, in a poignant tribute to those local men and women who were declared missing in action, Bangor’s American legion chapter has dedicated a POW-MIA Chair of Honor, which was installed at the airport alongside a board on which all 480 names are listed.

“Originally part of Dow Air Force Base, BGR has a long association with the military,” says Airport Director Tony Caruso. “Almost two million servicemen and women have passed through BGR on military charters as they returned from the first and second Gulf wars and the action in Bosnia, each of them welcomed home by Bangor’s stalwart Troop Greeters, who ensure that their dedication and sacrifice is acknowledged. The POW-MIA Chair of Honor is a way of memorializing those who weren’t fortunate enough to return.”

BGR’s fire and rescue department, together with the Maine Air National Guard’s ARFF squad, the airport’s operations team and other City of Bangor departments, joined representatives from supporting local, state and federal agencies, the American Red Cross, other first responders and local fire and medical teams in a recent drill, which simulated a fire on an aircraft connected to a jet bridge.

The airport is required by the Federal Aviation Administration to conduct a full-scale disaster planning exercise of this nature every three years, when local stakeholders join forces in a life-like emergency that includes controlled fire and smoke, Red Cross crews ‘treating’ mock casualties and airport officials holding a news conference.

Commenting on this year’s drill Airport Director Tony Caruso said: “While we hope that such an emergency never takes place, it makes sense to test our preparedness, should the worst happen. This kind of drill gives us a chance to test the procedures we have in place in a very controlled environment and to evaluate how we perform objectively,” he added.

Multi-agency involvement in mock emergency drill

BGR memorial honors those still missing

3

Tales of the unexpected“The world’s emergency landing capital” is how one UK daily newspaper recently described Bangor International Airport (BGR), citing its unique location among the prime reasons behind the 1,170 “diversion or emergency type flights” that BGR has handled since 2005.

Situated in the north-east corner of the United States, BGR is the closest US port of entry from Europe — number one on the Great Circle Route and the diversion airport of choice for those aircraft that encounter the unexpected while airborne.

Aircraft making unscheduled stops at BGR have a variety of needs – 60 percent simply requiring no more than a ‘pit stop’ to refuel. Bad weather accounts for a further 22 percent of diversions, with the balance involving security, medical or mechanical emergencies.

Originally home to the US Army Air Corps and to this day a base for the Maine Air National Guard, 1958 saw the construction of what was then the longest runway east of the Mississippi. That same runway, built to accommodate the famous B-52 bombers, is able to take the

world’s largest aircraft, another contributory factor in BGR’s role today as the emergency landing capital.

“We never know what to expect,” explains Airport Director Tony Caruso. “Nor what type of aircraft requires our help – passenger, cargo, military — so we’re prepared for all eventualities. We receive notice, either from the aircraft itself or the FAA. That triggers a well-rehearsed procedure, which may involve a whole raft of emergency personnel. Government agencies, security, local hospitals, fire, police. Whatever the situation demands.

“Given our location, as well as reasonably uncongested air space, an airport infrastructure that can, and has been required to support civilian or military aircraft, including the 32-wheeled Antonov An-225, the world’s largest cargo carrier, it’s no wonder we enjoy the reputation as the airport where diverted planes go.”

Antonov An-225

Bangor International Airport • 287 Godfrey Blvd, Bangor, ME 04401, USA • 1.207.992.4600 • fax: 1.207.945.3607 • www.flybangor.com

If you have any questions or comments regarding this newsletter or story suggestions for the next edition, please contact Risteen Bahr: rbahr@flybangor.com or 1.207.992.4610.

4

Plane spotters in Maine are in for a rare treat this fall when the International Seaplane Fly-In welcomes thousands of participants and spectators to the Moosehead Lake Region.

Now in its 44th year, the annual festival takes place from September 7-10 at the Greenville Seaplane Base, on the southernmost tip of Moosehead Lake, roughly 70 miles from Bangor. Previous years have seen low altitude fly-bys from Cubs, Taylorcrafts and Cessnas, as well as spectacular sightings of rare amphibious aircraft, including the 1944 Grumman Goose, an unsung hero of World War II. It is not unusual, according to the organisers, to see Cessna Caravans, as well as other classic and experimental seaplanes.

“But instead of folks running to the ‘phone to call the local FAA office to report low flying aircraft, there is a reverence expressed by the onlookers,” according to the Great Arctic Air Adventure duo Mark Schoening and Doug DeVries, who piloted their

de Havilland Beaver seaplanes during the summer of 2008 in a 10,000-mile circumnavigation of Canada via the famed Northwest Passage.

Describing the Greenville fly-in the pair said “People fly, drive, walk, or canoe to this beautiful little town on the south shore of Moosehead Lake in droves from all over the country to sit on the docks, or in lawn chairs, or on the tops of their RVs, to watch airplanes.”

The design and diversity of the participating seaplanes, combined with the knowledge of the pilots flying them, ensure a tremendous weekend for the flying enthusiast. The four-day

event provides many opportunities for pilots to show off their skills, including spot landing, taxiing and takeoff competitions.

The popular fly-in got its start in 1973 when a few ‘bush pilots’, who made their living flying sportsmen in and out of the area around Moosehead Lake, invited like-minded pilots to a weekend of fun and flying. The event grew in popularity and by

1995 the International Seaplane Fly-In Association was formed as a non-profit corporation “to promote fellowship, personal contact, and unification among seaplane pilots, and recreational and competitive events, including at least one annual Fly-in.” The rest, as they say, is aviation history.

Low flying aircraft expected in Maine

Photograph courtesy of The Cozy Moose lakeside cabin rentals (www.mooseheadcabins.com)