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DECEMBER 2022 | Vol. 51 No. 12 | AINonline.com $9.00
OPERATIONS: MAKING CHECKLISTS WORK FOR SAFETY
ROTORCRAFT: PITFALLS OF THE NO SURPRISES ACT
PILOT REPORT: DAHER'S SPEEDY AND ROBUST KODIAK 900
AV I AT I O N I N T E R N AT I O N A L N E W S Special Report: The Past Year, and the Next
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In this issue
40 Pilot Report:
Daher Kodiak 900
12
Checklist discipline: avoiding
the simple stupid stuff that kills
4 NetJets Nears 1,000-aircraft Fleet
6 Citation Jet Pilots convention
serves up aviation safety
8 NBAA-BACE heading to Vegas
after strong 2022 in Orlando
10 FAA issues first Part 135
standard training
18 AIN's 50th anniversary
22 Potted planes still mean the pokey
46 24 Special Report: Bizav's
No Surprises Act is a ‘license to steal’
transformative year
Safety Talk: MedAire’s Dolny
38 warns of security concerns in
the wake of Covid
DEPARTMENTS
20 Expert Opinion | 46 Rotorcraft | 50 On the Ground
52 Maintenance | 54 Accidents | 56 Compliance
58 People in Aviation
2 Aviation International News \ December 2022 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m
THE SYMMETRY
REVOLUTION
Intuition and intelligence reign with the Gulfstream Symmetry Flight Deck™.
Designed with touch-screen displays and active control sidesticks—an industry first—
this revolutionary technology drives the next generation of Gulfstream aircraft.
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NetJets nears 1,000-aircraft News Briefs
frax and managed fleet GULFSTREAM DELIVERIES,
SALES SOAR IN 3Q
BY CURT EPSTEIN General Dynamics subsidiary Gulfstream
Aerospace delivered 35 aircraft (28 large-
With planned additions and no expecta- he said. That is a total reversal from 2008, cabin jets and seven midsize G280s) in the
tions to dispose of any of its current aircraft, when the company took delivery of 88 air- third quarter, up from 31 (25 large-cabins and
NetJets is on track to have nearly 1,000 jets craft, none of which were pre-sold. six G280s) in the same period a year ago.
in its fleet by the end of next year, Patrick While its jet card sales are still being In the first nine months, it handed over 82
Gallagher—the fractional lift provider’s limited strictly to renewals, the opera- aircraft (66 large-cabins and 16 G280s), up
president of sales, marketing, and service— tor expects that program to fully resume from 80 units (68 large-cabins and 12 G280s)
said during a presentation at Corporate Jet next year. a year earlier. To reach its 2022 delivery esti-
Investor Miami in November. Presently, the As for staff to fly those new additions, mate of 121 jets, the company will need to
company operates more than 850 aircraft Gallagher told the audience NetJets receives ship at least 39 aircraft in the fourth quarter.
worldwide between its U.S., European, and more than 350 pilot resumes a month and Deliveries are expected to ramp up to 148
Executive Jet Management fleets. has hired 450 flight crew members this year. next year. According to the company, these
According to Gallagher, NetJets will It expects to add another 700 in 2023. numbers are achievable given the current
receive another 25 to 30 new jet deliveries “It’s tough for the small flight departments sales environment and $19.1 billion backlog.
by year-end, bringing the total fleet addi- these days to keep pilots because they want
tions this year to about 75 aircraft. to work for a big operator, and very few out HONDAJET ELITE II GETS FAA OK
Next year, the company expects to intake there can match NetJets work rules, NetJets The upgraded HondaJet Elite II announced
more than 100 new-production jets. at these compensation, the training, etcetera,” Galla- at NBAA-BACE received FAA approval early
rates, Netjets accounts for approximately 12 gher told the audience. “We don’t lose very last month. Deliveries of the latest Honda-
percent of the industry’s jet production. many. Our attrition rates are very low.” Jet variant—which has more range (1,547
A year ago, the company halted all sales In addition to fleet expansion, the com- nm), new cabin designs, ground spoilers,
to concentrate on its existing custom- pany is concentrating on real estate with and a stabilized approach feature—were
ers, and while fractional sales have since its 14 service locations around the country. imminent at press time. It also has a 200-
resumed, Gallagher added that its inven- “It’s not just about having owner lounges, pound mtow increase to 11,100 pounds, a
tory is sold out through 2023, with some it’s really more about keeping the fleet black sable exterior paint scheme option,
interim leasing solutions still available. moving and not having to rely on oversat- and new cabin interiors in onyx and steel
“We’re taking [non-refundable] depos- urated third-party providers,” Gallagher styles. Next year, Honda Aircraft will also
its against 2024 deliveries at this point,” explained. z add autothrottle and Garmin Autoland.
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10 of its owned California FBOs. Signature
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at its San Francisco FBO through its Signa-
ture Renew program in 2020 and several
additional locations over the past two years.
Signature’s 30 percent SAF blend offers a 25
percent reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas
emissions versus traditional jet-A. Currently,
Signature distributes approximately 8 percent
of the entire global production of SAF.
4 Aviation International News \ December 202 2 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m
CIVIL AVIATION
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Citation Jet Pilots convention News Briefs
serves up aviation safety BOMBARDIER PREPS FOR
Q4 DELIVERY RAMP
B Y M AT T T HUR BE R Bombardier deliveries dipped by two units
to 25 in the third quarter, but a 20 percent
This year’s Citation Jet Pilots (CJP) con- FlightSafety’s Kleinhans. “We need our cli- jump in aftermarket business kept revenues
vention saw more than 560 attendees, ents prepared for the real world.” even at $1.5 billion from the same three-
many who flew to Georgetown Execu- To that end, FlightSafety is working with month period a year ago. At the same time,
tive Airport north of Austin, Texas, in 160 GE Digital to capture flight and training Bombardier’s backlog grew in the quarter
Cessna Citations. CJP now has 1,427 mem- data and provide analysis that helps iden- by $300 million to $15 billion. The Canadian
bers who operate 916 Citations, and during tify threats and hazards. “We look at what manufacturer shipped two fewer Globals for
the past two years there have been zero training does and how to inoculate our a total of 13 in the quarter, but Challenger
incidents or accidents involving members pilots,” he said. deliveries increased by four to a dozen.
and their airplanes. Some results of all this work are CJP’s Bombardier anticipates a strong fourth quar-
With safety as a key focus of CJP and its new FOQA program, working with ter with at least 47 deliveries and in line with its
CJP Safety and Education Foundation, CJP L3Harris and CloudAhoy, and its Safe To guidance of at least 120 deliveries for the year.
Safety Committee chair Charlie Precourt, a Land initiative. The latter is specifically
former space shuttle commander and CJ1+ designed to tackle the high rate of runway IRVING LAUNCHING BIZAV
owner, led the first session, “The Quest for excursions in personal and business jet TRAINING CENTER
Safety.” This featured a discussion of safety operations. “Data shows about 35 percent Aviation advocate Barrington Irving has
practices by NetJets fleet program director of all hull losses are from runway excur- teamed up with industry and community
Robert Switz and FlightSafety Interna- sions,” Precourt said. “That’s a big area for organizations to launch a professional and
tional director of safety Mark Kleinhans. us to focus on. We’re working hard to do technical training center in South Florida
Switz described how NetJets has devel- our part to drive these trend lines lower.” to help build a pipeline of local, national,
oped its flight operations quality assurance CJP members were able to attend a and international students in business
(FOQA) program and how it has contrib- two-hour ground school for Safe To Land aviation disciplines. Irving is partnering with
uted to the company’s stellar safety record. during an afternoon session, and within NBAA, Miami-Dade County, Miami-Dade
“FOQA has been a game-changer for us,” certain time constraints, the training from Aviation Department, Atlantic Aviation, and
he said. the convention will be applicable for credit Bombardier on the center that organizers
“We know from industry data that even towards FlightSafety’s in-development say will offer innovative programs and
proficient pilots may encounter situ- Safe To Land course, which will be avail- training approaches, along with specialized
ations they’re not prepared for,” said able next year. z technical and professional certifications.
INJUNCTION KEEPS EAST
HAMPTON AIRPORT PUBLIC
A recent ruling by New York State Supreme
Court justice Paul Baisley prevents the town
of East Hampton from temporarily closing
its airport then reopening it as a private-use
facility with prior permission required, NBAA
reported. The ruling comes after a protracted
attempt by the city to change the airport’s
MATT THURBER
operational status, NBAA explained, “osten-
sibly to address community concerns over
noise.” Baisley’s ruling noted that the town
Gold Standard safety award winners were honored at this year’s Citation Jet Pilots did not analyze the proposed restrictions
Owners Pilot Association convention in Austin, Texas. under state and federal requirements.
6 Aviation International News \ December 202 2 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o m
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News Briefs
SUPPLY CHAIN WEIGHS
ON TEXTRON AVIATION
Supply-chain issues weighed on Textron Avi-
ation’s deliveries of Cessna Citation business
jets and Beechcraft King Air turboprops in
the third quarter, leading to lower revenue.
Textron Aviation delivered 39 jets and 33 tur-
boprops in the quarter, down from 49 jets and
35 turboprops in the same period a year ago.
Revenues of $1.2 billion in the quarter are
also $14 million below third-quarter 2021, with
NBAA-BACE heading to Vegas this erosion partially offset by an 18 percent
year-over-year increase in aftermarket vol-
after strong 2022 in Orlando
ume. Quarterly profit, however, swung higher
at $139 million, up $41 million from a year
ago. Backlog as of September 30 was $6.4
B Y CUR T E P S T E I N A N D K E R R Y LY N C H billion, nearly double that from a year earlier.
This year’s NBAA-BACE provided a big as a whole is trending toward optimizing STUDY: EVTOL INDUSTRY
boost to the Central Florida economy, events in a single location. NEEDS 10,000 ENGINEERS
according to the Greater Orlando Avia- Noting the trends of stationing at one Some 10,000 additional engineers will
tion Authority. The three-day show gener- location, “we decided with what’s going be needed over the next decade to meet
ated an estimated $51 million in economic on in Las Vegas—with the new hall, ramp the demand for advanced vertical flight
impact and attracted more than 21,000 vis- space—that we would do a trial to be in aircraft development in the U.S., accord-
itors from around the world. Las Vegas for four years,” Strong said. ing to a study from the Vertical Flight
Held at the Orange County Convention This was a decision, he stressed, that Society and Hysky Society. The study
Center, BACE returned to Orlando for the was made following conversations with calls for significant additional funding for
first time since 2018, with the 2020 edition exhibitors, attendees, and the board of academia to train sufficient engineers
canceled due to the pandemic. The num- directors. The reaction to the trial has to meet industry demands and for the
ber of exhibitors this year topped 800—on been “largely positive,” Strong said, not- industry to provide sufficient incentives.
par with 2018’s total. At Orlando Executive ing the track record NBAA already has had
Airport—which hosted the show’s static with the Nevada city. He further said that PIPER M600/SLS OK’D FOR
aircraft display for the 12th time—nearly in choosing a single location, “Las Vegas UNPAVED AIRFIELD OPS
70 business jets, turboprops, and piston offers us the opportunity for the kind of Piper Aircraft received FAA, Transport
aircraft from all the leading manufacturers show that we want to put on.” Canada, UK CAA, and EASA approval of a
were on exhibit. However, Strong also stressed the kit that permits certain M600/SLS turbo-
At this year’s show, however, NBAA importance that Orlando has played in prop singles to be operated from unpaved
senior v-p for events Chris Strong con- the history of NBAA’s convention, saying fields. Brazilian certification is expected
firmed that this will be BACE’s last appear- NBAA has “many friends” in the Central to follow early next year. All 2022 M600/
ance in the Sunshine State for at least Florida city. “Aviation and Florida are syn- SLSs are factory provisioned to operate
the next several years. The annual event, onymous. Florida is one of the great avia- on unpaved fields with incorporation of a
which has rotated locations throughout tion homes,” he said and added the static supplement in the POH. M600s manufac-
its history, is landing in Las Vegas for at hosts including Showalter Flying Service tured between 2016 and 2021 equipped
least the next four years and possibly fur- and Atlantic Aviation have been a great with five-blade propellers also have the
ther into the future. Strong told AIN that home for the static display. “They have option to be modified via an available kit
the move comes as the tradeshow industry been sensational partners.” z allowing the same unpaved field operations.
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FAA issues first Part 135 News Briefs
standardized training EMBRAER DELIVERIES LAG,
BUT 4Q TO BE A BONANZA
B Y K E R R Y LY N C H Embraer delivered 23 business jets (15 light
and eight midsize airplanes) in the third
The FAA has released the first of what is quarter, up from 21 aircraft (14 light and
anticipated to be a number of aircraft- seven midsize) in the same period a year
specific standardized training curricula ago. Year-to-date, Embraer has shipped 52
for use in Part 135 operations. Published in executive jets (33 light and 19 midsize), com-
the Federal Register on October 20, the ini- pared with 54 (36 light and 18 midsize) in the
tial standardized curriculum is tailored for first nine months of 2021. But Embraer reaf-
the Gulfstream V series but is anticipated firmed its 2022 delivery guidance for 100 to
to serve as a framework for future models, 110 business jets, meaning its fourth-quar-
the National Air Transportation Associa- ter shipments will equal or exceed those
tion (NATA) said. in the first three quarters combined.
A voluntary program designed for train-
ing at Part 142 centers, the standardized BOMBARDIER DESIGNS GLOBAL
curriculum concept was a recommen- 7500, 8000 EXECUTIVE CABIN
dation that came out of the Air Carrier Bombardier unveiled a new executive cabin
Training Aviation Rulemaking Commit- for its Global 7500 and 8000 ultra-long-
tee (ARC), which sought a means to ease range jets featuring three 12-foot-long
paperwork burdens and staffing shortage workspaces designed to facilitate passenger
concerns. In addition, the programs are The Gulfstream GV standardized training collaboration and productivity. The com-
portable, which addresses the issue of curricula for Part 135 is the first of many. pany originally designed the Global 7500
charter operators having to send pilots to to have four zones, but has re-engineered
initial training for the same model of air- curricula. John McGraw, who is a senior the aircraft’s bulkheads to offer three larger
craft for each operator they fly for, even if advisor for NATA and was an integral part sections as an available option with an
the pilots are current in that aircraft, a sig- of the work behind the new approach, has office suite, conference suite, and C suite.
nificant expense for 135 opertors. called the consensus-based standards one In addition, Bombardier revealed a cabin
The concept is also intended to ele- of the most significant changes in training furnishing called the “Nuage cube,” which
vate safety by providing a standardized approaches for charter operations in years can function as a seat, stool, or small table.
approach to training on specific aircraft and one that was years in the making.
that incorporates best practices. The FAA released the Advisory Circular RUNWAY MISHAPS TOP
“It provides an efficient means for (AC) on the standardized curricula concept TSB WATCHLIST
approving training curricula offered by in 2020, following the release of the pro- The Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s
Part 142 training centers while increasing posed AC in 2018, but the concept has been (TSB) latest annual transportation safety
the consistency of training, testing, and in the works for nearly a decade. Watchlist again contains two specific aviation
checking delivered to Part 135 operators, Work has already begun on the next air- concerns: runway incursions and runway
with an emphasis on standardization,” the craft, with the aim of developing curricula overruns. The list also includes three areas
agency said. “The standardized curriculum on aircraft that are more commonly used in encompassing all transportation modes:
concept supports the overarching goals to charter operations. fatigue, safety management, and regulatory
enhance training and checking and pro- The FAA, which ultimately reviews the oversight. According to the Safety Board, the
mote safer operational practices and is curricula before they are released, said the number of runway overruns in Canada has
consistent with applicable regulations.” initial program for the Gulfstream V includes remained constant since 2005, despite being
ARC recommendations led to the forma- recommended maneuvers, procedures, and added to the Watchlist in 2010. Meanwhile,
tion of a Training Standardization Working functions to meet the regulatory require- the rate of runway incursions in the country
Group that is tasked with developing the ments in Part 135. z has doubled in the past 12 years, it said.
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307.587.9262 | choiceaviation.com | flight@choiceaviation.comChecklist discipline:
avoiding the simple stupid stuff that kills
B Y S T UA R T “K IP P ” L AU
Often the “stupid simple stuff ” ends up flight. Asaf Degani, a former researcher at Checklists, as a topic of discussion, went
killing people in aviation. Forgetting to dis- NASA Ames Research Center, co-authored mainstream in 2009 when Atul Gawande
engage a gust lock, turn on the probe heat, a study on the Human Factors of Flight published his book The Checklist Manifesto:
or properly set the flaps or trim prior to Deck Checklists and identified the pri- How To Get Things Right. Gawande offered
takeoff have all resulted in fatal accidents. mary purpose of the normal checklist: a convincing argument for adopting the
Checklists—one of the most basic tools “The major function of the checklist is to use of a checklist in modern life and busi-
in a pilot’s toolkit—are designed to over- ensure that the crew will properly config- ness using aviation as a backdrop.
come limitations of pilot memory and ure the plane for flight and maintain this The premise of this argument identi-
ensure that action items are completed level of quality throughout the flight and in fied why humans fail and why they need
in sequence without omission. In each of every flight.” checklists. Gawande concluded that we
these accidents, checklists were either dis- Degani, now a technical fellow at General fail for two reasons: either ignorance
regarded or involved a more complex error Motors’ Research and Development Center, or ineptitude.
caused by a human factors issue. noted checklist use was particularly import- Ignorance is explained as “we may
Normal checklists enhance flight safety ant in takeoff, approach, and landing. He said, err because science has given us only a
and enable the pilot(s) to confirm safety “Although these segments comprise only 27 partial understanding of the world and
critical systems and controls are correctly percent of an average flight duration, they how it works”—or—we simply do not
and consistently configured for a phase of account for 76 percent of hull loss accidents.” have all the information available to us.
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As an example, the use of idle reverse
during taxi may be prohibited on a spe-
cific aircraft type, but if there is no written
guidance available then there is no way for
the pilot to know that they erred.
Ineptitude is defined as “an instance
where knowledge exists, yet we fail to apply
it correctly.” In this case, the flaps may have
been mis-set for takeoff and a checklist was
available to trap the error, but the crew
intentionally chooses not to use it.
“Failures of ignorance we can forgive,”
according to Gawande. “If the knowledge
of the best thing to do in a given situation
does not exist, we are happy to have people
simply make their best effort.” Conversely,
he said, “But if knowledge exists and is
not applied correctly, it is difficult not to The investigation of the GIV overrun at Hanscom Field in 2014 identified significant lack of use of
be infuriated.” checklists, flight control checks, and pre-takeoff briefings on many flights before the accident.
Gawande added, “Experts need check-
lists; think of them as written processes to and as the speed increased “the bomb- successful, and the aircraft went on to
guide them through the key steps in any er’s nose went much higher than nor- become the B-17 Flying Fortress. More
complex procedure.” mal.” Accordingly, the aircraft reached a than 12,000 were delivered during World
In aviation, pilots have many resources maximum height of 300 feet, stalled, and War II.
such as checklists, quick reference hand- crashed into a field, left wing first, and
books, aircraft flight manuals, and flight burst into flames. Fortunately, all four crew TALE OF TWO TAILS—
ops manuals to build knowledge and have members survived the crash. A RENEWED EMPHASIS
a more complete understanding of their Only the tail section of the aircraft was Fast forward nearly 80 years and another
world or operational environment. recovered from the crash and fire. With accident involving a “gust lock” created a
this piece of evidence, investigators discov- watershed moment for business aviation.
TALE OF TWO TAILS ered the cause of the accident—an internal In May 2014, a Gulfstream IV attempted
—THE ORIGIN OF THE CHECKLIST control lock that immobilized the elevator to take off with the flight control gust
In 1934, the U.S. Army Air Corps held a and rudder. It was determined that it was locks engaged from Hanscom Field in
competition to replace the service’s vul- improbable for any pilot to successfully Bedford, Massachusetts. Unable to rotate,
nerable twin-engine Martin Aircraft B-10 take off with the control lock installed. the crew attempted to reject the takeoff
bomber. Boeing began to campaign its Following the accident, Boeing could at a high speed at a point where the air-
Model 299—a revolutionary aircraft for not complete the competition and an ini- craft was unable to stop on the runway.
its time—a four-engine bomber with long tial order for the aircraft was canceled by The aircraft overran the paved surface
range and a “self-defense” system that the Army Air Corps. Because the Army still of Runway 11 and collided with ground
included multiple gun turrets. The Model favored Boeing’s bomber, the service found obstructions before ending up in a gulley.
299 was a leap forward in bombers for a legal loophole to purchase 13 YB-17s (the A post-crash fire destroyed the aircraft and
the time and was heavily favored to win new designation for the Model 299) for killed all aboard, three crew members and
the competition. further evaluation. four passengers.
During a “fly off ” demonstration in Boeing and the Army Air Corps felt the Investigators were able to recover infor-
October 1935, the aircraft departed Wright YB-17 was too big and complex for any mation from the flight data recorder (FDR),
Field near Dayton, Ohio with a highly expe- pilot to simply fly safely. To avoid another cockpit voice recorder (CVR), and quick
rienced test pilot at the controls. Shortly accident, a checklist was developed for access recorder to reconstruct not only the
after takeoff, witnesses reported “the air- takeoff, flight, before landing, landing, accident flight but to investigate past flights
craft broke ground in a tail low attitude” and after landing. This checklist proved and actions (or inactions) by the flight crew.
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Both pilots—a 45-year-old captain KING AIR PILOTS AND CHECKLISTS checklist for the B200, and investigators
and a 61-year-old first officer—had been Unfortunately, less than three years after determined that the rudder trim would be
employed by the operator for many years the Bedford G-IV crash, there was another checked five times prior to takeoff if the
and had flown the accident aircraft for the business aviation aircraft accident where checklist was followed.
past seven years. The first officer (occupy- checklist usage may have been a factor. In Two years later, a King Air 350 crashed at
ing the right seat for this leg) was the chief this case, in February 2017 a Beechcraft Addison Airport in Dallas, Texas, killing 10
pilot and director of maintenance. King Air B200 crashed shortly after takeoff people. The NTSB determined the proba-
Prior to departure from Bedford, once at Essendon Airport in Victoria, Australia, ble cause of this accident to be, “the pilot’s
the passengers were boarded, the engines killing four American passengers and an failure to maintain aircraft control follow-
were started, and the aircraft began to taxi Australian pilot. ing the reduction in thrust in the left engine
to Runway 11. During this time, it was noted during takeoff…Contributing to the accident
that the CVR had “recorded minimal verbal was the pilot’s failure to conduct the air-
communication between the flight crew- ...he habitually did plane manufacturer’s emergency procedure
members and there was no discussion or following the loss of power in one engine
mention of checklist or takeoff planning.” not use a formal item- and to follow the manufacturer’s checklists
The Gulfstream IV aircraft flight manual
includes five checklists to be completed
by-item checklist. during all phases of operation.”
The report determined that “given the lack
prior to takeoff. of callouts for checklists on the CVR and the
The “Starting Engines” checklist included pilot’s consistently reported history of not
the requirement to disengage the gust lock. using a checklist, it is possible that he did not
Likewise, the “After Starting Engines” check- check or adjust the setting of the power lever
list included a flight control check for full friction locks before the accident flight.”
movement of the flight controls to confirm The NTSB surmised that the loss of power
that they move freely and correctly. on the engine may have been caused by
Checklist items as specified by the OEM throttle lever migration—the uncommanded
would have identified that the gust lock movement of the throttle lever, which is a
was still engaged. FDR data showed that The GIV’s gust lock control is designed to common issue with the King Air.
the flight crew did not complete the flight prevent application of full power, and it should
control check on many of the previously be disengaged after starting the engines. WHY BOTHER?
recorded flights (two flight control checks In the final report of the Essendon crash,
on the previous 176 flights). In its report, the Australian Transporta- the ATSB explored, in detail, checklist dis-
A contract pilot interviewed during the tion Safety Board (ATSB) noted that during cipline. The ATSB found research studies
investigation stated that he had flown with the takeoff roll the aircraft began to yaw to provided insights into “why checklist proce-
the accident pilot for several years but said, the left shortly after rotation. As the King dures may not always be completed.” Four
“he habitually did not use a formal item-by- Air began a shallow climb, the aircraft had categories were discussed including: atti-
item checklist.” In the final NTSB accident a substantial left side slip with minimal roll. tude, distractions and interruptions, expec-
report, of the top contributory factors in The aircraft then began to descend and col- tations and perception, and time pressure.
the accident was the “flight crew’s habitual lided with buildings at a retail outlet center. Attitude was cited as “probably the
noncompliance with checklists.” The ATSB found that the pilot did not greatest enemy of error-free, disciplined
The final report on the Bedford crash detect that the aircraft’s rudder trim was checklist use.” The study determined that
made several safety recommendations, positioned in the full-nose left position a lack of motivation was the biggest hin-
including a call for the International Busi- prior to takeoff. The position of the rud- drance to using a checklist in the way it
ness Aviation Council (IBAC) to amend its der, the report concluded, had a significant was intended to be used.
IS-BAO auditing standards to include ver- impact and resulted in the loss of control. Distractions and interruptions result in
ification that operators comply with best ATSB investigators noted an increased a disruption of the sequential flow of the
practices for checklist execution and that risk due to the incorrect manufacturer’s checklist. Accordingly, this not only means
the NBAA should work with operators to checklist being used and an incorrect that the pilot will have to memorize the loca-
analyze existing data for non-compliance application of the aircraft’s checklists. tion of the disruption, but it may also lead to
with flight control checks. The accident report reviewed the normal a checklist error or omission. One technique
16 Aviation International News \ December 202 2 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o mto counter distractions and interruptions is
to repeat the entire checklist (starting from
the beginning) during these situations.
Expectations and perception are power-
ful forces that pilots must manage. A NASA
study found that “when the same task is per-
formed repetitively, such as a checklist, the
process becomes automatic.” This leads the
user to process the information quicker and
reduces workload. However, the user may
begin to “see what one is used to seeing.” An
example is if the pilot is used to seeing “Flaps
5” selected, then they may expect to see Flaps
5 even though Flaps 1 or NO flaps are selected.
Time pressures may affect the accuracy
of the check. As the time pressures increase,
pilots may rush a checklist and the pilot
may scan an item too quickly, increasing the
possibility of an error.
The ATSB also looked at “why check-
lists sometimes fail to catch errors.” A
2010 NASA Study (Dismukes and Berman)
conducted 60 observation flights on three
different airlines. These observations iden-
tified close to 900 deviations with 22 per-
cent related to checklist usage.
The deviations were categorized into
six types including: flow-check performed
as read-do, responding without looking,
checklist item omitted (or performed
incorrectly or incompletely), poor timing Your guardian in the air.
of the checklist, checklist performed from
memory, or a failure to initiate the checklist. The HALOTM Safety System with Garmin® Autoland—the
most groundbreaking advancement in recent general
In aviation, it is the simple stupid stuff aviation history—does everything you would do when you
that kills. The problem is that pilots con- can’t. After alerting ATC, checking fuel levels and weather,
it safely lands the aircraft. In short, it’s as if the controls
tinue to repeat mistakes of the past. Bedford were still in your hands. See how your highest standards
come standard at piper.com/HALO.
was an “eye-opener” for business aviation,
but 27 years before that tragic event was a
Northwest MD-82 that crashed (killing all
but one infant) because the crew failed to
set the flaps for takeoff and failed to perform
the taxi checklist that would have trapped
that error. Nearly 22 years later, a Spanair
MD-82 crashed in Madrid (killing 147 peo-
ple) for almost the exact same reason.
Checklists trap errors that can avoid acci- piper.com | 1.772.299.2403
dents and the loss of life. It is infuriating
that pilots choose not to use a tool that is
designed to prevent these errors. z
M600SLS_AIN_10.22.indd 1 8/17/22 11:53 AM
a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ December 202 2 \ Aviation International News 17Y E A R S
AIN’s 50th anniversary look back: December
B Y CUR T E P S T E I N
AIN is celebrating its golden anniversary by highlighting select news from the archives over the past half-century.
They made it! the course of its epic journey, one in which 1999, a rivalry in the ultra-long-range space
Voyager crew comes home it set a record that has yet to be eclipsed. began that is still going strong nearly three
Voyager today resides in the Smithsonian’s decades later. The two airframers continue
National Air & Space Museum in Washington, to raise the bar at the top end of their port-
D.C. in the company of other record-breaking folios with Gulfstream’s G800 waiting in
craft such as the Wright Brothers Flyer, Spirit the wings as the G700 nears certification.
of St. Louis, and Bell X-1. Having delivered more than 1,000 Globals
over the past 23 years, Bombardier earlier
Global jet race is on: this year launched the Global 8000. As for
the once-questioned size of the worldwide
Canadair commits at last
market, according to Honeywell’s latest
forecast, the large and long-range jet cate-
gories will account for 70 percent of all new
(AIN January 1987 p.1) jet expenditures over the next decade.
Then: “Well I guess I’ll have to cancel my Brazilian banks back
membership in the Flat Earth Society,” Dick
Embraer privatization
Rutan radioed to the covey of chase planes
boxing in the experimental aircraft Voyager
as it approached Edwards Air Force Base,
California, Tuesday morning, December 23.
Rutan could speak with some authority on (AIN January 1994 p.1)
the planet’s shape, for he and copilot Jeana
Yeager were about to complete a 25,012-smi Then: Bombardier’s board of directors
unrefueled circumnavigation of the earth— officially launched the Canadair Global
the first ever—earning a well-deserved place Express on December 20, igniting intense
for themselves in aviation history. competition for a worldwide market whose
size is still very much in question. The
Now: More than 50,000 spectators, volun- board’s decision followed three years of (AIN January 1995 p.2)
teers, and members of the press witnessed engineering research, market analyses, and
the landing of the historic flight, which took 9 soul searching by Canadair, manufacturer Then: After several false starts during
days, 3 minutes, and 14 seconds from its time of the Challenger series of business jets. the past four years, Brazilian airframer
of takeoff from the Edwards dry lake bed, the Embraer is finally concluding its transfor-
culmination of more than five years of plan- Now: The Global Express was a direct mation into the private sector.
ning and preparation. The twin-engine air- competitor to Gulfstream’s GV in the then- In a December 7 share auction, a consor-
plane (one pushing, one pulling) maintained new class of high-speed, ultra-long-range tium headed by Brazil’s Bozano Simonsen
an average groundspeed of 115.77 mph over business jets. With its entry into service in Bank and Wasserstein Perella of the U.S.
18 Aviation International News \ December 202 2 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o memerged as the largest group of share- quarter century until his retirement in 2019. Ross Aviation’s 19 FBOs, and the following
holders, and promptly committed itself to Even after that, he remains a senior advisor to year Signature acquired Landmark itself
investing up to $150 million in fresh cap- the chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. and its then 68 FBOs. Earlier this year Sig-
ital to support Embraer’s ongoing aircraft Rosenvallon has been the recipient of many nature purchased Tac Air and its 16 facilities,
developments. These include the 50-seat awards and honors during his 47-year busi- bringing more than 200 locations world-
EMB-145 regional jetliner and the EMB- ness aviation career including the Lifetime wide under its brand, while Atlantic Avia-
312H Super Tucano military trainer. Aviation Industry Leader Award at the Living tion merged with a resurgent Ross Aviation
Legends of Aviation Awards. A member of to form the industry’s second-largest chain
Now: At the time of the transaction, the board of directors for the General Avia- with more than 100 locations.
Embraer was assembling the first EMB-145 tion Manufacturers Association (GAMA), he
prototype, and the launch of its derivative served as its chairman in 2011. In October at As distressed Detroit drops its
Legacy 600 business jet was still five years NBAA-BACE, he was presented with the orga-
jets, bizav ponders the fallout
in the future. The first Legacy delivery in nization’s John P. “Jack” Doswell Award—one
2002 predated the establishment of the of its highest honors—in recognition of his
airframer’s executive jets division by more exceptional record of service to the industry.
than two years. Today, Embraer Execu-
tive Jets is a well-established business jet AMR Combs joins Signature fold;
manufacturer, claiming 7 percent of the in-
combined chain will number 50
service fleet with its Phenom 300, the most
delivered twinjet over the past decade.
Rosanvallon new
president of Falcon Jet
(AIN January 2009 p.1)
Then: The news that General Motors and
Ford are shutting their flight departments
has rattled the business aviation commu-
nity. Some attributed the actions to the
(AIN February 2004 p.6) sensational media coverage the “Big 3”
(General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler) exec-
Then: The universe of FBO chains for utives faced after flying to Capitol Hill in
pilots to choose from shrank last month. private jets, while others blamed the sub-
In a deal announced in London on Decem- sequent $14 billion House bill that called
(AIN January 1997 p.38) ber 15, Signature’s parent corporation, for the distressed companies to sell their
UK-based BBA, agreed to buy AMR Combs’ aircraft as a condition of the bailout. But
Then: John Rosenvallon, described as “a constellation of 11 FBOs for $170 million regardless of the reasons, the industry is
catalyst for uniting the company’s French on a cash-free, debt-free basis. Owned by now pondering how the closures—and the
and American teams,” has been appointed AMR Corp., which also owns American Air- economic conditions that were to blame—
president of Dassault Falcon Jet Corp., the lines, AMR Combs was placed on the sales will affect business aviation at large.
U.S.-based subsidiary of Dassault Aviation. block last summer so the larger company
In addition to his new post, the 45-year- could “concentrate on its core business.” Now: While the automakers in particular
old graduate of France’s prestigious Hautes may have felt the heat, other companies
Etudes Commerciales business school will Now: One of the earlier major salvos in the quietly followed suit and either closed or
remain in charge of worldwide sales and FBO merger and acquisition space, the move downsized their flight departments during
marketing for Falcon business jets. was an early building block in Signature’s the economic downturn. Though business
rise as the first “mega-chain” and a harbin- jet deliveries topped 1,000 for the first time
Now: The affable Rosenvallon would go on to ger of the industry consolidation that would in 2007 and reached a peak of 1,313 in 2008,
hold the role as head of Falcon Jet for the next follow. In 2014 Landmark Aviation bought continues on page 60
a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ December 202 2 \ Aviation International News 19Expert Opinion
CBD still risky business for pilots
As you probably already know, CBD (can- Aviation Administration Medical Certifi-
nabidiol) products are, for the most part, cate is a Federal Department of Transpor-
“legal” (with variations on their acceptance tation Certificate and subject to federal
on a state-by-state basis). law/regulation.
This substance is manufactured from The use of marijuana and/or use of THC
the cannabis plant (marijuana) with low in any form is aeromedically disqualifying
quantities of the active ingredient THC and a violation of federal law regardless of
(tetrahydrocannabinol), made legal per the B Y RO BE R T S A N C E T TA
state regulations.”
Farm Bill of 2018. P IL O T, AV I AT IO N ME D IC A L E X A MI N E R That pilot lost well over a year of his
Not all states have legalized the use of career, but fortunately, through the special
CBD or marijuana itself, but more and abuse. These are prohibited from use in issuance process, he will again be able to
more are jumping on the proverbial band- any DOT-regulated safety-sensitive activity. return to the cockpit.
wagon. Other than the very low quantities An on-duty positive test will lead to revoca- You will note the careful wording here.
of THC permitted by the Farm Bill, overall tion of both pilot and medical certificates The FAA, without attempting to explain
marijuana and THC consumption remain (an off-duty positive test, such as at a pre- all of the nuances of the Farm Bill, the
illegal under federal law. hire screening test, may only lead to revo- low quantities of THC theoretically legal
CBD is promoted to have many potential cation of the medical certificate, which, of for CBD products, and all of the confusing
benefits. These can include treatments for course, is a disaster in and of itself). opinions and arguments that could be made
anxiety, musculoskeletal pain, jet lag, and CBD products are unregulated, and about these substances, does, however,
improvements in sleep, for example. therefore the amount of THC they con- make it quite clear that such use is “aero-
For these reasons, the use of CBD prod- tain cannot be accurately predicted. Taking medically disqualifying” and “a violation of
ucts continues to increase, including in the CBD products puts a pilot’s career at risk, federal law regardless of state regulations.”
pilot population. regardless of how much it can be argued The message is clear; a pilot found
I make no claims about the effectiveness that they are legal. to h av e T H C i n t h e i r s y s te m w i l l
of CBD for any of its purported uses, but I have helped a number of pilots face significant and adverse career-
many people do report anecdotally of its regain their medical certifications after a altering consequences.
beneficial effects. THC-positive test, which was either from It doesn’t matter, therefore, if state
My point today is to reiterate and the use of a CBD product or simply from law permits a person to consume THC
expand on comments that I’ve previously an “incidental exposure” to marijuana (for either from marijuana or CBD (again,
made, based on recent clarifications made example, accidentally taking a spouse’s not all states have proceeded according
by the FAA. marijuana “gummy” that was mistaken for to the liberties offered in the Farm Bill).
A few months ago, the FAA put out guid- something else). If that substance is found in a pilot there
ance explaining that while it cannot restrict Bottom line; pilots are responsible for will be loss of certificate(s) and all kinds
a pilot from taking a legal substance, there whatever goes into their mouths, so please of documentation, evaluations, and possi-
may be consequences to their FAA medical be careful. bly substance abuse treatments to follow.
and airman certification status as a result. A recent special issuance authorization The pilot is looking at an exten-
As I have said before, ad nauseam, a letter for one of my pilots who had all of s i v e p e r i o d o f g r o u n d i n g a n d m ay
THC-positive test, whether it is from mar- his pilot licenses (flight engineer, ATP, and even have to regain pilot certificates
ijuana or CBD, is handled essentially iden- all type ratings) and medical certificates in addition to the medical certificate.
tically. The Code of Federal Regulations revoked due to a THC-positive test from Any pilot in such a position will addi-
defines marijuana (and its psychoactive consuming a CBD product contained the tionally be monitored for all poten-
component, THC) as a Schedule 1 drug of following bold-faced warning; “A Federal tial substances of abuse for a number
20 Aviation International News \ December 202 2 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o mof years, through a restrictive and
complicated special issuance process.
Let’s also remember that there is
a regulation stating that a pilot with
two DOT-positive tests is permanently
barred from performing any safety-
sensitive functions.
While neither the FAA nor I can tell a
pilot not to take CBD, please remember
that doing so may jeopardize their career
(hence the “aeromedically disqualifying”
statement noted above).
Similarly, alcohol, of course, is a widely
available and entirely legal substance. The
FAA cannot tell a pilot not to consume
alcohol. However, alcohol consumption
in excess can lead to a DUI, an on-duty
DOT-positive test, and many well-known
potentially adverse health impacts.
Excessive consumption of alcohol, there-
fore, can also be a career-breaker (let alone
the risk of harming someone in an alco-
hol-related motor vehicle accident).
Pilots need to be aware of the potential
impacts of unregulated substances they
consume. Even legal and regulated prod-
ucts, such as alcohol, have ethical and legal
consequences if consumed to excess.
Flying as a pilot is an amazing career.
Pilots often spend a boatload of money
earning their certificates and ratings, fol-
lowed by many years of baby steps toward
their career advancement.
One way to protect the careers that
pilots earned through many years of ardu-
ous work is to be very careful about sub-
stance intake, and to understand and
evaluate the risk-benefit ratio of whatever
they ingest. z
THE PERFECT PLACE
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those of the author and not necessarily
FOR BUSINESS AIRCRAFT
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a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ December 202 2 \ Aviation International News 21Potted planes still mean the pokey
B Y M A R K HUBE R
The FAA wants everyone to remember that
when it comes to marijuana, the law in the
air is different than the law on the ground.
It matters not that the U.S. House of
Representatives voted earlier this year to
decriminalize marijuana, that President
Biden is pardoning convictions for federal
simple pot possession, or that recreational
marijuana use is legal in 10 states and the
District of Columbia, decriminalized in 13
others, and up for decriminalization con-
sideration in 14 more. Medical marijuana is
legal in 33 states. When it comes to canna-
bis aboard an aircraft, the official mantra is
“just say no,” even if there is a popular new
pot strain called “Jet Fuel.”
Under federal law, marijuana is con-
sidered a Schedule 1 narcotic under the
Controlled Substances Act, on par with
heroin and LSD and more dangerous than
Schedule 2 substances such as fentanyl
and methamphetamine.
In an attempt to eliminate any confusion
on the issue, in August the FAA issued a
special advisory entitled “Marijuana Can’t if you are just a passenger who happens to police, and White was found to be holding
Fly.” The FAA noted that “federal law pro- hold an FAA certificate. 7/8ths of a gram of marijuana on his person.
hibits the knowing transportation of mar- Adding to the confusion, the amount of White later worked the arrest into his com-
ijuana on an aircraft” and that “pilots and pot that constitutes “simple possession” is edy routine, claiming that he considered
aircraft owners involved in transporting an undefined quantity left to the determina- 7/8ths of a gram to be “out of pot.”
marijuana face severe penalties for violat- tion of the courts “based on the totality of But to the former flight crew he fired,
ing federal prohibitions.” the circumstances.” And the ban also covers White’s in-air antics were not a laugh-
Specifically, federal law requires the per- all forms of marijuana, including edibles. ing matter. White allegedly smoked so
manent revocation of pilot certificates from Officially, the policies of the Transpor- much pot on the plane that the flight crew
those who knowingly transport controlled tation Security Administration (TSA) are routinely donned oxygen masks to pre-
substances beyond simple marijuana pos- “focused on security. Accordingly, TSA officers vent impairment, a known side-effect of
session and the revocation of an aircraft’s do not search for marijuana and other illegal second-hand marijuana smoke. According
registration used for that purpose for five drugs, but if any illegal substance is discov- to the Centers for Disease Control and
years. The FAA noted that it does not want ered during security screening, TSA will refer Prevention (CDC), “people exposed to sec-
“pilots or aircraft owners to face these the matter to a law enforcement officer.” ondhand marijuana smoke can experience
severe penalties due to confusion between There have been several high-profile psychoactive effects.”
what is allowed under state law and what cases of celebrities flying with weed in Pilots donning masks also occcurred
remains prohibited under federal law. recent years. aboard a chartered Gulfstream G650 in
“If you violate the federal prohibitions, In 2008, comedian Ron White was 2018 carrying former WeWork CEO Adam
you can lose your pilot certificate and your arrested when his IAI Astra was inter- Neumann, according to the Wall Street
aircraft.” And those penalties apply even cepted after landing by Vero Beach, Florida Journal. After the airplane landed in Israel,
22 Aviation International News \ December 202 2 \ a i n o n l i n e .c o mthe flight crew found a large brick of pot noted that “more and more, traffickers was seized at Gary (Indiana) International
stuffed in a cereal box and reported it to are utilizing private airplanes and second- Airport in November after it was linked
the aircraft owner who recalled the aircraft. ary airports.” to the transport of 220 pounds of cocaine
Other high-profile charter clients such as On Dec. 8, 2019, the 21-year-old rapper from Mexico.
singers Justin Bieber and Lil Wayne have Jarad Anthony Higgins, better known as The problem of celebrities and others
also become embroiled in pot-on-the- “Juice WRLD,” fatally overdosed aboard a hauling drugs onto charter aircraft has
plane imbroglios. chartered Gulfstream shortly after it landed become so pervasive that some operators
Most of these cases involve recreational at Chicago Midway Airport. When federal and booking services post a policy state-
use. But increasingly, celebrity charter agents boarded, they found 70 pounds of ment on the topic on their websites. Broker
clients and hardcore drug traffickers are marijuana and three illegal handguns. Mercury Jets warns operators of the risk
using private jets to move industrial quan- In 2020, a Gulfstream II carrying 69 of aircraft confiscation and to be vigilant
tities of weed and other drugs, sometimes bales of cocaine was intercepted in Belize. when it comes to customers who pay cash.
in vintage “throw-away” models such as Also that year, the Mexican military nabbed “Operators should also carefully screen
Learjet 35As and 55s, Hawkers, and Gulfst- 3,300 pounds of cocaine worth $72 million their customers and passengers, check lug-
ream IIs and IIIs. from a Hawker 800. In 2021, Brazilian fed- gage for weapons, and be aware of unusual
In 2010, the Drug Enforcement Admin- eral police in Fortaleza busted a Turkish- flight requests.”
istration (DEA) busted a smuggling ring registered Gulfstream IV carrying 1.3 tons On October 6, President Biden said,
using chartered private jets to move of cocaine. “Too many lives have been upended
860 pounds of cocaine and $4 million Also last year, Louisiana police found because of our failed approach to mari-
in cash between Los Angeles and Mar- $750,000 worth of marijuana aboard a juana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”
tin State Airport in Baltimore. The DEA’s Learjet 55 when it stopped to refuel in Perhaps, but in the air the law is still
2019 “National Drug Threat Assessment” Hammond. A Bombardier Challenger 600 different. z
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a i n o n l i n e .c o m \ December 202 2 \ Aviation International News 23You can also read
