The first thing you need to know is don’t arrive at the airshow shagged out from jetlag, too much travel and partying with friends in town from over the other side of the world. The second thing is that it is almost impossible not to do so. So on to point 3 – remember that almost everyone else is in exactly the same boat. Hence you’ll get some singularly good quotes at press conferences.

Yesterday saw me make a dozen or so calls on the train from London to Farnborough confirming meetings – at least 50% of which were bound to end in no shows because both parties were running late thanks to previous meetings running late – or hastily prepared affairs whereby both parties are frantically trying to remember pertinent pieces of information. The two gentlemen opposite me overheard, so enquired whether I was going to FIA. “Oh yes,” I said politely, “And what are you guys doing at the show?” “We’re representing the Canadian Government” came the response. “Really?” I said, “And what country is that from then?”

For some strange reason they trusted my judgement when I confirmed that the train had arrived at Farnborough Main and hopped off. I make that journey at least a dozen times a year and was pleasantly surprised to see British Rail had added a third platform and expanded it for the Olympics. I remarked as such to one of the station wallahs. He informed me I was in Woking and hastily bundled me back onto the train. I do hope my fellow travellers made it, too.

The day turned into a blur of meetings, including an ill-advised session in the media centre with my client HMG Aerospace, for whom I edit Inflight magazine. The great and the good of aviation journalism interrupted us constantly – including one man who let me know the fact I’d told his wife I’d met her at a party last year somewhere exotic – she was dancing with him – had landed him totally in the doghouse. Tiredness you see…

…afternoon culminated in a two hour lunch at the Aviator hotel on site, watching the airshow. I was with renowned defence journalist, close personal friend and total kidult Jon Lake, so had a proper commentary on the fast grey aircraft with afterburners. Along with some pithy political points that were totally lost on me. I was far more comfortable talking Hong Kong business aviation with Carlos Gomez, Tag’s Asia head.

Tuesday

Day 2 I brought my super bright and efficient PA Fernanda with me. Her first airshow…we started the day with Bombardier’s head of comms for business aviation, Danielle Boudreau, who arranged for us to go see the Global 6000, making its Farnborough debut.  Was happy to see my mate Johnny at the static park. His job is to go round the world making sure that no winglets are chipped  and there are APU’s etc on site. Last time we saw each other was in Shanghai in the sun, so we had a good bitch about the rotten July weather.

Whirlwind of meetings/interviews later, including stealing cake and champagne from East Midlands Aerospace Consortium ostensibly for the award winning team picture for Arabian Aerospace. (we won best digital media at the RAES on Sunday). A quick meeting with Allan Pelligrini – ceo of Thales and finally schlepped over to see Ernie Edwards – Embraer’s head of Executive Aviation. Results of that one will be online at Arabian Aerospace this weekend.

Then home, footsore and head shot to pieces. Wee respite tomorrow as I try to get on with real life, but back with a vengeance on Thurs.

What’s that you say – you want headlines?

Well go here then:

http://www.ainonline.com/

or here

http://www.flightglobal.com/

or even here!

http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews/

Upcoming Chinese financial superstar Minsheng scooped one of the top accolades at the  Corporate Jet Investor Awards. The conference of the same name held in London last week culminated with the inauguration of the annual Corporate Jet Investor awards. Presented by Alasdair Whyte, Editor of corporatejetinvestor.com, the awards were presented to an illustrious set of winners from the international aviation finance sector who have shown outstanding ability and achievement in the field of business jet and helicopter financing or lending during 2011.

Reflecting the increased importance of the Asian market, Minsheng Finance Leasing, a subsidiary of China’s ninth largest bank, collected the award for Asian Business Jet Financier 2012. The award recognised the importance of Minsheng’s decision to focus their aviation finance wholly on general aviation, leaving other banks to pick up commercial aviation needs. By the end of 2011 Minsheng had placed orders for 87 aircraft, worth over $1.3 billion, and taken delivery of 28 business jets, about a third of the Chinese mainland fleet. The company’s chief aviation advisor London lawyer David Tang was on hand to discuss the company’s strategy with attendees. 

Recognising his significant contribution to the industry, The Special Achievement Award went to Brian Johnson and the launch team of the Isle of Man Registry. Collecting the award Johnson commented how the timing was perfect – the registry has just added the 450th M-registered business aircraft. Whilst the register is less than five years old, it is now the world’s seventh largest private aircraft registry and has established the Isle of Man as an important business jet centre.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch collected two awards – Best Global Jet Financier and Best North American Financier – thanks to its consistent delivery of well structured corporate aircraft acquisition and refinancing, serving businesses and high net worth individuals. Credit Suisse were the only other institution to pick up two awards recognising it as Best Private Bank for Business Jet Finance and Advisory and European Business Jet Financier.

The Corporate Jet Investor awards aim to support increased understanding of the importance of appropriate finance to the aviation sector and hope to encourage new lenders to the market. They also reward committed lenders and help aircraft buyers recognize the best in class. Selected by industry specialists at OEMs and leading brokers, the awards are set to become a quality bench mark for financiers as they are nominated and voted for by those working in the sector every day. 

Despite fears that there will be no capacity at London’s business aviation airports for executive jets during the Olympics, it seems that only 2% of slots have been booked so far for the July festivities.

Speaking at an event to launch the new Execujet managed FBO at Cambridge Airport, managing director Archie Garden said, “According to the WS Atkins slot booking system fewer than 2% of slots have been booked.” This is likely to include the 240 diplomatic flights scheduled to enter the country in July.

Of greater concern is transport onwards to the Stratford site. Private aviation users tend to employ bodyguards and high security and to date there is no helicopter airbridge approved, so airports are looking at alternative means of transport. Possibilities include river and red routes, which will prove inconvenient to many Londoners. (She says with vested personal interest…)

On a brighter note for Cambridge, Swiss aircraft management and maintenance services firm Execujet has appointed Karen Hein-Jones to manage its new FBO Manager at the airport.

Nicole Gut, director European services said,”We are delighted to welcome Karen to the team at our new FBO at Cambridge. We are looking forward to developing business aviation at our first full-service FBO in the UK. Having someone with Karen’s experience and knowledge will help us tremendously in realising our plans, especially as London will host the Olympics this year and we anticipate an extremely busy summer at Cambridge.”

The Cambridge facility and other development work at the field is slated to bring a further 150 jobs to the site over the next year.

The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) is promoting the European Commission’s new draft of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Monitoring and Reporting regulation, which raises the threshold for small emitters from 10,000 tonnes of CO2/year to 25,000 tonnes of CO2/year.

This means that many more Business Aviation commercial and non-commercial operators will be able to report their emissions through the simplified procedure or use Eurocontrol’s ETS Support Facility, as EBAA has strongly been calling for and making the case for the last 3 years.EBAA cautions, “Please note that this does not raise the threshold at which operators have to comply with ETS. This remains at 10,000 tonnes for commercial operators and 1 tonne for non-commercial, although we shall continue to lobby for the non-commercial threshold to be brought in line with the commercial threshold. However, because this will require a change in the underlying directive, such a change cannot practically be implemented before 2014 or even 2020.”

It is important to note that contrary to what has been reported in the press, this regulation has not yet been adopted and the new threshold is not yet in application. EBAA spoke to the Commission this week and the EC estimated that the new 25,000 tonnes of CO2/year should be adopted without problems at the next committee as most member states also support the new higher threshold.

The EC also told the EBAA that it had not gone to a higher threshold since there is already a 25,000 tonnes of CO2 per year threshold for fixed installations and it wishes to remain consistent. It is expected that the committee woud adopt this proposal in late September/early October.

EBAA will continue to publicise new developments.

For more information contact

Pedro VICENTE AZUA

EBAA chief operating officer
Phone: +32 2 766 0070

pedrovazua@ebaa.org

www.ebaa.org

MT, LC the manufacturer of the SJ30 light jet, has announced it will operate as SyberJet Aircraft. Earlier this year, SyberJet purchased the assets of Emivest Aerospace out of bankruptcy. Since the acquisition, SyberJet has moved the Martinsburg, West Virginia assembly line to its facilities in Cedar City, Utah and is continuing its operations in San Antonio, Texas.

The SJ30 is the first light jet that can fly non-stop from New York to Los Angeles and non- stop across the Atlantic, giving unparalleled flexibility and convenience for owners. The SJ30’s ability to fly faster (Mach 0.83), farther (2,500 nm), and at higher altitudes up to 49,000 ft gives the freedom to fly above the weather, avoid traffic congestion, and fly more direct routes. The SJ30 is the only jet that maintains a sea level cabin to 41,000 ft.

Mark Fairchild, SyberJet’s San Antonio General Manager, adds “I am excited to be part of the future success of SyberJet. As a pilot, the SJ30 is an exhilarating jet to fly. SyberJet has a solid operating plan to deliver new SJ30s to the world marketplace. I look forward to providing more people the unique opportunity to experience the high performance capability that SJ30 affords its owners and operators.”

The company says additional details will be released as they become available.

Places Britain at forefront of £60bn global market

West Wales Airport welcomes the UK Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) announcement today that it has sanctioned an Airspace Change Proposal (ACP) for new segregated airspace for the sole use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in West Wales. Set to become operational on 28 July 2011, it is the first time an area in the UK has been designated for this purpose. Centred on the airport, which is located at Aberporth, the airspace extends inland 40nm miles to the east and covers an area of 499 square miles.

The new airspace will only be activated when unmanned flying is scheduled and be subject to stringent safety requirements, regulated by both the CAA and the Military Aviation Authority.

Ray Mann, the airport’s managing director said: “The CAA announcement to allow this specialised airspace is now the strongest recognition that West Wales is the focal point for UAS development in the UK.”

He continued: “The airspace adds significantly to the many specialised assets that already exist at the airport and gives Britain further opportunity to benefit from a market that is forecast to be worth £60 billion annually by 2020.“

The Welsh Government sponsored the proposal for the airspace as part of its ongoing initiative to encourage economic development in what has become a burgeoning aerospace sector. In line with CAA requirements, it conducted a full public consultation in 2009.

Over the past decade Mann’s company has invested nearly £4 million into West Wales Airport. Mann said: “The British aerospace industry, research organisations and academia now have an even greater opportunity to succeed in this sector, so gaining benefit for themselves and the wider economy.”

UAS have both military and civil applications. Mann said: “An unmanned aircraft has many useful applications, for instance it would be perfect in situations such as monitoring and reporting the recent ash clouds.” The new ruling means that West Wales Airport can now supply UAS operators with an extended range of flight options for systems approvals, training, payload integration and demonstration.

While West Wales Airport has a leading position in enabling unmanned flights, as a CAA licensed facility with a 1200 metre runway it will continue actively to encourage general aviation.  Air traffic management of the airspace has therefore been developed to ensure flexibility and ease of access, while maintaining the highest degree of flight safety for all users.

My dear friend and aviation journalist par excellence Brendan Gallagher died a week ago today. I wrote a tribute to him in my capacity as editor of Inflight magazine, (a job he held for many years – huge shoes to fill). You can read that here if you wish.

As this is a less formal medium, I’m posting a happy picture of him from a particularly fun trip.

I can hear his voice in my ear now…(I’m on deadline for a job). “Come on Betty, stop fannying around, there’s time enough for this later.”

I’ll crack on then.

Badger – you were  one of nature’s true gentlemen, and I was privileged to know you.

Badger tips his cap to the world

Lines from

IF…

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

‘ Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,

if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,

And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!