Page 49 - World Airnews Magazine April 2020 Edition

GENERAL GLIDERS
AVIATION

HONDAJET - MOST- FORMER MOD GLIDERS TO

DELIVERED FOR THIRD YEAR BE USED BY CHARITY

or the third straight year, HondaJet has
Fbeen recognised as the most-delivered otor gliders used to train

aircraft in its class for 2019, according to the Mthousands of RAF Air Cadets

General Aviation Manufacturers Association. will get a new lease of life and bring joy to

During the year, Honda Aircraft delivered people with disabilities and injured ex-mili-

36 planes to customers globally from its tary personnel.
headquarters and assembly plant at Pied- The MOD’s Defence Equipment and
mont Triad International Airport, retaining Support organisation has sold 63 decom-

the title of the most-delivered very light jet. missioned Vigilant T1 aircraft to Aerobility,

“We are pleased that customers across a charity which provides flying experiences

the globe continue to demonstrate a pref- to those who might otherwise never get a
erence for us, as they are able to identify chance to take to the skies.

our best-in-class performance and the The first batch of 10 gliders will be mod-

distinct innovation embodied by our prod- ified and refurbished by German company

uct,” said Honda Aircraft President and CEO GROB Aircraft SE – the original manufac-

Michimasa Fujino. turer and Design Authority - to meet civil Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said, ber of disabled people by giving them the

“We are continuously improving our certification standards. “General aviation is the engine room of unrivalled sense of freedom through the

efficiency, overall performance, and cabin The remaining aircraft will be engineered the entire aviation sector, so it’s vital that magic of flight. We are extremely grateful

comfort in order to be at the forefront of and recertified in the UK, where the charity has people from all backgrounds can access it. to the Ministry of Defence, Department

transformative technology that proves the identified a qualified engineering partner in Some of our most successful pilots learnt for Transport and our various partners for

value of very light jets for efficient travel to Southern Sailplanes, based in West Berkshire. to fly in a glider and I’m encouraged to see supporting us in this ambitious project.

all types of users.” Carolina, in the US embarked on diversifi- for Hawaiian boutique airline Wing Spirit, Hampshire-based Aerobility will initially the work of charities like Aerobility offering “Not only will it help us build capacity

In 2019, Honda Aircraft received type cation of uses for the HondaJet Elite, which and even sold a plane to actor Tom Cruise. more than double its fleet with eight vigi- similar experiences to people who may oth- for our future operations, it will enable

certification from China’s Civil Aviation began including medevac configurations in Honda Aircraft’s sales and service foot- lantes thanks to a grant from the Depart- erwise miss out.” us to expand the charity to support more

Administration of China, Canada’s Trans- air ambulances in 2019. print spans North America, Europe, Latin ment for Transport; meaning they will be Glider modifications will include new en- disabled people and to do so at additional

port Canada Civil Aviation, and Turkey’s During the year, the company made its America, Southeast Asia, China, the Middle able to help about 2,600 people into the air gines, propellers and refurbished cockpits, locations around the UK.”

Directorate General of Civil Aviation. first delivery to its China dealership part- East, India and Japan. The HondaJet fleet has every year compared to 1,000 currently. and the charity hopes the first glider will be The sale will create four full-time engi-

The Greensboro based company in North ner, took an order for 15 HondaJet Elites grown to about 150 aircraft worldwide. Q Clive Walker, head of the Defence Equip- ready to fly in the summer of 2021. neering jobs, one project management

Aircraft that aren’t used for flights will be

ment Sales Authority (DESA) in DE&S, said: refurbished and sold to generate revenue role and one administration position at
the charity. They will also need a full-
“I am very pleased to see the RAF Vigilant
FIRST TWO AIRCRAFT ARRIVE T1 gliders move on to a new lease of life, in for the charity, pay for the ongoing costs of time co-ordinator and a part-time flying

instructor, with all positions being filled by

their operational fleet and help them branch

particular supporting the excellent work of

Aerobility in creating flying experiences and out into other parts of the British Isles. candidates with a disability where possible.
opportunities for those who might other- “Acquiring these aircraft will help us For more information about Aerobility

wise never get the chance to fly.” transform the lives of an even greater num- please visit www.aerobility.com Q
wo Blackshape
TBk160 Gabriél trainer GENERAL

aircraft have been delivered EASA CONDUCTS EUROPEAN
from Italy to Zelf Vliegen AVIATION
Flight Academy in the Neth-
erlands. GENERAL AVIATION SURVEY

The Gabriél is the first
aircraft if this type to be used

for the new Transavia airline By Wallace Mawire
pilot programme that was
started by Transavia in 2019. Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the 6,000 responses and the results were

Zelf Vliegen Flight Acad- International Council of Aircraft Owner and used in the EASA Annual Safety Review

emy at Lelystad Airport is he European Union Aviation Safety Pilot Associations (IAOPA) with the 2020 2019 to calculate accident rates for

the launching customer of controls, is capable of top performance flight was founded in 1965, operating from the Neth- TAgency (EASA) has initi ated a Eu- European General Aviation survey. Non-Commercial Aeroplanes.

the new Italian Blackshape qualities and is EASA CS-VLA certified. In 2018 erlands and France with a fleet of 80 Boeing ropean general aviation survey for 2020 to It is reported that the annual survey will “This year we are hoping for even wider

Bk160 Gabriél. the Blackshape Gabriél was chosen by Tran- 737-700 and 737-800 aircraft to over 110 desti- help shape the European plan for Aviation help provide a better understanding of the participation from the General Aviation

The high performance savia for its airline pilot programme. nations in Europe and North Africa. Safety (EPAS). trends in general aviation flight activity, Community,” EASA said.

full carbon fibre Blackshape Transavia started its airline pilot programme The first two basic trainer aircraft arrived in The agency has revealed that it is looking aircraft equipment and fleet composition It has also been added individual respons-

Bk160 Gabriél tandem that offers young people the opportunity to December 2019 and in February 2020 and the for assistance from pilots, owners and op- trends to support safety analysis in Europe es are confidential and will not be shared

seater is equipped with a obtain their multi-crew pilot licence (MPL). academy has placed an order for another two erators of general aviation aircraft to help and long term strategic decision making. with either the public or regulators, nor will

glass cockpit and with dual Transavia Airlines is a low-cost airline that Gabriéls. Q

shape the EPAS. It has also been added that last year the they be used for marketing or any other

EASA is supporting the General Aviation survey collected over commercial purposes. Q

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