Rarely is there a dull moment in the world of aviation. For many pilots and operators, it is why they got into the business to begin with. However, 2022 was an especially eventful year with changing economic trends, technological and environmental advancements, and global affairs impacting our community. Also, bizarre moments and times of tragedy reminded us of the seriousness of our line of work. Here are 10 of the most impactful news events and trends that we witnessed in the past year, many of which are certain to impact us further in the year to come.
Cirrus Vision Jets pull parachutes
Fans of Cirrus Aircraft are quick to note that whenever a pilot pulls a chute on the plane’s airframe that any landing that you can walk away from is a good landing. They then often note that the occupants who survive such a parachute landing might not have walked away had the crash been in a different aircraft not equipped with one.
While there have been incidents in the past of parachutes being deployed on Cirrus piston aircraft, this year it happened twice in incidents involving Cirrus Vision Jets. It marks the only two times since the first Vision Jet was delivered to a customer in December 2016 that the CAPS system has been used on a jet in a real-world setting.
In September, after encountering severe turbulence, a Cirrus Vision Jet’s aircraft parachute deployed before the plane landed in Lake Tohopekaliga in Orlando, Florida. The pilot and two passengers on board suffered minor injuries.
Then, in November, a pilot who pulled the airframe parachute on a Vision Jet near Indianapolis did so after he failed to get the autopilot and autothrottle systems to disengage.
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First Cirrus Airframe Parachute System deployment on a fielded Vision Jet confirmed
Cirrus Vision Jet pitched up, lost power before pilot pulled parachute – NTSB prelim
FBOs continue to merge
As the role of FBOs expand, with many becoming full-service facilities offering MRO and custom service to aircraft operators, more of them are being bought up in bulk. Continuing a trend from prior years, companies, many with deep investor backing, are making major moves to grow their footprint at a growing list of airports.
The company adding the most locations to its roster continued to be Modern Aviation, adding locations in California, the Midwest and New England. Others that grew included Million Air, adding its 34th location to its network in the Florida Keys, and Atlantic Aviation added a location at Dallas Love Field (DAL) positioning the chain to have now 15 FBO locations at the 20 busiest general aviation airports in the country.
In addition to those moves, many other FBOs opened new hangar space or announced construction deals to expand. Keep up with the latest FBO news on GlobalAir.com here.
RELATED STORIES:
Million Air acquires FBO at Marathon International Airport in the Florida Keys
Modern Aviation set to acquire three FBOs in the northeast
Atlantic Aviation adds FBO at Dallas Love Field
Ill-conceived aviation stunts go bad
The old adage explaining the ills of being a paratrooper remains true: Why jump out of a perfectly good airplane? Somebody should have asked that of Trevor Jacob and the Red Bull stunt pilots who lost their licenses to fly this year.
Trevor Jacob, former Olympic snowboarder-turned-daredevil YouTube personality has had his license revoked by the FAA in April. The agency said Jacob intentionally abandoned his Taylorcraft BL-65, parachuting to the ground as the aircraft crashed.
A now-viral video posted to Jacob’s YouTube in December titled “I crashed my plane,” shows the entire event, including the moments leading up to Jacob parachuting out of his aircraft, claiming to experience engine failure. The FAA did not believe him.
As Trevor Jacob told the world to hold his beer, a pair of stunt pilots told the world to hold their cans of Red Bull. In April, a midair plane swap in Eloy, Arizona, sponsored by Red Bull, ended with a Cessna 182 crashing into the ground. Those pilots also lost their certificates. Even further, the FAA said it had denied a waiver request for the stunt beforehand.
The NTSB’s summary and conclusion in its final report are brief and blunt: “The other pilot could not enter the second airplane because it entered an inverted spin shortly after egress. The pilot reported that he believed the airplane entered a spin due to the ballast that was added to offset the weight of the safety pilot. He added that the airplane was outfitted with a parachute system that was designed to trigger at an altitude of 1,000 feet, and deployed while the airplane was inverted, which resulted in it only being partially deployed when the airplane impacted the ground and was substantially damaged. “
RELATED STORIES:
FAA revokes Trevor Jacob’s license after intentionally crashing plane in YouTube stunt
NTSB releases final report on Red Bull plane swap crash
Changing tide in aircraft sales market
Prices on preowned planes rose at record rates. And then they rose even more. And more. And more. And … even an SR-71 has a max altitude (we think).
The middle of 2022 watched the pendulum swing, if ever so slightly, on business aircraft transactions. The supply-demand crunch from the COVID-19 pandemic increased backlogs as manufacturing slowed. More people wanted in on the private aviation action to avoid crowd in the commercial lines at airports. Charters grew, demand grew and prices ballooned.
On the new aircraft front, GAMA data showed that the third quarter cooled compared to the second quarter, even with 2022 remaining historically strong. For the main themes in its market analysis presented in October at the NBAA-BACE convention, JETNET concluded that demand and supply forces have yet to balance, that aircraft owners and operators remain optimistic, and the outlook through the coming year is strong. However, the number of jets hitting the market has ticked higher from record lows with prices remaining strong.
One of the most vital stories to keep an eye on is with interest rates and the overall market and how that might impact dynamics in the overall market. Will inventory remain at historic low levels, or will it start to pull toward whatever the new normal becomes?
A group of stakeholders gathered in November for a virtual forum hosted by Corporate Jet Investor agreed that the influx of first-time buyers in the last 18 months will likely subside as many have an order placed already. Michael Anckner of Bombardier said that he believes that the global demand shift is here to stay, yet those speaking felt that we will see a balancing of the wave that likely crested in mid-2022.
RELATED STORIES:
GAMA aircraft delivery numbers show a strong 2022; 3Q cooled slightly from 2Q
JETNET expects bizjet sales to stay strong despite backlog gradually shrinking
Industry leaders speak about the year and outlook for 2023
Debate over pilot shortage
How many pilots does it take to fly our nation’s planes? Apparently, more than we have available. Or maybe not?
It depends on who you ask, and people on different sides of the, ahem, aisle had plenty to say on this in 2022. The Air Line Pilots Association spoke on the issue in November, saying data from the FAA showed the U.S. is producing a record number of certified pilots, with more pilots in the market than jobs available.
On the other side, Republic Airways called on the government to allow pilots in its training program to not have to meet the 1,500 hours needed to sit in a commercial cockpit so that it could man its planes. Flight schools predictably had issued with that, and others worried that it skirted safety measures introduced just in the past 15 years. The FAA declined Republic’s request, saying in part (our words not theirs) that Republic’s program might be nice, but it’s not quite at the level of Air Force training.
Our take is pretty simple: The more pilots we have, the more of you there are to read our articles.
RELATED STORIES:
FAA denies Republic Airways request to cut 1,500-hour rule for first officers
ALPA uses FAA numbers to challenge the notion of a pilot shortage
Concerns with altimeters and 5G cell service
At the start of the year, the biggest concern in aviation safety was the fear of cell phone carriers rolling out its 5G service at towers near airports impacting altimeters in aircraft. The FAA and FCC worked together, along with big telecom and the aviation industry to navigate through the bandwidth headwinds.
Despite some headaches early on with delays at airports over the issue, AT&T Verizon agreed to limited pauses on its rollout, as well as buffer zones. The FAA has since asked the FCC to require the same of other providers until there can be regulatory limits placed on 5G usage to ensure altimeters can safely operate and coexist with the new cell technology.
Perhaps the most vexing part is that not only does the FAA have no control over what the cell carriers do, but the FCC might not either. The goal is keep all sides talking and cooperating until everything can be sorted out.
RELATED STORIES:
FAA seeking the FCC’s help with the 5G interference problem
5G interference concerns may not be fixed by deadline
The Wings Over Dallas tragedy; other midair collisions prompt concern
The most heartbreaking story of the year took place over Veterans Day weekend at an airshow in Texas. A Bell P-63F slammed into a Boeing B-17G, killing six airmen. The show was put on by the Commemorative Air Force. The NTSB determined there was no altitude deconfliction before the flight or while the aircraft were in the air.
Terry Barker, Leonard “Len” Root, Curt Rowe, Kevin” K5” Michels, Dan Ragan and Craig Hutain all lost their lives. Several were active or retired commercial pilots, with thousands of flight hours between all of them. Ragan was a Korean War vet who had flown on the B-17 while in service.
Prior to the tragedy in Texas, the FAA issued an updated advisory circular to improve pilot education and safety. It came in October after several other midair collisions.
Four people died on July 17 when a Piper PA- Malibu Mirage and Cessna 172N Skyhawk collided on short final at North Las Vegas Airport (VGT).
On Aug. 18, three people died when a Cessna 152 and a Cessna 340 collided on their final approaches to Watsonville Municipal Airport (WVI) in California.
The following month, on Sept. 17, three people died in a midair collision between a Cessna 172S and a Sonex Aircraft Xenos near Longmont, Colorado. The planes involved in that crash had taken off from different airports. The NTSB said the Sonex did not transmit ADS-B data during its flight, which was required in the airspace where the planes were flying.
RELATED STORIES:
NTSB releases preliminary report on the midair at Wings Over Dallas
Here is what we have learned about the 6 airmen lost in the Wings Over Dallas crash
Losing the Texas Raiders B-17 is much more than just losing a piece of aviation history
FAA updates its advisory circular to help pilots avoid midair collisions
Advancement of SAF and uL94 GAMI fuel
With benchmarks set by industry groups to reduce carbon emissions from aircraft in the coming years, the development of new fuels to make that happen made advancement in 2022. For turbine aircraft, sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) rolled out to more FBOs in more parts of the country.
Just before the end of the year, IATA posted a report estimating that SAF production will reach over 79 million gallons in 2022, triple the 2021 production of over 26 million gallons. Other calculations estimate it could reach 118 million gallons.
On the piston airplane side, the FAA approved G100UL unleaded fuel for widespread use. The likely catalyst was Santa Clara County’s Jan. 1 ban on leaded fuel sales at its two California airports, sparking industry outrage and congressional demands for reform.
According to a release from GAMA, the understanding of the new fuel by manufacturers is needed for continued operational safety regulatory responsibilities and business activities such as customer technical support, warranty services and consideration of incorporating the new fuel in manufacturer-issued service and approval documents and new production engines and aircraft.
Avfuel will handle logistics and distribution. The timeline for it to reach airports on a broad scale is yet to be determined.
RELATED STORIES:
What’s next for G100UL and when might we really get the lead out of aviation?
IATA estimates SAF production tripled in 2022
Russia invades Ukraine
The February invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military created a shockwave across the world, and the aviation industry has been impacted. From rerouting global flight paths and no-fly zones in Europe to the hunting of planes owned by oligarchs, all corners of aviation have been touched by the war.
Many aviation companies donated planes, time and other resources to humanitarian efforts as industry groups held seminars to help those in the aircraft sales industry ensure due diligence when conducting transactions to avoid dealing with planes or people that could be under sanctions.
The world’s largest plane, Ukraine’s Antonov An-225 Mriya, was destroyed in the early days of the fighting. A symbol of national pride, the country has a second unfished version that it vows to complete, and Ukrainian leaders say they will send Russia the bill.
RELATED STORIES:
Since Russia waged war on Ukraine: The impact so far on business aviation & how the industry is helping
Justice Department files warrant to seize Airbus from Russian oligarch
Video documents final mission of Antonov An-225 Mriya
Advanced Air Mobility Advances
Tomorrow is closer now than it was yesterday, and the future of flight is now. From airlines putting money down on orders for electric aircraft to the federal government beginning to provide funding and laying out the initial regulatory framework, the future of electric air taxis and eVTOL aircraft seems more clear than it did even just a few months ago.
In December, AIR, a creator of eVTOL aircraft, announced that its AIR ONE successfully completed its first full forward flight. That came just a few weeks after the FAA published a document that looks to add definitions of powered-lift aircraft into the U.S. rulebook for commercial operators.
The draft outlines the five types of air carrier operations – commuter, domestic, flag, on-demand and supplemental – to include definitions for not only fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft but also powered-lift.
Elsewhere in 2022, Archer unveiled its new eVTOL dubbed Midnight. The FAA opened the door to get feedback on Joby’s electric air taxi JAS4-1, and federal guidelines were released for the development of vertiports.
What once was an if is now a matter of when, and chances are likely that not only was this one of the biggest aviation news trends of 2022 but it will be even more so in 2023 and beyond.
RELATED STORIES:
WATCH: AIR ONE successfully completes full forward flight
Guidelines released for vertiports development for AAM aircraft
A small step into aviation’s giant leap – drafting the guidelines for powered-lift aircraft
FAA seeking public feedback on Joby’s electric air taxi model JAS4-1
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