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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 2055.PDF
BUSINESS AVIATION MARKETING JUSTIN WASTNAGE / FONTVIELLE Monacair plans VIP sales drive for EC120 helicopter Monaco's rotorcraft charter operator is inviting 50 clients to a flight trial of the aircraft Monaco's helicopter charter opera tor Monacair is to embark on a two-month sales drive to market its new Eurocopter EC120 Colibri VIP to tour operators and hotels. The company is inviting its 50 most important clients on a trial flight of the aircraft, which was delivered from Eurocopter in July. The five-seat Colibri joins a VIP- configured AS350B1 Twinstar Ecureuil and AS365N Dauphin in Monacair's fleet. The company, which operates Monaco's Royal flight from its Fontvielle base, plans to add incentive, panoramic and package tour flights as it expands the business. More than 35% of Monacair's business is linking Monaco residents with yachts moored along France's Cote d'Azur and neighbouring Italian Riviera, with 20% of flights connecting cus tomers with fixed-wing business aircraft at Cannes Mandelieu or Nice airports, says Stephanie Micheau, commercial manager. In addition, Monacair is holding negotiations with large corpora tions to provide long-term wetlease deals to cover heavy maintenance downtime. "Building on some ad hoc charters over the past two years, we want to propose a service to large helicopter owners in the region to lease our helicopter and crew for one- or two- month periods while their own ^M %Jl8 AIRLINER S NE T SH r...Wj*mmti -• ^tS I " A The five-seat Colibri joins the VIP-configured Dauphin in Monacair's fleet helicopters are out of service," says Micheau. Monacair expects the Dauphin to fulfil most wet- lease bookings, due to many life insurance companies' conditions, an additional type, she adds. Monacair is poised to sign a long-term hangarage deal to an undisclosed customer by the end of the year. which may necessitate acquiring SEE FEATURE P32 MODERNISATION Monaco FBO to get upgrade The fixed base operation at Monaco's heliport is to be upgraded under plans by the country's SACM civil aviation authority. The authority is studying options and will request budget from Monaco's parliament early next year Henri Bayol, head of the SACM, says there are three plans on the table. Two involve moving the heliport from Fontvielle, western Monaco. One option is to construct an offshore platform linked to the shore by tunnel, while a new site closer to Monte Carlo in the east of the principality is also under consideration. The most likely option, however, would be an upgrade to the existing terminal facilities. In addition to structural changes to soundproof and secure the site, lounges and crew rest areas would be enhanced. Bayol says the upgrade will pave the way for an eventual sale of the facility, which was cleared for privatisation. No business aviation service provider has held talks to acquire the site, which handled 109,000 movements last year SALES Really Quiet doubles Gil/Ill hushkit warranty Really Quiet has doubled the warranty on its Stage 3 hushkit for the Gulfstream I l/l 11 to two years, 1,000h or 500 cycles in a bid to boost sales of the $1.5 million retrofit. The hushkit has been in service for two years, but only two Gils have been retrofit ted, for which New York-based Really Quiet blames the plunge in the value of Rolls-Royce Spey-powered Gulfstreams and the business-aviation downturn. "An unprecedented recession [in the corporate market] has reduced Spey-powered Gulf- stream values by well over 50% and they won't recover for a long time yet, if ever," says vice-presi dent international sales John Mowinski. "Most operators are simply not spending any money except for maintenance and reg ulatory [compliance]." Mowinski says Really Quiet has taken advantage of the hia tus to transfer production and engineering support to Midcoast Aviation in Cahokia, Illinois. "With two kits installed, both on Gils, we are negotiating with some predominantly Gill opera tors to start installations at Midcoast shortly." Really Quiet's translating- ejector hushkit includes an integ rated thrust-reverser and acous tically lined jetpipe. Quiet Tech nologies Aerospace has also certificated a translating-ejector Stage 3 hushkit for the Gil/Ill. COMPONENTS LMl strikes Gulfstream delivery deal LMI Aerospace is to provide just-in- time delivery of kitted skins to Gulfstream's G500/550 assembly line under a five-year deal worth $7 million. The company has begun warehousing components at a facility near Gulfstream's Savan nah, Georgia, production plant and will begin delivering kits, including bonded leading edges, to the assembly line in November. Kitting is expected to reduce the business-jet manufacturer's produc tion costs. LMI will be responsible for integrating components pro vided by its fabrication facilities as well as outside domestic and for eign suppliers. St Louis, Missouri- based LMI opened a kitting centre last year near its metal-finishing facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and plans future distribution centres. • The first full-flight simulator for the G550 has won US Level D train ing approval at FlightSafety Inter national's Savannah, Georgia, training centre. The simulator fea tures a PlaneView integrated flight- deck, an enhanced vision system and head-up display. INTERIOR VENTURE Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Banyan Air Service has begun offering interior refurbishments under a joint venture with DeCrane Cabin Interiors. DeCrane provides engineering services, while Banyan performs inspection, certification, maintenance and avionics installation. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 23-29 SEPTEMBER 2003 21
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