The general aviation community will return to the historical German town of Friedrichshafen from 20-23 April for the industry’s largest annual gathering outside the USA.
The Aero Friedrichshafen show has become the go-to venue for start-ups and established airframers from across the GA spectrum – from gliders and electric aircraft to sports aircraft and business jets – and for developers of the latest technological innovations. The success of this event, now in its 24th year, is testament to the durability and creativity of this huge but beleaguered sector which has been pummelled by the protracted economic downturn.
In an effort to lure new entrants and prevent further haemorrhaging of participants from the market, GA’s proponents have worked tirelessly to raise its profile. They have also fought hard to create a fair and proportionate operating environment for the owners and operators of Europe’s 40,000-strong aircraft fleet.
While there is a much still to do to restore the industry to rude health, their efforts are bearing fruit.
In 2014 the European Aviation Safety Agency – under the stewardship of agency director and industry supporter Patrick Ky – published a GA Roadmap, which sets out plans to simplify and moderate the rules for light aircraft in an effort to bolster the beleaguered sector.
“GA is a high priority for EASA,” the agency declared upon its release.
“It is dedicating effort and resources towards creating simpler, lighter and better rules [for the industry].”
EASA has stuck to its word. Less than 18 months on, the GA Roadmap has made progress in the key areas of maintenance, aircraft and systems certification and oversight.
“We have enormous respect for what is EASA is doing,” says Greg Bowles, director of European regulatory affairs and engineering for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). “It has taken a while for the industry to get to this stage, but we now feel we are being listened to.”
Bowles is the driving force behind a bold industry initiative to introduce proportionate certification standards for CS-23 and US Federal Aviation Administration Part 23 aircraft – which covers most piston, turboprop and light turbine aircraft.
In an advanced notice of proposed amendment (A-NPA), issued a year ago, EASA described the proposed new certification specifications as “objective requirements that are design-independent and applicable to the entire range of airplanes within CS-23”.
This covers aircraft weighing up to 5,670kg (12,000lb) that carry up to nine passengers.
"The lighter segments of GA have suffered in terms of new product innovation as a result of overly prescriptive and rigid rules," says Bowles.
Under the new standards, certification criteria are based on the complexity of the components in the design rather than on arbitrary gross weight limits.
“The new rules should lower significantly the certification costs for new aircraft and technology and encourage the development of fresh designs,” says Bowles.
One of the first models to be produced under the new CS-23 criteria is the C4 piston-single, designed by German light sport aircraft manufacturer, Flight Design.
Development of the four-seat model was put on hold in February when unsettled bills "totaling over seven-digit euros" forced the company into administration.
Flight Design is confident it will re-emerge, fully funded, in the second quarter when bringing the C4 to market will be its key priority. “This aircraft is a game-changer for the industry. We need to get it developed,” says Tom Peghiny, president of independent importer and distributor, Flight Design USA. “We already have 100 deposits.”
The high-wing type is the launch customer for a unique crash-absorbing cabin structure – called the “safety box” as well Garmin’s latest G3X Vision Touch cockpit.
Under the new streamlined and proportionate certification requirements, Flight Design is able to bring the C4 to market for around $230,000, says Peghiny. “This is around 30% less than competing designs such as the Diamond DA40 and 50% less than the Cessna 172 Skyhawk,” he adds.
Thanks to these upgraded regulations, other affordable, clean-sheet designs are now expected to follow along with an array of innovative technologies for the used and new aircraft markets. “At the moment, low-cost envelope protection systems are the holy grail for GA,” says GAMA’s Bowles. “Under the new rules we could see affordable offerings coming onto the market, which will improve safety.”
The new regulation cannot come soon enough for the industry. EASA is expected to release the NPA in the third quarter and issue its final decision before year-end. “We have to make sure we get it right,” Bowles says
While this major initiative is welcomed by the GA industry, many believe the sector cannot make a full recovery until flight activity grows.
“There simply aren’t enough people flying and the knock-on effect of this inactivity is reverberating across the industry, from aircraft manufacturers and flight training schools to flying clubs and aerodromes,” says Martin Robinson, senior vice-president of the European arm of the International Council of the Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations (AOPA), which represents the interests of more than 23,000 members at regulatory bodies including the European Commission, EASA and Eurocontrol.
His view is illustrated by the latest market data released by GAMA. The association reveals Europe’s installed base of single and twin-engined aircraft weighing under 5,700kg has been declining for years. The Netherlands saw its fleet fall from 654 aircraft in 2008 to 497 at the end of 2015. The German inventory fell from 7,532 to 7,340 over the same period and the Republic of Ireland saw its tally slide from 253 in 2011 to 195 at the end of last year.
“Flying doesn’t have the appeal it once had,” says Robinson, who is also chief executive of AOPA’s UK branch.
Although the country is home to one of the largest populations of aircraft and pilots in Europe, the number of private pilot licenses (PPLs) – newly issued for light aircraft in all categories – has fallen from around 3,300 per year in 2005/06 to under 2,500 now.
"There is a correlation between new license holders and aircraft purchases,” he says. “Only one in 10 PPL license holders own their own aircraft in the UK. This ratio is much greater in the USA.”
He is not surprised by these statistics. “When people are worried about their jobs and mortgages, that's what they will prioritise first," Robinson says. "While the idea of learning to fly is still attractive, they are not prepared to make that investment right now."
The decline in flying activity is also threatening the long-term viability of many aerodromes, again. The situation is particularly acute in the UK where, unlike in many European countries, these sites are not considered public amenities and therefore many are not protected under law.
According to GAMA there are 4,130 paved and unpaved runways in Europe. Of these, the UK is home to 272 and 190, respectively – a far cry from the 680 recorded in the mid-1940s.
John Gilder, vice-president of the UK General Aviation Awareness Council, says the UK housing crisis has placed aerodromes in a precarious position. “The government’s determination to build more homes has left any of these sites vulnerable,” he says. A number of sites have been sold in the last few years, including Manston airport, 150km from London, in 2014. “It is a big deal for the industry because Manston is a substantial, and largely irreplaceable, capital asset that should not be wasted,” says Gilder.
He cites up to 30 aerodromes and landing sites under threat. “It is a worrying time for GA with airfields open-season for the developers.”
There is little comfort to be found at the larger airports too, Robinson adds.
"Light aircraft have long been regarded as noisy and intrusive to the local community, while large international airports, mindful of the small return from GA traffic, have largely driven smaller aircraft out," says Robinson. "Even at regional airports, landing fees have become so expensive it is no longer viable to operate in and out of these sites," he says.
The GA community is frustrated at the lack of UK government support or recognition for the industry despite it garnering much praise in a 2015 Department for Transport-funded report by York Aviation.
“How can our government ignore the economic significance of our aviation industry, as now evidenced by the York report, and fail to support it?” he says.
The study estimates the GA industry contributes around £3 billion to the UK economy and supports around 38,000 jobs. The report – which includes all non-military and non air transport-related activity – also discloses nearly 10,000 jobs are supported by GA flying activity at aerodrome level.
“Reviving the GA sector to 2005 levels could add a further £700 million to the UK’s economic footprint,” says the report.
Not surprisingly, York Aviation cites a healthy flight training industry as the essential ingredient for its rejuvenation.
“Training is a critical component of the health of the GA sector,” it concedes. “Without new student pilots feeding thorough, the industry may continue to decline.”
Aerodrome movement data issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority in 2014, for example, revealed a decline in aero club and private flying of around 45% since 2005.
The fall in hours flown by light aircraft was particularly marked, with fixed-wing models weighing between 751kg and 5,700kg down by 50%. Anecdotal evidence suggests little has changed since.
“Government should consider ways in which it can support GA training providers and make it easier for student pilots to take up flying,” says York.
Robinson agrees. “A starting point could be lifting VAT (value added tax) on flying training and on the cost of fuel. This would bring down the price markedly”. He concedes, however, this won’t be sufficient to revive the industry.
“We are simply not attracting enough people. These are tough times when people look at what they can do with their hard-earned money, paying £400 an hour to fly in a Cessna 172 is not at the top of their list.”
Robinson says the introduction of very light aircraft, such as LSAs and homebuilds, has helped slash the costs of flying but this has not been sufficient to attract new entrants.
Europe’s nascent online ride-sharing market could change all this. By giving owners and operators of non-complex aircraft with fewer than six-seats a platform to share the costs of their flight with fellow passengers, it is hoped the appeal and demand for private flying will escalate.
Skyüber – Europe’s first pan-European venture - launched its online and mobile platform in August and has already secured registrations from 2,000 pilots and 14,000 riders, who have shared around 500 seats.
“The cost of the flight – which includes landing fees and fuel – is evenly split between the riders which, depending on the number of occupants, can be very affordable indeed,” says Skyüber co-founder Carlos Oliveira. This offering is also fully compliant with EASA’s cost-sharing principles.
“Skyüber isn’t designed as a money-making venture [for pilots]; rather a match-making exercise,” Oliveira explains. “It is a way to offset some of the costs of flying, which is very expensive in Europe, and encourage people to fly more.” Furthermore, he hopes by lowering the price of entry, this distinctive and under utilised mode of transport will become accessible to a much wider audience.
Skyüber’s focus until now has been mainly on training schools and aero clubs in Europe’s largest markets of France, Germany and the UK. It is now planning to extend its reach throughout the continent. “We have spent the last few months perfecting the platform and getting the funding in place to accelerate our growth to market,” Oliveira says. “We now plan to widen our marketing effort to aero clubs around Europe, with a view to adding 50,000 pilots to the platform.”
For AOPA’s Robinson, the ride-sharing market offers potential for the light aircraft industry. “If it attracts new entrants and recharges this sector, it has to be a positive thing.”
Source: Flight International
