Aero Friedrichshafen – to be held on 5-8 April – has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1978 as a small parochial event showcasing cars, motorbikes and gliders.
Its metamorphosis into Europe's largest general aviation show and the biggest event of its kind outside the USA began in 1993 when its organisers severed the show's automotive ties in favour of a dedicated GA event.
“Aero has successfully positioned itself as the shop front for the global GA market,” says Aero Friedrichshafen project manager Roland Bosch.
He says the show’s popularity is largely a result of the organisers' decision to stick rigorously to a trade show format, targeting what Bosch calls “serious buyers”.
The largest step in the development of the show was the relocation in 2003 to a new exhibition site adjacent to Friedrichshafen airport, Bosch says.This decision resulted in a year-on-year hike in exhibitor numbers of around 20%, reaching a peak of over 600 companies in 2010 – when it became an annual event for the first time.
Bosch says that the decision to switch from a biennial to an annual cycle was met with some resistance, however. Many companies – leading GA airframers Tecnam and Diamond Aircraft among them – have chosen to exhibit every other year because of cost pressures and the volume of other international shows they attend.
No return
Would Aero consider returning to its biennial format? “No,” says Bosch. “Even if our exhibitor numbers do dip in the intermittent years, we don’t want to take the risk of another show coming along and filling that gap. There is still plenty of demand from the market for a large, annual European event.”
Aero Friedrichshafen
Aero Friedrichshafen's organisers are continually striving to raise the show's appeal for its target audience: the owner-pilot community. That aircraft from across the aviation spectrum are on display – from electric types to ultralights and piston-singles to small business jets – has helped to lure increasing numbers of potential buyers.
After a relatively static six years, the 2017 show – and the 25th to date – looks set to be the largest so far. Around 660 exhibitors from 38 countries have signed up for the four-day event, which is expected to attract over 35,000 visitors.
The show’s location is a draw for its army of attendees. Situated on the German shore of Lake Constance on the border of Switzerland and Austria, Friedrichshafen is the birthplace of the Zeppelin, its manufacturer's Maybach engine subsidiary, and Dornier Flugzeugwerke. “We wouldn’t consider moving it elsewhere,” says Bosch.
Community service
It also serves as a mouthpiece for the Europe's embattled GA community. Leading figures from across the industry and trade associations use the show as a platform to discuss hot topics affecting the sector, such as the implementation of new European CS-23 aircraft certification regulations, the introduction of environmentally led technologies such as electric-powered aircraft, more efficient engines and alternative fuels.
At the top of the agenda is how to reinvigorate the owner-flyer market. This sector is a vital income stream for the GA industry, but pilot numbers are falling at a rapid pace.
Diamond Aircraft
“There simply aren’t enough people flying today,” says Martin Robinson, chief executive of the UK Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which will have a strong presence at the show.
“The knock-on effect of this inactivity is reverberating across the industry, from aircraft manufacturers and flight training schools to flying clubs and aerodromes,” he says.
Robinson uses the UK market to illustrate his point. While the country is home to one of the largest populations of aircraft and pilots in Europe, the number of private pilot licences issued for light aircraft in all categories has fallen from around 3,300 a year in 2005/06 to less than 2,000 in 2016.
Similarly, data from the French Aeronautical Federation shows a 35% fall in the number of hours flown by private pilots at the country’s aero clubs – from 835,000h in 1990 to around 550,000h in 2015.
This decline has had an impact on sales of GA aircraft across Europe. Thelatest figures from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association reveal the continent’s installed base of fixed-wing single- and twin-engined aircraft weighing under 5,700kg (12,550lb) has been falling for years. Germany, for example, saw its fleet slide from 7,532 in 2008 to 7,314 last year; Sweden’s inventory fell from to 2,283 to 1,900 in the same period; Switzerland’s tally dropped from 1,610 in 2010 to 1,566 aircraft five years later, and the UK’s installed base slid from 9,000 to 8,880 during the same period.
Christian Dries, chief executive of Diamond Aircraft – manufacturer of the DA family of piston singles and twins – says private flying no longer has the appeal it once had. “The industry is dominated by pilots in the 50- to 70-year-old age range, and cash-strapped aero clubs are typically offering aircraft built between 1955 and 1970,” he says. “The dot com generation doesn’t want to fly models with steam gauges and new-generation aircraft are far too expensive.”
A typical four-seat CS-23-certificated piston-single such as a Diamond DA-40, for example, is priced at over €400,000 ($420,000), while a Cirrus SR 22 – one of the best-selling aircraft in this class – costs around €700,000.
Robinson says the introduction of very light types, such as light-sport aircraft and home-builds, has helped slash the costs of ownership and flying, but this has not been enough to attract new entrants.
Team effort
The industry does not have the answer, but says a collective effort is needed by manufacturers, flight schools and associations to stimulate the market and attract what Robinson calls “fresh blood” into the sector.
The rewrite of European CS-23 regulations, which are set to be published by EASA within weeks, should help to lower the cost of designing and manufacturing aircraft under 8,620kg, but the impact on the end-user is unlikely to be felt for some time.
The nascent ride-sharing market is also playing its part. 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, the appeal and demand for private flying has started to grow.
French-start-up Wingly – which is returning to Aero Friedrichshafen for its second year – launched its ride-sharing platform in July 2015. It has since expanded into Germany and the UK, and, according to founder Emeric de Waziers, has facilitated over 13,000 flights carrying over 2,000 passengers. “The shared economy is not only bringing new people into the market, it is also helping to drive down the cost of aircraft ownership for many pilots who would otherwise be forced to cut their flying hours,” says de Waziers.
The frail market has not dampened industry enthusiasm and flair. Manufacturers from across the GA spectrum will be represented at Aero Friedrichshafen with around 250 aircraft on display in the exhibition halls and the static area.
Tecnam
Sector stalwarts Beechcraft, Cessna, Cirrus, Daher, Diamond, Pilatus, Piper and Tecnam will be out in force to woo customers and bolster their dwindling orderbooks.
Diamond is expected to unveil a new light aircraft design to complement its popular piston-engined family. Tecnam’s new P2012 Traveller piston-twin will take a break from flight testing to make its international debut. The 11-seat commuter, which is scheduled to enter service in 2019, was launched at Aero 2011.
This year’s event will also mark the European premiere of Piper’s flagship M600 single-engined turboprop and the start of its regional demonstration tour. Meanwhile, Cirrus will be hoping to secure maximum publicity for its recently certificated Vision SF50 personal jet ahead of its European validation, which is scheduled for this year.
"Aero is a celebration of GA," Bosch says. "The market is tough right now and we must use this… gathering as a way of building up and promoting the industry."
Source: Flight International
