A segment of the rotorcraft industry is off in the coming days to a trade show for an aviation sector that may be every bit as troubled as helicopters: business aviation.
The National Business Aviation Assn. convenes its annual Business Aviation Conference and Exposition Nov. 1 to 3 at Orlando, Florida’s Orange County Convention Center at a time when that sector is struggling with corporate customers focused on improving short-term performance and constraining capital expenses like aircraft acquisitions.
R&WI and its sister publication Avionics magazine will be among the exhibitors, with their display at Booth 1829.
Many of the show's exhibitors and attendees are focused on the fixed-wing portion of business aviation, which is suffering. The General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. has reported that the industry’s airplane shipments for the first half of this year declined 4.5% to 970 units compared to 2015’s first six months
By comparison, GAMA said, rotorcraft shipments dropped 16.1% in the first half, from 467 units to 392 units in 2016, and billings for rotorcraft fell 32.5%, from $2.1 billion to $1.4 billion.
“In a challenging global climate, every segment of the fixed-wing and rotorcraft market showed declines for the first half of 2016,” GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce said.
Last week, in discussing Bell Helicopter parent Textron’s latest financial performance and predicament, CEO Scott Donnelly said, “I’m not sure I would try to harbor a guess on what the market looks like at the next few years, but I think that wher the market is right now is certainly still soft.
He added, “The only growth that we've been seeing [in business airplanes] is being driven by the new products coming out into the marketplace.”
That may also be true for rotorcraft. At NBAA, Bell is highlighting the VIP version of its new Bell 525 Relentless at Booth 219. The company developed the “super” medium twin for the offshore market, and the segment’s prolonged slump has it pitching the new aircraft to other segments. The drive to bring the fly-by-wire 525 to market has been slowed by the Aug. 7 crash of its prototype.
Donnelly last week did say, “We believe that Bell commercial helicopter demand has stabilized and may be in the early stages of recover.”
In a related display, Mecaer Aviation Group at NBAA plans to deliver a Bell 429 with its MAGnificent interior. Mecaer’s booth is 1919.
Airbus Helicopters is showcasing its H130 and H125 for the business, VIP and personal transportation at the show.
“Both the H130 and H125 are outstanding aircraft for business owners and executives that need swift and versatile transportation that is uniquely capable for managing their companies or getting away for a family weekend,” said Ralph Crosby, Airbus Helicopters Inc.’s director of Corporate and VIP sales. “These helicopters, with their safety features, as well as low acquisition and operating costs, can be used for both work and leisure activities.”
Vector Aerospace is showcasing its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services at Booth 3257.
LORD Corporation at Booth 1244 will be discussing its more than nine decades of experience meeting the challenges of minimizing noise, vibration and weight in safety-critical flight components and systems. The latest development in that history is LORD’s acquisition of Fly-by-Wire Systems France.
