The 30th AERO Friedrichshafen is scheduled for April 17 to 20, and show organizer Fairnamic GmbH said it has worked together with Friedrichshafen Airport (EDNY), Air Traffic Control, and security personnel to make more slots available.

• READ MORE: AERO Friedrichshafen Focuses on Sustainability, Single-Engine Turboprop Ops

Attendees interested in slots for the show will have to register in advance using an online booking system beginning on February 15. The booking system will then notify them beginning in mid-March that they can then reserve and pay for their slots.

Organizers said the mandatory preregistration in the booking system “ensures a fair distribution of available slots.” As in previous years, pilots flying to the show will receive a free one-day pass. 

“The handling of guests arriving in their own aircraft worked well last year. We are also building on this for the 30th AERO,” said Claus-Dieter Wehr, managing director of Flughafen Friedrichshafen GmbH. “However, we also know that despite the increase in the number of slots, there will again be more reservation requests than slots.”

• READ MORE: Horten Flying Wing Prototype to Make Debut at Aero Friedrichshafen

As was the case at last year’s event, pilots will have to show their licenses at the crew tent before departure. Officials will also check to confirm that passengers have been registered in advance. Passengers not accompanied by a pilot will not be allowed onto the airport property. A shuttle service is available to take pilots and their passengers from the crew tent to their aircraft.

Other airfields with shuttle services to the trade show include Mengen (EDTM) and Leutkirch (EDNL). The Konstanz field (EDTZ) offers access to the show via a catamaran ferry for which organizers offer combination tickets. An airfield at Biberach (EDMB) makes a good alternative and offers train access to Friedrichshafen Airport.

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The event showcases the latest in general aviation technology, and several schools are taking advantage of the sustainable designs manufactured by Tecnam.

Aerotec Pilot School, Spain

Aerotec Pilot School in Madrid, Spain, purchased five new Tecnam P-Mentors. The P-Mentor is an IFR capable, two-place, single-engine aircraft designed for the training environment. The aircraft is powered by a Rotax 912iSc paired up with a MT constant-speed propeller for fuel efficiency and low emissions. Among the features available on the P-Mentor are:

• Autopilot
• A simulated retractable gear control
• A BRS aircraft rescue parachute system

Aerotec Pilot School offers training from ground schools up to airline transport certificates. The school already operates three Tecnam P2008 and one P2006T.

“We chose the P-Mentor over its competitors for its undoubtable features and benefits, our positive experience coming from flying and operating the P2008 and P2006T,” says Tomás Marqués Fernandez-Bernal, Aerotec Pilot School founder and CEO. “We are glad to offer in our courses what is probably the best modern training aircraft. We hope that our students will be able to pilot them soon, so they can confirm the wisdom of our choice.” 

“We are delighted to continue to support Aerotec, one of the most innovative flight schools. And we also are glad for their support in our research of excellence in manufacturing aircraft, shaping the future of training and passion for flying.”  says Tecnam’s chief sales officer, Walter Da Costa.

Center Air Pilot Academy, Denmark

Center Air Pilot Academy in Denmark took delivery of the first of a total of seven Tecnam aircraft at AERO 22. The school purchased five P-Mentors and two twin-engine P2006T MKIIs. 

“At Center Air Pilot Academy, we are constantly looking for solutions to develop and improve our flight training,” Simon Frost, Center Air Pilot Academy Co. owner and chief instructor, said in a statement. 

“Concerning our analysis for our next generation aircraft fleet, we have focused on safety, technology and environmental costs without compromising our high-quality flight training. The Tecnam aircraft far exceeded the competition in our analysis. The P2006T MKII and the P-Mentor, with their low fuel consumptions, will help us significantly in reducing our total carbon dioxide emission compared to our current fleet and comparable aircraft. With this fleet renewal our flight training continues to evolve and creates the best possible environment for our students, to commence world-class training becoming commercial airline pilots.”

The P2006T offers a modern Garmin avionics suite, integrating all primary flight, navigation, communication and terrain data on two high-definition LCDs. The P2006T is also equipped with an S-Tec 55x high-performance, two-axis autopilot, with advanced features.

The aircraft is fitted with two Rotax 912S3 engines, and can be operated on avgas and mogas 95 octane fuel, leading to huge cost savings, offering the best training for multi-engine, variable pitch and retractable landing gear ratings under EASA regulations.

In a media release Tecnam said, “The choice of Center Air Pilot is not only a purchasing of new aircraft, it is joining a new philosophy in Flight Training. This fleet renewal will improve the quality of training while limiting its cost for students and better preserving the natural environment. Recent study shows that flight schools operating with Tecnam single and twin-engine fleet can reduce emissions by up to 60 percent: 10 tons of CO₂ for each student by the time they receive their commercial pilot license.”

Bartolini Air, Rynair Choose P-Mentor

Bartolini Air, a group of EASA-certified aviation companies offering flight training, private jet charter and management, aircraft sales and maintenance has been chosen by Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline, to become an approved training partner. 

Bartolini Air has selected the Tecnam P-Mentor for its Ryanair Mentored Programme. The program is designed to create pilots for the airline, training them from student to airline ready. 

Bartolini Air has been using Tecnam aircraft since 2010. At the moment, it operates 14 Tecnam models.

“This is not the first time that we have trusted Tecnam to implement innovative solutions in our pilot training,” said Bartolini Air’s president Bartlomiej Walas. “I have no doubt that the arrival of the P-Mentor in our fleet will only confirm our ability to offer the highest quality training throughout the course in just one single aircraft.”

Ryanair’s director of sustainability, Thomas Fowler, is pleased with his airline’s choice.

“We are delighted to see that our approved partner flight school, Bartolini Air, who trains our future pilots on the Ryanair Mentored Programme, are investing in the newest generation aircraft P-Mentor from Tecnam which will have a hugely positive impact on the environment thanks to a 60 percent reduction in CO2 emissions compared to current IFR training planes and a fuel consumption of 14 litres per hour, which means a 50-percent reduction compared to standard training planes,” Fowler said in a statement.

Tecnam managing director Giovanni Pascale Langer said, “The P-Mentor has already generated great interest among forward-thinking flight training organizations like Bartolini Air who trust Tecnam design, fine flying qualities combined with state-of-art avionics and perhaps most of all, its impressive fuel consumption and CO₂ emission cuts. We see this as important steps not only for flight training centers, but in the future aviation industry across all its segments.” 

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There is, however, a way to take a pretty good look at what LSAs might become once MOSAIC is etched in stone. You’ll need to travel to Friedrichshafen, Germany, and attend the upcoming 2022 Aero Friedrichshafen trade show (AERO22), known affectionately as “AERO”—much like EAA’s AirVenture is referred to by many simply as “Oshkosh.” This year’s AERO22 show is April 27-30 at the Messe Friedrichshafen convention complex, adjacent to Bodensee Airport (EDNY).

The reason the airplanes found at AERO22 can be considered a possible preview to our post-MOSAIC LSA world is that in the EU, the “ultralight” class of airplanes are in many ways the same airframe and engine combinations as found here as LSAs, only without many of the limitations sport pilots in the U.S. have to contend with. In the EU, what we know as an LSA can fly with higher maximum takeoff weight, go faster because retractable gear and constant-speed props are allowed, and be used for many commercial purposes.

“It’s safe to say that what’s going on in the EU could be a precursor to what our post-MOSAIC world might look like,” said LSA industry expert Dan Johnson, who has flown across the pond to attend AERO 26 times. 

“The EU and U.S. sort of leapfrog each other when it comes to regulations,” Johnson said. “I have seen this several times. Right now, they’re ahead of us when it comes to features, speed limits, and maximum takeoff weights with their ultralights, but we should move ahead of them when the MOSAIC rewrite is final. And because of a collaborative relationship between governments and universities, innovation thrives in the EU. 

“Even after our MOSAIC rewrite is in the books, they could again leapfrog ahead of us in the future with new ideas we are not yet even pursuing.”

What Could Be Coming Soon

A good example of the differences between EU ultralight regulations and LSA regulations here in the U.S. is the JMB Aircraft VL3, sold in the U.S by Alion Aviation. 

This sleek high-performance model can be ordered in the EU with the Rotax 912ULS, 912iS, 914UL Turbo, or the 141-hp 915iS Turbo engine, with the latter delivering 200 ktas cruise speed on the VL3 with retractable gear, a variable-pitch propeller, and 1,500-pound maximum takeoff weight. This faster version of the VL3 is available now to the U.S. market, but only as an “Experimental Exhibition or 51 percent amateur build with factory assistance” model that would require a private pilot certificate at a minimum to operate and be capable of all kinds of flying, including flight into IFR conditions.

The same VL3 airframe is available to the U.S. pilots as an SLSA, with either 912ULS or 912iS Rotax engine options, but with fixed-pitch propeller and fixed landing gear, and U.S. LSA limitations of 120 ktas cruise speed and 1,320 pounds maximum takeoff weight. While nobody knows what future LSA regulations will look like after MOSAIC, it is possible that aircraft such as the much more capable EU version of the VL3 may end up being qualified for pilots to fly here with a sport pilot certificate.

Additionally, JMB Aircraft just announced that a version of their VL3 flew for the first time in early April at Valenciennes Airfield (LFAV) in France powered by a TurboTech turbine engine. The model will feature full FADEC control, and since no performance targets were released, it is unclear how this turbine VL3 would fit into the FAA’s MOSAIC framework.

AERO22’s 30th Anniversary Show 

This year’s 30th edition of AERO will feature more than 700 exhibitors from 38 countries and is expected to host more than 35,000 visitors, 63 percent of whom hold a pilot certificate, according to the AERO22 website. Show organizers welcome pilots to fly into EDNY in their aircraft, and each will get a one-day free entry to the show, though arrival slots are required. There will be free bus shuttles from the airport to the pilot’s entrance at the Messe Friedrichshafen complex.

Clock is Ticking on MOSAIC Release

Johnson says it is “highly likely” that the FAA will release big news about the MOSAIC rewrite at the upcoming EAA AirVenture Oshkosh show this summer.

“When [the] FAA went to Congress to ask for a bigger budget, the response from Congress was that in order to grant that request, [the] FAA would need to rewrite regulations to incorporate UAVs, air taxis, drones, multicopters, and other related aircraft into our national airspace system. Congress said it had to be done by December 31, 2023, and [the] FAA says it needs 16 months to release the NPRM and read every comment. 

“If you do the math, and if [the] FAA is staying on that Congressionally mandated schedule, that means we are looking at Oshkosh 2022 for the NPRM release. If they do not release it then, that will mean their schedule is slipping,” Johnson said.

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Messe Friedrichshafen, the organization behind AERO 2021—generally known as the largest general aviation event in Europe—had high hopes that the coronavirus pandemic that squashed plans for 2020 would abate enough to allow it to take place in July 2021. Those hopes were officially dashed on April 21, with an announcement from the group that COVID-19 concerns continued to make a large-scale indoor event next to impossible to carry through without undue hazard to attendees.

With soaring exhibit halls providing good ventilation and spacing, the plan to move forward with a July event felt reasonable—until ongoing travel restrictions and recent surges in cases in Europe and elsewhere in the world threw the cold water of reality onto that plan. The head of AERO Friedrichshafen Roland Bosch and project manager Tobias Bretzel said in a press release, “It is with a heavy heart that we have made this decision to cancel the leading trade show for General Aviation for the second time. However, a decision at this point in time is right and fair. We are now creating planning certainty for our exhibitors, visitors and suppliers. The current pandemic situation does not allow us to hold a trade show at the moment. However, we are looking ahead to the European Rotors trade show, which will be held in Cologne from November 16 to 18, 2021, and also to AERO 2022 (April 27-30, 2022), where we will welcome exhibitors and visitors back to Friedrichshafen.”

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The evolving state of trade shows globally can’t seem to find a point of rest. Aerospace events aren’t immune, as key conferences such as Heli-Expo and AERO Friedrichshafen change plans while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge large-scale gatherings.

Helicopter Assocation Internation (HAI) announced during the week of January 18 that its marquee event, Heli-Expo, scheduled for March 22 to 25 in New Orleans, would be cancelled. An abiding sense of unease pervades the marketplace, as the association noted on its site: “While some in our industry have urged us to carry on with the show, the majority have recently expressed discomfort with the logistics involved in business travel at this time. HAI appreciates hearing from our diverse VTOL community, and we are grateful for the honest feedback that we’ve received from our members, exhibitors, attendees, and other stakeholders.”

The association offers several ways for companies and attendees to move forward: “Exhibitors have multiple options for their booth payments, including pushing participation and payment to the 2022 show in Dallas, repurposing dollars to other HAI advertising and sponsorship opportunities to support their business objectives in 2021, or issue of a full refund. Current exhibitors will be contacted with additional details in the next 5–7 business days, and more information on exhibitor options, including helpful contacts, can be found at heliexpo.com/faq.”

Across the Atlantic, the organizers of AERO Friedrichshafen, Messe Friedrichshafen GmbH, announced on January 21 that it would postpone its conference planned for late April in Germany to the summer—in light of increased numbers of COVID-19 cases in Europe this winter. “Following the cancellation of the event last year, the uncertainties surrounding the pandemic coupled with the renewed lockdown extension unfortunately mean that AERO Friedrichshafen will have to be postponed,” said Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellmann. “With the aim of creating clear parameters for all our customers and partners, we have now decided at this relatively early stage to hold our upcoming AERO as a summer edition from July 14 to July 17, 2021, in Friedrichshafen.” The large number of reservations that the organization had already received gave them hope that the summer event would be well received. “AERO Friedrichshafen provides the global general aviation industry the opportunity to showcase its latest innovations,” said Pete Bunce, president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). “It has also become a premier setting for discussions about the current affairs and future of the industry in Europe. GAMA looks forward to our continued participation in this valuable general aviation expo – also at the upcoming summer edition from [the] 14th to 17th of July 2021.”

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The large-scale AERO Friedrichshafen general aviation expo in Germany, to be held April 1 to 4, 2020, has been postponed in the wake of challenges associated with the COVID-19 virus, commonly known as the novel coronavirus. Other US-based aviation events, such as the Aircraft Electronics Association convention in Nashville, and the Sun-n-Fun Fly-In, are apparently proceeding as scheduled in late March and early April 2020.

According to a press release delivered by AERO on March 6, because of “current developments in regard to the spread of coronavirus COVID-19, Messe Friedrichshafen is taking a serious but necessary step: aviation show AERO will not be held in the planned period of April 1 to 4, 2020, but will be postponed to a date that has not yet been determined.”

“The current situation with the coronavirus has resulted in a nasty domino effect,” says Klaus Wellmann, Managing Director of Messe Friedrichshafen. On Thursday, the same decision already had to be made for two additional events (Aqua-Fisch and IBO). “The industry members of the general aviation community also see the health and economic risks of the upcoming trade fair as too high,” said Wellmann. “We share this assessment, but it is with a heavy heart that we now need to take this serious step together.”

The popular event, known commonly as “the Oshkosh of Europe,” was expected to draw at least 700 exhibitors, but had witnessed numerous cancellations in recent days, prompting the decision to postpone the show.

On March 9, the Aircraft Electronics Association released a statement indicating that its event to take place at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, on March 24 to 27, would proceed as planned, and it outlined the preventative steps that the host convention center and the association would take to ensure the health and safety of its guests. “The emergency operations guidelines at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center are extensive, and the facility’s emergency preparedness plans are thorough. Association staff is working closely with the resort and convention center to ensure all necessary precautions are being taken to ensure the health and well-being of attendees remain the top priority,” the message said. Participants are strongly advised to monitor their own health and self-isolate if any symptoms arise.

The organizers of the Sun-n-Fun Fly-In also noted, as of press time, that the event, scheduled for March 31 to April 4, would continued as planned. A message outlining “Attendee Safety” has been posted on the website and participants again are encouraged to take charge of their individual situations to help ensure the overall health of the event.

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