Business & Commercial Aviation

Rockwell Collins has announced a series of updates to its ARINCDirect Flight Operations System, including the ability to integrate with new tools and the launch of a new vendor alliance charter management program. The FOS release features a more intuitive, mobile-friendly, touchscreen user interface for tablets and smartphones. It also provides access to flight-risk assessment and fatigue-risk-management tools through the Pulsar Infomatics Aviation Fatigue Meter suite and the SAFE tool developed by Fatigue Risk Management Science Limited.

Magnum Aviation, Sun Air Jets Now Signature Select Members

Jim Holahan, the founding editor of Aviation Convention News and the monthly Aviation International News, and a former editor in chief of this publication, has gone west.

One Aviation, the newly formed company that combined Eclipse Aerospace with Kestrel Aircraft, is marketing an Eclipse 500 “Special Edition” that includes the features and available options of a new production Eclipse 550. The Eclipse SE carries a base price of $2.195 million and is a factory-renewed Eclipse 500 that includes a dual Avio Integrated Flight Management System, anti-skid brakes, pilot-side Standby Display Unit, PPG glass windshields, new interior and two-tone paint scheme.

A recent court decision in the battle over aircraft noise in East Hampton, New York, left neither side particularly happy. In late June, Judge Joanne Seybert of U.S. District Court in Central Islip issued an injunction a town law limiting summer takeoffs and landings at East Hampton Airport to one a week.

Bombardier Aerospace says the Global 7000 and 8000 programs are undergoing a strategic review, raising questions about the development schedule for the long-range business jets. “Following the arrival of new leadership in our organization — namely Alain Bellemare as president and CEO, Bombardier Inc. and David Coleal as president, Bombardier Business Aircraft — we are conducting a full review of all aspects of the program, including its schedule,” the company said.

Jet Aviation Geneva has received CAR-145 approval from the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India to provide base-maintenance services to Indian-registered Gulfstream and Bombardier aircraft.

It’s worked on the Pacific coast, so why not on the Atlantic coast as well? That’s the thinking of the team that founded Surf Air, the growing commercial operation that provides scheduled PC-12 service among various California business aviation airports to its members.

Elliott Aviation, based in Moline, Illinois, has gained FAA supplemental type certificate for the activation and use of all Gogo Business Aviation Wi-Fi products in Embraer’s Phenom 300. The STC also allows for operation of Gogo’s UCS 5000, an all-in-one smart router and media server. The service includes the Gogo Vision cabin entertainment system. Gogo Vision is an on-demand, inflight entertainment system for business aviation to provide movies, TV episodes, news, weather, flight progress and other information. Elliott is an authorized Phenom 100 and 300 service center.

Aircraft operating costs are presented in a format that separates the data into seven separate areas: Mission Costs, Variable Costs, Fixed Annual Costs, Periodic Costs, Personnel Costs, Training Costs and Facilities Costs. Aircraft Category

Thales is taking the helmet out of the helmet-mounted display and bringing Top Gun technology to the business jet world. Less than three years after acquiring an innovative line of helmet-mounted displays (HMD) from U.S. helmet-maker Gentex, Thales is offering the same technology for applications ranging from civil helicopters and business jets to the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor stealth fighter, including an a entirely new head-worn display called TopMax. The basic Scorpion combat HMD is already flying on U.S.

June 29 — About 1944 Hawaiian standard time, a Short Bros. SD3-60 (N221LM) sustained minor damage following a gear up landing at the Kalaeloa Airport [John Rogers Field] (JRK) Kapolei, Hawaii. The airplane was registered to and operated by Trans Executive Airlines of Hawaii Inc. The ATP-rated pilot and the Commercial-rated pilot, the only occupants of the airplane, were not injured. It was VFR but an IFR flight plan was filed for the flight check flight that originated from Honolulu International Airport, Honolulu, Hawaii at about 1850.

Plane Perfect, an aircraft detail supply company, has formed a partnership with Maule Air to provide cleaning products to the aircraft manufacturer.

Corporate Angel Network has arranged its 48,000th cancer patient flight, with a flight on June 11. The patient was a 48-year-old with colon cancer. Patient James Etherton was accompanied by his wife, Tammy. Blue Beacon International donated its Cessna Citation for the flight, which flew them from their home in Mechnicsburg, Illinois, to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Etherton needs to fly to New York for treatment once a month. Blue Beacon has participated in the Corporate Cancer Network since 1992.

Spirit AeroSystems Marks 10 Years As A Company

Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, N.J., was the most popular North American business aviation airport in June 2015, according to an analysis of acukwik.com traffic. Airports in Montreal and near Mexico City were among the top five most popular North American airports.

Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, N.J., was the most popular business aviation airport in June 2015, according to an analysis of acukwik.com traffic. Paris Le Bourget Airport, William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, San Antonio International Airport in San Antonio, Texas, and London Luton Airport ranked in the top five airports.

The fast growing Isle of Man aircraft registry is staffing up to face the implementation of new European safety regulations and to handle increasing applications from business jet operators.

Challenger Love My least favorite part of the Bombardier Challenger 604, an aircraft I have been flying for 13 years, is the fuel system, which is seemingly an impossible mystery to crack. You are never really sure just how much fuel is in the tanks. The 20,000 lb. the book says you can carry is a pipe dream at best because it never takes it all — sometimes coming up over 1,500 lb. short, thus forcing you to replan your tech stop at the last minute.

Teterboro Airport was the most popular departure and arrival airport requested by Air Charter Guide Worldwide Trip Builder users in June 2015. Dallas Love Field tied with two other airports for second most popular point of origin, and it was the second most popular destination.

Everyone has their Customs clearance story, which often involves allegedly being hassled or otherwise inconvenienced by Customs and Border Protection agents on a rainy night after a 10-hour international flight.

Like it or not, Canada and the U.S. are joined at the hip. Each is the other’s largest trading partner ($500 billion+ total), and our financial, electrical and transportation infrastructure are fully integrated.

Marc Parent CAE president and CEO Saint-Laurent, Quebec

Setting up a company shuttle can be an economic, legal and logistical challenge, but the long-term benefits can make the effort worthwhile.

Succession planning in any flight department, like developing other essential disciplines, is a lengthy, comprehensive process. The sooner you start planning and grooming potential successors, the more likely the high standards you’ve set for your organization will endure after your departure.