Business & Commercial Aviation

As pilots we learn to deal with crosswind landings almost from Day One of our training. Chances are this was in a primary flight trainer that weighed less than your car and was accomplished with what some call the “wing low” method, something more properly called a sideslip. This could very well be a valid technique for the airplane you are flying now but probably isn’t.

Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, N.J., was the most popular business aviation airport in May 2015, according to an analysis of acukwik.com traffic. Paris Le Bourget Airport and Doha-Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar, were the only airports outside North America to crack the top 10.

During May 2015, Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, N.J., was the most popular business aviation airport among U.S., Canada and Mexico airports, according to an analysis of acukwik.com traffic from that period.

Dassault Aviation expects the Falcon 5X to make its first flight this summer. Plus, analysts say the company is revamping the super midsize Cessna Citation Longitude in advance of its expected debut later this year. NetJets' CEO chairman and CEO resigned, and two executives who recently left NetJets are returning to the company. Business Jet Center's new Love Field hangar can accommodate Gulfstream 650s or Global Expresses.

Dassault's newest Falcon jet, the 5X, rolled out in front of customers and press in Merignac, France, today.

Momentum is building as Aerion Corp. moves forward with its three-engine AS2 supersonic business jet. Plus, a proposed rule that would eliminate costly and redundant requirements for Part 91 operators to submit a separate maintenance program for equipment required to fly in reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) airspace.

In May 2015, Teterboro Airport was the top airport for air charter customers and brokers, according to an analysis of trips requested through the Air Charter Guide Worldwide Trip Builder.

Engine maintenance programs offset financial exposure and improve aircraft index values. How aircraft value is impacted depends on the terms of the program. B&CA has compiled a summary of coverage available from eight different providers.

Eclipse 500 suffered bruising battles even before it finally made it to market in 2007. During its troubled gestation, engines, avionics and several systems components needed to be upgraded. It entered service as a work in progress needing flight into known icing certification, along with dozens of avionics upgrades and systems improvements.

In mid-2014, Matt Guthmiller, at age 19, became the youngest person yet to fly solo around the world. Now an engineering student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, his 26,700-nm odyssey spanned 15 countries on five continents. The journey in a leased 1981 A36 Beech Bonanza, its cabin stuffed full of auxiliary fuel tanks, required 23 refueling stops. Many of those stopovers were far from the great circle route because of the relative scarcity of avgas at airports outside North America.

Government and public disdain for those using business jets is nothing new. There’s been evidence of that aplenty in recent years. But maybe Oprah, Warren Buffett and Jay Z can help set the record straight.

Lessons that have come to light during the ongoing investigation of the May 31, 2014, crash of a Gulfstream IV departing Laurence G. Hanscom Field (BED), Bedford, Mass., center on the importance of checklists, completing all checklist items according to manufacturer guidance and understanding that safety systems can fail, silently leaving the crew unprotected from casual neglect.

Embraer delivered 32 aircraft, including 12 business aircraft and 20 commercial jets, during the first three months of 2015, the Brazilian-based company reports. Embraer delivered 10 light business jets and two large business jets during the first quarter of 2015, compared to 20 business jets in the first quarter of 2014. Embraer said it delivered 20 E-jets during the quarter, compared to 14 during the same time in 2014. All 20 E-jets delivered so far this year are E175s.

​The first production-conforming aircraft, dubbed P1, is coming together at Cirrus’ facilities in Duluth, Minnesota, where the pressure vessel built at the company’s Grand Forks, North Dakota, facility and shipped to Duluth is being bonded to the tail and other components. Meanwhile, three conforming prototypes — C0, C1 and C2 — are taking part in the FAA certification program and have accumulated more than 400 hr. flight time. A fourth aircraft, a proof-of-concept model called V1, is also flyable.

Shell Aviation has expanded its refueling network in Germany and is now the exclusive supplier at Saarbrucken Airport in Germany. Shell will provide Jet A1 and Avgas 100LL, and implement its Aviation Center of Excellence program, which focuses on efficient operations and high safety standards, using state-of-the-art equipment and marketing support through the Shell brand. Customers will have access to electronic invoicing and dedicated account managers.

Aero Kinetics, based in Fort Worth, announced a partnership with FreeFlight Systems to integrate its ADS-B avionics into Aero Kinetics unmanned aircraft systems for commercial use in the National Airspace System. FreeFlight has designed a lightweight, low-power ADS-B unit, which will be an integral part of Aero Kinetic’s development of unmanned aircraft. The technology will communicate with manned aircraft and ground control stations.

Mason Holland, Chairman of the Board, ONE Aviation, Charleston, S. Car., discusses the Eclipse 550 and Kestrel Aircraft development and what CEO Alan Klapmeier brings to the organization.

​ Diamond Aircraft has received European Aviation Safety Agency type certification for its DA62 twin-engine composite aircraft, the company said. It is the largest aircraft in its lineup to date. The DA62 is powered by two 180 hp AE330 Jet-A piston engines from Austro Engine. It is available in two versions, one that will accommodate five people and one that will carry seven passengers. The aircraft has a maximum speed of 201 kt. and a maximum range of 1,314 nm. The order book officially opened at the AERO Friedrichshafen show in April.

​The FAA has proposed a $1.54 million civil penalty against Air Methods Corp., an emergency medical transport company, for allegedly operating Eurocopter EC-130 helicopters that were not in compliance with FAA regulations. The FAA alleges that Air Methods operated two helicopters on 70 flights carrying passengers for compensation or hire. The flights were over water and beyond power-off gliding distance from the shore and lacked the required flotation devices and flotation gear for each passenger.

Rapidly growing Luxaviation Group, a driving force behind the consolidation of business-aircraft management in Europe, will become the world’s second-largest operator of business jets following the acquisition of Swiss-based ExecuJet Aviation Group.

Honeywell Aerospace has introduced a new router, the CNX-250, which will allow business aircraft to connect to a cellular network while on the ground and then transition to a satellite connection while in flight. The router will enable connection to a variety of network sources instead of connecting exclusively to a satellite communications network, Honeywell said. That will give operators and maintenance personnel the ability to stay connected while in the air or on the ground.

Mooney International revealed its new M10 design to the U.S. market with a full-scale mockup at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Florida. The M10 J and T model aircraft were unveiled in November at the Zhuhai Airshow. Mooney is in its final construction phase of a proof-of-concept flight-test aircraft scheduled to fly later this year. This follows the preliminary type certification board meeting between Mooney and the Los Angeles FAA-ACO in February.

Landmark Aviation has begun operations at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport through an equity purchase of Era FBO, a subsidiary of Era Group. The former Million Air facility has been rebranded to “Landmark Aviation.” The 26,400-sq.-ft. facility has the largest heated hangar at the airport as well as pilot and passenger lounges, an executive conference room and 7,000 sq. ft. of office space for rent.

VistaJet, based in London, added 10 new aircraft to its fleet during the first three months of 2015 to keep up with strong global demand, the company said. It also plans to add up to 10 new Bombardier Challenger 350 business jets for use in the U.S. over the next two years, the company said.

Airbus Helicopters has been awarded European Aviation Safety Agency certification for the utility version of its EC145 twin-engine light helicopter. The EC145, previously known as the EC145e, is essentially a civil version of the UH‑72 Lakota Light Utility Helicopter being delivered to the U.S. Army, but equipped for single-pilot day and night operations.