Jet Aviation Zurich, a fixed base operator, handled the majority of the aircraft and delegates passing through Zurich International Airport on their way to the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The provider handled 582 aircraft movements and 1,485 passengers. Jet Aviation Zurich brought in additional staff to handle the record number of delegates expected to attend the World Economic Forum, it said. It also added a number of luxury vehicles to its fleet to handle ground transportation requirements for the surge of passengers.
Cessna Aircraft rolled out its first production Citation Latitude midsize business jet at its Wichita production facility on Jan. 29. The unveiling comes three years after the all-new midsize $16.25 million business jet was introduced.
Business aviation flights in Europe saw a big decline in January, marked by fewer flights in Western Europe and a continued free-fall in activity in Russia and the Ukraine, according to a report by WingX Advance. Overall, there were 49,929 business aviation flights in Europe in January, a decline of 5.8% compared to January 2013. “This fall takes last year’s tepid recovery well off course,” the report said. Activity last month was at a similar level to that of January 2009. Flight activity fell 4% in Western Europe.
Strap into a CJ1+ and you’ll feel as comfortable as when you slip on your favorite shoes. The third-generation CitationJet, built from mid-2005 to late 2010, has FADEC-equipped engines with slightly more thrust, increased operating weights and an upgraded interior compared to the CJ1. It also has a completely integrated Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics package, including full-feature FMS-3000, and more standard equipment.
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) will be on display at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, EBACE, in May. Organizers are dedicating a zone for unmanned aircraft system products so attendees can see them in action and take part in education sessions that will focus on the European Commission’s regulations regarding UAS, or remotely piloted aircraft systems, as they are better known in Europe. The move comes as UAS grows as part of the business aviation community worldwide.
The Guimbal Cabri G2, a French-designed, piston-engine light helicopter, has been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. The Cabri — designed by former Airbus Helicopters engineer Bruno Guimbal — was awarded the certification on Feb. 3 after a 16-month program which included a study of the aircraft’s operations documentation and flight tests, the company said. It comes eight years after the helicopter was granted certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency in December 2007.
FlightSafety International is building its fourth full-flight simulator for the G650. It will be available at FlightSafety’s Learning Center in Wilmington, Delaware, in early 2016. The new simulator will feature tightly integrated computer hardware and software across subsystems to allow for more accurate and higher fidelity simulation than found in other current and previous simulators, the FSI said.
Duncan Aviation released its recently updated Straight Talk book on the NextGen initiative Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). The debate is over, and the January 2020 deadline gets closer every day. To find out what you need to know to make sure your aircraft is in compliance with the FAA’s mandate, go to: www.duncanaviation.aero/straighttalk/adsb/index.php . The updated book is free.
World Fuel Services, based in Miami, has added four FBOs to its network.YU Lounge at Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport in Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis in the Caribbean; Jet Center Curacao at Hato International Airport in Willemstad, Curacao; and Ecuacentair at Mariscal Sucre International Airport in Quito, Equador have signed with the company’s network. With the additions, the Air Elite Network has 37 locations worldwide.
Spending on private jet charter activities increased 15% in 2014 over 2013, according to New Flight Charters. The average amount spent per charter rose from $14,841 in 2013 to $17,068 in 2014, it said. The average includes all charter activity and aircraft types, from piston aircraft through heavy and long-range private jets. Midsize jet activity increased 18.8% year over year and heavy jet activity nearly doubled, the company said. The data is from more than 750 U.S.
Keystone Holdings has signed an agreement with Universal Weather and Aviation to acquire Air Service Hawaii, an FBO with six locations in Hawaii. Under the deal, Air Service Hawaii will retain its branding and identity. The acquisition also includes a long-term preferred FBO/handler agreement with Universal to provide Universal’s customer base with quality service when they visit Hawaii.
Mary Eisenhower, granddaughter of Dwight D. Eisenhower, was in Wichita on Jan. 26 for the unveiling of a new logo and the official launch of the new name of Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. T he airport is now the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport, named after the 34th U.S. president. “We were thrilled that she (Mary Eisenhower) came” for the event, said Victor White, director of airports. The new logo and name comes as the airport is constructing a new, state-of-the-art terminal building in Wichita.
Pilatus appoints Russian aviation company Nesterov Aviation as its PC-12 sales and service center for Russia. Nesterov has offices in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Pilatus calls Nesterov the “perfect partner” that can offer customized support to PC-12 owners in Russia. Nesterov Aviation will begin preparations this year for a maintenance center in the northwestern part of Russia to further expand its operations across the country.
Business aviation flight activity turned in its best year since 2008 last year, according to ARGUS TraqPak data. Flight activity last year increased 2% overall from 2013, it said. The largest single year-over-year increase was recorded by small business jets flown by fractional companies. Activity increased 23.6% last year in that category over 2013, ARGUS said. Activity in large cabin jets flown under Part 135 had the second largest gain at 9.4%. Turboprop activity by fractional companies experienced the biggest drop, with flights last year down 29.8%.
Piper Aircraft, based in Vero Beach, Florida, has introduced the single-engine Meridian M500 with upgraded avionics and other improvements. The aircraft features the Garmin G1000 avionics with a dual 10-in. PFD, a 12-in. MFD and a GFC700 autopilot with an enhanced flight control system. The $2.26 million aircraft includes Electronic Stability Protection that helps prevent stalls, spins, steep spirals and loss-of-control conditions and discourages aircraft operation outside the flight envelope.
Gogo Inc. will bring ATG-4 air-to-ground connectivity technology to business aviation, the company announced. ATG-4, which is currently on more than 650 commercial aircraft, will be available for business aviation through an equipment package called ATG 8000. First shipments are expected in April. The ATG 8000 will give passengers a significant increase in connectivity speed when compared to other Gogo business equipment packages. At the same time, Gogo is on track for record aircraft installations overall this year.
Bombardier has unveiled plans to raise new financing as Pierre Beaudoin steps down to be replaced as president and CEO by outsider Alaine Bellemare, the former head of United Technologies Corp.’s (UTC) Propulsion & Aerospace business. The moves are intended to reassure investors who are increasingly concerned that Bombardier will run out of cash as it funds development of the delayed CSeries narrowbody aircraft, and upcoming Global 7000/8000 large business jets while sales of its regional airliners remain under pressure.
After languishing in storage in Toulouse for the last several years, the world’s first and only VVIP Airbus A380 has been retired. Airbus removed the aircraft from its order book in late 2014, ending speculation over if and when the giant aircraft would ever become the “Flying Palace” it was once intended to be. Airbus says it does not know what will happen to the aircraft, which was the third prototype.
The number of civil helicopter accidents in the U.S. fell 26% last year, showing good safety progress by the industry, the International Helicopter Safety Team said. The number of accidents fell to 3.64 accidents in 2014, from 4.95 accidents in 2013, the organization said. Over the past 10 years, however, the accident rate has dropped by more than half, according to the report. From 2001-2005, the number of civil helicopter accidents averaged 7.97 per 100,000 flight hours. The number of fatal accidents has also fallen.
Many of today’s pilots never had the opportunity to operate aircraft with big, radial, piston engines. These powerplants are beefy and complex and have systems to extract extra energy from heat and to deal with high heat and pressures. A water injection system, also known as anti-detonation injection, or simply ADI, is one of them. Another is an auto feathering system, designed to accelerate the feathering of a failing engine while preventing the manual feathering of the running engine. Choosing to use either or both systems creates takeoff weight restrictions.
NetJets Europe flew the first Phenom 300 into London City Airport after receiving certification to operate the light aircraft from the airport, it said. NetJets is the largest private operator at the airport, with 50% of all traffic, according to NetJets. It connected to 374 destinations around the globe from London. More than 53% of its European customer base comes from the London finance sector, it said. Last year, 41% of its new business in Europe was generated in the financial industry.
Industry Week has chosen Cessna Aircraft’s Mexico factory as its 2014 Best Plants winner. Industry Week notes that the factory completed more than 250 continuous improvement practices, or “kaizens,” and has solved crucial problems in complex processes. Cessna has also simplified the machining process to improve cycle time and lowered required inventory levels with improved safety for the operator, it said. Cessna employs 800 people at its Mexico facility.
Quest Aircraft Co., based in Sandpoint, Idaho, delivered 30 Kodiak turboprop aircraft last year and launched several product enhancements and upgrades. Deliveries last year were up from 28 Kodiaks delivered in 2013 and 15 shipped in 2012, according to data from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. “ We continue to increase our production and deliveries of the Kodiak as the market rebounds and demand for a versatile product like the Kodiak grows,” Sam Hill, Quest Aircraft CEO, said. The company signed an agreement on Feb.
Chris Strand, lead pilot for Amway Corporation’s BBJ and a member of the NBAA International Operations Committee, learned a few things about fuel reserves when flying the Pacific as a navigator in Navy EP3s (the electronic warfare version of the venerable Lockheed P3, the navalized variant of the four-engine Electra turboprop).
Area residents have formed the Los Angeles Area Helicopter Noise Coalition, which is seeking to improve their quality of life by reducing helicopter noise in their communities, without compromising safety. Their website claims a commitment “to partnering with local neighborhoods and working with appropriate government agencies, helicopter pilots and operators, and other entities to enhance the environmental quality of our neighborhoods today and for future generations.”
