Wallan Aviation, a Saudi Arabia-based general aviation company has acquired two Falcon jets directly from Dassault Falcon. A pre-owned Falcon 900EX EASy II was to be delivered by the end of 2012 and a new Falcon 900LX in the second quarter of 2013. The company will operate both aircraft for the company's own use with the option of offering one or both aircraft for charter. Wallan Aviation has been operating in the Middle East for 20 years and has expanded its aviation to include charter, jet maintenance and a flight academy.
Bombardier Aerospace announced two significant additions to its customer services network for business aircraft operators in the U.S. Over the next two months Bombardier will deploy Mobile Response Parties (MRP) to seven regions. Each MRP truck will be staffed by an avionics and a maintenance technician, and equipped with tooling to perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance at an operator's location. The company also opened three more Regional Support Offices co-located with business aircraft service centers in Tucson, Ariz., Hartford, Conn.
Used business aircraft sales slowed slightly, particularly in the light jet segment, and inventory began to creep back up in the third quarter. But used market indicators overall were a “mixed bag ” as pricing strengthened for both business jets and turboprops, according to industry analyst Amstat. The number of business jets available for sale, inched up from 13.3% of the fleet at the end of the second quarter to 13.4% at the end of the third. But this is still improved from 14% of the fleet that was for sale at the end of the third quarter in 2011.
The future of Hawker business jet lines, and the brand, is grim after Hawker Beechcraft decided to end negotiations with would-be Chinese buyer Superior Air Beijing and move forward as a standalone company. On Oct. 18, the Wichita-based company announced that the $1.79 billion sale was off to buyer Superior Air Beijing, after the two parties could not agree on terms. Instead, the company will emerge from bankruptcy as Beechcraft Corp.
A recent investigation by USA Today found that a large percentage of people don't follow the rules and leave their electronic devices on during takeoff and landing. That's understandable, given the lack of evidence that doing so causes any major difficulty to the flight crew or the aircraft's navigation systems (despite the few anecdotal claims otherwise). Even the feds are looking into the matter, at long last, probably because FAA personnel are as dependent on their electronic appendages as any of us and they know better.
To the best of my recollection I haven't met Ross Detwiler, but I have heard his name at some point over the years. Regardless, having just read your article in BCA I felt compelled to drop you a quick note.
Rockwell Collins' Ascend Aircraft Information Manager (AIM) secure data transfer and maintenance management system for Pro Line 4, Pro Line 21 and Pro Line Fusion-equipped aircraft, has been recently certified for Cessna CJ1+, CJ2+, CJ3, CJ4 and Hawker Beechcraft King Air B200 Series aircraft. AIM uploads flight critical database updates, and downloads maintenance information post-flight using Wi-Fi or cellular links to and from the Ascend Data Center.
Pratt & Whitney Engine Services (PWES) is moving its Long Beach, Calif. Regional service center to new, larger facilities to meet customer demand. PWES is part of the P&WC customer service network. The center opened Nov. 1 at its new location: 11190 Valley View Street, Cypress, CA 90630. The new 23,000-sq.-ft. building offers an additional 4,500 sq. ft. of usable space. The increased space allows for a new machine/clean line room.
The EU has postponed by one year its plans to include international operators in its emissions trading system (ETS). The decision followed meetings of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) council in Montreal on market-based measures for emissions mitigation. The council on Nov. 9 said it would convene a high-level group to create a framework for a global market-based system. The EU cited the council in its decision to postpone the broader implementation of the ETS.
In its amended disclosure statement for the joint plan of reorganization, Hawker Beechcraft said that it needs to either sell or shutter the jet lines because “significant capital investments would be required to achieve competitive performance and product cost for the Hawker 4000 and Hawker 900XP aircraft.
Bell Helicopter appointed Shanghai Kingwing General Aviation Co., Ltd., (Kingwing GA) as an authorized Customer Service Facility (CSF) approved to perform field maintenance on Bell 429 aircraft. Kingwing GA currently provides charter, training, leasing overhaul and operational management services from five bases in Eastern China.
October 2012 Argus TRAQPak data shows business aircraft activity increased month-over-month, and year-over-year. TRAQPak data indicates that October 2012 produced the second largest month of business aircraft flight activity, since January 2009. The results by operational category were all up from the previous month, with Part 135 up 11.7%. Reviewing activity year-over-year (October 2012 vs. October 2011) TRAQPak saw an increase of 2.8% in overall aircraft activity.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced that it delivered its first super-midsized G280 aircraft Nov. 14. The fully outfitted business jet went to a U.S.-based manufacturer with a presence in 190 countries. The aircraft earned type certificates from the U.S. FAA and the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel on Aug. 30.
Hawker Beechcraft has begun notifying customers of its decisions concerning Hawker product support, which essentially would orphan the Hawker 4000, should no buyer for the program emerge. This includes cancelling warranties, the guaranteed maintenance program SupportPlus and the Hawker 4000 Upgrade and Enhancement program. It also includes cancelling warranties and SupportPlus for the Premier 1A.
This aircraft can grow up: Recently unveiled, the Mooney Master is the new low-price contender for the FBO flight training market with an added dividend — for $1,600 the owner can convert the standard fixed gear to retractable, and end up with basically the same airplane as the successful Mark 21.
The G150 is one of the fastest and most cost-effective midsize business aircraft that is capable of flying non-stop between most coastal cities in the U.S. Assuming an ideal NBAA profile, it can fly four passengers 2,988 nm at long-range cruise. It offers slightly better range performance compared to the cramped G100 from which it is derived, but its cabin is 12-in. wider and its wide-oval cross section makes available more usable head and shoulder room than some larger midsize jets having circular fuselages.
Multi Service Aero has developed a smart phone application of its FBO Locator that allows pilots and flight planners to locate Aero Card accepting merchants around the globe. Pilots can search by IATA, ICAO, country and city. Using the map utility, pilots can search a specific region by zooming into a given area where they can view all the Aero merchants, along with contact information.
In its 21st annual Business Aviation Outlook, Honeywell forecasts a market for 10,000 new business jets through 2022. In terms of overall delivery numbers, the outlook remains little changed from the predictions Honeywell made in 2011. But the fleet composition is changing, with a greater number of large-cabin, long-range aircraft pushing up billings estimates by 9% over 2011 levels. Large-cabin jets now account for more than 40% of new purchase plans, says Honeywell, which surveys more than 1,500 business jet operators worldwide for its annual outlook.
