Slower-than-expected business jet sales in the third quarter that hampered both deliveries and revenues are leading executives from Cessna parent Textron to prepare for another flat year in 2013. At the same time, though, the commercial sales of Textron's Bell Helicopter unit continue to pick up steam and helped buoy Textron's overall third-quarter results. Cessna's profit declined $3 million to $30 million in the third quarter. Business jet deliveries dropped to 41, compared with 47 in third quarter 2011, and backlog slid $196 million to $1.3 billion.
I enjoyed “Oceanic ATC” (November 2012, page 40); however, I am not sure I agree with the following: (1) Page 40, 2nd paragraph: If reading back an oceanic clearance on a designated North Atlantic Track (NAT) and the Track Message Identifier (TMI) is included, there is no requirement to read back each waypoint. (2) Page 40, 3rd column, 2nd paragraph: I am familiar with the 3-min., but not the 5-min., requirement. (3) Page 45, 2nd column, 3rd paragraph: I thought the air-to-air frequency was 123.45.
Cessna will assemble Citation XLS+ business jets in China jointly with Avic general aviation subsidiary Caiga. A joint facility at Caiga's base at Zhuhai in southern China will make its first delivery of a Citation XLS+ in 12-18 months, says Cessna CEO Scott Ernest. Citations assembled at Zhuhai will be delivered only to Chinese customers. The agreement, signed by Cessna and Caiga at Airshow China in Zhuhai on Nov. 14, markedly extends a commitment to work with Chinese industry that the U.S.
Bombardier Aerospace's backlog has jumped 18.6% this year, as the Canadian manufacturer continues to bring in major fleet orders for its Global long-range large business jets. Bombardier Business Aircraft reported 45 net firm orders during the third quarter, up 50% from the 30 firm orders in the same period last fiscal year. These orders included three multi-fleet contracts for 19 Globals valued at $1.2 billion. The orders, combined with 38 firm orders for Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, helped push backlog to $26.1 billion by the end of September.
Gulfstream Aerospace, completing its strongest quarter of the year in terms of new orders, expects sales to grow further in the fourth quarter and is increasing its delivery estimates for 2012 to as many as 124 aircraft. Gulfstream continues to shine in the General Dynamics (GD) portfolio, leading the Aerospace group to a 30% increase in third-quarter revenues and a 20.3% increase in operating earnings. The GD Aerospace group includes Gulfstream and Jet Aviation.
In your analysis of the King Air A100 accident (Cause & Circumstance, October 2012, page 56) you quite rightly focused on aircraft performance, and it reminded me why my preferred aircraft type was turbine Twin Commanders, which at MTOW climb at 1,000 fpm on one donkey, no sweat.
BLR Aerospace delivered its 500th winglet system to its largest winglet customer, the FAA. The agency has purchased 18 Winglet Systems with LED lights for installation on its King Air 300 fleet. The FAA is in the process of installing its third set of Winglets as part of a larger fleet upgrade effort, and the first modified aircraft is flying. BLR Winglet Systems are in operation in 40 countries.
The 2012 National Business Aviation Association Convention in Orlando, Fla. closed with 25,150 people in attendance, a number comparable to the final Attendee total of 26,077 for the 2011 Convention, and to the final attendee total of 24,206 for the 2010 event. The number of exhibitors at the Orange County Convention Center was 1,073; booth spaces totaled 4,361, an increase over last year's booth-space total. A total of 105 aircraft were shown on two separate static displays, and an additional four aircraft were shown inside the convention center.
Honeywell says its business and commercial aviation products were top performers among its four business sectors in the third quarter and will remain so through 2013, despite expectations for a continued slowdown in the global economy. Sales for the Aerospace division, which includes business and commercial aviation as well as defense and space, were up 4% to $3 billion year-over-year in the third quarter due to a 9% increase in commercial product sales. Defense and space revenue decreased 1%.
Net orders are slowly picking up for Dassault's Falcon line, reaching 37 through the first nine months of the year. Dassault values the new orders at €1.598 ($2.08 billion). This compares with net orders (orders after cancellations) of 30 Falcon jets valued at €1.391 billion ($1.81 billion) through the first three quarters of 2011. At the same time, Dassault's Falcon deliveries increased from 35 in the first three quarters of 2011 to 43 this year. The improved Falcon deliveries helped drive a 22% growth in Dassault Aviation's net sales of €2.521 billion.
The November issue was outstanding, cover to cover. Starting with your tribute to Neil Armstrong and ending with Fred George's Lear 35 “20/Twenty” column, every article was really good. Every month I look forward to reading BCA, but something about the November issue was particularly good. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Slow sales in the mid- and light segments are keeping business jet deliveries relatively flat for the year, but the market for turboprops has continued to gain momentum in 2012, according to the latest GAMA deliveery report. Manufacturers delivered 428 business jets through the first nine months of 2012, just one more compared with the same period in 2011. Turboprop deliveries, meanwhile, are up 10.5% to 368 units in 2012. Piston aircraft deliveries also inched up 3.5% to 597. With the improving turboprop shipments, deliveries on the whole are up 4.2%.
Honda Aircraft named Skyservice Business Aviation as its authorized HondaJet sales representative in Canada. Skyservice is an aircraft management, maintenance and charter operator with facilities in Toronto, Montreal, and Calgary. Honda is currently evaluating its HondaJet sales and support network beyond North America and Europe.
In the past few years, communications and electronics technologies have made tremendous advances. As soon as a new system hits the market, its replacement is already in the works. For business aviation, we have been at the forefront of incorporating new systems at an equally aggressive pace. We are way ahead of the airlines and even the military in many respects. Our customers are very demanding and expect the latest technology to be available as soon as they see it on the Internet.
The Office of Naval Research has awarded Rockwell Collins a contract to develop technology to locate and classify an adversary's attempts to interfere with GPS signals and disrupt military operations that will likely have collateral benefits to civil users. The three-year contract for the Modernized Integrated Spoofer Tracking (MIST) program calls for Rockwell Collins to develop technology and prototype system concepts to detect and locate the sources of transmitted signals that are intended to disrupt users' ability to navigate and communicate.
Fractional ownership provider Avantair has returned its fleet of Piaggio Avanti aircraft to service after several weeks of groundings while the company conducted thorough “nose-to-tail” of inspections on each aircraft and scrutinized its maintenance and inspection procedures
Blackhawk Modifications, which designs, develops and installs performance improvement systems for single- and twin-engine turboprop aircraft, has completed its 400th performance upgrade installation. Blackhawk's milestone customer is EagleMed LLC, of Wichita, Kan., a provider of air medical transfer services in the Midwest. Expansion led EagleMed to add two Blackhawk XP61-powered Beechcraft King Air B200s.
Dassault Falcon received EASA and FAA approval to upgrade the ACSS TCAS 2000 installed on F900EX EASy, F900DX, F2000EX EASy and F2000DX to comply with the EASA mandate to upgrade all TCAS II systems for Change 7.1, be required by all airplanes operating within European airspace by the end of 2015. Change 7.1 simplifies advisories from “Adjust Vertical Speed, Adjust” to “Level off, Level off”; corrects missed and late TCAS reversals and descend advisory is changed to “Monitor Vertical Speed” at 1000 ft. AGL.
HBC has delivered the 7,000th Beechcraft King Air since the legendary line of twin-engine turboprops began production in 1964. The milestone aircraft is a Beechcraft King Air 350i delivered to Herman & Kittle Properties, Inc., based in Indianapolis. The King Air fleet has amassed in excess of 45 million flight hours. The King Air is currently operated in 127 countries, and all branches of the U.S. military.
In 1994, the NATA viewed the imminent retirement of its long-time leader, Larry Burian, as an opportunity to raise the organization's visibility in Washington and on Capitol Hill. Accordingly, the board turned to James Coyne, a former congressman and Ronald Reagan White House aide, to get the FBO/charter group noticed. It didn't take him long.
The Sikorsky S-76D helicopter won FAA certification. The company said the S-76D has a current backlog approaching a half-billion dollars and deliveries are expected to begin shortly. Standard features include all-composite, flaw-tolerant main rotor blades; an advanced Thales integrated avionics system and autopilot; health and usage monitoring system (HUMS), active vibration control; and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S engines. A rotor ice protection system is an option.
Jet Aviation St. Louis will induct its first BBJ in April 2013 for scheduled maintenance and interior upgrades. The project includes the first installation of Boeing's enhanced vision system service bulletins for a private aircraft. The BBJ 700 will undergo its 12-year inspection and gear overhaul. Jet Aviation St. Louis prepared to accommodate narrow body aircraft by expanding its facility and sending technicians to Boeing and to Jet Aviation's Basil, Switzerland facility for training.
Dassault Falcon received EASA and FAA approval to install SmartStem Tire Pressure Systems on Falcon 50 series aircraft. The existing tire inflation valve stem is replaced with a special valve stem containing integral sensors that communicates tire pressure, temperature, and other stored information wirelessly to a handheld reader without the use of an internal battery in the stem. The reader stores up to 10,000 readings and can be downloaded to a PC.
To Dave Stohr, the whole issue of GNEs, LHDs, Mach control and serious procedural mistakes can be boiled down to two deficiencies: lack of SOPs — or having but not following them — and lack of knowledge. President and founder of Air Training International, Stohr teaches international procedures and, through IBAC, represents business aviation to the North Atlantic Systems Planning Group.
