American Jet International, Houston, announced that Annette Vitello is the new director of operations, responsible for flight department operations, including management and control of business development. Aviation Partners Inc., Seattle, promoted Gary Dunn to vice president of sales and marketing. In addition to the sales and marketing activities for API's Blended Winglets products for business aircraft, Dunn's duties will include the sales of large winglet retrofits to corporate and head-of-state buyers of Boeing 737, 757 and 767 aircraft.
It was 6 a.m. and still dark as the weary copilot lined up the Learjet 35 for final into Kansas City Downtown Airport (MKC). The crew's duty day had begun on the backside of the clock for the early morning departure out of Dallas, a fact that surely contributed to the unfolding error — the right seater was heading from the wrong runway.
I read the safety articles in BCA with great interest, including “Flying Without Airspeed” (March 2012, page 34). It states, “We build airplanes that cannot stall,” and “The FBW system prevented the stall.” (And by the way, where is Figure 1?) This is all true when all these systems and indicators are working correctly: For the Airbus A330 and 340, this is called the “normal” law that commands the flight control computers.
NORTH Flight Data Systems of Arlington, Va., has received STC approval for the installation of their Lightweight Aircraft Recording (LARS) system in Eurocopter EC 155 series helicopters. Working with Metro Aviation, Inc., NORTH FDS integrated their voice, video and flight data recording system into the EC 155B1 airframe. The system provides six channels of audio, one channel of video, and in excess of 200 separate parameters of recorded digital aircraft data.
Nextant Aerospace has been awarded several new STCs for the 400XT. In addition to certifying an inflight entertainment system, Nextant also received STCs for additional avionics options, many of which help to pave the way for final certification EASA. The STCs cover several major operational areas, including the Class “A” Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems (TAWS) system, and the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)/Localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) navigational capability.
General Electric has increased the 2020 revenue target for its business and general aviation engine segment because of strong order bookings. The company had set a target of reaching $1 billion in revenue by 2020, but with business already booked, the company knows it will surpass that level, says Brad Mottier, vice president and general manager GE Aviation business and general aviation. A new target has now been set, he says, without disclosing the new level. The engine division also is closing in on several key milestones for its product portfolio.
The FAA's multi-year process to clean up the civil aircraft registry last year by requiring all aircraft to re-register on a rolling schedule is now in effect. When the program was announced, the agency warned it would cancel registrations for any aircraft whose owner did not respond. The HAI discovered, “they weren't kidding.” Rotor News reported that HAI's Finance and Leasing Committee found some 300 helicopters with cancelled registrations. If any of those 300 is in active use, it's now illegal to fly them until they have been re-registered.
In the first quarter, Gulfstream saw 60% of new bookings come from the U.S. “That breaks a trend,” says company President Larry Flynn, noting that last year it was only 30%. “The U.S. is coming back strong,” he notes, with the pick up that began in the last quarter of 2011 appearing to last.
The U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) is developing a new process to expedite financing for business aircraft and helicopter exports, providing a critical avenue for financing to business jet makers at a time when financing worldwide is still scarce. Speaking at EBACE on May 14, Ex-Im Bank Chairman Fred Hochberg said Ex-Im Bank will work with industry experts on due diligence and credit analysis to speed up the processing of foreign-buyer financing.
NetJets Europe is poised to get into aircraft management, and its plans to quickly expand this new operation to cover a sizable number of aircraft may well startle some of Europe's existing management operations. “We already have an executive jet management scheme in the United States,” said Eric Connor, chairman and CEO, NetJets Europe, “and now we are starting one in Europe because there's a demand for it. “For the first 12 months, we will use the NetJets Europe AOC [air operator certificate] and then transition to a new operation, probably based in the U.K.
I have been fortunate enough over the last 25 yr. to work closely with several first responder organizations — fire, police and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. The passing years have witnessed an important shift in attitudes toward risk. I remember an old greybeard Coast Guardsman telling me, “You got to go out, but you don't have to come back.” That mindset has given way entirely to a mantra uttered by all first responders that states, “Everybody gets to go home.” Let's spread the word.
Strap into any current production military aircraft and it's likely that you'll be looking out of the windshield through a permanently mounted head-up display. Aboard military aircraft, the HUD usually is the primary flight reference because it allows pilots to fly the aircraft with unmatched precision while scanning outside the aircraft for threats, terrain and targets. Head-down displays in such aircraft perform secondary roles, functioning as moving maps, EICAS and CDUs for proprietary equipment.
Flexjet, Bombardier's fractional ownership unit, is adding the newest members of the Learjet product line, the 70 and 75, to its fleet. Flexjet announced plans to expand its portfolio three days after Bombardier unveiled the 70 and 75 light jet successors to the Learjet 40XR and 45XR. Flexjet is still ironing out the details of pricing and fleet mix, says Bruce Peddle, Flexjet senior vice president of marketing and sales. The fractional ownership provider is currently negotiating the order with parent Bombardier.
Bombardier revealed its Learjet 40XR and 45XR replacements at EBACE. The six-seat Learjet 70 and 8-seat Learjet 75 are both slated to enter service in the second half 2013. The new models will feature more thrust, improved takeoff performance, faster climb to cruise altitude, better fuel efficiency and lower operating costs. They will be powered by 3,850-lb. thrust Honeywell TFE731-40BR turbofans and have Bombardier's signature Vision cockpit layout featuring Garmin G5000 avionics. The Vision flight decks will feature three, 14-in.
Live long and prosper. That well could be Cessna's new marketing mantra for its next generation flagship, the Citation Longitude. Unveiled last month at EBACE in Geneva, the Longitude will become the largest cabin, longest range Citation in the product lineup, with certification and initial deliveries targeted for fourth quarter 2017.
Gulfstream expects to receive FAA type certification for the large-cabin G650 and super midsize G280 in the third quarter with customer deliveries planned shortly after. The two aircraft are “neck and neck,” so it is not clear which will be certified first, says Gulfstream President Larry Flynn. European Aviation Safety Agency certification is due by year-end. The G280 flight test campaign, now at more than 2,000 hr., has completed all company and FAA certification flights, says Scott Neal, Gulfstream senior vice president for sales and marketing.
CAE is now conducting aircraft maintenance technician training at a new U.S. location, Sherwood, Ark., near Little Rock, home to the Dassault Aircraft Services (DAS) service center, the Dassault Falcon Jet production facility and the main Falcon Completion Center. CAE is providing maintenance training to Dassault service center production technicians, Dassault's frontline Customer Service staff and Dassault operators for the Falcon 7X, Falcon 900EX EASy and Falcon 2000EX EASy aircraft.
The general aviation market doldrums have continued into 2012 as new aircraft billings dropped 8% and aircraft shipments dipped 2.1% in the first quarter, GAMA reported. The first quarter shipment report now includes two additional manufacturers, Thrush Aircraft and Air Tractor. Additionally, Gulfstream Aerospace deliveries are now identified when “outfitted” as opposed to “green.” The 2011 shipment report has been updated for Gulfstream Aerospace and now includes Thrush Aircraft deliveries.
Rockwell Collins announced the opening of its Berlin Ascend flight information solutions office, which will provide flight support services for European business aircraft operators. The new office is in the General Aviation Terminal area at the new Berlin Brandenburg International Airport.
Dassault Falcon has received a Supplemental Type Certificate to install ADS-B Out on Falcon 50EX's equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 avionics. The STC package involves replacing current transponders with upgraded units that support the new protocol, along with wiring and other related components. Installation can be carried out at any Dassault Service Center or Authorized Service Center. By itself, the upgrade takes about two weeks. But if performed in the course of a C-Check, it requires no additional downtime.
Europe's business jet fleet total is down and likely to remain diminished for possibly another year due to slow new aircraft sales and used business jets sold out of Europe to buyers on other continents, aviation consultant Brian Foley says. During the past 12 months, 50 European business jets — about 2% of the total fleet — were sold to buyers on other continents. Outside Europe, the fleets have grown an overall 3%, Foley says. A vast majority, 79%, went to buyers in North America, mostly in the U.S. and Canada. Africa customers took the next highest total, 7%.
GE Aviation has continued expanding its service network for business and general aviation engines, with 28 service centers for M601 and H80 turboprop engines and five service centers for CF34-3 engines. GE has named 13 M601 and H80 Authorized Service Centers worldwide. Two CF34 Authorized Service Centers are in place: Bombardier and Jet Aviation St. Louis. Under these agreements, Bombardier's five wholly owned business aircraft service centers in the United States are included.
Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support (GCS) announced the first flight of the Hawker 400XPR engine test article. The May 7 flight was the first of an upgraded 400 aircraft with new Williams International FJ44-4A-32 engines. The Hawker 400XPR upgrade features the increased power of the Williams International FJ44-4A-32 engines and Hawker Winglets. Also available are optional Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics and a number of system enhancements that the company says significantly improve performance, operating cost and resale value.
