The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is laying out a six-pronged road map to foster the growth and safety of general aviation in Europe. At the recent EASA Safety Conference on General Aviation in Rome, EASA released its 2014 road map report and made six “commitments” that EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky says are “part of the strategy to change fundamentally the way the GA sector is regulated in Europe.”
General Dynamics’ (GD) Gulfstream Aerospace and Jet Aviation businesses combined for their highest quarterly earnings ever reported by the GD Aerospace Group as third-quarter revenues approached $2.3 billion. Revenues were up by 6.4% ($137 million) in the third quarter and earnings grew 11.4% to $411 million, resulting in margins of 18%. GD is crediting the increase in margins to the continued improvements in G650 and G280 manufacturing and outfitting. But returns from Jet Aviation also provided a boost to performance, the company says.
Robert Bass, chairman of Aerion Corp., and T. Allan McArtor, chairman and CEO of Airbus Group North America, celebrated a joint venture that will boost development of the AS2, the first supersonic business jet. It also will give Airbus complete access to Aerion’s broad range of proprietary design tools, including its supersonic natural laminar flow airfoil (SNLF) designs. “We are delighted to formally launch our partnership with Airbus to launch the AS2,” says Bass. “We are aerodynamicists. Airbus can provide systems design and certification.”
Signature Flight Support’s latest expansion into Canada is part of an overarching and aggressive growth strategy the company has employed in recent years as the fixed-base operation chain seeks to fill in the gaps of its network for its customer base. Signature Flight Support last week announced a new licensing agreement with Skyservice that gives Signature a branded presence at the top five busiest business and general aviation airports in Canada.
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) is on track to certify the PW800 by the end of December, says company president John Saabas. Officially unveiling the engine last week at the NBAA convention, Saabas says the 16,000-pounds-thrust powerplant will provide the jumping-off point for a new family of business jet engines covering the 12,000-pounds-thrust to 20,000-pounds-thrust range.
National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen and General Aviation Manufacturers Association President and CEO Pete Bunce believe business aviation is in a stronger position heading into debate on the next FAA reauthorization bill thanks to a concentrated effort by industry to educate lawmakers and the general public on the important role the industry plays in the national economy.
National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen and General Aviation Manufacturers Association President and CEO Pete Bunce believe business aviation is in a stronger position heading into debate on the next FAA reauthorization bill thanks to a concentrated effort by industry to educate lawmakers and the general public on the important role the industry plays in the national economy.
Nearly a year after acquiring fractional ownership operator Flexjet from Bombardier, Directional Aviation Capital is realigning its fractional aircraft ownership businesses, positioning Flexjet as a more premium brand that sells shares in new aircraft and returning Flight Options back to its roots as a value proposition that sells shares in pre-owned aircraft.
Gogo Business Aviation has added moving map capabilities to its Gogo Vision on-demand inflight entertainment and information service. Integrated without additional fees, the moving map includes a flight progress bar and, bird’s-eye view of aircraft’s position, routing previously traveled, planned route to destination, current altitude and ground speed, arrival time and destination weather. Passengers can zoom, opt for full or partial screen and switch between satellite, terrain and standard map.
Channel Islands Aviation (CIA), a Camarillo, California family-owned and operator fixed-base operation, has joined Phillip 66 Aviation’s fixed-base operation network. FBO owners Mark and Janie Oberman opened the facility in 1976 after being selected as the first operator at Camarillo Airport. The facility provides FBO services, charter, rental and sales, along with serving as a Part 145 repair station. CIA flies Britten-Norman Islanders, along with a CitationJet and CJ3.
International Communications Group (ICG), the Newport News, Va.-based airborne communications specialist, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. The company was founded in October 1994 with a handful of technicians and investors. At the time they were focused on telecommunications for the cruise ship industry and admittedly knew little about the aviation industry. But they quickly realized their communications technology would be an asset in the air, as well as at sea.
Satcom Direct opened an office at Dassault Aircraft Services’ facility in Wilmington, Delaware to support both completions and maintenance, repair and overhaul customers. Satcom is working with Dassault Falcon Jet to provide full operational checkout, system setup and customer configuration. This includes system integrity checks, hardware reliability checks, communication diagnosis/resolution and review of system capabilities, services and pricing. It also includes maintenance and operational training.
ALPHA AVIATION Model R2160 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2014-0759; Directorate Identifier 2014-CE-028-AD] – proposes to require inspection of the engine air intake box (including the deflection flap) and the engine air intake ducting (including the area downstream of the filter). The AD would require replacement of any defective part found before further flight. This proposal is prompted by reports of paint adherence defects inside the engine air intake box and cohesion defects inside the laminated ducting from the filter to the air intake box.
BRANTLY INTERNATIONAL Model B-2, Model B-2A and Model B-2B helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-1093; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-020-AD; Amendment 39-17989; AD 2014-20-16] – requires inspecting each main rotor (M/R) blade for a crack or delamination and removing the blade if a crack exists or if the delamination exceeds certain thresholds. This AD was prompted by multiple reports of M/R blade cracks and an incident in which a crack that originated near the M/R blade trailing edge resulted in the loss of a large section of the M/R blade.
BEECHCRAFT Model G58 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2014-0771; Directorate Identifier 2014-CE-006-AD] – proposes to require inspecting for and replacing, as necessary, certain fuel cells. This proposal also would require inspecting and replacing parts, as necessary, of the left and right fuel system installations and correcting torques on fuel system fittings; and prohibit future installations of certain fuel cells. This proposal was prompted by reports of fuel leaks due to fuel cells that did not properly fit in Model G58 airplanes.
