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Magazine Issue

Business & Commercial Aviation, September 2015

VOL. 111 NO. 9 September 01, 2015

Viewpoint

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UAS: Up to the Gills in Potential — Good and Otherwise

Aug 28, 2015
Earlier this summer a visiting amateur photographer was enchanted by marshes near my home and wondered aloud if I might fly her about for a closer look. Thereupon, a relative told her to forgo the airplane and get herself a drone instead. She thought about that once she returned home, and presently the UPS man delivered a DJI Phantom 3 to her door.

Reader's Feedback

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Reader's Feedback (September 2015)

Aug 28, 2015
Training Accident

Intelligence

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Day of the Drones

Aug 28, 2015
The FAA has granted more than 1,000 Section 333 exemption approvals for the operation of commercial unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in U.S. airspace. The approvals have been issued to companies and individuals for a wide range of activities including motion picture production, precision agriculture, real estate videos and photography, inspection of power distribution towers and wiring, railroad infrastructure and bridges, among other things.
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UAS Shipments May Exceed 2.6 Million Units a Year by 2025

Aug 28, 2015
Shipments of commercial unmanned aerial systems (UAS) will exceed 2.6 million units a year by 2025, according to a new forecast by Tractica. According to the Boulder, Colorado, market researcher, the industries using the drones will include film, media, agriculture, energy, mapping, mining, and disaster relief. Meanwhile, companies, universities and government agencies are actively assessing the opportunity for drones in other capacities.
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Helicopter Noise Ban Over New York . . . Again

Aug 28, 2015
In July, the New York City Council introduced legislation targeting the city’s helicopter tour operators for increased regulation “to reduce noise and air pollution for New Yorkers who live and use public parks along the tourist-helicopter routes.”In doing so, the bill’s sponsors aligned themselves with a number of groups, including “Stop the Chop NYNJ,” a neighborhood coalition that sees sightseeing-helicopter operations as both a source of noise and pollution, and as “a danger to health, the environment and national security.&rdqu
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Jet-A and Avgas Fuel Prices

Aug 28, 2015
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China’s Joy Air Signs for 20 Grand Caravan EX Amphibians

Aug 28, 2015
Cessna expects to begin deliveries of the utility turboprop single later this year out of its Cessna-AVIC Aircraft facility in China.
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Safe Flight’s SCc Gets Certified

Sep 01, 2015
The system has an MSRP of $1,895.
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Embraer’s 450 Gets Brazilian Certification

Sep 01, 2015
The Brazilian aircraft maker celebrated the type certification award during the recent Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (LABACE) in Sao Paulo.
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Emstron Flight-Testing New TH180

Sep 01, 2015
The Menominee, Michigan, manufacturer reports having signed MOUs in hand for the new helicopter, first announced last year, and designed for the ab-initio flight training, light commercial, and private owner market.
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Oversight Review Of Unapproved Parts Begins

Sep 01, 2015
The audit follows a request in March from the ranking members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Subcommittee on Aviation.
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H-D Advanced Manufacturing Acquires Firstmark Corp.

Sep 01, 2015
The acquisition also involved Firstmark Aerospace, which makes navigation, flight control, fuel measurement and other electromechanical components; transducer maker Firstmark Controls; ABI, an aviation safety equipment supplier; and Centroid, which makes electronic components for the defense industry.
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Single-Engine Turboprop From Textron

Sep 01, 2015
Michael Thacker, Textron Aviation senior vice president for engineering, says a team has been created to bring a turboprop to market a range of more than 1,500 nm, and cruise speed of over 280 kt.
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Citation M2 Ready for High-Elevation Airports

Aug 28, 2015
The M2 has been certified to operate at airports with an elevation of up to 14,000 ft., like many found throughout Latin America, the company said.
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Cirrus on SF50 Track

Sep 01, 2015
Cirrus Aircraft officials say the Vision SF50 personal jet is on track for certification by the end of this year. In the meantime, the company is adding a finishing and detail center in Duluth, Minnesota, and a new “Vision Center” in Knoxville, Tennessee, which will focus on training, deliveries, service, sales and marketing. In addition, the company is phasing in a new manufacturing system for the SF50 to take advantage of the benefits of robotics, which it calls the “Electronic Manufacturing Execution System.”
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RAI Jets Expands in Chicago Area

Aug 28, 2015
RAI Jets has partnered with Chicagoland Aviation to expand into the Chicago area. RAI is a Sturgis, Michigan, private charter aviation company. It will provide an alternative to commercial airline travel between Kalamazoo and Chicago. RAI Jets is experiencing the rising trend for charter jet service, it said.
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Gulfstream’s Backlog Grows

Sep 01, 2015
Gulfstream Aerospace reports the market for its business jets has been boosted by demand from major corporations companies seeking to replace their fleets. General Dynamics Chairman and CEO Phebe Novakovic says the sales pipeline for Gulfstream jets remains steady across all aircraft models. And the return of S&P 500 companies seeking to replenish aging fleets is especially encouraging.
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EAA Highlights

Sep 01, 2015
​Those who regard the Experimental Aircraft Association’s (EAA) annual AirVenture, held in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, as America’s national air show, need only point to the tallies of this year’s gathering, held July 19-26, as proof:
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Textron Backlog Hits $1.4 Billion

Sep 01, 2015
Revenue totaled $1.12 billion for the quarter.
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Japan’s Low-Boom Supersonic Drop Test Succeeds

Aug 28, 2015
Japan has drop tested a low-sonic boom supersonic aircraft in a repeat of an earlier test that ended in deliberate destruction of the model after it veered off course. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) says the “supersonic experimental airplane successfully flew over the boom measurement system” in the restaged D-Send 2 test in July at the Esrange Space Center in Sweden.JAXA says the test is the first supersonic flight of an experimental aircraft using low-boom design techniques to reduce both front and rear shock waves.
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Pilatus Centre Southern Africa Appointed Sales/Service

Aug 28, 2015
Pilatus Aircraft has appointed Pilatus Centre Southern Africa as its authorized PC-6 sales and service center for sub-Saharan Africa. The distributor will be responsible for all future sales and maintenance activities of the Pilatus Porter PC-6 within the territory. Pilatus Centre Southern Africa is an independent partner of Pilatus and serves as the sales and service center for the PC-12 in the same region.
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U.K. Crash of Phenom 300 Interim Report

Sep 01, 2015
​U.K. air crash investigators probing the loss of a Saudi Arabian-registered Embraer Phenom 300 have found the aircraft touched down just 400 meters from the end of the runway before crashing into a car-auction business. All three passengers — who were members of the Bin Laden family — and the Jordanian-born pilot were killed in the accident at Blackbushe airfield, west of London, on July 31. In its interim report, published on Aug. 6, the U.K.
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FSI Adding King Air 350 Sim to Atlanta Center

Sep 01, 2015
FlightSafety International is building a full-flight simulator for King Air 350 aircraft for its Learning Center in Atlanta. The new FS1000 simulator will be equipped with the Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics system. It is expected to enter service in early 2016. Training will include FlightSafety’s Operational DayFlow training methodology, which presents critical procedures and tasks according to the phase of flight.
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Breitling Albatros Jets to Tour North American

Sep 01, 2015
The Breitling Jet Team is performing aerobatic exhibitions using seven L-39 C Albatros jets made by AERO Vodochody Aerospace, a Czech Republic aerospace company. The team is on a U.S. and Canada tour visiting more than 20 cities. Watchmaker Breitling has worked with the Czech jets for almost a decade in showcases and display tours throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.
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Aviation Partners EASA STC for Retrofit Winglet

Sep 01, 2015
Aviation Partners has received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification for retrofitting its Split-Scimitar Winglet on BBJ aircraft. The approval was granted to Aviation Partners Boeing (APB), a joint venture between API and Boeing. The STC follows FAA approvals issued earlier this year. The Split-Scimitar Winglet is now standard equipment on new 737NG BBJ aircraft.
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Guilty Plea Entered in Connecticut Counterfeit Parts Case

Sep 01, 2015
According to the Office of Inspector General, Jeffrey Krantz was charged and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Hartford, Connecticut, to wire fraud for his role in the sale of counterfeit aircraft parts. Among other things, Krantz allegedly bought and sold obsolete electronic parts for use by commercial buyers and the U.S. military.
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FL Technics, B&H Worldwide Expand Parts Stock

Sep 01, 2015
FL Technics has formed a cooperation with B&H Worldwide. FL Technics provides aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services. The partnership will cut delivery time in half, the company said. FL Technics’s main warehouse, based in Lithuania, manages aircraft spare-part stock in the U.K., Malaysia, Poland, Russia and the U.S. The agreement with B&H gives the company more warehousing capacity, inventory inspection and customs-clearance support. The extended London-based stock will include up to 1,500 part numbers.
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Bombardier Global 7000 Debut Delayed Due to Wing Redesign

Sep 01, 2015
Redesign of the wing is the major driver behind a two-year delay in entry into service of the Bombardier Global 7000 long-range, large-cabin business aircraft, to the second half of 2018, says CEO Alain Bellemare.
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King Air Touchscreen Avionics OK’d by FAA

Sep 01, 2015
Commercial aviation’s first touch screen primary flight displays have received FAA certification as standard equipment on Beechcraft King Airs. Textron Aviation now will begin deliveries of the King Air 250 turboprop equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics.
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Select Markets May See Swift Fuels’ 94 MON

Sep 01, 2015
Swift Fuels said that its 94 MON, or motor-octane-number, aviation gasoline will be available in select regions in the U.S. and Canada. The unleaded fuel is FAA certified and meets ASTM standards for aviation gasoline, the company said. An estimated 40% of the nation’s aircraft fleet will be able to use the fuel. Many piston-engine aircraft requiring a minimum octane rating at or below 94 MON are eligible to buy the appropriate supplemental type certificates to use the fuel, the company said.
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International Clearance Services Returns to VNY

Sep 01, 2015
Van Nuys Airport (VNY) and Signature Flight Support hosted an open house celebrating the grand opening of the new 1,528-sq.-ft. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility. Since its opening on May 21, 2015, more than 75 international flights have been successfully cleared, providing direct benefits for business travelers, the local economy, and reducing airspace congestion in Southern California.
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Vertis Aviation Adds Challenger 604 to Its Fleet In Qatar

Sep 01, 2015
Vertis Aviation, based in Switzerland, has added a Doha, Qatar-based Bombardier Challenger 604 to its managed fleet of aircraft. The Challenger 604 is a new model for the company and complements the larger Boeing Business Jet managed by Vertis out of Dubai, the company said.
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Connecticut Man Pleads Guilty In Counterfeit Parts Case

Aug 28, 2015
Jeffrey Krantz was charged and pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Hartford, Connecticut, to wire fraud for his role in the sale of counterfeit aircraft parts.
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Bombardier CEO Attributes Global 7000 Delay To Wing Redesign

Aug 28, 2015
Redesign of the wing is the major driver behind a two-year delay in entry into service of the Bombardier Global 7000 long-range, large-cabin business aircraft, to the second half of 2018, says CEO Alain Bellemare.
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FAA Approves Commercial Touch Screen Display

Aug 28, 2015
Commercial aviation’s first touch screen primary flight displays have received FAA certification as standard equipment on Beechcraft King Airs…
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Unleaded Avgas Distribution Set For U.S., Canada

Aug 28, 2015
Swift Fuels said that its 94 MON, or motor-octane-number, aviation gasoline will be available in select regions in the U.S. and Canada. The unleaded fuel is FAA certified and meets ASTM standards for aviation gasoline, the company said. An estimated 40% of the nation’s aircraft fleet will be able to use the fuel. Many piston-engine aircraft requiring a minimum octane rating at or below 94 MON are eligible to buy the appropriate supplemental type certificates to use the fuel, the company said. However, it will not replace 100LL sold at airports for high-performance aircraft.

Fast Five

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Questions for Wade Eyerly, Founder and CEO of Beacon in New York, New York

Aug 28, 2015
Wade Eyerly launches Beacon, an all-you-can fly membership carrier that takes customers from the Westchester County Airport, outside New York City to Boston Logan, beginning with nine roundtrips per day.

Operations

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How Pilots Can Protect Themselves Against the FAA

Aug 27, 2015
The best way to stay clear of the FAA’s sights is to fly perfectly. If that doesn’t work, we need to be ready to document our transgressions with what some have come to call a “Get Out of Jail Free” card. And if that fails, it may be time to get legal help. After all, we are talking about your livelihood.

DOM Notebook

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Nondestructive Testing and Inspection

Aug 27, 2015
In the aviation lexicon, two of the most-despised words are “leaks” and “cracks.”
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Need to Know NDT?

Aug 28, 2015
The world of nondestructive testing can be a bit foreign to most maintenance technicians. To learn more about the technology, visit: American Society for Non-Destructive Testing - www.asnt.org ASTM International – www.astm.org NDT Resource Center – www.ndt-ed.org

Training

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FlightSafety's Upset Prevention & Recovery Training Impresses

Aug 27, 2015
A crew’s ability to recognize and prevent the onset of an upset and to recover should one occur are key factors behind FlightSafety International’s new Upset Prevention & Recovery Training (UPRT) course now offered at its Savannah, Georgia, learning center.
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Long-labored NPRM

Aug 28, 2015
In October 1996, the NTSB issued Safety Recommendation A-96-120, which asked the FAA to require FAR Part 121 and 135 operators to train their flight crews in recognition and recovery of, “unusual attitudes and upset maneuvers, including upsets that occur while the aircraft is being controlled by automatic flight control systems.”

Piloting

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How To Recover From Engine Out On Takeoff In A Light Twin Aircraft

Sep 30, 2015
Still thinking like a professional FAR Part 25 aircraft pilot, I ask what I need to learn first about operating a multiengine FAR Part 23 airplane? The answer came to mind almost immediately: What to do when one of the powerplants takes a vacation right around liftoff.

Cause & Circumstance

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Spatial Disorientation In the Cockpit – A Quick Killer

Sep 17, 2015
Night flying is very different from day flying and demands more attention of the pilot.
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Accidents in Brief (September 2015)

Aug 28, 2015
Selected accidents and incidents in July 2015. The following NTSB information is preliminary.

Pilot Report

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Cessna Citation M2: Pilot Report

Sep 10, 2015
Cessna Aircraft, the oldest member of the Textron Aviation family, is rebounding as a result of streamlined manufacturing processes, supply chain cost controls and expedited development of new products.
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Citation M2 Performance

Aug 28, 2015
Graphs illustrate the performance of Citation M2 under a variety of range, payload, speed and density altitude conditions.

Point of Law

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Selling a Plane ‘As Is, Where Is’

Aug 26, 2015
Selling a used jet “As Is, Where Is, With All Faults” is an age-old practice. It is the plain English version of caveat emptor: Let the buyer beware. The tradition in aviation is that the seller allows the buyer to inspect the airplane prior to purchase. The buyer pays for the inspection. The seller pays to repair the airworthiness discrepancies found. The shop “returns the aircraft to service” and the buyer flies it home.

On Duty

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News of promotions, appointments and honors (September 2015)

Aug 28, 2015
​Aerion Corp., Reno, Nevada, announced that Matthew (Matt) Cram, previously an attorney for Aero Law Group PC, is Aerion’s vice president of Contracts and will have responsibility for commercial contract activity for the Aerion AS2, as will as other legal affairs for the company.

20/Twenty

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Cessna Citation CJ2: Filling a Niche and Holding Value

Aug 28, 2015
For less than $3 million, the Cessna Citaction CJ2 provides high value in light jet transportation. It offers excellent airport performance, reasonable block times on typical missions, unbeatable reliability and unmatched product support from Cessna.

Products & Services Previews

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Products & Services Previews (September 2015)

Aug 28, 2015
1. CARE Moves to New Showhouse Constant Aviation Rotable Exchange (CARE) have moved into their new 20,000-sq.- ft. showhouse and increased available parts inventory by an additional $3.5 million, bringing their total inventory to over $48 million with over 54,000 line items. Additionally, CARE has placed inventory nationwide to assist in decreased shipping time providing customers with 24/7/365 support for all their purchasing and sourcing needs. Constant Aviation Rotable Exchange (CARE) (800) 4400-9004

B&CA 50 Years Ago

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September 1965 News

Aug 28, 2015
The decentralization of the FAA will continue, with area managers throughtout the county getting increasing responsibilities. These 18 mangers for the 48 continental states may add another level of bureaucracy between the aviation community and FAA headquarters. Britten Norman’s utility twin “Islander” has flown over 60 hr. in extensive testing. Factory export price of the Continental IO-360-powered fixed-gear, 10-seater is $49,000 and the manufacturer recently announced 15 deposits on pre-release orders.