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Magazine Issue

Business & Commercial Aviation, October 2016

VOL. 112 NO. 10 October 01, 2016

Viewpoint

Viewpoint: Good Ideas From Government

Sep 22, 2016

South Carolina’s innovative way to survey airports.

Reader's Feedback

Reader's Feedback (October 2016)

Sep 22, 2016

BCA readers share their opinions on articles we published.

Intelligence

Bombardier Aerospace Faces Challenges

Sep 21, 2016

Bombardier Aerospace says it plans to periodically pause completions work in Montreal on the Global 5000 and 6000 next year and will furlough employees during those periods.

Jet-A And Avgas Per-Gallon Fuel Prices September 2016

Sep 23, 2016

Jet-A And Avgas Per-Gallon Fuel Prices September 2016

Embraer Offers Phenom Ace Package

Sep 21, 2016

Embraer Executive Jets is offering a new Phenom Ace enhancement package for Phenom 100 owners to bring new life to their very light jets.

Light Jet Market Still Depressed

Sep 21, 2016

With just the Model 70/75 still in production, and the light jet market still enduring long term depression, there is open speculation as to what Bombardier might do about its Learjet division.

SpeedNews Business and GA Conference Oct. 4-5

Sep 21, 2016

SpeedNews plans to explore the major issues facing the business aircraft industry at its 21st annual Business and General Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference Oct. 4-5 in Los Angeles.

USAIG Adds Safety Courses

Sep 21, 2016

The United States Aircraft Insurance Group has added two food safety online courses to its Performance Vector program. The classes were created by Jean Dible, president and founder of GA Food Safety Professionals. First is a flight attendant’s for managing inflight food service activities, and includes galley operations with onboard food preparation, presentation and food storage exceeding 12 hours. The second is a course for pilots and flight technicians who fly without flight attendants and carry limited food selections onboard.

Garmin Expands In Kansas

Sep 21, 2016

Garmin International has broken ground on a four-year, $200 million expansion at its Olathe, Kansas, campus, beginning with an additional 720,000 sq. ft. of space for product manufacturing and distribution center. It is expected to take two years to complete. A second phase will include the renovation of Garmin’s existing warehouse and manufacturing space into a state-of-the-art research and development facility and office space. This phase will take an additional two years to complete, the company says. The full project will near completion in late 2020.

Textron Offers Voluntary Retirements, Restructures Service Organization

Sep 21, 2016

In yet another indication that business and general aviation has yet to fully recover from the great recession of 2008, Textron Aviation is offering voluntary retirements to its employees as a way to cut costs and is also closing its service centers in Wilmington, Delaware, and at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Atlanta. Employees received a letter about the early retirement option on Sept. 8 and until Sept. 22 to apply.

NMB Dismisses Challenges From Flexjet And Flight Options

Sep 21, 2016

The National Mediation Board (NMB) on Aug. 22 dismissed challenges filed by Flexjet and Flight Options against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The allegations stemmed from the December 2015 election in which the pilots of the sibling fractional aircraft operations chose the Teamsters to represent them as a single unit, after the two companies merged under the One Sky umbrella. The NMB recognized the merger as of Sept. 30, 2015.

Piaggio’s Logli Suddenly Resigns

Sep 21, 2016

Carlo Logli, the CEO of Italy's Piaggio Aerospace, resigned in late August, just weeks after masterminding the company's restructuring.

CNN Launches UAS For Newsgathering

Sep 21, 2016

CNN has launched its first unit using unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for newsgathering, called CNN Aerial Imaging and Reporting (CNN AIR). With two full-time UAS operators, the unit will use tethered and free-flying small UAS to integrate drone imagery into reporting for CNN news services, Turner Broadcasting System and parent company Time Warner. Since 2015, CNN has been developing uses of UAS for newsgathering in partnership with the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI).

Kodiak Receives Type Certification In Chile

Sep 21, 2016

The Quest Kodiak recently received type certification in Chile, its 23rd such approval. The company reports several additional certifications are imminent.

Platinum Air Center FBO Opens In Alabama

Sep 21, 2016

Platinum Air Center has opened at Jack Edwards Airport in Gulf Shores, Alabama. The new FBO, owned by Arve and Emily Henricksen, is temporarily operating out of a 3,500-sq.-ft. modular complex. Construction of a $5 million facility and hangar, to be located adjacent to the modular facility, will begin in early 2017 with plans for completion by mid-2019. Plans include a 44,000-sq.-ft. FBO containing a 140 x 160-ft. hangar with 28-ft.-high doors.

Bell 429 Turkish Fleet Reaches Milestone

Sep 21, 2016

The Bell 429 light-twin helicopter fleets of Turkish National Police and Turkish General Directorate of Forestry have reached a 95% operational availability rate, Bell says. The model continues to be successful supporting public safety and assisting to prevent fires and preserve Turkish forests, it says. Turkey has been a successful market for Bell, garnering more than 50% of the total market for the past five years. Twenty-six Bell 429s are in use in Turkey for parapublic, EMS and corporate missions.

Rugged UAV Aimed At Agricultural Uses

Sep 21, 2016

Russia's TsAGI aerohydrodynamic research institute has completed initial wind tunnel tests of an agricultural unmanned aircraft developed by Tatarstan's Aviaresheniya design bureau. The tests at airspeeds up to 72 kph (45 mph) were conducted in TsAGI’s full-scale wind tunnel in Moscow. The vertical-takeoff-and-landing UAV has two lifting propellers mounted side-by-wide within an open framework. What appear to be vanes under the two-blade props likely provide flight control.

Bombardier Celebrates 40th Anniversary In Tucson

Sep 21, 2016

Bombardier celebrated 40 years of operations in Tucson, Arizona, where it occupies nearly 1 million sq. ft. of hangar space. The Tucson Air Center is the largest of Bombardier’s nine service centers and employs more than 900 engineers, technicians and staff. The site opened in 1976 at the Tucson International Airport, where it is one of the largest tenants. The facility provides services for Learjet, Challenger and Global business aircraft and CRJ Series regional jets and Q400 turboprops.

Campaign To Restore Burgess-Wright Model F

Sep 21, 2016

There's a new campaign underway to fully restore the Burgess-Wright Model F Aircraft that landed on the White House lawn a century ago and put it on permanent display at Reagan National Airport’s Historic Terminal A. Designed by the Wright Brothers and manufactured under license by Starling Burgess, the Model F landed on the South Lawn of the White House on July 14, 1911.

Part 107 Small UAS Rule In Effect

Sep 21, 2016

After years of criticism for foot-dragging, the FAA on Aug. 29 instituted Part 107, which regulates unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). And industry has expressed satisfaction with the rules which enable routine commercial drone operations. The so-called Small UAS Rule, “represents a low and reasonable barrier to entry,” says Brendan Schulman, vice president of policy and legal affairs at DJI, by far the largest maker of small drones, which by definition weigh less than 55 lb.

First Global 7000 Now On Canadian Registry

Sep 21, 2016

Bombardier Aerospace's first Global 7000 ultra-long-range business jet has been registered on Transport Canada's Canadian Civil Aircraft Register. The aircraft was registered August 29. The company is concentrating on preparations for first flight, planned to take place this year. “We’re focused on flying as soon as possible,” said Bombardier spokesman Mark Masluch, who declined to give further details.

Business Aviation Flight Ops Gain In First Half Of 2016

Sep 21, 2016

Business aviation flight activity was positive during the first half of this year, with activity up in five of the six months compared to the same period a year ago, according to Argus International TraqPak data. April was the only month to post a decrease over 2015 flight activity, with a 0.6% decline. Flight activity is expected to rise 3.4% in August, September and October when compared to the same period in 2015, TraqPak analysts predict.

BACA Warns Of Cyberattacks

Sep 21, 2016

European business aircraft brokers and operators have been the victims of cyberattacks in increasing numbers, said London-based BACA, the Air Charter Association. It appears a “sophisticated criminal community” is targeting the business aviation sector and has hacked into broker and operator internal communication systems to gain access to bank accounts and trading information, BACA said. Attacks have taken place throughout the UK and Europe, it said. The rise in attacks was reported during the 438th meeting of the BACA Council, it said.

Gulfstream Aerospace iPad App For Flight Planning

Sep 21, 2016

Gulfstream Aerospace has developed the first phase of a mobile application to help Gulfstream operators streamline flight operations, the company says. The Performance iPad app, a companion to Gulfstream’s PlaneBook electronic suite of flight crew information, allows Gulfstream G650 or G650ER flight crews to calculate performance data for takeoffs and landings, replacing paper charts and manual calculations.

Rockwell Authorized For Satellite Services In Brazil

Sep 21, 2016

Rockwell Collins has received authorization to sell satellite connectivity services in Brazil, the company said. The license, authorized by Anatel, gives Rockwell Collins the ability to sign distribution and service agreements with companies and customers operating in Brazil, the company said. Rockwell Collins is a reseller for Inmarsat and Iridium satellite services.

Icon Aircraft Moves Component Work to Mexico

Sep 21, 2016

Icon Aircraft is shifting production of major components for its A5 sport amphibian from subcontractor Cirrus Design to its own 300,000-sq.-ft. facility in Tijuana, Mexico, that will be up and running by November.

Comlux ACJ319 Retrofitted With Sharklets

Sep 21, 2016

A Comlux ACJ319 has been retrofitted with sharklets, becoming the first Airbus Corporate Jet to undergo the replacement process—and the first of any version of the A319. The work was conducted by TAP Maintenance and Engineering and managed by Airbus Corporate Jets. The manufacturer says the extended winglets can produce fuel savings of as much as 4%, and thus a corresponding improvement in range.

TrueNorth Introduces Simphone Pro

Sep 21, 2016

TrueNorth Avionics has introduced Simphone Pro, its latest cabin communications system, with a special upgrade program for legacy Simphone installations. The company says upgrading requires no more than pulling out the old system and plugging in the new. The upgraded unit is a 4MCU offering Wi-Fi, high-fidelity telephony, with a full-featured VoIP PBX, enterprise email and seamless connectivity for smartphones and other personal electronic devices. The system is available with and without dual Iridium voice and data channels.

Fast Five

Questions For Alexandre Couvelaire

Sep 21, 2016

Alexandre Couvelaire Founder & CEO Euralair, Paris, France

Operators Survey

Operators Survey: Cessna Citation M2

Sep 26, 2016

For more than a decade, Cessna’s mantra has been “It’s a sure thing.” The Citation M2 appears to epitomize everything that slogan entails.

Technology

GE’s ATP Enters The Turboprop Competition

Sep 26, 2016

Can GE’s Advanced Turboprop carve out a niche in a market dominated by P&WC’s highly successful PT6A?

P&WC’s Hot Seller

Sep 26, 2016

Introduced to the market in 2012, Pratt & Whitney Canada's PT6A-140 turboprop series has achieved broad acceptance in utility and agricultural markets for both forward-fit and retrofit application on a variety of aircraft.

The Case For Crash-Resistant Fuel Tanks In Helicopters

Sep 26, 2016

The post-crash fire threat in helicopters continues even though the fixes are known and well-proven. It’s past time to act.

NTSB: Helo Operators Need More Awareness Of Retrofit Kits

Sep 26, 2016

The NTSB believes installing a crash-resistant fuel system into existing helicopters would help mitigate the safety risk of post-crash fires in survivable accidents. However, the board is concerned that owners and operators of FAR Part 27 and Part 29 helicopters may be unaware of retrofit kits to do just that.

Safety

Improving Levels Of Safety

Oct 13, 2016

There are risks inherent to any act of aviation. How can we best improve our levels of safety?

DOM Notebook

Refurbishing Aircraft Interiors

Sep 23, 2016

While it may be wrong thinking, passengers often equate the interior condition of an aircraft with the overall condition of the machine and its systems along with those who operate, manage and maintain them. Worn or stained carpeting, tarnished plating and the usual wear and tear that you might find acceptable may be viewed quite differently by your primary customer.

Flame Certification

Sep 23, 2016

Since fire in flight can easily be a catastrophic event, flammability protection is a major concern for aircraft safety. Every piece of an aircraft's interior furnishings needs to meet or exceed regulations, down to the smallest trash bin.

Cause & Circumstance

Cataracts And Night Flying

Sep 23, 2016

The NTSB has reached out to the pilot community urging to be aware of the dangers slowly progressing cataracts can present for some piloting activities — especially night operations.

Accidents in Brief

Accidents In Brief

Sep 23, 2016

Selected accidents and incidents in August/September 2016. The following NTSB information is preliminary.

Accident Free: Are You Lucky or Truly Safe?

Flying Into And Out Of Uncontrolled Airports

Oct 28, 2016

There are close to 5,000 airports in the U.S. with paved runways, but only about 500 have full- or part-time control towers.

20/Twenty

Used Airplane Report: Cessna Citation CJ1+

Sep 23, 2016

For as little as $2 million, you can buy a used Cessna Citation CJ1+ that can fly four passengers nearly 1,200 nm and land with 100-nm NBAA IFR reserves. That’s farther than some new light jets costing more than double the price. Cessna Aircraft delivered just over 100 of these entry-level light jets between late 2005 and early 2011, before the one-two Sunday punch of the Great Recession and arrival of the Embraer Phenom 100 knocked it out of production.

On Duty

News Of Promotions, Appointments And Honors (October 2016)

Sep 23, 2016

News of promotions, appointments and honors involving professionals within the business aviation community.

BCA 50 Years Ago

Business & Commercial Aviation News From October 1966

Sep 23, 2016

Airway user charge hearings by the House Ways and Means Committee called on short notice in late August caught general aviation groups by surprise although such action had been anticipated for several months. Swearingen’s Merlin II No. One has been delivered to Newark, New Jersey, Air Sales, which will distribute the new twin turbines. Production plans call for an ultimate three units per month rate; at least eight are in now process.

Products & Services Previews

BCA Business Aviation Products And Service Previews

Sep 22, 2016

BCA shares news of the latest products and services for the business aviation industry.

Market Sector

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Business & Commercial Aviation, October 2016

Share

Viewpoint

Reader's Feedback

Intelligence

Fast Five

Operators Survey

Technology

Safety

DOM Notebook

Cause & Circumstance

Accidents in Brief

Accident Free: Are You Lucky or Truly Safe?

20/Twenty

On Duty

BCA 50 Years Ago

Products & Services Previews