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Magazine Issue

Business & Commercial Aviation, March 2017

Viewpoint

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Viewpoint: Blindfolded Government

Feb 24, 2017
Only 8-10 percent of Aviation Safety Reporting System reports go into the full database. The rest get stored electronically, and that’s it. So, roughly 83,000-85,000 of 93,000 reports submitted in 2016 got shelved. Why?

Readers' Feedback

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Reader's Feedback (March 2017)

Feb 24, 2017
BCA readers share their opinions on articles we published.

Intelligence

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Leonardo AW609 Prototype No. 3 Takes Flight

Feb 24, 2017
Leonardo has begun flight trials of the third prototype AW609 commercial tiltrotor as it targets certification of the high-speed rotary-wing aircraft by 2018.
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Travel Risk Map From MedAire

Feb 24, 2017
MedAire, the well-known medical and travel security specialists, has created its 2017 Travel Risk Map the map, which provides a comprehensive overview of risks by destination.
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Gulfstream Positive For 2017 Deliveries

Feb 24, 2017
Gulfstream Aerospace delivered fewer business jets in 2016, but the company said sales are good and its pipeline for orders is solid.
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Jet-A, Avgas Per-Gallon Fuel Prices—February 2017

Feb 24, 2017
Jet-A and avgas per-gallon fuel prices—February 2017
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Red Bull Air Race Returns To San Diego

Feb 24, 2017
The Red Bull Air Race World Championship has returned to San Diego after an eight-year hiatus. The race will be held April 15-16.
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Piper’s M600 Earns Brazilian Approval

Feb 24, 2017
Piper Aircraft has received Brazilian Aviation Authority approval for its $2.89 million M600 single-engine, six-passenger turboprop.
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Netherlands-Based PAL-V Unveils Flying Car

Feb 24, 2017
PAL-V of the Netherlands has unveiled the Liberty, its first production flying car, and is taking orders for the vehicle, which it says will be certificated and in operation by the end of 2018.
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NBAA Surveys Members Regarding Palm Beach Presidential TRF

Feb 24, 2017
The National Business Aviation Association is surveying its members to gauge the impact of the presidential temporary flight restriction in place for Palm Beach International Airport on Feb. 3-6.
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Patria Aviation Orders Five Diamond Aircraft Trainers

Feb 24, 2017
Diamond Aircraft has received an order for five training aircraft from Patria Aviation in Finland to be delivered this year. The order includes four single-engine DA40 NGs and one DA42-VI multi-engine aircraft.
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American Aero FBO Opens At Meacham International

Feb 24, 2017
American Aero FTW, a Signature Select member, opened its new fixed base operation at Meacham International Airport in Fort Worth on Feb. 24.
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Hindustan Aeronautics Picks Hartzell For HTT-40 Propeller

Feb 24, 2017
Hindustan Aeronautics has selected Hartzell's four-blade aluminum propeller for its HTT-40 two-place turbine basic trainer aircraft.
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Bizjet Operations Rise In 2016, But Remain Off 2007 Peak

Feb 24, 2017
Business jet takeoffs and landings in North America rose a modest 0.15% in December, according Vertical Research Partners. Adjusted for the leap year, business jet operations rose 1.1% in 2016 compared to the prior year.
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Quiet Technology Offers Corrosion Fix On GIII/GIV Winglets

Feb 24, 2017
Quiet Technology Aerospace says it has developed a less costly solution for Gulfstream GIII and GIV winglet corrosion that also will provide longer service life.
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Baker Aviation Wins Approvals For Global Operations

Feb 24, 2017
Baker Aviation received FAA approval to operate aircraft with 10 or more passenger seats when its Embraer Legacy 600 was added to its FAR Part 135 certificate.
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FAA Surprises With SMO Settlement

Feb 24, 2017
The FAA's surprise Jan. 28 settlement with the City of Santa Monica, California, regarding the closure of its municipally owned airport has raised a number of troubling questions.
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Canada Providing Support Funds For Bombardier Global 7000 And C Series

Feb 24, 2017
The Canadian government plans to provide Bombardier with C$372.5 million ($282.4 million) in repayable support for its Global 7000 business jet and C Series airliner programs.
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Quest Delivers Record 36 Kodiaks

Feb 24, 2017
Quest Aircraft delivered a record 36 Kodiak 100 turboprop aircraft last year, up from 32 in 2015. The airframer also celebrated delivery of its 200th Kodiak in 2016 as well.
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Bell Model 525 Slated For Certification In 2018

Feb 24, 2017
Bell Helicopter now anticipates achieving certification of its Model 525 super medium helicopter in 2018, as the investigation continues into the loss of the first prototype.
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FAA Airworthiness Directives Return To Federal Register

Feb 24, 2017
FAA airworthiness directives have returned to the Federal Register. The FAA had not issued ADs since President Donald Trump ordered a 60-day suspension of all pending and new regulations.
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Phillips 66 Aviation Adds Five FBOs To Network

Feb 24, 2017
Phillips 66 Aviation has added five fixed base operations into its network of FBOs: Devil's Lake Aero Service, Devil's Lake, North Dakota; Lawton Aviation Services, Lawton, Oklahoma; Storm Flying Service, Webster City, Iowa; Brookneal Airport, Brookneal, Virginia; and Winamac Pulaski County BOAC, Winamac, Indiana.
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Gary Jet Center To Build New Corporate Flight Center

Feb 24, 2017
Gary Jet Center is constructing a new corporate flight center as part of its fixed base operation at Gary/Chicago International Airport.
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ATP To Offer Citation Technical Information In ‘Smart Content’

Feb 24, 2017
Aircraft Technical Publications and Textron Aviation have reached an agreement for ATP to directly integrate technical data from Cessna Citation business jets into ATP's Aviation Hub cloud and mobile applications.
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Textron Aviation: If Demand Returns, Production Will Grow

Feb 24, 2017
Revenue and deliveries of business jets and turboprops at Textron Aviation fell during the final quarter of 2016 due to lower-than-expected demand and pricing pressures from customers.
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Learjet And Textron Aviation Reduce Workforce In Wichita

Feb 24, 2017
Both Textron Aviation and Bombardier Learjet have made recent job reductions at their Wichita facilities as they align work with demand.
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Daher Delivered 54 TBM 900/930s In 2016

Feb 24, 2017
Dater's Airplane Business Unit delivered 54 TBM 900/TBM 930s in 2016, or one fewer than in 2015. The TBM 930 accounted for two-thirds of the total.
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Bell Completes First Customized Aircraft In Prague

Feb 24, 2017
Bell Helicopter has completed its first fully customized aircraft at its new European customization and delivery center in Prague.
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McGill University Study: Pilot CEOs Different From Other People

Feb 24, 2017
A recent article in The Wall Street Journal cited a study by a McGill University accounting professor that found companies whose chief executives were also pilots are more likely to inspire original thinking than CEOs of other businesses. The study, co-authored by Jingling Zhang, surveyed more than 1,200 men and women who held the top job between 1993 and 2003. The results appeared in the January issue of the Journal of Financial Economics. It quoted Ms.
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UK Leads Demand For Mid-to-Heavy Business Jets

Feb 24, 2017
Across Europe, deliveries for mid-to-heavy business jets are projected to total 959 between now and 2025, according to a new forecast by Global Jet Capital. The largest demand is expected to be from the UK.
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Cessna Pilot Center Grows

Feb 24, 2017
The Cessna Pilot Center network grew substantially in 2016, adding 24 flight centers as partners. Those include five international flight schools in Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Germany and Poland.
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G650 And G650ER Certified For China Registration

Feb 24, 2017
The Gulfstream G650 and G650ER have received type certificate validation from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The validation confirms the type certificate issued by the FAA.

Fast Five

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Questions for NTSB Vice Chairman Robert L. Sumwalt

Feb 24, 2017
Questions for NTSB vice chairman Robert L. Sumwalt on accidents and the board's operations.

Safety

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‘Fixing’ Problem Pilots

Feb 24, 2017
For safety’s sake, it is up to us to help problem pilots improve. Learn about the seven types of problem pilots, what drives them and how to approach them.

DOM Notebook

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Working Alone—Dangerous But Necessary

Feb 24, 2017
How to ensure your technicians and aircraft stay safe while working solo.
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FAA Documents Mechanic Fatigue

Feb 24, 2017
After three years of gestation, the FAA published Advisory Circular 120-115: "Maintainer Fatigue Risk Management," which cites maintenance technician fatigue as a serious safety hazard.

Cause & Circumstance

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Seeing, Not Believing: Incident Shows Limitations Of Synthetic Vision Systems

Mar 15, 2017
Today’s instruments enable pilots to better visualize their environment, but can also suffer subtle failures and lure the unprepared into hazardous situations.

Accidents in Brief

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Selected Accidents And Incidents In January 2017

Feb 24, 2017
Selected accidents and incidents in January 2017. The following NTSB information is preliminary.

Technology

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Less Is More: Merit In Cockpit Minimalism

Mar 23, 2017
Jetliner manufacturers believe there’s merit in minimalism. They’re wary of distractions that could impede or derail pilot performance in high-stress situations. They’re also loathe to bury control of systems in multiple layers of submenus.

Update

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Tiltrotor Trials, Tribulation and Tragedy

Mar 13, 2017
After 20 years in development, Leonardo is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel for its AW609 commercial tiltrotor.

Management

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Airport Privatization: Governments Reevaluating Their Control

Feb 24, 2017
Financial and other pressures are causing governments to reevaluate their control of airports, with the outcome unclear.
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Good News And Bad News For Municipal Airports

Feb 24, 2017
Are airports in peril, either from owners that want to privatize them or municipalities that want to shut them down? The NBAA's Steve Brown has some good news and some bad news.
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There’s More Than One Way To Run An Airport

Feb 24, 2017
Yes, there's more than one way to run an airport. Just ask the Airports Council International (ACI) in Montreal.
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Airport Privatization Can Get Messy

Feb 24, 2017
Back in the 1980s, a prime goal of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's British government was privatization of government-owned assets, and airports were a principal target.

Pilot Report

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Pilot Report: Garmin G1000 NXi

Feb 23, 2017
The second-generation system has dual core processors, 250 times more nonvolatile memory, better graphics refresh rates and less lag for zooming and panning.

20/Twenty

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Used Aircraft Report: Beech King Air 250

Feb 24, 2017
The Beechcraft King Air 200 series has been in continuous production for over 40 years. More than 1,800 units have been delivered and the King Air 250 remains in solid demand with 162 deliveries since late 2010.

On Duty

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News Of Promotions, Appointments And Honors (March 2017)

Feb 24, 2017
News of promotions, appointments and honors involving professionals within the business aviation community.

Products & Services Previews

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BCA Business Aviation Products And Service Previews

Feb 24, 2017
BCA shares news of the latest products and services for the business aviation industry.

BCA 50 Years Ago

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Business & Commercial Aviation News From March 1967

Feb 24, 2017
The FAA budget for fiscal 1968 was $741 million in new obligational authority—$27.8 million more than in fiscal 1967 (not counting the $200 million authorized in fiscal 1967 for the SST).