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Magazine Issue

Business & Commercial Aviation, October 2017

VOL. 113 NO. 10 September 25, 2017

Viewpoint

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Time For Innovation: Grandfatherly Flying Is So Yesterday

Sep 22, 2017
This year my car turned 17, making it a senior four-wheeled citizen since the median for flivvers is less than 10. However, the average age of a general aviation aircraft today is roughly 40 years.

Readers’ Feedback

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Readers' Feedback (October 2017) Letters To The Editor

Sep 22, 2017
Readers' Feedback (October 2017) Letters To The Editor

Intelligence

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Honeywell Launches ‘InView’ Infrastructure Inspection Service

Sep 22, 2017
Honeywell has launched a commercial infrastructure inspection service using Intel's Falcon 8+ industrial drone.
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One Aviation Completes POC Wing First Flight For Eclipse EA700

Sep 22, 2017
One Aviation recently completed the first flight of the proof-of-concept wing for the Eclipse EA700 now under development.
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European Business Aviation Traffic Jumps In August

Sep 22, 2017
Business aviation traffic in Europe rose 8.8% in August when compared to the same month in 2016, marking the 10th consecutive month of traffic growth, according to the European Business Aviation Association.
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Jet-A And Avgas Per-Gallon Fuel Prices: September 2017

Sep 22, 2017
The tables above show results of a fuel price survey of U.S. fuel suppliers performed in September 2017. This survey was conducted by Aviation Research Group/U.S. and reflects prices reported from over 200 FBOs located within the 48 contiguous United States.
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Tecnam P2008 Ultralight Earns Transport Canadian Approval

Sep 22, 2017
The Tecnam P2008 two-place ultralight has been added to the Eligible to be Registered Advanced Ultralight Listing by Transport Canada.
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Piaggio Appoints Airflite As Australia, New Zealand Sales Rep

Sep 22, 2017
Airflite was appointed as the exclusive sales representative for Piaggio Aerospace in Australia and New Zealand. Australia and New Zealand are priority markets for further development of Piaggio, the company said.
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Pilatus PC-24 Business Jet On Track For Certification

Sep 22, 2017
The Pilatus PC-24 business jet is on track for certification by year-end. If that happens, the Swiss planemaker's first jet would get its papers in time to celebrate at the NBAA's annual convention and exhibition this month in Las Vegas.
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Lilium Receives $90 Million Investment

Sep 22, 2017
Lilium, a German startup company, has received $90 million in investment to continue development of its electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) urban air transport aircraft.
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FAA Awards STC For Citation Sovereign Transitional Winglets

Sep 22, 2017
FAA has awarded Winglet Technology an STC for transitional winglets on the Citation Sovereign as the culmination of a development and certification project that began in July 2013.
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Gulfstream Launches Maintenance Operation At Jet Aviation St. Louis

Sep 22, 2017
Jet Aviation is shuttering its St. Louis Downtown Airport maintenance operations and Gulfstream Aerospace Services Corp., also a General Dynamics subsidiary, will take over the site.
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Sierra Files Bid Protest Over Turboprop Replacement Contract

Sep 22, 2017
Sierra Nevada Corp. in September filed a bid protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) over the U.S. Army's decision to cancel a competition to replace its Beech C-12 Huron and Fairchild C-26 Metroliner turboprops.
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Luxaviation Acquires UK's Starspeed

Sep 22, 2017
Luxaviation Helicopters has acquired Starspeed, a British helicopter management, charter and training company,
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Flying Colours Completes Work On Pair Of Challenger 850s

Sep 22, 2017
Flying Colours has completed maintenance, avionics upgrades and extensive interior reconfiguration for a pair of Bombardier Challenger 850 aircraft for an undisclosed Fortune 500 company.
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Satcom Direct Adds Technology In Brazil

Sep 22, 2017
Satcom Direct has become the first service provider to activate the Inmarsat Jet ConneX technology for a Brazilian registered executive aircraft, the company said.
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JetNet IQ Says Used Jet Inventory Lowest In Nine Years

Sep 22, 2017
A new forecast by JetNet IQ predicts demand for 8,436 new business jets valued at $223 billion at list prices for 2017-26. Company says percentage of used business jets on the market is at its lowest level in more than nine years.
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Constant Aviation Doubles ADS-B Sales

Sep 22, 2017
MRO provider Constant Aviation says it has more than doubled its automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) sales compared to the same time one year ago.
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C&L Earns STC For Securaplane Acid Batteries

Sep 22, 2017
C&L Aerospace and Securaplane Technologies have developed a Supplemental Type Certificate for the Securaplane sealed acid batteries for Saab 340 aircraft. The two companies have entered into an agreement that designates C&L as the worldwide distributor for the batteries. The batteries are maintenance free and directly replace existing nickel-cadmium batteries.
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SevenJet Private Travel Expands Florida Facility

Sep 22, 2017
SevenJet Private Travel has expanded its aircraft maintenance facility in Clearwater, Florida, where it offers light aircraft maintenance, inspections and other services for Piaggio, Avanti, King Air, Citation, Beechcraft and other aircraft.
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CAE Oxford Aviation Academy To Add Second CJ1+ Simulator

Sep 22, 2017
CAE Oxford Aviation Academy in Mesa, Arizona, has placed an order for its second CJ1+ Level 5 Flight Training Device from Frasca International.
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Seeker Aircraft Adds South American Dealer

Sep 22, 2017
Seeker Aircraft America has formed a partnership with KAHA Aviation Solutions, based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as it expands into a new market.
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Texas Turbine Conversions Earns EASA OK For Hartzell Propeller

Sep 22, 2017
Texas Turbine Conversions has received European Aviation Safety Agency approval for Hartzell Propeller's four-blade composite swept propeller designed for single-engine Supervan 900 aircraft.
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VistaJet Receives $150 Million In Funding

Sep 22, 2017
VistaJet has received a $150 million cash investment from Rhone Capital. The transaction values VistaJet's equity at more than $2.5 billion.
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Daher Opens Manufacturing, Logistics Site In Mexico

Sep 22, 2017
French manufacturer Daher has opened an aerostructures manufacturing and logistics site in Queretaro, Mexico. to produce doors for Airbus A320 emergency exits and cargo bays.
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Flight Ops Swelled Prior To The August Solar Eclipse

Sep 22, 2017
Business aviation flights swelled by 28% Aug. 21, as pilots and passengers headed for airports located in the path of totality during the solar eclipse, according to Argus International TraqPak data.
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Clay Lacy Aviation Earns IS-BAH Stage II Safety Registration

Sep 22, 2017
Clay Lacy Aviation in Seattle has earned the first North American IS-BAH Stage II registration after undergoing a rigorous third-party audit, resulting in the first stage of the registration. Only three other ground-handling operations have reached the milestone.
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VistaJet Launches VistaJet Direct Digital Membership App

Sep 22, 2017
VistaJet has launched VistaJet Direct, a digital membership app that provides members access to empty-leg flights on VistaJet's fleet of more than 70 aircraft.
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Los Angeles County Buys Two Firefighting Helicopters

Sep 22, 2017
Prompted by a brutal 2016 wildfire season, Los Angeles County has purchased two Sikorsky S-70i helicopters for conversion to Firehawk firefighting and other missions.
article

Lower Usage Causing Closures For RCO Network

Sep 22, 2017
The increasingly ubiquitous weather information now available to pilots in flight is largely behind an FAA move to decommission 30% of the approximately 2,100 remote communications outlets (RCOs) used to provide mostly general aviation pilots with weather and advisory information.
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Toby Neugebuer Launch Customer For Nextant’s Challenger 604XT

Sep 22, 2017
Houston billionaire and businessman Toby Neugebuer is the launch customer for Nextant Aerospace's Challenger 604XT, featuring a Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion flight deck.
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Continental Motors Invests In Alabama Headquarters

Sep 22, 2017
Continental Motors Group has signed a letter of intent to develop its new $25 million, 250,000-sq.-ft. headquarters and manufacturing facility at the Mobile, Alabama, Aeroplex.
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Caverton Signs For Eight Bell 407 GXP Helicopters

Sep 22, 2017
Caverton Helicopters, a subsidiary of Caverton Offshore Support Group in Lagos, Nigeria, has signed for eight Bell 407 GXP helicopters along with Customer Advantage Plans support for them. Deliveries are scheduled to begin later this year.
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Gulfstream Aerospace Launches Connectivity Service Program

Sep 22, 2017
Gulfstream Aerospace is launching a Connectivity Service program, which includes a bundled suite of inflight internet, voice and entertainment offerings for Gulfstream operators.
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Marenco Swiss Helicopters Ramps Up Development

Sep 22, 2017
With firm orders for 12 of its new SKYe SH09 rotorcraft and letters of interest for about 100 more, Marenco Swiss Helicopters recently began flying its third prototype and anticipates adding a fourth to the certification program in early 2018.
article

Pilatus PC-6 Production To End In 2019

Sep 22, 2017
Pilatus is ceasing production of its PC-6 Porter multirole aircraft, which has been produced without interruption since 1959. Production will end in early 2019.
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Crystal 777-200 Twinjet Joins Offshore Registry

Sep 22, 2017
Crystal Skye, a VIP Boeing 777-200L, was delivered Aug. 1 to Crystal AirCruises, marking an expansion by Crystal Cruises into special-interest aerial charters with a focus on the Asia market.
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Gulfstream G280 Fleet Hits 100,000 Flight Hours

Sep 22, 2017
Gulfstream Aerospace's fleet of G280 super-midsize business jets has accumulated more than 100,000 flight hours in less than five years.
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Yingling Aviation Joins Raisbeck Dealer Network

Sep 22, 2017
Yingling Aviation, a general aviation services provider in Wichita, has joined Raisbeck Engineering's network of authorized dealers.

Fast Five

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Questions For MedAire Worldwide CEO Bill Dolny

Sep 22, 2017
Questions for Bill Dolny, CEO of MedAire Worldwide in Phoenix.

Safety

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Pilot Error: A How-To Guide

Sep 22, 2017
Aviation safety professionals will tell you that pilot error is one of the most controllable factors leading to aircraft accidents. But pilot error is inevitable.
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More Than 250 Business Aircraft Operators Embrace A Version Of FOQA

Sep 22, 2017
Most business aviation operators were cool to the concept of Flight Operational Quality Assurance programs as late as a decade ago.

Cause & Circumstance

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Citation Cockpit Banter Leads To Fatal Move At FL 270

Sep 22, 2017
How did a relatively experienced crew lose control of their airplane on a routine flight? The BFU ultimately blamed a departure from professional behavior in regard to crew coordination.
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Accidents In Brief, October 2017

Sep 22, 2017
Selected accidents and incidents in August and July 2017. The following NTSB information is preliminary.

Management

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Business Aviation Ahead Of The Environmental Power Curve

Sep 22, 2017
The business aviation industry in the U.S. has become a quiet leader in environmental protection and sustainability.
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Toward A Clean Environment: GAMA's Commitment On Climate Change

Sep 22, 2017
Ed Smith, senior vice president of environmental and international affairs of GAMA, recently noted that the aviation industry, including business aviation, leads the way in its commitment to mitigating its effect on climate change.
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Simulators Help Cut Emissions By Reducing Real-Time Training

Sep 22, 2017
Environmental responsibility is part of business aviation and is shown by the reduction in engine emissions realized by the growing use of flight simulators for pilot training rather than by deploying the actual aircraft.
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LEED Points The Way In Environmental Certification

Sep 22, 2017
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification in green building rating systems is much sought after among business aviation FBOs.
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Platinum Flight Takes Environmental Responsibility To New Levels

Sep 22, 2017
Among the leaders in environmental responsibility is the Platinum Flight Center, located at Wisconsin's Appleton International Airport.

Operations

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FAA Letters Of Authorization, OpSpecs And Tabletops

Sep 22, 2017
It is the great catch-all of the Federal Aviation Regulations and the succinct string of words—authorized by the administrator—that sets in motion what is probably the most intimate contact an operator will ever have with the FAA: the dreaded, so-called tabletop examination.
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How One Operator Triumphed Over The Mother Of All Tabletops

Sep 22, 2017
One of the more challenging enterprises in aviation is preparing for and undergoing a knowledge validation for upgrade to commercial operator, either under FAR Part 135 or Part 121.
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OpSpecs Define Commercial Operations

Sep 22, 2017
Operational Specifications, or OpSpecs, are those special activities authorized by the FAA administrator that define commercial operations.
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Overseas Ramp Safety Assessments A 'Hot Topic'

Sep 22, 2017
Safety Assessment of Foreign Aircraft, or SAFA checks, comprise those infamous ramp inspections business aviation operators often encounter in other countries, particularly in Europe.
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Height Busts Are A Human Factors Issue

Sep 22, 2017
The human factor problem causing the most trouble is height busts in the wake of conditional clearances by ATC.
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Business Jet Owners Opting For Offshore Registration

Sep 22, 2017
Faced with continuing concerns such as rising taxes, lack of privacy and regulatory issues, business jet owners are opting for offshore aircraft registration.
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Isle Of Man Registry Celebrates 10th Birthday

Sep 22, 2017
Along with its 10th birthday, the Isle of Man Aircraft Registry this year is also celebrating its award for Best Global Aviation Registry 2017 by the World Commerce Review, a business publication that covers the international marketplace from a cross border perspective.
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Embracing The Cape Town Convention On Major Asset Financing

Sep 22, 2017
The aim of the Cape Town Convention, said Colin Gill, deputy director of civil aviation for the Isle of Man, is to reduce the costs of raising financing for large, high-value, mobile assets that routinely cross borders.
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Directory Of Offshore Registries

Sep 22, 2017
Directory Of Offshore Registries

Operators Survey

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Legacy 500: Super Midsize Technology Leader Fights For Market Share

Sep 22, 2017
Embraer launched development of the Legacy 500 in 2007, with the aim of creating business aviation's first super-midsize aircraft with fly-by-wire, throttle-by-wire, brake-by-wire and steer-by-wire systems.

20/Twenty

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Citation Sovereign: Largest Cabin, Best Runway Performance In Class

Sep 22, 2017
Citation Sovereign is considered one of the best buys in the used aircraft market.

On Duty

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News Of Business Aviation Promotions, Appointments And Honors

Sep 22, 2017
News of business aviation promotions, appointments and honors

Products & Services Previews

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BCA Business Aviation Product And Service Previews

Sep 22, 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 October 1967

Sep 22, 2017
Business & Commercial Aviation news from October 1967.