Business & Commercial Aviation, June 2018 is part of our complimentary Business & Commercial Aviation subscription.

Subscribe now to read this content, plus receive full coverage of what's next in business aviation from the experts trusted by the global business aviation community. BCA delivers critical hands-on and "how-to" information for pilot safety, proficiency and flight department management.

Already a subscriber to BCA or an AWIN customer? Log in with your existing email and password.

Magazine Issue

Business & Commercial Aviation, June 2018

VOL. 114 NO. 6 June 01, 2018

Viewpoint

Persistence, Meet Resistance: Opponents And Moves All Too Familiar

May 22, 2018

"It’s obvious that the airlines are trying to avoid a direct confrontation with general aviation for fear that it will sully their public image."

Readers’ Feedback

May 22, 2018

Readers comment on recent stories and events.

Intelligence

Bombardier To Sell Downsview Assembly Facility

May 22, 2018

Bombardier is selling its Downsview aircraft assembly operation outside Toronto where it assembles its Q400 turboprops and Global 5000 business jets.

Jet Aviation Finalizes Acquisition Of Hawker Pacific

May 22, 2018

General Dynamics subsidiary Jet Aviation has completed its acquisition of Hawker Pacific.

OneJet Acquiring Ultimate JetCharters

May 22, 2018

OneJet, a three-year-old air transportation network that provides scheduled nonstop service between small and medium-size cities primarily east of the Mississippi River using regional operating partners, is acquiring Ultimate JetCharters.

JetBlue Placing Its Code On JetSuiteX Flights

May 22, 2018

JetBlue Airways' commercial tie-up with boutique scheduled charter operator JetSuiteX is both a long-term play for the mainline carrier and an indicator of how underserved communities could regain air-service network connectivity without relying directly on traditional airlines.

First Flight For Workhorse's SureFly eVTOL Aircraft

May 22, 2018

Workhorse Group, a maker of electric pickups and vans, has joined the small, but growing, rank of companies flight-testing full-size electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, with the first flight of its hybrid-electric multirotor SureFly April 30 near its Cincinnati headquarters.

Gulfstream Deliveries Down In First Quarter

May 22, 2018

Gulfstream Aerospace reported delivering 26 business jets during the first quarter, down from 30 a year earlier. The total comprised 19 large-cabin and seven mid-cabin aircraft, compared to 23 large-cabin and seven mid-cabin jets in 2017.

Business Jet Center Returns To Paragon Network

May 22, 2018

Business Jet Center at Dallas Love Field is returning to the Paragon Network. It is the only award-winning FBO at Love Field and continues to place at the top of operator surveys.

Clay Lacy Aviation Opens Connecticut Facility

May 22, 2018

Clay Lacy Aviation has opened a 65,000-sq.-ft. aircraft maintenance facility at Waterbury Oxford Airport in Oxford, Connecticut.

Indonesian Air Force Takes Delivery Of Grob Trainers

May 22, 2018

The Indonesian Air Force recently took delivery of an additional six Grob Aerospace G 120TP turboprop trainers, increasing its fleet of the German-made aircraft to 30.

GrandView Aviation Announces Pilot Retention Program

May 22, 2018

FAR Part 135 operator GrandView Aviation recently announced a five-year retention package of up to $80,000 to attract and keep qualified pilots to fly its fleet of Embraer Phenom 300 business jets.

Pilatus Celebrates Successful 2017

May 22, 2018

There were smiles all around in Stans, Switzerland, because Pilatus delivered 115 aircraft in 2017, grossed sales worth $987 million and closed out the year certifying and delivering the first PC-24 twinjet.

Former Epic Air CEO Pleads Guilty To Wire Fraud

May 22, 2018

Fred Schrameck, the former CEO of Epic Air of Bend, Oregon, recently pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for a scheme involving his consumer aviation company, Aircraft Completion Services.

Textron Aviation Garners 52 Skyhawk Orders In China

May 22, 2018

Textron Aviation recently chalked up orders for 52 Cessna 172 Skyhawks from two Cessna-authorized sales and service representatives in China, with deliveries expected to be completed this year.

Flexjet To Move Operations To Dallas Love Field

May 22, 2018

Fractional aircraft operator Flexjet plans to move its Richardson, Texas, operations to the Braniff Center at Dallas Love Field. A private terminal and 60,000-sq.-ft. maintenance hangar are scheduled to open in mid-2019.

Textron Ceases Production Of Turbo Skyhawk JT-A

May 22, 2018

Textron Aviation has halted production of its Cessna Turbo Skyhawk JT-A, which was certified by the FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency just last year.

Deer Jet Wins FAA Repair Recognition, Plans New FBO

May 22, 2018

Deer Jet has been awarded Overseas Repair Station recognition by the FAA, allowing it to perform maintenance on N-registered aircraft at its facilities in mainland China and Hong Kong.

London Oxford Airport Celebrates 10 Years Of Growth

May 22, 2018

Ranked the fifth busiest business aviation airport in the UK, London Oxford Airport retains its top spot for business aviation movements. According to Eurocontrol data published in March, London Stansted leads the "most recovered" airports with 35% growth and London Oxford is second with an overall 32% growth.

JetEx Joins Wright On Electric Business Aircraft Development

May 22, 2018

The Jetex Global FBO Network is charged up over electric aircraft, so much so that it has joined U.S. startup Wright Electric to develop charging stations for its 30 FBOs.

Berry Aviation Launches $2.7 Million Expansion

May 22, 2018

Berry Aviation in San Marcos, Texas, has begun a $2.7 million expansion of its headquarters, breaking ground on a 31,000-sq.-ft. facility at San Marcos Regional Airport.

Aero Star Aviation At Dallas Love Receives Part 145 Certification

May 22, 2018

Aero Star Aviation has received FAA Part 145 repair station certification for its Dallas Love Field operation. The facility provides maintenance for Embraer Phenom 100s and 300s and capabilities on Cessna Citation 500s and 600s.

NBAA Contends East Hampton Must Reimburse Airport

May 22, 2018

The Town of East Hampton, New York, cannot divert airport revenue to pay for legal fees resulting from its unsuccessful effort to restrict access at East Hampton Airport, according to an appeal to the FAA filed by the National Business Aviation Association.

Million Air Opens At Westchester County Airport

May 22, 2018

Million Air celebrated its grand opening at Westchester County Airport, New York, in May. The 52,000-sq.-ft. hangar is part of Million Air's $80 million expansion and upgrade at the airport. The two-story hangar features 28-ft.-high doors, radiant heated floors, eight customizable offices with storage space and 7.25 acres of ramp space.

J.A. Air Centers Joins Air Elite Network

May 22, 2018

J.A. Air Center in Sugar Grove, Illinois, has joined the Air Elite Network. Based at Aurora Municipal Airport, the FBO has a 11,000-sq.-ft. terminal facility, 100,000 sq. ft. of heated hangar space and a 20,000-sq.-ft. arrival canopy.

Gulfstream To Build New Service Center In Savannah

May 22, 2018

Gulfstream Aerospace plans to build a $55 million, 202,000-sq.-ft. service center at its Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport campus in Georgia, and employ an additional 200 people there.

EPIC Files Lawsuit Against FAA Drone Advisory Committee

May 22, 2018

A privacy watchdog organization has filed suit against the FAA’s Drone Advisory Committee, charging that the industry-government group has failed to release records and make subcommittee and task group meetings open to the public.

Bombardier Offers Online Recurrent Training

May 22, 2018

Bombardier Business Aircraft has launched an online recurrent training course for Challenger 605 and 650 business jet pilots.

Piper Delivers 34 Aircraft In First Quarter

May 22, 2018

Piper Aircraft delivered 34 aircraft during the first quarter of 2018, as compared to 25 aircraft a year earlier.

Ontario's Collingwood Airport Is On The Market

May 22, 2018

Collingwood Regional Airport, a single paved runway facility close by Ontario’s Georgian Bay, is up for sale or lease. The town of Collingwood is soliciting offers for the 392-acre airport, which is 90 mi. north of Toronto.

DOT Reveals Participants For UAS Integration Pilot Program

May 22, 2018

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao on May 9-10 revealed the local, state and tribal governments that her department has selected to participate in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Integration Pilot Program (IPP) to test small drone applications within their jurisdictions.

Weston Aviation Celebrates Seven Years At Humberside

May 22, 2018

Weston Aviation, a UK- and Ireland-based business aviation and FBO specialist, has achieved continuous growth since its opening in 2011 at Humberside International Airport.

Duncan Moves Satellite Avionics Shop In Atlanta

May 22, 2018

Duncan Aviation has moved its Satellite Avionics Shop at Fulton County Airport in Atlanta to a new facility at the Hill Aircraft FBO.

Jet-A And Avgas Per-Gallon Fuel Prices: May 2018

May 24, 2018

The tables show Jet-A and avgas prices from a survey of U.S. fuel suppliers conducted in May 2018.

Fast Five

Questions For Seaplane Pilots Association's Steve McCaughey

May 22, 2018

A long-time seaplane pilot and Seaplane Pilots Association volunteer with experience in a wide variety of aviation businesses, McCaughey was appointed executive director of the Winter Haven, Florida-based association in 2011.

Cause & Circumstance

Alaskan CFIT Continues To Kill

May 22, 2018

Flying in Alaska and Canada’s northern provinces is tough: It takes ingenuity, skill and constant vigilance. Complacency is a killer.

Selected Accidents and Incidents in April and March 2018

May 22, 2018

Selected Accidents And Incidents In April and March 2018.

Safety

Reading Minds: Keeping Cockpit Communications On Track

May 22, 2018

Within days, the aviation world began to understand the dangers of volcanic ash, its effect on turbofan engines, and how to survive an encounter.

Piloting

High-Altitude UV Exposure: Little-Recognized Risk For Flight Crews

May 22, 2018

The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements reports that among those U.S. workers exposed to radiation while on the job, flight crews get the largest annual effective dose.

Operations

Aircraft Avionics Hacking: Is It Possible?

Jun 12, 2018

Is it possible to hack into an aircraft in flight, worm into the higher avionics functions, and take over control of the plane?

Cold, Dark And Lonely: Lessons Learned From My Flights

May 22, 2018

There are airline pilots who make far northern or even transpolar flights on a regular basis. Business aviators become familiar with the requirements for these flights, but we seldom do it often enough for it to be considered routine.

Lesson From Cold Weather Operations

May 22, 2018

Frozen trim controls lead to an unexpected return to the airport.

Special Report

Swan Song For Citation X: Farewell To World’s Fastest Civil Aircraft

May 22, 2018

Production of the Citation X, Cessna Aircraft’s 520-kt. muscle rocket, is ending after 22 years. It was Cessna’s signature technical masterpiece of that era.

Citation X Pioneers Pay Homage

May 23, 2018

Citation X program officials recall favorite moments, including increasing maximum speed rating and record-setting flight.

The NextGen Files

The NextGen Files: Metering Ground Movements

May 22, 2018

The FAA is investing $17 billion to move the National Airspace System through a massive modernization effort known as NextGen that ultimately will impact almost all aircraft movements.

Point of Law

Point Of Law: Sharing Aircraft

May 22, 2018

Congress recently clarified that aircraft management fees should not be subject to Federal Excise Tax, nor should flights operated by the aircraft owner. However, there are still many gray areas for business flight operations.

20/Twenty

Cessna Citation VII: Strong Midsize Performer, But Short-Range

May 22, 2018

Citation VII, the second-generation Citation CE650, built from 1992 to 2000, made up for dozens of shortcomings found in the original model.

On Duty

News Of Business Aviation Promotions, Appointments And Honors

May 22, 2018

News of business aviation promotions, appointments and honors.

Business Aviation Product And Service Previews

May 22, 2018

Business aviation product and service previews.

BCA 50 Years Ago

BCA 50 Years Ago: June 1968 News

May 22, 2018

National Distillers' Gulfstream II became the first corporate jet to fly the Atlantic Ocean nonstop from Teterboro, New Jersey,to Gatwick, England. Time en route for the 3,045-nm flight was 6 hr. and 55 min.

Products & Services Previews

FAA Approves Avfuel Online Training

Aug 23, 2018

Avfuel Corp. has received FAA approval for its online fuel safety training programs, which are part of the Avfuel Training System.

Zendure Passport Pro Universal Adaptor

Aug 23, 2018

The new universal travel adaptor from Zendure, the Passport Pro, features one-hand operation, four USB outputs, multi-region AC outlet and ground connection.

Mooney Adds Buyer Programs

Aug 23, 2018

Mooney International Corp. is expanding production and adding sales programs — such as MooneyShares and Fill & Fly — to entice buyers and keep up with improving market demand.

Dynon Unveils New Products

Aug 23, 2018

Dynon unveiled the D3, the latest edition of its Pocket Panel EFIS, and the DRX, a portable, dual-band ADS-B traffic and weather receiver.

Stratos Unveils 716X Kit

Aug 23, 2018

Stratos Aircraft is taking an interim step in its move to certify a very light jet by first offering the aircraft as a kit.

Gama Aviation Adds to Fleet

Sep 21, 2018

Connecticut-based Gama Aviation Signature, has added two HondaJets to its fleet. They will initially be based in Teterboro and Chicago.

Market Sector

Share

Business & Commercial Aviation, June 2018

Share

Viewpoint

Readers’ Feedback

Intelligence

Fast Five

Cause & Circumstance

Safety

Piloting

Operations

Special Report

The NextGen Files

Point of Law

20/Twenty

On Duty

BCA 50 Years Ago

Products & Services Previews