The Month In Business Aviation: February 2021
10. Photo Gallery: Gulfstream G700’s Test Program Progress
Gulfstream Aerospace is flying five G700 aircraft in the flight-test program to ensure the business jet’s capabilities and maturity before starting certification flying later this year. Here’s the program’s progress to date.
9. Podcast: Did The Pandemic Solve The Pilot Shortage? What Lies Ahead For Business Aviation?
Before the pandemic, demand for professional pilots was intense and the long-term outlook predicted severe shortages. The pandemic and decrease in air travel has led to widespread pilot layoffs and furloughs. Did COVID-19 suddenly solve the pilot shortage problem? What lies ahead for business aviation once the pandemic subsides? Will the shortage return?
8. Pilot Report: Cessna Citation Longitude Preflight
A little-known secret outside the world of business jet pilots is that we are more than the occupants of the front two seats, pushing throttles, magically seeing through clouds, and circumnavigating the world. Sure, there is that. But we are also the flight planners, baggage loaders and flight pursers.
7. Post-Maintenance Test Flights, Flight Controls Part 2
From our very first flight lessons we were taught to check for “full and free correct movement” of flight controls. Every preflight, whether it is for a normal flight or a post-maintenance test flight, must ensure that the flight controls exhibit full and free correct movement without any possibility of binding. This isn’t rocket science, and yet the NTSB files contain events in which this simple concept wasn’t followed.
6. End Of An Era: Bombardier To Halt Learjet Production
It’s the end of an era. Bombardier has announced it plans to cease production of its Learjet 75 Liberty at the end of 2021 to concentrate on its more profitable Challenger and Global brands and cut global employment as it works to reduce $400 million in costs each year.
5. Aircraft Overview: Pilatus PC-24
The PC-24 is a twin-engine business jet produced by Swiss manufacturer Pilatus. Take a look at the latest overview which includes Aviation Week Forecast data, Aircraft Bluebook values and BCA's pilot report and operators survey.
4. Photo Gallery: Meet Textron Aviation’s Citation CJ4 Gen2
Textron Aviation unveiled the Citation CJ4 Gen2, the next generation of the CJ4 with a redesigned interior offering large jet amenities in a light jet, the company says. Deliveries begin in the first quarter of 2021. The CJ4 received type certification in 2010. Today, more than 320 are flying.
3. Fast Five: Bombardier CEO On Halting Learjet Production
Eric Martel, president and CEO of Bombardier, spoke with reporters recently regarding its decision to halt production of the Learjet 75 Liberty. This means the end of manufacturing the Learjet brand, layoffs and other changes, during a year of transition to a pure-play business jet business.
2. What HondaJet Elite Operators Like And Don’t Like
A successful multi-state flooring business combined with a passion for flying led Addison, Texas, couple Michael and Debbi Rasa to ownership of a procession of piston-, turboprop- and jet-powered business aircraft, culminating with a HondaJet Elite in September 2020, the couple’s second HondaJet.
1. Cause & Circumstance: A (Bad) Landing Surprise
When a Bombardier Global Express struck objects on the runway while landing at a Montreal airport, no one was more surprised than the business jet’s captain. The fact that half the runway was closed longitudinally and that temporary runway edge lights were installed along the centerline of the full-width runway was unknown to him.
This month we saw Bombardier halt Learjet production, Textron Aviation unveiled the Citation CJ4 Gen2 and BCA explored the HondaJet Elite with operators to establish likes, dislikes and more. Take a look at our roundup of the biggest stories in February.