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Magazine Issue

Business & Commercial Aviation, March 2016

VOL. 112 NO. 3 March 01, 2016

Viewpoint

article

Reauthorization Debate: All Too Familiar After 50 Years

Feb 27, 2016
The face-off between the scheduled carriers and business and general aviation in the ongoing fight over the privatization of ATC in the U.S. is hardly new.

Intelligence

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GAMA: GA Deliveries for 2015 Mixed

Feb 25, 2016
General aviation aircraft deliveries fell 4% last year, with shipments of piston and turboprop aircraft down, while business jet deliveries rose, preliminary figures show. “It’s a mixed bag this year,” said Pete Bunce, president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), a Washington trade group that compiles the data. “The U.S. economy is still in a positive climb, but it is very anemic.” The health of the energy industry impacts the global market, especially the market for large-cabin, long-range aircraft.
article

New From Mooney: Acclaim Ultra

Feb 25, 2016
Mooney International Corp. has introduced the M20V Acclaim Ultra, a redesigned M20 aircraft. Sales began Feb. 11. The upgraded Acclaim includes a composite fuselage, pilot and copilot doors, a clean-sheet interior design and major avionics upgrades, including the Garmin 1000 with an integrated Garmin flight-management keypad. Production is in progress. FAA certification is expected in the second quarter of this year, with deliveries to begin by mid-second quarter of this year, the company said. The base price for the Acclaim Ultra is $769,000.
article

Jet Aviation St. Louis Completes FANS Installations

Feb 26, 2016
Jet Aviation St. Louis has completed three installations of Future Aviation Navigation Systems in Challenger 604 aircraft. Three more installations are scheduled. The facility has received FAA approval for the Supplemental Type Certificate for the installations after teaming with Rockwell Collins. It includes the Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract and Controller Data Link Communication.
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2016 Sales Forecast: One Million Drones

Feb 26, 2016
In the U.S., the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) forecasts sales in 2016 of 1 million drones weighing more than 0.55 lb., up 145% from 2015 and 230% from 2014. That weight is the lower limit for registration under FAA rules introduced on Dec. 21, 2015. After seven weeks, 330,000 owners had registered an unknown number of UAVs between 0.55-55 lb., likely well short of the number in use.
article

Rockwell Collins Gets STC For Fusion On King Air 350s

Feb 26, 2016
Rockwell Collins has received an FAA Supplemental Type Certificate for its Pro Line Fusion avionics upgrade for King Air 350 turboprops that were originally delivered with Pro Line II avionics. The STC was part of a joint effort with Landmark Aviation Winston-Salem and BHE & Associates. The upgrade is available through Rockwell Collins-authorized dealers. The avionics include touchscreen technology found on new King Airs, Rockwell Collins said.
article

CO2 Standard Gets ICAO Nod

Feb 24, 2016
The first binding energy efficiency and carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions targets for aviation have been agreed to by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). In all but a few cases, aircraft in production or development will meet the initial standard without modification. The global CO2 standard will apply to all commercial and business aircraft delivered after Jan.
article

U.K. Ministry Of Defense Selects Phenom 100s

Feb 26, 2016
Embraer’s Phenom 100 light jets have been selected for multi-engine pilot training for armed forces aircrew in the U.K. The contract with Affinity Flight Training Services will provide five aircraft to the U.K. Ministry of Defense’s Military Flying Training System. The contract includes support services and an option for additional aircraft. The fixed-wing program is intended to replace the current multi-engine and basic flying training delivered on aging platforms with a new integrated solution, Embraer said.
article

Refurbished ACJ319 Delivered to Ivory Coast

Feb 26, 2016
Airbus Corporate Jet Center (ACJC) has delivered a major Airbus ACJ319 refurbishment for the Ivory Coast government, with everything from dual-broadband Internet connectivity to a master stateroom. The Internet uses an Inmarsat connection to provide all 19 passengers with 1.2 Mbps of data transfer speed. The interior features a crew-rest zone, forward passenger section, dining area, office with sofa and seats, and a master suite with lavatory. The job included a 10-year C check, fuselage modification and two new Satcom antennas installed by ACJC.
article

Universities Selected For Cessna’s Top Hawk Program

Feb 26, 2016
Cessna Aircraft has selected four universities to take part in its 2016 Top Hawk program, which supports flight training, recruitment and promotional activities at each university. Cessna has selected Kent State University, LeTourneau University, Purdue University and Westminster College for the program. Each will take delivery of a new Cessna Skyhawk 172. The universities were selected for their aviation programs and commitment to general aviation, Cessna said.
article

Textron Completes Service Center Certification

Feb 26, 2016
Textron Aviation has completed the expanded certification of its U.S. company-owned service centers that support Beechcraft, Cessna and Hawker aircraft, the company said. All 14 service centers in North America have received the expanded certifications, which allow them to service all brands. The company also expanded its mobile service fleet to more than 60 vehicles in North America and Europe, and placed a third dedicated support aircraft in service, including its first in Europe, to transport technicians and parts to a customer’s location.
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Civil Aviation Agencies Approve Gulfstream Service Centers

Feb 26, 2016
Several Gulfstream Aerospace service centers have received approved maintenance organization designations from various civil aviation authorities, which increases maintenance and repair options for customers. Qatar granted AMO status to its Savannah, Georgia, and Luton, England, centers. Savannah’s center also received approval from the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department to provide maintenance on HKAR-registered G650/650ER aircraft. It also was authorized by Brazil’s Agencia Nacional de Aviacao Civil for G650/650ER, G280 and G150 jets.
article

Bristow Invests In UAV Inspection Company

Feb 26, 2016
Bristow has invested in a drone inspection company as it diversifes away from an oil and gas industry that finds itself in a slump over low prices. The Houston-based firm is investing $4.2 million in U.K.-based Sky Futures, which provides unmanned air vehicles to support inspections of oil and gas facilities onshore and offshore. The investment comes as Bristow sees its revenues from oil and gas support continue to drop as energy companies reduce levels of exploration and the number of personnel working offshore.
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Gogo Added 1,100 Aircraft To Its Installed Fleet in 2015

Feb 26, 2016
Gogo added nearly 1,100 aircraft to its installed fleet in 2015. That is a record number of installations for the Chicago-based company. “Gogo’s operational capabilities are second to none,” Gogo President and CEO Michael Small said. “Whether that’s navigating the regulatory environment, installing equipment on a wide range of fleet types or servicing those aircraft wherever they might fly around the globe, we’ve built an organization around operational excellence that’s unmatched in our industry.
article

Cirrus Releases Interactive Ops Manual

Feb 26, 2016
Cirrus Aircraft has released its first interactive in flight training manual, —the Interactive Flight Operations Manual — a multi-touch iBook for use on the iPhone, iPad and Apple computer platforms. It will give pilots personalized mobile access to Cirrus SR20, SR22 and SR22T flight procedures, standards and techniques, and complements the airframer’s “Cirrus Approach” online learning program.
article

Four Airbus H125s Go to Law Enforcement

Feb 26, 2016
Four California law enforcement agencies have taken delivery of new Airbus Helicopters H125AStars. The California Highway Patrol took delivery of its fourth and fifth H125 aircraft, part of a five-year contract to upgrade its fleet. The LA Police Department took delivery of its second H125, part of a multi-year contract to upgrade its fleet of AS350 B2. The Ontario Police Department took delivery of its first H125, an addition to its fleet of two AS350 B2s. And the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office has taken delivery of two H125s.
article

Cirrus Vision Personal Jet Certification Delayed

Feb 26, 2016
FAA certification has been delayed on the Cirrus Aircraft Vision SF50 personal jet until the first half of this year, the company said. It was previously expected by the end of 2015. “2015 was a pretty aggressive goal” for certification, said Matthew Bergwall, Cirrus Aircraft Vision SF50 product manager. “We were full steam ready to go, but honestly two things . . . played into this.” One was that work on the aircraft’s parachute took longer than expected, Bergwall said. The other was “the overall quality of the product.
article

Viking Air Marketing Float-Equipped Twin Otter 400

Feb 26, 2016
Viking Air is marketing a $6 million (USD) float-equipped version of its upgraded Twin Otter 400. The British Columbia manufacturer says the new 400S is designed for short to medium flights and has a breakeven load factor of around eight passengers under typical operating conditions. The aircraft features a Honeywell “Super-Lite” integrated digital avionics suite adapted for VFR operations, and comes equipped with 17-passenger seats. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27 engines turn platinum-coated CT blades.
article

Signature Completes Acquisition Of Landmark

Feb 26, 2016
Already the world’s largest FBO network, Signature Flight Support added another 62 bases to its fold on Feb. 5 when BBA Aviation, its British parent company, closed on the acquisition of Landmark Aviation from the Carlyle Group for $2.065 billion. The combined network now includes 195 locations in North America, Europe, South America, the Caribbean, Africa and Asia, all under the Signature name, and added 3,000 Landmark employees to Signature’s payroll.
article

Global Jets Completes GE Acquisition

Feb 26, 2016
With the addition of some 30 aircraft based in Brazil and Mexico, Global Jet Capital has completed its acquisition of General Electric’s fixed-wing corporate aircraft financing portfolio in the Americas. While the majority of the aircraft financed by the firm are large-cabin, long-range models based in the U.S. and Canada, the company says there’s strong growth potential in international markets.
article

Cobham Is Modifying Four Challenger CL-604s

Feb 26, 2016
Inside a hangar at South Australia’s Adelaide Airport, Cobham Aviation Services is modifying four former business jets. Cobham is integrating advanced sensor equipment and mission systems onto four Bombardier Challenger CL-604 aircraft in South Australia on behalf of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. Under a 12-year, $640 million contract, Cobham will own, operate and maintain the Challengers for AMSA from bases in Perth, Cairns and Melbourne.
article

NAS-ExecutJet Expands Services

Feb 27, 2016
NAS-ExecuJet has expanded services at its fixed-based operation in Saudi Arabia. It has opened an additional facility in the Royal Terminal at King Khalid International Airport, Riyadh. To facilitate the expansion, NAS-ExecuJet has added ground support equipment and increased staff from 25 to 34.
article

Santa Monica Sued Over Municipal Airport, Again

Feb 27, 2016
The City of Santa Monica, California, has diverted funds for SMO, its municipal airport, charged excessive and unreasonable landing fees, and denied leases on airport property, according to a new Part 16 complaint filed Feb. 5.
article

Jeff Pino And Nick Tramontano Killed In P-51 Mustang Accident

Feb 27, 2016
XTI Aircraft Vice Chairman and former Sikorsky President Jeff Pino along with Nick Tramontano were killed Feb. 5 when their P-51 Mustang Pino was piloting crashed near Pinal County, Arizona. Pino, 61, headed Sikorsky from 2006 to 2012. More recently he was vice chairman of XTI, a firm developing the TriFan 600, a high-speed vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for the corporate market. A retired Master Army Aviator who served in the service as well as the Reserve and National Guard for 26 years, Pino had been one of the helicopter industry’s stalwarts.
article

Jet Aviation And Lufthansa To Provide Fuel Uplifts

Feb 27, 2016
Jet Aviation Zurich has signed an agreement with Lufthansa Group to provide high-volume fuel uplifts through docked dispenser fueling. Jet Aviation successfully fueled its first Lufthansa Group aircraft with dispenser fueling on Jan. 1. As part of the agreement, Jet Aviation Zurich bought two new dispenser trucks and hired five new truck operators, bringing its fueling team to 18. It sent three refueling operators to Frankfurt for dispenser training.
article

Gama Partners With CAE

Feb 27, 2016
Gama Aviation has signed a partnership agreement with business aviation training organization CAE. The partnership will meet European Aviation Safety Agency Part-FCL requirements regarding base training and will allow Gama Aviation to train candidates in up to 30 aircraft types. Before the agreement, the two companies had a relationship under which CAE provided a type rating simulator for Gama Aviation pilots.
G200
article

ADS-B-In Approved For Gulfstream G150/G200

Feb 27, 2016
Gulfstream Aerospace has received FAA approval to install Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast In (ADS-B-In) on Gulfstream G150 and G200 aircraft, the company said. The avionics will enhance situational awareness for pilots. With the installation, operators can receive traffic and weather information from ADS-B ground stations and from nearby aircraft broadcasting their positions through ADS-B Out.
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NYC Reaches Agreement With Helicopter Operators On Flight Reductions

Feb 27, 2016
New York City and helicopter operators carrying thousands of tourists around Manhattan have reached a deal that would result in a 50% reduction in flights by January 2017. “The nonstop din of helicopters has been a major quality-of-life issue for New Yorkers living near heavily trafficked routes,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said in announcing the Jan. 31 agreement.
article

Delta Private Jets Has Strong 2015

Feb 27, 2016
Delta Private Jets reports its managed aircraft fleet grew from 53 Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, Gulfstream and Hawker aircraft to 72 in 2015, a 34% increase. As a result, David Sneed, executive vice president and COO, says the Delta Air Lines business aviation subsidiary is now “the third largest Part 135 operator in the country in terms of fleet size.” In addition, jet card sales rose 31% in 2015 when compared to 2014.
article

Key Air Expands To Include Aircraft Sales

Feb 27, 2016
Key Air, an Oxford, Connecticut-based aircraft management and jet charter company, has expanded to include aircraft sales. Along with the new sales group, Key Air added three new aircraft to its managed fleet of charter aircraft in January. The aircraft include a Bombardier Global 5000 Vision, Gulfstream IVSP and Learjet 45XR.
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General Dynamics Sees No Cyclical Decline At Gulfstream

Feb 27, 2016
While some fret that a down cycle is coming, there’s no sign of that at Gulfstream, according to the top executive at General Dynamics, its corporate parent. “We see no evidence at Gulfstream of a cyclical decline,” Phebe Novakovic, GD chairman and CEO, told analysts following release of the company’s fourth quarter report on Jan. 27.
article

Advent Aircraft Systems Gets Nod For Anti-Skid Braking On King Air 300

Feb 27, 2016
Advent Aircraft Systems has received FAA approval of its advanced-technology GPS/digital anti-skid braking system for installation on Beechcraft King Air B300 series aircraft equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line GPS 4000S or Garmin G1000/430W/530W avionics. Installation of the system, which may be ordered through Textron Aviation service centers as well as authorized King Air service facilities, involves no change to existing braking system components and requires minimal downtime.
article

Europe’s Business Aviation Operations Decline In January

Feb 27, 2016
Business aviation departures in Europe fell in January when compared to a year ago, according to WINGX Advance’s Business Aviation Monitor. European flights in January totaled 47,628, down 2,220 departures or a drop of 4.5% year-over-year. Business jet and piston flights fell 5%, while turboprop flights declined 1.5%. “This disappointing start to 2016 breaks the recovering trend in Q4 2015,” Richard Koe, WINGX Advance managing director, said in a statement.
article

Privaira Moving Operation To Boca Raton Airport

Feb 27, 2016
Privaira, a private air charter service, will relocate its Part 135 operation to Boca Raton Airport in Florida, which will allow it to have its own campus, office space and maintenance hangar facilities big enough to hold its midsize and large-size-cabin aircraft. Privaira is also partnering with Atlantic Aviation to support its operation at Boca Raton Airport and at its 70 other locations in its network. The relocation is planned for late February.
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JetSmarter Helps Members Escape New York Snowstorms

Feb 27, 2016
With the snowstorms in the Northeast U.S., JetSmarter, a mobile market for private jet flights, created free private jet flights for members from New York to and from cities such as Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Chicago and other cities. JetSmarter has been swamped with calls from those interested in getting out of New York. It has also created for new members a promotion to any warm weather destination to fly free with a friend.
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Jet-A And Avgas Per Gallon Fuel Prices February 2016

Mar 01, 2016
Jet-A and Avgas Per Gallon Fuel Prices February 2016

Fast Five

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Fast Five: Questions for Brant Dahlfors

Feb 25, 2016
Brant Dahlfors, partner at Bloomer deVere Dahlfors in Newport Beach, Calif., discusses the pre-owned business aircraft market.

Readers' Feedback

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Reader's Feedback (March 2016)

Feb 27, 2016
Enjoying a Cold One I read your Point of Law (December 2015, page 71) about the latest duty/rest legal interpretation and I thought it was great. I’ve had the same “cold beer rule” discussion with my operators on more than one occasion. Principal Operations Inspector FAA Washington, D.C. An Excellent Decision

Cause & Circumstance

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Phenom 100 Accident at Gaithersburg: Failure to Activate Anti-/Deicing May Be Key

Feb 25, 2016
The NTSB recently opened its investigation docket on the Dec. 8, 2014, loss of an Embraer Phenom 100 (N100EQ) — an accident that renewed community worries and complaints about operations at Montgomery County Airpark (KGAI) in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
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A Similar EMB-500 Accident in Germany

Feb 25, 2016
The NTSB said its investigators have learned that the German Federal Bureau of Aircraft Accident Investigation is conducting an investigation into an accident involving an Embraer EMB-500 on Feb. 15, 2013 (BFU interim report No. CX001-13), at Berlin-Schönefeld Airport (SXF), Germany. The interim report of the accident stated that the airplane rolled to the left during the landing flare resulting in the left wing contacting the ground. Investigators found ice accretions up to 10 mm in thickness on the airplane’s nose, wing leading edges and horizontal stabilizer.

Accidents in Brief

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Accidents In Brief

Feb 25, 2016
The following NTSB information is preliminary about these selected accidents and Incidents in January 2016 and December 2015.

DOM Notebook

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Component Failure: Chasing Intermittent Faults

Feb 25, 2016
Every technician has been there, standing face to face with an agitated pilot who opens a conversation with, “It happened again.” This is often accompanied with the same look of disappointment mothers give when their child present a less than stellar report card. Technical problems that appear and disappear are exceptionally frustrating. The lack of a definitive resolution can cause a corrosive environment in your team dynamic. Pilots need to trust their technician’s ability to hunt and trap these types of problems, and their return erodes that faith.

Operations

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Getting the Most Miles from Your Jet-A

Feb 27, 2016
Most professional pilots earn their instrument ratings sitting behind one or more propellers, after having learned textbook definitions of maximum endurance and range speeds.
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Aircraft Windshield Care

Feb 24, 2016
An undistorted view of the outside world isn’t a luxury for pilots, it’s an absolute necessity for obvious reasons. Yet sections of the aircraft manual describing the proper windshield care are usually buried in an obscure chapter that doesn’t receive much attention in ground school training.
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Don’t Neglect the Seals

Feb 25, 2016
On May 31, 2012, during cruise flight at FL 220 in a Cessna 560, the captain’s windscreen cracked and the flightcrew made an immediate descent and landing. Engineering inspection revealed the source of the problem was a damaged seal. It had let water enter, which then froze during flight.
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Proper Care Is a Must

Feb 25, 2016
A good cleaning should be just that. But often is quite not. “A great many expensive repairs are made to windows which have been subject to improper cleaning techniques,” says Tim Snipes of Aviation Window Services in Boulder, Colorado. Among tools of destruction he cites are stiff brushes, soiled or abrasive cloths, and improper cleaning agents.
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MEL Considerations With Windshields

Feb 25, 2016
Sometimes MEL restrictions make sense, but sometimes they produce little-considered “gotchas.” Recently one reader flew a passenger trip into Napa, California. The captain’s windscreen heat was MEL’d and the operational notes instructed crews to keep it off and remain clear of freezing conditions.
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How to Use NEXRAD and Airborne Weather Radar Together

Feb 25, 2016
The palette’s evolution began in the basement of a home in Kansas City, Missouri. Dedication to a task is often found in the strangest of places and so it was with this research project on thunderstorms. J.T. “Jean” Lee, then a young scientist for the “Weather Bureau,” as the federal agency was called some 60 years ago, was assigned to Severe Local Storms Research (SELS). Simply put, the SELS team was to learn all it could about the hazards thunderstorms posed to aircraft, a project begun earlier by the U.S. Army Air Corps.
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NEXRAD Can Detect Hail, but Time Lag Remains

Feb 25, 2016
Chances are you've heard that Nexrad has the capability to detect hail. That was made possible a few years ago with the addition of polarization. Previously the system detected precipitation in the horizontal dimension better than in the vertical. As a result, it could not distinguish between large raindrops, which tend to have a horizontal size greater than vertical, and hail, which tends to be equal both horizontally and vertically. Now it can differentiate between wide and tall.

First Look: Cessna Longitude

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Cessna Citation Longitude About to Take Off

Mar 07, 2016
Out of the ashes of the Hawker 4000 as well as drawing from its all-new Citation Latitude, Textron Aviation is creating a super-midsize jet with what could be a bright future.
article

Garmin G5000 Avionics

Feb 25, 2016
Longitude’s cockpit layout closely parallels that of Latitude. Three side-by-side, 14-in., landscape configuration flat panel displays occupy most of the instrument panel. The LCDs are some of the highest resolution screens yet installed in a business aircraft. Synthetic vision is standard. Above the screens are left and right display controllers and a central integrated standby instrument system. At the top, there is a central glareshield-mounted flight guidance control panel.
article

Honeywell HTF7700L Turbofans

Feb 25, 2016
Honeywell’s second-generation HTF7000 series engines are more powerful and fuel efficient than the original powerplant that entered service in 2003, plus they have lower emissions. Aboard Longitude, they’re rated at 7,550 lb. thrust for takeoff.

Piloting

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Following Standard Operating Procedures

Feb 25, 2016
Because of habit, overconfidence, laziness or haste, some pilots have intentionally disregarded carefully crafted and accepted standard operating procedures. Too often, flouting SOPs undermines efficiency, effectiveness and safety.

On Duty

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News Of Promotions, Appointments And Honors (March 2016)

Feb 27, 2016
News of promotions, appointments and honors involving professionals within the business aviation community

20/Twenty

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Used Aircraft Report: Hawker 4000

Feb 27, 2016
The super-midsized Hawker 4000 (nee Hawker Horizon), in production from 2008 through 2012, suffered through one of the longest and most arduous gestations of any business aircraft yet built, requiring 12 years of development work and a $1 billion-plus investment.

Products & Services Previews

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BCA Business Aviation Product And Service Previews

Feb 27, 2016
BCA shares the latest products and services for the business aviation industry.

50 Years Ago

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Business & Commercial Aviation News from March 1966

Feb 24, 2016
In March 1966, BCA covered a Queen Air conversion, Bell's new JetRanger and the BAC-111 flight deck with windows that were "said to show three more lights at 100 ft. than the next best transport."