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Magazine Issue

Business & Commercial Aviation, December 2016

VOL. 112 NO. 12 November 25, 2016

Special Report

IFE, Communications Becoming Part of the Internet of Airborne Things

Nov 25, 2016

Soon, everything will be connected on the internet. It has become clear that business pilots, flight attendants, and maintenance and operations personnel will increasingly rely on their aircraft's avionics and communications capabilities—usually via satcom—for many other applications.

Viewpoint

NBAA's Big Bash In Orlando

Nov 25, 2016

Being free and in control of my destiny is what put me on the road to the NBAA convention this time and helps put people in private aircraft.

Readers' Feedback

Reader's Feedback (December 2016)

Nov 25, 2016

BCA readers share their opinions on articles we published.

Intelligence

ExcelAire Wins Approval From Cayman Islands

Nov 25, 2016

Hawthorne Global Aviation Services's ExcelAire facility in Long Island, New York, has been approved by the Cayman Islands as an authorized maintenance provider for private jets registered in the islands. ExcelAire provides jet maintenance services around the clock. The facility offers jet charters, aircraft management, maintenance and fixed base operator services.

Honeywell STC For Gulfstream PlaneDeck For GIV, V

Nov 25, 2016

Honeywell has received the FAA's STC for enhanced features for the Gulfstream PlaneDeck cockpits on GIV and V aircraft. The latest suite of upgrades will increase crew awareness with the addition of Synthetic Vision Systems and other features. The upgrades include charts and maps, video capability and XM ground-based weather. PlaneDeck provides a 3-D color image of runways, terrain and obstacles.

Jet-A And Avgas Per-Gallon Fuel Prices November 2016

Nov 25, 2016

Jet-A And Avgas Per-Gallon Fuel Prices November 2016

No. 1 Threat To Aviation Industry Is Cyber Risk, Survey Says

Nov 25, 2016

The potential failure of critical information technology systems is the No. 1 risk to the aviation industry, according to a new ranking by Willis Towers Watson. The next most pressing risks include competition law scrutiny associated with merger and acquisition activity and dependence on third-party suppliers, followed by the inability to keep up with the pace of change and technological advancement, over-dependence on national infrastructure and changes in seasonal demand.

Pilatus Quiet On PC-24 Progress, For Now

Nov 25, 2016

The second Pilatus PC-24 prototype is undergoing avionics tests at Honeywell's Phoenix Deer Valley Airport hangar. Preliminary performance tests are encouraging, with the aircraft meeting or beating early performance projections, Pilatus officials said. They previously said they expect the aircraft to have a 425-kt. maximum cruise speed; 1,950-nm full-tanks range with four passengers at long-range cruise; and 1,190-nm NBAA IFR range while carrying a 2,500-lb. maximum payload.

TRU Simulation + Training's CJ4 Simulator Earns Approval

Nov 25, 2016

TRU Simulation + Training's Cessna Citation CJ4 full flight simulator has earned Level D qualifications from the FAA. The simulator has been installed at its training center in Carlsbad, California. The company also installed Citation M2, CJ3+ and Citation Latitude simulators at its center in Tampa, Florida. The recurrent courses for the CJ4 training program have received FAA approval and the Current 365 course and distance learning option will be available in the first quarter of 2017.

Textron Aviation Certifies ADS-B Out For Citation Mustang

Nov 25, 2016

Textron Aviation has completed certification of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out) on the Citation Mustang, completing ADS-B certification efforts for Citation, King Air and Hawker products. Retrofit modifications are now available at company-owned service centers.

Wheels Up Sees Membership And Aircraft Grow

Nov 25, 2016

In the three years since Wheels Up began business, the private aviation membership company has taken delivery of 70 aircraft while membership has grown to 3,700. In the next three to five years, Wheels Up co-founder and CEO Kenny Dichter expects membership to grow to 9,000 or 10,000 and its fleet to reach 200 to 250. In late 2017 or early 2018, Wheels Up plans to expand in Europe with the King Air. “Europe is an unbelievable market,” Dichter said. The company operates a fleet of new King Air 350i turboprops and used Citation XLS+ aircraft.

Zetta Jet Expands Fleet by Four Challenger 650s

Nov 25, 2016

In a move of confidence in the Asian business aviation market, Singapore-based Zetta Jet is adding four Bombardier Challenger 650 large jets, valued at $129.4 million, to its fleet of aircraft. The Challengers will join Zetta’s fleet of Bombardier Global aircraft. Bombardier Business Aircraft and Zetta Jet, a private jet operator in Asia, celebrated the addition at an event at the Orlando Executive Airport Oct.

Cessna And Piaggio Announce Aircraft Orders

Nov 25, 2016

Cessna Aircraft and Piaggio America, a subsidiary of Piaggio Aerospace, announced aircraft orders at the recent NBAA Convention. Cessna took an order for three Citation X+ midsize business jets from Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories. Piaggio signed a contract with West Coast Aviation Services for five Avanti EVO aircraft. West Coast Aviation will use them for charter and fractional ownership. It is the first Avanti EVO sale in the U.S. market.

Aviation Partners Unveils Its FlexSys Morphing Wing

Nov 25, 2016

Winglet specialist Aviation Partners and joint venture partner FlexSys are working with an undisclosed customer to retrofit an aircraft with the first commercial morphing wing. The potentially game-changing aerodynamic innovation has wide-ranging implications for performance-boosting retrofit of existing business jets or clean-sheet designs. The wing-morphing “flexfoil” demonstrator illustrates how the airfoil shape can change in flight to boost performance over a wide range of angles of attack, indicated airspeeds and Mach numbers.

Citation Longitude Gets a Performance Increase

Nov 25, 2016

Cessna Aircraft has increased performance targets for its new super-midsize $23.9 million Citation Longitude, the planemaker's latest business jet under development. The announcement was made at the National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation in Orlando. Cessna, a division of Textron Aviation, is increasing its initial targets for range from 3,400 nm to 3,500 nm and full-fuel payload by 100 lb., to 1,600 lb. FAA type certification and entry into service is expected in 2017.

JSSI Expands Tip-To-Tail Coverage

Nov 25, 2016

Jet Support Services has announced its Tip-to-Tail Program is now available for the Dassault Falcon 8X, Embraer Lineage 1000 and Airbus Corporate Jets, including the ACJ318, ACJ319 and ACJ320. The program includes coverage for the airframe, engines and APU.

World Fuel Services Adds Three FBOs To Network

Nov 25, 2016

World Fuel Services has added three fixed base operators to its network of FBOs. Flightways Columbus at the Columbus Airport (KCSG) in Columbus, Georgia, Emery Air at the Chicago Rockford International Airport (KRFD) in Rockford, Illinois, and Guardian Air Center at Ontario International Airport (KONT) in Canada, have joined the network, it said. World Fuel Services, based in Miami, provides training, credit card processing, marketing support, global fuel logistics and distributes fuel and related products and services.

AviationManuals Celebrates 20th Anniversary

Nov 25, 2016

AviationManuals is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Since its founding in 1996, it has produced more than 4,000 manuals. It recently expanded its product line to include Minimum Equipment Lists and Electronic Flight Bag application packages. The company also is expanding its workforce and seeks to employ an operations manual specialist, aviation specialist, editor/document specialist and a business development/sales coordinator.

FlightSafety Academy Marks 50th Anniversary

Nov 25, 2016

FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, Florida, celebrated its 50th anniversary in October. Its 21,000 graduates have flown for 62 airlines and over 100 corporate flight departments around the world. It employs 160 people and owns nearly 90 aircraft. Its campus also includes classrooms, flight training devices, an Air Traffic Control communications laboratory and on-site accommodations for 300 students.

Textron Aviation Delivers 41 New Citations in Q3

Nov 25, 2016

The business jet market continues to be stubbornly soft, Textron Chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly said on an Oct. 20 conference call about the company's third-quarter earnings. Still, the market is “more or less in line with what we expected this year,” Donnelly said. “Most of the growth is driven by new products coming into the market.” That is why the company is concentrating on bringing to market the Citation Latitude, Citation Longitude, Cessna Denali and eventually, the Citation Hemisphere.

Global 7000 Makes First Flight

Nov 25, 2016

Bombardier's Global 7000 test aircraft completed its first flight Nov. 4, marking the start of a rigorous flight-testing program. Entry-into-service of the large jet is scheduled in the second half of 2018. The Global 7000 took off from Bombardier’s facility in Toronto under the command of Ed Grabman, the flight’s captain, aided by copilot Jeff Karnes and flight test engineer Jason Nickel at 10:25 a.m. EDT. During the 2-hr., 27-min.

VistaJet Business Jet Fleet Hits 70-Aircraft Mark

Nov 25, 2016

VistaJet has taken delivery of three new Bombardier aircraft worth $115 million, bringing its global fleet to 70 aircraft, the company said. The company has added one new Bombardier Global 6000 and two new Challenger 350 business jets to its fleet. With the additions, VistaJet has the largest owned, super-midsize to large-cabin business-jet fleet in the industry, it said. In the past two years, the company has doubled its fleet from 35 aircraft in 2014 to the current 70, with an average age of less than two years.

Cirrus Vision Jet Is Certified

Nov 25, 2016

The FAA officially awarded Cirrus Aircraft its type certificate for the $1.96 million, 300-kt. single-engine turbofan SF50 Vision Jet at the National Business Aviation Association annual convention. The approval comes after an intensive four-year development program. The Vision Jet is powered by a 1,840-lb.-thrust Williams International FJ33-5A, and features a Perspective Touch flight deck powered by Garmin G3000 avionics.

Satcom Direct To Buy TrueNorth

Nov 25, 2016

Satcom Direct, the airborne connectivity services provider headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, plans to acquire TrueNorth, a 10-year-old avionics manufacturer based in Ottawa. Jim Jensen, the founder and CEO of Satcom Direct, says the transaction should close before year-end. Just two months earlier, the company bought AircraftLogs, which makes flight scheduling and tax reporting software. (See “Special Report: 2016 IFEC: the Internet of Aviation Things” on page 26 of this issue.)

$450,000 Raised for CAN

Nov 25, 2016

The annual gala dinner, or soiree, and auction sponsored by NBAA at its convention to benefit the Corporate Angel Network (CAN) raised $450,000 to help fund that organization’s decades-long mission to transport cancer patients to treatment centers, mainly aboard business jets, free of charge. CAN Executive Director Gina Russo said, “We very much appreciate the industry’s involvement in CAN’s work, as illustrated by the hundreds of companies flying CAN missions for cancer patients year-round, as well as through participation in this event.

Hawthorne Global Now Owns Bama Air FBO

Nov 25, 2016

After a protracted process involving local government and private interests, Hawthorne Global Aviation Services has completed the acquisition of Bama Air, an FBO at Tuscaloosa Regional Airport (TCL), close by the University of Alabama. That addition increases the chain’s base count to five; the others are located at Long Island’s MacArthur Airport (ISP), Atlanta’s Cobb County (RYY), Chicago Executive (PWK) and Eau Claire, Wisconsin (EAU).

Russia’s IAC Issues Recommendations in Falcon Crash

Nov 25, 2016

Russian investigators concluded that alcohol use by a shift supervisor and a snowplow driver at Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport played role in the October 2014 nighttime collision that destroyed a departing Unijet Airlines Dassault Falcon 50EX and killed all four on board. The snowplow driver was crossing Runway 6, but stopped as the jet began its takeoff roll. The Falcon hit the plow with its right wing and right main gear at a speed of 133 kt., rolled inverted, crashed and burned.

Universal, Heli-One To Equip Sikorsky Fleet With Advanced Flight Displays

Nov 25, 2016

Heli-One will upgrade a fleet of Sikorsky S-61A-4 Nuri helicopters for an Asian operator with Universal's EFI-890H Advanced Flight Displays and Multi-Missions Management System. Heli-One will design and install the initial aircraft with an Asian maintenance, repair and overhaul business performing the upgrades on the remainder of the fleet. The upgrade includes four EFI-890H Advanced Flight Displays and one UNS-1L2 MMMS, Universal’s flight management system for mission support.

Blackhawk Mod For King Air 350

Nov 25, 2016

Blackhawk Modifications has launched another engine upgrade program, this time targeting the King Air 350. The switch involves replacing that aircraft’s 1,050 shp PT6A-60A engines with a pair of -67As, each rated at 1,200 shp. The Waco, Texas company expects to receive approval for the upgrade in the second quarter of 2017. The change-out will benefit those operators — including military units — needing improved hot-and-high performance.

Jepp Launches Operator Business Aviation Platform

Nov 25, 2016

Jeppesen has launched Operator, a cloud-based business aviation platform that integrates flight planning, runway performance and weight and balance calculations, crew scheduling, accounting, pricing, regulatory compliance and trip checklists, among other things. BoldIQ, the fleet optimization and management program that evolved from the failed DayJet operation is intrinsic to the new Jepp service.

Chengdu Aircraft To Develop Business Jet

Nov 25, 2016

Chengdu Aircraft, the fighter division of China's Avic Aviation, is planning to develop a business jet. The new aircraft, which was detailed at Airshow China in November, would have a range of 5,000 sm and a length and wingspan of 80 ft. The project was set when Chengdu was formed in 2008, but little progress seems to have been made, especially since all Western makers of business aircraft declined Avic’s invitation for cooperation. Obviously, none saw any reason to train a competitor.

Third-Quarter Bombardier Results Show Improvement

Nov 25, 2016

Bombardier's third-quarter financial results show the Canadian company's turnaround plan is gaining momentum. “We are executing on our growth program with certification of the CS300 and first flight of the Global 7000,” CEO Alain Bellemare told analysts on Nov. 10. “And we are executing on our turnaround plan.” The Montreal-based company said it expected full-year earnings of US $350-400 million, and free cash flow to be $1.15-1.45 billion, an improvement from previous projections.

Rolls-Royce Has 2,000 Business Jets Enrolled In CorporateCare

Nov 25, 2016

Rolls-Royce reports that it now has 2,000 business jets enrolled in its CorporateCare engine maintenance program—double the number covered in 2010, or better than two-thirds of the eligible fleet. The program brings guaranteed maintenance costs to new and in-service Rolls-Royce BR725, BR710, Tay and AE 3007 engines. Operators pay a fixed cost-per-flying-hour fee for a comprehensive range of scheduled and unscheduled engine maintenance events and benefits. The reason for the program’s popularity, according to Stephen M.

Used Bizjet Market Slows in 2016

Nov 25, 2016

The business-jet resale market turned in slightly slower transaction activity during the first nine months of 2016, according to a report by Amstat.

Dassault Sales Slow, But New Aircraft Hinted

Nov 25, 2016

Despite slow sales in the current down market and a years-long delay of the Falcon 5X due to development setbacks with the Silvercrest engine, Dassault Aviation is considering what next it will offer to help reenergize its lineup of business jets. “History has taught us that times of crisis are not just a storm that must be weathered. They represent an opportunity to change and improve,” CEO Eric Trappier said during the NBAA Convention.

JetBlue Airways Buys Minority Stake In JetSuite

Nov 25, 2016

JetBlue Airways has taken a minority stake in fast-growing, California-based jet-charter company JetSuite. Robin Hayes, CEO of the New York-based low cost carrier, said JetSuite was “changing the game in short-haul travel in the West Coast.” Launched in 2009, JetSuite operates up to four daily flights between the California cities of Burbank, Carlsbad, Concord and San Jose, as well as Las Vegas. For this JetSuiteX service, the carrier sells tickets on its Embraer 135 jets via its website as a public-charter operation.

FlightSafety Files Lawsuit In 2014 King Air Crash

Nov 25, 2016

FlightSafety International filed a lawsuit Oct. 25 related to the 2014 crash of a King Air B200 into a FlightSafety training facility shortly after takeoff from Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport. The crash killed four, including the pilot, and injured six others. The lawsuit, filed in Sedgwick County District Court in Wichita, names more than a dozen defendants alleged to have contributed to the crash through negligence, breach of warranty or other factors.

Fast Five

Questions For Charles E. Priester

Nov 25, 2016

Questions for Charles E. Priester Chairman Priester Aviation

Avionics Review

Flying Garmin’s G5000 Cockpit For The Beechjet 400A/400XP

Nov 25, 2016

The Beechjet 400A/Hawker 400XP has the potential to be one of the most popular business aircraft retrofit programs in the past 30 years.

Garmin Flight Stream 510

Nov 25, 2016

The fully paperless cockpit is becoming a reality with the advent of FAA-certifiable tablet computers that may be used as Class 1 electronic flight bags in accordance with Advisory Circular 120-76C. Garmin, among other avionics manufacturers, is developing wireless interfaces between tablet computers and avionics systems. Garmin’s link between the G5000 and tablet computers running Garmin Pilot software is the $1,500 Flight Stream 510 SD card that has both internal Bluetooth and Wi-Fi transceiver chips.

Textron Aviation’s 400XPR FJ44-4 Upgrade

Nov 25, 2016

Rated at 3,230 lb. thrust for takeoff, the Williams International FJ44-4A-32 turbofans produce about 9% more thrust than the original Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5R engines fitted to the Beechjet 400A and Hawker 400XP. At first glance, that seems like a nominal increase at best. But the FJ44-4 has a fat ISA+17C flat rating that makes a considerable difference in hot-and-high airport, climb and cruise performance.

DOM Notebook

Really Big Iron

Nov 25, 2016

Since its introduction nearly a half-century ago, the Boeing 737 has proven to be the most popular civilian jet ever, with more than 9,000 delivered to date. And the manufacturer is moving to increase its production rate to more than 50 per month, easily the highest in its history. New models and variants — notably including the Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) and P-8 Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft — are in production and with thousands on back order, the 737 will be a significant presence for a long time to come.

‘All Access’

Nov 25, 2016

Although Boeing does not market used BBJs, it has decided it is in the best interests of operators, potential buyers and the company to help facilitate the process and, further, to help establish fixed maintenance costs for those considering a pre-owned BBJ.

Safety

Never Too Late To Examine The Safety, Comfort, Reliability Relationship

Nov 25, 2016

The preceding elements are “greater than” the subsequent. But theory is often overwhelmed by reality.

Cause & Circumstance

Approach Stall in Akron

Nov 25, 2016

The NTSB has recommended that the FAA require all FAR Part 135 operators install flight data recorders (FDR) capable of supporting flight data monitoring programs (FDMP) in their aircraft, and that, once installed, the operators establish structured FDMPs that identify “deviations from established norms and procedures and other potential safety issues.” The Safety Board also wants the FAA to require all Part 135 operators to establish safety management systems (SMS).

Accidents in Brief

Accidents In Brief

Nov 25, 2016

Selected Accidents and incidents in October 2016. The following is NTSB information.

Operations

Performance-Based Navigation and Business Aviation

Nov 25, 2016

Performance-based navigation promises to make air traffic management more efficient than ever before . . . but what does this mean for business aviation?

GPS Reliability, GDOP and ‘RAIM Holes’

Nov 25, 2016

The space-based Global Positioning System could be said to be the keystone of the FAA's NextGen ATM modernization but just how reliable is GPS? To find out, we asked John Hansman, Ph.D., an aeronautics professor and researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

20/Twenty

Used Aircraft Report: Citation Excel and XLS

Nov 25, 2016

The Citation 560XL family is one of the best examples of Cessna Aircraft's time-proven incremental engineering and development philosophy that has produced so many derivative models on time, on weight and on budget. Created in the mid-1990s as a rush response to the clean-sheet, leading edge Learjet 45, Citation 560XL combines a shortened Citation 650 fuselage, a scaled up and modified Citation V wing and newly introduced PW545 turbofan engines.

On Duty

News Of Promotions, Appointments And Honors (December 2016)

Nov 25, 2016

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

Products & Services Previews

BCA Business Aviation Products And Service Previews

Nov 25, 2016

BCA shares news of the latest products and services for the business aviation industry.

BCA 50 Years Ago

Business & Commercial Aviation News From December 1966

Nov 25, 2016

STOL aircraft still might be very much special purpose vehicles, but the special purposes are a lot less remote than most of us are aware. Convair 600 Executive is equipped with Rolls-Royce Dart RDa IO’s, and will carry 19 including crew. Price of conversion to owner’s Convair 240, 340 or 440 is about $682,720.

Market Sector

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Business & Commercial Aviation, December 2016

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Special Report

Viewpoint

Readers' Feedback

Intelligence

Fast Five

Avionics Review

DOM Notebook

Safety

Cause & Circumstance

Accidents in Brief

Operations

20/Twenty

On Duty

Products & Services Previews

BCA 50 Years Ago