Business & Commercial Aviation

Airbus sees strong potential in Voom, an on-demand helicopter booking service incubated within A3—the aircraft maker's Silicon Valley outpost—and now being tested in helicopter-friendly Sao Paulo.

ForeFlight, one of the aviation industry's leading providers of mobile electronic flight bag applications, and Jeppesen, a global powerhouse in aeronautical data, are teaming up to offer a broad range of products to business and general aviation, military and airline customers.

​Aircare International has launched an enhanced hypoxia training course for pilots and cabin crewmembers. The training involves both classroom instruction on high-altitude physiology and actual exposure using a hypoxia training platform.

Rolls-Royce is developing a new generation of business aviation powerplants, for which the first full-up fan demonstrator is expected to run later this year. The ramp-up of work on the technology demonstrator, dubbed Advance2, signals a new phase for the manufacturer, which heretofore had revealed few details of its future business aviation family initiative. Covering the 10,000- to 20,000-lb. thrust range, the plan is to develop three Advance2 demonstrators with two different core sizes and three different low-pressure systems.

Selected accidents and incidents in April 2017. The following NTSB information is preliminary.

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

Frankly, the proposed fee schedule [user charges] doesn’t bother us as much as the fear that once the principle is set it then becomes a mater of how much more. – BCA Staff Rockwell-Standard declined to act on its option to pick up line of new aircraft models being produced by Ted Smith and his company. The option was for $6.5 million to be exercised by R-S upon certification of Aerostar model.

AirspaceX, a new company set up by design house Detroit Aircraft, is developing a tail-sitting electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft that can carry modular payloads, including a four-seat passenger cabin for air taxi operations.

Gulfstream Aerospace has added its third G600 aircraft to its flight-test program. The aircraft completed its first flight May 5 and will undergo numerous system tests required for FAA certification, expected in 2018.

FlightSafety International has teamed with Service Elements to create an Aviation Maintenance Management Program. The three-day course, provided at FlightSafety's Maintenance Training Center in Dallas, is designed to enhance the skills of current aircraft maintenance department managers and help those who aspire to such positions.

Bombardier's third Global 7000 flight test aircraft flew for the first time May 10 and has entered the flight-test program. It will soon join Bombardier's flight-test center in Wichita.

Uber announces partnerships with vehicle developers and infrastructure providers to support its planned electric vertical takeoff and landing flight demonstrations in Dallas and Dubai in 2020.

The Falcon 2000S is a large-cabin jet that has been redesigned, repackaged and repriced to fit into a niche between super-midsize and large-cabin business aircraft.

Last November, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) cooperatively launched the first of three GEOS-16 weather and environment satellites, which collectively promise to greatly improve weather prediction and enhance aviation safety.

The FAA has adopted a new Airworthiness Directive for certain Learjet Model 60 airplanes. This AD was prompted by an evaluation by the design approval holder indicating the upper fuselage skin under the aft oxygen line fairing is subject to multi-site damage.

Hawthorne Global Aviation Services has acquired JetSun Aviation Centre, an FBO located at Sioux Gateway Airport in Sioux City, Iowa. The facility has more than 100,000 sq. ft. of hangar space, a reception area, conference room, pilot lounge and flight planning.

Shenzhen, China-based Amber Aviation has launched its business jet management services. The company was founded by Chairman Chang Qiu Sheng. It will also have an office in Hong Kong.

Wingly, an internet-based private-pilot ride-sharing service, a concept ruled as a violation of air regulations by the FAA—a position upheld in federal court—is operating in the UK, France and Germany.

Tata Steel Group, based in Mumbai, India, is adding a second Bell 429 helicopter to its fleet to support steel production operations, Bell said. The aircraft will operate from the company's Jamshedpur facility in eastern India. There are more than 90 Bell helicopters operating throughout India in commercial, civil/government and military operations.

Textron Aviation ended production of its Model 510 Cessna Citation Mustang light jet on May 11. No jobs will be lost as a result, as Textron Aviation is moving production of its Caravan turboprop to the plant where the Mustang was assembled.

Gulf stream Aerospace's G280 set two speed records in April on flights to and from the 2017 Avalon Airshow. The aircraft flew 3,332 nm from Singapore to Melbourne, Australia, in 7 hr. and 21 min., at an average cruise speed of Mach 0.81. It then flew from Singapore to Dubai's Al Maktoum Airport, 3,177 nm, in 7 hr. and 18 min. at Mach 0.82.

London Oxford Airport is seeing an increase in large business jets using its facilities this year. Its FBO has seen a 37% increase in large jet movements and a 46% increase over the past two years, the airport reports.

Tradewind Aviation, which operates shuttle and on-demand flights in the U.S. and Caribbean, has added three Pilatus PC-12 eight-seat aircraft to its fleet as well as a hub at Hanscom Field in Bedford, Massachusetts. Tradewind, which operates scheduled service from Westchester County Airport in New York, now operates 21 aircraft, including 18 PC-12s and three Cessna Citations.

Blackhawk Modifications in Waco, Texas, has received an STC for the installation of True Blue Power TB44 lithium-ion batteries on Blackhawk-powered Cessna Caravan 208 and 208B models.

The fourth Cessna Citation Longitude test aircraft has joined the flight-test program. The aircraft is expected to receive FAA type certification later this year. The fourth Longitude flew for the first time on May 6.