Business & Commercial Aviation

Tecnam has launched a slot-deposit program for its P2012 Traveler. The high-wing, 11-seat piston twin lists for $2.35 million. A deposit of $107,000 allows customers to take delivery positions in 2019 and freezes the pricing.

Buyers of the Textron Aviation TTx single-engine aircraft may now customize their order through an online virtual-aircraft generator that allows them to choose from one-dozen exterior paint colors and striping, along with interior and avionics options. Those include a traffic advisory system; Garmin XM weather and radio datalink; Jeppesen Chartview; automatic direction finder; distance measuring equipment; and other features. other extras. The aircraft’s base price is $715,000.

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is asking the National Transportation Safety Board to conduct an internal review, saying the safety board has approved speculative probable-cause reports related to general aviation accidents despite little evidence.

Pentastar Aviation has received FAA certification of compatibility of wireless data technologies on Gulfstream Aerospace GIV-X (G350/G450) series aircraft, the company said. The Supplemental Type Certificate allows operators to approve the use of Transmitting Portable Electronic Devices onboard aircraft with wireless networks or Wi-Fi hot spots for passengers, who may email, talk, text and video conference without interfering with safety critical systems on the aircraft.

Jet Aviation's maintenance center in Vienna has gained FAA repair station approval and is registered to provide line and base maintenance services to all N-registered aircraft it is allowed to support. The Vienna facility provides maintenance support to owners and operators in Eastern Europe, where about 10% of all N-registered aircraft in EMEA and Asia are based or operating.

The FAA has issued its first airspace restrictions that specifically apply only to unmanned aerial vehicles, banning flights under 400 ft. AGL within the boundaries of 133 military facilities. The special security restrictions took effect April 14. The agency warns that violations could result in criminal charges, civil penalties and the revocation of certificates and authorizations to operate UAVs. More restrictions may be coming.

According to the chief economic adviser to President Donald Trump, air traffic control (ATC) reform—including privatizing ATC—could be a major element of the new administration's infrastructure buildup, but general aviation operators should not fear paying more for it. "We're probably not even going to tax general aviation," said Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council. "There's enough money in the aviation tax right now." Cohn made that comment during a so-called White House town hall on the U.S.

Oil and gas helicopter operator CHC reports emerging as an economically robust and agile competitor, 10 months after filing for bankruptcy protection. The Canadian operator, which has its headquarters in Texas, says the court confirmed its financial restructuring on March 24. The new CHC is lighter to the tune of 80 helicopters, $1 billion of debt, and another $1.4 billion in lease obligations.

Wearable technology—including head-up displays, embedded sensors, advanced textiles, embedded computing, energy harvesters, exoskeletons and communications—is being integrated into a variety of civil and military systems and components in ways not previously possible. Over the next decade, the wearable technologies market is expected to grow at a cumulative compound annual growth rate of nearly 40% and produce a cumulative global market of nearly $8 billion, according to Global Wearables Technologies Market Forecast to 2025.

RUAG Aviation in Munich has completed a customer interior refurbishment of a new Bombardier Global 5000 registered in India to an unnamed customer. The client chose Bombardier's Authorized Service Center to install a custom configuration and RUAG to add upgrades to its inflight entertainment system and restyle additional interior elements, RUAG said. The refurbishment was completed on schedule, the company said.

China's Deer Jet plans to build up an international network of FBOs, possibly by buying established facilities as a first step. The initial focus is on the U.S., with Europe not far behind, according to Zhu Yinan, general manager of Deer Jet's FBO management division, who says the first deal could be completed this year. Creating such a service network is part of the wider strategy of the HNA Group, Deer Jet's parent company, for expanding its business internationally and building a global brand.

Bombardier has opened a business jet service center in Tianjin, China, in a joint venture with the Tianjin Airport Economic Area. The Tianjin Service Center, located near Beijing, includes 95,766 sq. ft. of hangar space and back shop areas for maintenance, repair, overhaul and other activities. Bombardier forecasts demand for 1,100 business jets in Greater China, South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region over the next 10 years.

Frasca International has delivered a Cessna 510 Citation Mustang business jet simulator to its new training center in Paris, the company said.

Textron Aviation has begun assembly of its Citation Longitude super-midsize jet. The first four production aircraft are in progress inside the company's Plant IV in East Wichita, Textron Aviation reports. T he Longitude is the first Cessna product to be manufactured inside a former Beechcraft facility. In addition, the third Cessna Citation Longitude test aircraft has completed its first flight and has joined the flight test program. During the recent 1 hr., 40 min.

Harlow Aerostructures, a component supplier to the aviation industry, has developed its first autothrottle for new general aviation aircraft.

CIT Group marked the end of an era April 4 as the financial holding company exited the aircraft leasing market and closed the sale of its commercial aircraft leasing business to Avolon Holdings for a final purchase price of $10.4 billion.

Charles McKinnon, founder and retired manager of IBM's flight department, died March 30 in Trussville, Alabama. He was 101.

Few innovations have brightened the future of business aviation as light-emitting diode technology.

In the rapidly receding world of incandescent light bulbs, light produced is simply measured in watts. Today, LEDs are becoming the standard, but a number of other bulbs have appeared, with advantages and disadvantages. This expansion required a new means of measuring light, with the lumen (from Latin, meaning light) emerging from a coalition of more than 40 organizations.

In a sense, aerospace provided a platform for worldwide recognition of LEDs when film director Stanley Kubrick teamed with watchmaker Hamilton to create a clock with glowing red digital numerals for his 1968 film, "2001: A Space Odyssey."

With a vote on March 9 by their respective stockholders regarding the proposed acquisition of B/E Aerospace, Rockwell Collins moved a step closer to establishing a major presence in aircraft lighting.

For an aircraft to be listed in the Purchase Planning Handbook, a production conforming article must have flown by May 1 of this year. The dimensions, weights and performance characteristics of each model listed are representative of the current production aircraft being built or for which a type certificate application has been filed. The basic operating weights we publish should be representative of actual production turboprop and turbofan aircraft because we ask manufacturers to supply us with the average weights of the last 10 commercial aircraft that have been delivered.

According to the Aircraft Electronics Association's year-end market report, total worldwide business and general aviation electronics sales for 2016 amounted to some $2.2 billion, which was down 6.4% from 2015 figures.

For as little as $14 million, you can buy an early serial number 2003 Gulfstream G550, a large-cabin business aircraft that is capable of flying eight passengers more than 6,700 nm. These jets sold new for more than $45 million.

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