Business & Commercial Aviation

Embraer Executive Jets has begun deliveries of its mid-light Legacy 450 business jet. The first aircraft was delivered to Orlando-based LMG, which produces support corporate meetings, trade shows and other events.

Embraer has delivered its first Legacy 450 mid-light business jet to Smart Air SA, in Europe. Smart Air, an aviation and advisory company, will manage the first European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)-registered Legacy 450. The aircraft will be available for charter flights from Brussels. It will be operated by ASL, a business jet operator. The delivery took place in late December. It was scheduled to arrive in Belgium on Jan. 6, after departing from Embraer’s headquarters in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil.

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

Air charter operators Judy Tull of Texas and Kay Ellison of Kentucky were indicted in December in U.S. District Court, Newark, New Jersey, on charges of conspiracy, bank fraud and wire fraud for their roles in an alleged multi-million dollar fraud scheme. The two were co-owners of Southern Air & Tours, doing business as Myrtle Beach Direct Air & Tours, or Direct Air, a charter flight operation in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Russian Helicopters has received type certification for the medium multirole Mi-38 transport helicopter. The aircraft was designed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant. The certification means the design complies with Russian and international aviation requirements, the company said. The Mi-38 will enter serial production and the Russian market in 2016. The helicopter’s two Klimov TV7-117V turboshaft engines were certified last year.

Two web-based aircraft ride sharing services have been shot down by the FAA. The “Ubers of the air” are no longer, thanks to a decision by a Federal Appeals Court panel. The concept behind AirPooler and Flytenow was straightforward. Pilots would go to either website, list an upcoming flight’s date, origin and destination, along with the aircraft’s make and model and seats available. The passengers could peruse the site and sign up for a trip that matched their planned travels.

Jeffrey Krantz, CEO of Harry Krantz of New York, was sentenced in U.S. District Court of Hartford, Connecticut, to three years of probation and a $100,000 fine and ordered not to be involved an buying or selling electronic parts for two years related to his role in the sale of unapproved aircraft parts. In July, Krantz pleaded guilty to wire fraud for supplying customers with falsely remarked microprocessor chips. Many of them were used in U.S. military and commercial helicopters.

Questions for Richard D. Hanson, Representative, Government and Regulatory Affairs, Academy of Model Aeronautics Muncie, Indiana.

TAG Farnborough Airport has added more space for passengers and crew at its terminal to meet growing demand. Air traffic grew 2% last year. That includes a 6% jump in the number of airliner-size business jets, which represents the highest growth in the category for the year, it said. Many of the airport carriers operate to and from the U.S., the Middle East and Asia. A new lounge accommodates up to 80 passengers. Crew facilities include a quiet lounge, a “snooze” room with flat beds, a zero gravity ergonomic chair and a complimentary gym and showers.

​GrandView Aviation, an executive helicopter and jet service in Baltimore, has added a 2015 Embraer 300 super light jet to its fleet. The aircraft carries up to nine passengers, reaches cruise speeds of 500 mph and has a range of up to 2,000 mi. Grandview plans to continue to grow its fleet with new aircraft.

BCA readers share their opinions on articles we published.

AMAC Aerospace has been awarded heavy base maintenance contacts for two Boeing Business Jets. A BBJ3 and a BBJ, both privately owned, will be entering the Basel, Switzerland, facility in early 2016. Last year, AMAC was selected for work on a head-of-state Airbus ACJ340-300.

Crystal Cruises in Los Angeles plans to expand Crystal Luxury Air’s fleet with the addition of two Airbus ACJ319 jets and a Bombardier Global Express XRS. Crystal’s aircraft includes a Boeing 777-200LR and Boeing 787. The new aircraft will serve private charters and transport guests to Crystal destinations. Crystal private charter jet service begins in March.

EHang, a Chinese manufacturer, unveiled a drone on Jan. 6 at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that it claims can fly a human passenger short-to-medium distances at low altitudes. The company’s EHang 184, which it describes as an autonomous aerial vehicle, includes four arms and eight propellers and takes off and lands vertically. It is built from composite materials, operates on electric power, and can be charged in 2-4 hr., according to EHang.

“The Citation M2 and CJ3+ have fantastic mission capability and have proven to be a great fit for our customers in this space,” Textron Aviation spokeswoman Sarah Estes said. But the CJ2+ (Model 525A) is part of a “mixed model line,” Estes said. “We could build it if required for a customer mission.” The aircraft is no longer listed in the company’s product lineup on its website. The six-passenger CJ2, a derivative of the CitationJet, entered service in 2000, followed by the upgraded CJ2+, which entered service in 2005.

Carter Aviation Technologies, plans to have its experimental CarterCopter at the Sun ‘n Fun International Fly-in and Expo at Florida’s Lakeland-Linder Airport April 5-10. The Wichita Falls, Texas, company says it is conducting demonstrations for potential joint venture partners. It hopes to create three separate joint ventures to develop three categories of aircraft from less than 2,000 lb. to 7,000 lb. gross weight. The company says it is discussing larger aircraft with major aerospace companies.

Associated Air Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, has obtained an FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the installation of a Controller Pilot Data Link Communication System on a Boeing Business Jet VIP model. The system is part of the requirements for the Future Air Navigation System, or FANS. The STC was completed at Associated Air’s Dallas Love Field repair station.

Fifty-four percent of U.S. FBOs say their fuel sales increased in 2015 compared to 2014, according to the 2016 Annual FBO Fuel Sales Survey results released by Aviation Business Strategies Group at the 2016 NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference in Tampa, Fla.

Teterboro Airport was the destination most requested by Air Charter Guide Worldwide Trip Builder users seeking charter aircraft during December 2015, according to an analysis of aircharterguide.com data. Meanwhile, Scottsdale Airport was the most common departure airport in the charter itineraries submitted by users.

Imagine executing a complex night approach to a major airport in highly congested airspace — lots of step-downs and a steep final segment — when suddenly an intensively bright light blasts the cockpit.

Finmeccanica-owned companies such as AgustaWestland, Alenia Aermacchi and Selex ES have now been absorbed into the larger Finmeccanica entity and will operate as divisions rather than separate companies.

Toxicology testing detected methylone, a synthetic illicit stimulant with similar effects to cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA, in the pilot’s blood. Given the level of methylone, it is likely the pilot was impaired at the time of the accident.

Phoenix Air’s Aeromedical Biological Containment System (ABCS) is shown erected beside one of the operator’s Gulfstream III air ambulances. Note the “exoskeleton” fabricated from aluminum stock and the disposable isolation tent for patients suffering from dangerous communicable diseases that it supports. The system breaks down for storage and is designed to be assembled in the Gulfstream’s cabin and secured in the seat tracks.

Doug King Chief Executive Officer, Epic Aircraft, Bend, Oregon

Jet Aviation Singapore delivered the first 8C (120-month) inspection undertaken in Asia on a Bombardier Global Express aircraft. Along with the inspection, it also completed a full interior refurbishment and repainted the exterior. The 10-year 8C inspection is the largest maintenance event for Global Express aircraft. It will begin a second 8C inspection for an undisclosed customer in January. (See Twenty/20 on page 65)