Business & Commercial Aviation

The FAA last month issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Part 23 that would overhaul airworthiness standards for small general aviation aircraft.

Piper Aircraft recently received an order from ATP Flight School for 15 additional Archer TX training aircraft.

Meridian adds a Falcon 7X (N221HJ) to its charter fleet of business jets. This ultra-long range aircraft was completed in 2008, and seats up to14 passengers. It also has the capacity to sleep up to seven for long-haul trips.

The FAA this month begins weighing recommendations from an aviation rulemaking committee (ARC) regarding its handling of light or “micro” unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

Honeywell Aerospace forecasts demand for 4,300 to 4,800 helicopters for civilian use over the next five years. That’s roughly 400 aircraft lower than last year’s five-year forecast.

Australian International Aviation College has added eight Diamond Aircraft to its fleet of DA20 C1 and DA40 CS aircraft.

Germany aircraft manufacturer REMOS plans to unveil the next generation of its high-wing composite GX aircraft at the Aero Friedrichshafen 2016 trade show in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

West Star Aviation receives an STC for the upgrade of the Honeywell CAS-81A/TPA-81A or CAS-100A/TPA-100A with 7.0 software to the CAS-100B/TPA-100B with 7.1 software.

The National Transportation Safety Board has ruled that the probable cause of the fatal Oct. 30, 2014, crash of a King Air B200 into the FlightSafety International training center in Wichita was the pilot’s “failure to maintain control of the airplane after a reduction in left engine power” and “inappropriate rudder input.”

Solar Impulse 2 has completed its first test flight following a battery system upgrade and ahead of restarting its solar-powered round-the-world flight attempt in April from Hawaii.

China will likely overtake Japan this year as the largest civil helicopter market in the Asia-Pacific region, even as its rapid growth of the recent past abates to more realistic levels.

Dassault Aviation’s new Falcon 5X business jet will not enter service until the first half of 2020 due to difficulties in developing the Silvercrest engine at Safran’s Snecma motors division.

Keystone Aviation in Salt Lake City, Utah, has expanded its North American sales territory for the Daher TBM turboprop aircraft. It has added four Canadian provinces and one additional U.S. state, Alaska, to its area of responsibility.

Business aviation departures in Europe rose 2.3% in February when compared to the same time a year ago, due to a boost from the leap year, according to WINGX’s Business Aviation Monitor.

Jet Aviation will acquire Avjet Corp., a Los Angeles-based jet charter and management company, for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition will expand Jet Aviation’s aircraft management and charter services on the West Coast.

Wichita-based True Blue Power, announced that its lithium-ion engine-start battery will power Bell Helicopter’s 505 Jet Ranger X.

Duncan Aviation has been selected as the exclusive aircraft-on-ground (AOG) service partner for inflight connectivity specialist Gogo Business Aviation.

GE Aviation has created a digital organization that brings digital operations from across its aviation businesses into one.

VistaJet experienced double-digit growth in passenger and flight traffic in 2015, the European private jet charter and aircraft management company said.

Key business jet market indicators, measured by a monthly UBS Business Jet Market Index survey, point to a weakening global market and have fallen back to levels tracked in 2008-09.

Bombardier’s Challenger 650 business jet has been granted full type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency.

BendixKing has enhanced its inflight Internet connectivity for general aviation aircraft, according to BendixKing.

Disabled Aircraft Services, based in Buffalo, Minnesota, has introduced upgrades to its line of PlaneSkate products designed to move aircraft with a flat tire from a runway, taxiway or ramp.

Petroleum Air Services has been appointed the first Bell Helicopter Authorized Customer Service Facility in North Africa, the helicopter manufacturer said. Petroleum Air Services provides fixed wing and helicopter transportation to the oil and gas and travel industries in Egypt.

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott Campus and Universal Helicopters have extended a 2010 agreement to exclusively provide helicopter training to Embry-Riddle students.