Business & Commercial Aviation

The Citation Latitude is the latest proof that Textron Aviation is back on its feet, largely recovered from the Great Recession and fully competing for its historic share of the business jet market. For more than four decades, Citation engineers have been business aviation’s undisputed masters of iteration and the Latitude embraces this low-risk design approach to perfection.

Butler Aviation will spend $3 million to improve and expand its facilities at La Guardia Airport, New York, under the terms of a 15-year operating agreement with the Port of Authority. New tanks and piping will be installed, along with passenger waiting areas, a pilots’ lounge and operations office.

Jet Aviation recently finalized a 10-year concession agreement with the Macau Airport Authority for 4,000 square meters of a new hangar built specifically for business aviation maintenance, refurbishment and overhaul (MRO) work at Macau International Airport. Under the agreement, Jet will lease half of the new 8,000 square-meter hangar in addition to 1,000 square meters of workshop and office space.

Dassault plans to roll its first Falcon 5X s.n. 1 through the doors at its Bordeaux production facility early next month, with first flight expected not long thereafter. The aircraft, also powered by 11,450-lb. thrust Snecma Silvercrest turbofans will eventually be joined by two other 5X in the flight test program. A large aircraft, stretching 82.6 ft. from nosecone to tail, and rising 24.5 ft. from ground level to the top of its fin, its flat floor cabin is 78 in. high, 86 in. wide and nearly 40 ft. long from cockpit bulkhead to the rear of the lav.

We seldom see so many exciting new developments in our annual avionics listings. For example, there’s a try-n-buy synthetic vision system, several electronics countermeasure offerings, some promising wearable tech, rebate programs, several new FANS-1 offerings, avionics for meeting FAR Part 135 rotary-wing rules, new flight and cockpit voice recorders, plus a wide variety of new avionics packages available to meet on-coming U.S. and European Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) mandates.

Embraer’s Melbourne, Florida, assembly facility recently broke the century mark in Phenom deliveries when it turned over a Phenom 300 to NetJets. It was the fractional operation’s 40th of the type and is destined for the NetJets’ European operation. The delivery came a little more than three years after the first aircraft was assembled at the rapidly expanding Space Coast campus.

​A study by the National Business Aviation Association found that more than 20% of all business aviation users felt more productive while on board a

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 ten commercial aircraft that have been delivered.

The Santa Monica, California, City Council recently adopted a proposal to implement higher-priced leases for Santa Monica Airport (SMO) tenants. At their March 24 meeting, council members approved new leasing policies for tenants on a variety of parts of the municipal airport, but did not discuss jet exhaust limits, according to reports. The approvals involved new three-year leases for airport tenants and month-to-month leases for non-aviation tenants.

Chairman, NBAA Safety Committee; Senior Manager, Aviation Training and Standards, Altria Client Services Inc., Richmond, Virginia

JetTech is amending its Garmin GTN autopilot, coupled with LPV FAA Supplemental Type Certificate, for the Citation 500 series, to include all Primus 1000-equipped Bravo, Ultra, Encore and Excel aircraft. With the amended STC, JetTech will soon offer installation data packages and AIU for its expanded line of Citation aircraft through approved Garmin-authorized dealers along with a complete documentation package to support the installation process.

2015: Purchase Planning Handbook Business Airplane Comparison Charts

Bell Helicopter says it’s laying off 315 workers because of reductions in V-22 Osprey production and reduced demand for commercial models. The layoffs affect management and non-management employees as well as union and non-union workers. They mainly impact Bell’s Fort Worth, Texas, facilities. Last year, the Textron subsidiary announced a series of layoffs, including 320 in October.

Journey to the Top

​ Bell Helicopter’s Model 505 Jet Ranger X is making good headway — in both development and the marketplace. The helicopter began its flight trials at its Mirabel, Quebec manufacturing site last November, the same month that China’s Reignwood Investment, Ltd., signed for 50 of the light singles. The aircraft features a Garmin G1000H integrated flight deck and is powered by a Turbomeca Arrius 2R turboshaft engine rated at 504 shp (takeoff) and 457 shp (max continuous) and fitted with a dual channel FADEC.

Steve Charbonneau Chairman, NBAA Safety Committee; Senior Manager, Aviation Training and Standards, Altria Client Services Inc., Richmond, Virginia

With 69 exemptions granted but 771 petitions still in line at the end of March, the FAA is moving to streamline its process for approving low-risk commercial unmanned aircraft operations under so-called Section 333 legislation. In addition to granting exemption holders blanket authorization to fly under 200 ft. anywhere in the U.S. outside of restricted airspace, the FAA has relaxed its requirements for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) operators and streamlined the approval of petitions that are similar to exemptions previously granted.

Of all the weather phenomena with which pilots must contend, that old nemesis, the thunderstorm, remains the most feared. And for good reason.

Gulfstream’s 5,000-nm G500 and the 6,200-nm G600, unveiled with great showmanship last October, are well along in their development cycles with more than 1,800 hr. of wind-tunnel work completed. First flight of the $43.5 million G500 is to take place this year, with certification targeted for 2017 and entry into service the following year. The $54.5 million G600 is to trail by about a year. The G500 is powered by two 15,144-lb.

Honda Aircraft has received a provisional type certificate from the FAA for its HondaJet, which represents a milestone in the program and for the company. It’s the first type certificate for the first-time manufacturer. “We are pleased to reach this significant step toward customer deliveries and entry into service,” said Honda Aircraft Co. President and CEO Michimasa Fujino. Honda Aircraft has completed nearly all the testing and reports required by the FAA, Fujino said.

Jet Aviation’s completions center in Basel, Switzerland, was recently awarded outfitting contracts for two Boeing B777-300ER and a BBJ3 aircraft. The 777 project is slated to begin immediately, while the BBJ3 is expected to be delivered to Jet early next year.

Of all the weather phenomena with which pilots must contend, that old nemesis, the thunderstorm, remains the most feared. And for good reason.

Duncan Aviation, based in Lincoln, Nebraska, has expanded its non-destructive testing services to helicopter operators. It has provided NDT services to business aircraft for more than 20 years. Helicopter operators can remove and send components to Duncan Aviation, along with the appropriate maintenance manuals and documentation, for any required NDT testing. It provides eddy current, florescent penetrant, ultrasonic and magnetic and particle inspections on all makes and model aircraft.

Worldwide business and general aviation avionics sales for 2014 totaled $2.53 billion, a new Avionics Market Report said. The figure was 4% higher than 2013 sales. Of the total, 62.6% came from the North American market. The dollar amount includes electronic sales for business and general aviation aircraft, including components and accessories in the cockpit, cabin, software upgrades, portables, certified and noncertified aircraft electronics, hardware, batteries and chargeable-product-upgrades from manufacturers.

Bombardier has certified and delivered its first Learjet 75 light business jet to a customer in Poland. The Learjet 75 received certification by officials from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Republic of Poland. “We are confident the Learjet 75 aircraft will provide customers in Poland with an experience that exceeds all expectations,” said Veria Kolyuchaya, Bombardier Business Aircraft regional vice president of sales for Eastern Europe, Russia and Commonwealth of Independent States.