Business & Commercial Aviation

Slow-onset hypoxia is a looming threat that has killed many times. Fortunately there are preventative measures and in an airplane with more than one pilot, the cure is quick and easy.

ADS-B is already established as the standard in Southeast Asia and Australasia.

Avionics manufacturers Honeywell, Rockwell Collins and Garmin are expected to collectively achieve $7 billion in revenue during the 10 years from 2015 to 2024, according to a new forecast by Jetcraft. Honeywell is expected to maintain the top sales position with a 42% revenue share followed by Rockwell Collins at 39% and Garmin at 16%.

Rockwell Collins CEO and President Kelly Ortberg was elected to the additional role of Chairman of the Board. Ortberg was appointed president of Rockwell Collins in September 2012 and was elected CEO in July 2013. Under his leadership, the company successfully completed the acquisition of ARINC, won a number of key commercial and government programs, effectively managed through the challenges of sequestration, and ultimately, returned to growth after several years of challenging market dynamics.

The Bombardier Challenger 650 has been awarded certification by Transport Canada (TC) and customer deliveries will begin before year end. “This latest milestone is terrific news and starts a new chapter in our Challenger family story,” said Paul Sislian, Bombardier Business Aircraft.

Bell Helicopter has signed a deal with Air Medical Group Holdings for the sale of eight Bell 206L-4 helicopters to be used in emergency medical services. It will be operated by Air Evac Lifeteam, an O’Fallon, Missouri-based subsidiary. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2016. Air Evac Lifeteam operates more than 130 Bell 206Ls in its fleet.

Continued technical troubles with the Silvercrest engine in development at Safran’s Snecma motors division will further delay certification of the new powerplant by 12-18 months, and Dassault is not happy. The engine problems mean the planemaker will not begin test flight of its new Falcon 5X business jet this year. “We have written to our partners and told them to slow production,” says Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is expected to purchase up to six AgustaWestland AW609 commercial tiltrotors for search and rescue (SAR) missions. In the agreement, which was being negotiated in November, the UAE military would help to define the aircraft’s SAR configuration. The value of the contract was not announced. The government said the aircraft had been selected because of its ability to fly faster and higher and responds faster to incidents around the country.

Doc’s Friends is the 2015 recipient of the Wichita Aero Club’s annual trophy. The organization is restoring a vintage Wichita-built B-29 Superfortress to flying condition. Volunteers have spent 18 years transforming a 65-year-old “pile of parts” into an impressive aircraft, the selection committee said. The trophy is a tribute to the thousands of men and women who built, maintained, flew and sacrificed to produce thousands of B-29s for the defense and freedom of the country. The award will be presented Jan. 23 in Wichita.

Bombardier opened its high-tech Global 7000 assembly facility in Toronto to press scrutiny Nov. 3, inviting on board inspection of its first flight test vehicle, but sharing little information about the flight test schedule, the order book or the follow on Global 8000. David Coleal, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft, said the company, whose liquidity has come into question, had “enough resources and capital to get the program done” and that the 7000 would enter service in the second half of 2018.

The number of used business jets for sale rose 2% year-over-year, the first monthly increase since January 2010, according to a new report from the Jefferies Group. Inventory as a percent of the active fleet, however, is flat year-over-year. The survey found that 1,943 used business aircraft are on the market, or 9.4% of the total active fleet. The number is up from 1,915 in September and higher than the year’s low in January, when 1,817 aircraft were up for sale, according to the report.

Once again the NTSB urges pilots to do homework on spatial disorientation — especially those sources listed below. Full details can be found in the Agency’s AC library at https://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars.

The NTSB determined the probable cause of a December 2013 Piper Malibu accident was “the pilot’s inflight loss of airplane control due to spatial disorientation while operating in dark night instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the exceedance of the airplane’s design stress limitations and a subsequent inflight breakup."

Three In a Row for Ross I’ve been involved in aviation for 40 years, both as a chief pilot for a corporate flight department in Canada, and as owner and operator of a Piper Aerostar 601P. I anxiously look forward to each and every issue of BCA magazine. Great magazine.

Bell Helicopter has named Mitch Snyder president and CEO, replacing John Garrison, who is joining Terex Corp. as president and CEO. Most recently, Snyder, who joined Bell in 2004, served as executive vice president of Bell’s military business organization. At Bell, Snyder has held several leadership positions within the company, including as vice president and program director for the V-22 Osprey program, where he was responsible for Bell’s commitments for the design, development, production and sustainment of the V-22.

Jetex Flight Support has entered into an agreement with EOLO for EOLO’s FBO to become a co-branded facility. As part of the agreement, the FBO located in Toluca, Mexico will start operating as Jetex-EOLO, adding to Jetex’s worldwide network of FBOs. Toluca is the most important airport in Mexico for business aviation with Mexico being the second largest market in Latin America. At the FBO, clients will be offered Jetex’s full range of services.

Emirates Airlines, the world’s largest international carrier, has selected the Cirrus SR22 as the primary training aircraft for its flight academy. The carrier has signed for a fleet of 22 aircraft, which will be based at Al Maktoum International-Dubai World Central Airport in support of the Emirates’ National Cadet Pilot Program.

Airbus Helicopters recently flew a model H120 powered by a high-compression diesel engine burning Jet-A in place of the model’s standard Turbomeca Arrius turboshaft. The goal of the project is to reduce fuel consumption and emissions of light rotorcraft. The 30-minute flight occurred Nov. 6 at Marignane, France, under Europe’s Clean Sky research program. The aircraft’s a 4.6-liter V8 was developed by TEOS, a French race car powertrain specialist, and Austro Engine.

After garnering almost $14 million in pledges from thousands of individuals through a crowdfunding campaign, startup XTI Aircraft has filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to convert the expressions of interest in its unique aircraft into investments. XTI hopes to develop the TriFan 600, a six-place vertical-takeoff-and-landing business aircraft with two tilting ducted fans in the wing and a third fan in the rear fuselage for lift and control. The company launched its crowdfunding campaign in August.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.'s distribution center near Al Maktoum International Airport in United Arab Emirates (UAE) will cover approximately 6,000 square feet/557 square meters.

Penton’s Aviation Week Network, the parent of Business & Commercial Aviation, has acquired MRO Network, a London-based event and information services provider focused on the fast-growing aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) market. MRO Network's Airline Purchasing & Maintenance (AP&M) Expo specializes in second, third and fourth-tier aftermarket suppliers, complementing Aviation Week's MRO Europe event, which engages first and second-tier providers.

Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), the leading provider of hourly cost maintenance programs for the business aviation industry, has announced its exclusive Tip-to-Tail® Program coverage for the Dassault Falcon 7X that includes coverage of the Airframe, Honeywell APU, and the three Pratt & Whitney PW307A Engines. Falcon 7X operators may also choose a stand-alone JSSI Engine or APU Program to fit their specific needs.

Astronics Corp. through its wholly owned subsidiaries Astronics AeroSat and Armstrong Aerospace, debuted its new VVIP aircraft connectivity system components at the NBAA Convention in November. The AeroShield low-drag radome and composite adapter plate technology combination provide significant benefits to VVIP aircraft operators installing connectivity systems to include reduced drag, simplified installations and lower weight.

Sandel Avionics, Inc., has introduced Sandel Avilon, a retrofit flight deck for King Air aircraft. Avilon is intended to redefine how modern cockpit avionics are designed, built, sold and installed. “From the company’s inception, Sandel has a history of introducing groundbreaking technologies that defy industry conventions,” said Gerry Block, president and CEO of Sandel.

1. Sierra Improves Citation Entry Step Designed with improvements in functionality and appearance over the original factory step, the SkyStep improves safety and utility at a competitive price. Some features include: enclosed back and sides; three evenly spaced steps instead of two; first step is closer to the ground; pneumatic cylinders softly deploy the door. The SkyStep is applicable to a wide variety of classic Citation aircraft. Price: $15,500 installed Sierra Industries Uvalde, Texas