Business & Commercial Aviation

All pilots need access to training that has proven to be effective. And no circumstances demand more effective training than when transitioning to go high and fast. Placing oneself near the edges of a performance envelope demands special knowledge, skill and vigilance to do so with confidence and safety. Acquiring that education benefits all, including you.

The time to worry about fuel loads is before the fuel truck ever shows up, not when you are No. 5 in a holding pattern with your last alternate about to go below weather minimums. As a professional pilot you are also a part-time aeronautical engineer, meteorologist and risk management analyst. You can add petroleum scientist to that list.

Looking at flying hours, business aviation accounts for about 40% of the total hours flown by general aviation. And who is buying? Business, primarily. Large business, small business and individuals who plan to use them for business. The North American Sabreliner was certificated for civil use in April 1963 and since then 32 aircraft have gone to corporate customers. The hottest turboprop aircraft at present is the Beech Model 90 King Air. Beech has delivered 25 units so far  and hopes to produce 75 more before year-end.

The Helicopter Association International’s (HAI) annual HELI-EXPO, held March 2-5 in Orlando, Florida, drew 18,272 registered attendees, hosted 735 exhibitors, including 57 aircraft on the convention hall floor. An upbeat Matt Zuccaro, HAI President and CEO, said at the time that “a lot of business is being done on the show floor.” And a lot of newsworthy announcements were forthcoming as well.

American Aero FTW, an FBO at Meacham International Airport in Fort Worth, has purchased 64,000 sq. ft. of additional hangar space and 2.3 acres of land at the airport as part of an effort to expand its presence and enhance its ability to offer services to business aviation customers. The company is building three hangars and a two-story office complex, which is expected to be completed later this year.

Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services has joined Greenwich AeroGroup’s LiveAero Broadband SATCOM systems dealer network. Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services-North America, based in British Columbia, Canada, provides maintenance, repair and overhaul services for helicopter operators globally. The dealership agreement enables Vector Aerospace Services in British Columbia to offer certification and installation services for the LiveAero System.

HAITEC Aircraft Maintenance GmbH, based in Germany, was granted Repair Station Approval by the FAA, which will allow it to offer maintenance, repair and overhaul services to operators of N-registered aircraft worldwide and grow its customer base, it said. HAITEC said it will mean growth at maintenance facilities at Hahn Airport and its VIP aircraft maintenance facility in Erfurt in Germany.

Airbus Helicopters announced the launch of its new H160 medium helicopter. The 5.5-6-metric-ton helicopter is intended to challenge AgustaWestland’s AW139, which has dominated the medium helicopter segment for a decade. Airbus says the H160 will be able to carry 12 passengers out to an oil platform 120 nm offshore, complete a missed approach and return to land on the same tank of fuel, all at a cruise speed of around 160 kt. It will be powered by a pair of Turbomeca Arrano 1A turboshaft engines.

Fractional operator, PlaneSense, placed an order with Nextant Aerospace for two Nextant 400XTi light jets with an option for three more.

Royal Jet, a charter company based in Abu Dhabi, has awarded SR Technics a five-year contract to maintain, repair and overhaul its fleet of CFM56-7B engines. The contract is for the 12 engines currently in service on Royal Jet’s six Boeing Business Jet aircraft used by the carrier’s VIP guests. The engine work will be done at SR Technics’ headquarters at Zurich Airport, Switzerland.

​Pilatus Aircraft recently delivered its 1,300th turboprop PC-12 to Surf Air, a private air travel club based in California. Surf Air flies members to small airports in the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles Metro area, Santa Barbara, Carlsbad/San Diego, Truckee/Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas and is adding destinations. The PC-12 NG delivery marked Surf Air’s fourth since it placed an order for 15 aircraft with options for an additional 50 last fall.

FlightSafety International says it plans to increase its fleet of advanced helicopter simulators by more than 40%.It aims to add Level D qualified simulators to its Learning Centers in Dallas, as well as at new facilities in Denver and Singapore, and at a location yet to be determined. The Denver facility is scheduled to open in 2016.

The Aerospace Industries Association is searching for a new president as Marion Blakey, the longtime face and voice of U.S. aerospace and defense industry concerns in Washington, will be taking a job as the president and CEO of Rolls-Royce’s North American Operations. The unit’s current president, CEO and chairman, James Guyette, is retiring May 31. In Blakey, RRNA is getting an executive who knows Washington and the industry.

A national program called “ExporTech” will be offered in Kansas for the first time through the Mid-American Manufacturing Technology Center, or MAMTC. The program will help up to eight South Central Kansas companies with an eye on foreign export markets in three group sessions, organizers say. Companies will be selected in the coming weeks. They will be assessed a $2,000 fee and allowed to bring up to three executives to the sessions. The end result will be a completed export plan and action items to grow exports.

George Bye, founder, chairman and CEO, Aero Electric Aircraft Corp., and Bye Aerospace, Centennial Airport, Denver.

Flight evaluations of Safe Flight Instrument Corp.’s new Icing Conditions Detector (ICD) by a jet and a piston aircraft manufacturer are expected to conclude soon and production begin. “We have a contract to deliver starting this year,” said Safe Flight Executive Vice President Matt Greene.

​Bell Helicopter announced a number of sales including an agreement from Air Methods Corp. for 200 407GXPs configured for emergency medical services. The order was one of the largest commercial sales in Bell’s history. Deliveries will begin in 2016 under a 10-year contract.

Purdue is expanding its propulsion laboratory for research directed at reducing fuel consumption and emissions for the next generation of jet engines. Expansion will include test cells to support laser-based measurements in a building to be constructed next to its high-pressure lab. The high-pressure lab was developed in 1964 as part of NASA’s Apollo program and is sponsored by aerospace companies, NASA, the Air Force and other agencies. The lab specializes in rockets and gas-turbine engines.

Becker Avionics, based in Miramar, Florida, has introduced a new ADS-B tracking and surveillance system for flight and ground operations. The system is called ATLASS, for ADS-B Traffic Localization and Surveillance System, a traffic monitoring system that provides air and ground situational awareness. The concept will be on display at the Heli-Expo convention March 3-5.

All Fueled Up Being the owner of several mogas STCs, I read “Getting the Lead Out: The Future of Avgas” (February 2015, page 7) with great interest. I would like to point out several misconceptions that may arise as a result of the article:

Gulfstream’s done it again. Winning the Collier Trophy, that is. On March 12, the National Aeronautic Association announced Gulfstream will be awarded the 2014 Robert J.

Jet-A Region High

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will begin a large-scale runway construction and rehabilitation project beginning in March. The construction will take place in five stages and is expected to be completed in 2017. Phase one includes the closure of Runway 25L-07R for 33 days, from March 6 to April 7. Departure delays are likely during peak times because of reduced departure rates. At times, the airport will be down to a three-runway operation.

XOJet, an on-demand private jet charter company, exceeded its profit targets and added a record number of new clients last year, it said. The San Francisco-based company recorded a 56% increase in new program sales last year, with a 19% improvement in retail charter sales. That included flights operated by XOJet and its partner operators. It experienced growth across North America and especially in the Northeast. Flights beginning or ending in the New York tri-state metro area were up significantly.

Your aircraft’s logs and maintenance records provide assurance of regulatory continuity from the time its Certificate of Airworthiness was issued that its configuration meets the approved type design. They also provide evidence that the aircraft is compliant to the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness. Without this information, your aircraft is no more than an expensive paperweight. The aircraft and maintenance logbooks are the most valuable items in your hangar, so you must protect them at all costs.