Business & Commercial Aviation

The number of civil helicopter accidents in the U.S. fell 26% last year, showing good safety progress by the industry, the International Helicopter Safety Team said. The number of accidents fell to 3.64 accidents in 2014, from 4.95 accidents in 2013, the organization said. Over the past 10 years, however, the accident rate has dropped by more than half, according to the report. From 2001-2005, the number of civil helicopter accidents averaged 7.97 per 100,000 flight hours. The number of fatal accidents has also fallen.

Selected accidents and incidents from the NTSB database.

Industry Week has chosen Cessna Aircraft’s Mexico factory as its 2014 Best Plants winner. Industry Week notes that the factory completed more than 250 continuous improvement practices, or “kaizens,” and has solved crucial problems in complex processes. Cessna has also simplified the machining process to improve cycle time and lowered required inventory levels with improved safety for the operator, it said. Cessna employs 800 people at its Mexico facility.

The Embraer Phenom 100’s Prodigy avionics package is a highly evolved and customized version of the Garmin G1000 system used in several other light turbofan aircraft, including the Cessna Citation Mustang. Embraer chose to fit the aircraft with three identical 12-in. AMLCDs having the same basic internal functionality. Any of them can assume the identity of a primary flight display or multifunction display. Using reversionary modes, this design feature allows the aircraft to be dispatched with one of the three displays inoperative.

Business aviation flights in Europe saw a big decline in January, marked by fewer flights in Western Europe and a continued free-fall in activity in Russia and the Ukraine, according to a report by WingX Advance. Overall, there were 49,929 business aviation flights in Europe in January, a decline of 5.8% compared to January 2013. “This fall takes last year’s tepid recovery well off course,” the report said. Activity last month was at a similar level to that of January 2009. Flight activity fell 4% in Western Europe.

A notable “low noise” technological success was achieved with the non-conventional NOTAR anti-torque design. The NOTAR, short for “no tail rotor”, design blows high-pressure air out of vents along the tail boom, producing torque-countering thrust via the Coanda effect. Originally developed by McDonnell Douglas, the system is installed on MD Helicopters’ MD520N, MD600N and MD Explorer models.

Spending on private jet charter activities increased 15% in 2014 over 2013, according to New Flight Charters. The average amount spent per charter rose from $14,841 in 2013 to $17,068 in 2014, it said. The average includes all charter activity and aircraft types, from piston aircraft through heavy and long-range private jets. Midsize jet activity increased 18.8% year over year and heavy jet activity nearly doubled, the company said. The data is from more than 750 U.S.

Strap into a CJ1+ and you’ll feel as comfortable as when you slip on your favorite shoes. The third-generation CitationJet, built from mid-2005 to late 2010, has FADEC-equipped engines with slightly more thrust, increased operating weights and an upgraded interior compared to the CJ1. It also has a completely integrated Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics package, including full-feature FMS-3000, and more standard equipment.

Pilatus appoints Russian aviation company Nesterov Aviation as its PC-12 sales and service center for Russia. Nesterov has offices in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Pilatus calls Nesterov the “perfect partner” that can offer customized support to PC-12 owners in Russia. Nesterov Aviation will begin preparations this year for a maintenance center in the northwestern part of Russia to further expand its operations across the country.

Everyone recognizes noise, but giving measure to it has resulted in a kind of acoustical polyglot, with different scientific camps employing a variety of systems. Even the FAA is confounded by the divisions. In its report on non-military helicopter noise, the agency noted, “there are multiple noise metrics utilized to assess noise (EPNL, ASEL, DNL, etc.). However, civil helicopter annoyance assessments utilize the same acoustic methodology adopted for airplanes with no distinction for the helicopter’s unique noise character.

Landmark Aviation has acquired the assets of Island City Flying Service, a fixed base operator at Key West International Airport. The expansion into the Key West market complements Landmark’s south Florida locations, the company said. Landmark began operations in the former Island City Flying Service facility on Feb. 1. The FBO’s services include a lounge, flight planning areas, hangars and an executive conference room. Customs and immigration services are also available, it said.

Transition to pure jet for the business aviation pilot will not be a road paved with affable, easy-going examiners. “The agency is very concerned over . . . business pilots making the transition to jet equipment in wholesale quantities . . .” FAA Administrator Halaby said.

An old Washington hand — he was legislative director for then Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and a member of the Defense Science Board — Adcock also worked on government affairs for Daimler-Benz.

TriState Careflight, which offers critical care transport services, is teaming with Baldwin Safety and Compliance, based in Hilton Head, South Carolina, to enhance and grow its safety management system. TriState offers services in Arizona, New Mexico. Colorado and Nevada. TriState, based in Bullhead City, Arizona, operates 27 fixed-wing and rotary aircraft and employs 380 people. TriState’s collaboration with Baldwin underscores its commitment to the most efficient and safest emergency medical service organization possible, the company said.

Area residents have formed the Los Angeles Area Helicopter Noise Coalition, which is seeking to improve their quality of life by reducing helicopter noise in their communities, without compromising safety. Their website claims a commitment “to partnering with local neighborhoods and working with appropriate government agencies, helicopter pilots and operators, and other entities to enhance the environmental quality of our neighborhoods today and for future generations.”

Bombardier has unveiled plans to raise new financing as Pierre Beaudoin steps down to be replaced as president and CEO by outsider Alaine Bellemare, the former head of United Technologies Corp.’s (UTC) Propulsion & Aerospace business. The moves are intended to reassure investors who are increasingly concerned that Bombardier will run out of cash as it funds development of the delayed CSeries narrowbody aircraft, and upcoming Global 7000/8000 large business jets while sales of its regional airliners remain under pressure.

Bipartisan legislation called the Pilot’s Bill of Rights II that would expand the third-class medical exemption and protections for pilots and airmen was introduced in Congress Feb. 25. The civil helicopter industry is facing a "volatile, challenging market" in 2015, an analyst says. NetJets Aviation has signed a five-year agreement with the FAA to implement NextGen projects.

The Piston Aviation Fuel Initiative, a joint industry-government partnership, could result in a technically feasible and economically viable unleaded avgas.

If pilots and flight departments don’t study accident, incident and air safety history, drilling down into the root causes of these events, they’re then destined to repeat the same errors.

Growth of membership-based private air travel company Wheels Up is on schedule, according to CEO Kenny Dichter. Plus, SRC Aviation is the first compnay to receive International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) certification.

Los Angeles International Airport was the airport searched the most in January 2015 for charter arrivals, according to an analysis of Air Charter Guide Worldwide Trip Builder data. Four airports tied with the same number of searches as charter departures.

If you fly circling approaches in the U.S. on a regular basis and train in a simulator, then you know that what you learn in the box has very little to do with what you need to do in the airplane. We all know the “Memphis Localizer Runway 27, Circle to Runway 18R” is not likely to happen in real life.

Penton Business Aviation Network staffers share their reactions to the 2015 NBAA Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference and the record number of attendees who participated.

The agreement will extend the life of the Bell 214 and supports a licensing agreement for Erickson to make, buy and distribute Bell 214 part numbers, Bell said.

Business aviation trade groups plan to work with Congress on FAA reauthorization, NextGen, certification reform and other issues during the 2015 session. The FAA has revised its sleep apnea policy. Gogo Inc. says it will bring ATG-4 air-to-ground connectivity technology to business aviation.