Business & Commercial Aviation

Red Aviation, Georgetown, Texas, has acquired DFW Instrument in Addison, Texas. Founded in 2001, Red Aviation provides parts and services. DFW Instrument provides repairs of flight-critical instrument and equipment repairs to the business aircraft industry.

Readers share opinions on FAA enforcement, twin takeoff performance, safe aircraft refueling.

The recent rebound in used-aircraft sales and generally positive flight-activity figures from major markets bodes well for business-jet aftermarket providers, according to the recently released Aviation Week Intelligence Network Business Aviation Fleet & MRO Forecast.

AAR, Wood Dale, Illinois, announced that Steven B. Harrison has been appointed president of AAR Airlift, which is headquartered in Palm Bay, Florida, and has operations worldwide.

Rockwell Collins received an FAA supplemental type certificate for Future Airspace Navigation Systems (FANS) 1/A upgrade for Pro Line 4 avionics-equipped Bombardier Challenger 604 aircraft. With FANS 1/A, Challenger 604 aircraft operators will have access to preferred wind-efficient transatlantic routes to save both time and fuel.

Astra, an African flight support company, has signed ground handling agreements with National Aviation Services at Felix Houphouet Boigny Airport, Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

Headquarters and production buildings are largely heated with renewable energy produced by locally grown and waste timber that is converted into gas in a complex process at a wood gasification plant.

Pilatus Aircraft's first jet will be able to operate from short, unimproved landing strips and will feature a large cargo door, providing flexibility to operators.

The FAA will abolish 950 jobs by June 30 without a single “layoff,” adhering to a cost-saving mandate from President Johnson. Annual FAA turnover is about 8% , which means 3,200 jobs will be vacated this year, not all of them to be filled.

How does a company that designs and manufactures specialized, turbine-powered aircraft deep within the Swiss Alps recruit a workforce with the skills necessary to compete on the world stage?

Flexjet and its sister company, Flight Options, will be recognized as a single carrier within its parent company, Directional Aviation, the National Mediation Board ruled on Sept. 30.

Jet Aviation St. Louis has received FAA approval for the Supplemental Type Certificate for installation of its Future Airspace Navigation System for the Bombardier Challenger 604.

Bell Helicopter has added Agrarflug Helilift, located in Ahren, Germany, to its network of authorized customer service facilities. Agrarflug Helilift has more than 40 helicopters in its fleet and provides charter services, aircraft maintenance, pilot training and maintenance training. The newly authorized company will provide field maintenance services for the Bell Helicopter 204, 205, 206A/B, 206L, and 212 model aircraft. It will also offer customization and refurbishment services.

Universal Avionics in Tucson, Arizona, has completed its second ground-testing round for software changes to support the integration of EFI 890H Advanced Flight Displays in the AS332 Super Puma helicopter, the company said.

Wheels Up, a membership-based private aviation company, has completed a round of funding that will allow it to establish a base for operations in Europe and enhance the company's technology platform, the company said. With the funding, Wheels Up's valuation is now greater than $500 million.

Join BCA's Fred George on the Legacy 500 as he evaluates Embraer's Enhanced Vision System (E2VS).

Former Naval aviator John Koon spent his last tour on active duty assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Accra, Ghana, where he flew the American ambassador throughout West and Central Africa in a Beech C12 (King Air 200) where he had plenty of opportunities to assess the quality of ATC and competence of controllers.

The news that Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger will be a main speaker at the NBAA Convention later this month brought me such pleasant anticipation that I can grudgingly forgive the event planners for choosing, again, to hold it in Las Vegas, arguably America’s most venal city.

As Wynand Meyer, director of UAS International Trip Support’s Africa division in Johannesburg puts it, “Africa is the next big development,” as it’s the last continent still fresh for modernization of its infrastructure — mainstream as well as aviation.

Operating in the interior of Africa can be challenging, but the continent’s aviation infrastructure is slowly catching up with the 21st century.

One of the modest news announcements at last year’s NBAA Convention was that of the creation of Global Jet Capital, a business jet leasing and lending organization. Backed by three global investment firms — Franklin Square Capital Partners with Blackstone advising, AE Industrial Partners and The Carlyle Group — and overseen by business aviation veterans Shawn Vick and Bill Boisture, the future looked promising. When looking back from the 2015 NBAA Convention, set for November 17-19 in Las Vegas, that promise will have been fully realized. And thensome.

The International Federation of Air Line Pilots’ Associations (IFALPA) claims to represent more than 100,000 pilots among nearly 100 member associations and unions, 16 of which are based in Africa.

Pentastar Aviation is adding a new aircraft interior design studio at the company’s site at Oakland County International Airport.

Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio) have introduced legislation to clarify that aircraft management services are not subject to federal air transportation taxes.

Aerion is looking for a home and an engine, but is satisfied it has found the right partner in Airbus. That was the message Brian Barents, the company’s co-chairman, delivered to those gathered by a Wichita Aero Club luncheon recently. He told the Sept. 21 audience that his Reno, Nevada-based company has hired a firm to help it select a site for assembling the 1.5 Mach AS2 supersonic business jet.