Ali Ahmed Al Naqbi is retiring retiring from his position with Presidential Flight of Abu Dhabi to focus on growing the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association, or MEBAA, which he founded. Al Naqbi, one of Presidential Flight’s founding members, served as vice president of finance and administration of the company, where he spent nearly 25 years. Presidential began business as Private Flight and changed names to Amiri Flight before adopting the Presidential name.
Teterboro, New Jersey-based Meridian has added a Bombardier Challenger 605 (N605MM) to its charter fleet. The large-cabin aircraft was completed in 2008 and seats up to nine passengers. It will be based at Teterboro Airport (TEB). Meridian manages a wide range of airraft types that are available for private charter including Gulfstream, Hawkers, Falcons and Citations.
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.
Piaggio Aerospace completed the first flight of its first fully configured P.1HH HammerHead unmanned aerial vehicle in December. The HammerHead — an unmanned version of the P.180 Avanti executive turboprop — made its first flight on Dec. 22 from Trapani air base in Sicily.
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.
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.
Continental Motors Group has announced that its six-cylinder engine that will run on alternative fuels, the IO-360-AF (Alternative Fuel) engine, has received type certification from the FAA.The engine is certified for standard 100LL as well as for 91UL avgas now available in several countries. Flight Design GmbH is expected to take delivery of the first certified engine in the second quarter of this year for use on its Flight Design C4 all-carbon composite light aircraft.
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:
There now are more than 460 Gulfstream G550 business jets in service and operators say it's a top performer, a versatile workhorse offering solid dispatch reliability and backed by unmatched product support.
Since my typical business attire trends to denim pants and souvenir T-shirts, I blinked knowing that the shirt I was about to purchase would set me back nearly $100, including tax. Fine for a fop, perhaps, but rich for a rumple-prone reporter. Still, I had to have it. Age, not overuse, had been unkind to its predecessor, and the bottles were about to be uncorked.
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.
Textron Aviation has delivered its second completely refurbished Citation X and sees the Citation X Elite upgrade program as "major market opportunity." Plus, fractional ownership company PlaneSense has ordered two Nextant 400XTi light jets with an option for three additional aircraft. Business aviation flights declined in February 2015 compared to January and the previous year in the United States, Canada and Europe, according to Argus and WingX Advance.
Green shoots finally are popping up in the entry-level light jet market, after the segment entered a nosedive six years ago. Now, Textron Aviation, Embraer and HondaJet, the Big Three of the light jet manufacturers, are gearing up to take advantage of better times ahead with three distinctively different models, all priced at close to $4.5 million when comparably equipped.
Embraer delivered slightly fewer aircraft in the final three months of 2014 compared to the same period in 2013. Plus, FlightSafety International says it plans to increase its fleet of advanced helicopter simulators by more than 40%.
In February 2015, air charter customers and brokers requested more quotes for flights to Van Nuys Airport than any other airport, and Teterboro Airport was the origin airport searched the most, according to an analysis of Air Charter Guide Worldwide Trip Builder data.
Bronte Marshall, chief pilot at Oakland-based KaiserAir Inc., urges flight crews to be flexible in spotting relief flight crews on long overwater missions. That advice is based on hard experience involving a crew exchange that wound up being complicated by an unforeseen weather event.
On Thursday, March 5, a technical problem with our enewsletter program caused the March 10 issue of B&CA Digest to mail prematurely. We apologize for the confusion and inconvenience. The true newsletter will mail on Tuesday, March 10.
It is a given among pilots universally that they must not let their aircraft alight or roll upon any surface not strong enough to support it. That goes for the runway, the ramp and everywhere in between. (Just because you were able to taxi it there, it doesn’t mean you’ll be able to taxi it back out.)
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.
