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.
Jet Aviation is managing the FBO at Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, Bahamas, and has plans to add new hangars and remodel the interior. The Nassau facility features 305,000 sq. ft. of ramp space and includes on-site Customs and Immigration, concierge service, 20,000 sq. ft. of hangar space. It also plans to repave and expand the ramp and add new tenant hangars.
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.
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.
Jet Aviation Zurich, a fixed base operator, handled the majority of the aircraft and delegates passing through Zurich International Airport on their way to the recent World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The provider handled 582 aircraft movements and 1,485 passengers. Jet Aviation Zurich brought in additional staff to handle the record number of delegates expected to attend the World Economic Forum, it said. It also added a number of luxury vehicles to its fleet to handle ground transportation requirements for the surge of passengers.
The Guimbal Cabri G2, a French-designed, piston-engine light helicopter, has been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. The Cabri — designed by former Airbus Helicopters engineer Bruno Guimbal — was awarded the certification on Feb. 3 after a 16-month program which included a study of the aircraft’s operations documentation and flight tests, the company said. It comes eight years after the helicopter was granted certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency in December 2007.
The third prototype of the AgustaWestland AW609 commercial tiltrotor is set to fly in May, paving the way for deicing tests of the aircraft at year-end. Engineers are currently assembling the aircraft in Italy, where shakedown flights will be conducted before it is dismantled and sent to Philadelphia in preparation for testing of the aircraft’s deicing system in Minnesota toward year-end.
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.
Gogo Inc. will bring ATG-4 air-to-ground connectivity technology to business aviation, the company announced. ATG-4, which is currently on more than 650 commercial aircraft, will be available for business aviation through an equipment package called ATG 8000. First shipments are expected in April. The ATG 8000 will give passengers a significant increase in connectivity speed when compared to other Gogo business equipment packages. At the same time, Gogo is on track for record aircraft installations overall this year.
Duncan Aviation released its recently updated Straight Talk book on the NextGen initiative Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). The debate is over, and the January 2020 deadline gets closer every day. To find out what you need to know to make sure your aircraft is in compliance with the FAA’s mandate, go to: www.duncanaviation.aero/straighttalk/adsb/index.php . The updated book is free.
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.
Business aviation flight activity in 2014 was the highest since 2008, according to Argus TraqPak data. Cessna Aircraft rolled out its first production Citation Latitude on Jan. 29. NetJets will begin a voluntary Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) program for all of its Signature Series aircraft.
The number of accidents in 2014, considering both U.S.-registered business jet and turboprop aircraft, decreased from 49 in 2013 to 38 as did fatal accidents 23 to 15, which decreased from 61 to 47. However, business jet accidents increased from 12 to 16 and fatalities 17 to 26 with a high percentage occurring in the corporate/executive pro-flown category where 19 fatalities occurred in three fatal accidents.
Many business jets have the capability to climb quickly into the mid-40 flight levels and cruise far above most weather. It can be tempting to sit back, enjoying the generally clear skies at these altitudes and taking relief that the weather below us can’t hurt us.
On Nov. 28, 2005, the flight crew of N691TA, a Raytheon Beechjet 400A en route from Indianapolis International Airport (IND) to Marco Island Airport (MRK), Florida, had just commenced a descent to FL 330 from FL 380 when they heard a loud pop from the right engine followed 10 sec. later by a loud pop from the left engine. Cockpit power indications for both engines quickly decreased and the pilots stated that the rpm indications for both engines showed 0 rpm. That last part is interesting because one would assume and hope the engines would continue windmilling.
Even the latest generation turbofan engines have been affected by ice crystal icing, causing nine recent events on Boeing 747-800 and Boeing 787-800 aircraft. On Nov. 27, 2013, the FAA adopted a new Airworthiness Directive concerning ice crystal icing. It is aimed at the Boeing 747-800 series and 787-800 airplanes powered by GEnx engines. The AD was promoted by reports of engine damage and thrust loss events as a result of flying in high-altitude ice crystal icing conditions.
Investigators from Canada’s Transportation Safety Board often do their on-scene investigations under difficult circumstances, but working in Antarctica can be just about as difficult as it gets. This month, we’ll look at the loss of a de Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter and its crew of three in a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accident on Mount Elizabeth, Antarctica. The airplane belonged to Kenn Borek Air Ltd. (KBAL).
