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.
The first simulator for Honda Aircraft Co.’s new HondaJet aircraft has been delivered and is being installed at its headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina. The installation is underway as Honda Aircraft expects FAA type certification on the very light jet by the end of March. The full-motion, Level D simulator and HondaJet training program were developed in a partnership with FlightSafety International. The simulator will be located at the HondaJet Training Center at Honda Aircraft.
AgustaWestland announced it had increased the maximum takeoff weight of its AW139 to 7,000 kg and will begin delivering new-build aircraft with the added heft from Italy in May and then from its U.S. assembly line in Philadelphia in July. The company is developing a retrofit capability for all AW139s to benefit from the change, although retrofitted aircraft will not benefit from all the performance improvements that new-build aircraft will.
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.
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.
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.
In 2014, Embraer delivered 116 executive aircraft, including 92 light jets and 24 large jets, as well as 92 commercial aircraft, compared to 119 executive jet deliveries in 2013. Meanwhile, the Brazilian manufacturer’s total revenue in 2014 at Embraer increased 0.9% to $6.3 billion, driven by growth in Embraer’s defense and security segment, it said.
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.
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.
Three Textron Aviation service centers have gained certification to repair and service King Air aircraft, the company said. Its company-owned service centers in Sacramento, California, Mesa, Arizona, and Paris have gained certification for Beechcraft King Air 90-, 200- and 300-series aircraft. The certification expands King Air operators’ access to its global customer service, the company said. The Sacramento and Mesa facilities are the first Citation service centers in North American to gain FAA authorization for Beechcraft King Air Service.
According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Gulfstream Aerospace and Spirit AeroSystems have settled a case in which the latter alleged it had sustained damages for incomplete payments for G650 wings it manufactured for Gulfstream. Jefferies aerospace analyst Howard Rubel noted that by the end of last year, Gulfstream had retained $135.1 million in payments for work completed. Meanwhile, Spirit had liabilities tied to the program of $65.1 million. Rubel estimates Spirit received a net payment of $70 million in the settlement.
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.
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.
The two-place Guimbal Cabri light piston helicopter saw its best year yet in 2014 when 27 aircraft were delivered. The French company expects to deliver 44 Cabris this year and 58 in 2016.Powered by a Textron Lycoming 0-360, the Cabri is the only piston helicopter in production in Europe. The 100th unit is expected to fly this month.
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.
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.
Bristow Group has signed an agreement with AgustaWestland to help the manufacturer develop oil and gas support capabilities for its AW609 civil tiltrotor, which its manufacturer maintains is “an ideal transportation solution for offshore travel.” According to AgustaWestland, it now has 60 customers for the aircraft. Meanwhile, two prototypes are conducting flight tests at the company’s facilities in Ft. Worth, Texas, and in Italy. A third should join testing in the U.S. later this year.
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.
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.
