Too Much Pressure I am in no way minimalizing the tragic loss of life at any time in aviation. However, the comment (Readers’ Feedback, September 2014, page 11) that perhaps the pilots of the Gulfstream IV that crashed at Bedford, Massachusetts, this summer were influenced by a passenger’s reputed preference to depart immediately upon arrival touches on a familiar problem.
On April 2, 2011, a Gulfstream 650 test crew perished while completing steps along that airplane’s road to certification under Title 14 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Part 25 (14 CFR 25). They had been hard at work, proving the aircraft could fly the very low takeoff safety speeds predicted by its designers.
Embraer Executive Jets on Oct. 10 officially entered the midsize jet market with the delivery of its Legacy 500 business jet to a Brazilian customer. The delivery followed Brazilian ANAC certification in August. U.S. FAA certification is anticipated within weeks, Embraer executives say. The delivery marked two celebrations the Brazilian airframer held last week. The second involved the groundbreaking on an 236,000-sq.-ft. expansion that will double its footprint in Melbourne, Florida. That expansion will provide space for U.S.
Two FADEC-equipped, 7,323-lb. thrust AS907-2-1A engines, marketed as HTF7350 turbofans, power the aircraft. Normal takeoff thrust is available to ISA+15C. APR increases the takeoff thrust flat-rating to ISA+20C.
The wait is over. On October 14, Gulfstream rolled out the G500, the first of two models from its secretive P42 development program. In the works since 2008, the project actually spawned two new models, the 5,000-nm G500 and the 6,200-nm G600. Both look a lot like the firm’s 7,000-nm G650 flagship, but they have less range, smaller cabin cross-sections and lower price tags. The G500 is priced at $43.5 million and the longer G600 will go for $54.5 million.
London City Airport (EGLC) is the closest airport to the London financial district (“the City”), but it has a reputation for being frightfully expensive. But does that constitute gouging?
Questions for Shawn Vick This management team really understands aircraft, their values, the companies that built them and the individuals and corporations that require them.
The Challenger 300 is a tough act to follow. When it made its debut in late 2003, it instantly became a modern day and more affordable successor to the Gulfstream II, with plenty of thrust, a generously sized wing and sporty performance. Similar to the GII, it had transcontinental U.S. range, a flat floor, room for eight in a double club cabin, inflight baggage access and rock-solid reliability. If it had wide oval cabin windows and a heavy-iron price tag, people might have thought it was built in Savannah, Ga., rather than Montreal.
When an operator has maintenance done on an aircraft airframe, including a “heavy maintenance visit,” are the bills deductible immediately as ordinary and necessary business expenses, or must the cost be “capitalized,” that is depreciated over time? Since business aviation exists to serve at a moment’s notice, it’s natural that flight departments want to deduct the full cost of all maintenance immediately.
We provide leasing, lending and related services for the business aviation market. We’re targeting new and used business jets valued at $25 million or more and we’re brand neutral, financing everything from BBJs and ACJs to Gulfstream, Bombardier, Falcon, Embraer and Textron aircraft
Bell made the first Model 429 Wheeled Landing Gear (WLG) sale in Europe and the aircraft will also be outfitted with the first Bell 429 MAGnificent luxury cabin interior created by Italy-based Mecaer Aviation Groug (MAG). The Bell 429 is the first helicopter certified through the MSG-3 process, resulting in reduced maintenance costs for operators.
Granite Aviation recently opened its fixed-base operation facility at Sandpoint Airport (SZT) in Idaho. The $1.6 million facility includes a 3,700-sq.-ft. terminal, a 7,000-sq.-ft. hangar, four aircraft refueling trucks, deicer truck and a new 190-ft.-by-900-ft. aircraft ramp. Granite, a Phillips 66 dealer, opens the new FBO as the airport has undergone a recent increase in business and personal traffic. The airport is home to several other aerospace companies, including Tamarack Aerospace, Quest Aircraft and Timberline Helicopters.
My left leg had begun to ache, as is often the case on long drives. We’d covered some 711 interstate miles by the time we pulled into the motel lot in Johnson City, Tennessee, that day. I’d earned a steak, a bed and a tumbler of Jack, and not in that order. Tomorrow, another 350 mi. before reaching the gate. Ugh.
Colorado Springs-based Trine Aerospace & Defense has developed a Stage 3-compliant hushkit to help save Learjet 20 series aircraft from extinction. At the direction of Congress, the FAA is mandating the phaseout of all Stage II business jets by the end of 2015.
These graphs are designed to illustrate the performance of Challenger 350 under a variety of range, payload, speed and density altitude conditions. Do not use these data for flight planning purposes because they are gross approximations of actual aircraft performance.
Piper Aircraft recently secured Civil Aviation Administration of China approval for its M-Class line, including the Piper Meridian single turboprop and the high performance single pistons Mirage and Matrix, clearing the way for the company to build a presence in the growing Chinese general aviation market. The approval comes as Piper in recent years has focused on international expansion of its products, lining up dealers globally, including several in China.
TSB investigators determined that the accident pilot was getting a briefing on the King Air’s instrumentation and avionics systems from the assisting pilot during the flight from Georgetown, Texas, to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Since the ATP requirement for first officers of FAR Part 121 carriers took effect in summer 2013, the debate over the existence of a pilot shortage has intensified. So, too, has the finger pointing all across Washington.
The FAA has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for Safety Management Systems. This new rule would be applicable to operating certificate holders and not FAR Part 91. While safety is always on everyone’s mind, making SMS mandatory can be problematic, especially for small operations. Fortunately, if the new NPRM becomes a rule, there will be a phase-in period to give operators time to come up to speed. The FAA has a website dedicated to SMS at: https:// www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/sms/
Investor confidence in the business jet market has weakened somewhat, with investors who were formerly “bullish” on the market becoming “neutral,” Wall Street analyst Morgan Stanley reports. The good news for the market is investors aren’t worried about the market worsening. But Morgan Stanley believes the weaker outlook of investors comes from “all the false starts.” The analyst notes that forecasters initially expected the signs of recovery in 2010 to last longer than they did.
Cessna has shipped the first two of three Grand Caravan EX Amphibian aircraft to Hai Au Aviation in Vietnam. The third aircraft is to be delivered later this year. The aircraft are the first of the Grand Caravan EX Amphibians to be operated in Vietnam. The aircraft are configured to seat up to 12 passengers for a range of missions, including scenic flights, transport and customized flights.
Designers attempt to give exceptional capabilities in all areas, including price, but the laws of physics, thermodynamics and aerodynamics do not allow one aircraft to do all missions with equal efficiency. Tradeoffs are a reality of aircraft design.
Surf Air will receive the first of up to 65 Pilatus PC-12NG single-turboprop aircraft in this month. The California-based operator in August placed firm orders for 15 of the Pilatus aircraft and options for another 50 in a deal valued at up to $312 million. Surf Air began operations in 2013 with three used PC-12s, offering unlimited flights to members for a $1,000 fixed fee and then $1,750 monthly charges.
Cirrus Aircraft has begun offering its Performance Braking System for operators of Generation 3 and newer aircraft from Cirrus Direct, the company owned parts distribution system. The high-performance, single-caliper brake system uses tubeless tires and redesigned wheel fairings to improve reliability and performance. The system is standard on new SR22T, SR22 and SR20 models. Cirrus is additionally developing the upgrade for earlier model aircraft. The system is priced at $15,300 for Generation 3 and newer models.
