Honda Aircraft President and CEO Michimasa Fujino continues to collect recognitions for his contributions to the novel over-the-wing engine mount configuration for the HondaJet light business jet.
FAA has declared the Griffiss International Airport unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test site in Rome, N.Y., as operational, making it the fifth of six sites to reach that status. In addition to the traditional UAS studies, the Giffiss site will also evaluate means of scouting agricultural fields through different types of sensors, including visual, thermal and multispectral equipment. “We are accomplishing two important missions with the launch of this test site,” Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx says.
Embraer’s U.S. footprint expanded considerably last month when it opened it’s a new $26 million Engineering and Technology Center adjacent to its Phenom assembly and customer center at Melbourne Airport in Florida. The 75,000-sq.-ft.
Blackhawk Modifications is developing a new engine upgrade for the Cessna 208A Caravan and 208B Grand Caravan that will replace the standard 600-hp Pratt & Whitney PT6A-114 or 675-hp PT6A-114A-hp turboprop engine with the 867-hp PT6A-140 engine.
Quest Aircraft received FAA approval for the integration of the Garmin GFC 700 automatic flight control system aboard the Kodiak single-turboprop aircraft. The attitude-based autopilot integrates with the Kodiak’s Garmin G1000 avionics suite. Quest expects to begin delivery of GFC-700-equipped Kodiaks later this year.
Sikorsky Aircraft is working to expand its penetration of the Asian market, and while its primary focus is on its military product line, including Black Hawks and Sea Hawks, its commercial helicopters are finding buyers as well.
Bell Helicopter received orders from the first two customers to take delivery of Bell 429s in Poland. The orders were taken through JB Investments, Bell’s independent representative in Poland. Bell previously had sold three Bell 407GX to customers in Poland.
The Export-Import (Ex-Im) Bank of the U. S., which became a controversial subject recently — a fact that took aerospace manufacturers and other exporters by surprise — may have secured at least a short term future by now. By late September the Congress was expected to pass a continuing resolution to keep the federal government in business.
Cessna Aircraft’s M2 entry-level jet was granted approval from the civil aviation authorities of Brazil and Argentina, clearing the way for deliveries to those countries. The approvals follow U.S. FAA certification in December and European Aviation Safety Agency validation in June.
The National Business Aviation Association is honoring two former longtime staff members — Kathleen Blouin and William (Bill) Stine — with Pillar of Association Awards. NBAA has previously only recognized two other former employees, Fred McIntosh and John Pope, with the award, formerly known as the Staff Lifetime Achievement Award. Blouin stepped down earlier this year from her role as senior vice president of conventions and forums.
Jet Aviation Saudi Arabia has recently been approved by the FAA to operate as a repair station for Gulfstream aircraft. With the approval Jet Aviation can support it customers in Jeddah and Riyadh with light scheduled maintenance (A checks) on Gulfstream GII, GIII, GIV and GV aircraft.
Sierra Industries, Ltd., is offering performance upgrades to the Cessna 525 Citation Jet series. Know as the Sapphire, the program is designed to be a comprehensive package of modifications that will enhance performance, reliability and comfort for legacy CJ aircraft.
The reorganization at Bombardier saw additional departures in September as Ralph Acs, head of the Learjet line, Stephane Leblanc, his counterpart for Challenger programs, and Marie-Helene Pelletier head of the business aircraft unit’s supply chain, cleared out their desks.
In the wake of two recent crashes within a week of each other in which the pilots are suspected of being rendered unconscious by hypoxia, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Foundation (ASF) issued a safety alert warning to pilots to remain on guard to the condition’s symptoms. The first crash, which occurred Aug. 30, involved a Cirrus SR-22T en route to Manassas, Virginia, from Wisconsin, but entered restricted airspace in the Washington, D.C., and continued out over the Atlantic.
Mountain Aviation, a Broomfield, Colo.-based charter and management firm, has come under new ownership by a private investment firm, a move the company says will help it expand its core markets in the Rocky Mountain region along with looking at new opportunities in the oil and gas and government markets. The company notes that it has extensive experience operating in rugged environments, giving it “a strong foundation for expanded capabilities” in the oil and gas and government markets.
The Middle East & North Africa Business Aviation Association is planning to focus on industry growth during its next MEBAA convention Dec. 8-10 in Dubai. The event is expected to draw more than 8,000 participants, building on 20% growth in 2012 when 7,549 attended from 84 countries.
Business aircraft flight operations are poised to increase in September, marking the 10th consecutive month-over-month increase and the 17th out of the last 18 months, according to business aviation research specialist Aviation Research/U.S. (ARGUS) and FAA data. ARGUS, which tracks business aircraft flight operations in the U.S. and Canada, recently reported a 0.9% gain in business flight operations in August, and said operations are on pace to climb another 2.7% in this month.
Construction of 250,000 sq ft in new production and completion space is underway at Dassault Falcon Jet’s already sprawling facility in Little Rock, Arkansas, the largest in the French planemaker’s network.
Family-owned business jet completions specialist Flying Colours will triple its outfitting capacity at its Peterborough, Canada, base by early 2016 with a major expansion that will increase its dedicated production bays from three to nine. “Our 120,000-sq.-ft.
Initial testing of an unleaded avgas replacement fuel at FAA’s technical center in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is to begin this fall. The agency selected two fuels from Swift Fuels, one from Shell and another from a consortium of BP, TOTAL and Hjelmco for lab and rig testing. Following that, the FAA plans to narrow the candidates to one or two fuels to undergo Phase 2 testing on engines and aircraft. Congress set aside $6 million in fiscal 2014 to support the fuel testing, and has indicated plans to match that in fiscal 2015.
A Frasca Citation CJ1+ full flight simulator (FFS) recently delivered to Nanshan International Flight Academy in Longkou, China, has received CAAC Level D approval. With the notification, academy head Li Fang said, “We look forward to continuing our relationship with Frasca and to ensuring the highest quality flight t
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has begun replacing its fleet of a dozen AStar helicopters with new versions of the same. The department has contracted with Airbus Helicopters up to 15 AS350B3e helicopters. The initial order is for three new AStars, with deliveries beginning in December.
Kenny Dichter is at it again, making business aviation more accessible to a wider group of users as he did when he cofounded the Marquis Jet Card program piggybacked on the NetJets fractional ownership operation. But the twist in his latest venture, Wheels Up, is that the turboprop and jet program isn’t based on 25-hr. jet cards but memberships.
