Boeing has named David Longridge as president of Boeing Business Jets following the promotion of Capt. Steve Taylor to chief pilot of Boeing’s Flight Services unit. Longridge, a 21-year veteran of Boeing, most recently served as sales director based in the U.K., leading the British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and TUI accounts. He was previously a sales director for BBJ when the group was founded in 1996. Taylor leaves BBJ on a high note. While at BBJ, the organization sold 28 jetliners to be outfitted as VIP aircraft.
Two major milestones coincided within days of each other at Turbomeca, the French manufacturer of helicopter engines: the 40th anniversary of the first flight of its Arriel engine, and the entry into service of its latest engine, the Arrius 2B2 Plus. The Arrius B2B Plus entered service this month on an Airbus Helicopter EC135 T3 with Italian mountain rescue operator Aiut Alpin Dolomites.
Nothing has a greater impact on flight operations safety than hiring and retaining the best people. That’s why top-notch airlines, military organizations and business aircraft operations go to great efforts to evaluate personal integrity, professional attitude, willingness to embrace team effort and coolness under pressure during the hiring process. The objective, even in single-pilot aircraft operations, is to identify pilots who view themselves as team players as well as leaders.
In its report on the Inhofe MU-2-B accident, the NTSB points out that the airplane was not equipped, and was not required to be equipped, with any type of crash-resistant recorder.
PAC Seating Systems has been selected by San Antonio cabin completion specialist GDC Technics to provide all seating products for two wide-body BBJ787 programs. The two BBJ787 contracts mark the first time the Palm City, Florida-based company has received a multiple aircraft order. It is the third BBJ787 seating order for PAC, and the company also has a fresh seating contract for a Boeing Business Jet.
Big things are happening at the Penton Business Aviation Network. As the clouds of the recession are finally lifting (no kidding this time), and once again business aviation is on the upturn, I must invoke the name of one of my favorite 1980s classics, “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades!” “ B&CA is doing what?!”
1. You have built a foundation for a chain now with five facilities. What are your long-term plans? Levesque: We started the year with two and added facilities in Chicago, Atlanta and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. We would like to grow to 15 or 20 facilities. But we want to grow smartly and in the right way. We are not in a rush. We have looked at a lot more than we have attempted to acquire. 2. What do you look for in a potential acquisition?
Three major airports around Washington, D.C., are using their own NextGen systems. Also, Textron has sold 17 acres where Beechcraft manufactured its piston-powered general aviation aircraft.
Since B&CA began covering Cabin Electronics some 25 years ago, we haven't seen more promise and possibility in what can be done to keep passengers informed, connected, productive and entertained in flight than now. And there has never been greater demand for more bandwidth for cabin and crew connectivity.
Managing external pressures, including meeting passenger expectations, is as key to risk management as mitigating pilot, aircraft and environmental risk factors.
The union representing NetJets pilots says in a lawsuit that the company broke privacy and labor laws. Gama Aviation and Hangar8 will merge and go public. An aviation consultant predicts 2015 will be a positive turning point for business aviation.
We asked operators if they favored keeping their aircraft in original condition or whether they thought upgrading was a cost-effective alternative to prolong their useful service lives. We also took an in-depth look at the airplane and its systems to put those views into perspective.
It Was 50 Years Ago Dave Esler does an excellent job describing and analyzing the various jet card options in “Dealing Cards” (October 2014, page 72 ), and the reasons for their emergence as a popular option among turbine aircraft users. But the “jet card” was born much earlier than the 1999 Sentient or 2001 Marquis card — or even the mid-1980s charter broker “reminder card” as recalled by Fred Gevalt.
