This aircraft can grow up: Recently unveiled, the Mooney Master is the new low-price contender for the FBO flight training market with an added dividend — for $1,600 the owner can convert the standard fixed gear to retractable, and end up with basically the same airplane as the successful Mark 21.
The Sikorsky S-76D helicopter won FAA certification. The company said the S-76D has a current backlog approaching a half-billion dollars and deliveries are expected to begin shortly. Standard features include all-composite, flaw-tolerant main rotor blades; an advanced Thales integrated avionics system and autopilot; health and usage monitoring system (HUMS), active vibration control; and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S engines. A rotor ice protection system is an option.
Gulfstream Aerospace, completing its strongest quarter of the year in terms of new orders, expects sales to grow further in the fourth quarter and is increasing its delivery estimates for 2012 to as many as 124 aircraft. Gulfstream continues to shine in the General Dynamics (GD) portfolio, leading the Aerospace group to a 30% increase in third-quarter revenues and a 20.3% increase in operating earnings. The GD Aerospace group includes Gulfstream and Jet Aviation.
In the past few years, communications and electronics technologies have made tremendous advances. As soon as a new system hits the market, its replacement is already in the works. For business aviation, we have been at the forefront of incorporating new systems at an equally aggressive pace. We are way ahead of the airlines and even the military in many respects. Our customers are very demanding and expect the latest technology to be available as soon as they see it on the Internet.
Used business aircraft sales slowed slightly, particularly in the light jet segment, and inventory began to creep back up in the third quarter. But used market indicators overall were a “mixed bag ” as pricing strengthened for both business jets and turboprops, according to industry analyst Amstat. The number of business jets available for sale, inched up from 13.3% of the fleet at the end of the second quarter to 13.4% at the end of the third. But this is still improved from 14% of the fleet that was for sale at the end of the third quarter in 2011.
In 1994, the NATA viewed the imminent retirement of its long-time leader, Larry Burian, as an opportunity to raise the organization's visibility in Washington and on Capitol Hill. Accordingly, the board turned to James Coyne, a former congressman and Ronald Reagan White House aide, to get the FBO/charter group noticed. It didn't take him long.
Bombardier Aerospace announced two significant additions to its customer services network for business aircraft operators in the U.S. Over the next two months Bombardier will deploy Mobile Response Parties (MRP) to seven regions. Each MRP truck will be staffed by an avionics and a maintenance technician, and equipped with tooling to perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance at an operator's location. The company also opened three more Regional Support Offices co-located with business aircraft service centers in Tucson, Ariz., Hartford, Conn.
HBC has delivered the 7,000th Beechcraft King Air since the legendary line of twin-engine turboprops began production in 1964. The milestone aircraft is a Beechcraft King Air 350i delivered to Herman & Kittle Properties, Inc., based in Indianapolis. The King Air fleet has amassed in excess of 45 million flight hours. The King Air is currently operated in 127 countries, and all branches of the U.S. military.
Rockwell Collins' Ascend Aircraft Information Manager (AIM) secure data transfer and maintenance management system for Pro Line 4, Pro Line 21 and Pro Line Fusion-equipped aircraft, has been recently certified for Cessna CJ1+, CJ2+, CJ3, CJ4 and Hawker Beechcraft King Air B200 Series aircraft. AIM uploads flight critical database updates, and downloads maintenance information post-flight using Wi-Fi or cellular links to and from the Ascend Data Center.
Dassault Falcon received EASA and FAA approval to install SmartStem Tire Pressure Systems on Falcon 50 series aircraft. The existing tire inflation valve stem is replaced with a special valve stem containing integral sensors that communicates tire pressure, temperature, and other stored information wirelessly to a handheld reader without the use of an internal battery in the stem. The reader stores up to 10,000 readings and can be downloaded to a PC.
To the best of my recollection I haven't met Ross Detwiler, but I have heard his name at some point over the years. Regardless, having just read your article in BCA I felt compelled to drop you a quick note.
The Office of Naval Research has awarded Rockwell Collins a contract to develop technology to locate and classify an adversary's attempts to interfere with GPS signals and disrupt military operations that will likely have collateral benefits to civil users. The three-year contract for the Modernized Integrated Spoofer Tracking (MIST) program calls for Rockwell Collins to develop technology and prototype system concepts to detect and locate the sources of transmitted signals that are intended to disrupt users' ability to navigate and communicate.
Pratt & Whitney Engine Services (PWES) is moving its Long Beach, Calif. Regional service center to new, larger facilities to meet customer demand. PWES is part of the P&WC customer service network. The center opened Nov. 1 at its new location: 11190 Valley View Street, Cypress, CA 90630. The new 23,000-sq.-ft. building offers an additional 4,500 sq. ft. of usable space. The increased space allows for a new machine/clean line room.
Cessna will assemble Citation XLS+ business jets in China jointly with Avic general aviation subsidiary Caiga. A joint facility at Caiga's base at Zhuhai in southern China will make its first delivery of a Citation XLS+ in 12-18 months, says Cessna CEO Scott Ernest. Citations assembled at Zhuhai will be delivered only to Chinese customers. The agreement, signed by Cessna and Caiga at Airshow China in Zhuhai on Nov. 14, markedly extends a commitment to work with Chinese industry that the U.S.
The 2012 National Business Aviation Association Convention in Orlando, Fla. closed with 25,150 people in attendance, a number comparable to the final Attendee total of 26,077 for the 2011 Convention, and to the final attendee total of 24,206 for the 2010 event. The number of exhibitors at the Orange County Convention Center was 1,073; booth spaces totaled 4,361, an increase over last year's booth-space total. A total of 105 aircraft were shown on two separate static displays, and an additional four aircraft were shown inside the convention center.
A recent investigation by USA Today found that a large percentage of people don't follow the rules and leave their electronic devices on during takeoff and landing. That's understandable, given the lack of evidence that doing so causes any major difficulty to the flight crew or the aircraft's navigation systems (despite the few anecdotal claims otherwise). Even the feds are looking into the matter, at long last, probably because FAA personnel are as dependent on their electronic appendages as any of us and they know better.
October 2012 Argus TRAQPak data shows business aircraft activity increased month-over-month, and year-over-year. TRAQPak data indicates that October 2012 produced the second largest month of business aircraft flight activity, since January 2009. The results by operational category were all up from the previous month, with Part 135 up 11.7%. Reviewing activity year-over-year (October 2012 vs. October 2011) TRAQPak saw an increase of 2.8% in overall aircraft activity.
The G150 is one of the fastest and most cost-effective midsize business aircraft that is capable of flying non-stop between most coastal cities in the U.S. Assuming an ideal NBAA profile, it can fly four passengers 2,988 nm at long-range cruise. It offers slightly better range performance compared to the cramped G100 from which it is derived, but its cabin is 12-in. wider and its wide-oval cross section makes available more usable head and shoulder room than some larger midsize jets having circular fuselages.
BLR Aerospace delivered its 500th winglet system to its largest winglet customer, the FAA. The agency has purchased 18 Winglet Systems with LED lights for installation on its King Air 300 fleet. The FAA is in the process of installing its third set of Winglets as part of a larger fleet upgrade effort, and the first modified aircraft is flying. BLR Winglet Systems are in operation in 40 countries.
The November issue was outstanding, cover to cover. Starting with your tribute to Neil Armstrong and ending with Fred George's Lear 35 “20/Twenty” column, every article was really good. Every month I look forward to reading BCA, but something about the November issue was particularly good. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
