Business & Commercial Aviation

Regarding “Righting the Wronged,” I hope the fact that James Inhofe is a sitting senator had nothing to do with his being allowed to keep his license after 7 hr. of remedial training following the incident. I only say this because he is 77 years old and I've seen quite a few elderly pilots who should not be flying, or at the very least not be allowed to carry passengers. Oregon

North America, not China, holds the key to industry recovery says aviation analyst Brian Foley. “Although the China region provided a steady sales stream of large and expensive jets at the height of the world economic downturn, we see that trend rapidly losing steam,” he asserts. The China market, “was a conveniently timed mini-rescue, a nice shot in the arm at a critical moment, but now it's starting to slow down. Chinese GDP is almost halved from 2010 and its stock market is at its lowest in three and a half years.

GAMA President and CEO Pete Bunce believes time is running short for the FAA to make substantial changes to the certification process, which he says is resulting in up to 18-month delays in products reaching market and costing jobs. Given potential budget cuts that Congress may be facing, he says changes in the way FAA operates — including using the designee program the way it was designed — must be made soon. “FAA absolutely has to change right now,” he says, noting the agency has the budget and congressional authority to make the changes.

European business aviation traffic continued its downward trend in July, as the region grapples with the lingering effects of the economic downturn and casts a wary eye toward global anxieties and other concerns. According to the July 2012 Business Aviation Traffic Tracker, published by the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), business aviation traffic throughout the European Union slipped 4% from July 2011 figures. That decline also contributed to a 2.6% drop in year-to-date traffic numbers compared with 2011 figures.

Hawker Beechcraft is beginning avionics installation on its first customer-bound Hawker 400XPR, jump-starting the upgrade program that had been slowed by the company's ongoing financial struggles.

Aug. 26 — At 1715 EDT, a Mooney M20C (N557M) registered to a private owner, experienced a total loss of engine power on initial takeoff climb from East Hampton Airport (HTO) East Hampton, N.Y. The pilot attempted to return to the airport and the airplane collided with trees. The airplane was heavily damaged due to impact and a post-crash fire. The private pilot and one passenger received serious injuries. It was VFR for this flight that departed HTO at 1714. The pilot stated he conducted a preflight inspection and no anomalies were noted.

Washington has a few catch phrases that never seem to go away, with “budget deficit,” “debt ceiling,” and “budget cuts,” among the most persistent. Even in the best of times, doomsayers bemoan tight budgets, the need to slash programs and an inability to spend new money. This year is no different, only the talks are more dire. Washington will likely be in hyperdrive after the elections.

Aerodynamically clear F-28 has radically rigid-in-line three-blade rotor with elastometric bearings in the hub. Power goes from engine to main-rotor gearbox via a belt drive with controlled idler. Priced at under $30,000.

For many communities, building a heliport means new business opportunities, additional revenue and a new type of transportation. For the airport director, it's one more meeting with the FAA and one more stack of paperwork. As daunting as constructing or “renovating” a defunct heliport may seem, the process is easily divided into three manageable steps. The construction and alteration of airports is governed by 14 C.F.R. Part 157. Notifying the FAA in a timely manner is a key part of the process.

Nextant Aerospace has delivered its 16th 400XT business jet to a private buyer in the Czech Republic, the first to be registered in the European Union. The aircraft will be managed by Czech Republic-based Time Air, a provider of charter, aircraft acquisition and management services.

FAA is moving to decommission the last direction finders (DF) in the U.S. — 29 in Alaska — saying the technology is “beyond its useful life cycle.” The agency, which decommissioned DFs outside of Alaska in 2007, requested comments on a plan to shut down the remaining DFs. In a recent notice, FAA says their usage for pilot orientation “has become almost nonexistent.” The Alaska Flight Service Information Area Groups (AFSIAG) has documented eight flight assists involving lost or disoriented pilots over the past eight years.

Hawker Beechcraft recently launched its Portuguese language website at www.pt.hawkerbeechcraft.com and from the home page of its corporate website (www.hawkerbeechcraft.com). It is the third in a series of language translations the company is making, following the improved Chinese and Spanish websites that were launched in 2011. Among the highlights are: a 360-deg. virtual flight, an aircraft comparison tool and a color selection tool where customers can browse through a variety of color samples and designs and select their own interior fabrics and exterior paint schemes.

Bell Helicopter delivered two 407GX aircraft to Helicopter Flight Services, Inc., a New York-based company offering tours, charters, aerial photography, lift work and custom projects. Helicopter Flight Services is the first to operate a Bell 407GX in a sightseeing capacity. The company also operates five Bell 407 aircraft.

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) has confirmed its new opening date will be Oct. 27, 2013, the beginning of the winter 2013/2014 schedule. Multiple delays in opening the city's new airport has been a source of embarrassment to Germany's capital.

Constant Aviation has completed the STC for the Wi-Fi system along with Aircell's Gogo Biz Inflight Internet system in Hawker series business jets. “With close to 600 Hawker 800A/XP, 850XP and 900XP aircraft based in the U.S., it made sense for us to make this STC a priority. . . . The investment made into our engineering capability has allowed us to make new STC projects and modifications a priority for our customers,” said Derek Morris, avionics modifications manager at Constant.

A new AgustaWestland Service Center has been opened by AVIASUR in Santiago, Chile to provide maintenance and support services for AgustaWestland civil helicopter customers. The service center, located at Santiago's Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Chile, officially opened Aug. 8. AgustaWestland now has 17 of its helicopters operating in Chile: 8 AW119 Koalas, 7 AW109s, one Grand and one W-3A Sokol. The first GrandNew light-twin helicopter is scheduled to be delivered to Chile later this year.

NBAA named safety expert Robert E. Breiling the recipient of the 2012 NBAA John P. “Jack” Doswell Award. The award, to be presented during NBAA's 65th Annual Meeting & Convention Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in Orlando, recognizes lifelong individual achievement on behalf of and in support of the aims, goals and objectives of business aviation.

Cessna promised to certify its new Citation Ten as the fastest business jet on the market with a speed of Mach 0.935, topping the Gulfstream G650's Mach 0.925. Cessna's original Citation X held the fastest business jet title at Mach 0.92 until Gulfstream unveiled the G650. Cessna unveiled the Ten follow-on during the 2010 NBAA Convention.

Embraer's Phenom 100 executive jet has won a Validation of Type Certificate issued by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). “Embraer has been strengthening its market position in China's executive aviation market over the past few years,” said Guan Dongyuan, president of Embraer China. “CAAC's certificate for the Phenom 100 is great news for Embraer and prospective customers.” The Phenom 100 accommodates up to eight occupants. Its range of 1,178 nm (2,182 km), with NBAA IFR fuel reserves, makes the aircraft capable of flying nonstop from Beijing to Tokyo.

Gulfstream Aerospace has received a Type Certificate for the large-cabin, ultra-long-range G550 from the South African Civil Aviation Authority. The approval allows operators to register the aircraft in South Africa. The G550 fleet has accrued more than 650,000 flight hours and made more than 242,000 landings. At its high-speed cruise of Mach 0.85, the G550 will fly Cape Town to London in 12 hr.

KeyAir, headquartered at Oxford, Conn. (OXF), has added a Falcon 900EX, based at Westchester County Airport (HPN) to its managed charter fleet. Key Air provides worldwide jet charter, aircraft management and FBO services at Oxford and at KeyAir Twin Cities (ANE) just outside Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.

Rockwell Collins' Airshow 3-D moving map is now available for download in the Apple iTunes App Store. The iPad app delivers an interactive way for business jet passengers to view the world around them and stay informed during their journey. Existing Airshow 4000 or Venue HD cabin management system users can take advantage of the new app for passengers' iPads.

Banyan has recently launched a mobile website to make it easier for their customers while they are traveling. Everything an operators needs from customer support to maintenance and avionics upgrades and services is now available. Enter www.banyanair.com into your phone's browser. Banyan has also received an STC from the FAA for the installation of the Honeywell Aspire 200LG Satcom system on Gulfstream GII, GIII and GIV aircraft.

Once a conch-wannabe living in Coconut Grove, I recently returned to the Sunshine State at the invitation of Embraer Executive Jets, which was showing off its new $52 million digs at Melbourne Airport. The Phenom maker has reason to strut; the sparkling campus is brand new, carefully considered, nicely executed and, well, a phenom.

In an Aug. 24 posting to its iPad support knowledge base, Apple listed its international battery safety certifications, thereby meeting the requirements of FAA Advisory Circular (AC) 120-76B. “Basically, the compliance statement means the iPad 100% meets FAA requirements spelled out in the new AC,” said Rick Ellerbrock, director of aviation strategy at Jeppesen. “That deals with United Nations transport safety requirements and also Underwriters Laboratories requirements.