An Airbus and TAM Airlines initiative to plant 75,000 acres of jatropha in Brazil is part of a plan to scale up the production of aviation biofuel to commercial quantities. Project leader JetBio has selected San Diego-based SG Biofuels to develop hybrid varieties of jatropha to be grown on abandoned pasture land. In addition to Airbus and TAM, which flight-tested a jatropha-derived biofuel blend in November 2010, the initiative includes the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Bioventures Brasil and aviation fuel supplier Air BP.
'D3,' the third Sikorsky S-76D prototype, joined the flight test program and is serving as the primary vehicle to certify the avionics and electrical systems. The S-76D helicopter flight test program has logged more than 500 flight hours to date with its first two prototypes. All three prototypes were assembled at the Sikorsky Global Helicopters facility in Coatesville, Pa.
The NBAA believes that UAVs will share the skies with manned aircraft. It's just a matter of time. The greatest challenge lies in how to ensure that unmanned aircraft are ready to safely navigate the skies outside the controlled environment of a restricted test area, or over a military base. NBAA Director, Air Traffic Services & Infrastructure, Bob Lamond says the FAA “is being appropriately cautious” in moving forward with wider deployment of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs).
Diamond Aircraft has resumed flight testing its D-Jet prototypes, following the temporary grounding in late March that stemmed from a cash shortfall and led to furloughs of most people working on the single-jet program. The 1-hr. flight of D-Jet 003, its first flight since March 27, included shakedown of aircraft systems, control sweeps, gear cycling, flap cycling, verification of navigation equipment and software, several touch-and-goes and completion of some control-system test points, according to the company.
The Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), responsible for maintaining the long-term vision for U.S. airspace modernization, is developing a revised 2025 “end- state” for NextGen, recognizing that traffic growth is not expected to meet projections made when the program was launched in 2003. While the FAA is responsible for implementing NextGen and is focused on capabilities that can be deployed in the mid-term, by 2018, JPDO is the custodian of the overall architecture and long-term vision.
Naples Jet Center at Naples, Fla. Municipal Airport was named an Embraer-authorized Phenom service center. The company will offer maintenance, service, upgrades and warranty work for owners and operators of Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 aircraft.
Flying Colours has delivered another two Bombardier Challenger 850s — to the Middle East and Russia. ExecuJet Middle East accepted a Challenger 850 on behalf of a private customer in June. A second completed Challenger 850 was delivered to Russian aviation business Ak Bars Aero in late July. Both aircraft were certified in those countries and completed at Flying Colours' head office in Peterborough, Ontario.
Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support (GCS) has announced the service areas for its West Coast and Northeast Mobile Technical Support teams' fleet of ground support vehicles. The West Coast base will cover Arizona, Nevada and California, while a second unit in the Northeast will support operators in New York, New Jersey and Virginia. Future plans call for other U.S.and international locations.
Magellan Jets is expanding into the Chinese market with its private jet and concierge services. Magellan initially is offering a “Cultural Education” charter service designed for Chinese citizens. Magellan is partnering with OrientSKYs private jet for logistical and operational flight support.
George Best Belfast City Airport and FBO Eurojet Aviation will partner with U.S.-based Avfuel for business aviation fuel and services. According to Mark Beattie, operations director for George Best Belfast City Airport, “Introducing an alternative fuel supplier allows us to be more competitive, which will ultimately drive more business aviation traffic to the airport.” Beattie has been focused on growing general aviation activity at the airport.
Gulfstream Aerospace displayed three of its business jets at the sixth annual Jet Expo Russian International Business Aviation Exhibition held Sept. 14-16 at Vnukovo-3 Airport near Moscow: the wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150; the large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream G450; and the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550.
NASA is working with the FAA and the industry to plan an operational demonstration of fuel-saving approach procedures using automatic dependent surveillance — broadcast (ADS-B) at an airport with high air traffic density. The objective of Airspace Technology Demonstration 1, planned for fiscal 2015, is to show the return on investment for early adopters of avionics required for NextGen, says John Cavolowsky, director of NASA's Airspace Systems Program.
NetJets has signed a long-term lease with Van Nuys, Calif.-based FBO Maguire Aviation to build a dedicated, private terminal at Van Nuys Airport, custom-designed and operated to NetJets' specifications and owner preferences. The project includes a new 10,000-sq.-ft. terminal with a conference room and business center. Construction is expected to be completed by summer 2012.
A Gulfstream G550 recently set a city-pair speed record between Savannah, Ga., and Campinas, Brazil. On Aug. 8, the aircraft took off from Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport at 7:56 a.m. local time with 11 passengers, a flight attendant and captains Eric Parker and Anthony Briotta in the cockpit. The G550 landed 8 hr. and 28 min. later at Viracopos-Campinas International Airport, having flown 3,894 nm at an average cruise speed of 519 mph.
JetFlite International has expanded its Moscow presence, adding a Bombardier Challenger 601 based at Vnukovo Airport and expanding its sales and dispatch staff there. “From our perspective Moscow is an emerging market and there is a lot of opportunity there,” said Bill Cripe, JFI's CEO. “This summer in Moscow we are flying one of our airplanes over 80 hr. a month in charter. Over the past two years we've become comfortable in it. We have expertise that is unique to a U.S. operator working in Russia.
When a military CASA 212 with 21 people aboard was lost off Chile's seacoast in September, authorities used an iPhone app called Find My iPhone to locate the remains of the airplane, which crashed in a zone between the islands of Robinson Crusoe, Santa Clara and the Juan Fernandez airport. One of the victims' relatives knew the victim had an active iPhone at the time of the crash. Using the app, the relatives were able to isolate the coordinates of the last place the phone generated a signal before it crashed and passed that information to the Chilean Navy.
CRS Jet Spares, a major business aviation aftermarket parts supplier, has signed an MOU with Gulfstream Aerospace of Savannah that allows CRS to provide many Gulfstream parts as well as service support directly to operators of GII, GIII and GIV aircraft as an approved Gulfstream Aerospace supplier. In 2009, CRS purchased a large inventory of factory new material from Gulfstream.
The FAA is deploying a new tool to help controllers maintain optimum separation between aircraft on approach. The Automated Terminal Proximity Alert (ATPA) tool was developed by Lockheed Martin and the FAA. ATPA is an enhancement to the Common Automated Radar Terminal System, installed at more than 100 Tracons. The ATPA system informs controllers of distances between aircraft that are flying in-line instrument approaches. It will alert a controller when a trailing airplane is predicted to come too close to an aircraft ahead of it.
Officials of the Chinese Civil Aviation Authority (CAAC) visited Raisbeck Engineering's Seattle headquarters on Aug. 30 to develop certification criteria for Raisbeck Performance Systems in China. The first two Raisbeck systems to complete the process are Dual Aft Body Strakes (DABS) and Nacelle Wing Lockers (NWLS) for the Beechcraft King Air 350, according to Bill Lally, Raisbeck's FAA coordinator.
The FAA Air Traffic Organization could be headed for a reorganization, says FAA Managers Association President David Conley. While there has been “no vision articulated by [FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt]” for such a restructuring, it has been discussed and consultants hired, he says. “We don't think he'll revolutionize it, but will evolve it.” A decision has been made to recombine the jobs of VP-technical training with the safety group, so training will again be part of safety, he adds.
At Moscow's JetExpo 2011 in September, Embraer signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Jet Aviation Moscow Vnukovo to establish an enhanced maintenance service able to respond 24/7 with certified mechanics, special tools and a readily available on-site spare parts stock. Already approved as an Embraer Authorized Service Center at Vnukovo International Airport (VKO) since 2009 for line support, Jet Aviation will stock parts consigned by Embraer for Legacy 600 and Legacy 650 executive jets.
A change in FAR Part 61.58 taking effect Oct. 31 will require all pilots in command (PIC) of turbojet aircraft to undergo annual proficiency checks. Previously PICs with a single-pilot type rating in certain jets were exempt. When the rule was first posted, the majority of comments came from operators of experimental category aircraft who resisted the change because of the absence of appropriate simulators, examiners and the cost of flight in their aircraft.
Piper Aircraft is planning to lock down the design on its new single-jet Altaire in the fourth quarter, a final step before the first conforming test article flies next year. Executive Vice President Randy Groom says the project's critical design review is “imminent,” and that no real surprises have cropped up and no significant changes have been necessary since the company revamped the design a year ago.
The U.S. Commerce Department has formed a government/industry group to promote export sales of NextGen products and services developed for the FAA. Formation of the NextGen Vendors Group (NVG) is part of a wider Obama administration initiative to double U.S. exports and generate jobs. Other aspects of the initiative include streamlining U.S. export controls.
The FAA and Australia's Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to continue research and development of clean, sustainable alternative aviation fuels. U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood and Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Kim Beazley signed the agreement Sept. 13. The MOU calls for Australia and the U.S. to exchange information about policies, programs, projects, research results and publications, and to conduct joint studies in areas such as fuel sources and environmental impacts.
