Jet Aviation Moscow Vnukovo recently signed an agreement with Vnukovo Invest, a co-owner of Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, to expand its operations into a new hangar, storage and office facility later this year. Jet Aviation began operating at Vnukovo in November 2007 and has offered 24/7 line maintenance and AOG support throughout Russia since 2009.
Honeywell is acquiring EMS Technologies, an Atlanta-based network and satellite communications company, for $491 million, and the deal is expected to close in the third quarter this year. Honeywell is paying $33 per share in cash, or 13 times EMS Technologies' earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), the companies said in a statement. EMS will be split between Honeywell's Automation and Control Solutions (ACS) and Aerospace groups.
Diamond Aircraft is planning to recall furloughed workers and ramp up work on the D-Jet program after receiving a commitment for a “significant investment” targeted for the single-engine jet. Diamond says funding will enable the recall of furloughed engineering and technical staff, the resumption of flight test operations and production of the next test aircraft. The five-seat D-Jet was about two-thirds into the development program and about 22 months from completion when activity halted. Diamond has produced three prototypes.
FAA corrected a technical error in its regulations governing fractional aircraft ownership programs that were issued in 2003. Specifically, the amendment revises Part 91.1091 (f)(2) to replace the term “check pilot” with “flight instructor.” “Because the section title applies to flight instructors, it is obvious that the use of the term 'check pilot' in (f)(2) should have been 'flight instructor,'” the agency says. The change was effective June 2.
Piaggio Aero, one of the oldest names in aviation, expressed faith in its future by breaking ground for a new, ultra-modern and super-efficient manufacturing plant at Villanova d'Albenga, Italy. The new plant, set to open in 2013, will manufacture parts and subassemblies for the P180 Avanti II turboprop as well as aircraft engines. If Piaggio goes ahead with its long-studied business jet, that would also be manufactured there. Meanwhile, the Avanti pusher will continue to be assembled and finished at the company's historic facility in Genoa.
Piper Aircraft held a PiperJet Altaire supplier gathering in June as the company moves toward certification of the single-engine business jet, with first flights of conforming test articles in 2012. Piper says certification and first deliveries will occur in 2014. Aerospace suppliers represented at the June 16 event included Castle Metals, Garmin International, Kollsman, L-3 Communications, Millennium Concepts, PCI, Goodrich Cabin Systems, PPG Aerospace, Triumph Aerospace, and Williams International.
FinServe Aviation Insurance, a European business aviation insurance broker, has developed a new insurance program — FinServe European Business Aviation Placement (F-EBAP) — that is designed to cover a broader range of risks associated with owning and operating business aircraft in Europe. “Most policies are very limited, covering the aircraft only,” says FinServe CEO Guy Broddin.
Quest Aircraft Co. said it is increasing the production rate for the its Kodiak turboprop. A recapitalization earlier this year plus new investor funding enabled the company to expand and invest in key areas, including production increases at its Sandpoint, Idaho facility. Quest began customer deliveries of the Kodiak in late 2007, and it has since been deployed in more than 10 countries around the world in a variety of applications. Kodiaks are in service with charter operators, small businesses, personal owners, skydiving operations, U.S.
The Salina Airport Authority's board of directors approved a $218,994 design contract with Wichita-based Howard and Helmer Architecture to handle renovations at the Kansas facility's Hangar 959. Hawker Beechcraft is vacating the hangar, known as Big Bertha. The building can handle narrowbody aircraft and maintenance, repair and overhaul operations.
Landmark Aviation will take over the operation and management of the West FBO at Tampa (Fla.) International Airport from the current tenant, Signature Flight Support, on Oct. 8. The agreement with the Tampa Airport Authority is for 20 years with a five-year renewal option if Landmark constructs a minimum 30,000-sq.-ft. hangar facility during the initial 20-year term. Under the agreement, Landmark will provide Signature's current Tampa employees with employment opportunities. In addition, Landmark is required to make a one-time payment of $2,569,500 on or before Oct.
Abu Dhabi Airports Company signed a lease with Jet Aviation authorizing it to provide aviation services at Al Bateen Executive Airport later this year. Under the deal, Jet Aviation becomes Al Bateen's first independent maintenance, repair and overhaul provider.
A new rule — that applies to electrical and electronic systems installed on aircraft certificated under FAR Parts 23, 25, 27 and 29 — establishes two levels of lightning protection for aircraft systems based on the consequences of system function failure: catastrophic and hazaderous/major consequences. This regulation, which goes into effect Aug. 8, also addresses lightning protection for systems according to the aircraft's potential for lightning exposure.
Charles Edelstenne, chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, unveiled the Falcon 2000S on the eve of EBACE 2011. In doing so, he dispelled any misconceptions about how and when the French firm would field a super-midsize business jet. Plainly put, it won't. Not now. Not anytime soon.
The 24th Salon International de l'Aeronautique held in June featured old-fashioned biplanes contrasting with the sleek tailfins of high-speed fighters. This is typical of the Salon's unique blend of serious trade show and old-time aviation country fair — parachute jumps (one with live radio commentary by the free-falling 'chutist), helicopter races and the “baptism of the air” (first airplane ride) for lucky ticket holders. Truly, it's the kind of show only the French could produce.
More than 15 years ago, the FAA chartered a human factors team to look into the causes of a spate of accidents that involved crews trying to function within highly automated cockpits that had been introduced by a new generation of aircraft. The Flight Safety Foundation published the results of that initiative in 1996 and noted in the report that one key issue centered on the disconnect between pilots and the airplane, often expressed by crew members as “Why did it do that?” or “What is it doing now?”
These graphs are designed to illustrate the performance of the Dassault Falcon 2000S under a variety of range, payload, speed and density altitude conditions. Bill Miller, Dassault Falcon Jet's chief sales engineer, provided the data for the Range/Payload Profile. Data for the Specific Range chart were extracted from the Dassault Falcon 2000LX Performance Manual, adjusted for the projected basic operating weight and fuel capacity of the Falcon 2000S.
Maximum Manuals has developed a package to enable charter operators to apply for approval and implement use of the Apple iPad as an Electronic Flight Bag. Maximum Manuals' iPad EFB Program includes a submittal package for application to the FAA, a training program for flight crews, supplemental language for company documents and full support throughout the approval process to obtain A061 Ops Specs.
There are plenty of choices in today's pre-owned light jet market and plenty of trade-offs in cabin comfort, performance and direct operating cost. The Beechjet 400/400A has one of the roomiest cabins in its class, rivaling those of Phenom 300 or Learjet 40XR, although it's about two feet shorter in length. It will climb directly to FL 410, or higher, and cruise at 440 KIAS, assuming standard-day conditions. And most aircraft in the resale market are priced at $1.2-$1.8 million, an attractive value.
Rockwell Collins has received an STC to retrofit Pro Line 4-equipped Falcon 2000 and Falcon 2000EX aircraft with the Pro Line 21 avionics suite. The upgrade replaces the legacy CRT displays with LCD displays. Some 250 Falcon 2000 and 2000EX aircraft are eligible for the Pro Line 21 retrofit.
Fokker Aircraft Services recently handed over a converted Airbus A320 airliner to MasterJet, a Geneva, Switzerland-based operator. The makeover — which was done at the company facility in Woensdrecht, Netherlands — included a complete teardown of the airline interior and installation of five separate cabins, including a private suite with bedroom, bathroom and office; a conference and dining area; separate executive lounge; and special first-class seating area.
New research from Hawker Beechcraft Corp. (HBC) and Corporate Jet Investor indicates that the majority of business aviation financing experts expect demand for financing to increase in Europe, the Middle East and Africa over the next five years. None of those interviewed anticipate demand for financing in those regions to fall. The findings are based on a poll of 48 aviation finance experts that was conducted at the International Corporate Jet & Helicopter Finance 2011 conference earlier this year.
Safe Flight Instrument Corp.'s Power Line Detection System (PDS) has been certified for installation on the Enstrom 480B helicopter, and the system will soon be available for retrofit on the approximately 90 in-service models of that rotorcraft. The PDS also will be offered as an option on new production models of the light turbine helicopter built by the Menominee, Mich., rotary-wing manufacturer. Enstrom has already delivered PDS-equipped 480B helicopters to the Royal Thai Army as part of a 16-aircraft contract.
A U.S. Air Force tactical airlift pilot during the Vietnam conflict, I crisscrossed the length and breadth of the war zone on a regular basis. My C-123K Provider was a 60,000-lb. workhorse whose curious pairing of two Pratt & Whitney R2800 radials and two General Electric J-85 wing-mounted turbojets made it surprisingly well-suited for its mission.
