Thanks to the recent issuance of a series of FAA STCs, a number of in-service Dassault and Gulfstream aircraft equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 and Pro Line 21 avionics can be upgraded to provide Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) Localizer Performance with Vertical guidance (LPV).
Lee Juan Lanford, 87, founder of Associated Air Center (AAC), died from complications due to Alzheimer’s disease, Nov. 13. Lanford helped establish the Associated Radio Co., in 1948 at Love Field in Dallas, initially as a three-man operation that specialized in the repair and installation of surplus radio equipment in ex-military aircraft that were being converted into private/corporate aircraft. The firm added maintenance, repair and overhaul in 1968, including exterior modifications and refurbishments and the name changed to Associated Air Center.
Raisbeck Engineering will provide its Ram Air Recovery System (RARS) for the new Beechcraft King Air 250. The system boosts performance throughout the flight envelope by reducing engine inlet turbine temperature by about 20°C, Raisbeck says. The effects include increased flat-rating for operation at hot, high-altitude airports; increased climb capability; increased cruise speeds; and a more efficient engine. The system is installed as a retrofit on Super King Air 200s and B200s, and more than 1,000 systems have been installed on King Airs since 1982.
Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF), Alexandria, Va., announced the selection of Charles O’Dell, director of Sun Air Jets, Camarillo, Calif., as the newest member of the board of governors. Air Partner, London, England, has promoted Simon Wheatley to the position of U.K. manager of its Private Jets division, replacing Ben Bewsey, who has left the company. Air Transport Association, Washington, D.C., named Nicholas E. Calio president and CEO, effective Jan. 1. He succeeds James C. May, who has been president for the past eight years.
Embraer delivered the first Phenom 100 business jet in India, the first of 18 Phenom 100s ordered by India’s Invision Air Services Pvt. Ltd., a Mumbai-based on-demand charter company. Invision Air ordered the aircraft three years ago, along with two Phenom 300s.
Sometimes no news is just that: no news. Snecma’s Silvercrest engine was originally launched as a 9,500- to 12,000-lb-thrust motivator for large and long-range jets — read: Gulfstream, Bombardier, Dassault. The company announced an 80-hr. test run on a developmental prototype that reportedly exceeded expectations, and the engine was poised to appear in service in 2012, Snecma said. Of course, that was back in 2008, when the business aviation world slid into an economic abyss, and now the premiere date has slid to 2014 but with no application airframe named yet.
Good communication within a flight department is essential for safe operations. Ensuring that all team members have a clear picture of what is happening to the aircraft and what needs to be done to make the aircraft flight ready is critical to safety. Many maintenance errors are caused by poor communication between technicians or between pilots and technicians. Over the years, there has been increased emphasis placed on improving communication skills for maintenance technicians — often cited as one of the “dirty dozen” human factors in aviation maintenance.
Piaggio Aero received both type and production certificates in November for its P.180 Avanti II business turboprop from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation, ANAC. The Avanti II can now be legally sold, registered and operated in Brazil.
Lufthansa Technik and Panasonic Avionics Corp. are establishing a joint venture for the development, manufacture and sale of inflight entertainment (IFE) and cabin management systems (CMS) for VIP aircraft. Officials from the two companies say their new systems will be based on a combination of the technologies used in Panasonic’s X Series airline IFE system, Panasonic’s Global Communications Suite (eXConnect and eXPhone) and the “nice” CMS/IFE system developed by Lufthansa Technik’s Innovation Business Unit.
Falcon 2000 owners can opt for a new cabin interior next time their aircraft visits Basel for major maintenance or a new paint job. Jet Aviation Basel, a designated Dassault Falcon completions center, launched its “Jet Falcon” cabin interior refurbishment program at MEBA 2010. The program offers three cabin interior designs — Classic, Style and Fashion, with standardized sets of designs and modular processes to keep downtime and costs to a minimum.
Sikorsky has begun final assembly of the first production S-76D, with delivery scheduled for 2012. Czech manufacturer Aero Vodochody delivered the first production fuselage to Sikorsky Global Helicopters in Coatesville, Pa., in mid-November. The upgraded S-76D — with composite rotor blades, dual-speed rotor, active vibration control, Thales integrated flight deck and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S engines — is Sikorsky’s response to increased competition in the intermediate helicopter market.
The Middle East market for business jets is beginning to show signs of recovery as confidence starts to return. Dassault has a growing fleet of Falcon business jets in the region, which it plans to grow by 30% over the next three years, thanks to a solid aircraft order book from regional buyers. Dassault Falcon sold 14 aircraft in the Middle East in the last two years and has a backlog of 15 additional aircraft to be delivered to regional buyers by 2013.
Jet Aviation and Landmark Aviation have made donations to Able Flight Inc., a national non-profit organization that provides flight training scholarships to people with disabilities. The awards, which will fund scholarships for 2011, were presented to Charles Stites, executive director of Able Flight, Oct. 20 at NBAA.
Hawker Beechcraft Corp. revealed its new Hawker 200 derived from the Premier II at NBAA 2010. A prototype has accumulated over 100 hr. since its first flight in March. The Hawker 200 has new winglets, Williams International FJ44-3AP engines, a gross weight increase and a 43,000-ft. cruise capability. It also features multi-scan weather radar, ADS-B Out, a 400-hr. inspection interval and 10-yr. warranty on its composite airframe.
Gulfstream is not just staying put, but expanding in Savannah. The company announced a $500 million, seven-year expansion plan that will add about 1,000 employees a 15% increase over the current Savannah employment level of approximately 5,500 employees. “With our own sales trends and market forecasts suggesting an upturn over the next decade, we want to ensure Gulfstream is well-positioned to meet the demand in terms of products and services,” said Gulfstream President Joe Lombardo, “We are already beginning to see signs of a modest recovery.
Political pundits can find an infinite number of ways to slice and dice election results to pinpoint key voting blocs that led to election or rejection of a particular candidate. But those pundits would be hard-pressed to find a more successful group of candidates than those who share membership in the Senate and House General Aviation Caucuses.
Steve Hansen, National Air Traffic Controllers Association Safety Committee chairman and veteran Albuquerque Center air traffic controller, won the Air Traffic Control Association’s (ATCA) Air Traffic Control Specialist of the Year award. The award, presented at ATCA’s 55th Annual Conference and Exposition in National Harbor, Md., is presented to an individual civilian air traffic control specialist who has performed in an exemplary or extraordinary manner in support of ATC during the previous year.
Nextant Aerospace of Richmond Heights, Ohio, has secured its first fleet order for the 400XT, a 40-aircraft, $150 million purchase by Cleveland-based fractional provider Flight Options. The upgraded Beechjet 400A/XP airplanes, which will be delivered over the next five years, include Nextant’s power-by-the-hour engine and tip-to-tail aircraft maintenance warranty. Eight of the aircraft are to be delivered to Flight Options in 2011 following FAA certification of the upgraded Beechjet.
Jet Support Services introduced two new engine programs and a new coverage enhancement to meet the growing maintenance and service requirements of its clients. The Platinum Engine Maintenance Program is designed specifically for owners and operators of large-cabin aircraft. The new program covers Rolls-Royce BR710, Tay 611-8, 611-8C and AE3007A1E engines, as well as GE-CF34-1A, 3A, 3A1, 3A2, 3B and 10E7 engines.
Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACFT), Alexandria, Va., announced that William F. Haberstock, president and CEO of Million Air Aviation, was elected vice chairman for 2011. John Grillo, president of Executive Fliteways, was selected as the new treasurer. Aircraft Technical Publishers (ATP), Brisbane, Calif., has selected William Mermelstein as the company’s new vice president of sales and marketing for compliance and safety solutions.
New approaches to lending have created an interesting financing dichotomy that could potentially affect every used business jet buyer, says general aviation analyst Brian Foley. During a recent interview with BCA sister publication The Weekly of Business Aviation, Foley said, “On the one hand, with 2009’s credit crisis now abated, banks are back in the game and ready to lend — or so they say. On the other hand, pre-owned aircraft brokers complain their client’s loans are often not approved. Why?”
Avro Business Jets (ABJ) has launched the third of five planned business aircraft versions of the Avro RJ/BAe 146 regional jet. ABJ is targeting the VIP, corporate and corporate shuttle markets, but company vice president Stewart Cordner points out that the donor RJ series airframes — with their voluminous cabin area, near-short takeoff and landing performance and ability to operate from unimproved runways — offer a range of possibilities.
The 2,000th Beechcraft King Air C90 rolled out in Wichita, Hawker Beechcraft announced Nov. 11. The milestone aircraft, a King Air C90GTx, represents the latest iteration of this most successful turbine aircraft lineup in general aviation today, according to the company. It is scheduled for customer delivery later this year. The King Air 90 series entered service more than 45 years ago. The C90 represents a significant portion of King Air production, which totals more than 6,500 model 90, A90, B90 and C90 aircraft.
Who at BCA determined its readers would be interested in a story on animal cruelty simply because the abuser holds a pilot license (“A Different Kind of Ag-Cat,” October 2010, page 100)? As a reader of BCA since its inception, I was shocked that you would publish such drivel. I’ll be even more shocked if this gets published.
General aviation airplane shipments fell 14.5%, from 1,588 units in 2009 to 1,357 units in the first nine months of this year. 2010, GAMA reported. Billings for general aviation airplanes totaled $13.47 billion in the first nine months, down 2.5%. “Despite another drop in total shipments and billings, we believe that the longer-term outlook for general aviation is positive,” said Pete Bunce, GAMA’s president and CEO. Piston-powered airplane shipments totaled 634 units compared to 679 units delivered in the first nine months of 2009, a 6.6% decrease.
