A third ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650 has joined the flight test program for the company’s new flagship model, accumulating 10 hours of flight time as of June 3, Gulfstream announced. This test aircraft is thoroughly instrumented to measure aerodynamic loads and ice-protection system performance. The aircraft is the primary test bed for the G650’s avionics, including the latest version of Gulfstream’s PlaneView cockpit and a new technology advanced backup instrument display that doubles as a multifunction control panel.
Bombardier’s Flexjet fractional ownership operation remained profitable in the first quarter, says Bombardier President and CEO Pierre Beaudoin. He believes operating a simpler fleet has helped Flexjet, adding that the unit can be more efficient than mixed-fleet competitors. At the same time, Beaudoin says the company is seeing increases in fractional and jet card sales.
Jeppesen Flight Tracking now allows viewing of aircraft position reports with JetPlan.com and JetPlanner applications. As aircraft position data are gathered from several “global sources,” the new capability provides worldwide IFR flight tracking for business as well as airline and military aviation.
Viking Air is building a network of strategic partnerships with industry specialists to provide factory-certified service and warranty repairs on items such as main and nose landing gear and rotable components. Team JAS of Jacksonville, Fla., and Universal Avionique Inc. of Miami are the first factory-endorsed component centers for its Twin Otter Series 400 and legacy de Havilland Canada aircraft support network.
Air Transport Association President Jim May said new FAA rules requiring the installation and use of Automatic Dependent Surveillance — Broadcast (ADS-B) equipment and the considerable expense that the requirements would impose on carriers “must be based on a solid business case.” The regulation calls for operators to upgrade to ADS-B on all aircraft flying in A, B and C airspace and above 10,000 feet within 10 years.
AOPA President Craig Fuller announced May 24 the intention to merge the association’s two 501(c)(3) charitable organizations — the AOPA Foundation and the AOPA Air Safety Foundation — into a single entity known as the AOPA Foundation. Bruce Landsberg, present president of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, will lead the new AOPA Foundation as president.
A new fuel specification or amendment to an existing one begins with a comprehensive research report submitted as an argument for consideration to members of ASTM International (formerly, the American Society for Testing and Materials), who subsequently vote for or against its inclusion in the appropriate spec. The ASTM technical body reviews the research report to determine if it is technically sound and provides reasonable substantiation for the approval of the fuel under consideration.
The Lancair ES-P is a four-passenger homebuilt aircraft with some differences: To begin with, it’s pressurized. And its 350-hp Teledyne Continental TSIO-550 with twin turbochargers provides a true cruise airspeed of about 270 knots. No, that’s not a typo. It does 270 knots — that’s King Air speed from a little airplane with fixed gear. And Jay Taylor is building one.
The FAA opened a NextGen Integration and Evaluation Capability (NIEC) display facility at its William J. Hughes Technical Center at Atlantic City International Airport, June 7. The NIEC is a research platform where scientists will use simulation to explore, integrate and evaluate NextGen concepts, including area navigation (RNAV), trajectory-based operations, flying unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the national airspace system, and more.
Hawker Beechcraft has developed a new maintenance and training program for its used turbine aircraft customers covering the first year or 150 operating hours after purchase. The Hawker Beechcraft Select Pre-Owned Program covers all scheduled and unscheduled airframe, engine and avionics maintenance as well as initial flight-crew training at FlightSafety International and a first-year subscription to a computerized maintenance tracking program.
The FAA is disbanding the RTCA ATM Advisory Committee (ATMAC) as the first step to forming a new panel that will represent a broader cross section of the industry. The agency sent a letter to the RTCA on May 28, requesting that the ATMAC be wound up with its June 3 meeting to be its last.
I am disappointed with Patrick Veillette’s “Double Standard” (June 2010, page 53), a misleading article about public safety operations, which is more remarkable by what it does not say than what it does. It is noteworthy that most of the data the author cites are 10 to more than 20 years old, and create a false picture of the current state of public safety aviation. From January 1999 through December 2008, law enforcement helicopter accidents went down by 80 percent.
Hawker Beechcraft appointed Metrojet Hong Kong as an authorized service center in late May to support Hawker 900/800/700 business jets in China and the Pacific Rim. Founded in 1995, Metrojet provides engine and airframe service, avionics line maintenance, routine inspections, interior and exterior cleaning and detailing, and scheduled base inspections. Metrojet operates a 24/7 AOG hotline and has a staff of more than 90 maintenance professionals. Metrojet is a certified repair station with approvals from the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department and the FAA.
ExxonMobil Aviation has expanded its Avitat network as Chevron Texaco contracts its branded avfuel business. Five new Jet Aviation Avitats are located in Dubai, UAE; Dusseldorf, Germany; Geneva; London Biggin Hill; and Zurich. Jet Aviation currently operates four FBOs under the ExxonMobil Aviation Avitat brand in North America at Bedford, Mass.; Dallas; Palm Beach, Fla.; and Teterboro, N.J. The addition of the Jet Aviation FBOs increases the Avitat network to nearly 50 locations worldwide.
After graduating from the University of Tennessee, Cannon volunteered (as appropriate for a “Vol”) for the U.S. Navy, and spent several cruises flying E2-C Hawkeyes off carriers supporting operations over Vietnam. His post-military career is all business aviation, including flying for several operators and managing flight operations for Home Depot, among others. An MBA from the University of Connecticut, he also was CEO of Jet Professionals for several years.
The Iridium 9555 satellite handset has a new firmware release that allows users to plug in to a computer running Windows XP, Vista and 7 or Mac OS 10.4 or later. The handset connects to the computer through a standard Mini-USB cable. The phone also has “enhanced” short-message-service (SMS, or “texting”) performance, providing up to 1,000 characters in length instead of 160. As with all Iridium satellite service coverage is 100 percent of the globe.
False Replies Unsynchronized with Interrogator Transmission (FRUIT), a by-product of 1090 MHz frequency congestion, now is a small problem, but in the next decade ADS-B will increase potential FRUIT by several orders of magnitude because of its heavy reliance on 1090ES Mode S data links. One of the prime causes is the growing number of aircraft equipped with TCAS, a system that shares the same frequency as transponders and SSRs. Some TSO-C74c Mode A/C transponders also contribute to the problem because of detuned sensitivity.
Hawker Beechcraft Services’ (HBS) Indianapolis service center has recently completed a state-of-the-art paint facility that can accommodate aircraft ranging from Beechcraft Bonanzas to Hawker 4000s. The facility offers paint services including factory or custom paint designs. HBS also has paint facilities in San Antonio, Little Rock, Wichita and Chester, England.
“Double Standard” was right on the money. The oversight and management is even worse at a fiscal level. A friend who works for the U.S. Forest Service tells me that the aviation manager and flight standards pilot have a King Air at their disposal, which they disguise under training and standardization. I encouraged disclosure to the OIG about what is going on, but of course there’s fear of retaliation from the av manager. It is quite obvious after reading your article that there isn’t much of that going on. Our tax dollars hard at work.
Managers from the former Spirit Aviation have joined with Michael Binder of Altitude Aviation to launch Dreamline Aviation, which won its FAR Part 135 charter certification June 10. The company, headquartered in Hermosa Beach, Calif., will operate aircraft from bases in Van Nuys, Santa Ana and the Bay Area. Mark Schmaltz, the company’s president and CEO, is the founder and former president of Spirit Aviation.
This December, if the planets align properly and the members of the ASTM International concur, it will become legal to operate a business jet on a blend of conventional Jet-A and low-emissions biofuels refined from weeds, soybeans, tallow or algae.
I want to compliment you on a super Viewpoint (“Studebaker Time,” June 2010, page 11). Having already collected a few years of Social Security and having traveled at Mach 2.5, I can only imagine that your comments may have ruffled a few of the feathers in the “spin doctor” community. If BP can spend $50 million on PR, maybe the Gulfstream engineers should be trying to design a stealth business aircraft so no one could tell who made the big boom. Keep those cogent editorials coming.
Cirrus wants to raise $64 million to accelerate development of its SF50 Vision single-jet. Cirrus CEO Brent Wouters provided an update on the program’s status in June, saying the company is on a strong enough foundation to pursue the financing. If financing is secured, Cirrus would build a conforming prototype in 2011. The company in the interim has moved forward with testing and formally applying for type certification. Cirrus has been conducting flight into known icing tests.
Pentastar Aviation of Waterford, Mich., has entered into a strategic alliance with FracTrade, a premier aircraft brokerage firm based in Greenville, S.C. In addition to aircraft sales and acquisition services, Pentastar will offer customers a variety of sales and leasing options for fractional shares in conjunction with FracTrade.
