Sales figures developed by AMSTAT and distributed by the National Aircraft Resale Association indicate that the market for previously owned, turbine-powered business airplanes improved during the second quarter, raising hopes that the industry has already experienced the worst of the current downturn.
A misplaced decimal was the cause of a number of errors on page 65 of the 2009 Operations Planning Guide On the 300-nm mission costs for the Piaggio Avanti II the 0+53 Flight Time was mistakenly converted to 8.833 hours, not the correct 0.8833 hours. This error caused a tenfold error in the Direct Cost and the Per-Mile Cost. The Direct Cost should have been $630.49 and the Per-Mile Cost should have been $2.10
The FAA has ordered four King Air C90GTi turboprops, with an option for two more, to support its Flight Standards Flight Program. Deliveries will take place over the next two years. The Flight Standards Flight Program provides proficiency and currency flights for more than 600 Aviation Safety Operations Inspectors (ASIs). Flight Standards aircraft can also be pressed into service to support disaster relief operations and emergency response operations within the FAA.
Steve Zeller (PresidentSouthbrook Technologies, Inc.Alpharetta, GA)
Keep hammering on your message in the July Viewpoint (“A Matter of Perception,” page 9). Our industry has done a generally lousy job of selling business flying, even dating back to my old days at Garrett AirResearch. The main reason we build and fly these airplanes is to make money and we best not let anyone forget it.
Hawker Beechcraft will replace its King Air C90GTi turboprop twin with the C90GTx in early 2010, the company announced at the EAA AirVenture. The new C90GTx has nearly double the payload with full fuel — 737 pounds vs. 385 pounds on the GTi — carrying four passengers over 1,000 miles with IFR reserves — 200 nm more than the GTi.
The Dassault Falcon 7X has been FAA approved for steep approaches with glide paths up to six degrees, allowing U.S.-based Falcon 7X operators to fly into London City Airport (LCY) and Lugano Switzerland (LUG) as well as other airports requiring approach slopes steeper than three degrees. Dassault notes that with its 5,950-nm range, the Falcon 7X can fly from New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, São Paulo, Cape Town or Tokyo nonstop, landing on LCY’s 4,327-foot runway with eight passengers and NBAA IFR fuel reserves.
William Baldwin knows how and when to compromise. As a kid who grew up riding motorcycles and competing in motocross, the 46-year-old director of aviation for Bedford, Mass. investment firm J. W Childs Associates found that when he began his career he had less and less time for his bikes.
The city of São Jose dos Campos in Brazil will be the site of a new service center for Embraer. The 19,380-square-foot center (17,440 square feet for aircraft and 1,940 square feet for administration) will be located at the company’s headquarters and offer Embraer executive jet owners a dedicated maintenance facility. Embraer will offer scheduled and unscheduled maintenance for Phenom and Legacy aircraft as well as remote assistance for aircraft that cannot go to the center.
Cessna Aircraft, Wichita, has named Brad Thress vice president, customer service, reporting to Mark Paolucci, senior vice president, customer service. Tracy Robinson was appointed vice president, quality and is responsible for directing all quality programs at Cessna.
FACTS Training, a division of AirCare Solutions Group, has created a customized training program designed to assist corporate flight departments in meeting full compliance with the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO). FACTS IS-BAO ASSET Training offers an intensive one-day program designed to address a flight department’s IS-BAO specific training needs, using proven FACTS procedures, according to the company. The course is a combination of classroom instruction and hands-on practice with emergency equipment.
Hawker Beechcraft Chairman and CEO Bill Boisture advised employees in an August 12 letter that more layoffs are coming, due to continued “significant economic challenges” in the company’s worldwide general and business aviation marketplace. “Buyer confidence is low, financing more difficult, and in the U.S., which is our predominant market, business aircraft have been disparaged by our political leadership,” wrote Boisture.
Cirrus Design expanded the duties of Patrick Widdick the company announced August 11, naming him executive vice president and COO, and indicating the Cirrus Vision Jet program will continue. Joining Cirrus in 1988, Widdick has served as executive vice president, Operations since September 2008. As COO, his expanded role includes oversight of both engineering and manufacturing.
The FAA is reassessing its plans for a proposed rulemaking addressing the operation of very light jets in FAR Part 135 operations that was based in part on the recommendations of the Part 125/135 Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC). The proposal would have covered crew, equipment, training and dispatch requirements for the use of VLJs in on-demand or air taxi service.
Because Gulfstream services 70 percent of the active aircraft it has delivered, the company believes it can detect trends in operations earlier and more accurately than other forecasters. “We can see upticks in flight hours ahead of others,” Robert N. Baugniet, Gulfstream senior manager for corporate communications, said in August.
The “five-engine” Boeing 707 has a spare engine in Boeing’s optional Pod-Pak under the left wing. Qantas, whose airplane is shown, is one of nine airlines that will use Pod-Paks to do away with large stocks of spare engines at any but major airports.
Naverus, Inc. has introduced a custom RNP Availability Forecast Service (NRAFS) solution for aircraft operators who wish to take advantage of Required Navigation Performance (RNP). The new service provides worldwide RNP availability forecasting specifically tailored to the equipment on board the operator’s aircraft. NRAFS integrates and correlates the dynamic configuration of the GPS satellite constellation at any given time with terrain features, known satellite outages, specifications of equipment on the aircraft and RNP requirements.
Ocean Sky Jet Centre has opened a new FBO at London’s Luton Airport, open 24-hours for arrivals and departures. The company says it is in advanced negotiations to have its own on-site customs and immigration officer — a first for Luton. In recent years Luton has been underutilized by transatlantic flyers due to limited capacity and, to a certain extent, congested road links to central London.
New Piper Aircraft CEO Kevin Gould mapped out a long-term, two-pronged growth strategy for the company during an interview with BCA Senior Editor Fred George at Oshkosh. He plans to develop the PiperJet to provide piston-engine and single-engine turboprop owners with a move-up airplane while continuing to upgrade Piper’s existing product line. He also wants to expand Piper’s global presence.
Don Bernier (Flight Department Manager/Chief PilotWinner Aviation Corp.Vienna, OH)
Thanks so much for the July issue loaded with pro-flight department articles. Your magazine is always priority one in my mailbox and I always pass it on; many more readers could benefit from the resources of Business & Commercial Aviation.
On Sept. 1, 2006, a 30,000-hour airline transport pilot flew his Mitsubishi MU-2B-35 into a thunderstorm while descending for a visual approach to Panama City Bay County International Airport (PFN) in Florida. The pilot lost control and the airplane structure failed as it spiraled out of the clouds into a swamp and the pilot was killed.
Officials at O&N Aircraft Modifications in Factoryville, Pa., reported recently that they still expect to win FAA certification of their turbine conversion of the Cessna 340 by the end of this year. The Silver Eagle 340, which will be powered by two Rolls-Royce 250-B17F/2 engines, first flew in June 2008. Conformity testing of the $1.35 million aircraft, which is slated to also feature a Garmin 600 cockpit, is continuing.
King Aerospace, Addison, Texas, has reorganized its commercial aircraft operations and appointed Jim Thompson as general manager and Buddy Tobin as senior project manager.
Jet Aviation recently expanded is service offering to include base and line maintenance for Hawker 750/800/800XP/900XP, Gulfstream G350/G450 and Embraer 135/145 aircraft under the company’s EASA Part 145.0317 approval. In addition, the company’s newly established Boeing BBJ team is now fully operational. The center can also provide base maintenance to all drop-ins and AOGs. The Dubai facility was opened in May 2005. Jet Aviation Brazil will also provide line maintenance services to Gulfstream operators at its Sorocaba facility.
