Gulfstream will unveil the G250 at this month's NBAA Convention. The aircraft is to be a clean-sheet super-midsize to large-cabin design, powered by Honeywell HTF7500-series turbofans and fitted with a downsized variant of the G550 wing. It will be capable of carrying eight passengers 3,600 nm at 0.80 Mach, according to prospective customers. The reported wing design also suggests it will able to fly 3,000-plus nm at 0.85 Mach. The wing will have no leading-edge high-lift devices and will be heated by engine bleed air for anti-ice protection.
Max-Viz and FLIR Systems, among other manufacturers, offer uncooled microbolometer IR sensors that are very sensitive to long-wave IR radiation, thus making them excellent detectors of terrain imagery in low light conditions. They haven't been proven to be as effective at detecting lights and terrain through obscuration as cryogenically cooled IR cameras, so none have yet earned approval for use in lieu of natural vision in accordance with the provisions of revised FAR Part 91.175.
John Rosanvallon, president and CEO of Dassault Falcon, has been elected to the board of trustees of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. "We are delighted to have John join Embry-Riddle's board. His extensive experience in advanced aircraft manufacturing and long-standing leadership in the aviation industry is an important addition to the University's board,' said Dr. John P. Johnson, president of Embry-Riddle.
In the midst of unprecedented growth for business aviation on the Continent, the European Parliament has tossed a noxious stink bomb among business aircraft operators there.
*Bell Model 222, 222B, 222U, 230 and 430 helicopters -- Check tail-rotor blades for cracks, and replace any cracked blade with an airworthy blade before further flight. *Cessna Model 560 airplanes -- Install new minimum-airspeed placards and make associated revisions to the airplane flight manual. Also, recalibrate and test the angle-of-attack (AOA) system.
Bombardier officials severed Learjet's partnership with Grob Aerospace Sept. 17 regarding development of Learjet 85. As a result, Bombardier is taking over all responsibilities for design and manufacturing of the 3,000 nm-range midsize jet, the first clean-sheet Learjet since the Model 45 program was launched in 1992. The Learjet 85 is intended to be a virtually all-composite aircraft, a first for Bombardier. That goal remains unchanged following the severing of ties with Grob, which was renowned for its composite expertise.
Infrared Enhanced Vision Systems now have been installed on more than 500 business jets, promising operators the flexibility to fly instrument approaches down to lower minimums than would be possible using the naked eye. IR EVS also can detect the thermal signatures of terrain, animals, aircraft, buildings, obstacles and vehicles, among other surface threats, affording pilots the ability to detect such hazards in conditions of darkness and many obscuration conditions.
*Million Air, White Plains, N.Y., has appointed John Powell to the position of line service manager responsible for overseeing ground operations, training and market growth.
The NBAA encourages FAR Part 135 and 91K operators who use electronic flight bags (EFBs) to review a draft of the FAA's proposed operational authorization process. The proposal covers Class 1 and 2 EFBs using Type A and B software. Download the draft at web.nbaa.org/member/ops/cns/efb/a061_efb.pdf
At the very apex (or nadir) of last month's credit crisis, JetBird, the European, private jet operator, secured two financing packages and detailed its progress toward its planned 2009 launch with a fleet that will eventually total 100 Embraer Phenom jets in a Sept. 19 announcement. One package was a "strategic" investment of about $14.4 million of equity capital by a so-far unnamed family-owned Middle East trading group, which will now become JetBird's second largest shareholder with a 9.3-percent holding. The group will have a seat on the JetBird board.
ARINC Direct has expanded its SKYLink broadband satellite communications network to include substantial coverage of the Caribbean, Central America and part of South America. ARINC's development partner, SES AMERICOM, is providing the new satellite coverage over its Ku-band Satellite NSS-7, and will be transitioning to its future home on SES AMERICOM's AMC-21 satellite in the fourth quarter of this year.
Hawker Beechcraft is offering the AmSafe Aviation Inflatable Restraint (AAIR) system as an available aftermarket safety option certified for all pilot and copilot seats in 1984 and newer Beechcraft Baron and Bonanza aircraft. The AAIR product is a sophisticated aviation airbag system designed to further protect pilot's head, neck and torso during survivable aircraft accidents, according to the company. Relatively light, the self-contained and self-powered airbag adds only 2.8 poiund (1.27 kg) to existing pilot and copilot restrain systems.
DayJet the Florida-Based VLJ air taxi operator suspended air taxi operations and parked 27 of its 28-aircraft fleet of Eclipse 500s on Sept. 19. DayJet was Eclipse Aviation's largest customer. A single EA500 will fly corporate missions for DayJet. The company had been struggling for months to obtain financing that would enable it to operate at a scale that would allow it to be profitable.
THE PHONE RANG. It was Tom Christopher, excited. "Did you see the Times today?" "Oh, yes." "Can you believe it?!!" Lehman Brothers had declared bankruptcy and Merrill Lynch had been sold. Even though I had seen the news on television and on line the previous day and night, seeing it in bold headline print on the front page of the New York Times somehow made it undeniably real. Wall Street was in freefall and there was no bottom in sight.
One of aviation's truisms hold that "The job isn't finished until the paperwork is done." That certainly applies to maintenance managers and senior technicians since most of their working days revolve around paper -- making sure their records are complete, accurate, current and comply with regulations. One of the most misunderstood, but necessary, regulatory documents with which they deal is the aircraft Minimum Equipment List (MEL).
Stevens Aviation, the aircraft sales and service organization headquartered in Greenville, S.C., has delivered the first Lear4Ever. The totally updated Learjet 35 was handed over to the program's first customer, Dr. Steve Bass, in late August. The extensive makeover, which Stevens says will add 20 years to the useful life of the aircraft, includes a complete avionics retrofit, a new interior design and entertainment package, the ZR Lite wing upgrade and aft fuselage locker by Raisbeck Engineering, along with a custom exterior design and paint job.
Bondhus Corp. through its German marketing partner FELO, introduces a new screwdriver line features the patented ERGONIC handle. The Ergonic is the first screwdriver handle that truly conforms to the user's hand, increasing comfort while significantly increasing torque transmission capability, according to the company. A wide selection of screwdrivers are available in standard and insulated versions. Price: Sets from $24.90 to $48.55 Bondhus Corp. 1400 East Broadway, P.O. Box 660 Monticello, MN 55362
*Agusta A109A and A109A II helicopters -- Conduct dye-penetrant and visual inspections of each tail-rotor blade for cracks and replace any cracked blade with an airworthy one before further flight.
(Teterboro, N.J.) -- Christian Kennedy has been named international sales manager for Canada for this business jet manufacturer. Kennedy, a 20-year industry veteran, most recently held sales and marketing posts with charter operators XOJET and Guardian Jet.
Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack J. Pelton received the Experimental Aircraft Association's Freedom of Flight Award at this year's AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has launched a series of new, online aircraft-specific flight crew ground schools that cover most airliners manufactured by Boeing and Airbus. "We believe professional pilots, particularly our thousands of alumni, require superior options for continuing education. . . . These new online courses will allow pilots to better prepare for an employer's ground school, expand their overall knowledge and [aid them] in interviews," said Dr. Thorsten Hisam, Embry-Riddle's director of Professional Education.
SG Air Leasing Limited, which in 2007 purchased its first engine noise-reduction system for a VIP configured Boeing MD-87, recently purchased two additional QuietEagle systems, which were developed by Seattle-based Aviation Fleet Solutions, for installation on other corporate MD-87s.
