Panther Electronics of Kissimmee, Fla., has introduced a wireless aircraft headset with active noise reduction that incorporates Bluetooth technology. Weighing 1.5 ounces, the Bluetooth Pilot Pro comes with a molded-earpiece and features Panther's Cranial Audio Transmission (CAT) system that reportedly reduces noise by as much as 46 dB. The CAT system comes with a video and kit for making your own ear impressions for the custom earpieces.
The NBAA's newest international convention attracted more than 2,100 attendees to Shanghai. The three-day Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE), held Aug. 9-11, included more than 50 exhibiting companies at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center and included 12 aircraft on display at Hongqiao Airport. ABACE joins venues in Latin America and Europe where NBAA has co-sponsored with other international business aviation organizations.
It was no accident that Honda chose AirVenture 2005, the Experimental Aircraft Association's annual summer fly-in, for the public debut of its revolutionary HondaJet, if only for one day. Members of the EAA community invented the VLJ concept more than a decade ago at a time when traditionalists said it would never get off the ground. Then, Sam Williams and Burt Rutan brought their twin-turbofan V-JET II concept aircraft to Oshkosh, Wis., in 1997 with the dream of slashing the price of admission to the business jet club by several million dollars.
Cessna officials are confident of Citation Mustang FAA certification in the last quarter of 2006. The first Mustang flew April 23 and accomplished its 90th flight when Jack Pelton, Cessna's chairman, president and CEO, flew the airplane to Oshkosh, Wis., for display at this year's Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture. While Cessna has earned a reputation for getting new aircraft models through certification and to market on time, the Mustang program presents new challenges.
FlightSafety International has awarded a scholarship to Chad Twogood to attend FlightSafety Academy's Advanced Airline Training Program. ``The FlightSafety Academy scholarship program is an opportunity for us to support and encourage pilots who have demonstrated their desire and ability to become professional pilots,'' said Jay Elder, director of marketing, airline training at the FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, Fla. Twogood is the winner of the Top Pilot award at SAFECON 2005 -- an annual competition held among students from more than 70 colleges.
Permira Funds bought out the Hirschmann family's interest in Jet Aviation. The Aug. 11, announcement said that both parties had agreed not to disclose any further details about the transaction, including the purchase price. The deal is subject to antitrust clearance and is expected to close in September 2005. Frankfurt, Germany-based Permira is an international private equity specialist based in Frankfurt, Germany, but has offices around the world.
Stevens Aviation, the Greenville, S.C.-based aircraft sales and support organization, is planning to launch a new refurbishment program this fall that will involve the company buying ``undervalued'' corporate jets and turboprops on spec and refurbishing them for resale.
In the late 1970s, who would have thought it possible to build a 450-plus-KTAS Citation? But that precisely was Cessna's goal for its $3.1 million Citation III in 1978. At long last, Cessna would step up to genuine business jet cruise speeds. Fitted with twin 3,650-lbf TFE731-3B turbofans and Cessna's first super-critical wing, this 17,000-pound MTOW aircraft would be able to climb directly into the mid forties, cruise economically at 0.78 Mach and carry four passengers 3,000 nm, according to the sales brochures of the time.
The all-composite Grob G-180 SPn Utility Jet made its first flight on July 20, just a month after its surprise appearance at the Paris Air Show. The prototype, D-ISPN, was airborne for 66 minutes. According to Chief Test Pilot Gerard Guillaumaud, ``During the flight, all systems and controls performed as expected, the aircraft was easy to handle and a pleasure to fly.'' The aircraft has flown several times since then, according to a spokesperson. D-ISPN will be joined by a second aircraft in March 2006 to speed the expected 1,000-hour flight-test program.
The venerable Morane-Saulnier MS 760 Paris Jet now has a glass cockpit. Twenty MS 760s have been refurbished by Your Aircraft Source at Calhoun Airport near Atlanta, and are being sold with an FAA-certified Chelton EFIS cockpit. The installation includes a PFD with 3-D perspective terrain modeling, real-time GPS/WAAS positioning and Highway-in-the Sky (HITS) predictive ``takeoff to touchdown'' flight director guidance system.
Bombardier Aerospace is introducing its Skyjet in Russia. The company also announced it will establish a line maintenance facility at a yet-to-be announced location in Russia and locate a dedicated field service representative in Moscow. Skyjet recently extended its service area to include Moscow and St. Petersburg. The introduction of the Skyjet International Jet Membership Card into Russia marks the very first time that an international block-hour charter program has been made available in the region.
Gulfstream IV -- Perform a one-time inspection of the left and right aileron and elevator actuators to determine the part and serial numbers of each actuator. Also, conduct repetitive inspections of suspect actuators to detect broken damper shafts, and replace any actuator having a broken damper shaft. Operators also must report to the FAA any broken damper shaft found. Replacement of all suspect actuators with new or serviceable actuators terminates the inspection requirements of this AD.
Cortec's new VpCI-415 foaming alkaline cleaner is specifically formulated to clean and prevent corrosion on all types of aircraft. This cleaner/degreaser meets or exceeds MIL PRF-97937D, Type IV and is currently listed on the Qualified Products List (QPL). VpCI-415 is zero-VOC, near neutral in pH and is biodegradable (40 CFR 796.3100), offering users additional safety and environmental benefits over many alternative cleaners.
One of the hottest market segments for previously owned turbine-powered aircraft is the Gulfstream IV-SP and V. Demand for long-range corporate aircraft to facilitate travel to emerging international markets (especially China), along with long backlogs for new aircraft in this class, have combined to make late-model, low-time used Gulfstreams hot commodities.
The Helicopter Association International wants better low-altitude weather information, communications and surveillance in the Gulf of Mexico. In a letter to FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, HAI President Roy Resavage noted that a fleet of 650 helicopters transports about 11,000 people daily to and from more than 4,000 oil and gas platforms in the Gulf.
Dealing in used airplane parts can be somewhat risky for the uninformed. It's usually cost effective, often the only hope for older or out-of-production aircraft, and occasionally the salvation for a floundering exchange-overhaul deal. And it's a practice always subject to inspection. Most salvage yards will provide a buyer with traceability for purchased parts. This could be in the form of a tag-serviceable as removed, or, in the case of engines and props, logbooks.
Sentient Jet is now offering its card members telephone access to personalized medical expert assistance and consultation with The Cleveland Clinic. This benefit will be available to Sentient Jet members and their immediate families at all times, regardless of whether they are on a flight with Sentient.
In the effort to prevent helicopters from colliding with objects, Selex Communications, a subsidiary of Finmeccanica Inc., an Italian manufacturing conglomerate, has developed the Laser Obstacle Avoidance System (LOAM). The system uses an eye-safe laser to scan the area around the helicopter's flight path and then conducts an echo analysis to determine the presence of obstacles.
There's a new electronic fuel injection (EFI) system for the venerable Pratt & Whitney R-985. Developed by Tulsa Aircraft Engines in conjunction with RSW Products, the EFI is designed to increase the engine power, as well as reduce fuel consumption, vibration, and cylinder-head temperature that contribute to engine wear and breakdown and thereby lower the frequency and cost of maintenance. Weatherly Aircraft Co., maker of the 620-B agplane, has the exclusive distribution rights through at least 2006.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey recently announced greater scrutiny of service contracts the agency signs with private companies and consultants. In a memo to employees, she said new policies are needed ``to guarantee that safeguards against waste, fraud and abuse are observed.'' The service agreements, which cover software development, equipment maintenance and consulting, currently total $1.3 billion. Procurement policies will be amended to require competitive bidding on all support service contracts worth more than $1 million.
Bombardier received an order from Tokyo carrier Global Wings, Inc. for a Learjet 45XR business jet, boosting the number of recent contracts the Canadian airplane maker has received from Asian operators to four. Global Wings will base the Learjet 45XR in Osaka, Japan. The carrier already operates a 45XR, which received Civil Aviation Administration of China certification in January.
The Skytruck comes with complete dual flight instruments but minimal avionics. The aircraft we flew for this report had a dual Honeywell Bendix/King package, including dual KX-165 panel-mount navcoms, KR-87 ADF receiver, KT-76C transponder, dual KMA-24 audio panels, KFC-325 autopilot and optional RDR-2000 weather radar. Future plans call for installation of Chelton Flight Systems EFIS with 3-D terrain awareness system. Aircraft fitted with six or more passenger seats will require a stand-alone TAWS box, if they're not equipped with the CFS EFIS.
Embraer has delivered three special mission Legacy Executive aircraft to the Indian government. India ordered five Legacies and holds options for two more. Two of the delivered jets are assigned to the Indian Air Force and one will serve with India's Border Security Force.
The International Business Aviation Council and the NBAA released two new products relating to single-pilot operations of very light jets (VLJs) and other technically advanced aircraft, produced in cooperation with the NBAA Safety Committee. The first product is a new supplement to the International Standard for Business Aviation Operations (IS-BAO) set of best practices. It provides guidance for applying IS-BAO to the VLJ and single-pilot environment with particular attention to safety management.
NOTHING IS MORE important in business aviation than the safe transport of company personnel. Equally significant is the perception of safety. Passengers must feel secure and thus able to concentrate on business when traveling on company aircraft.
