NetJets Europe has contracted for the largest ever business jet purchase in Europe, upping its order for Hawker 400XPs from 20 to 25, with a total value of $160 million. The first 10 aircraft are slated for delivery this year with the remainder by 2007. This is the first time that NetJets Europe has purchased its own aircraft. The 400XP will become NetJets Europe's new entry-level fractional aircraft, configured with seven seats.
ON A RECENT FORAY into Manhattan, I was impressed to see one of those electronics and souvenir shops that populate the midtown avenues, their display windows laden with computers, PDAs, cell phones and Statues of Liberties in 15 different sizes. This particular store beckoned passersby to come in quickly for the painted banner overhead read: ``Going Out of Business.'' Tough business, I thought, and then smiled. I'd seen that sign every day when I passed the shop on the way to a job in the city. That was maybe 15 years ago.
From Kell-Strom Tool Co. Inc., and designed specifically for the aircraft industry, the Mastic Removal System removes caulking, sealant, PRC, RTV, silicone, glues and other adhesives from aircraft metal, plastic and composite surfaces. The system uses a vibrating gun with an attached blade to chisel away the adhesives. Adjustable speed control allows the operator to accurately adjust the number of strokes per minute to match the task. The system comes with a grounded air hose to prevent electrostatic buildup.
The FAA awarded a grant to GCR & Associates Inc. to expedite the collection of airport facility data at all of the approximately 5,000 public-use, general aviation airports in North America for the agency's airport database. GCR is spearheading the compilation of detailed information such as runway lengths, approach standards, navaids and myriad facility and operational data. The New Orleans-based company has subcontracted with Southern Illinois University Carbondale to assist in the effort.
Avionics software issues have pushed back the Hawker Horizon's anticipated full certification to mid-year, with provisional certification expected by early this month, according to Brad Hatt, president and general manager of Raytheon's Hawker unit. ``Flight-testing has achieved 1,700 hours with four aircraft,'' Hatt said, ``but we have some software issues still ongoing with Honeywell Epic regarding functionality reliability tests. These tests are being carried out by aircraft RC-4.''
NetJets and Jeppesen have agreed to a new four-year contract that will expand the latter's support of the fractional ownership operator. Jeppesen began delivering its International Trip Planning Service to NetJets in January 2000, and today has employees stationed at NetJets' Columbus, Ohio, flight operations center and providing round-the-clock customized trip handling for nearly all international flights. In addition, Jeppesen provides computerized flight plans and crew weather briefings and complete global chart services.
Veteran business aviation safety analyst Robert E. Breiling characterized the recent spate of business jet accidents as ``very unusual.'' Having tracked the industry's safety record for more than 30 years, Breiling noted that three of the latest accidents involved a Gulfstream III, a Gulfstream IV and a Bombardier Challenger 601, each of which has an outstanding safety record. Through 2003, those aircraft models had been in just one, two and three accidents, respectively. Breiling said U.S.
The National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA) has added nearly 20 new regular and associate members, bringing the total number of companies in the trade group to more than 100. Alexandria, Va.-based NARA, which will celebrate its 15th anniversary this year, added five new broker/dealer members at its annual membership meeting in October 2004: Axiom Aviation, Business Aircraft Group, Caribbean Aviation, Denison Jet Sales and Jeteffect, Inc.
Manufacturers of the newly labeled very light jets (VLJ) are all smiles over Rolls-Royce's market forecast released at the NBAA Convention in October 2004. The turbine engine manufacturer projects that 8,000 four- to six-seat turbofan-powered VLJs will be delivered during the next two decades, accounting for more than one-third of all new business jet sales from 2004 until 2023.
During October's NBAA Convention in Las Vegas, Jet Aviation unveiled JetResponse, a 24-hour program to get AOG aircraft flying again. ``The JetResponse program offers a quick response and peace of mind when problems that have grounded an aircraft occur. Our maintenance facilities can offer technical expertise on a wide range of aircraft during almost any maintenance emergency,'' explains David Heydt, director of maintenance at Jet Aviation Teterboro. There is no contract or service agreement needed for the free phone call.
Vref Publishing of Shawnee Mission, Kan. -- the company that produces Vref Aircraft Value Reference and the Market Leader newsletter -- has issued the first in a series of indices that will document composite prices for various segments of the turbine airplane market. Earlier, the company developed a similar index for single-engine, piston-powered general aviation airplanes.
Feel the need, the need for speed? George Bye, president of Denver-based Aviation Technology Group, is working to satisfy that hunger with the Javelin, which is a VLJ by weight -- ``but that's about all.''
As explained in the adjacent feature article, Congress has ``overturned'' the Sutherland Lumber court decision that protected corporate deductions in spite of the fact that executives did not pay the full cost of the flight. It will be some time before the IRS offers any guidance on the many questions raised by the new law. Nevertheless, the new law became immediately effective on Oct. 22, 2004, so companies need strategies now.
A Challenger 601 business jet crashed on Nov. 28 2004, while attempting to take off from the Montrose, Colo., Regional Airport. The airplane, N873G, was leased by Jet Alliance/Air Castle, according to the NTSB. The flight was carrying NBC executive Dick Ebersol and two of his sons. The L.A. Times reported that the airplane had been double brokered. Chuck Wyble, a spokesman for Air Castle, the company operating the Ebersol flight, described Air Castle as ``a paper company'' owned by Jet Alliance, a Millville, N.J., operator of seven jet aircraft.
Messier Services International, Paris, France, appointed Ian Longstreth vice president of sales and marketing for Messier Services America, located in Sterling, Va.
Cessna Aircraft held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 9, 2004, to celebrate the opening of its new $61 million Citation Service Center in Wichita. Touted as the ``world's largest general aviation maintenance facility,'' the Citation center comprises more than 443,000 square feet on a 124-acre tract at Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita. The center, which can service more than 100 Citations simultaneously, is as long as five and one-half football fields and comprises five hangars as well as customer lounges and offices, flight planning areas, a restaurant and gift shop.
When Eclipse Aviation founder Vern Raburn and Sam Williams parted ways over the FJ22 turbofan's inability to produce sufficient thrust to meet performance goals for the production version of the Eclipse 500, the diminutive turbofan quietly disappeared from the marketplace.
The first flicker in the dawning of the very light jet (VLJ) came in the 1980s when Dr. Sam Williams, then CEO and now chairman of small turbine-engine pioneer Williams International, introduced the 1,900-pound-thrust FJ44 turbofan. (See ``2004 Vision Awards,'' B&CA, December 2004, page 79.) That engine now powers Cessna's Citation CJ line, Raytheon's Premier I, and the still-gestating Sino Swearingen SJ30, aircraft that lowered the price threshold for entry-level business and personal jets.
CAE SimuFlite's technical training has been granted Part 147 approval by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). All aspects of the program -- including the SimuFlite facility in Dallas, the training process and the curriculum -- have been approved following a recommendation from French civil aviation authority DGAC. The Gulfstream V, Gulfstream IV and Falcon 2000 maintenance training programs are the first to achieve EASA Part 147 B1 approval and other maintenance programs offered by CAE SimuFlite are expected to follow suit shortly.
Keeping passengers safe and satisfied is business aviation's number one mission. It matters not whether the lift is provided by a company flight department, a fractional operation or an air charter outfit; the goal is the same: Get them where they need to be, on time, and make the entire process run smoothly.
A Hansa Jet HFB-320 crashed on Nov. 30, 2004, just after taking off from Spirit of St. Louis Airport (SUS). Killed were Tahir Cheema, a native of Pakistan, who founded the Toledo, Ohio, air taxi firm Grand Aire Express in the mid-1980s, and Eko Pinardi, 43, a pilot at Grand Aire. The aircraft went down on the shore of Howell Island, a conservation area in the Missouri River one mile west of the airport. Local reports said Cheema had flown into St.
Flight Safety Foundation, Alexandria, Va. -- The 2004 NBAA Award for Meritorious Service to Aviation was presented to Stuart Matthews, president and CEO of Flight Safety Foundation. The NBAA board of directors cited his more than 50 years of aviation experience in bestowing the award.
FlightSafety International, Flushing, N.Y., made numerous personnel appointments recently. Jim Dolle is now manager of FlightSafety's Savannah Learning Center, the head of the company's ``Team Gulfstream'' training network. Scott Fera has been appointed to the new post of vice president, worldwide sales. Paul Hewett is the assistant manager for the Farnborough Learning Center, near London, to open in spring of this year, Jim Lonas is director of training of the new center, and Rudy Toerning is manager of the center.
Raytheon Aircraft has a number of enhancements for the Hawker 400XP, two of which are available in kit form to operators of aircraft already delivered. A separate oxygen gauge and refill port that is accessible through a single panel can now be installed through a kit, available from Raytheon. The new port is designed to improved turnaround times. Previously, maintenance technicians had to remove a nose panel to access the oxygen system.
