Thousands of business jets, particularly older, smaller models, have not yet been modified to permit them to operate in Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) airspace, according to an FAA survey. See chart below. The FAA survey was conducted this summer, and new 1,000-foot separation requirements are scheduled to take effect Jan. 20 (BA, Sept. 27/139).
Fractional aircraft operators remain keenly interested in supersonic business jets (SSBJ). Two different groups outlined their plans for SSBJs at last week's National Business Aviation Association convention in Las Vegas (BA, Sept. 27/133). When SSBJ programs were under study a few years ago by Dassault and Gulfstream, Richard Smith, executive vice president of fractional provider NetJets, said the company would buy 50 SSBJs if the aircraft made it to market. Smith's interest hasn't waned.
Raytheon Aircraft received an order valued at $11 million from the Israeli government for 18 Beechcraft Bonanzas for light transportation and utility use. Raytheon will begin delivery of the aircraft in November and continue through April 2005. The aircraft will have a standard commercial configuration and identical paint schemes and interiors. The deal continues a relationship with Israel that spans almost six decades. The first two aircraft in the Israeli government fleet were Bonanzas, Raytheon noted.
The Department of Transportation has drafted a notice providing guidance on the lawful role of air charter brokers. The notice stems from concern that charters may be engaged in air transportation without appropriate economic authority to do so. DOT also has been concerned that charter brokers that lack economic authority have arrangements with licensed carriers under which the brokers sell charter flights on aircraft they own or lease but are placed on an operating certificate of a licensed carrier.
FAA awarded a $24.8 million contract to Bombardier for a Global 5000 business aircraft that will be delivered to the agency's William J. Hughes Technical Center by the end of September 2005.
Mooney Airplane Company formed an alliance with certain Million Air fixed-base operations to launch a fuel and maintenance savings program for customers. Mooney owners will receive fuel and maintenance discounts at select Million Air operations for the next year. Mooney was finalizing the details with individual franchise owners and expects to provide more details in coming weeks.
ECLIPSE PLANS IN-HOUSE SUPPORT NEWORK FOR ECLIPSE 500 JET - Eclipse Aviation is planning a network of seven factory service centers based throughout the U.S. to support Eclipse 500 maintenance. Eclipse plans to open its first two centers in 2006 at its headquarters in Albuquerque, N.M. and Gainesville, Fla., and to have all seven in place by 2008. The move to have in-house support is part of Eclipse's "value proposition," Eclipse President Vern Raburn said last week during the NBAA annual meeting and convention in Orlando.
The Vanallen Group added aircraft acquisition to its portfolio of business aviation consulting services. The company hired Mike Sowa, a 20-year corporate aviation executive, to head the new business unit. The unit will assist the buyer in the acquisition process, including identifying a selection of candidate aircraft, supporting the negotiation process, assisting with purchase fund management, and overseeing inspections.
CMC Electronics, Inc. won a contract from Execaire to install its PilotView electronic flight bag system on two Cessna Encore business jets owned by an Execaire client. The first installation is scheduled for next month.
Enthusiasm about the tax bill was tempered by the inclusion of a measure that partially overturns the Sutherland Lumber court decision and limits how much can be deducted for expenses relating to use of business aircraft by senior executives for personal travel. The Sutherland Lumber measure, which also affects the amount of bonus depreciation that can be taken, was originally added to the tax package by Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.) to pay for another measure that would reduce tax revenue.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-102 airplanes (Docket No. 2003-NM-185-AD; Amendment 39-13801; AD 2004-19-07) - requires modification of the electrical power circuit. This action is necessary to prevent component failure in the radar indicator, resulting in an overcurrent condition and consequent overheating or burning of an internal component or the ribbon cable. This could lead to smoke in the cockpit, resulting in incapacitation of the flight crew and loss of control of the airplane. FAA estimates that 48 airplanes on the U.S.
The GAMA and NBAA boards have been meeting over the past month to discuss ways the associations could improve cooperation and coordination, but the possibility that the two associations might merge is not under consideration, Rockwell Collins and GAMA Chairman Clay Jones said last week.
Bullish projections by Honeywell Aerospace forecasters for increased deliveries of new business jets over the next decade are depicted in a graph below.
Two separate groups launched public efforts last week to develop supersonic business jets that could carry top-end business travelers, in cruise mode, twice as fast as current-production aircraft.
Gulfstream Aerospace will reduce prices this month on 2,700 spare parts across its entire jet product line from the Gulfstream II to the G550, the company said last week. Gulfstream previously cut prices on another 7,000 spare parts under a program that began in April 2002. "Our customers have spoken and we continue to take action to bring down parts prices," said Larry Flynn, president, product support.
October 21-23 - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Expo 2004, Long Beach, Calif., (301) 695-2000 November 15-18 - Flight Safety Foundation/International Federation of Airworthiness/International Air Transport Association 57th Annual International Air Safety Seminar, Pudong Shangri-La Hotel, Shanghai, China, (703) 739-6700 November 18 - National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Regional Forum, Dallas, Texas, (202) 783-9000
MICA SEEKS DELAY IN TSA FLIGHT TRAINING RULES - House aviation subcommittee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) last week urged the Transportation Security Administration to delay the Oct. 20 implementation date of its background check requirements for prospective student pilots seeking flight training on aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or less. Mica noted that TSA released the requirements at the direction of Congress.
PINNACLE CRJ CRASH CLAIMS BOTH PILOTS ON POSITIONING FLIGHT - Both pilots flying a Bombardier CRJ-200 were killed Thursday evening while attempting to make an unscheduled landing at the Jefferson City, Mo. Airport (JEF).
General Aviation Manufacturers Association and National Business Aviation Association last week cheered Monday's passage of a measure extending 50 percent bonus depreciation benefits to qualified business aircraft ordered this year but placed in service by the end of 2005. Manufacturers wanted the placed-in-service deadline extended from the end of 2004 to the end of 2005 because most aircraft ordered in 2004 would not have been delivered until next year.
National Business Aviation Association's 57th annual Meeting & Convention, held last week in Las Vegas, attracted 31,189 attendees, just 476 shy of the 31,665 record set in 1998, the previous time the convention was in Las Vegas. Last week's event included a record 1,084 exhibiting companies that occupied one million square feet of exhibit space at the convention center. Additionally, 87 aircraft were on static display at Henderson Executive Airport.
GENERAL ELECTRIC ENTERS LIGHT ENGINE MARKET WITH HONDA VENTURE - General Electric formally teamed with Honda Motor Co. to create a new company that will venture into the light jet engine market using Honda's HF118 turbofan. GE Transportation President and CEO David Calhoun and Honda Motor Co. President Takeo Fukui Tuesday signed the agreement launching GE Honda Aero Engines, a 50/50 company that will be based at GE Transportation's aircraft engine business headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The DeCrane Aircraft Seating Company won dynamic certification approval (TSO-39b) from FAA for its new Model 5004 and 5005 9g single and double executive aircraft seats. The company also won approval for its Model 5006 and 5007 extra-large presidential seats. These models have a between-arm width of 24.5 inches and have become popular with heads of state and other VIP aircraft customers, according to DeCrane.
BOMBARDIER WINS GLOBAL 5000 TC FROM FAA - Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace won type certification from FAA for its new Global 5000 business jet, the latest in a series of international approvals for the new aircraft. Transport Canada, the lead regulatory agency on the program, awarded type certification March 12. European Aviation Safety Agency approval was received July 15 and the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) issued its letter of recommendation to member countries on Aug. 26.
NBAA PRESENTS JOURNALISM AWARDS TO COLLOGAN, GEORGE - The National Business Aviation Association last week named David Collogan, editor of The Weekly of Business Aviation and Washington bureau chief for Business & Commercial Aviation magazine, as the 2004 recipient of the Platinum Wing Award. The award, presented annually, recognizes Collogan's more than 30 years of excellence and lifetime achievement in journalism. Collogan began his journalism career as a reporter on the Burlington Hawkeye in Iowa before joining BA affiliate Aviation Daily in June 1972.
