The Weekly of Business Aviation

NASA is preparing to test a redesigned lithium-ion battery module for its first electric propulsion demonstrator, the X-57 Maxwell, as it moves toward a maiden flight planned for early in 2018.

Flight activity by business aircraft during the third quarter rose to its highest level since the economic downturn of 2008, according to Jet Support Services (JSSI).

ATR has received EASA certification for a new vibration monitoring system (VMS) that streamlines propeller balancing operations.

Gulfstream Aerospace delivered 30 aircraft during the third quarter, up by one from a year ago, and is on track to deliver about 120 aircraft this year, the company said during a conference call with analysts Oct. 25.

Illegal charter operations are a growing problem in the industry, and more must be done to address that, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) said during an FAA General Aviation Safety Summit.

Unfortunately, only two-thirds of the rebates offered by the FAA during its year-long automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) rebate program were reserved before the program’s end in September, FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said Oct. 24 at the General Aviation Safety Summit.

Arconic on Oct. 23 named Charles “Chip” Blankenship as its next CEO, effective Jan. 15.

Air Culinaire Worldwide and Universal Private Transportation have announced a fusion of technologies with aviation services provider RocketRoute Marketplace.

Raisbeck Engineering has signed an agreement to acquire Butterfield Industries, a producer of King Air replacement parts.

ONE Aviation, based in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has cut its work force as it phases out production of the Eclipse 550 very light jet to transition to the development of the Eclipse 700, known as Project Canada, the company said.

ACI Jet in Santa Ana, California, has become an authorized dealer to distribute, install and maintain Rockwell Collins’ equipment.

Mente Group and Richard Roseman Airborne Designs (RRAD) are partnering to provide a new advanced completions management service called E-First/White Glove for VVIP and head-of-state customers.

Cobham SATCOM and Avionica have partnered to provide Immarsat SwiftBroadband Safety (SB-S) to the business jet market.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for PIAGGIO AERO INDUSTRIES S.p.A. Model P-180 airplanes.

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Matthew Hutchison has been named chief operating officer of Aurora Flight Sciences in Manassas, Virginia.

Oct. 24-26—2017 Airports Canada Conference & Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario, http://www.aci-na.org/conferences

Andrew Broom has been promoted to CEO of the Citation Jet Pilots Association.

Av8 MRO, based in Houston, has launched a new replacement parts division called Av8PMA to specialize in engineering, certification and manufacturing of specialized replacement parts.

West Star is expanding its East Alton, Illinois, facility with the addition of a 64,200-sq.-ft. hangar, office and shop facility.

West Star Aviation’s Chattanooga, Tennessee, facility has signed an agreement with Embraer to receive Authorized Service Center approval.

Jet Aviation has developed a supplemental type certificate to update, in a partnership with Honeywell, “soon-to-be-obsolete” cockpit displays with DU-875 LCD units.

RBR Maintenance has added a Challenger maintenance program at its Love Field facility in Dallas.

CenTex Aerospace is offering increased gross weight conversions to the King Air 350 turboprop with a new Supplemental Type Certificate. Final approval is expected in December.

Stratos Aircraft’s 714 very light jet prototype has logged more than 80 hr. of flight time in more than 44 flights, the company reports.