American Association of Airport Executives promoted Todd Hauptli to president of AAAE Gov and Spencer Dickerson to president of AAAE Meetings and International, both new positions.
Boeing named Tony Parasida, president of Boeing Defense, Space & Security, to succeed Rick Stephens as senior VP for human resources and administration. Stephens will retire in March 2013 after 33 years with the company.
Canada’s National Research Council (NRC) has flown a Dassault Falcon 20 with one engine burning 100% unblended biofuel produced from carinata, an inedible oil seed crop. Previous biojet flights have used a maximum 50% blend with conventional kerosene, but the fuel’s developers say its hydrocarbon makeup is almost indistinguishable from petroleum-based jet fuel.
BAE Model BAe 146, and Avro 146-RJ series [Docket No. FAA-2012-1040; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-029-AD] – proposes to require a detailed inspection of the end caps on the anti-icing piccolo tube for lost or loose end caps, and replacing or repairing the end caps if necessary. This proposed AD was prompted by a report of loss of the end caps on the anti-icing piccolo tube of the wing leading edge.
A new class of ultra-high-speed business jets may be emerging from the drawing board of one of the major manufacturers in that market. The new family would feature a long-range cruise speed of around Mach.95, and thin, less-swept wings, most likely made of composites for stiffness and with sharp leading edges. It would also have an area-ruled fuselage, optimized powerplants, and extensive use of natural laminar flow technologies on all surfaces, fuselage and nacelles.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-400 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-1003; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-064-AD] – proposes to require replacing all three APDs with new detector assemblies. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of engine fire/overheat detector assemblies advance pneumatic detectors (APDs) failing to reset after activation due to permanent deformation of the detector switch diaphragm after being exposed to high temperatures.
National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen notes the prevailing sentiment has been that buyers of large business jets have been more immune to the effects of the prolonged recession. But Bolen disagrees with the sentiment. “The reality is the recession has affected them,” he says, but the needs of those buyers have shifted. “I just think the business model has changed,” he says.
BOB SCHICK was named director of safety and risk management for TAC Air. Schick has more than 20 years of experience with a focus on safety and risk management. He developed a safety management system in use at TAC Air’s fixed-base operations in Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah, as well as Keystone Aviation’s aircraft management, charter and maintenance operations.
NetJets is set to add the first Bombardier Global aircraft to its fleet – a Global 6000. Bombardier and NetJets formally unveiled the Signature Series Global 6000 Oct. 28 at Orlando Executive Airport in Florida, and Bombardier says the aircraft will be officially handed to NetJets this quarter. The aircraft was part of an order placed in March 2011 for 50 Global business jets and options for 70 more. The firm order is valued at $2.8 billion. NetJets followed with a second order placed in June for up to 275 Challenger jets.
Seattle-based Aviation Partners Inc.(API) is testing a futuristic-looking split scimitar blended winglet design. The split scimitar blended winglet is a follow-on design from API’s blended winglet design. The split winglet features the addition of a blended ventral fin to the existing blended winglet design, as well as high-performance winglet tips (scimitar tips) designed using advanced computational fluid dynamics methodology.
Responding to strong interest from customers, Boeing Business Jets is launching a VIP version of the 737-8 from its new MAX range. The BBJ MAX 8 will have the fuel-efficient CFM International Leap-1B engines and Boeing advanced technology winglets, coupling the BBJ2-sized cabin of the 737-8 with a more than 14% improvement in range.
Cessna Aircraft hopes to bring a new Citation Sovereign to market next year that incorporates many of the same upgrades found on the Citation Ten, now called the X, along with improved range and performance. The Sovereign is one of a number of new projects that the Wichita manufacturer has in development, and at least four of them should enter service by the end of next year.
Dassault is combining the best elements of the Falcon 2000S with the 4,000 nm range of the 2000LX to create a new 2000LXS. The result is an aircraft that needs 1,125 ft less runway for takeoff and 430 ft less runway for landing. LXS also will weigh 300 lb less than LX because of green structure and completion weight reduction, along with having 2 dB SIL lower average cabin sound levels and significantly reduced emissions.
Honda Aircraft is hoping to certify its new twin HondaJet next year, but President and CEO Michimasa Fujino says the company plans to “fine tune” that schedule once the GE Honda Aero HF120 engine completes final tests this year. Engine and aircraft certification were pushed back after the HF120 encountered problems during ice testing last year, forcing GE Honda to change the engine fan design and delay engine certification to mid-2013.
Hawker Beechcraft is paving a future under which the newly restructured Beechcraft Corp. would offer a range of single-engine piston and turboprop aircraft alongside its King Airs—and perhaps new twins, Shawn Vick, executive vice president-customers, says. Hawker Beechcraft, which plans to emerge from bankruptcy early next year, has been working on a five-year product development plan that would build on its most profitable lines and position the company to move forward under the Beechcraft banner, company executives say.
