Business Aviation

There’s a new unleaded fuel that will soon be available to the light, piston aircraft fleet. Swift Fuels LLC says its Unleaded 94 MON avgas (for “motor-octane-number”) is already FAA certified and meets ASTM standards. The fuel is tailored for lower-octane piston engines, and does not replace the 100LL avgas used in high performance aircraft. The company says it is working with certain avgas producers and distributors to supply the fuel to select regions of the U.S. and Canada.

The number of used business jets and business turboprops sold globally fell in May, when compared to the same time a year ago, according to JetNet. The total number of used business jets sold in North America in May totaled 170, down from 183 in May 2014. That’s still up from May 2013, however, when 149 used business jets were sold. While the number of light and medium-size jets sold fell in May, the number of heavy jets sold rose to 55 from 48 in May 2014.

The G150 is one of the fastest and most cost-effective mid-light business aircraft that is capable of flying non-stop between most coastal cities in the U.S.

Watch footage from Gulfstream Aerospace of the same flights with an enhanced vision system (EVS) and without this technology.

Aircraft operating costs are presented in a format that separates the data into seven separate areas: Mission Costs, Variable Costs, Fixed Annual Costs, Periodic Costs, Personnel Costs, Training Costs and Facilities Costs. Aircraft Category

When maintenance managers gather and the talk turns to their work woes, the subject of rules and regulations inevitably comes to the fore. It seems as though technicians spend more effort complying with precautions than turning wrenches.

Aviation Research Group/U.S. is a specialized aviation services company whose mission is to provide the aviation marketplace with data and information necessary to make informed decisions and manage risk. We provide software and business management solutions, including AVMOSYS business management software, TRAQPak, CHEQ and ARMOR SMS. TRAQPak provides market intelligence data and research services as well as expert aviation consulting. Subsidiaries include ARGUS PROS, a provider of on-site safety audits and PRISM, a leader in Safety Management Systems (SMS) and certification services.

The NBAA has a great resource for hangar safety compliance that includes OSHA checklists and guidance for developing an effective safety program. In addition to safety resources, the NBAA has guidance for developing a procedures manual and implementing effective management programs. To learn more visit http://www.nbaa.org/ops/safety/hangar/

On twin-engine propeller-driven aircraft where both engines turn counter-clockwise, such as the Fairchild Metro SA227, the right engine is considered critical. (In twins with clockwise-turning props, the left engine is critical.) The down-going propeller blade has a larger angle of attack than the up-going blade and produces more thrust. For engines that turn counter-clockwise, the down-going blade is farther from the aircraft centerline for the left engine than for the right engine.

On twin-engine propeller-driven aircraft where both engines turn counter-clockwise, such as the Fairchild Metro SA227, the right engine is considered critical. (In twins with clockwise-turning props, the left engine is critical.) The down-going propeller blade has a larger angle of attack than the up-going blade and produces more thrust. For engines that turn counter-clockwise, the down-going blade is farther from the aircraft centerline for the left engine than for the right engine.

June 29 — About 1944 Hawaiian standard time, a Short Bros. SD3-60 (N221LM) sustained minor damage following a gear up landing at the Kalaeloa Airport [John Rogers Field] (JRK) Kapolei, Hawaii. The airplane was registered to and operated by Trans Executive Airlines of Hawaii Inc. The ATP-rated pilot and the Commercial-rated pilot, the only occupants of the airplane, were not injured. It was VFR but an IFR flight plan was filed for the flight check flight that originated from Honolulu International Airport, Honolulu, Hawaii at about 1850.

Years ago, pilots were a bit self-deluding when it came to wind shear. Many didn’t even recognize it as a problem and chalked up the occasional loss of an airplane to pilots who didn’t quite have what it takes. However, that changed on June 24, 1975, when wind shear brought down Eastern Air Lines Flight 66, a Boeing 727, during an approach to New York’s JFK International Airport. Six crew and 106 passengers were killed.

1. CMD’s AML STC Paves Way for ADS-B Aircraft

Learjet’s new turbine engine development “plans” are not much more than thought radiations from Bill Lear’s fertile mind. The company has no such program for study, research or building a mock-up or model of a jet engine. Utility, flexibility and ease, of control make the Hiller SL4 one of the best all-around vehicles in the small reciprocating engine helicopter field. Vision from the front-centered seat is excellent in all directions.

Bell Helicopter’s all new Model 525 Relentless is flying.

Jim Holahan, the founding editor of Aviation Convention News and the monthly Aviation International News, and a former editor in chief of this publication, has gone west.

Jet Aviation Geneva has received CAR-145 approval from the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India to provide base-maintenance services to Indian-registered Gulfstream and Bombardier aircraft.

Plane Perfect, an aircraft detail supply company, has formed a partnership with Maule Air to provide cleaning products to the aircraft manufacturer.

Spirit AeroSystems Marks 10 Years As A Company

Bombardier Business Aircraft’s 19th annual Safety Standdown USA, scheduled for Oct. 6-8 in Wichita, will focus on pilot distractions and practical applications of attention control techniques. Distractions are among the most serious threats to aviation safety, according to the NTSB. Accordingly, the program is intended to help aviation professionals recognize sources of distractions and ways to disconnect from them to avoid problems.

Corporate Angel Network has arranged its 48,000th cancer patient flight, with a flight on June 11. The patient was a 48-year-old with colon cancer. Patient James Etherton was accompanied by his wife, Tammy. Blue Beacon International donated its Cessna Citation for the flight, which flew them from their home in Mechnicsburg, Illinois, to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Etherton needs to fly to New York for treatment once a month. Blue Beacon has participated in the Corporate Cancer Network since 1992.

One Aviation, the newly formed company that combined Eclipse Aerospace with Kestrel Aircraft, is marketing an Eclipse 500 “Special Edition” that includes the features and available options of a new production Eclipse 550. The Eclipse SE carries a base price of $2.195 million and is a factory-renewed Eclipse 500 that includes a dual Avio Integrated Flight Management System, anti-skid brakes, pilot-side Standby Display Unit, PPG glass windshields, new interior and two-tone paint scheme.

Airbus’s electric-powered E-fan demonstrator aircraft made a successful — and heavily promoted — crossing of the English Channel on July 10, but the company’s expectation of being the first to make the passage on electric power alone was snuffed by an enterprising French aviator.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley recently signed a bill removing a 6% sales tax on maintenance performed on general aviation aircraft in the Palmetto state. The tax exemption takes effect on Jan. 1, 2016. There are 37 certified repair stations in the state, but many had been losing out on work as operators took their aircraft to Georgia, Florida or Arkansas to avoid the tax, supporters said. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association backed the bill. In the doing, South Carolina became the 21st state to pass such an exemption.

Bombardier Aerospace says the Global 7000 and 8000 programs are undergoing a strategic review, raising questions about the development schedule for the long-range business jets. “Following the arrival of new leadership in our organization — namely Alain Bellemare as president and CEO, Bombardier Inc. and David Coleal as president, Bombardier Business Aircraft — we are conducting a full review of all aspects of the program, including its schedule,” the company said.