Bell Helicopter received letters of intent and orders for nearly 200 aircraft at the recent Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo in Anaheim, Calif. The commitments came as Bell detailed plans for its new 505 Jet Ranger X and unveiled an updated mock-up of its new Bell 525 Relentless helicopter. The signings included 171 letters of intent for the Bell 505 Jet Ranger X, 10 letters of intent for the 525, eight orders for the Bell 407GX, five orders for the Bell 412EP and two orders for the Bell 429.
Milestone Aviation Group’s fleet has grown to encompass 143 aircraft valued at $2.2 billion, but is set to continue to expand significantly with several new orders. Co-founded by fractional ownership pioneer Richard Santulli, Milestone was one of the first companies dedicated to the leasing business and was established in August 2010 just as the oil and gas industry was set to take off.
Despite substantial opposition from Capitol Hill and industry alike, the White House is continuing its push for the $100-per-flight air traffic control user fee. Widely expected, the proposal is one of two significant tax changes directed at business aircraft operations that the Obama administration included in the fiscal 2015 budget request unveiled on March 4. The second, also widely expected, was a change in depreciation on “general aviation passenger aircraft.”
A strong fourth quarter in which Dassault delivered nearly half of all the Falcons shipped in 2013 led the French airframer to a 17% improvement in sales for the year. Dassault Aviation will report its full 2013 results on March 13, but in an interim report the company credits a jump in Falcon sales along with its unmanned combat air vehicle program for the increase in yearlong sales to €4.593 billion ($6.321 billion).
Citing concerns of the potential ramifications on the safety of the national airspace system, FAA is appealing a National Transportation Safety Board administrative law judge’s decision to dismiss a proposed civil penalty for unauthorized use of an unmanned aircraft system. The law judge’s determination puts the penalty on hold while the agency appeals the case to the full NTSB.
Boeing’s Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) demonstrator, a modified Bombardier Challenger 604 business jet, has been flown to Boeing’s Yuma, Ariz. facility for initial certification flight tests following extensive conversion work by Ontario, Canada-based Field Aviation.
The city of Santa Monica, Calif., is continuing to explore all options to close Santa Monica Airport (SMO), including a possible new policy that would permit the city to lease airport property only to non-aviation entities such as art galleries and small shops.
DOUGLAS MCCROSSON was named president and CEO of CPI Aerostructures. McCrosson has served with the company since 2003, originally holding the role of director of business development. He also has served as vice president of business development, senior vice president of operations and COO.
CESSNA Models 310, 320, 340, 401, 402, 411, 414, and 421 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0562; Directorate Identifier 2011-CE-015-AD; Amendment 39-17740; AD 2014-03-03] – requires either having the supplemental airplane flight manual/airplane flight manual supplement (SAFM/AFMS) inside the airplane and accessible to the pilot during the airplane’s operation or installing a placard that prohibits flight into known icing conditions and installing a placard that increases published airspeed on approach at least 17 mph (15 kt.) in case of an inadvertent encounter with icing.
For several years, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association's (GAMA) annual “State of the Industry” presentation has been a sobering affair. The global fiscal crisis that began in 2008 continued to throttle the industry long after others were well into recovery. The measures are startling. In 2008, GAMA companies delivered 3,970 aircraft—1,313 of them business jets—but by 2012 the totals were down by more than 50%, with just 672 business jets out the door.
Certainly one of the more remarkable business aviation developments of 2013 is behind this statistic: 137 twin turboprops were delivered, a 45% increase over 2012. What happened? Beechcraft happened. All but two of those airplanes were King Airs.
Air Charter Service has reported that its Middle East operation experienced its busiest ever month in August, both in terms of turnover and number of charters.
FAA’s proposed fiscal 2015 budget underscores the agency’s intent to shift more National Airspace System (NAS) funding to users—efforts that have been largely halted in Congress, eliminating the need for what will be a serious stakeholder debate. The budget request’s high points are similar to those pitched—and largely ignored by Congress—in the past several years (DAILY, March 5).
LOS ANGELES — Boeing’s Maritime Surveillance Aircraft (MSA) demonstrator, a modified Bombardier Challenger 604 business jet, has been flown to Boeing’s Yuma, Ariz., facility for initial certification flight tests following extensive conversion work by Ontario, Canada-based Field Aviation.
CORRECTION: A story on March 5th incorrectly reported the status of FAA’s Contract Tower Program. The proposed Fiscal Year 2015 budget does not include dedicated funding for the Contract Tower Program.
With the number of billionaires in the Middle East forecast to grow from some 150 in 2007 to around 220 in 2017, it is more important than ever for those doing business with them to have a greater understanding of their purchasing patterns. A new study by Airbus provides some new insights.
The Transportation Department’s (DOT) Fiscal Year 2015 budget request of $15.4 billion for FAA dusts off some familiar—and unsuccessful—efforts to boost revenues and cut spending, and reduces funding for aviation’s most high-profile initiative. The request includes $836 million in base NextGen funding, a 7.2% decline compared to FY14’s $901 million in enacted funds and a 5.3% dip from the sequestration-adjusted FY12 amount of $883 million, a budget summary prepared by DOT shows.
After a strong fourth quarter in which it shipped 40% of the aircraft it delivered last year, Embraer is forecasting a similar level of activity in 2014, but with a slight shift in the balance between commercial and business jets. The year-end rush allowed the Brazilian manufacturer to meet its financial targets for 2013, with its highest-ever quarterly revenues of $2.3 billion boosting net revenues for the year to $6.2 billion, up slightly over 2012.
