Signature Flight Support, continuing on an ambitious capital expenditure program for new and upgraded facilities, is opening a new private aviation terminal at its Newark Liberty International Airport location in New Jersey. The company had a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 13.
The General Electric Honda HF120 engine The General Electric Honda HF120 engine for the HA-420 HondaJet has received FAA Part 33 engine certification, clearing the way for the start of full-scale production. The certification of the 2,095 lb.-thrust engine comes nine years after the formation of the joint venture and four years later than originally planned when the program was launched in 2006.
Rockwell Collins announced a series of enhancements to its Pro Line Fusion avionics. The primary update is Required Navigation Performance Authorization Required (RNP AR) 0.3. This enhancement provides obstacle clearance and clearly defined fight paths in congested airspace and at terrain-challenged airports.
Swiss-based Vertis Aviation will open a new Dubai branch of its aviation charter business this month. Located in the Free Zone at Dubai World Central. Catherine Buchanan will serve as the general manager. Vertis will market a Global 6000, two Airbus A319 corporate jets, two Global XRS aircraft, a Global Express and a Falcon 7X.
Inflight catering provider Air Culinaire Worldwide has expanded its presence in the U.K. by adding an owned and operated kitchen at London Biggin Hill Airport (EGKS). The company now has 19 kitchens in its network, including three in the U.K. “As the only inflight caterer based at Biggin Hill Airport, we will now be able to respond faster and facilitate more short-notice requests,” said Maithri Smaradivakara, U.K.–based sales manager for Air Culinaire. The kitchen will operate 24/7.
Argus has partnered with CharterPad, an online charter marketplace, to provide customers access to the Argus Ratings. Customers visiting the CharterPad can search Argus ratings and link directly to the Argus CHEQ website. The partnership comes as CharterPad has increased the number of Argus-rated operators in its system. Nearly half of all Argus-rated operators have joined CharterPad.
Climbing through 10,000 ft., we both began to get the restless, uneasy feeling that emerges when you're not quite sure of your location. We double-checked our position using dual independent GPS. There was no doubt we were precisely where we were supposed to be, but given the surrounding mountainous terrain, the margin of error was zero. In the distance, we saw a bright flash of light, and we both knew we had arrived at our destination.
Directional Aviation Capital has completed its acquisition of Dallas-based Flexjet from Bombardier for about $195 million and an agreement to buy up to $5.6 billion in Bombardier business jets. The final purchase price was a little higher than the originally announced $185 million, an adjustment that Bombardier attributes in part to an assumption of an estimated $70 million in customer advances by Directional Aviation Capital.
Clay Lacy Aviation, working with Envoy Aerospace, is hoping to secure certification next year for a Universal Avionics package that would enable Gulfstream IV and IVSP aircraft to meet new equipment requirements for North Atlantic crossings. Clay Lacy plans to begin installation of the package — which includes FANS 1/A+, CPDLC, Link 2000+ and ADS-B — in January. The package initially will be installed on a G-IVSP, with certification expected to follow in April.
Turbomeca and China's Avic Engine have completed the first test bench runs of the new Ardiden 3C turboshaft that is destined for use on the Chinese version of the Eurocopter EC175. The tests, completed at Turbomeca's Bordes facility in France, confirmed what the company called “good aeromechanical behavior and performance,” and allow the manufacturer to proceed to the test and certification phase of the engine's development program. The trial is a major milestone in the development of the Ardiden 3C, which will be called the WZ16 by Avic.
The crash of a Hawker 800 at Owatonna, Minn., on July 31, 2008, that killed all eight persons aboard involved acute sleep loss, cumulative sleep debt and early start time for both the captain and first officer. The captain's health required excessive sleep and the first officer was suffering from insomnia, as well as self-medicating with prescriptive medicines for sleep.
Aerostar Aircraft Corp. of Hayden Lake, Idaho, is developing a turbofan-powered version of the speedy twin. A fully conforming pressurized model, with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615s slung below each wing, has been flying since July 25 when it lifted off the runway at Coeur d'Alene Airport, Aerostar's home field. The aircraft is expected to have a cruise speed in excess of 400 kt. The aircraft's designer, the late Ted Smith, had contemplated fitting it with jet engines either under the wings or mounted on the empennage, but that didn't come to pass until now.
Earlier this year on a red-eye flight from China, I had the pleasure of sitting next to a highly intoxicated and unusually talkative German. As the sun rose and breakfast was served, the flight attendant cheerfully passed him another Guinness. He was happy. She was happy. I was not. Was the FAA?
General Dymanics, Falls Church, Va., announced the Robert E. Smith has been appointed president of Jet Aviation report to Joseph T. Lombardo, executive vice president of the company's Aerospace group. Smith succeeds Daniel G. Glare, who has been appointed CFO of Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
Gulf Helicopters has signed the largest order by an offshore operator so far for the AgustaWestland AW189 eight-metric-ton helicopter. The Qatar-based operator will buy 15 of the aircraft, which is awaiting imminent certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency. The firm order, announced during the Dubai Airshow, is the second-largest for the new helicopter, behind Bristow Group's, which has ordered six aircraft for offshore operations and a further 11 to support its U.K. search-and-rescue (SAR) contract awarded this year.
Sabreliner is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the certification of the original Sabreliner business jet, the Model 40. The aircraft's roots began as the Air Force T-39 aircraft and incorporated many of the design standards to become the 40. Sabreliner subsequently delivered four additional models — the 60, 75, 75A/80 and 65. Production of the Sabreliners ended in 1982 after 631 were built. Of those, 232 are still in service, include 42 Sabre 40s. Sabreliner Corp., which has facilities in Perryville and Ste.
Cessna commemorated the 20th anniversary of its Greensboro Citation Service Center in December. Located at Piedmont Triad International Airport, N.C., the facility is one of the busiest in the network of company-owned service centers, handling approximately 2,500 service orders for aircrft operating in or traveling through the mid-Atlantic U.S.in 2013. Greensboro is one of 15 company-owned service centers offering maintenance, inspections, parts, repairs, avionics upgrades and other specialized services for the line of Citation business jets.
The autothrottle system provides automatic thrust control from the start of takeoff through climb, cruise, descent, approach and go-around or landing. In normal operation, the flight management computer provides the A/T system with engine N1 limit values. The A/T moves the thrust levers with a separate servomotor on each thrust lever. Following manual positioning, the A/T may reposition the thrust levers to comply with computed thrust requirements except while in the THR HLD and ARM modes.
I am an owner-pilot who previously operated a Citation Bravo but currently own and operate a CJ4. I have enjoyed reading your editorials for years and find your magazine's articles very informative and educational. Keep up the great work. Hamilton, Ont.
By the time you read this, Beechcraft may have completed the sale of its shuttered Hawker 4000 and Premier aircraft lines, along with tooling and associated facilities. The company had been weighing bids and in negotiations for the sale since last July and hoped to close the deal by year-end. CEO Bill Boisture said earlier that it would be unlikely that production of those aircraft would restart under new ownership, but rather that a support company would acquire all rights to maintain the existing fleet of 400 Premiers and Hawkers 4000s.
You're 25 times more likely to suffer a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) crash if you're flying a circling approach rather than a straight-in procedure, according to accident statistics compiled by the Flight Safety Foundation. As such, IFR circling approaches are among the highest risk maneuvers attempted by pilots.
One of the first common screening tests used to determine if a patient is suffering from sleep apnea is done in bed using a blood oxygen sensor attached to one of your fingers. This “Overnight Oximetry on Room Air” records your pulse and blood oxygen saturation level throughout the night. The automated data analysis subsequently reports how many times your blood oxygen saturation level fell below certain levels. It is an easy and convenient test to take, and the advantage is that you get to sleep in your own home.
Boston JetSearch, Bedford, Mass., announced that Russ Piggott has joined the company to help manage the aircraft search and acquisition process for clients.
