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Avionics Outlook Turboprops People International ops

New EVS from Rockwell CollinsThe EVS-3000 is an uncooled “multi-spectral” enhanced vision system that can detect LED runway lights, unlike normal infrared sensors. It is offered as a future option on Embraer’s Legacy 450/500 series of business jets. Page 8

Honeywell 10-year forecastThe outlook for the next decade focuses on the heavy side of the scale, with 56 percent of deliveries and 83 percent of billings predicted for the large-cabin sector. An anticipated dip next year is attributed to program delays. Page 22

P&WC developing a bigger PT6The classic Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 series of turboprop engines is due for an upgrade, with a 2,000-shp version in the works. “Revolutionary technology” enhancements are on tap for lower-power versions, as well. Page 56

Cessna’s Dwane Wallace honoredFormer Cessna president Dwane Wallace, nephew of Clyde Cessna, ushered the Wichita OEM into the jet age and made his company a household name. He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame on October 4. Page 80

Japan cuts charter red tapeThe Japan Civil Aviation Board has cooperated with the Japan Business Aviation Association to adopt a much friendlier approach to incoming charter and bizav flights. New rules cut the time needed for flight permits. Page 52

NBAAConvention News ®

OCT. 22, 2013

GE-powered King Air is Nextant’s new project by Chad Trautvetter

Yesterday at the NBAA 2013 show, aircraft remanufac-turer Nextant Aerospace (static display area) finally revealed its next project–a King Air C90 outfitted with GE H80 turbo-prop engines, a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit, zero-timed com-ponents, winglets, strakes and new paint and interior. Flight testing of the “G90XT,” a $2.2 million, like-new turboprop twin with single-lever power controls, is due to start early next year with initial deliveries in the latter part of the year.

Although the company does not have any fleet orders at present, it is accepting $250,000 deposits for late-2014 delivery slots. “Because the price point is lower, the certification time shorter and the customer universe larger, we don’t need a fleet order to get started,” said Kenn Ricci, chairman of Nextant parent company Directional Avia-tion Capital. “The use of this aircraft is so widely disbursed that it works in our favor.” He

Gama to operate fleet for Wheels Up venture by James Wynbrandt

Wheels Up, the U.S.-based aircraft access membership program scheduled to begin service this November, has named Gama Charters of Stratford, Conn., a subsidiary of Farnborough, UK-based Gama Group, as operator of its U.S.-based fleet of Beechcraft King Air 350i turboprops.

Wheels Up placed an order this summer for up to 105 of the twin turboprops (35 firm plus 70 options) along with

tip-to-tail aftermarket sup-port from Beechcraft and Pratt & Whitney Canada, in a con-tract worth up to $1.4 billion according to the companies. Wheels Up took delivery of the first 350i here at NBAA 2013, and another eight are planned before the end of the year.

“Gama has deep experi-ence with the King Air,” said Wheels Up founder and CEO Kenny Dichter, who noted that

The time is now for Dassault’s Falcon 5XDassault Aviation unveiled its long-awaited Falcon 5X at

the company’s static display here at NBAA 2013 yesterday afternoon. “Some of you have come a long way,” Dassault Falcon Jet president and CEO John Rosanvallon said in wel-coming the 200 or so attendees to the company’s pavilion. “I assure you, you will not be disappointed.”

After a review of the company’s highlights in this, its 50th anniversary year, he invited Serge Dassault, chair-man and CEO of Dassault Group, and Charles Edelstenne, former chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, to unveil a scale model. Amidst a swirl of smoke bathed in lavender and white light, the pair pulled aside the white fabric, reveal-ing the newest member of the Falcon jet family, with a host of features the company believes will set new standards for business aircraft.

Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO Eric Trappier an-nounced an “introductory offer: fully equipped, just un-der $45 million in today’s dollars.” He continued, “We have started to explain what is the 5X, [and our customers] are extremely satisfied by what they have heard. Let them think about it, and I can expect orders in the coming days.”

Then a full-scale cabin mockup was opened for inspec-tion. Even inside the pavilion, the 14 extra-large windows created a bright and spacious cabin, accentuated by a sky-light over the entryway.

Following the event, Rosanvallon told AIN, “It was 12 years ago when we introduced the 7X at Paris. Now intro-ducing this on the 50th anniversary of Dassault Falcon is a great event. We’re looking forward to the next 50 years.”

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Dassault patriarch Serge Dassault and former chairman and CEO Charles Edelstenne were on hand to perform the unveiling honors, as the company finally revealed its long-awaited super midsize Falcon 5X.

> See story on Page 76B

Continued on page 125 u


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Flexjet’s Ricci doubling down on Learjet order; now $5.6bby Amy Laboda

Flexjet, which will soon be owned by Directional Aviation Capital, doubled its firm order for Learjet 85s yester-day at NBAA 2013. This latest trans-action puts the Flexjet order at 115 firm aircraft from Bombardier (Booth No. N5731)–including 60 Learjet 85s–and options for 150 more. If all of the options are exercised, this brings the order value total to $5.6 billion.

“We’re proud to see Flexjet placing their trust in our new Learjet 85,” said Bombardier Business Aircraft president Steve Ridolfi. “This endorsement is a tre-mendous vote of confidence as we move towards the first flight of the Learjet 85 jet before the end of the year.”

The key products in Flexjet’s over-all order from Bombardier, according to Directional Aviation Capital chairman Kenn Ricci, are the soon-to-be-certified Learjet 75 LXI (a set of custom interior options marks this Flexjet-only design) and the Learjet 85, which made its public

debut last week in Wichita. “Learjet aircraft is without a doubt an

iconic product,” said Ricci. “Significant customer demand has convinced us that increasing the size of the Learjet 85 fleet is not only necessary, but will give us a sig-nificant product advantage. With a mod-ern interior, range capability and speed, the Learjet 85 will support our discerning clients and leave us uniquely positioned for our future needs.”

The 85 model is the largest and most capable Learjet to date and is expected to cost $20.5 million in 2013 dollars. It’s the first Part 25 business jet with both composite fuselage and wing. “This is Learjet at its best,” Ridolfi said. “The resin-transfer injection process is used for its manufacture. We think it is the first business jet with the complete fuse-lage baked as one.” Ridolfi believes the composite construction eases manufac-turing and makes for an aircraft with fewer parts. “It is a technology not

without challenges but we are overcom-ing them,” he added.

The model 85 is expected to fly before the end of 2013, with certifica-tion expected a year after that. It is pow-ered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307B engine, the newest member of the PW300 family, providing trans-continental non-stop range in the U.S. (maximum range 3,000 nm with four passengers); high-speed cruise at Mach 0.82; and long-range cruise at Mach 0.78. Field performance includes takeoff dis-tance of 4,800 feet and landing distance of 2,700 feet. The canted (45-degree) winglets are a compromise to allow bet-ter range and climb while sacrificing the least amount of speed.

The avionics include a Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion suite with three 15.1-inch displays. The avionics also include an inertial reference sys-tem, integrated dual FMS with elec-tronic charts, Class 1 EFB, synthetic vision, terrain awareness and warning system, weather radar, autothrottles, Waas LPV and a single HF radio. The aircraft’s maximum take-off weight is 33,500 pounds and its maximum land-ing weight is 30,150 pounds. Zero-fuel weight is 24,200 pounds and standard basic operating weight is 21,500 pounds.

In the cabin is the “nice” HD cabin management system from Lufthansa Technik, with cabin controls at each pas-senger seat, a DVD player, HD monitors at the bulkheads and an optional three-place divan certified to 16 g for seating during takeoff and landing.

Ricci explained why he chose the Learjet 85 for Flexjet’s fleet: “We like to address three things when purchasing for our fleet: ramp appeal (it’s not pilots buy-ing); mission capability (what can the air-plane do?); and durability (can it hold up to the beating we give it in the fractional market?). The Learjet 85 can do all that, and we’ll have it first.” o

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Bombardier Business Aircraft president Steve Ridolfi (left) has received a “vote of confidence” from Kenn Ricci, soon to be owner of Bombardier’s Flexjet fractional aircraft program. Ricci increased Flexjet’s firm order for new Learjets to a total of 115, including 60 Model 85s.

Embraer splurges on NBAA by Curt Epstein

Embraer Executive Jets is making a splash here in Las Vegas, having brought its entire industry-spanning product line to the static display, including its new Leg-acy 500, which is making its first North American show appearance, and the Lin-eage 1000E extended-range version of its fleet flagship, which is sporting the manu-facturer’s new branded paint scheme.

At its NBAA press conference yester-day morning, president Ernest Edwards noted several economic factors that could translate to a sustained indus-try recovery. Embraer predicts a mod-erate 2.8 percent in world GDP growth between now and the end of 2016, which represents an uptick over the past

relatively flat years, and based on mid-year predictions, the airframer antici-pates that 2013 will see a new high water mark for U.S. corporate profits, adding another factor for sales optimism. Thus far in 2013, Edwards stated the company has noted an increase in flight utilization for its fleet over the previous year.

Based on predictions from industry data provider JetNet, over the next five years, the midsize jet segment is expected to be the fastest-growing, representing approximately 42 percent of the total new jet orders, while large aircraft orders decline. That could bode well for Embraer, the company believes, with the new Leg-acy 500 and 450 poised to enter service

in that segment. In its long-range fore-cast, the company predicts a worldwide need for 9,250 new business jets, repre-senting $250 billion in revenues. “It’s good news, [but] we’d like it to be better,” said Edwards, who added that the company expects 49 percent of those aircraft to be delivered to the U.S., followed by Europe and China as the next biggest markets.

The company will unveil the cabin mockup for its Legacy 450 today at 11 a.m. at its booth (No. N2532). COO and senior vice president of operations Marco Túlio Pellegrini said the company has revised the mid-light jet’s range upwards to 2,500 nm from 2,300 nm without com-promising performance. The cabin length has also been extended by a total of six inches, adding some extra space between seating areas. Pellegrini said the decision Continued on page 126 u

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Rockwell Collins unveils new EVSby Bill Carey

Rockwell Collins is enhanc-ing its cockpit and cabin sys-tems and introducing a new enhanced-vision system (EVS) at this year’s NBAA show.

The avionics manufacturer

(Booth No. C9806) unveiled its EVS-3000, an uncooled, “mul-tispectral” EVS camera system that will be capable of detect-ing light-emitting diode (LED) runway lights that purely

infrared sensors cannot detect. The EVS will be offered with Rockwell Collins’s HGS-3500 “compact” head-up display (HUD) as a future option on Embraer’s new Legacy 450/500

midlight and midsize business jets. The image source of the compact HUD is located above the combiner and uses “sub-strate-guided optics” to distrib-ute imagery through the glass, eliminating the need for a pro-jector behind the pilot’s head.

Head-up DisplaysWith its own enhanced-

vision sensor, Rockwell Col-lins can now offer operators a full HUD package with EVS, which will also be available for head-down displays. The com-pany eventually plans to fuse enhanced and synthetic vision for display to pilots.

“I feel like we are well posi-tioned to do so much more in the head-up display, situational awareness area,” said Jeff Stand-erski, Rockwell Collins v-p and general manager for business and regional systems. “While we integrated with other EVS in the past, the missing piece that we had was our own enhanced-vision system. We really felt we needed to round out the portfo-lio to provide the complete value proposition.”

The Legacy 500 will enter service next year with Rockwell Collins’s Pro Line Fusion inte-grated avionics suite, which has surpassed its first full year of service on the Bombardier Global 5000/6000 large cabin and Gulfstream G280 super-midsize business jets. Standerski said there have been no extraor-dinary issues with the sys-tem software on jets that have entered service. “It’s normal,” he said. “The software that was certified is meeting the design expectations and the feedback has been very good. Just like any system, we will continue to evolve and introduce new fea-tures and functions.”

Pro Line Fusion is in flight test on the Beechcraft King Air turboprop, the new Legacys and the Bombardier CSeries nar-rowbody airliner. The system is in development on the Learjet


Rockwell Collins is flight testing its Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics suite with touch-screen controls on a Beechcraft King Air 350. It expects to certify the installation next year.


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85, the Bombardier Global 7000/8000, the AgustaWestland AW609 tiltrotor, the Mitsubishi MRJ regional jet, the Piaggio Aero multi-role patrol air-craft and the Embraer KC-390

military airlifter.The advanced avionics sys-

tem will be offered as a retro-fit display option on Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21-equipped King Airs with a new feature: touch-screen control. The com-pany is flight testing Pro Line Fusion with touch screens on its King Air 350 test aircraft and plans to certify the system next

year. “To me this is the ultimate simplification of the high-end business jet type of experience,” Standerski said. “This is the start of something [new] for us. We’re going to hit the market and I think it’s going to be very well received.”

Also at the NBAA show this year, Rockwell Collins is intro-ducing Airshow 500, which it

describes as its next-generation 3-D moving-map display system, targeting the light business jet seg-ment. The system will be offered as a lighter-weight drop-in replace-ment for the analog Airhow 410 system, at a comparable price. It will be available from Rockwell Collins-authorized dealers by the end of the year.

Interactive iPad AppAirshow 500 is compati-

ble with older cabin monitors and newer wide-screen moni-tors with digital inputs. On air-craft equipped with an onboard wireless access point, it can be used with Rockwell Collins’s Airshow interactive application for the Apple iPad, enabling pas-sengers to display a moving-map from any direction the iPad is pointed. It will include elements of Airshow common to large business jets and airliners, includ-ing NASA’s “Blue Marble” satel-lite imagery, multiple languages and passenger-selectable display settings, Rockwell Collins said.

The company has surpassed 300 installations of its Venue high-definition cabin manage-ment and entertainment system. Here in Las Vegas, it is announc-ing new, wireless AVOD (audio video on demand) capability of the system, allowing passengers to share digital media on cabin displays or personal devices such as Android, Apple or Kindle products. The capability can be added to Venue systems that are equipped with a wireless router through a software upgrade.

Rockwell Collins is also announcing the opening of a new customer support center in its home city of Cedar Rap-ids, Iowa, with expanded hours (7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Central Time, seven days a week) and staffing. The goal of the support center is to resolve technical issues within 24 hours. o


Rockwell Collins unveils new EVSuContinued from page 8

Rockwell Collins’s EVS-3000 enhanced-vision system features a “multispectral” sensor that will be able to detect LED runway lights that infrared sensors cannot detect.

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Embraer unveils new Lineage, 2014 Phenom by Bill Carey

Embraer Executive Jets un-veiled a new version of its flag-ship business jet–the Lineage 1000E–at this year’s NBAA con-vention. The E-model comes with extended range, an enhanced interior with the latest-genera-tion cabin entertainment system, new cockpit options and a new external look.

Embraer said it has increased the range of the ultra-large jet from 4,400 nm to 4,600 nm with eight passengers by lower-ing its empty weight. The man-ufacturer boiled out more than 500 pounds by redesigning the forward fuselage and remov-ing an unused door; removing 12 to 13 unused “mirage” win-dows previously hidden behind cabinetry, depending on the interior modules; and optimiz-ing fuselage supports.

Engineers also redesigned wir ing harnesses and routing throughout the cabin and at-tached remote boxes of the in-flight entertainment system to the fuselage with lighter attachments.

Cabin interior enhancements, including the replacement of hardwood with veneer on table surfaces and side ledges, con-tributed to the effort. “In the process of designing and man-ufacturing the new [cabin] mod-ules, we’ve also found a lot of opportunities to save weight,” said Augusto Salgado da Rocha, Embraer Executive Jets senior manager of product strategy. “Every single piece of the inte-rior had a design target theoret-ically calculated before the piece was complete, and every single piece was controlled very strictly to make sure we would get to our design targets.”

The lighter Lineage 1000E

can carry more payload for the same range as its earlier version or carry the same payload while burning less fuel. The range extension makes available routes that were previously consid-ered marginal, such as from São Paulo to New York, which can be unattainable in certain wind conditions. Embraer brags that the E-model will provide further range from Aspen, Colo., where a wingspan restriction rules out the Boeing BBJ1 and Airbus ACJ318/319 bizliners.

Home Away From HomeWith 752 sq ft of floor

space, the Lineage provides a “home away from home,” Embraer likes to say. Indeed, the E-model offers amenities befitting a home. Assisted by a new supplier, List Components & Furniture of Thomasberg, Austria, Embraer has finessed the big jet’s interior design “to the smallest details,” added new seats and functionalities and incorporated the Honeywell Ovation Select digital cabin management system, which can be operated by iPads or passen-ger touchscreen controls.

“There was a lot of room for improvement [possible] in terms of weight in the original design of the interior,” Salgado said. “As we opened ourselves to this possibility of redesign-ing the whole interior again, we decided to go after all those opportunities we thought we could have taken in the past and we took them now.”

As options in the cockpit, the Lineage 1000E can be equipped for autoland and a combined head-up display and enhanced-vision system, with an infrared

camera installed in the aircraft’s nose. The package helps reduce operating minima to Cat II operations, even for Cat 1 or some other approach types, according to Embraer.

There are currently 14 Lin-eage 1000 executive jets in ser-vice worldwide. The earlier version of the Lineage retails for some $53 million. Embraer would not disclose the price point for the E-model, which is on display on the static line at Henderson Executive Airport. “It’s already available; the one at the show is for sale,” Salgado related.

2014 Edition Phenom 100Also making its NBAA

debut is the Phenom 100 “2014 edition” of Embraer’s entry-level twinjet, an upgrade that includes multifunction inboard spoilers as standard equip-ment. The new flight-control surface, shown as a prototype at the LABACE conference in São Paulo in August, acts as a ground spoiler that increases drag and reduces lift on land-ing and as a speed brake that reduces speed and increases sink rate on approach. It will be available as a service bulletin ret-rofit for existing Phenom 100s.

Embraer is now offering 11 improved interior choices or “collections” for the light jet, expanding on the six origi-nal choices. (The latest interior themes are: Amber, Bronzite, Crystal, Emerald, Mystic, Pearl, Ruby, Sapphire, Smokey Quartz, Sunstone and Tiffany.) Among options are a premium cabin seat from UTC-Goodrich with the same functionalities as in the Phenom 300 at three of four seating positions (it is not

allowed near the emergency exit); a new optional stowage compartment; and a small gal-ley that replaces a wardrobe in the forward section. As the name implies, Embraer will begin delivering the 2014 edition by early next year.

The “Prodigy Touch” flight deck in Embraer’s Phenom 300 light jet, based on the new, touchscreen-controlled Garmin G3000 avionics suite, was cer-tified by the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and the FAA in May. Embraer expects that EASA will certify the system next spring. NetJets has ordered Prodigy Touch for its 125 “Signature Series” Phenom 300s, and the system is available as an optional upgrade to the standard Garmin G1000-based Prodigy flight deck.

Embraer is also offering as an option an additional 419 pounds of maximum takeoff weight and 221 pounds of increased pay-load, which it said is useful for high-density configurations. An optional 175-mile range increase for a Phenom 300 with six pas-sengers is already available.

The Brazilian manufac-turer has a large presence at this year’s NBAA show, in whole or part exhibiting six of its seven

executive jets. In addition to showcasing the Lineage 1000E and the Phenom 100 and 300 on the static line at Henderson Executive Airport, Embraer brought the prototype Legacy 500 midsize jet for its NBAA debut as well as the Legacy 650 large jet. It is also showcas-ing a cabin mockup of the new “mid-light” Legacy 450 in the Las Vegas Convention Center (Booth No. N2532). o


Newark, N.J.-based NC Car-pet Binding and Upholstery is here at Booth No. C9422 launching the NCS Top Shear, a new tool that provides a clean, level finish by repairing frayed or uneven carpet pile heights. Designed to make any carpet look new again, the tool removes uneven tufts, fuzzing, irregular seams, matting and discoloration.

NC manufactures sewing machines that apply edging to carpet and are used to fabri-cate aircraft seats. Customers in the aviation industry include aircraft manufacturers, comple-tions centers and interior fur-nishing specialists.

The family-owned business has been developing equipment for the flooring trade since 1953. v

AT THE BOOTHS

The Phenom 100 “2014 edition” will have a new multifunction spoiler, which will be available as a service bulletin retrofit for older Phenom 100s. Above: Marcelo Cruz, Phenom product strategy manager with Embraer Executive Jets, points to the new spoiler, which acts as both a ground spoiler and a speed brake.

The enhanced interior of the Embraer Lineage 1000E ultra-large jet accommodates a well-appointed forward dining area (above), while the rear zone can be used as a bedroom, complete with Honeywell’s Ovation Select cabin management/IFE system.

Panel explores duty rest changesby Curt Epstein

Crew fatigue management is rapidly becoming a hot-button topic in aviation and, with changes to the current general aviation duty rest guidelines due for pub-lication early next year, show attendees can get a sneak peak at possible changes at a panel discussion with those involved in the revision process on Wednesday at 1 p.m. in Room N241. NBAA, in conjunc-tion with ICAO, IBAC and the Flight Safety Foundation, is working with Cal-ifornia-based fatigue science consultants Alertness Solutions (Booth No. C10836) to update the guidelines, which have been in place since 1997.

Humans, by our very nature, are day-time creatures. Our brains and bodies have been hardwired for this, and not even the fairly recent (in evolutionary terms) innovation of artificial light can change hundreds of thousands of years of development. In response to darkness, our brains produce a chemical known as melatonin, which makes us sleepy, yet these days we are far removed from the agrarian “get up when it’s light out, go to bed when it’s dark” lifestyle of just a few centuries ago.

With today’s 24/7 pace, most peo-ple are fatigued to some degree. In fact, a recent study found that people most commonly trade sleep to make time for other activities. The result is fatigue and degraded response time and decision-making. For people in high-skill occupa-tions, such as pilots, these decreases can lead to catastrophic results. The inquest into the 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447 into the Atlantic during a flight from Brazil to France discovered that the pilot admitted in a conversation cap-tured on the cockpit voice recorder that he had had only one hour of sleep the

night before the flight. That same year, questions were raised about how much the pilots of Colgan Air Flight 3407 had slept before the regional turboprop crashed near Buffalo, N.Y.

While it is genetically determined whether we are “morning people” or “eve-ning people,” disregarding the body’s inter-nal clock–either through extended periods of wakefulness or through the effects of rapid time-zone hopping made possible by jet aircraft–can result in fatigue, defined by the International Civil Aviation Orga-nization (ICAO) as a physiological state of reduced mental or physical perfor-mance capability resulting from sleep loss or extended wakefulness, circadian phase or workload (mental and/or physical activity) that can impair a crewmember’s alertness and ability to safely operate an aircraft or perform safety-related duties.

“Sleep is important,” said Dr. Melissa Mallis, a sleep researcher and chief scien-tific advisor for Alertness Solutions. “It’s as important as nutrition and hydration.” Nonetheless, myths regarding fatigue persist: it’s a sign of weakness; it can be overcome with coffee and willpower. “It’s not that you’ve pushed through it before, it’s not because you have the ‘right stuff’; there’s actually a clock in your brain that controls the amount of sleep you get and your periods of maximum alertness and sleepiness,” she said.

The Alertness Solutions training de-personalizes the effects of individ-ual fatigue, concentrating instead on its overall physiological aspects. The company advises pilots to make sleep a priority, both in their daily regi-men and especially when preparing for a long-distance flight. Studies have shown that those people who are “eve-ning people” by nature typically have an easier time adapting to changes in schedule or time zone.

While people need seven to nine hours of sleep a night, in general, it is typical for work and other commitments to limit actual sleep to five or six hours. Hours of sleep loss are cumulative, so over the course of a workweek, an individual could lose almost an entire night’s sleep. Also, if an individual is awake for more than 16 hours or so at a stretch, perfor-mance levels decline drastically toward the end of that period, with reduced coor-dination, difficulty maintaining atten-tion, fixation, impaired problem solving and increased risk-taking behavior all threatening safety.

While it may be difficult to medi-cally quantify sleepiness, tools such as the psychomotor vigilance test measure reactions to visual stimuli in millisec-onds, giving researchers an indication of its effects.

Mallis noted that fatigue is affected pri-marily by four factors: the amount and quality of recent sleep, how long it has been since the last sleep period, the time of day and time on task. Circadian rhythm,

the body clock that governs our function-ing, produces periods in the 24-hour cycle during which we are at low points of alert-ness (window of circadian low or WOCL), typically between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., and 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. (the oft-experienced after-noon lull). During long-distance flights, pilots may often find themselves operat-ing at those times and should plan to take steps to mitigate the effects.

Managing Fatigue: Proactive Versus Reactive

Successful fatigue management depends upon a partnership between the individual and the organization. Pilots are expected to make sure they are rested to perform their duties and to notify their superiors if they believe they are not. Flight departments are respon-sible for creating schedules that consider pilot duty limits and rest requirements.

Current Part 91 operations are based on guidelines first published 16 years ago by the Flight Safety Foundation. Alertness Solu-tions has received funding from NBAA to update those guidelines and the company is also working with the International Busi-ness Aviation Council to improve IS-BAO guidelines to make fatigue awareness in safety management systems more compre-hensive and more easily auditable.

Fatigue education should be given to everyone who fills a mission-critical role, not just pilots and cabin crew but also schedulers and dispatchers, maintenance

technicians and managers. Such training needs to be annual, according to Alert-ness Solutions president Leigh White, who described it as an essential part of a safety culture that includes duty limits and rest guidelines, scheduling policies, fatigue reporting and the use of assess-ment tools such as a flight risk assess-ment tool (Frat), which is available on NBAA’s website.

Last year the FAA published its airline crew rest final rules under FAR Part 117. Capt. Jim Mangie, director of Delta Air Lines’s pilot fatigue program, said busi-ness aviation operators should use those science-based guidelines as a framework for their own scheduling. “Is what you are trying to do right now legal under [Part] 117 and if it’s not, why not?” he asked. Flight departments can use Part 117 for a “gap analysis” to show compa-nies what they are doing and should be doing to mitigate pilot fatigue.

A degree of planning is required to get pilots the appropriate rest before, dur-ing and after the flight. A layover plan is necessary to identify protected periods of rest for the crew. Such a plan must be realistic, considering such crew needs as meals, exercise and socializing.

“Social factors count,” said Mangie. “As we gathered data through different operations we found that in Mumbai, on a 48-hour layover, we were getting about 19 hours of sleep, but in Dubai about 10

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 13

Don’t Fly Drunk, or tireD

During her research with NASA and other organizations, Dr. Melissa Mal-lis, a sleep researcher and chief scientific advisor for California-based fatigue man-agement solutions provider Alertness Solutions, has learned that people’s per-ception of sleepiness does not typically match their objective performance.

Studies show that people with two hours less sleep than the seven to nine hours required show the same degradation as someone with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.05 percent; those with a four-hour deficit exhibit the effects similar to a 0.10-percent BAC (which is above the threshold for legal impairment in the U.S.).

Those numbers should give tired pilots pause when they are about to assume the controls of a multimillion-dollar business aircraft. “You are not always aware of how fatigued you are,” Mallis said. “Just as when you are intoxicated due to alcohol…that’s how you are when you are sleepy, and your estimates are often a lot better than your performance is.”� –C.E.

Schedulers can use the Safe program (distributed in the U.S. by Alertness Solutions) for aircrew fatigue evaluation to take into account estimated periods of low alertness for the crew (based on their home-time zones) and schedule rest periods, during which the crew should try to relax in the proper, low-light environment without electronic distractions.

Alertness Solutions provides fatigue management training to its customers through its online Z-Coach program, which creates personal profiles charting sleep habits and needs.

� Continued on page 20 u

GOGO TEXT & TALKText and talk with your phone.

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service for up to three devices.

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B A I L E Y L A U E R M A NAircell, Inc. AircelleratorAircel132383Pub: 2013 AIN Convention News Color: 4-color Size: Trim 10.8125" x 13.875", Bleed 11.0625" x 14.125" (Spread)

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GOGO TEXT & TALKText and talk with your phone.

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service for up to three devices.

GOGO VISIONStream the latest movies, TV

and news. On-demand. In flight.

B A I L E Y L A U E R M A NAircell, Inc. AircelleratorAircel132383Pub: 2013 AIN Convention News Color: 4-color Size: Trim 10.8125" x 13.875", Bleed 11.0625" x 14.125" (Spread)


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New UTC seat flies without wiresby Charles Alcock

UTC Aerospace Systems is introducing a new executive air-craft seat that it believes will set a new standard in cabin ergo-nomics. It features wireless technology to allow passengers

to control the seat itself as well as cabin management features including climate, connectivity, lighting and entertainment sys-tems. Travelers in the Model 1 seat will effectively be able to

create a microclimate in which the temperature is adjusted to their personal preference with-out causing discomfort to fel-low passengers.

According to the company,

which was formed last year to encompass UTC’s acquisition of Goodrich and its existing Hamilton Sundstrand business, the new seat puts the passen-ger’s preferences first for all aspects of a flight, including work, entertainment, dining and rest. It is the first seat developed under the umbrella of UTC’s new interiors division and has

tapped technology from various parts of the group, most nota-bly its Specialty Seating Systems division in Peshtigo, Wis.

The seat and other cabin management features can be controlled from a touch-screen unit provided by UTC or via a special application using an iPad/iPod or other smart devices. The seat also features a pair of USB ports, a connec-tion jack for headphones, a 110-VAC power outlet and an arm for holding tablet devices.

The use of wireless actuation and new methods for distributing climate-controlled air to passen-gers without fans has reduced the weight of the seat and, accord-ing to UTC, will make the prod-uct easier to upgrade and adapt. There is also no need for the seat’s leather upholstery to be perforated for air-conditioning purposes, nor is a thermal pad required for heating.

Electronic ControlsThe layout of the control unit

itself can be tailored to match the architecture and equipment specification of each individual aircraft. The fact that executive jet seats tend to be large means that it is harder for passengers to reach over armrests to access traditional manual control levers, which makes the func-tionality of the wireless control units all the more advantageous.

New electric functions that would be manually controlled on traditional seats include the track and swivel features, which no lon-ger require cabling. The control unit can be pre-set automatically to return the chair to the posi-tion required for taxi, takeoff and landing, but the passenger can also use it to move the seat in any direction including side to side, as well as adjusting the position of headrests and footrests. The new seats can be installed in standard tracking units in the floor of busi-ness aircraft cabins.

According to Rob Summers, manager of UTC’s Specialty Seating Systems business, the fundamentally different approach to climate control around the seat will give air-conditioning system developers an opportunity to re-think their own equipment. UTC itself is already a supplier of air-management systems for com-mercial airliners.

Some aspects of the climate control interface with the seat are still under development through consultation with pro-spective customers. UTC in-tends to have the seat in service by the first quarter of 2015. It has not disclosed pricing for the new product. o


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hours. This was the same part of the world, same time of day. There is a lot to do in Dubai, not much to do in Mumbai.”

Computer-based tools such as the Alertness Solu-tions Safe (system for aircrew fatigue evaluation) allow

schedulers to input flight plans that will outline peri-ods of WOCL for the crew, based on their home-time zone, making it possible to schedule around them and block out periods for rest. For those periods, individu-als should take steps to create a restful environment, min-imizing exposure to light by

closing shades and wearing eye masks. The use of tech-nology such as PDAs, tablet computers or smartphones in bed should be elimi-nated. Pilots can bring their own alarm clocks to provide peace of mind that they will wake when they are required.

“We’re not talking about eliminating fatigue; that’s

unrealistic,” said White. “But we can do a lot to mitigate it and manage it.”

The Alert Crew At last year’s NBAA annual

meeting, the association debuted The Alert Crew, a handbook prepared by Alertness Solutions (available upon request from NBAA), explaining the causes

of fatigue among flight crews and strategies for combating it. Suggestions include napping when possible, taking advantage of WOCL periods when sleep is easiest to achieve, but leaving at least 15 minutes of “wake-up” time after.

Some rely on caffeine, which can be useful at certain times. The guide suggests that indi-viduals use the stimulant before they expect to be tired, rather than wait until they are tired to consume it. The handbook has a chart showing the quantity of caffeine in various foods and beverages. The more caffeine you ingest daily, the less effec-tive it will be.

The experts caution, how-ever, that consolidated sleep is the only real way to reverse fatigue. Some aviation insur-ance providers have partnered with Alertness Solutions to provide fatigue management training to their customers through the company’s online Z-Coach program, which cre-ates personal profiles charting sleep habits and needs.

One final note, crews often overlook the drive home at trip’s end. If you have been awake for more than 17 hours after several days of duty, make sure you cal-culate the total hours of wake-fulness until you get home to decide if you need a nap before turning the key. o


Duty rest changesuContinued from page 13

ExcElAirE opEns

WhitE plAins bAsE

Charter/management firm ExcelAire (Booth No. C6629) announced last month that it is opening a facility to serve the New York City area at Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y. In addi-tion to charter, the location will offer aircraft management and hangar space. ExcelAire, which operates more than 20 jets throughout the Northeast and Midwest, currently bases two of them at Westchester County–a Dassault Falcon 900 and a newly added Citation CJ3. The latter, which seats up to seven passengers, has a range of 1,800 nm, which means it can fly nonstop from its base to Miami and beyond.

ExcelAire, a division of Hawthorne Global Aviation Services, maintains headquar-ters at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., where it operates a 120,000-sq-ft facility. It specializes in worldwide jet charters, aircraft management, maintenance and sales. –J.B.

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Honeywell forecast sees billings worth $260B over the next 10 yearsby Chad Trautvetter

Some 9,250 new business jets worth nearly $260 billion will be delivered between 2013 and 2022, according to Honeywell’s 22nd annual Business Aviation Out-look released on October 20. This latest forecast calls for about 750 fewer aircraft shipments than in the 10-year outlook released by the company last October, though the overall value is up almost $10 billion because of a more favor-able mix as the trend toward larger business jet models continues.

Honeywell predicts deliver-ies of 600 to 625 new business jets this year, down from the 672 jets handed over to customers last year. “The reduced deliveries expected in 2013 are largely due to new program delays, rather than deterioration in demand,” said Honeywell Business and Gen-eral Aviation president Rob Wil-son. “2014 industry deliveries are anticipated to be up modestly, reflecting recovery in supply-side constraints and some gains linked to the projected pace of global economic recovery.”

In its latest survey, Honeywell found that 28 percent of the operators interviewed plan to purchase new business jets over the next five years either as a replacement or an addition. This level of interest has been largely stable for the last four survey cycles, Honeywell said, and “compares favorably” with results of 25 percent or less that were the norm until 2006.

Of these new business jet purchase plans, 19 percent are expected to occur by the end of next year, while more than 22 percent are anticipated each year in 2015 and 2016. (The sur-vey does not allocate specific years beyond 2016.) Honeywell said that this is slightly improved from last year’s results and leads to a modest gain in projected demand in the near-term.

According to Honeywell, many of the deliveries and bill-ings over the next decade are projected to be super-midsize or larger business jets. “Volume growth between now and 2023 will be led by this class of air-craft, reflecting nearly 60 percent of additional units and nearly 85 percent of additional retail value,” the company said. In the near-term, this group is expected to account for more than 80 per-cent of business jet billings.

Wilson said that the biggest

surprise from this year’s survey was an 8-percent jump in pro-jected business jet demand–to 61 percent–from North American operators over the 10-year fore-cast. “Stronger new aircraft acqui-sition plans in North America are welcome news and should sup-port industry momentum as some of the higher-growth regions work through a year of modestly reduced growth rates,” he noted.

In the rest of the world, busi-ness jet demand in Asia Pacific slid by two points to 5 percent over the next decade; Africa/Middle East region, unchanged at 4 percent; Latin America, unchanged at 18 percent; and Europe, 12 percent, down six points year-over-year. While business jet demand from the BRIC countries–Brazil, Russia, India and China–has damped somewhat from last year’s out-look, Honeywell said demand in these countries is “still quite strong when compared with other regions or with results accrued during the more than 20 years Honeywell has been con-ducting the survey.”

In this year’s survey two com-mon themes emerged from oper-ator responses around the world, Honeywell said. “Demand from developing markets, while signif-icantly higher than mature mar-kets, continues to reflect cooling short-term economic conditions, and, in some cases, regional tur-moil. In addition, government responses to budget growth, debt and aircraft-related legislation and regulations in all areas of the

world remain as factors influenc-ing near-term purchase plans.” Despite these concerns, most operators surveyed believe that local economic growth will be sta-ble or improve in the near term.

“We continue to see underly-ing macro-trends that support potential demand for busi-ness jets, making the industry’s long-term prospects attractive,” Wilson said. “Other factors we believe will help accelerate global business aviation growth are long overdue structural and regulatory reforms, which have the potential to unlock signifi-cant spending power that would propel aviation expansion. New products also increase demand.”

Honeywell’s forecast is based on multiple sources, including macroeconomic analyses, OEM development plans shared with the company and opinions from “aerospace industry experts.” Honeywell also gathered infor-mation by conducting interviews with more than 1,500 non-frac-tional business jet operators across the globe. o


what happens in vegas...

When NBAA comes to Glitter Gulch, it leaves an impression. One of the few remaining venues capable of supporting the size of the annual NBAA show, Las Vegas is always a popular choice among members. And it’s not just about the fine flying weather; the casinos, shows and other attractions form a pleasantly distracting backdrop to the main purpose of the gathering–advancing the use of business aviation and the industry that supports it.� n

MA

RIA

NO

RO

SA

LES

Elliott Aviation is pursu-ing supplemental type cer-tificates (STCs) for Air-cell’s new ATG 2000 broadband system in the Hawker 800/850/900 mod-els, Phenom 300, King Air 350 and King Air B200/B200GT. The company hopes to have the approvals in hand by next year’s first quarter. The Aircell ATG 2000 is a cabin broad-band wireless system aimed at midsize and light jets and tur-boprops. It allows passengers to connect to the Internet on their laptops, smartphones and tablets. In addition to Internet, voice service is available on ei-ther the Aircell Gogo Biz One-Phone cabin handsets or on personal devices via the new Gogo Text & Talk service. n

NEWS NOTE

Sour

ce: H

oney

well

61%North America 8%

18%Latin America

–– Steady

12%Europe 6%

5%Asia Pacific 2%

4%Middle East & Africa

1%

56%Big Cabin

83% total valuation(Super midsized through business liner) 19%

Midsize11% total valuation(Light-medium, medium) 25%

6% total valuation

Purchase plans by aircraft class

Regional aircraft demand

–– percentage change from 2012

Not yet airborne. Displayed on ground at NBAA. The world’s first and only Super Versatile Jet - coming 2017.

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PC-24_Las Vegas_10.8125x13.875_100913.indd 1 9/10/13 11:45 AM

Aircell debuts Gogo Vision movie serverby Matt Thurber

If anyone thought that Aircell was done innovating after turn-ing on the switch for its new Text & Talk service on October 1, there is a lot more to come. Yes-terday, Aircell unveiled Gogo Vision, an entertainment service that runs on the Broomfield, Colo.-based company’s new UCS 5000 router and delivers on-demand movies, television shows and flight information to any device in the cabin.

Operators that install Gogo Vision will be able to update content wirelessly via Aircell’s new Gogo Cloud service, which will be available at FBOs such as those of launch provider Sig-nature Flight Support. NBAA 2013 attendees can try all the new Gogo services at Aircell’s

booth (No. C11243). During a recent flight in Air-

cell’s Challenger 600 from Long Beach Airport in southern Cali-fornia, AIN was able to try Text & Talk and Gogo Vision. While watching a movie on the iPad, we were able to log on to Gogo Biz with a MacBook Pro and send and receive text messages and telephone calls from an iPhone. The services all worked perfectly, except when we flew over portions of the San Ber-nardino Mountains where the height above ground dipped to fewer than 10,000 feet, the bot-tom limit for Aircell’s service.

Aircell’s air-to-ground tele-com service started in 1998, then Gogo Biz for business avi-ation launched in 2009 with

broadband-speed airborne Inter-net access in the continental U.S. and portions of Alaska. Can-ada will be added soon. While Aircell also offers Iridium and Inmarsat SwiftBroadband sys-tems that enable airborne voice communications, the new Text & Talk service makes voice calls and texting possible with existing Aircell Gogo Biz equipment. The only change required is a software update and a new voice service plan. The Text & Talk dealer-installed software update costs $9,995 (for Aircell ATG 4000 or 5000 systems), and the service cost is included in Aircell’s voice plan, with unlimited texting.

Aircell’s app for iPhone 4 and above is free and works with AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and

T-Mobile, and Android device support is coming soon. Cus-tomers still must pay for text messaging or for voice call-ing according to their particu-lar phone’s package. Support for SwiftBroadband satcoms will be added shortly, according to Aircell.

What makes Text & Talk use-ful is that it uses the caller’s exist-ing contacts, caller ID, recent call log and other features. Any-one can call a Text & Talk user from the ground just by dialing their regular cell phone number or by texting (we did test both features), without having to dial another number then an exten-sion. Basically, no one needs to know whether the user is in the air or on the ground. Two calls can be made simultaneously.

“It’s just so wicked simple,” said Aircell marketing direc-tor Tom Myers. And indeed it is; Aircell Text & Talk made my iPhone work in the air just as it does on the ground.

Here at the NBAA show, XOJet announced that it is installing Gogo Text & Talk on its entire fleet of Bombar-dier Challenger 300s and Cita-tion Xs beginning in December. Clay Lacy Aviation made a simi-lar announcement, with plans to install Text & Talk on all of its charter aircraft.

A New VisionGogo Vision is Aircell’s new-

est offering, bringing the latest licensed movies and television content directly to the airplane. What makes Gogo Vision work is Aircell’s new smart router and media server, the $29,000 UCS 5000. Instead of having to add a separate media server, the UCS 5000 can not only distribute con-tent to users in the airplane but also serve as a PBX and provide data compression (WAN optimi-zation) services. The UCS 5000 weighs about 10 pounds, and the advanced features can be added by software updates.

Working in concert with Gogo Cloud, the UCS 5000 eliminates the need for pilots and passen-gers to load movies onto the air-plane or onto personal devices before takeoff. And downloading a 5 GB movie over a satcom link would be prohibitively expensive and take way too much time.

When the Gogo Vision/UCS 5000-equipped airplane taxies to within wireless reception of a Gogo Cloud location such as a Signature Flight Support FBO, new content is automatically uploaded to the UCS 5000. According to Aircell, “The transfer takes place at ultra-high speed, typically less than 60 seconds to load a 30-min-ute TV episode and about three minutes for a feature-length movie.” Gogo Cloud services begin Jan. 1, 2014 at Washing-ton-Dulles, Orlando Interna-tional and Las Vegas airports, and another 15 Signature loca-tions will go live by the end of 2014. Flight departments can also buy equipment to become Gogo Cloud-capable. Gogo Vision updates can also be done manually, using a USB drive.

Gogo Vision does require a suitable telecom link in the airplane, because the system needs to send a verification message to the ground to allow the licensed content to play. Content is not old and unpop-ular material that nobody wants to watch, but the latest movies and TV shows, plus 12 current news videos as well as flight information. The UCS 5000 doesn’t have unlimited storage, of course, so it keeps about 200 movies onboard at a time. Movies will run on just about any type of device that can run common browser soft-ware such as Google Chrome, Internet Explorer and Safari.

Aircell hasn’t released Gogo Vision prices yet, but these will include a monthly fee (which includes updates) and a per-movie charge. o


Aircell’s Gogo Vision service delivers current content to devices like this iPad mini, and updates are automatic when parked at an FBO equipped with Aircell’s Gogo Cloud.

FrontierMedex debuts AirAssist medical planby Amy Laboda

A medical emergency on board a business jet at altitude–and how it is dealt with–presents a defining moment for any flight department. Yet not all are well prepared, according to emer-gency planning specialist Fron-tierMedex, which gave a briefing at the NBAA show yesterday.

Those who have dealt with medical emergencies tend to be the ones who subscribe to ser-vices such as FrontierMedex’s newest offering, AirAssist Ser-vices (Booth No. C9918). “I am still surprised that there are a fair amount of Part 91 operators that have no cover-age in this realm,” said Charlie LeBlanc, vice president secu-rity services at FrontierMedex, who introduced the company’s AirAssist product. “I think that we have [a] tremendous

value to cost [ratio] for this type of service,” he said. “And those who have had an emer-gency know it.”

AirAssist’s central feature is its in-flight emergency medical consultation service, provided by the emergency physicians of the University of Pittsburgh’s Stat-MD program. AirAssist pro-vides both the crew training and on board medical kit and com-munication to enable Stat-MD to function. It also directs the crew as to where to land based on both proximity and the needs of the patient for specialized care. Sometimes the closest hos-pital is not the best choice.

“Stat-MD has been provid-ing Delta Air Lines and South-west Airlines with emergency inflight medical assistance for five years, but we are their only

business aviation client,” said LeBlanc. “We found them about 18 months ago and began to con-ceptualize how we could provide the AirAssist product,” he con-tinued. What is unique about the product is that AirAssist provides not just inflight emergency train-ing, support and direction, but also pre-flight passenger health assessments, helping the crew know ahead of time if their pas-sengers have serious health issues that should be monitored.

FrontierMedex’s AirAssist product is more than just another medical-assist subscription pro-gram for business aviation, the company claims. FrontierMedex grew out of Air Security Interna-tional/ASI Group. This group was purchased by Medex Global Solu-tions in 2008, rebranded in 2011 and has been owned by United-Healthcare since 2012, according to LeBlanc, who has been with the company since 1993. “UHC provides expatriate insurance that includes a medical-assist program and political security and evac-uation service. Beyond that, our roots are in security, so it is natural that we would provide a security component that no other medical-assist program has to our newest product,” he said.

AirAssist subscribers have access to the company’s Flite-Briefs and trip-monitoring products, which provide tailored airport security issues and travel tracking, along with online intel-ligence tools, secure ground transportation with pre-screen-ing of drivers and vehicles and even aircraft guarding. LeBlanc said that four Part 91 operators have already signed up for the program. oM

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Charlie LeBlanc, vice president, Security Services, FrontierMedex.

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Finally, DOT issues NPRM aimed at charter brokersby James Wynbrandt

The U.S. Department Of Transpor-tation (DOT) released its long awaited Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Enhanced Consumer Pro-tection for Charter Air Transportation on September 27. The NPRM includes four proposals that broadly would: (1) require charter brokers to disclose the name of the charter operator to clients; (2) create an “air charter broker” class of indirect air carrier; (3) codify the longstanding exemption allowing air-ambulance ser-vices to act as indirect air carriers; and (4) clarify guidelines for air charter services performed for the federal government.

The Air Charter Association of North America (Acana) is studying the NPRM and has created a five-member commit-tee comprised of two charter operators, two charter brokers (in each case one that works primarily with Part 135 operators, the other a Part 121 specialist) and an asso-ciate member to draft a formal response. Though Acana was formed to represent charter brokers, several charter operators have also joined the organization, and hav-ing both on the NPRM study committee “will not only add value to our responses but add to the credibility of our responses,” said Acana chairman David McCown, v-p at brokerage Air Partner.

Indirect Air CarriersMcCown noted that Acana (here at the

Avinode/Wyvern Booth No. N3921) has advocated allowing brokers to act as indi-rect air carriers, rather than limiting them to acting solely as agents for the client of the operator. “This is something Acana suggested to the DOT about four years ago,” he said. “It’s a much cleaner way for brokers to move forward with our type of business. It’s more straightforward and cre-ates less ambiguity of our role.”

The new indirect air carrier designa-tion would, for example, eliminate prob-lems that have occurred when government agencies contract with charter brokers for service (as the last of the DOT’s four proposals addresses). The federal gov-ernment precludes private entities from acting as agents for the government; charter brokers, including Air Partner, have been granted exemptions naming them as indirect air carriers in order to fulfill their government contracts.

But McCown said the NPRM likely didn’t go far enough for charter brokers seeking to raise the bar for membership in their community, which is currently totally unregulated. “I think many members of Acana would like to see this new class of indirect air carrier meet some minimum standards of financial health, industry-spe-cific knowledge and personal propriety,” McCown said, suggesting that Acana’s own membership guidelines, which require proof of financial soundness and preclude convicted felons from joining, could be a

starting point for such standards. Aviation consultant and charter/man-

agement expert Gil Wolin concurred that the NPRM “doesn’t go far enough” in regulating charter brokers. “There are two things you don’t need a license for in America: one is to make a baby and the other is to broker jet charter,” said Wolin.

Other brokers expressed pleasure that any regulations had finally been pro-posed. “It’s about time the DOT is catch-ing up,” said Richard Zaher, CEO of charter broker Paramount Business Jets in Leesburg, Va.

The NPRM leaves the door open to creating standards for brokers, but “the DOT wants to understand how it would be managed and how it would be paid for,” McCown said.

The document also proposes that bro-kers notify clients of the identity of the operator of the charter flight at the time the carrier is finalized. “I would say the broker community isn’t 100 percent com-fortable with disclosing to the customer–especially a new customer–the name of the carrier until they’ve gotten the signed contract,” he said, noting that brokers are concerned that charter customers could contact the operator directly to arrange the flight in hopes of avoiding the bro-ker’s commission.

The NPRM also calls for regulating the act of brokering, recognizing that many non-brokers, such as limousine companies and hotels, may also help cli-ents procure air charter services.

No official data on charter broker activity exists, but McCown said that Air Partner estimates brokers book about 20 percent, or $600 million of the $3 billion spent on Part 135 air charter annually, and 10 percent, or $150 million of the $1.5 billion spent on Part 121 air charter. Other estimates vary, with some suggest-ing that a far higher percentage of 135 flights are originated through brokers.

Forum TodayHere at NBAA, Acana will host a

forum and Q&A today at 3 p.m. in Room N115 to discuss the NPRM, moderated by Acana president Brent Muldown, managing director of Wyvern Con-sulting. Panelists will include Dayton Lehman, Jr., former DOT principal dep-uty assistant chief counsel, and attorney Kent Jackson of Jackson & Wade.

“It’s a good NPRM,” McCown said. “[The DOT] is clearly trying to work with us, and we are going to give it a very com-prehensive review and give them some very good information back. We’re just very excited it’s finally out.”

Interested parties are invited to submit comments to the DOT about the NPRM within 60 days of its September 27 publica-tion. For more information, search “char-ter brokers” at www.regulations.gov. o


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Small Illinois city is a mecca for local aerospace talentby Mark Huber

Think of a city considered an aero-space manufacturing hub: Seattle, Tou-louse, Wichita, São Jose dos Campos and Montreal all come to mind.

How about Rockford, Illinois? Located 90 miles west of Chicago, the

Rockford region is the ninth largest epi-center of aerospace activity in the coun-try and the sixth largest as measured by concentration of aerospace employ-ment. More than 200 aerospace suppliers employing 6,500 people have operations in the greater Rockford area and it is home to facilities of several tier-one sup-pliers, including B/E Aerospace, GE Avi-ation, Esterline, United Technologies Aerospace Systems (UTAS, formerly Hamilton Sundstrand) and Woodward.

With all of this activity, it is para-

mount that employers have access to a constant stream of talent across all sec-tors of the workforce, from the fac-tory floor to the boardroom. Rockford needed to find a way to keep new talent flowing into its aerospace pipeline from nearby universities as well as local high and technical schools. It was also inter-ested in creating incentives for graduates of Rockford-area high schools to return and gain aerospace employment in the area after receiving their university edu-cations elsewhere. Rockford does not have a local engineering school.

So in 2011 the Rockford Area Eco-nomic Development Council’s (RAEDC) Rockford Area Aerospace Network (RAAN, Booth No. C7924) created the Joint Institute of Engineering and Tech-nology-Aerospace (JiET-A) program.

The goal of the program is to boost the flow into the region’s aerospace tal-ent pipeline. JiET-A combines three com-ponents: academics, mentorships and scholarships. The internship program is offered at Rockford-area schools such as Northern Illinois University, Rock Val-ley College, Rockford University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

The aim is that JiET-A students will bring their skills and experience into the aerospace workforce after they graduate.

Although a relatively new program, JiET-A has already attracted 107 college student applications and accepted 48 stu-dents. Of that number, 20 are interning at local companies through JiET-A and two students have been hired for full-time employment by UTAS.

ERAU a PartnerAs an offshoot of this effort, Embry-

Riddle Aeronautical University is part-nering with Rockford Public Schools to establish an aerospace institute that will launch this fall as part of Rockford’s char-ter school program. The program is offered free to high-school students, enabling them

to earn both high-school credit toward graduation and college credit.

Initially, the new Rockford institute will offer two courses covering principles of aeronautical science and unmanned aircraft systems. The goal is to encourage high-school students to pursue aerospace engineering majors, acquire a mentor from a participating company and then apply for JiET-A once they get to college.

The RAEDC also tried to get Embry-Riddle to set up an engineering program in Rockford but those plans were tem-porarily iced by the recession. However, Embry-Riddle has received approval from the Illinois Board of Education to begin teaching individual master’s level engi-neering courses at its Rockford campus, but has yet to start teaching the classes.

Essential Recruiting Tool“We began the program after having

discussions about engineering needs with the area’s two largest aerospace employ-ers, UTAS and Woodward,” said Eric Voyles, vice president of national busi-ness development for the RAEDC.

“There were multiple programs here in town designed to create engineers and

keep them, but they were not aligned. We really weren’t doing a good job of keep-ing students here in the market. Con-versations were not occurring between the high schools and the colleges. So we wanted to get the word out that as the kids moved up on the education ladder there was an opportunity to come back into town and be employed by these com-panies and others of various sizes.

“We also needed to make more compa-nies aware of the program. As soon as they see it they start to ask how they can adapt it to their co-op programs so they can get these students to come into the company throughout the year, not just in the sum-mer months. It’s an integrated internship program. So the companies had to rethink how to use student employment to develop that future engineer they may want to hire full-time after university.”

Voyles said that area aerospace compa-nies must aggressively recruit engineering talent “just to maintain the status-quo,” and that a program like JiET-A is essen-tial in doing so.

“We needed to create a crop of local engineers, and the key to that was to start talking about it with these kids while they are still in high school, so that they want to come back into the market after col-lege. We needed to create a route back with an attachment to the community.”

Exceeded ExpectationsSo far the program has exceeded expec-

tations, Voyles said. “When we first started, we thought maybe we would have 25 kids and maybe eight to 12 internships by this time. We thought it would take three to four years to build a pipeline of maybe 300 kids in the program. We’re a third of the way there after only one year of effort.”

Interns are currently placed at UTAS, B/E and Woodward. Nine other compa-nies are currently seeking interns under the program. Voyles said that more com-panies are interested in participating. “It’s just a question of getting the word out.”

UTAS engineering executive Bill Kroll has served as the executive director of JiET-A since November 2011. Kroll said JiET-A is working closely with the area’s educational institutions, from high schools to universities, to provide Rock-ford-area aerospace companies with a variety of qualified graduates, from cer-tified assemblers to post-graduate engi-neers. Right now its primary focus is on college-track students. Kroll said JiET-A intends to provide 45 internships at 12 companies next year.

UTAS has hired two JiET-A grad-uates as full-time employees. Both are graduates of Northern Illinois Univer-sity. One of them is Mitch Semple, a mechanical engineer, who now works as a manufacturing engineer at UTAS. Sem-ple did three co-op sessions with UTAS from 2011 to 2012 before being selected for the JiET-A program. Semple credits JiET-A with helping him land his full-time job a month before he graduated.

Kroll said JiET-A makes sense for participating companies that “want to take control of their workforce needs and build them locally.” o


Mitch Semple, a manufacturing engineer at United Technologies Aerospace Systems, credits his participation in the JiET-A program with helping him land a full-time job with the company a month before graduation.

NBAA germiNAtes BizAv’s Next geN

With an eye toward the future of the industry, NBAA continues the tradi-tion begun more than two decades ago of helping youngsters turn their passion for aviation into a career by designating the final day of the annual convention as “Careers in Business Aviation Day.” On Thursday, students aged 12 or older who have interest in aviation, along with their teachers and/or chaperones, will be granted free admission to the show.

“Business aviation offers near-limit-less career opportunities; however, many current industry professionals note that

they were not aware of these possibili-ties when they initially considered their career paths,” said Ed Bolen, NBAA’s president and CEO. “It’s vital that we educate the future generations of avi-ation professionals about our industry, and attending the NBAA convention is a great way to learn all there is to know about business aviation.”

Starting with the Atlanta conven-tion in 2007, organizers expanded the program to include all interested local students rather than just those attending aviation schools. Recently, the show has played host to as many as 600 students at the annual event.

Among activities planned are a gen-eral session [for high school students], about aviation careers for followed by a scavenger hunt and guided tour through the exhibit halls and static display. Also featured is a special session for college students offering roundtable discussions with industry professionals on the varied career paths available in business aviation.

New this year, as part of the Careers in Business Aviation Day activities, the association is partnering with Honeywell Aerospace and nonprofit education organization Build A Plane to present a Teachers’ Day curriculum, which will intro-duce educators to using aviation concepts to teach science, technology, engineering and math subjects. Educational materials from Honeywell, the FAA, the National Air and Space Museum, AOPA, EAA, and more will be available.

“NBAA wants future workforce lead-ers to become engaged in the many career opportunities the aviation indus-try offers, which is why we sponsor events like this at our conventions. It also is why we provide hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in student-schol-arship and professional-development funds,” said Bolen. “We are delighted to include this Build A Plane Teachers’ Day event as part of our convention in Las Vegas this year.” – C.E.

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Cessna Aircraft News highlights from the past year

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October 2012

• AnnouncedthefirstCessna-ownedCitationServiceCenterintheUK,locatedatRobinHoodAirportinDoncaster,Sheffield.TheformerKinchAviationServiceswasrebrandedastheDoncasterCitationServiceCentre.The50,000-sq-ftfacilityoffersservicerangingfrommaintenancetomodernizationandpaint.

• CessnadebutedthenewlyupdatedCitationSovereigninthestaticdisplayatNBAA2012inOrlando.

• Cessnaannouncedthatthenameoftheimproved“CitationTen”willreverttotheoriginalandmorefamiliar“CitationX.”

April 2013

• CessnarolledoutofthefirstproductionunitofthenewCitationXatthecompany’sWichitamanufacturingfacility.

• Initsfirst-quarter2013earningscall,parentcompanyTextronCEOScottDonnellynotedthattheairframerdelivered32newjetsinthefirstquarter,sixfewerthaninthesamequarterlastyear,resultinginasegmentlossof$8millioninthequarter.HeaddedthatCessnaisparingits2013businessjetdeliveriesoutlookandexpectsdeliverieswillbedowncomparedwith2012.

• Theairframeraddedaircraft-on-ground(AOG)maintenanceforits208modelCaravanatallofitsfactory-ownedCitationservicecenters,aswellasfromitsmobileserviceunits.

• Thenew-generationsuper-midsizeCitationSovereignwiththeIntrinzicGarminG5000-basedflightdeckmadeitsfirsttestflight.

July 2013

• DeliveredthefirstproductionunitsoftheCessnaTTxhigh-performance,all-compositepistonsingletocustomers.

• Initsfirst-halfearningscall,parentcompanyTextronsaidsecond-quarterrevenuesatCessnadecreasedby$203million,withthecompanydeliver-ingjust20newCitationscomparedwith49inthesameperiodin2012.

• Cessnaintroduced“SovereignShield,”auniqueserviceprogramcov-eringallscheduledmaintenanceandpartscostsforthenewCitationSovereignforthefirstfiveyearsofownershipor1,500flighthours.

• MaidenflightofthefirstproductionunitofthenewCitationXreachesMach0.915at41,000feet.

September 2013

• CessnaandsistercompanyBellHelicopterbothcontributedtothedesignanddevelopmentofparentcompanyTextron’snewScorpionmilitaryjet.AccordingtoaTextronspokesman,Bellbroughtcompositeexpertisetotheproject,whileCessnadesignedandbuiltthejetatitsPawneefacilityinWichita.Anearlycompletedprototype,whichhasbeenfittedwithapairofHoneywellTFE731turbofans,isexpectedtoflybyyear-end.Low-rateinitialproductionisscheduledtostartin2015atCessna’sWichitaplant.

December 2012

• AcquiredJetAviation’smaintenance,repairandoverhaul(MRO)facili-tiesinZurich,Switzerland,andDüsseldorf,Germany,furtherincreasingthecompany’sglobalservicecenterfootprint.JetAviationcontinuestooperatetheFBOfacilitiesatbothlocations.

November 2012

• Cessnaenteredintoajoint-venturecontractwithChinaAviationIndustryGeneralAircraft(CAIGA)toconductfinalassemblyofCessnaCitationXLS+jetsinChinafortheChinesemarket.

• AnnouncedanotherjointventurecontractwithCAIGAtoconductfinalassem-blyofCessnaCaravanutilityturbopropsinChinafortheChinesemarket.Thejoint-venturecontractalsocontemplatesthepossibilityofdesigningandassemblingnewmodelsofutilityturbopropaircraftinthefuture.

January 2013

• CessnacommencedtheinitialproductionrunofthenewCitationM2lightjetatthecompany’sIndependence,Kan.facility.

• ThePratt&WhitneyCanadaPT6A-140-poweredGrandCaravanEXturbopropsinglereceivesFAAtypecertification.

• InparentcompanyTextron’s2012year-endearningscall,Cessnaannouncedthatrevenuesincreasedto$3.1billion,up$110millionfromthepreviousyear,whileprofitsclimbedby$22million,to$82million.

March 2013

• FirstproductionnewCitationSovereignrolledofftheproductionlineinthecompany’sWichitamanufacturingfacility.

• Cessnaannouncedtheplannedexpansionofitsworldwidesalesforcebynearly50percent.Thecompanyisplacinganemphasisondecen-tralizedsatelliteofficesinglobalmarketswhereCessna’spresenceisestablishedorwherethecompanyseesgrowthopportunities.

• Rolloutofthe400thproductionCitationCJ3fromCessna’sproductionfacilityinWichita.Thelightbusinessjetisinitsninthyearofservice.

May 2013

• CessnapromotedKriyaShortttosenior,right,vicepresidentofsales.Shewassucceededasv-pofsalesforEurope,MiddleEastandAfrica(EMEA)byTomPerry,whoheldthepostofheadofsalesintheUK,BeneluxandNordicregions.

• CessnareachedamilestoneinthemanufactureofthenewCitationM2lightjetwiththematingofthewingandfuselageonthefirstproductionunit.

• AttheEBACEshow,CessnaintroducedatreatmenttoprotectCitationjetsbasedinEuropefromthecorrosiveeffectsofenvironmentallyfriendlybutaluminum-hostilerunwayde-icersincreasinglyusedacrosstheregion.ThetreatmentisavailableundertheProTech+program.

August 2013

• PromotedLannieO’BannionfrombusinessleaderfortheCaravanproductlinetoregionalvicepresidentofsalesforthemidwesternU.S.andCanada.

• RolloutofthefirstproductionunitoftheCitationM2,fromCessna’sassemblylineinIndependence,Kan.

• CessnanamedBobKing,mostrecentlytheOEM’sv-pofinformationtechnology,asbusinessleaderfortheMustang,M2,CJ2+,CJ3andCJ4businessjets,andpromotedBrianRohlofffrombusinessleaderfortheMustangandM2programstovicepresidentofquality.

• CompletedthefirstfuselageforthenewmidsizeCitationLatitudetwinjet.

• MaidenflightforthefirstproductionunitoftheCitationM2,fromCessna’sIndependence,Kan.facility.

Citation M2

Citation X

Citation Sovereign


Embraer Executive Jets News highlights from the past year

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Embraer’s composites factory in Évora, Por-tugal, completed its first shipset–a mostly composite empen-nage for the Legacy 500 midsize twinjet. The component was shipped to the compa-ny’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil.

FEBRUARY 2013

• Embraer released its 2013 outlook, forecasting delivery of between 105 and 120 business jets this year, up from 99 last year. The forecast is for delivery of up to 90 light and 30 large-cabin business jets, compared with 77 and 22, respectively, last year.

• The second Embraer Legacy 500 flew on February 15, officially entering the flight-test and certification program. Since its first flight on November 27, Legacy 500 S/N 1 had logged more than 44 hours on 23 flights.

• Embraer signed a memorandum of understanding with Indamer of Mumbai, India, to provide maintenance support for the Legacy 500. The airframer has delivered 18 business jets to India, including three Legacy 650s that arrived this year.

APRIL 2013

• Embraer announced at ABACE 2013 in Shanghai that it had taken an order for a Lineage 1000 large-cabin business jet for a customer in China.

• Hawker Pacific Singapore was appointed an Embraer authorized service center, to include the in-development Legacy 500 family when it enters service.

• Indonesia’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation issued type certification for the Legacy 650, paving the way for Embraer customer Premiair to put the aircraft into service.

• Embraer reported delivering 12 business jets in the first quarter, one fewer than it did in the same period in 2012. While the number repre-sented a dip, the company’s firm order backlog increased to $13.3 billion by the end of the quarter, up from $12.5 billion in the previous quarter.

AUGUST 2013

• The first Embraer Leg-acy 650 built in China completed its maiden flight on August 26. It was assembled by Harbin Embraer Aircraft Indus-try, the joint venture between Embraer and Aviation Industry Corp. of China, which previ-ously manufactured EMB-145 regional jets.

May 2013

• The new Embraer Legacy 500 made its first public appearance out-side Brazil, flying to Geneva for the EBACE 2013 conference.

• The Embraer Lineage 1000 on the static line at EBACE was sold to Belgium’s FlyingGroup. The air-craft, which will be operated both privately and for charter by FlyingGroup, will be based in Antwerp and operated to points as far away as Kazakhstan The Lineage has a published range of 4,400 nm with eight passengers and NBAA IFR fuel reserves.

• Europe will remain the second-largest market for new business jets over the next decade, accounting for approximately 29 percent of delivery volume and 34 percent of billings, according to Embraer’s latest 10-year fore-cast. The U.S. will continue to be the largest market for business jets, pre-

dicted to take delivery of nearly half of the aircraft during the forecast period. Embraer anticipates that 7,870 to 9,300 business jets–valued at $205 billion to $246 billion–will be shipped worldwide through 2022.

• Embraer delivered the first of up to 125 “Signature Series” Phenom 300s to NetJets during a ceremony in Melbourne, Fla., on May 1.

• Embraer revealed that it has a 32- to 36-seat VIP shuttle concept of the Embraer E195 on its drawing board.

• Embraer named Jet Aviation Basel, Swit-zerland, an authorized service center for the Embraer Legacy 600 and 650.

DECEMBER 2012

• Embraer’s Legacy 600/650 program reached a significant milestone with the delivery of the 200th Legacy business jet, a Legacy 650 that was handed over to China’s Minsheng Financial Leasing. The aircraft is one of the 13 Legacy 650s that Minsheng ordered in October. Min-sheng also has an outstanding order for three Embraer Lineage 1000 bizliners.

• Embraer Executive Jets appointed maintenance and refurb center Comlux Aviation Services as the first independent Lineage 1000 authorized service center in North America.

JANUARY 2013

• Embraer’s flagship Lineage 1000 received type certification from Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee, thus paving the way for customers to register and operate the bizliner in Russia. The twinjet, which is based on Embraer’s E190 airliner, can fly nonstop from Moscow to New York and accommodate up to 19 passengers in five distinct cabin zones. Embraer says more than 40 of its large-cabin Legacy 600 and 650s are currently operating in Russia.

JULY 2013

• Embraer delivered its 400th Phenom-series twinjet since the debut of the Phenom 100 in 2008.

• Embraer released second-quarter results in July, reporting 29 executive air-craft delivered, compared with 20 in the second quarter of 2012. There were 23 light and six large executive jets delivered (11 Phenom 100s, 12 Phenom 300s, five Legacy 650s and one Lineage 1000).

• Embraer Executive Jets named Brenda Paauwe-Navori as Western region regional sales director for its large and ultra-large business jet division.

SEPTEMBER 2013

• Embraer Executive Jets presented its China Executive Aviation Market Outlook 2014-2023 and forecasted a demand for 805 executive jets in China over the next decade. The large-cabin business jet class is expected to represent 51 percent of the demand, accounting for 78 percent of the total value of deliveries.

• Embraer promoted its portfolio and showcased the Legacy 650 on static display at JetExpo 2013 in Moscow.

MARCH 2013

• Embraer’s first Phenom 300 twinjet manufactured in the U.S. and deliv-ered to a buyer left the company’s Melbourne, Fla. facility on March 29.

• The third Embraer Legacy 500 joined the flight-test fleet after making its initial flight from Embraer’s São José dos Campos facility. The flight-test program will involve four aircraft to test systems prior to the twinjet’s entry into service next year.

• A new Embraer Legacy 650 level-D flight simulator at FlightSafety Inter-national’s St. Louis learning center received approval from the FAA, EASA and Brazil’s Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil. FlightSafety serves Embraer as its factory-authorized training provider for the E-Jets line of commercial jets, as well as the Lineage and Legacy executive jets.

• On March 26, Florida governor Rick Scott and other political leaders joined Embraer president and CEO Frederico Curado to cut the ribbon on a 40,000-sq-ft hangar at Jacksonville International Airport that Embraer will use to assemble the A-29 Super Tucano for the U.S. Air Force Light Air Support (LAS) program.

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Dynamic changes afoot at Dallas Airmotiveby Kim Rosenlof

A new president, restruc-tured sales and field service teams, operations expansion in Asia and Brazil and a new logo and mobile app unveiled here at NBAA 2013 indicate just some of the dynamic changes under-taken in the past few months by turbine engine overhauler Dallas Airmotive (Booth No. N3505), a BBA Aviation com-pany. According to Doug

Meador, who was promoted to president in January, these changes and others are designed to bring Dallas Airmotive’s ser-vices closer to the customers.

“The message is really around serving the customer and making our company easier to do busi-ness with,” said Meador. “We’ve received past feedback that some-times our systems or organiza-tion were not easy to deal with. So everything we’ve done around aligning ourselves organization-ally, our sales reorganization, the mobile app and website changes, even the logo defining who we are, ultimately makes it easier for the customer to do business with us.”

One of the first changes Meador instituted upon becoming company president was to reorganize the sales force into territorial direc-tors supported by a team of regional engine managers.

“Our sales team now sells all

[of our] products; they’re not [individually] product focused like they were,” said Meador. “And then we aligned our ser-vice regions with those same sales territories. So now if a customer is in Van Nuys and they have a problem and they call their sales-person, that salesperson has a relationship with [the correspond-ing] regional field service repre-sentatives and managers. This speeds up our response time.”

The alignment of sales and service regions also required decentralization in the com-pany’s growing F1rst Support

mobile engine service program. Launched in October 2010, F1rst Support originally con-tained a Texas-based global command center supporting more than 115 field service rep-resentatives (FSRs) around the world. In response to customer demands for more responsive on-site service, the F1rst Sup-port program now also includes the company’s 14 brick-and-mortar regional turbine centers (RTCs), four custom 28-foot mobile service vehicles strategi-cally placed in the U.S., several mobile response teams (MRTs)

scattered around the world and satellite command centers in Singapore and the UK.

“When we looked at all of the resources we had in place to sup-port our customers, the orga-nization we had created did not allow the customer to feel the full extent of the resources we have to support them,” said Meador. “That was mainly because of our organization being centralized and not close to the customer. So we’re capitalizing on our regional turbine centers as the footprint to expand our service capabilities out of those RTCs.”

Expands Engine SupportDallas Airmotive also recently

added new capabilities to its F1rst Support program, including field and/or mobile repair support for Honeywell HTF7000 and Rolls-Royce BR710 engines and Honeywell RE100 and RE220 APUs. Meador cited changing engine service requirements as a second reason to expand the F1rst Support program, noting that newer engines require fewer extensive shop visits and more field maintenance events.

“More of the product that we’re servicing have field activity


Doug Meador, Dallas Airmotive president

A Dallas Airmotive field service tech inspects a PW500 engine.

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rather than shop activity,” said Meador. “The HTF7000 is a prime example; it’s an on-con-dition engine. Most of the activ-ity on engines of that type, such as hot sections and mid-life repairs, had been done in a shop. That activity can now be done in the field because of how the engine is designed. What was a $300,000 shop repair is now a $50,000 field event.”

Bringing the support closer to customers doesn’t stop in the U.S., however. Dal-las Airmotive has also been expanding its capabilities in Asia Pacific, Brazil and Latin America by installing new field service MRTs; moving into a larger facility in Belo Hori-zonte, Brazil; and adding new engine authorizations to its Singapore RTC. Established in February 2012, the Singa-pore RTC recently completed its first major periodic inspec-tion (MPI) on a Honeywell TFE731 engine.

“This first MPI is the culmi-nation of a year’s effort to estab-lish our Singapore facility in the region,” said Meador. “Asia Pacific is a relatively new and high-growth region for business aviation. We have committed the resources to service a grow-ing base of customers now and for the long term.”

Engine AppIn yet another effort to enhance

connectivity between the com-pany and its customers, Dallas Airmotive has launched the new mobile “MyTurbine” app that connects directly to the F1rst Sup-port database, allowing custom-ers to contact F1rst Support with one click and instantly providing

information about the customer’s registered aircraft to Dallas Air-motive personnel. The app also provides a window into the Dallas Airmotive shop process, allowing the customer to track the aircraft or engine through various shop checkpoints.

“We still want to develop our relationships and expand our reach,” said Meador, “but we

really want to accelerate the ser-vice side of our business through enhancing our customer service. [We’re] getting a whole lot faster in our response time and prob-lem resolution, whether it’s just a telephone call or an AOG sit-uation in Bangkok. We’re going through a process of redefining what the service experience with Dallas Airmotive is.” o


Dallas Airmotive

Unveils New Logo

Dallas Airmotive unveiled its new logo here at NBAA 2013. Us-ing the company’s traditional red and blue colors, the new logo morphs spinning turbine engine blades into the shape of a Phoenix.

“The legend of the mytho-logical Phoenix represents cy-clical renewal. The Phoenix rises from the ashes of its predeces-sor,” commented Dallas Airmo-tive president Meador, “which is symbolically what we do for tur-bine engines. We take worn and damaged engines and give them renewed life.” –K.R.

Dallas Airmotive employs more than 115 field service reps around the world.

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Microturbo APU poised to enter service on AW189by Charles Alcock

Safran Microturbo’s new e-APU60 auxiliary power unit is set to enter ser-vice by year-end on AgustaWestland’s new AW189 helicopter. Currently, the company had delivered 10 production APUs to the rotorcraft manufacturer and now it is pursuing other business

aircraft applications, including small- and medium-sized jets and other rotorcraft.

Developed to meet the needs of new-generation “more electric” and eventu-ally “all-electric” aircraft, the compact unit promises to deliver a step change in power-to-weight ratio, improved

reliability and lower cost of ownership. On May 31, the e-APU60 achieved certi-fication by EASA under Category 1 rules for essential use (FAA TSO C77b) and it can be installed as part of any new air-craft program.

As part of an APU family delivering between 15 and 90 kW of electrical power, Microturbo has also started work on a bigger e-APU120 that will serve larger business aircraft and regional airliners. The company is part of French aerospace group Safran (Booth No. N5506), which also produces the Silvercrest turbofan.

Seven APUs were used for the certification tests and seven more units were involved in specific testing to inte-grate the powerplant with the AW189 twin. Collectively these totaled more than 1,000 hours and 5,000 cycles of testing. Accord-ing to Microturbo CEO Pierre-Yves Mor-van, the equipment has behaved exactly as it was designed to do with further matura-tion tests still under way. “We found very good [performance] results from the test-ing and there were no significant discover-ies,” he explained. “It certified very easily.”

In addition to ground starting the AW189’s main engines, the e-APU60 sup-plies power to the helicopter’s electrical systems and runs the cabin air-condition-ing. Crucially for flight safety, it also can restart the main turboshafts in flight and provide backup electrical power through-out the flight envelope.

Morvan said one clear advantage of the e-APU technology is that the system does not require a lot of tubing to con-nect to the main engine (as is the case with conventional APUs). “There are not as many valves and not as much hot air, which means better reliability and weight, and the ability to achieve a much better power-to-weight ratio in a more compact unit, which all has a significant impact on the aircraft manufacturer,” he told AIN.

Microturbo is convinced that airframers will increasingly embrace the electrical APU technology embodied in e-APUs such as the Microturbo units. Boeing’s new 787 widebody airliner already uses an e-APU (provided by Pratt & Whitney) and Morvan believes others will follow suit as the expansion of electrical power for air-craft systems gathers pace.

“Some OEMs are very used to start-ing engines with air and so many of the design standards are built around this approach [as opposed to using electri-cal power],” said Morvan. “They need to see that there will be a significant gain for them and when they look at the weight and reliability improvements I think they will make the jump,” he said.

The e-APU also promises to contrib-ute to reducing aviation’s environmental impact in terms of both engine emissions and noise. “APUs are used for a signif-icant amount of time on the ground and operators want this to happen with far less fuel burn and noise,” said Morvan. “The e-APU is really quiet and this is a big breakthrough in noise levels. This is espe-cially important for business jet operations because operators want their customers to be as comfortable as possible and not dis-turbed by engine noise.” o


Microturbo’s e-APU60 achieved European certification in May, and according to CEO Pierre-Yves Morvan the company is now working on the more powerful e-APU120 unit for larger business jets.

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UTC’s interface module turns tablets into EFBsby Charles Alcock

Pilots will be able to use their tablet devices as fully functional Class II electronic flight bags (EFBs) thanks to the new Tablet Interface Module (TIM) being introduced by UTC Aerospace Systems. The low-cost solution has been developed by the group’s Sensors & Integrated Solutions division and is being demon-strated here at UTC’s NBAA exhibit (Booth No. C6922).

According to Jim Tuitt, direc-tor of business development with UTC’s cockpit data man-agement team, the key to TIM’s ability to transform tablets into fully functional EFBs is its air-craft interface device (AID). Traditional EFBs can connect directly to the AID (which effec-tively acts as a firewall to the avi-onics systems), but tablets need TIM to connect.

For Apple iPads this provides both conditioned power and data from cockpit systems, and

they can connect via a USB port (or wirelessly via Bluetooth). Windows-based tablets, for now, can connect only wirelessly and so can only receive data. The equipment is also compatible with iPad Mini tablets, saving further space in confined cock-pits such as those of smaller business aircraft.

The AID is based on an Arinc 834 server and it can inter-face with any avionics suite that supports Arinc 429 and 717 databuses, as well as serial con-nections such as RS4232 and Ethernet links. This means that the aircraft’s systems can pro-vide the tablet with key flight data such as the aircraft’s posi-tion in latitude and longitude, its speed, as well as fuel consump-tion and distance to destination, plus weather information and Notams, if available. The system can also connect the tablet to air-craft condition and maintenance

data that would be stored in an electronic technical log.

“If the [datalink] connection to the aircraft goes down, you’ve still got an independent tablet in a Class II configuration that would be available [as an EFB] for all phases of flight,” Tuitt told AIN. “If one iPad fails then one of the others in the cockpit would still work.” Up to three tablets can connect to each TIM.

UTC is billing TIM as a smaller and lighter EFB solu-tion compared to existing tech-nology that requires a larger server. “As well as providing data from the aircraft, it can also be a networking solution com-municating between tablets,” he explained. “It’s a right-sized server. It reduces pilot workload and improves their accuracy.”

TIM is due to enter ser-vice this fall on a mix of Air-bus A320s and Boeing 737s with some unidentified airlines.

UTC is now in discussion with business aircraft manu-facturers and expects to have new applications for TIM in the near future. The sys-tem itself has to be installed under a supplemental type certificate or fitted as original

equipment on new aircraft by the airframer. The tab-lets themselves simply need approval by the local FAA field office for use as an EFB.

Unlike avionics-grade EFBs, such as UTC’s Class 2 and Class 3 SmartDisplay products, tablets enabled for EFB use via TIM are not likely to be approved to meet the evolving requirements of air traffic management pro-grams such as NextGen in the

U.S. and Europe’s Sesar. However, Tuitt said opera-

tors that don’t want to make the higher investment in a full-blown EFB now will at least benefit from using tablets as a first step.

UTC has not released pric-ing details for TIM but argued that by allowing wider use of tablets in the cockpit the system represents a far more affordable first-step for some operators than traditional EFBs. o


UTC is introducing its Tablet Interface Module, which allows tablet devices to be used as electronic flight bags by connecting to avionics data.

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Aircell adds voice calling to Gogo Biz service

Aircraft cabin connectiv-ity just keeps getting better and better, and now Aircell (Booth No. C11243) has introduced an expansion of its Gogo Biz

airborne Internet service to include voice capability.

Because Gogo Biz oper-ates on Aircell’s air-to-ground technology, which taps into the

ground cellphone network, the company claims “voice calls are among the clearest in aviation, on par with mobile phone calls on the ground.”

As a “two-in-one” service, Gogo Biz offers Internet and voice capabilities from a sin-gle system, which can eliminate the need for separate systems, according to the company,

“dramatically reducing the equipment requirements and installation costs.” Gogo Biz with voice prices start at $134.95 a month, which includes 60 voice minutes.

To access the new voice capability, Aircell’s Gogo Text & Talk service works with existing smartphones. Passen-gers and flight crew can also

access the voice service using Aircell’s new cabin handsets. Voice calls are conducted in the aircraft over Wi-Fi (not using the phone’s cellular sys-tem) and using the passen-ger’s own mobile number (not an auto-attendant, two-step dialing or call-forwarding protocol).

Because service is 100-per-cent software-based, voice can be added to any standard Gogo Biz equipment package without additional hardware, weight or installation down-time. According to Aircell, “This makes Gogo Text & Talk practical for aircraft as small as light jets and tur-boprops, [while] at the same time hundreds of thousands of dollars less expensive than existing picocell-based solutions that offer similar capabilities.”

Gogo Text & Talk is obtained by purchasing a software key for the aircraft’s onboard equipment and installing a free app on the passenger’s smartphone. While service for the iPhone 4, 4S and 5 began October 1, support for select Android devices will not begin until November 1.

OnePhone on DisplayAlso on display is

Aircell’s Gogo One-Phone, which the company claims offers “superior voice quality and the industry’s most advanced noise-reduction technology. The touchscreen dis-play is bright and the Android operating system simplifies use.”

The OnePhone comes in a variety of finishes and materi-als. Wired and wireless options are available. –K.J.H.


Aircell’s Gogo Text & Talk voice capability, which works with iOS smartphones, began earlier this month. Service for Android devices is set to begin on November 1.

Aircell’s GoGo OnePhone

AfBAA is putting Africa on the map by David Donald

Just prior to this year’s NBAA convention, the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) held its first regional symposium in Marrakech, Morocco. A range of topics was discussed, highlighting not only the many issues that face busi-ness aviation as it grows on the continent, but also the strides that have been made by AfBAA since it was launched at EBACE in May last year. Since then the association has grown quickly and now numbers about 50 members, includ-ing OEMs, operators, support companies and FBOs.

AfBAA is facing a number of issues in its role of supporting and expanding the role of business aviation in Africa. Many of the challenges come from the fragmented nature of Africa’s constituent states, political insta-bility in some countries, a lack of standardization and a perception

from the outside of questionable safety and quality. There is also the size and terrain of the conti-nent itself, which combines with a lack of infrastructure to bring its own unique problems.

“There are no highways that link us, no roads,” asserted Tarek Ragheb, founding chairman of AfBAA. “The only option we have is air transportation, through both commercial and private

means. Business avia-tion is the vehicle that will improve economies in the region.”

Among the orga-nization’s tasks are to foster greater align-ment between African nations and to educate African governments about the value of busi-ness aviation to their

economies, especially as sup-port to the growing oil/gas and mineral resources industries and as a vehicle to convey inwards investment. “We’re a very seri-ous player in the advocacy of

business aviation to African states,” Ragheb told AIN.

Arguing the case for busi-ness aviation in Africa can be difficult: unlike in Europe where there is relative unanimity regarding standards, all of Afri-ca’s 54 countries have separate requirements and legislations. AfBAA is developing a road show to take around to the civil aviation authorities of the con-tinent, and is also taking every chance to meet and influence larger groups of states.

One vehicle is the African Union. In January the AfBAA is to take a seat as an observer dur-ing the African Union’s fifth com-mittee on transportation. For the AfBAA this is a significant step. “It’s a great forum to get all the authorities in the regulatory envi-ronment together in one place at one time,” explained Ragheb.

The AfBAA is also launch-ing an air show to be held next April in Morocco. The AfBAA Expo builds on the former Mar-rakech air show, which was

mainly a military show, by add-ing a major exhibition of busi-ness aircraft and operators, providing another forum for the promotion of business aviation in the continent.

When asked in which area Ragheb would like the initial focus of effort to be concen-trated, he replied simply, “Safety is paramount.” Of all the issues facing the AfBAA, the per-ception of Africa’s poor safety record is the one that stands most in the way of the indus-try, with its knock-on effects on the cost of insuring and financ-ing aircraft. While horrific fig-ures are being touted for civil aviation, such as 50 percent of the world’s accidents for just 3 percent of global traffic, the continent’s business aviation sector does not show apprecia-bly worse figures than for other regions. However, the stigma is one that is difficult to shake off.

One answer lies in the poten-tial creation of AfBAA-accred-ited standards for services and operations. If such standards can be implemented, they imme-diately provide a discriminator between the AfBAA’s member companies and similarly reputa-ble companies, and other poten-tially less professional outfits. Such a move would likely begin from the bottom up, by ini-tially introducing standards for ground handling and fuel supply before moving on to more com-plex operations and services.

“There is no reluctance to address safety issues,” said Nick Fadugba of African Aviation, but, he said, “We need to address fragmented regulatory standards. The African Union should be as knowledgeable and outspoken as the EU is in Europe. Africa doesn’t need a handout, it needs a hand-up to reach international standards.” o


Tarek Ragheb, founding chairman of AfBAA

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Spirit Avionics’ global sales soarby Curt Epstein

Aviation services provider Spirit Avionics (Booth No. C11248) recently reached a milestone when its global parts support division surpassed $10 million in sales in less than a

year, a rate that equates to a 60-percent increase over the pre-vious year’s tally. “This grow-ing segment of our business is just another example of how Spirit Avionics is evolving into

a world-class aviation services provider,” said Tony Bailey, Spirit’s new president, who for-merly was the CEO of Comlux Aviation Services.

While the company offers

varied services such as aircraft management and maintenance, its primary focus lies in avion-ics sales, design and integration. Spirit’s global parts support divi-sion distributes, sells and brokers new, overhauled and exchange components through its network of OEMs and vendors.

As an authorized Rockwell Collins, Honeywell, Aircell and

Garmin service facility, the divi-sion also handles component repairs, rentals, spares acqui-sition and surplus inventory consignment.

“I tell people that we are the best kept secret in the industry, because few people know that we sell and broker aircraft parts on a regular basis,” said Jared Kolman, the division’s manager. “Ironically, our materials system allows us to be consistently less expensive than our competitors without sacrificing schedule or quality.”

King Air Mods for FAAIn early September, Spirit

delivered the sixth Beechcraft King Air 300 that it has mod-ified for the FAA, part of a 17-airplane contract signed in 2010. The program includes engineering and project man-agement as well as new LED lighting, headliners, seats, side-walls, cabinets and noise-reduc-tion insulation.

In other company news, the Columbus, Ohio-based com-pany also announced it has added veteran sales professional Corey Schoo as sales represen-tative for Spirit’s services and material support business.

“Corey is an entrepreneur who built a business up from the ground that helped businesses survive after national disas-ters,” said Bailey. “That business introduced him to aviation and a strong network of aviation industry leaders who shared his desire for helping people.” o


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Business aviation after-mar-ket parts supplier CRS Jet Spares is again sponsoring the Harley-Davidson Giveaway Con-test at the NBAA convention (Booth No. C10143). This year, the lucky winner will ride off on a 2014 Harley-Davidson Iron 883, which Harley describes as “no chrome, no apologies–just an authentic ride.”

Corporate jet operators, jet owners and maintenance depart-ments are invited to participate and may enter the contest at the CRS Jet Spares exhibit. The drawing will take place there on Wednesday, October 23, at 3:30 p.m. n

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Bizliner flyers value cabin size

If you want to see the inside of a really big business jet–one that’s the size of an airliner–at the NBAA 2013 static display at Henderson Executive Airport, you may encounter a silk rope draped across the handrails at the bottom of the pas-senger stairs. A professionally attired man or woman standing by the rope will explain that the aircraft is being shown and then politely suggest, “Please come back later.” Later could take a long time.

While an aviation department man-ager, chief pilot and maintenance chief are off somewhere examining acquisition and operational costs, performance capa-bility, aircraft systems and maintenance support, a company CEO or high-net-worth individual and spouse will be tak-ing a leisurely tour through the airplane’s elegantly appointed cabin. Although cab-ins are obviously important to all bizjet users, they are particularly important to the buyers of the big jets.

“Individual Airbus Corporate Jet buyers consider the airplane both as a tool–a way for him or her to be more pro-ductive–and also as an extension of their lifestyles,” explained David Velupillai, ACJ’s marketing director, to AIN. “They are looking to take into the air the kind of space, comfort and elegance that they have in their homes and offices.”

Steve Taylor, president of Boeing Business Jets, echoed Velupillai. “Each buyer has his or her own priorities and preferences when it comes to purchas-ing business jets. For the BBJ buyers, it

is typically the very large cabin space and comfort, along with the ability to custom design that space to meet their personal and business requirements.”

Boeing and Airbus are today the main manufacturers of “bizliners,” those busi-ness jets that are derived from airliners. So both OEMs primarily build aircraft that must fly 10 to 12 hours per day almost every day of the year and can operate worldwide. That’s about 3,500 to 4,200 hours per year (figuring two weeks for heavy maintenance). A business jet typically flies about one-tenth as many hours per year.

“Reliability is also huge,” the chief pilot of a BBJ owner on the West Coast told AIN. “The ability to have dedicated parts for the airplane [located] anywhere is very important,” he said, adding that, during the six years he’s been flying it, he’s never had mechanical problems with his company’s BBJ on any trip.

So it is not surprising that Airbus and Boeing also promote the reliability, lower cost of parts and the ability to find a maintenance facility almost anywhere in the world as other reasons buyers choose ACJs and BBJs.

The First BizlinersAlthough configuring airliners with

executive and VIP interiors goes back to the 1930s, Boeing was first out with a dedicated airliner/business jet model, the BBJ, which created a new, bigger cat-egory of business aircraft. Based on the single-aisle 737-700 with strengthened wings and landing gear from the larger and heavier 737-800, the BBJ (some-times called the BBJ1) also sports Avia-tion Partners Boeing “blended winglets,” a first for a jet bigger than a Gulfstream “It is typically the very large cabin space and comfort,” that are priorities, said Steve Taylor, president, Boeing

Business Jets, “along with the ability to custom design that space.” (Interior by Greenpoint Technologies.)

Buyers of airliner-size business jets, like this ACJ318, “are looking to take into the air the kind of space, comfort and elegance that they have in their homes and offices,” said Airbus Corporate Jets’ David Velupillai.

It’s easy to understand the appeal of sleeping in a real bed such as this one on a BBJ.


Cabin size is kingby r. randall padfield

Manufacturer & Model

Cabin volume (cubic feet)

Number of passengers

possible (with full fuel, including in

optional tanks)

Maximum takeoff weight

(pounds)

Max. range at long-range cruise speed (nautical miles)

Normal cruise speed, 35,000 feet

(knots)

Est. price with completed

interior(millions)

Variable cost/hour

Annual fixed cost(millions)

Number built or delivered

EmbraerLineage 1000 4,085 6 120,152 4,487 450 $53.0 $6,432 $0.958 10+

Airbus ACJ319-113 5,900 8 168,650 6,332 461 $87.0 $7,526 $1.054 71

Boeing BBJ737-700IGW 5,390 23 171,000 6,072 461 $71.4 $7,588 $1.053 114

Note: All models configured with all available optional fuel tanks. Maximum range is based on max fuel with all optional fuel tanks, two pilots, long-range cruise speed, optimum altitude (ISA) and the NBAA IFR alternate fuel-reserve (200 nautical miles) calculation. “Green” price is without completed interior. Cost of completed interior is highly variable; best estimate given. Source: Conklin & de Decker, Orleans, Mass.

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III. (Aviation Partners Boeing is a joint venture of Boeing and winglet manu-facturer Aviation Partners, created to outfit Boeing jets with blended winglet technology.) Boeing launched its BBJ program in 1996 and displayed a fully completed Boeing Business Jet, including executive interior and the now-ubiqui-tous (on Boeing aircraft) Aviation Part-ners winglets, at the 2000 Farnborough airshow in England.

Both Boeing and Airbus divide their bizliner sales among governments (30 per-cent), corporations (10 to 15 percent) and private individuals (about 60 percent and typically billionaires), said Richard Gaona, president and CEO of Comlux The Avia-tion Group, which operates five ACJs and

one 767 BBJ. Governments and corpora-tions “like these planes mainly because they can accommodate large delegations,” he said. “The third group looks mainly to have a VIP interior, and their aircraft is more a flying apartment.” He added that most pri-vate owners “also have a traditional busi-ness jet, for trips when they fly alone or with four to six passengers.”

While the largest, “traditional” busi-ness jets–the Gulfstream G650 and Bom-bardier Global Express–provide about 2,200 cu ft of cabin volume, the Airbus Corporate Jets provide from 5,300 (in the ACJ 318) to 8,547 cu ft (ACJ321). Boeing’s BBJs offer from 5,390 (BBJ1) to 7,290 cu ft (BBJ3). Brazil’s Embraer also offers its Lineage 1000 in the big jet category, although with a 4,000-cu-ft cabin it falls

between the biggest traditional bizjets and the smallest of the bizliners, all of which are derived from single-aisle airliners.

Size Is Relative“Smallest” in this context is rela-

tive. In a two-class United Airlines 737-700 or A319, for example, you’ll struggle for elbowroom among 120 other pas-sengers. The largest bizliners, which are derived from twin-aisle airliners, are huge by comparison: the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8 offer, respectively, 525 and 467 seats (in three classes). VVIP versions of these jumbo jets appeal to an elite cus-tomer base, such as royal families with substantial entourages. The U.S. presi-dent, for example, travels on one of two highly modified Boeing 747-200Bs, which can carry 366 passengers in three classes.

Still, 5,300 cu ft of cabin space in the BBJ1 and ACJ319 gives a lot of room for eight to 18 passengers to experience a really comfortable ride. It’s easy to under-stand why cabin comfort is a high priority for anyone who can travel in a business jet of this size.

“Elegant” and “classy” are common descriptors of ACJ and BBJ interiors, which typically include a meeting/dining area, a stateroom/bedroom with a master lavatory and maybe a shower, a full gal-ley, another lav for other passengers and crew and an enclosed, closet-size crew-rest seat. “The size of the cabin and hav-ing a layout that has dedicated sections where you can work or relax without con-verting part of the airplane in flight [such as seats to beds, as one does in a “tradi-tional” business jet] are significant for someone who can make that choice,” said the chief pilot for the West Coast BBJ owner.

One bizliner interior AIN examined included a galley with a center-island, a high-definition entertainment system with three 46-inch and 42-inch monitors, and a private stateroom with king-size bed, private lavatory and shower.

The CEO of a Fortune 500 company,

which bought one of the early BBJs, “likes to do his work and then retire to his cabin where he feels like he’s at home,” said his chief pilot. “He can sleep in com-fort in his own bed and arrive in the Mid-dle East fully rested and ready to do business.”

“More and more prestigious design-ers are hired to give a unique touch to the cabin,” Comlux’s Gaona said. These bespoke assignments might include greatly reduced noise levels, coordinated designs of crystal, porcelain, silverware, cushions and throws and dedicated stor-age for the owner’s watch collection.

Yet, addressing the needs and desires of owners while adhering to the requirements of certification authori-ties is not easy. “The reality of cabin interior design may not strictly follow the adage, ‘form follows function,’” explained Elisabeth Harvey in a pro-motional book about the Jet Aviation Design Studio, which she heads. “[It] is more likely to be functional form fol-lows adaptation to limitations.”

The usual bizliner crew comprises two pilots (three for long international flights) and one or two flight attendants. The West Coast company’s BBJ is, for example, fitted with 19 seats, but mostly carries only four passengers in the cabin and no flight attendant. “They are peo-ple who like to take care of themselves,” the chief pilot said.

The Fortune 500 company’s BBJ also typically flies with three to four passen-gers, although sometimes as many as 15; it carries two aircraft mechanics, who double as flight attendants, according to this company’s chief pilot. If a leg will take more than 15 hours, then three pilots will make the flight.

Range matters, too, of course, but often not the ultra-long legs of the biggest Gulfstream and Bombar-dier jets. “The cabin is so comfortable that passengers don’t mind mak-ing a fuel stop, if their trip requires


Cabin Size is king

As demand for VIP versions of airliners increased, Boeing began offering the larger 737-800 as the BBJ2 and 737-900ER as the BBJ3 (shown here). Now available are the really jumbo 747-8 and AIrbus A380 bizliners.

The avant-garde shapes, colors and look of the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey” inspired Sylvain Mariat, head of the Airbus Corporate Jet Centre’s Creative Design Bureau, to create the Airbus ACJ319 Bluejay concept.

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Airbus derived the original Airbus Corporate Jet from its popular single-aisle A319, which seats about 120 passengers in two classes. Boeing derived the first BBJ from the 737-300, which also carries about 120 pax.

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Typical ACJ and BBJ interiors offer a meeting/dining area, a stateroom/bedroom with a master bath, a full galley, another lav for other passengers and crew and sometimes an enclosed crew rest seat. (ACJ319)

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it,” Velupillai claimed, and the chief pilots confirmed this. Indeed, Boeing found early on that most BBJ buyers did not opt to take all the optional extra fuel tanks that would give the aircraft extended range, because the range was not needed and the tanks took up baggage compartment space that was needed. Apparently, high-net-worth owners do a lot of shopping when traveling. Returning home with

antique furniture, framed art and Per-sian carpets is not a problem for the bizliner traveler.

Advice for Bizliner BuyersBuying a new bizliner takes time. If

one was ordered today from Boeing or Airbus, it could take more than a year before delivery of the “green” aircraft.

“Interior completions typically take nine to 12 months,” said BBJ’s Taylor. “Prices vary significantly, based on the completion center and the complex-ity of the interior; recent ones were in the ballpark of $20 million to $30 mil-lion.” There have been many examples of interiors costing much, much more.

“To me, a buyer looking for a BBJ or ACJ would probably be someone com-ing out of a G550 or a Global,” said the West Coast BBJ chief pilot. “This per-son would have to be willing to trade some speed and altitude capability for more living space. He would also have to accept about a 25- to 30-per-cent increase in the cost structure. The upside is that no matter where you go in the world, you can find someone who can work on a Boeing or Airbus. And you have that big cabin. After taking a flight on an acquaintance’s BBJ, [my owner] was convinced that the BBJ was the airplane we should pursue.”

The chief pilot for a Fortune 500 com-pany said, “The biggest headache any operator has are the cabin amenities. Peo-ple who buy these jets expect everything in the cabin to work all of the time. Usually it does, but you can’t expect in-flight Internet over the entire globe yet. It just isn’t there.”

Over the last decade total combined deliveries of new bizliners from Airbus and Boeing, including all those derived from single- and twin-aisle airliners, peaked at 24 in 2006, hit a low in 2008 with 17 (while some buyers postponed their deliveries), hit a new peak of 27 in 2010 and leveled off in 2011 and 2012, with, respectively, 18 and 21. o


Greenpoint Technologies incorporated a circular shower in the master bathroom of this BBJ.

Cabin Size is king

An Airbus ACJ319 offers a room with two single beds, perhaps for owners traveling with children.

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By cabin volume, the Embraer Lineage 1000 is sort of a “tweener” between the top-end, large-cabin business jets (Gulfstream G650 and Bombardier Global) and the baseline bizliners (the BBJ and ACJ319).


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Pulsar’s app gauges pilot fatigueby Curt Epstein

Among the exhibitors making their debuts at NBAA’s annual showcase is Pulsar Informatics (Booth No. C12047), which is demonstrating its new crew fatigue evaluation web application: the Aviation Fatigue Meter. According to the Philadelphia-based company, the app can be used for every kind of business aviation operation, no matter the scale or complex-ity, and it is described as an “easy way for people to see how any particular schedule is impacted by human fatigue factors.”

Pulsar has been in existence for a decade and during that span has devel-oped fatigue assessment tools for agencies such as the Department of Transporta-tion, Department of Defense and NASA. The company is looking to adapt those tools to the business aviation community. “We’ve developed technologies for the space program and we work to provide tools to assist astronauts, flight surgeons and mission controllers to assess [sleep] deficits associated with fatigue stress-ors that they experience in space, which are the same fatigue stressors that flight crews experience,” said Daniel Mollicone, Pulsar’s president and CEO.

Similar factors such as night work and extended duty hours as well as shifting of

the body’s internal clock affect both types of activities. “The jobs are similar,” he added. “[These employees] work on very expensive equipment where mistakes can have a lethal and expensive consequence, so there are many analogies.”

Pulsar’s computerized programs have been modified into a web app that is avail-able for free at www.fatiguemeter.com.

Fatigue Risk MitigationWhile its products are in use in space,

under the sea and on the nation’s high-ways, the development team is no stranger to business aviation. Lead engi-neer Michael Stubna was part of the team that developed a fatigue risk mitiga-tion plan for NetJets. “These very precise and useful tools were developed to assess and predict performance, based on work and flight schedules,” Mollicone told AIN. “The goal is to now translate this intellectual property and the software tools for these very specific applications for the business aviation community.”

According to the company, the web app, which is optimized for use on the iPad, takes the scientifically tested bio-mathe-matical model of human fatigue and makes it accessible in an interactive manner. While

developing a flight plan schedule, you can move your finger to lengthen or shorten duty hours and sleep or rest periods. As you move the lines, you can see immediately how it will impact fatigue levels.

While situations where there is only one factor involved may be simple to cal-culate, when multiple fatigue factors are included, the picture becomes less clear and that’s where the app comes into play, projecting all the drivers of fatigue onto

the performance impairment curve as the schedule is created.

“Sleep needs to be managed as a mis-sion-critical resource the same way the pilots know how much fuel is on the plane and how far they intend to fly on

that fuel,” noted Mollicone, adding that research and products such as his compa-ny’s are opening doors into an area that had previously been based on intuition and crude rules of thumb.

Seeking FeedbackThe Aviation Fatigue Meter, which is

being released at NBAA, is a free beta version. Pulsar Informatics, which was recently awarded International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations sup-port services affiliate status by the Inter-national Business Aviation Council, is eagerly seeking feedback from users as to its utility.

One use envisioned for the app is help-ing flight managers share with passen-gers the justification for decisions that are made. “They may not fully appreci-ate the importance of adequate crew rest, and so one possible utility of this tool is a means to communicate to your cus-tomer that there are elevated risks associ-ated with flying due to fatigue stressors,” said Mollicone. “They don’t like to have constraints added to their calendar, but they also don’t want to die and they don’t want to have a safety incident, so they may appreciate the need for additional constraints.”

The company is still considering how the product will eventually be marketed, whether as part of an existing flight plan-ning package or as a stand-alone tool. o


This image on Pulsar’s Aviation Fatigue Meter demonstrates chronic fatigue built up over days due to slightly restricted sleep. The pattern is clear; each day the orange line is a bit higher than the previous day because the individual has had consecutive days of restricted sleep opportunity.

Ikhana Twin Otter re-lifing can double original lifespanby Kirby J. Harrison

The many lives of the venerable, hard-working Twin Otter would make a cat envious, and here at NBAA 2013 Ikhana Aircraft Services (Booth No. C7613) is featuring the twin-turboprop in its latest “re-life” as the Twin Otter X2.

Canada’s de Havilland introduced the original twin-engine multi-role turboprop in 1965 and first deliveries followed in 1966. Since then more than 850 have gone into service, flying for more than 175 airlines in more than 60 countries, most of them on wheels but quite a few on floats and some on skis. They have flown everywhere, from

the freezing stretches of Antarctica to the thin air of Nepal, and have been employed in most of the world’s military services in one form or another.

Ikhana figures that total puts the current aircraft market eligible for the X2 conversion at something more than 500 airplanes still in service in the leg-acy fleet, many of them with fuselages and wing boxes that are timing out in terms of hours and/or cycles. The origi-nal Twin Otter 100, 200 and 300 models produced from 1965 to 1988 have a struc-tural fatigue life of 66,000 flight hours and 132,000 cycles for the fuselage and flight controls. (The Twin Otter Series 400 is back in production by current type certificate holder Viking Air.)

But Ikhana is not merely in the busi-ness of extending the airworthiness of those Twin Otters, said director of sales and mar-keting Bo Alksninis. “It’s a re-life program.”

Alksninis said the total upgrade by Ikhana doubles the life of the original airplane, and it can include work on the fuselage, wing and wing box, flight con-trols and electrical harness, as well as replacement of critical parts. The com-pany has delivered more than 100 X2 wing box shipsets. “We just delivered a Twin Otter 200 with a gross weight upgrade to 12,500 pounds, and right now we’re turning a Model 100 into a Model 200, along with an STC upgrade that increases the gross weight to 12,500 pounds, the equivalent of a Twin Otter 400,” said Alksninis.

New systems installed include the customer’s choice of avionics, over-hauled or factory-new Pratt & Whitney Canada PTA-27s or PT6A-34s and

overhauled or new propellers. New-life Twin Otters are also delivered with fresh exterior paint and an interior refurbish-ment to the customer’s specs.

Ikhana holds numerous supplemen-tal type certificates (STCs) and parts manufacturer approvals (PMAs) from the FAA, EASA and Transport Canada covering everything from gross weight increases to wing boxes to wings, to fuse-lage, to flight controls. The most recent STC and PMA approvals were for the RWMI Twin Otter X2 re-life flight con-trols. An STC for the nacelles has also

been received and the PMA was expected prior to the NBAA convention.

As part of an agreement with Viking Air, which acquired de Havilland in 2006, Ikhana is an approved service center for any Twin Otter and provides a number of modification kits to the OEM, such as those for a gross weight increase. This past year Ikhana delivered two Twin Otters with executive interiors done at the company’s facilities in Murrieta, Calif.

Depending on options, a Twin Otter X2 might cost $4 million for a VFR airplane.

Alksninis said in addition to the two executive Twin Otter X2 models with Ikhana cabin outfitting, several special-mission models are currently in the works. At any one time, there are approximately a half-dozen X2 Twin Otters undergoing re-life. “And we have a year-long waiting list for wings,” he said. The company employs more than 100 at its California facilities.

Ikhana holds repair station approvals from EASA, the FAA and Transport Can-ada and is endorsed by Viking Air for the Dash 7 as well as the Twin Otter. The com-pany also provides MRO services for tur-boprops through medium business jets.

At its NBAA booth, Ikhana has a full-size Twin Otter nose on a stand, complete with a radar pod. Having a full aircraft on the static display line at Henderson Execu-tive Airport was not an option, said Alks-ninis. “Once delivered, they immediately go into service and it’s hard to get one back.”

As for business in 2013, Alksninis described Ikhana as “busy as all heck, probably because we support an interna-tional customer base worldwide that fly Twin Otters.” o


Ikhana’s re-lifing of Twin Otters can include a customer’s choice of avionics, overhauled or factory-new Pratt & Whitney Canada PTA-27s or PT6A-34s, overhauled or new props and work on the fuselage,wing and wing box.

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NetJets opens new Palm Beach terminalby Chad Trautvetter

NetJets “soft opened” its new 10,000-sq-ft dedicated pas-senger terminal solely for the fractional provider’s custom-ers at Palm Beach (Fla.) Inter-national Airport last month, almost exactly a year after breaking ground on the facil-ity. A formal grand opening is scheduled for November 6, but AIN was able to get a first look at the new complex just before the NBAA show.

The $13-million facility was developed and constructed and is now being run under a partnership between Signature Flight Support and NetJets. Under the arrangement, Sig-nature maintains the building and provides the ground-han-dling staff; NetJets has a cus-tomer service agent based at the facility.

Amenities at the private ter-minal include passenger and crew lounges, crew rest areas,

conference room, a private customer business center and flight-planning facilities. Nota-bly, it also has a kids’ area, com-plete with beanbag chairs and an Xbox 360. The interior lay-out was modeled after NetJets’s passenger terminal at Van Nuys (Calif.) Airport, which opened last year and also operates under a similar arrangement with Signature.

Outside, there are six acres of paved ramp space, aircraft movement areas and restricted-access auto parking. Thanks to an agreement with the air-port authority, passengers can be met planeside with a car or limo, meaning some might never even step foot inside the finely appointed terminal.

According to NetJets North America president and COO Bill Noe, Palm Beach is the fourth-busiest location for NetJets, with the company logging 10,000

aircraft movements there annu-ally. Though traffic to South Florida is typically busier over the winter months, he said NetJets aircraft movements at Palm Beach are fairly steady throughout the year.

Noe said NetJets decided to build the dedicated facil-ity because of this high level of activity and the company’s desire to enhance and extend the NetJets experience to the ground side. “We wanted the comfort and confinement of an

exclusive facility that also gives more privacy and security to our customers,” he told AIN. To this end, the fractional provider also has private passenger facilities at other high-traffic areas besides Palm Beach and Van Nuys, including Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y.; Columbus, Ohio; and Atlanta Peachtree-DeKalb Airport.

NetJets’s Palm Beach termi-nal is the first passenger facility to be built at the northwest area at the airfield, which eventually

will be the future home to all the south-side FBOs once a parallel runway outlined in the airport master plan is built, though any such addition is on hold until the economy improves, according to airport executive director Bruce Pelly. Under this master plan, the current FBOs on the south side, which includes Signature’s and Jet Aviation’s existing facil-ities at Palm Beach Airport, would need to be demolished to make way for the new runway at some point in the future. o


Operating in cooperation with Signature Flight Support, NetJets has opened its Palm Beach (Florida) passenger terminal. There will be a formal opening ceremony on November 6.

Partnerships enhance Honeywellby Kim Rosenlof

Honeywell Aerospace (Booth No. N4100) has recently signed new partnerships that will enhance the flight planning capabilities available to business aviation pilots and operators through its Global Data Center (GDC), including new runway analysis data, expanded inter-national trip support and added weather radar capabilities.

A new partnership with Aircraft Performance Group (Booth No. C11030) will pro-vide runway analysis data and weight-and-balance software to GDC users. APG maintains a database of airports worldwide to provide customers with up-to-date information for preflight planning and provides its pro-prietary Atlas program for cal-culating takeoff and engine-out runway analyses.

“The new [software] equips our flight operations customers with improved runway analysis and allows them to make more efficient and safer decisions.” said Tim Beatty, v-p of customer and product support for Honeywell’s Business Aviation division. “This is an enhancement of the services we offer through the GDC, which include trip support, pilot services and concierge services.”

Honeywell’s recent partner-ship with Dubai-based flight planning company Jetex (Booth No. C11616), announced ear-lier this year at the EBACE show, allows the companies to jointly offer their flight-plan-ning, aircraft datalink, flight-following and international trip support services. The agreement now allows customers in Europe,

the Middle East and Asia Pacific to access Honeywell’s Flight Sentinel system through Jetex. Previously offered only in North America, the Flight Sen-tinel team monitors airspace and ATC initiatives to ensure on-time departure and informs the crew en route of any weather changes via datalink. Honeywell customers also benefit from Jetex’s international trip-plan-ning services, including local 24-hour support for flight logis-tics and after-trip concierge care.

“Jetex is one of the larger flight support services, and this partnership significantly expands our ability to do flight planning including finding fuel services, permits and FBOs for our operators over larger regions around the world,” said Beatty. “Jetex does the actual partnering with those entities and then we provide the information through the GDC.”

While GDC services can be accessed via the myGDC iPad app, an updated Honeywell-Jetex app is expected to launch by the end of this year.

The third partnership that expands GDC services entails enhanced weather radar cov-erage through WSI (Booth

No. C7915), a division of The Weather Company. Honeywell GDC customers will be able to view actual radar cover-age images through the GDC website, online portal and the updated GDC iPad app.

“Providing the actual radar coverage images, versus the avia-tion text weather briefing, allows pilots to get away from the cryp-tic language and allows them to have a safer, more efficient way of navigating weather,” said Paul David, director of cus-tomer support, Americas for the Business Aviation division.

Honeywell also launched a new mobile app at NBAA 2013. The new Direct Access Directory for Business Avi-ation mobile app provides a directory of worldwide support contacts for engines, avionics and other Honeywell products installed on business aircraft. In development for approxi-mately one year, the free app allows users to obtain AOG support in two clicks, input their locations to find the near-est dealer or technical support contact or dial direct to Hon-eywell’s Parts Support line to order parts quickly.

“We’re continuing to expand and invest in our global foot-print, expanding the quantity of part numbers in high growth regions,” said Beatty. “The aver-age business aviation operator

doesn’t have the [in-house] team of technical services people nor the asset support that an air transport operator has. So we understand that making it easier to do business with Honeywell and having the parts and techni-cal support at the right place at the right time is critical.”

The app, available on Android, Apple iOS and Black-Berry platforms, also provides access to Honeywell’s monthly business newsletter, Business Avi-ation News.

To help operators man-age costs and reduce the risk of unscheduled downtime, Honeywell has upgraded is Honeywell Avionics Protection Plan (Happ) Gold program and for engines the Mainte-nance Service Plan (MSP) Gold. Happ Gold upgrades include coverage for mobile service crews, counter-to-coun-ter shipping and extended trou-bleshooting allowance, plus elimination of fees associated with no fault found issues. The MSP Gold program now cov-ers all Cessnas equipped with Honeywell APUs, including LRU removal and reinstal-lation labor, routine inspec-tion and troubleshooting, plus “optional coverage for road trip costs anywhere in the world when an aircraft is grounded for maintenance issues,” according to Honeywell. o

Honeywell has released its new Direct Access Directory for Business Aviation mobile app.

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True Blue Power introduces lithium-ion main batteriesby Matt Thurber

Mid-Continent Instrument and Avi-onics’s True Blue Power division intro-duced two new lithium-ion main-ship batteries yesterday, designed for jets, tur-boprops, piston airplanes and helicop-ters. The new 28-volt batteries come in two sizes: the TB44 (44 ampere hours) and TB17 (17 ampere hours), and can be seen at Mid-Continent’s NBAA exhibit (Booth No. C10040). These new batter-ies, to be certified and ready for delivery in the fourth quarter this year, are first being offered to aircraft manufacturers and not yet to the aftermarket.

Mid-Continent also said that it is holding a series of “Lithium Batteries 101” safety seminars next year, with the first planned for the Air-craft Electronics Association (AEA) convention in Nash-ville in March and others at NBAA Regional Forums, AEA events, Cessna’s Citation customer conference and next year’s NBAA convention.

The True Blue Power division’s suc-cessful development of lithium-ion standby battery systems, now installed in hundreds of aircraft, was a key fac-tor in Mid-Continent’s research into lith-ium-ion main-ship batteries, according to company president and CEO Todd Winter. “[This] led us to interest in other requirements on the aircraft and what we believe is the inevitable acceptance of lith-ium-type battery technology for main-ship batteries. People always say, ‘What’s next?’ and this is what’s next: main-ship batteries designed by True Blue Power.”

According to Mid-Continent, what makes these new batteries ideal for avi-ation applications is the advanced lith-ium-ion chemistry that True Blue Power employs, with benefits in power, safety, life and energy. These benefits are avail-able in a package that, in the case of the TB44, weighs 53 pounds, 40 percent less than a comparable lead-acid or nickel-cadmium battery (typically 80 to 90 pounds). For a typical two-battery instal-lation in a business jet, this represents a huge potential saving, according to Win-ter. The 16-pound TB17 saves 46 percent compared to the weight of a lead-acid battery (29.5 pounds).

The True Blue batteries include an internal heater, which ensures full-rated performance throughout their temper-ature range, -40 (TB44) and -30 (TB17) to 70 deg C. The TB44 also is equipped with a pushbutton to activate the heater in an extreme cold environment. The pilot simply pushes the button, and it takes 30 to 40 minutes to warm up using the battery’s own power, eliminating the trouble of having to carry the battery indoors to warm it up. “The amount of power required to bring it up to tempera-ture is not significant because of the huge

performance capability that you get with lithium batteries,” Winter said.

The underlying chemistry is the same that is used in True Blue Power’s standby battery systems: nanophosphate lith-ium-ion developed by battery manufac-turer A123 Systems. The TB44 contains 152 A123 TC3 (ANR26650) battery cells, grouped in bunches of eight to make 19 modules. The TB17 contains a total of 56 TC2 (FS300030-001) cells.

What makes the True Blue batteries so powerful for their light weight is not

just lithium-ion characteristics but also a function of the nanophosphate chemistry.

The A123 cells, Winter said, have three times the power density per kilogram com-pared to similar-sized lead-acid or nickel-cadmium cells.

They also deliver two to three times the service life

compared to traditional aircraft batteries, all while producing more power without the drawbacks of lead-acid (limited life, sulfation at low charge levels) and nickel-cadmium (deep-cycling required to pre-vent memory effect, thermal runaway).

Aircraft batteries usually serve a dual purpose: for engine starting and as emer-gency power supplies. The True Blue lith-ium-ion batteries retain a high power level right after engine starting and thus are able to provide more emergency power sooner. This will be an advantage for tur-bine helicopter applications, as a lithium-ion battery can help prevent hot starts due to low battery power from the heavy loads imposed during the start sequence.

Lithium-ion 101At a pre-NBAA meeting, True Blue

division manager Rick Slater and divi-sion director John Gallman previewed the contents of the lithium-ion 101 class that Mid-Continent is providing next year. “We think there’s a great opportunity and need to educate people on the value model and why these things are happening,” Slater

said. “Everything you’re going to see is fundamentally around our deep commit-ment to lithium-ion chemistries as a core technology for our product.”

Slater pointed out that “not all lithium chemistries are the same. There are safety considerations in all batteries. We want to talk about what those safety consider-ations need to be and how we have made that a fundamental design element within our design and testing.”

Gallman explained the chemistry used in the A123 batteries that make up the True Blue battery systems. Space doesn’t allow for all the detail that Gallman pro-vided in his presentation, but anyone who attends Mid-Continent’s Lithium-ion 101 session next year will receive an in-depth education in how these batter-ies work. Essentially, the A123 batter-ies are from the iron-phosphate family of lithium-ion batteries; another major family is metal oxide (the kind used in the Boeing 787 and automobiles such as Tesla electric cars and Chevrolet’s Volt). As Gallman explained, with metal oxide, “they’re releasing and capturing mole-cules of oxygen. That tends to make them a little more volatile, a little less safe than releasing captured phosphate molecules.”

The innovation that A123 developed is manufacturing batteries using nanophos-phate, tiny phosphate spheres incorpo-rated into the battery’s anode and cathode. The key chemical reaction takes place on the surface of these spheres, and because there are so many spheres, the reactions occur over a much larger surface area and at a slower and thus safer rate. All battery cells wear out when that surface material wears out, but the increased surface area offered by nanophosphate means that the battery can last much longer. “It’s not a chemistry, it’s really a manufacturing inno-vation,” Gallman said.

Aircraft ApplicationsIn building an aircraft battery using

the A123 cells, Mid-Continent engineered layers of protection to ensure safety. “All batteries can lead to an electrical fire,” Gallman pointed out, but metal oxide-type lithium-ion batteries are more prone to propagate a fire compared to iron phos-phate batteries. Mid-Continent tested lith-ium-ion cells by driving a nail into the cell and observing the results; we were shown a video of this test. The metal-oxide cell

burned at more than 1,000 deg F and emit-ted heavy smoke. The A123 nanophos-phate cell reached 254 deg F. The point is that even if there is a problem with one A123 cell, it may not propagate to other cells if there are built-in physical barriers that separate cells and modules.

Mid-Continent does exactly that with its containment strategy, with layers of cell module protection, a steel container and vents to direct any smoke and fumes overboard. Electronic systems add fur-ther layers of protection and include com-munication of temperature, voltage level, state of charge and health. The battery will automatically disconnect from the aircraft’s charging system if it detects a problem.

The TB44 employs software-based protection, while the lower-cost smaller TB17 uses analog systems. The TB44 pro-tection systems include over- and under-temperature, over-current, over-charge and discharge and short-circuit.

The battery also conducts cell volt-age balancing and monitoring, and Arinc 429 output is available to deliver informa-tion to cockpit displays and for system diagnostics. The TB17 includes discrete analog output of battery temperature and state of charge. The TB17 also con-tains current-limiting circuitry because a smaller generator in aircraft designed for this battery could be forced to send all of its output to the battery for charging. The current limiter prevents this.

Mid-Continent didn’t reveal the cost of the TB44 and TB17. Winter pointed out that over the lifetime of the battery, the lithium-ion units will be cheaper. They are far easier to maintain, with no need to deep-cycle and replace cells, as with nickel-cadmium, and much longer life than lead-acid batteries. “Reliability equates to value,” he said. And the True Blue batter-ies can easily be recovered if a master/bat-tery switch is accidently left on and drains the battery. The basic maintenance task for the True Blue batteries will be a capacity check. Expected lifetime is six years, but Mid-Continent expects them to last longer.

Mid-Continent expects that manufac-turers will soon announce applications for the batteries for upcoming production aircraft. Certification is due shortly with FAA Technical Standard Order C179a approval and qualification to RTCA DO-311 performance and DO-160G environmental standards. o


TB44 lithium battery

EC135 zigs and zags at MonaCo YaCht show

At the Monaco Yacht Show in September, Eurocopter exhibited aboard the 282-foot super-yacht Quattronelle a “collectable art” helicopter in the form of a highly customized executive variant of its twin-engine EC135.

The project began with the idea of creating something unique in the vertical-lift market-place, according to Eurocopter (Booth No. C11606B). The result is a design combination that creates a link between the helicopter and yacht. And thanks to its exterior blue-white pattern with integrated lighting, the helicop-ter’s appearance changes depending on the observer’s perspective.

“A helicopter doesn’t have to be just a

technical accessory; it also can be a work of art,” explained German artist Rita Weber, who created the striking blue-on-white

zigzag exterior. “My zigzag design respects the external lines of the EC135, but creates a unique helicopter.”

To provide an optical tie between the helicopter and its ocean-going home, yacht builder Lürssen adapted and applied the zigzag design to the Quattro-nelle’s helipad.

The five-passenger EC135’s “wow” design effect also extends to the cabin, which combines posh materials from well-known international designers: silk carpet by Tai Ping (Booth No. N9125); leather in the color fuch-sia from Foglizzo; and cashmere-covered interior sidewalls by Loro Piana. –K.J.H.

Arinc Direct releases v3.0 of its iPad app by Ian Sheppard

Arinc Direct (Booth No. N4510) has released a new ver-sion of its iPad app, which has proved popular with flight departments worldwide. The latest version, 3.0, provides “a host of document-manage-ment functions that simplify flight-planning needs by put-ting important information at a pilot’s fingertips,” said the Annapolis, Md.-based company (which is in the process of being sold by The Carlyle Group to Rockwell Collins).

“Arinc is working to mini-mize paper and improve access to information on the flight deck, and version 3.0 is a major step forward in getting our cus-tomers there,” said Arinc Direct vice president Bob Richard. The new software release, already available from the Apple App

Store, has a new website com-ponent that allows pilots to schedule document uploads and another component that pro-vides access to all their files. This system allows documents to be assigned to specific legs, aircraft or users, and folders can be cre-ated for these documents for sim-ple drag-and-drop functionality.

At a briefing in London in September on Arinc’s wider activities in air transport, Andy Hubbard, managing director Arinc EMEA, said the company couldn’t discuss the Rockwell Collins acquisition because of the due diligence process. He added that there is a significant opportunity on the flight-plan-ning side for Arinc Direct, by tying in with the Rockwell Col-lins Ascend flight operations and trip-support products.

Arinc Direct, which is cele-brating its 10th anniversary, has grown to 3,000 subscribers and is ramping up its support staff, including those with satcom backgrounds. James Hardie, director of Arinc Direct for EMEA, said, “We have at least one large customer in Europe using iPads to try to get paper-less approval.”

Hardie added that Arinc is now integrating other capabili-ties of Polaris Aero through its partnership with Polaris. Arinc

started by incorporating Polaris’s FlightRisk product into Arinc Direct and is now including its Vector SMS product, which “enables customers to begin the process of complying with [safety management systems].”

Asked about the Xplore device that Arinc is develop-ing to help link iPads to Iridium satcom via a portable box car-ried onboard, Hardie said that a launch at NBAA was “our aim-ing point” but that the launch customer has decided that a

Supplemental Type Certificate was required. “We are currently going through an STC process,” he said. “We’re not sure what air-craft type it will be on yet. We’re still aiming for it to be a portable device.” The concept was dem-onstrated virtually at Oshkosh in the summer using a prototype box on Arinc’s test bench back at its development lab. “There has been a lot of interest,” Har-die said. “We have also had a lot of enquiries from military and helicopter operators.” o


Version 3.0 of Arinc Direct’s iPad app focuses on improvements in document management functions. Available now on the Apple App Store, the upgrade has a new website component allowing pilots to apply documents to specific flight legs, aircraft and users. Drag-and-drop folders make keeping track of documents easier.

Clay laCy fleet expands, now numbers 75

Clay Lacy Aviation (Booth No. N5115) has added 15 more aircraft to its managed and charter fleets so far in the second half of 2013. The Van Nuys, Calif.-based company said that the additions represent the highest rates of growth in those fleets since the company was founded in 1968 and suggested that it is a strong signal of a resurgent business jet market, especially in Southern California.

The company currently operates a mixed fleet of 75 business jets from bases at Carlsbad, Oakland, Santa Monica and Van Nuys as well as from Dallas and Seattle. The 15 new aircraft include a Challenger 605 and a 601-3A; an Embraer Legacy 600; a Falcon 2000; several Gulfstreams (a G550, a GV, a G450, three GIVSPs and a G200); two Hawker 900XPs and one 800; and a Learjet 45XR.

“Our clients are showing renewed excitement about owning and flying business aircraft,” said Clay Lacy president Brian Kirkdoffer. Clay Lacy operates FBOs in Van Nuys and Seattle and is an authorized Embraer Phenom 100/300 service center. The company has serviced more than 30 percent of the Phenom 100 fleet flying today, maintains a $1.5 million Embraer parts inventory and specialized aircraft tools and recently completed significant maintenance inspections and cabin upgrades of JetSuite’s fleet of 13 Phenom 100s. This work included the installation of high-speed Aircell Gogo Biz Wi-Fi air-to-ground telecom, cabin interior upgrades, 12- or 24-month inspections, engine overhaul, service bulletin compliance and exterior paint refreshment. JetSuite’s Phenom 100s fly more than 100 hours each per month. –M.H.

New rules ease charter ops in Japanby Dale Smith

Not long ago it was a real struggle for charter operators to get slots into Japan’s Narita International Airport and every other Japanese airport for that matter. Thankfully, for char-ter operators around the world, Japan has adopted a much friendlier approach to business aircraft operations.

The Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) and Japan Business Aviation Association (JBAA) announced on Octo-ber 21 that the country is imple-menting new charter operations regulations based on FAA Part 135 standards.

“Japanese authorities today much more recognize the value of business aviation in our country,” stated Hiroshi Higashiyama, representative director for Universal Aviation in Japan and managing director of the Japan Business Aviation Association. “The JBAA has been working to make Japan the world standard for business aviation growth.”

“The Japanese have been working hard to ease their regu-lations for foreign charter opera-tions. In fact, prior to this there were no specific regulations for business aircraft charters or

private business aircraft other than it was highly restricted,” explained Lex den Herder, v-p of government and industry affairs at Universal Weather and Aviation (Booth No. C11016). “Along with open access, new rules now permit charter oper-ators to make multiple flights within the country.”

Higashiyama stressed that while Japan’s cabotage rules regarding charter operations are loosening there are still tight restrictions. “You can bring passengers in and drop off in-country,” he said. “But you cannot pick up additional pas-sengers and carry them to other cities in Japan.”

As for the structure of the new rules, said JBAA direc-tor and special advisor Kirk Tamura, “They are very much the same as Part 135. Techni-cally, the Japanese authority [JCAB] is not changing the law itself, they are just putting in their own standards.”

To avoid any misunderstand-ings, Tamura said that foreign charter operators should check with their third-party provider or Japan-based ground han-dler, such as Universal Aviation, regarding the new rules.

The new rules also reduce the lead-time for obtaining per-mits for non-ICAO-registered aircraft to three-days. “In the past, permits had a lead-time of ten days,” den Herder said. “For emergency trips that are for busi-ness purposes only, the permits can be obtained in as little as 24 working hours. This is another great win for business aviation around the world,” he said. “Its success is the result, once again, of a cooperative effort between Japanese officials and business aviation leadership.”

While it is probably the big-gest forward-step Japan has ever taken with regards to an open skies policy, it is not going to be the last. “This is the first step of the growth of general aviation in Japan,” Higashiyama said. “More flexibility in the infra-structure will help it grow. We will have the Olympics in 2020, and by that time we have to be more open. This is the impor-tant first step.”

“Business aviation is small now in Japan,” Tamura said. “We are expecting this deregulation effort to bring in many more busi-ness aircraft operating in Japan along with welcoming more oper-ations from overseas.” o

Pg-52_d1_v4.indd 1 10/21/13 9:43 AM

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Learjet Wichita opens doors for 50th-year festby R. Randall Padfield

The 50th anniversary of the first flight of the first Learjet, the Model 23, on Oct. 7, 1963, begged to be celebrated and Bom-bardier obliged with gusto, hold-ing two events at the company’s main assembly facility in Wichita on October 4 and 5 and inviting current and former employees and their families, a few special guests and owners and operators who brought examples of almost every Learjet production model. Only the Learjet 55 was absent, as the aircraft planned for the cel-ebration could not make it at the last minute.

Attracting some of the most attention at the main “Learjet 50 Years of Flight” event on October 5 were several Learjet 20-series models, including a 23, owned and flown by Clay Lacy himself, and an even rarer model 28, brought to Wichita

by LR Services of Allentown, Pa., which manages and oper-ates the jet for its owner. Only five Learjet 28s were built, plus four 29s, which are 28s with the addition of a long-range fuel tank that replaces two passen-ger seats. Lacy also brought his Lear 25, which is filled with Astrovision for air-to-air cinematography.

Lacy, who is owner and CEO of Clay Lacy Aviation of Van Nuys, Calif., had his 23 repainted in its original paint scheme for the celebration and made three fly-bys at the begin-ning of Saturday’s event. His first two flybys alternated with two flybys by a Learjet 70 flown by Learjet test pilots, and then Lacy came back for an unex-pected third. After passing over the assembled crowd, he pulled the turbojet-powered 23

into a steep climb and zoomed through the cloud deck, appar-ently to the surprise of Ralph Acs, vice president and general manager of the Learjet product line, who emceed the opening of the day’s activities.

At the soirée for invited guests at the Learjet customer deliv-ery center the evening before, Acs recognized 82-year-old Lacy for his long association with Bill Lear and Learjet. Lacy, in turn, expressed his gratitude and praise for Lear, his jets and the com-pany, and then added, “There’s only one thing that disappoints me: we’re still flying at the same speeds we flew in the sixties and seventies. I thought we’d be flying supersonic business jets by the eighties, at least Mach 2.”

Back To Flight StatusJim Diman, LR Services

pilot and vice president, told AIN that his company had just brought the Learjet 28 back onto flight status after its owner had told LR to park it in late 2010 because the increased price of fuel had made the six- to eight-passenger jet’s operating

costs too high for it to be com-petitively offered for charter. We journeyed in the 28, which has an endurance of about two to two-and-a-half hours, from Allentown to Wichita with a fuel stop in Illinois, climbing to 50,000 feet on the first leg.

Another hit with attend-ees at the “50 Years of Flight” event, based on the continuous line of visitors waiting to climb its airstair, was a Flexjet Learjet 40XR, whose pilots opened the door so attendees could step inside to ogle it, as well as pho-tograph themselves in its well-appointed interior. The LR Services 28 was the only other aircraft opened to allow visitors access to its cabin.

The first assembled Learjet 85 also made an appearance, although it stood partially

disassembled inside its han-gar and far back from the han-gar door. Several employees appeared to be working on Learjet’s new flagship in prep-aration for its first flight, while their coworkers were showing their families around the facili-ties and enjoying the festivities.

On hand for both the Fri-day evening event and Satur-day’s big “come one, come all” employee event were two leg-endary Learjet employees: Dan Grommesh and Alex Kvassay.

Grommesh, an aerodynam-icist, became Learjet’s eighth employee in 1958, its chief engineer from 1962 to 1988 and then director of the customer delivery center until he retired in 1995. He told AIN he gave up his previous job at Cessna

52B NBAA Convention News • October 22, 2013 • www.ainonline.com

A rare Learjet 28 operated by LR Services attracted a steady stream of visitors, including Learjet pilot and aficionado Clay Lacy (center). Only five 28s were built.

Continued on next page u Clay Lacy (red tie) with (l-r) Matt Dietz, Phil Burkert and Jim Diman of LR Services.

Alex Kvassay, retired, and Flexjet LJ40 pilots Pete Wrzosek and Gregg Payne.

Don Grommesh, former Learjet chief engineer, and his wife Marilyn.

Learjet employees brought their families to the event for an up-close-and-personal look at the fruits of their labors. Above, several newer aircraft stood in the Learjet 85 final assembly area, while the first 85 stood in a Flight Test Center hangar across the ramp.

Ralph Acs, v-p and general manager of the Learjet product line, hosted the event.

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after management decided not to continue with a business jet at that time. Bill Lear hired Grommesh, who believed busi-ness aircraft needed to be jet-powered to compete with the airlines, to work with him in Switzerland on the develop-ment of what became the Lear Jet 23. When asked what was the riskiest thing he ever did at Learjet, Grommesh said it was boarding an airline flight bound for an unknown job in Switzerland with Lear, while leaving his wife and five chil-dren behind in Wichita.

Kvassay sold Learjets from 1965 to 1976 and had gone with Bill Lear to Canadair to develop the Lear Star 600 (which became the Challenger). Kvassay had not been back to Learjet since he had left 37 years ago, he told AIN, yet sev-eral people he did not recognize came up to him to say hello. He continues to promote business aviation and writes the monthly column, “Alex Remembers,” for Professional Pilot magazine.

A Family CelebrationAlong with the numerous cus-

tomer Learjets on display (at least one of which, a Learjet 24F, was on the market, offered by North-eastern Aviation at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, N.Y., while another 24 sported Stage 3 engine-noise suppressers offered by Newton, Kan.-based Avcon Industries), a number of Chal-lengers and numerous experi-mental Learjets and Challengers graced the facility’s tarmac.

Some of the latter aircraft had apparently been moved out of the Bombardier Flight Test Center hangar to make room for several inflatable “playgrounds,” a balloon-twisting clown, a pop-corn machine and other attrac-tions for children. In an adjacent hangar Learjet provided lunch on one side while local organi-zations and company human resources and admin personnel staffed tables focused on health and employee benefits.

Employees could buy raffle tickets (with the proceeds going to charity) for a sightseeing flight around Wichita in Bombardier’s Corporate CRJ Shuttle, which took place at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Meanwhile, visitors walked on roped-off paths through the production areas for the Learjet 40/45, 70/75 and 85. Outside on the ramp, between the production buildings and

the Flight Test Center, several dozen employees showed off their “fancy” cars and trucks, while Blue Eyed Soul, a local–and quite talented–rhythm-and-blues band, entertained in what turned out to be the surprisingly good acoustics of the ramp area.

While the morning began brisk with gusty winds, low clouds and a temperature of 48

degrees, the cold front that had brought stormy weather the night before (including devastating tor-nadoes in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota) passed through the area, the sun came out and the temperature went up. Bill Lear must have been smiling. o

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 52C

A flight test hangar (note elongated pitot tubes on the wall) served as a lunch room.

Employees gather for Learjet 50thuContinued from preceding page

A vision becomes reality

Loss of control seminars held by Flight Researchby Matt Thurber

Flight Research (Booth No. N515) is holding a one-hour sem-inar free to NBAA convention

attendees who are interested in learning more about how to pre-vent loss-of-control accidents.

The seminar, entitled “Loss of Control Preparation & Preven-tion–Danger in the Training Gap,” will be offered today and tomorrow at Palmer Room One at the Wynn Hotel. For reser-vations, call Flight Research at (661) 824-4136.

Flight Research says it is the only upset training com-pany that uses a business jet

for real-life training. The com-pany is based at the Mojave Air and Space Port near Edwards Air Force Base in southern California, and it offers two- and three-day upset recogni-tion and recovery courses using both Sabre 60 business jets and single-engine Aermacchi MB-326 Impalas.

Upset recognition and recovery training is gaining renewed attention due to the relatively high number of loss-of-control accidents that have occurred, especially in airline operations where pilots either caused the upset or exacer-bated a problem that led to the upset. This highlights the need, according to Flight Research, “to fill a critical gap between simulator-based scenario train-ing and hands-on inflight train-ing using actual jet aircraft.”

“Loss of control accidents can be significantly reduced with proper hands-on train-ing,” said Flight Research CEO Bill Korner. “Unfortunately, an unsettling large number of busi-ness aviation pilots today have never been in a fully developed stall or upset condition in the category and type of aircraft they’re flying. We fully believe aerodynamic upsets are some-thing every pilot carrying pas-sengers should understand, experience and learn to success-fully recover from.”

While simulators can be use-ful for training commercial pilots, he explained, “they can-not and should not be a sub-stitute for experiencing upset attitudes and fully developed stalls in an actual business jet–and learning to properly recog-nize and recover from them.”

As part of its efforts to help prevent loss-of-control accidents, Flight Research is developing new standards for stall training by working with the FAA and other organizations. o

52D NBAA Convention News • October 22, 2013 • www.ainonline.com

Flight Research of Mojave, Calif., teaches upset recognition and recovery in Sabre 60s as well as single-engine Aermacchi MB-326 Impalas.

The greatest ideas are simple. This one also flies.

In-Flight Entertainment CommunicationsCabin Management Systems MediaEngineering & Certification

For more information about IDAIR, please visit www.idair.aero

A joint venture between Lufthansa Technik AG and Panasonic Avionics Corporation

Booth C10610


TrueNorTh luxury haNdseT

TrueNorth Avionics introduced its new Luxury Stylus cord-less handset at NBAA 2013 (Booth No. C12440), “featuring the same industry leading high-fidelity voice and multilingual inter-face as the original Stylus,” according to CEO Mark van Berkel.

Van Berkel said that the cordless Wi-Fi Stylus is the avia-tion industry’s only handset capable of recognizing the cradle in which it’s been placed; location-based technology then con-figures the handset to a specific profile.

As a cordless cousin to the original Stylus, the Wi-Fi handset charges in the cradle via power-over-Ethernet or using 28-volt power. The handset is equipped with nickel-metal hydride bat-teries to facilitate certification and smart-power management technology to improve battery performance while helping conserve power. For upgrades from earlier TrueNorth hand-sets, the Stylus Wi-Fi cradle also fits into the company’s legacy Simphone- and corded Stylus handset cutouts.

As with the original Stylus, the cordless version is customizable, from a choice of standard colors to any color desired, multiple languages as well as the addition of company logos. Metal plating is also available, including gold.

At the NBAA show, TrueNorth’s theme is “Bespoke Solu-tions.” And in a nod to the highlife of Las Vegas, the exhibit theme is “Stylus Royale.” As part of opening-day con-vention festivities today, at 4 to 6 p.m. TrueNorth’s Stylus Royale is introducing custom-blended “TrueTini” cocktails and surprise guests, including “a Daniel Craig (James Bond) impersonator and a “Bond Girl to add drama and create buzz above and beyond the typical opening day buzz,” according to the company.

Based in Ottawa, Canada, TrueNorth designs, develops and manufactures satellite communication solutions for busi-ness aircraft. –K.J.H.

R-R CorporateCare ‘re-lifes’ enginesby Thierry Dubois

Rolls-Royce is here (Booth No. C8134) touting the bene-fits of its CorporateCare pro-gram, which covers scheduled and unscheduled maintenance for the manufacturer’s business jet engines–the BR710, BR725, AE3007 and Tay 611.

“On the aftermarket, buyers see a CorporateCare-covered engine as new,” said Stephen Friedrich, sales and market-ing v-p for Rolls-Royce’s civil small and medium engines. About 1,700 aircraft are cov-ered, Friedrich said, and the

proportion is close to 70 percent for new aircraft. Health moni-toring systems enable advanced, precise diagnosis and prognosis, he pointed out. “We build on our 90 million flight hours of experience in business aviation.”

For the owner, the main benefit is cost predictability. CorporateCare includes everything from parts to labor costs, logistics, techni-cal publications, etc. It is almost all-inclusive, with exceptions such as foreign-object damage and line maintenance labor.

One of the latest features is the introduction of an interactive 3-D engine model for iPads. The main-tenance technician can thus virtually select a part, remove it and replace it.

For the Gulfstream G650’s BR725, Corpo rate Care includes additional features such as A and C check coverage and a replace-ment aircraft. o

The CorporateCare power-by-the-hour program builds on Rolls-Royce’s 90 million flight hours of experience in business aviation.

3D image: www.3Dviz.com

NBAA LBA buyer’s guide offers prices, stats and more

NBAA has released the 2013 edition of its Light Business Airplane (LBA) Buyer’s Guide. First published in 2009 and available only to NBAA members, the guide provides an overview of the light business airplanes still in production.

In assembling the guide, NBAA gath-ered information from manufacturers about new single- and twin-engine piston aircraft, turboprops, very light jets and light jets, helping operators pick the best airplane for their needs. The publication collects the basic specification and per-formance data for three-dozen light busi-ness airplanes in eight categories. Data

includes base prices, external and inter-nal dimensions, weight limits, powerplant specifications, operating speeds and take-off and landing distances.

Other NBAA resources for LBA oper-ators include the LBA Flight Operations Manual Template, Aircraft Transactions Checklist, Aircraft Operating and Owner-ship Options website, as well as online tax, insurance and risk management data.

For more information on the LBA Buyer’s Guide or to obtain a copy, visit www.nbaa.org/lba-buyers-guide or con-tact NBAA’s Operations Service Group at (202) 783-9250. –G.P.


NBAA’s Light Business Airplane Buyer’s Guide provides specification and performance data for light business airplanes still in production and those slated for certification. Shown is one the guide’s light jet charts.

Factory Direct is raffling custom models twice daily

In a departure from previous NBAA convention practice, Factory Direct Mod-els, instead of giving away one very large aircraft model, is holding twice-a-day drawings during NBAA 2013 to award gift certificates for customized desktop models of the winner’s choice. To participate in the drawing, booth visitors will need their con-vention badges scanned to activate their entries. Winners will be notified.

The Arizona firm is featuring models of more than 50 different aircraft at its booth (No. C9925). Dominating the dis-play is a full-cutaway, five-foot tall Pilatus PC-12 model with a full, intricately detailed interior. “Almost a walk-in” said Factory Direct president Mike Gibson.

Factory Direct can deliver some mod-els ordered this week in Las Vegas in time for the Christmas holidays. Delivery time for “custom express models” on display this week is three to four weeks. The Phoenix-based company has a limited-time offer on premium custom models for $299.95, with free shipping on all in-stock aircraft models.

Gibson noted that sales of his desk-top models remain brisk. “We deliver 5,000 a year, easy,” he said. Factory Direct’s market success, he added, stems from a near-obsessive attention to exte-rior and interior detail, “right down to the headsets resting on the seats.” Cus-tomers are encouraged when ordering exact replicas of their favorite aircraft to specify the paint schemes, exterior letter-ing and interiors of the aircraft they are memorializing.

Factory Direct’s models are not molded plastic pieces but are hand-carved from tropical hardwoods by a fourth gen-eration of Philippine craftsmen creat-ing airplane replicas in a Factory Direct Models facility. Factory Direct offers models of aircraft from all major general aviation manufacturers as well as com-mercial and military aircraft on special request. “Right now we’re processing an order and building two 11-foot models of the MQ-9 Reaper drone for an Air Guard unit,” Gibson said. –H.W.

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Heads Up fiber-optic cabin flying in new Citationsby Kirby J. Harrison

Heads Up Technologies, now see-ing the rewards of massive new product development over the past several years, is highlighting the first full, end-to-end fiber-optic business jet cabin at this year’s convention (Booth No. N1421).

“We’re in a unique position,” said president, CEO and founder Rob Har-shaw. “We’ve added 60 new line items this year alone and with revenue in 2013 already up considerably, we’re seeing the return on that investment.”

The highlight of that development pro-gram is cabin management and in-flight entertainment systems, which he said are “relatively new areas for us.” The Heads Up fiber-optic backbones for Cessna’s Clarity cabin management and entertainment sys-tems are already being delivered for instal-lation in Cessna’s new Citation Sovereign and Citation X upgrades. Cessna recently announced the fiber-optic systems are also being specified as part of the upcoming Citation Latitude, Longitude and M2 jets, all under the OEM’s Clarity cabin technol-ogy system brand.

The end-to-end fiber-optic technology

is high-definition throughout, including connections to the Blu-ray player and moving-map display. And the moving-map includes multiple new layers, such as points of interest, added Harshaw.

The fiber-optic package also includes components to interface with copper wir-ing for such cabin items as coffee makers and lighting. The wireless capability of the Clarity system is “device-agnostic,” mean-ing the cabin management and entertain-ment systems will interface with any tablet, laptop or smartphone, regardless of brand.

Easily UpgradeableOne of the key benefits of the Heads

Up fiber-optic backbone is that the sys-tem is easily upgradeable. “Fiber-optics really allow that,” Harshaw explained, “because it has so much bandwidth, you can send dozens of Blu-ray movies down that single fiber. As new technology comes out, you may have to add one component versus throwing away the whole system.” The other advantage is that fiber-optics don’t emit electromagnetic interference, and thus no heavy shielding is needed. “It

saved a ton of weight over existing sys-tems,” he said.

Also featured at NBAA is Heads Up’s new generation of cabin LED lighting. It includes accent lighting and is no longer a down- or up-wash but a true overhead lighting system that illuminates the entire cabin, explained Harshaw.

He further noted that Heads Up has been on the leading edge of LED develop-ment, starting with the first Citation Sover-eign to come off the assembly line. “Cessna was the first company to deliver every air-craft with LED cabin lighting, and we also provided the first LED lighting on Beech-craft’s King Air line, the 350 model. We use lighting to enhance the size and feel of the interior.” One of the ways that Heads Up does this is by controlling the dimmer systems so that LED lights behave like

incandescent lights, where the color tem-perature drops as the lights are dimmed. “This is done through integration with the cabin management system,” he said.

On the new Sovereign, Heads Up also manufactures the LED emergency egress lights, air stair lights and threshold lights. The jet’s cockpit features Heads Up side-emitting LEDs on the cockpit flood light and speaker assembly, designed to pro-duce a soft, uniform glow and less glare at night, according to Harshaw. Glareshield lights are molded into a housing that conforms to the glareshield’s shape, and ice-detect lights are fitted into custom housings “designed to blend with the glareshield’s organic lines,” he added. Pilots will appreciate the new LED map lights, which are dimmable and also pro-duce an approach-chart-sized spotlight, he noted, “perfect for reducing stray light while reading charts or maps yet main-taining the pilot’s night vision.”

The Cessna CitationJets employ many similar LED lights as well as Heads Up’s LED wing inspection lights, landing and taxi lights and empennage logo lights.

Heads Up Technologies started by manufacturing voice checklist systems, according to Harshaw. Another pioneer-ing product was development of the XM satellite receiver with weather datalink capability, which Heads Up makes for Rockwell Collins, Avidyne, Honeywell and other avionics manufacturers. o


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P&WC to develop bigger PT6by Charles Alcock

As it seeks to prolong the legacy of its 50-year-old PT6 engine dynasty, Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) is laying plans to refresh the epic product range at the top, mid-dle and lower ends. Speaking with AIN ahead of this week’s NBAA show, P&WC president John Saabas confirmed that the manufacturer intends to cap the PT6 portfolio with a 2,000-shp version of the turboprop but indicated it is not yet ready to target a specific launch date.

“We need one more larger size, a 2,000-shp turboprop that could fill a niche,” he said. “We have a lot of advanced design concepts for this but we have to build a business case around this. We need to be sure what the minimum [power] volume would be for this, and what electronics it would need and how it would be retrofit-ted. Right now our pri-ority is to enhance what we have and keep people in the [PT6] family. This big investment will come in time but not in the next year or so.”

At the same time, P&WC (Booth No. C6518) contin-ues to work on PT6 product enhancements. At the smaller end of the family, the focus is on providing more modern turboprop alternatives to pis-ton engines powered by avgas, which is facing obsolescence as

an aviation fuel. “We’re work-ing on revolutionary technol-ogy to make big changes at the small end,” said Saabas.

Further UpgradesMeanwhile, the Montreal-

based group is seeking to fur-ther upgrade the middle of the product family. “There are things that we have to do to adapt the engines to the needs of more modern avion-ics,” Saabas explained, sug-gesting that the second half of the PT6 century (see box) will amount to a continued mix of evolution and revolution. He stressed that P&WC will con-tinue with its long-standing philosophy of making technol-ogy developed for one engine

available to other family members to the fullest possi-

ble extent.By year-end, P&WC expects

to have delivered more than 100 of the latest 867-shp PT6A-140 engines, which are power-ing Cessna’s new 208B Grand Caravan EX. “This engine has pushed the limits of new

compressor technology and blade materials to give more flexibility for operating in hot-and-high conditions,” said Denis Parisien, P&WC’s gen-eral aviation vice president.

According to Parisien, the PT6A-140 and the latest PT6T-9 turboshaft for heli-copters are prime examples of how P&WC has continued to apply the latest technology to get yet more performance and versatility out of a engine that first flew back in 1963 and that has retained fundamentally the same architecture over the past five decades. What has changed is that the PT6 is now delivering almost four times as much power from the same

basic shell as the 500-shp PT6A-6 back in

the 1960s, and, as important, 20 per-cent leaner specific

fuel consumption (SFC). “We’re constantly look-ing for where the

next 5-, 10- or 20-per-cent improvement can come from,” said Parisien. “We will always strive to push the nee-dle as far as we can.”

Greater VersatilityGiven the rising price of fuel

and its direct impact on the eco-nomic viability of general avia-tion, SFC improvements have been one of the P&WC’s main goals for PT6 product devel-opment. But the company has

also focused on adapting the engines to deliver ever-greater versatility to the extent that the family has achieved some 136 different aircraft applications in its history.

These span platforms as diverse as Beechcraft’s latest King Air 350i twin tur-boprop (powered by a pair of PT6A-60As), which is challenging the role of light jets in the executive trans-port market, and the rugged Twin Otter operating in extreme subzero temperatures in the Antarctic. “The PT6 effectively cre-ated the single-engine commercial IFR mar-ket since operators are willing to operate this way due to its reli-ability,” said Parisien, referring mainly to the latest single-tur-boprop workhorses such as the Pilatus PC-12 and the Daher Socata TBM700/850 series.

Last year, P&WC established its new general aviation divi-sion as the focal point for its efforts to ensure the continued longevity of the PT6, and it has regularly made annual research-and-development investments

of between $300 million and $400 million to keep the com-petitive edge. “We’re still deliv-ering the maximum technology for the price and we’re always looking at what we can provide for the various markets we sup-port,” Parisien told AIN. “It’s

always a trade-off in terms of what technol-ogy is affordable and it ultimately comes down to what an OEM wants to get from its aircraft.”

In addition to mainstream general aviation applications, the PT6 is powering activities such as agri-cultural support and the market for single-engine military train-ers and unmanned air vehicles. Saabas pointed out that the variety of applica-tions for the engine has itself been a driver of product improvement. “We can compete in all

these different markets and we continue to learn things that we can take from one to another,” he said. “For instance, things we’ve learned from helicopter operators have fed into [greater operational efficiency] for engines serving the regional air-lines and fractional operators.”


Great Design Is Key To PT6’s Staying Power

The term game-changer is grossly overused in aviation, but few would dispute that the arrival on the market of Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PT6 turbo-prop 50 years ago this year did indeed change the engine game. The break-through technology that allowed this innovative turboprop to displace the piston and radial engines of the day was P&WC’s combination of the “free-turbine” and “reverse-flow” inlets.

“There was a big gap on the market at the time in engines that could take aviation to all parts of the world,” explained Denis Parisien, P&WC’s gener-al aviation vice president. “Our engi-neering team knew they were onto something big that would change the face of aviation.”

What sealed the PT6’s fami-ly’s place in history was the flexibil-ity of the design, which has allowed the Canadian manufacturer to mix and match components and introduce the latest technology to squeeze ever more value out of the powerplant, which now has been used for more than 136 applications.

At the end of July, P&WC delivered its 80,000th PT6 and there are now more than 23,000 engines in service with around 6,500 operators in more than 180 countries. The annual production rate for all versions of the engine still stands at more than 1,000 units.

These operators now have the opportunity to connect via the company’s PT6nation.com portal. This has already doubled its number of followers and is to be expanded to include additional forums and blogs in which opera-tors can exchange experiences, positive or negative. “We’re not there to hide anything,” said Parisien. “We looked at all the possible negatives [of open-ing up to online comment] and felt it was time for operators to have some-thing different.”

Serious gear-heads will likely enjoy the site’s video interviews with members of the PT6 engineering team, sharing their recollections of how this epic engine took shape and how it has exceeded their expectations. –C.A.

P&WC president John Saabas

PT6

P&WC vice president general aviation Denis Parisien

Pratt & Whitney Canada is making plans for further improvements to its PT6 family of turboprop engines.

PT6A

In the agricultural sector, PT6-powered aircraft have boosted farmers who are constantly under pressure to feed the world more cost-effectively. “The use of turboprop aircraft has resulted in much greater efficiency to crop-spraying,” Parisien told AIN. “Aircraft started off being able to carry a 300- to 400-gallon spray payload and now this is up to 800 gallons and soon 1,000 gallons, and it has also increased the area of land that can be

sprayed in one day.” The same benefits also have

paid dividends in the special-ist field of aerial fire fighting. “The market is using aircraft in ways we never expected and we have been pleasantly sur-prised at how this has hap-pened,” said Parisien. o


Pratt Predicts PW800s Will Succeed In Big Bizjets

A day after watching Pratt & Whitney’s PW1500G engines lifting Bombardier’s new CSeries airliner for its long-awaited first flight on September 16, Pratt & Whitney Canada president John Saabas told AIN that the new turbofan’s PurePower technology PW800 cousin will soon be delivering the same step change in operating effi-ciency and low noise to the business aviation sector. In an interview ahead of this week’s NBAA show, he revealed that the manufacturer intends to start ground testing a demonstrator example of the 12,000- to 18,000-pound thrust engine before the end of this year and to have it flying in 2014. “We want to be in the heavy busi-ness jet market and this will give us real data to show [prospective airframers],” he said.

After Cessna abandoned plans for the large-cabin Citation Columbus, which would have been the PW800’s launch application, P&WC initially slowed the pace of development work while continuing core testing. “The next 24 months are going to be critical [for the PW800 program] in terms of execution,” said Saabas. “The market has spoken [of a need for a new engine in this class] and we need to be sure that we can meet their needs in terms of volume of production.”

Saabas claimed that the PW800 can match the improve-ments in bypass ratio and thermal performance now being delivered by the PW1500G and predicted that the new turbofan will make a step change in the business aviation market. “It’s going to be one of those stories like the PT6,” he said, refer-ring to the company’s 50-year-old turboprop engine, which now has more than 130 aircraft applications (see main story).

“With the PW800 we have a huge advantage in having the common core of the geared turbofan [the base technology for PurePower engines],” said Mike Perodeau, P&WC’s corpo-rate aviation marketing vice president. “This removes a lot of risk and gives us a springboard. We believe there are oppor-tunities in the heavy iron world and we’re not new to this since the PW300 already powers the [Dassault] Falcon 7X and the PW308 is on the Falcon 2000 and the 2000LXS.”

The 4,700- to 7,000-pound-thrust PW300 series turbo-fans have remained in demand with new appli-

cations including the improved version of the Citation Sovereign and Bombardier’s new Learjet 85. To improve performance, P&WC

introduced two stages of variable inlet guide vanes for the PW306C and PW307 engines,

and the PW307 also features the latest Talon II combustor, which reduces nitrous oxide emissions.

These improvements also feature in the PW308C, which powers both the Falcon 2000S and 2000LXS.

“These engines are delivering high performance, low fuel burn, low emissions and improved maintenance intervals, which keeps the whole operating experience predictable,” said Perodeau. “This makes the engines very suitable for high utilization operators like fractional [providers].”

Perodeau acknowledged that market conditions have not been quite as rosy of late for the PW500 family in the light- to medium-sized jet sector, which took a hard hit in the fall-out from the 2008 financial crisis. Nonetheless, as with the smaller PW600 turbofan powering light jets like the Embraer Phenom 100, he explained that both families feature the lat-est performance improvements for their thrust class and that the company remains hopeful that these market seg-ments will bounce back. –C.A.

Back in December 1963 Pratt & Whitney Canada shipped the first PT6A-6 engine to what was then the Beech Aircraft company for the first King Air 90.

PW810

Passengers plug in with Astronics outletsby Harry Weisberger

To meet increasing demand for electrical power to keep portable electronic devices

(PEDs) operating during flight and charged for arrival, a new in-seat power system (ISPS) is

on display at NBAA 2013. The new dual-mode EmPower sys-tem was developed by Astron-ics Advanced Electronic Systems, a wholly owned sub-sidiary of Astronics Corp. (Booth No. N5129).

As cabin connectiv-ity and wireless technology fast become standard fea-tures on today’s business jets,

passengers are looking to use their portable devices in the air the same way they do in their homes and offices.

The new ISPS provides three outputs of AC electrical power and four DC USB outputs (2.1 amps), while incorporating internal safety features such as ground-fault interruption, volt-age and current protection, all

managed locally by the sys-tem. The EmPower ISPS fully complies with FAA power sys-tem guidelines and is certified to TSO-C73 standards and is DO-160E compliant. Astronics offers custom external features such as built-in LED lighting and an array of faceplate color and finish options, including gold plating.

The EmPower system sup-ports up to seven seat locations in a single installation and deliv-ers up to 220 watts. Passengers can use and recharge devices using both AC and DC power. A newly designed combination AC/USB outlet provides both modes of power at each seat installation, with options also available for dedicated AC and USB outlets.

Other Astronics subsidiar-ies exhibiting at NBAA 2013 include Astronics DME, which provides aviation safety and survival products, airfield light-ing and logistics engineering; Astronics Luminescent Sys-tems, which manufactures spe-cialized lighting and electronics systems for cockpits, cabins and exteriors; Astronics Bal-lard Technology, developer of avionics databus interfaces, rugged computers, embedded devices and software; Astronics Max-Viz, developer of infra-red enhanced vision systems (EVS) flying on numerous busi-ness and general aviation air-craft; and Astronics PECO, which develops fully engineered and manufactured products for demanding applications. o


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Embraer enhances Legacy 450/500 cabinsby Bill Carey

The customer comes first, according to Embraer Executive Jets, which is announcing sev-eral product enhancements to its midsize Legacy 500 and “mid-light” Legacy 450 business jets at this year’s NBAA convention. The Brazilian manufacturer said that preferences voiced by potential customers have led it to finesse the cabin interior designs of the sibling jets as they advance toward certification. As an option, both jets will also be available with Rockwell Col-lins’s HGS-3500 compact head-up display (HUD), capable of presenting both synthetic- and enhanced-vision imagery.

With the first prototype of the Legacy 450 in final assembly and due to fly for the first time this year, Embraer revealed to report-ers at its São Jose dos Campos headquarters last month that it has extended the fuselage from the original configuration by more than half a foot in order to provide six additional inches of cabin length. The extended cabin measures 24 feet from the

aft cockpit wall to the internal baggage compartment.

The fuselage enlargement means there will be two more inches of space separating the aircraft’s two forward seats and four more inches separating the rear two seats from the seats in front of them. Seat pitch in the rear seats increases from 42 inches to 46 inches, providing more passenger leg room.

“What you’re doing is mak-ing a six-seat, seven-seat air-craft with comfortable positions everywhere,” said Augusto Sal-gado da Rocha, Embraer Exec-utive Jets senior manager of product strategy. “These are things that we learned from hav-ing mockups and from having people inside of the airplane saying, ‘This could be a lit-tle bit more comfortable if you had some additional space.’ Of course, there is a weight penalty, but we will recover the weight penalty so that our performance targets are still the same. We are not changing any of the perfor-mance targets,” he added.

Actually, Embraer has changed one performance target–it has increased the range specification of the Legacy 450 from 2,300 to 2,500 nm at Mach 0.82 when car-rying four passengers, two pilots and NBAA IFR reserves. It has done so by increasing the aircraft’s full fuel capacity, which has also increased its maximum takeoff weight. But the previously spec-ified 4,000-foot takeoff distance remains the same, and there is also no effect on time-to-climb, initial cruise altitude, maximum operat-ing altitude and speed, according to Embraer. “We are compensat-ing [for] that with [engine] thrust and an aerodynamic design that is better than we anticipated,” Salgado said.

Fly-by-wireThe $16 million Legacy 450

and $18 million Legacy 500 will be the first two business jets under $50 million to employ fly-by-wire flight controls. They will also be the first mid-light and midsize jets equipped as an option with the Rockwell Col-lins HGS-3500 compact HUD, which eliminates the need for an external projector behind the pilot’s head. The HUD will come as a package with an EVS-3000 enhanced-vision system (EVS), including infrared sen-sors and a video camera capable of seeing light-emitting diode (LED) runway lights that infra-red sensors cannot detect. Still in development, the HGS-3500 will display synthetic vision from the jets’ Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suite as well as EVS imagery.

The package, branded as the Embraer enhanced-vision sys-tem (E2VS) for the Legacys, should be available two years after the jets enter service–2016 in the case of the Legacy 500, which is due to enter service next

year. According to Embraer, the E2VS system will improve the jets’ operational capability down to Cat II approach minimums.

Embraer’s design goal for the sibling jets is to have 95 per-cent line-replaceable unit com-monality. They share the same Honeywell HTF7500E engines and Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion flight deck, offering pilots the possibility of a com-mon type rating.

They will also share clever new cabin features that Embraer has introduced since the orig-inal concept design through focus groups, sales mockups and a new in-house design capa-bility. These include concealed spaces for storing personal con-trol units for the Honeywell Ovation Select cabin manage-ment system, as well as carry-on iPads and magazines; embedded cup holders; and curved wood veneer surfaces applied where only hardwood surfaces could be used previously, saving weight.

Embraer is exhibiting a refreshed Legacy 450 cabin mockup with the new inte-rior features here at the NBAA convention.

The Legacy 450 is advancing toward its first flight, planned for this year. In September,

reporters viewed the first fuse-lage undergoing final assem-bly in Embraer’s historic F-30 building on the São Jose dos Campos campus, where the company’s Bandeirante and other early types were assem-bled. The first prototype, desig-nated EMB-545, will be one of two built for the flight-test pro-gram. Entry into service is planned in 2015.

The three Legacy 500 proto-types have accumulated more than 650 flight hours since the SN001 test aircraft first flew on Nov. 27, 2012. An “iron-bird” systems engineering test bench has logged another 4,500 hours. Certification authorities with Brazil’s ANAC, the FAA and EASA have participated in familiarization flights as the air-craft nears its expected type cer-tification and entry into service in mid-2014.

The SN003 prototype, which made its maiden flight in March, represents the type for its NBAA debut on the static line at Hen-derson Executive Airport. It made its first public appear-ance at the EBACE convention in Geneva in May and was dis-played again at the LABACE convention at Congonhas Air-port in São Paulo in August. o


Greenpoint buys Jet Works

Greenpoint Aerospace, a division of Greenpoint Technologies (Booth No. N2715), has acquired Jet Works Air Center, a business air-craft completion, refurbishment and MRO facility in Denton, Texas.

With the purchase of the Jet Works assets, Greenpoint plans to per-form interior refurbishment and executive completion work, exterior paint, avionics repair and installation and MRO work at the new loca-tion. Jet Works has more than 100,000 sq ft of hangar and office space at Denton Municipal Airport and employs 80 technicians and support staff. The site is a five-minute drive from Odyssey Aerospace Compo-nents, also a part of Greenpoint Technologies, specializing in design engineering, manufacturing and quality fit and finish of executive cabinetry for business jets.

Having access to the engineering and technical teams of Greenpoint Technologies and Odyssey Aerospace “allows us to better serve our refurbishment and completion customers,” said Greenpoint Aerospace president Trey Bryson. “This is another option for our new and exist-ing customers.”

Greenpoint Aerospace is a division of Greenpoint Technologies of Kirkland, Wash. At its Kirkland facilities, Greenpoint provides major cabin refurbishment and completion services with a primary focus on Boeing’s BBJ line. And in December 2011, Greenpoint gave notice of its intent to expand beyond the BBJ line with the signing of a letter of intent for outfitting a Boeing 787-8.

The addition of Jet Works is part of a Greenpoint Aerospace strat-egy of expansion through acquisition and partnerships. This past summer, Greenpoint acquired an equity position in the new ownership of Aviation Technical Services, one of the West Coast’s largest providers of MRO work. And in June last year, Greenpoint signed a memoran-dum of understanding with Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Co. of Beijing (Ameco Beijing) to provide support for business jet cabin completion work in greater China and the Asia Pacific region. It was described as a step in “finalizing a teaming relationship for collabora-tive engineering, certification and installation of narrow- and widebody executive aircraft modifications.” –K.J.H.

Embraer Executive Jets has refreshed the cabin of its Legacy 450/500 twinjets, including lengthening the fuselage on the 450, which is on display here in cabin mockup form. The new Legacy 500 midsize twin (below) is making its NBAA debut on the static line at Las Vegas Henderson Executive Airport.

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Harrison Ford receives Al Ueltschi award Actor Harrison Ford, known by

most for his many and varied movie personae, is receiving NBAA’s Al Ueltschi Award for Humanitarian Leadership for his extensive advocacy of general aviation. An accomplished pilot, Ford has made numerous appearances before

Congress and regularly flies missions in support of humanitarian and philanthropic causes.

Since earning his private pilot certificate in 1996, Ford has also exposed countless young people to the excitement of aviation by personally flying them in the

Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles program and also served as the program’s chairman for more than five years. In 2010, the National Aeronautic Association honored him with the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy for his many contributions to aviation as

an accomplished pilot, aviation industry advocate, humanitarian and mentor.

Ford has participated in the Cessna Citation Special Olympics Airlift, which provides free transportation on Citations for athletes to the Special Olympics USA National Games. Additionally, he works with the Corporate Angel

Network (CAN), flying cancer patients to destinations where they can access the best possible treatment for their specific types of cancer. Ford also joined with hundreds of others in GA in flying relief missions to help victims of the January 2010 earthquake that struck the island nation of Haiti.

“Harrison Ford is an enthusiastic and compassionate representative for general aviation,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “In addition to utilizing a diverse number of aircraft types in support of his career and business endeavors, he also channels his passion for flight into demonstrating the vital humanitarian role that general aviation provides every day, in places all around the world.”

The Al Ueltschi Award was created in 2006 and is named for Albert Ueltschi, who founded training provider FlightSafety International. Ueltschi has been widely recognized for his lifetime of dedication to philanthropic causes, most notably in the development of international nonprofit Orbis, which brings together dedicated eye-care professionals and aviators to help train doctors to give the gift of sight to people in developing countries around the world.

Among past recipients of the award are FedEx and its founder, Frederick Smith, for their support of Orbis; former Senate majority leader, surgeon and humanitarian pilot Bill Frist; the donors and volunteers in the business aviation community who responded to the humanitarian crisis in Haiti; CAN; Veterans Airlift Command, in recognition of the organization’s work to provide flights for wounded soldiers, veterans and their families; and Cessna Aircraft for its Special Olympics Airlift. –P.L.


Al Ueltschi Award

Harrison Ford

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Jet Aviation preps for 787Executive and government variants of

the Boeing 787 are rolling off the assembly lines and will soon be appearing at inde-pendent completion centers, among them Jet Aviation Basel (Booth No. N1932).

In preparation, the Swiss interiors spe-cialist has been preparing for the unique challenges of a composite fuselage by sending a team of Part 145-licensed engi-neers from its completion center to receive EASA Part 66 B1/B2 training on the 787

at Boeing’s Seattle facilities. The process includes training on the maintenance and support of the big twin-engine jet at Jet Aviation’s Basel facility. Company engi-neers have already completed an advanced structural repairs training course provided by Boeing for its 787, and Jet Aviation will subsequently apply to be added to Boe-ing’s 787 capability list.

“The all-composite structures of the Boeing 787 present a unique set of

requirements for interior completions,” said Neil Boyle, Jet Aviation Basel’s com-pletion center v-p and general manager. “A major priority for us is to further our employees’ understanding of and training in advanced aviation technology to ensure we meet customer requirements and the highest business aviation standards.”

According to Boeing, the first 787 for reconfiguration to an executive or government role is scheduled for deliv-ery to an independent completion cen-ter by the end of this year. Boeing claims orders to date for 12 of the sleek, twin-engine aircraft. –K.J.H.


Representatives from several completion centers, including Jet Aviation, met with Boeing 787 engineers in Everett, Wash., to discuss how their interior layouts fit into the 787 floor plans.

Duncan expanDs Wi-Fi program

Duncan Aviation (Booth No. C8543) recently received a supplemental type certificate (STC) for installation of broadband connectivity on three Cita-tion 525A models.

The approval adds the CitationJet CJ2, CJ2+ and CJ4 models to a lengthy list of Duncan Aviation STCs for aircraft Internet systems. With the total num-ber of installations nearing 400 aircraft, Duncan claims to hold “a prominent position as leader of the aftermarket installation of in-flight Internet and Wi-Fi upgrades, such as Aircell Gogo Biz and SwiftBroadband systems.”

Broadband with Wi-Fi is one of the company’s most requested upgrades and represents the continuing invest-ment in STCs, said avionics sales representative Andy Fernandes. “Com-bining the benefits of both our ODA [FAA Organization Designation Authori-zation] and many locations, we’re able to offer owners a great deal of flexibility as well as confidence,” he added.

The Lincoln, Neb.-based company has invested heavily in this market seg-ment and owns 13 STCs for broadband Internet connectivity with Wi-Fi net-working. The STCs were completed by the Duncan Aviation engineering team under its ODA, which includes STCs, major repair and alterations and parts manufacturer approval authority.

Fernandes said the company is now working to amend the most recent STC to include the CitationJet CJ, CJ1, CJ1+ and CJ4 models “in the near future.” –K.J.H.

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3-D printed components take flightby Bill Carey

Solid Concepts has produced multiple 3-D printed compo-nents for aerospace applications that it is highlighting at NBAA 2013 (Booth No. N2011).

The company, based in

Valencia, Calif., provides rapid prototyping, digital manufactur-ing, tooling and injection mold-ing to the aerospace, automotive, industrial design and medical industries. It has more than two

decades of experience in 3-D printing, or additive manufac-turing technologies, producing parts from prototypes to produc-tion components by accurately “printing” layers of material

until a 3-D form is created.This year, Solid Concepts

built an air duct using fused deposition modeling (FDM), an additive manufacturing tech-nology, for installation on the Orbis DC-10 “Flying Eye Hos-pital.” The air duct received an FAA Form 8130 airworthiness approval tag.

The company performed

production work for Area-I, an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research and develop-ment company based in Ken-nesaw, Ga. Solid Concepts created control surfaces and a large fuel tank using selective laser sintering for Area-I’s pro-totype technology evaluation research aircraft (PTERA). The PTERA is a small, jet-powered aircraft designed as a low-risk, low-cost platform for testing new aerodynamic treatments, health management and control systems and other technologies. The NASA-sponsored UAS conducted its first series of flight tests in July 2012 at Heart of Georgia Regional Airport.

Metal 3-D PrintingSolid Concepts also intro-

duced metal 3-D printing to its custom manufacturing offer-ings with four direct metal laser sintering machines, capable of producing intricate and strong metal components, including turbine engine parts, exhaust system parts and fuel sys-tem components for aerospace applications.

The company offers high temperature laser sintering with PEEK (polyether ether ketone) material as well, allowing for aerospace applications requir-ing highly durable, lightweight and chemical- and heat-resistant components.

Solid Concepts was estab-lished in 1991 as a rapid proto-typing service provider with a variety of stereolithography and CNC (computer numerical con-trol) machining centers. It now has facilities in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Austin (Texas) and Detroit in addition to Valencia, with more than 160 additive manufacturing, CNC machining, cast urethane, com-posite and injection molding and tooling machines. o


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Win an iPad mini at Conklin boothby Harry Weisberger

Conklin & de Decker, the air-craft acquisition and operating cost consulting company, is at Booth No. N5314 with its lat-est software for budgeting and financial analysis, Life Cycle

Cost 2013–Volume II. This release is an aircraft operating cost-tracking tool packed with cost information for more than 400 jets, turboprops, helicopters and piston aircraft.

The latest version adds the ability to select between “time since” and “time remaining” for inspections, overhaul inter-vals and life-limited parts. This new feature presents all costs

associated with those func-tions for all 400-plus aircraft. The Excel spreadsheet with pre-loaded data provides the ability to enter precise information on specific aircraft.

As an incentive to stop by and evaluate the assortment of Conklin & de Decker planning and budgeting aids, the firm is holding a drawing for an iPad

mini. The winner will be chosen from business cards dropped into a bowl at the booth and need not be present to win.

Conklin & de Decker is also featuring a new and expanded Ace-On The Go!, an applica-tion allowing users to run air-craft cost reports from any web browser on any device. This app can run side-by-side reports on up to three aircraft to compare costs directly. A YouTube train-ing video is also available.

The firm is demonstrating its new AircraftPedia, with images of aircraft, line drawings and other artwork for use in reports or presentations to clients. The online library resource includes history of the aircraft manufac-turer and its specific models. The AircraftPedia comes at no cost with a subscription to Aircraft Cost Evaluator, which provides an apples-to-apples compari-son tool for aircraft acquisition planning and decision-making. Life Cycle Cost and the Aircraft Performance Comparator help prospective buyers find the best aircraft to fit their missions.

A free Conklin & de Decker online resource called Aircraft Alias contains tables from which one can correlate names by which aircraft have previously been known. For example, the Cessna 550, also known as the Citation II. Less than a year old, the Conklin & de Decker Air-craft Engine Installation Guide lists which engine model is on each aircraft and how many are installed. Information can be accessed by searching either by aircraft or engine manufacturer.

NBAA show attendees also may register for Conklin & de Decker’s annual year-end Air-craft Acquisition Planning sem-inar to be held in Scottsdale, Ariz., December 10-11. o


Conklin & de Decker’s Ace-On the Go! application allows users to run aircraft cost reports from any web browser on any device. Its AircraftPedia program provides access to aircraft history and images.

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Last man on the Moon receives NBAA awardThe NBAA Meritorious Service

Award was established to recognize extraordinary lifelong professional contributions to aviation, and few fit within those parameters like Gene Cernan.

As a member of arguably the most exclusive fraternity in this or any other world, he flew into space three times over his 13 years with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Cernan has the distinction of being the last human being to walk on the Moon’s surface, at least for the foreseeable future. After serving as pilot of the Gemini 9 mission (1966), which furthered NASA’s understanding of the techniques required for extra-

vehicular activities, he later flew two trips to the moon.

He first served as lunar module pilot of Apollo 10, NASA’s final proving mission for the vehicle and testing procedures to be used for the Apollo moon landings, and as commander of Apollo 17, NASA’s final manned moon mission in 1972.

A career U.S. Navy aviator, Eugene “Gene” Cernan retired from both the military as a captain and from NASA in 1976, and went into private business.

NBAA ChampionAn accomplished pilot, Cernan

is also a regular guest at NBAA’s annual conventions, where he

frequently joins other legendary aviators in presenting the National Aviation Hall of Fame’s annual Combs Gates Award, which honors aviation history, research and preservation efforts.

Cernan was awarded a Wright Brothers Master Pilot Certificate from the FAA during a presentation at NBAA’s 2010 convention. He has been recognized with numerous other noteworthy honors, including the Navy Distinguished Flying Cross, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, the FAI International Gold Medal for Space and NASA’s first Ambassador of Exploration Award.

“Gene Cernan often talks about the ‘yearning restlessness’ that he’s experienced since leaving the moon’s Taurus-Littrow valley, and over the past 40 years he’s channeled that energy into tirelessly promoting aviation interests, including business aviation, and humanity’s continuing presence in space,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “We are pleased to present the NBAA Meritorious Service to Aviation Award to a champion of the global aviation community and an inspiration to the next generation of aerospace pioneer.”

The Meritorious Service Award will be presented to Cernan during the Second Day General Session tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. –P.L.


Meritorious Service Award

Gene Cernan, the last man on the Moon.

Support Services Safety AwardThe NBAA Aviation Support Services Safety Award is presented to

aviation personnel employed for three or more consecutive years by NBAA member companies primarily for support of corporate/business flight operations and whose company has had no aircraft accidents during their employment period. AIN interviewed two of the recipients, Frank Marchesini and Frank Ciliberti of MARS Aircraft Radio Services.

Frank MarchesiniManager, 45 Years

Frank CilibertiChief Inspector, Acting Manager, 44 YearsMARS Aircraft Radio ServicesTeterboro Airport, N.J.

Frank Marchesini, second on the NBAA Support Services list, retired as manager of MARS Aircraft Radio Services last year, but still works for the aircraft electronics services and sales firm part time. Frank Ciliberti, who has been chief inspector and is now also acting manager, is third on the list. Marchesini has been with Mars 42 years, and Ciliberti 35 years. Both became interested in aviation while serving in the military. Ciliberti said that the company’s long safety record is due to “double checking everything, being careful and following the rules.”–M.F.S.

Top 25 Support Services ProfessionalsName Company Years

Barbara Wojnar Company not identified 50

Frank Marchesini MARS Aircraft Radio Services 45

Frank Ciliberti MARS Aircraft Radio Services 44

Jill Filer NextEra Energy, Inc. 40

George Paupst Million Air 40

Clarence Bailey Richardson Aviation 38

Kenneth Forester Meridian Teterboro/Meridian Air Charter 38

Steve Lister JetSelect 37

George Kokinakis JM Family Enterprises 35

Jim Such ExxonMobil 35

Eva Akans Pentastar Aviation 33

Judi Ferrari AAR/MARS Aircraft Radio Services 33

Cherri Gott Million Air 33

Robert Haulenbeek Colleen Corporation 33

John Sutherland Million Air 33

Andrew Toy Axiom Aviation 33

William Weiss ConocoPhillips Alaska 31

Teresa Golla Central Flying Service 30

Gerald Grady CSX Corporation Aviation Dept. 30

Kimberly Hopple Leading Edge Operations Co. 30

Marty Hyde Central Flying Service 30

Bob Lauridsen PepsiCo, Inc.- ADS Base 30

John Lettiere PNC Bank 30

Thomas Prevost CIGNA 30

Alonzo Price ExxonMobil 30

David Richards Sony Aviation 30

John H. Winant Award

Lawyer-pilot garners Winant awardAviation attorney James Cooling,

a former NBAA director who still volunteers his time on behalf of NBAA and the Corporate Angel Network (CAN) as well as several other aviation causes, is the recipient of the John H. Winant Award.

James Cooling is the managing director of the Cooling & Herbers law firm and served on NBAA’s Tax Committee for nine years. Later, he was elected as a member of the association’s board of directors from 2001 to 2008. After leaving the board, he has continued his work on behalf of NBAA and CAN. He assists with the organization of the annual NBAA/CAN Soirée charity event, which raises funds to support CAN’s life-saving work to transport cancer patients aboard business aircraft with unused seats to clinics for treatment.

Today, Cooling also serves on the organizing committee for the annual Gathering of Eagles event on behalf of the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Young Eagles Program. In 2011, he

was elected to the board of trustees of the National Aviation Hall of Fame and tasked with helping raise the organization’s funding and profile.

Tremendous Commitment“Throughout his extensive career

in the aviation community, Jim Cooling has shown a tremendous commitment to many causes and organizations that demonstrate the best and most compassionate aspects of our industry,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen. “It is in this spirit that NBAA has selected him to receive the 2013 Winant Award.”

One of NBAA’s most prestigious honors, the John H. Winant Award is presented to former members of NBAA’s board of directors who demonstrate a lifelong passion for and service to business aviation, including service to the industry well after the director’s tenure on NBAA’s board concludes. In more than 50 years of service to NBAA, Winant served in all of NBAA’s volunteer-

elected officer positions. He was elected to the board of directors in 1957 and remained on the board until his appointment as NBAA president in 1971, a role that he held for 15 years.

“I am extremely pleased and surprised to be selected to receive NBAA’s John Winant Award,” Cooling said. “Like John, the people who have received this honor have been recognized for their dedication to the industry and their tirelessness in advancing its causes. I am humbled to be included in their company.”

Cooling received his bachelor of arts degree from the University of Missouri in 1965 and is a 1968 graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School. He is a member of the Missouri Bar Association, the Lawyer Pilots Bar Association, the NTSB Bar Association and holds a commercial pilot certificate and instrument, multi-engine and flight instructor ratings, and is type-rated in the Cessna Citation. –P.L.

Aviation Attorney James Cooling

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Bombardier News highlights from the past year 2012

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October 2012

• Bombardier opened a Moscow office to sup-port the growing number of commercial aircraft customers in Russia and the Com-monwealth of Independent States.

• Faced a strike in Wichita, Kan., by Bombar-dier Learjet workers, who rejected a pro-posed labor agreement.

• Approved a second-line maintenance facility in India, authorizing Air Works in New Delhi to work on the Challenger 604 and 605, Global Express and Global XRS. The facil-ity will complement Air Works’s center in Mumbai, which has been part of Bombardier’s service network since 2008.

• Announced orders from two undis-closed customers for 13 Global 6000s and 8000s worth about $800 million.

• Named Deanna White president of its Flexjet division, following retire-ment of Fred Reid, who had over-seen the fractional provider’s operations since 2008.

• Announced an expansion of ser-vice capabilities, including deploy-ment of a fleet of mobile response trucks and three new regional sup-port offices colocated with com-pany-owned maintenance facilities in Tucson, Ariz.; Hartford, Conn.; and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

April 2013

• Announced that it would be extend-ing the basic warranty of the Chal-lenger 605 from three years/3,000 hours to five years/5,000 hours, for aircraft delivered after April 1.

• Bombardier named Harrods Aviation an authorized service facility. The London Luton facility can perform line maintenance for the Challenger 300 and Challenger 605, and line and heavy maintenance for the Globals.

• Presented its Safety Standdown Asia for a third time, offering pilots, air-crew and flight departments “insights into the factors that precipitate errors in judgment” and ways to deal with them.

• Appointed Ian Ludlow general manager of its Amsterdam service center.

June 2013

• Delivered the 400th Challenger 300 in a ceremony at the com-pany’s facilities in Montreal. The first Challenger 300 was delivered in early 2004.

• Delivered the 500th Bombardier Global, a Global 6000, to French corporation Groupe Bolloré.

• Bombardier’s 20-year forecast predicts deliveries of 24,000 business jets worth $650 billion in the segments in which the company competes. The forecast anticipates 9,800 aircraft deliveries worth $269 billion from 2013 to 2022 and 14,200 aircraft worth $381 billion from 2023 to 2032.”

• Logged just over $1.8 billion in business-aircraft sales at the Paris Air Show, including an order from VistaJet for 20 super-midsize Challenger 350s and options for 20 more.

• Bombardier signed an agreement with Comac covering four projects as part of the second phase of the long-term collaboration on common parts, systems and design aspects between the C919 and CSeries airliners.

November 2012

• Delivered NetJets’s first “Signature Series” Global 6000.

• Inked a deal with VistaJet worth up to $7.8 billion for 56 Bombardier Globals, with options for up to another 86. Deliveries were to begin in January 2014 and run through 2017.

• Agreed to a contract with Learjet’s unionized Wichita employees, who returned to their jobs after a five-week strike.

• Appointed Flying Colours of Peterborough, Ontario, and its subsidiary Jet-Corp Technical Services of St. Louis as authorized service facilities for Learjet and Challenger business jets.

• Announced an agreement between Rolls-Royce and Bombardier Aircraft Services that allows the MRO’s centers in Dallas, Tucson (Ariz.), Hartford (Conn.) and Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) to perform maintenance on the BR710.

December 2012

• Opened a parts depot in Dubai in a joint ven-ture with Transworld Avi-ation that is much closer to the new Al Maktoum International Airport than the company’s for-mer parts depot at Dubai International Airport.

• Secured orders for five Global 6000s, worth $293 million, and six Learjet 75s, worth $81 million.

March 2013

• Announced that Latvia’s Air Baltic had agreed to become the launch cus-tomer for a high-density version of the Bombardier CSeries CS300 capable of carrying 160 passengers.

• Announced that Maga Aviation in Brazil had been named an authorized ser-vice facility for the Learjet 40 line.

May 2013

• Debuted first production iteration of the Learjet 75 at the EBACE show.

• Bombardier unveiled the Challenger 350—an upgraded Challenger 300 with a new wing, more powerful engines, larger windows and a redesigned interior. Launch customer NetJets announced that it will buy 100 with an option for 175 more.

• Appointed FlightPath International as an autho-rized technical training provider.

• Expanded maintenance capacity at Tucson, Ariz. service center for the Q400 and Q400 NextGen twin turboprops. Added three lines of mainte-nance staff in the Tucson facility.

• Reported a strong first quarter for its Flexjet fractional and manage-ment subsidiary, with new business up 83 per-cent, fractional sales up 108 percent and jet-card sales up 48 percent over the same period in 2012.

August 2013

• Bombardier reported flat year-over-year revenues for the second quarter but pre-tax earnings rose $8 million to $107 mil-lion and backlog climbed to $33.4 billion from $32.9 billion at the end of 2012.

• Drew a record 385 participants in São Paulo, Brazil, for its fourth annual Safety Standdown Latin America.

• Signed MOU with Rostekhnologii to vali-date the prospect of establishing a final assembly line in Russia for Bombardier’s Q400 turboprop, with preliminary agree-ments to sell 100 Q400s in the country.

January 2013

• Bombardier reported that it delivered 179 business jets in 2012, 16 more than in 2011. During this same period, the company received net orders for 343 business jets, compared with 191 in the previous year.

• Received certification for the Global 6000 from the Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil in Brazil.

• Named ExecuJet Nigeria in Lagos a Bombardier Aerospace line maintenance facility. The designation includes the Challenger 300, Challenger 604, Chal-lenger 605, Global 5000, Global 6000, Global Express and Global Express XRS.

September 2013

• Sold Flexjet subsidiary to Directional Aviation Capital–the company that owns Flight Options, Sentient Jet, Nextant Aerospace and Constant Aviation–for $185 million. DAC’s shell company for the acquisition will buy 85 Bombardier business jets worth $1.8 billion and has an option for 160 more worth $3.4 billion.

• Celebrated first flight of the CSeries regional airliner.

October 2013

• Celebrated Learjet’s 50th anniversary.

July 2013

• Announced that its service center at Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport will add engine services, interior refurbish-ment and aircraft cleaning and detailing to its line and heavy maintenance offerings for Learjets, Challengers and Globals.

Deanna White

Global 6000

Learjet 75

Challenger 300

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Timken sees future in turbine MRO marketby Harry Weisberger

Timken, known for manu-facturing precision roller bear-ings for a variety of industries, is highlighting its wide range of aerospace products and services at the NBAA show, in particu-lar an expanded turbine engine maintenance, repair and over-haul (MRO) capability.

To highlight the latter, dur-ing the show Timken is giv-ing away an iPod Touch to any NBAA attendee who requests a quote on a PT6A, PT6T or T53 engine overhual, hot-section or repair. Timken is so confident that operators will be impressed with its value proposition that it is offering the giveaway just for the opportunity to provide a quote. Details on terms and conditions are for the asking at Booth No. 1327.

Larry Shiembob, director of Timken Aerospace aftermar-ket activities, told AIN that the free gift is part of a program to

make operators more aware of Timken’s turbine engine main-tenance, repair and overhaul capability.

Timken is a multinational organization which, while remaining a leader in bearing technology, is active in steel-making, precision components, lubrication, seals, manufactur-ing of parts (both for OEMs and serving the aftermar-ket with FAA-approved Parts Manufacturer Approval prod-ucts), parts remanufacture and repair and industrial services. The company’s aerospace activ-ities are concentrated at a man-ufacturing and MRO plant in Mesa, Ariz., and bearing recon-ditioning is done at a facility in Los Alamitos, Calif. Tim-ken Aerospace also offers over-hauls on a variety of engines, including the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A and PT6T and Honeywell T53 series.

Timken is in Las Vegas pri-marily to “spread the word that we’re in the turbine engine over-haul business,” said Shiembob. “We also want it more widely known that we overhaul and manufacture drive-train com-ponents for Bell products, spe-cializing in the UH-1, 204/205 and 212 series helicopters.” He added that Timken has resumed making available reduction gears for the PT6A, now “with significant improvements, which lower the cost of an overhaul.”

The company has put into operation a pair of turbine engine test cells at its facil-ity near Falcon Field in Mesa. Both are remotely operated and can be run simultaneously from a common control room and each can be quickly set up to test either PT6As or T53s. The engines are mounted in a her-metically sealed air-conditioned enclosure that keeps intake air at a uniform temperature. Test-ing is no longer temperature limited even when outside read-ings reach 110-deg F.

Shiembob added that Tim-ken provides replacement parts for many fixed-wing aircraft, stressing that “the majority of

those parts are not bearings.” He said the company operates bear-ing manufacturing and renewal plants in 20 countries in addi-tion to the U.S. and that Timken supplies bearings to all major landing gear manufacturers.

He also pointed out that doing engine overhauls and parts production at its Mesa plant sets Timken apart from its competi-tion. “You won’t find both those activities in a single source else-where. All of our parts have a sig-nificant price advantage because we focus on those we can make

or repair most efficiently.”Timken’s capability to make

and offer both OEM and PMA parts is unique, according to Shiembob, and customers can elect to purchase either type for their engine overhauls and repairs. “Our parts are equal to or better than those that come directly from [the OEMs], as required for FAA certification,” he said, “because we develop the certification specs and manufac-turing procedures under close FAA observation. We’re not just copying a drawing.” o


One of two turbine engine test cells at the Timken Aerospace plant in Mesa, Ariz., can test PT6A or T53 engines interchangeably. The vertical exhaust gas vents are used for the PT6A; the horizontal vent discharges exhaust from the T53 tailpipe.

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ACJC’s 24th exec cabin boasts 10 mini-suitesby Kirby J. Harrison

Airbus Corporate Jet Cen-ter (ACJC, Booth No. C11606), a specialist in Airbus Corpo-rate Jet executive cabin comple-tion, has delivered its 24th cabin featuring the development and integration of more than 15 new technologies to meet the uniden-tified customer’s stringent requirements in terms of layout design, comfort and systems.

The cabin layout is based on two main zones with accommodations for up to 19 passengers. A large forward dining and executive lounge allows for as many as 12 pas-sengers and combines a work area of one four-club and a sin-gle two-club work area, as well as a rest area with two large sofas surrounding four mechan-ically articulated cocktail tables. From there, the configuration departs dramatically from what is typical in an ACJ layout.

The second zone aft pro-vides 10 private mini-suites. Each is equipped with a large, electrically articulated seat that extends fully flat for berthing, a 32-inch monitor and a local remote to control all aspects of the suite, from in-flight enter-tainment to lighting and heat. The suites also include an elec-trically actuated bar and sub-stantial storage areas.

A unique satellite antenna permits not only global in-flight television, but also access to the GSM global system for mobile voice communication and Ku-band high-speed Inter-net connectivity.

As to the cabin environment, there are electrically operated window shades and a starlight array highlights the upholstered ceilings and carpets. New mood lighting uses the brighter and more vivid RGBW technology, emphasizing on-demand light-ing scenarios, including a night ambiance feature.

Also part of the interior design is a large and elegant aft lavatory, equipped with a full-height shower and a timer sys-tem to ensure the same quantity of hot water to every passenger.

Adding to the unique décor are decorative materials used for the panels and partitions of the

VIP zones, including wood veneer with metal inlay and metal-depos-ited using 3-D modeling.

“This latest cabin has reached a new step in terms of cabin innovation with new tech-nologies and decorative materi-als never seen aboard an Airbus Corporate Jet,” said ACJC CEO Benoit Defforge. o

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 76A

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Dassault launches new Falcon 5Xby Ian Sheppard

Dassault Aviation launched its all-new Falcon 5X yester-day here at NBAA. A twin-engine, Mach 0.8, fly-by-wire business jet powered by Snec-ma’s new Silvercrest engine, the 5X is scheduled to fly before mid-2015, with certification and entry into service following in the first half of 2017.

The first batch of 40 standard-ized 5Xs will be fully equipped and priced “in the mid-40s [mil-lions] in today’s dollars,” said Dassault. Three development aircraft will be built and aircraft number-one will be retained for future development work.

The French manufacturer, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, revealed the details of the project to journalists for the first time at its Saint-Cloud headquarters facility near Paris on Septem-ber 24. A 5X cabin mockup is being displayed at the NBAA static display at Henderson Executive Airport.

“It’s time now to intro-duce a new plane,” said John Rosanvallon, president and CEO of Dassault Falcon Jet, based at Teterboro Airport. “The best is coming now.” He made clear that the 5X likely will

launch a new family of jets and could ultimately be grown to provide Dassault with a compet-itor for new large-cabin jets from Bombardier and Gulfstream.

“There is no doubt that the 5X will be creating new deriva-tives in the future,” said Olivier Villa, senior v-p for civil air-craft, who suggested an “8X” would be well suited to China and other developing regions.

To this end, the 5X features a new wide cabin. “The key fea-ture will be a new generation of cabin comfort, with a fuselage diameter of 2.7 meters or 8.86 feet,” said Rosanvallon. The $50

million-plus 7X for now remains Dassault’s longest-range Fal-con, and the three-engine jet has notched almost 200 deliver-ies. The 7X has a cabin diame-ter of 2.5 meters or 8.20 feet. The company’s existing twin is the $26 million Falcon 2000 series, of which almost 600 have been delivered.

Villa said that although for the 5X design there is a “spe-cial focus on the availability of the aircraft” (that is, reliability), there is also a range of techno-logical enhancements, including a new wing, which is “about the same size as the 7X wing,” and the new engine. Notably, the air-craft benefits from Dassault’s fighter heritage with flaperons, not seen on a Falcon before, and a full fly-by-wire flight control system, which can employ all

the control surfaces together to enhance efficiency throughout the flight profile, including ben-efits in maneuvering and com-fort in turbulence.

Maximum takeoff weight is 69,600 pounds and the max-landing-weight to max-takeoff-weight ratio is 95 percent, said Villa. “So you can land almost straight away to pick up pas-sengers, then go on a very long mission–typically 5,200 nautical miles or 11 hours 30 minutes–off a 5,000-foot runway, landing at 105 knots.” High-speed cruise will mean less range, with Mmo (maximum operating Mach number) being Mach 0.9.

New Technology“We could have kept the same

wing and digital flight control system [as the 7X],” said Villa, “but we decided to bring a new wing and DFCS to the 5X, both being developed by Dassault in-house, and a new cockpit standard, optimal use of man-ufacturing technology, pressur-ized fuel tanks and a new step-in digital mockup. We are using Catia version 6, which brings a 4-D mockup, with simulation capability for all the systems.”

The wing, he said, “is very sophisticated.” It features three slats, “very efficient winglets, a new curved trailing edge and fla-perons, which so far we’ve [used] only on military aircraft.” The wing buffet margin has been increased by 15 percent and the lift-to-drag ratio is up by 5 to 10 percent, said Villa. Differen-tial use of the flaperons helps to achieve this improvement.

Francois Dupré, 5X flight control system project manager, said, “We moved up a step with the 7X by integrating all the pri-mary control surfaces, taking [pilot] commands and translat-ing them using new functions that drastically reduce pilot workload–for example, auto-trim. Also it is very comfortable

76B NBAA Convention News • October 22, 2013 • www.ainonline.com

Dassault has taken the cockpit design for the Falcon 5X several steps further than the 7X, refining in particular the comfort for the pilots on long trips. The jet will have a range of up to 5,200 nm (with eight passengers, three crew, NBAA IFR reserves at ISA and full fuel). Flight control is also taken to a new level with all control surfaces available to the computers for both maneuvering and for dampening turbulence.

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Most Spacious Cabin In Its Class

“We have worked a lot to define the volume and to look at how the 7X is used for long flights, to find the most comfortable and efficient way to use [the new 5X],” said Olivier Villa, Dassault senior v-p for civil aircraft.

The cabin volume of the 5X is 1,770 cu ft compared to 1,550 cu ft on the 7X. The unfinished cabin interior height is 78 inches, which is four inches more than the 7X/900LX, and the maximum width is increased by 10 inches.

“At NBAA we have a full-size mockup,” he said. This is one of two mockups, the other one being designed with a more flamboyant (“racier”) interior. The lat-ter, dubbed mockup two, will be ready by the end of this year and will be kept at Le Bourget in Paris and displayed at EBACE 2014 in Geneva, among other events.

Villa believes that the windows are a key feature of the new aircraft, with “30 percent more window area on the 5X compared to the 7X.” The cabin altitude will

be only 3,900 feet when cruising at 41,000 feet, he said (the maximum cabin pres-sure would be at 6,000 feet cabin altitude, reached at 51,000 feet). Meanwhile, passengers will benefit from a 155-cu-ft baggage compartment with in-flight ac-cess and a second unpressurized baggage compartment.

“We’ve been working for two years on a real breakthrough on what you’ll see in the cabin,” said Jim Hurley, Dassault Falcon Jet v-p of sales. “The two most im-portant things were cabin comfort and speed.” The cabin can sleep six and it fea-tures a skylight over the flight attendant working area/galley area.

Agnes Gervais, interior designer for Dassault, said, “It is a new and sleek de-sign that gives the impression of space. The passenger will be wrapped in a co-coon.” Seats have also been completely redesigned with “an outer shell giving a feeling of protection.” –I.S.

in turbulence.“With the 5X we went even

further, integrating the high-lift devices and airbrakes and nose-wheel steering into the FCS architecture. So we can realize the high lift and airbrake func-tions using all surfaces, increas-ing the global efficiency of the system.” As part of this, said Dupré, Dassault “took the opportunity to introduce new flaperons with high-speed servo-actuators. These can deflect dif-ferentially or symmetrically to complement the slats and flaps, and can be used as airbrakes.”

The handling qualities and degradation mode philoso-phies are “close to the 7X,” said Dupré, with normal laws, revert-ing to alternate laws, reverting to direct laws as the minimum required for aircraft control.

In the cockpit, there is a 32-percent increase in window area compared to the 7X, and the cockpit is also larger. “The larger cockpit makes it easier for the pilots to rest during cruise,” he said. The pilot seats (supplied by Zodiac Aerospace’s Sicma Aero Seat subsidiary) recline to 130 degrees.

Flight Management SystemThe new flight management

system (FMS) is by Honeywell, which also will supply its RDR-4000 3-D digital weather radar. Dual EFBs are integrated, one on each side of the instrument panel. The plan is to have dual Elbit head-up displays (HUDs); initially there will be only one, for the left seat.

The HUDs will offer a new combined-vision system (CVS), which includes both syn-thetic-vision system (SVS) and enhanced-vision system (EVS)

information. “We decided to go further to have a near-IR [infra-red] camera and new EVS camera, too, fitted to the top of the nose but integrated. We worked hard with Elbit on this,” said Philippe Deleume, Dassault’s chief test pilot. “We designed a brand-new HUD with Elbit, with a wider field of view and new symbology, which is completely consistent head-down or head-up. The goal is to go to a primary display in the HUD. This is a proof-of-concept now as it is a long process to get certification, and later we’ll move to two HUDs and they’ll be pri-mary displays. This will be a first for a business aircraft.” He also hopes it will lead to “an alterna-tive to autoland” right down to

zero height and zero visibility.A new engine throttle control

unit, supplied by Ratier-Figeac, offers another innovative fea-ture: movable or mobile detents (employing the Hall effect in magnetism). The mobile detents adjust for ambient conditions and can help facilitate noise-sensitive departures, for exam-ple. “This is so the pilot can easily find the new N1 setting to reduce noise,” Deleume said.

Dassault has designed a new fixed-base development simula-tor for the 5X. “The 5X flight deck is based on the [Honeywell] EASy cockpit, with a T-configu-ration for the 10-inch displays,” he said. “There is better integra-tion of the EFBs now, sidesticks

and twin HUDs, and full con-sistency with the other Fal-cons.” The EFBs are still Class 2 devices. Deleume said develop-ing a Class 3 solution would be expensive and subject to rapid obsolescence.

“There is more automation to decrease the overall pilot work-load and decrease pilot errors,” he said. “Also, it has simple and reliable initialization, with sim-ple on/off functions and a rou-tine sequence.”

Dassault describes the 5X as “the safest aircraft, with improved minimum control speed; better maneuverability and aircraft pro-tection with DFCS on primary and secondary flight controls; improved pilot visibility during approach; robustness and manu-facturing quality of the structure; and unique fuel tank pressuriza-tion protection.”

The company also claims that the 5X will be “the most efficient airplane; 50 percent more efficient than competi-tors and 30 percent less costly to operate.” For example, Dassault believes the 5X will fly 1,500 nm on 10,000 pounds of fuel, whereas the Global 5000 can fly just over 1,000 nm on that much fuel. “The Falcon 5X will save up to $4 million over six years (based on an average of 500 hours per year),” claimed the French company.

On the maintenance side, Villa said, “We are starting the MSG-3 process for defining the main-tenance, but the intervals will be at least 800 hours/12 months between inspections–that’s 30 per-cent longer than the 7X.” The 5X will also have “a new standard in integrated maintenance,” he said, with a maintenance computer that can store up to 10,000 param-eters, which can then be accessed on the ground or in the air via Falcon Broadcast. Finally, war-ranty coverage will be improved to 12 years, although some com-ponents will be on a five-year basis and paint and interior two years, Villa said. o

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 76C

Falcon 5X launchuContinued from preceding page

Dassault Falcon 5X Suppliers

Many of the usual suppliers for Dassault aircraft have been selected for the 5X, although Héroux-Devtek will be the landing gear supplier (Messier Dowty provides the 7X gear). The nosegear will have a “dual-chamber, for comfort.”

UTC Aerospace Systems, a United Technologies company, is providing the electrically started APU (“easy start, all the time”), with Thales AES sup-plying the new starter-generator system.

“We worked a lot on the acoustic treatment to ensure the 5X is a good neighbor on the ground, too,” said Olivier Villa, Dassault senior v-p for civ-il aircraft. United Technologies will also supply the ram-air turbine, with the emergency ram-air scoop being on the nose of the aircraft (unlike other Falcons).

UTC Aerospace Systems is supplying the air data system; its archi-tecture is a development of the 7X’s system: four smart probes, associ-ated with angle-of-attack sensors and “compliant with new requirements for icing systems.”

Eaton is supplying the hydraulics system (with noncorrosive Mil-H-83282 red-oil hydraulic fluid). The electrical system will be a 115-VAC network, which is “new to the Falcons,” said Villa. With the fuel system, he said, “We have ensured that fueling will be very fast and very accurate.”

French company Zodiac Intertechnique is supplying the fuel and oxygen systems. Zodiac will also supply the flight-deck oxygen system, and the crew masks have a new “saver function,” said Villa. –I.S.

Several Silvercrest test engines have been produced by Snecma. As well as testing taking place at the company’s Villaroche plant near Paris, outdoor testing is being carried out at the company’s Istres test cell in the south of France (pictured).

The Immersive Reality Centre at Dassault Aviation’s Saint-Cloud base, near Paris, has taken the design process to a new level, based around tools developed by Dassault Aviation sister company, Dassault Systèmes.

An all-new wing has been developed with a “new structural architecture” that reduces weight per wing by 500 pounds while increasing lift-to-drag ratio by 5 to 10 percent, claims Dassault.

Extensive windtunnel testing was undertaken to refine the design of the Falcon 5X, including at DNW in Holland, ETW in Germany, Onera in France (pictured) and Ruag in Switzerland.

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Brokers see market upturn for preowned aircraft modelsby James Wynbrandt

On the eve of NBAA 2013, aircraft brokers here are expressing confidence that values of preowned aircraft have sta-bilized and preowned business aircraft transactions are on the upswing.

“I’m getting more calls from buy-ers wanting to come off the fence, and perceiving real value at this point,” said George Marburger, managing director of Jeteffect. Said Jetcraft president Chad Anderson, “It does feel like we’ve hit bot-tom,” which passes for good news in this market, while Alireza Ittihadieh, presi-dent and CEO of Freestream Aircraft, said he’s “cautiously optimistic” about the market, going forward.

The preowned market is already robust. In 2012, business aircraft resales (preowned broker/dealer-to-retail busi-ness jet and turboprop transactions) hit an all-time high of 3,625, according to the National Aircraft Resellers Associa-tion (NARA). NARA counts a total of 2,269 broker/dealers worldwide, although the majority of mainstream jet sales activity is dominated by a relatively small number of brokerage firms.

With more than 40 brokerages and brokerage services companies exhibiting here in Las Vegas, the convention offers access to a gold mine of expertise for any-one interested in buying or selling a busi-ness aircraft.

Ittihadieh, of London-based Free-stream Aircraft (Booth No. N704), not-ed the robust sales volume “has been very helpful in establishing pricing infor-mation. Now we’re able to give people

aircraft values categorically, with side-by-side comparisons,” he said.

Marburger, from the Palm Beach, Fla. office of Jeteffect (exhibiting at the static display), said low-time, late-model air-craft are most in demand, but pricing has been kept in check by OEM order books. “We’re driven by new airplane orders,” he said. “The longer the backlog, the higher the value goes on preowned aircraft. Every time we think [an aircraft model] is sold out, it seems like the manufacturer has one sitting around to sell, and that’s helping to keep preowned pricing down.”

Jetcraft’s Anderson concurred. “If you pushed Gulfstream hard, you could get a G650 by the end of 2014,” he said. “If you pushed Dassault you could prob-ably get a Falcon 7X in 12 months, and if you pushed Bombardier you could get a Challenger 605 in three months. That new product chain helps guide our pre-owned market. Without really long back-logs, which there aren’t, that’s going to keep everybody in check.”

North America ImprovingBut Anderson said Jetcraft (also at the

static display) isn’t writing off the mar-ket for older aircraft. “North America is back in action, which is a help for older aircraft,” he said. “It has the most sup-port and most educated clients out there, and North America has the most toler-ance for the old aircraft.” These aircraft don’t sell quickly, however. “A five-year old or younger airplane, you might expect 90 to 120 days [on the market].

Older, out-of-production aircraft, we’re telling clients to be ready to wait six to twelve months,” he said.

In August, Jetcraft acquired Switzer-land-based ExecuJet Aircraft Trading, giving the Raleigh, N.C.-based com-pany offices in locations including Basel, Dubai, Hong Kong and Moscow. This show marks “the first major industry function with our entire team–Jetcraft and our new colleagues from ExecuJet,” said Anderson. “The objective is to rein-force the message that we are as one, and we’re here and serious about doing busi-ness.” Jetcraft features two Bombardier Global jets at its display.

Don Dwyer, managing partner at Guardian Jet (at the static display), advises owners considering an upgrade to focus less on how the value of their aircraft has declined and more about what their money can buy: “They say, ‘My airplane was worth $10 million, now it’s worth $7 million.’ Well, the $20 million airplane they want to buy is now $14 million. So in a good market where everybody felt comfortable to upgrade, it cost $10 million. In this down market it costs $7 million.”

Dwyer, who shares managing partner

duties at the Guildford, Conn.-based company with brother Mike, advises prospective buyers to “look at total ownership cost, and the best way to do that is understand the value of what they want.”

Here at NBAA, in addition to show-casing a Falcon 50, Falcon 2000 and Global 5000, Guardian Jet is unveil-ing a new website and an online aircraft value calculator that will allow anyone to obtain that valuation.

The Aircraft Value Calculator Pow-ered by Guardian Jet prompts users through a series of questions about an aircraft, including year of manufacture, time on airframe and engines, whether on an engine care program, config-uration and other detailed, model-spe-cific questions. Once submitted, an email response provides the aircraft’s market value.

A Global MarketBrokers note that the preowned mar-

ket is now global, and putting together and consummating deals now requires a variety of skills and contacts few orga-nizations can marshal. Yet despite the expertise brokers bring to aircraft trans-actions, they say many buyers and sellers still try to go it alone, confident they can do it themselves and save the fee they’d otherwise pay to the broker.

“With the Internet now you have information at your fingertips and you can Google anything and get an answer,” said Marburger. “But you can’t evaluate the value of an aircraft on the Internet, and [buyers] don’t know the neighbor-hood. There are certainly many people who think they know what they’re doing, but they make mistake after mistake.”

On the sales side, Ittihadieh advised, “The approach for owners should be, ‘What can the broker do for me and not how much is he charging me.’”

Conversely, in a market like this sometimes the broker doesn’t want the client. “The market downturn taught a lot of people a lot of lessons,” said Anderson. “In ’06, ’07, ’08, it was harder to make the argument that a seller needed a broker. Now, to be frank, we spend as much time quali-fying the seller as they spend qualify-ing us, because it’s up to good agents to pick the right accounts that are market-ready and willing to be guided. Because they have to be ready to take advice that sometimes isn’t easy to hear.” o

76D NBAA Convention News • October 22, 2013 • www.ainonline.com

Aircraft brokers are seeing a robust market for preowned models as business aircraft resales hit an all-time high last year. More than 40 brokerage and brokerage service companies are exhibiting at NBAA this year.

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How many people does it take to change a light bulb... from FLUORESCENT to LED?

Come find out at Booth #N5318

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Gulfstream shows off Elite interior in G550by R. Randall Padfield

The Gulfstream Elite inte-rior concept that made its debut in the G650 and found its sec-ond application in the G450 has now arrived–literally–here in Las Vegas, in a G550. It is on display, inside N550GA, at Henderson Executive Airport during NBAA 2013. To date, Gulfstream has delivered some 30 Elite cabins.

“Integrated” barely describes Elite, which incorporates vir-tually every aspect of the pas-sengers’ experience inside the popular large business jet, now celebrating 10 years in service. AIN, along with representa-tives of other publications, had a unique opportunity to sam-ple the features of N550GA’s Elite interior on a flight from Teterboro, N.J., to Henderson Airport on Saturday.

Gulfstream does all its inte-riors in-house, Tray Crow, Gulfstream director of inte-rior design, explained. Obvi-ously, this is a profitable area for the company, but it also gives

Gulfstream better control of what goes in the cabin. “When something breaks, the customer says, ‘My Gulfstream is broken,’ regardless [of] the problem. We want to be able to fix it as soon as we can, so we want to have control of everything that’s in the aircraft,” he explained.

In-flight entertainment and cabin management systems are notoriously problem-prone. Elite includes Gulfstream’s cabin management system, which provides digital control of the high-definition entertainment, lighting (LED throughout), tem-perature and window shades, all via an iPod Touch. Passengers can also use their own iPhones by downloading the free app.

Each seat is provided with an iPod Touch, hidden in a sidewall compartment and complete with charging station. By selecting seat position, any iPod or iPhone can be used to control the above functions anywhere in the cabin. A master control panel, which

includes digital circuit breakers, is located on the wall in the galley, for control by the flight attendant. The system is designed so that no single point of failure results in total loss of functionality.

The entertainment system includes two dual DVD players, two cabin LCD monitors and a stereo speaker system (which can be very loud, as this writer inadvertently found out).

The forward galley in N550GA features a microwave, dual coffee makers (including espresso) and water sterilization system. Several components are stacked in “a stainless steel stack to save space and weight, make it look good and it’s more efficient,” said Andrew Fulford, design operations manager for Gulfstream’s Industrial Design Department. Fulford came to Gulfstream from the automo-tive industry.

He pointed out numerous details of the design that are not readily apparent through casual observation. The reading lights, gaspers and oxygen boxes on the ceiling above the seats are placed in such a way that they are less obvious. “When you look down the ceiling of a nor-mal cabin, these give a rather spotty look. But when you look in the Elite cabin ceiling, it’s clean,” said Fulford.

Gulfstream has also added fea-tures to the seats. “We offer a seat that has more functionality than our regular seat offers, includ-ing lumbar, heated seat massage, powered back rest and leg rest,” said Fulford. “We’ve also devel-oped a new divan, which is a lot lower to the ground and the back angle is more reclined. So now it’s more like the sofa at home.”

He said Elite uses a modular approach, so that the customer has several options. For exam-ple, the galley can be moved to the rear of the aircraft or the divan to the front. o


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N550GA features a forward galley, club-four seating, a credenza opposite conference seating and a divan opposite a half club.

Each seat has an iPod Touch for controlling the Gulfstream cabin management system.

StandardAero expands CompleteCare serviceby Amy Laboda

StandardAero Business Avi-ation’s new senior vice president Marc McGowan had plenty of positive news to offer at his first NBAA in the posi-tion. McGowan, who replaced now-retired Scott Taylor in September 2013, announced before this year’s NBAA show that StandardAero (Booth No. N6116) expanded its Com-pleteCare program over the past year and finalized its OEM authorization for the next genera-tion Embraer Leg-acy 450/500 jets. This expands its exist-ing agreement with Embraer to be an authorized service center on the Legacy 600/650 series and ful-fils a letter of intent signed last year.

“The CompleteCare pro-gram is a dynamic service con-cept that coalesces an array of programs that flight departments require but which are beyond the core engine MRO business,” said McGowan. “CompleteCare pro-vides a complementary set of business aviation services.”

These services include an air-craft maintenance advisory pro-gram; customer fuel discounts; on-site maintenance train-ing classes; aircraft financial

brokerage; and a pre-purchase evaluation program (PPE) that saw robust growth in 2013, aver-aging five PPE inspections a month. In response to what appears to be resurgent activity in business aircraft sales, the com-pany is now offering full aircraft acquisition services to comple-ment the aircraft sales brokerage services currently offered.

Closer to its MRO roots, StandardAero Busi-ness Aviation has expanded its engine authorization and testing certifica-tion regime with the addition of autho-rization to perform line services on the Honeywell RE100 and RE220 APUs at its Los Angeles International Air-

port facility, as well as earn-ing certification as one of the only authorized testing facili-ties for Honeywell TFE731-50 engines, that power the Hawker 900XP. To date the company has performed 10 major peri-odic inspections on the engine. It also introduced a tool cali-bration service for customers, providing certificates of calibra-tion that remain on record with StandardAero at its Springfield, Ill. facility. o

Raisbeck aviation HigH opened at tHe MuseuM of fligHt

It seems natural that an entity as progressive as The Museum of Flight in Seattle, Wash., would team with its local public school dis-trict to open an innovative math and science-focused, aviation-themed high school campus on its grounds. Founded and operated by High-line Public Schools, the school draws students from across the Puget Sound region. Its construction was funded with $16 million in private funding, raised from corporations, foundations and private individuals. The first day of classes in the new facility was September 9.

Named for internationally-known engineer James Raisbeck, the school celebrated the grand opening of the new facility with flair on October 17, where students were able to mingle with industry partners, parents and politicians, including Washington state Governor Jay Inslee and Alaska Airlines CEO Brad Tilden. Alaska Airlines even brought in a theme-painted “Spirit of Education” Boeing 737-900 for the occasion. The school pairs its students with more than 150 mentors, supplying more than 170 student internships with various partners and organiza-tions, including Boeing, Planetary Resources and the FAA.

“Having this school on the grounds of The Museum of Flight, so close to more than 200 aviation industry businesses, gives our students an unparalleled chance to be immersed in learning and industry simul-taneously,” said Reba Gilman, principal of Raisbeck Aviation High.

Doug King, president and CEO of The Museum of Flight, com-mented, “This unique partnership allows us to inspire the professionals of the future.” –A.L.r

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Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck 2.1 adds featuresby Matt Thurber

Jeppesen has released version 2.1 of its Mobile FliteDeck iPad app with sev-eral significant improvements, includ-ing display of own-ship position on geo-referenced approach charts. Jeppesen also revealed that it has begun development of FliteDeck Pro (for com-mercial operators) for a new platform, and it isn’t Android but Microsoft’s Windows 8/Surface tablet environment.

The new features in version 2.1 for the iPad also include a distance-measur-ing tool in the form of range rings, which automatically grow or shrink as the user pinches and zooms the range out and in. At the center of the range rings, a useful

compass rose helps pilots quickly visual-ize bearings from the aircraft. The range rings are easy to switch on and off using a button on the side of the display.

Jeppesen has added automatic display of airport taxi diagrams, not only after using an approach chart but also from a STAR procedure or en route maps, sav-ing pilots the trouble of searching for and pulling up the taxi diagram after landing.

When viewing an airport’s charts, it is now possible to select from any or all of the airport’s charts then flip between them with a two-finger swipe.

Jeppesen (Booth No. N2704) has also added a most welcome new weather

feature, Nexrad (previously radar was limited to echo tops). Other new fea-tures include the ability to input mul-tiple alternate airports in the planning function and the ability to save flights.

In a surprise development, Delta Air Lines announced plans to equip its 11,000 pilots with Microsoft Surface 2 tablet computers (formerly the Sur-face RT) as electronic flight bags, with Boeing 757 and 767 pilots scheduled to receive their units later this year and the rest in 2014. The Surface 2 tablets will run Jeppesen’s FliteDeck Pro as well as be used for document viewing and check-lists and will replace 38 pounds of paper per airplane, saving Delta $13 million a year in fuel and associated costs.

FliteDeck Pro will be available to any user of a device that runs Windows 8 RT (for the Surface 2) and Windows 8 Pro (for the Surface Pro), according to Tim Heu-gel, director of Jeppesen aviation portfolio management. Delta is not compensating Jeppesen specifically for developing Flite-Deck Pro for the Windows 8 environment. “We believe there is additional market interest in this solution,” he told AIN.

Jeppesen’s goal is to make FliteDeck Pro for Windows 8 offer the same func-tionality as the iPad version. “Recognizing there are some flow and user experience philosophy differences between platforms as a function of operating systems and hardware,” Heugel explained, “we are developing Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro for Windows 8 RT [Surface] so that its func-tionality and user experience is similar to that of Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro for iOS. In all cases, we employ a human-centric design based on collaboration with expe-rienced airlines, military operators and business aviation operators.”

One feature that the Surface tablets will deliver is the ability to open two applications side by side, something that the iPad doesn’t offer, except for apps that allow split windows. An example

where this may benefit Surface users is display of weather in one window along-side another window with FliteDeck Pro.

Like the iPad, Microsoft Surface tab-lets will have to undergo rapid decompres-sion tests, qualification of lithium batteries and electromagnetic compatibility test-ing. “Additional EFB criteria must be met during FAA authorization, unique to each operator’s implementation,” accord-ing to Heugel. “Formal evaluation during the EFB authorization program considers mounting/securing, wiring, egress, glare, readability in different lighting conditions and many other factors. These tasks must be accomplished by the operator, to the satisfaction of their [FAA] inspectors and Certificate Management Office.”

The choice of the Surface tablet by Delta likely has to do with the compa-ny’s selection of Nokia Lumia 820 Win-dows smartphones for its 19,000 flight attendants and other Microsoft soft-ware that the airline uses. Future appli-cations for the pilots’ Surface tablets include electronic dispatch and flight release, real-time weather access, opera-tional information and communication with technicians on the ground. o


JSSI’s Tip-to-Tail coverage available for Gulfstream 650by Kim Rosenlof

Jet Support Services (JSSI) is unveiling its new G650 Tip-to-Tail program for the Gulfstream G650 here at NBAA (Booth No. C7321). An independent provider of hourly cost maintenance programs for business aircraft engines, airframes and APUs, JSSI offers operators a wide range of maintenance programs for more than 325 aircraft makes and models. JSSI’s Tip-to-Tail program, available for 165 aircraft models, provides coverage for virtually every assembly and system on an aircraft. For the G650, the program will cover the Rolls-Royce engines, Honeywell RE220 APU, G650 airframe and related systems.

“It’s really important to us to be able to provide a program as quickly as pos-sible after an aircraft comes to market,” said JSSI president Neil Book, referring to the G650 having received its FAA type certificate only 13 months ago. “We have to familiarize ourselves with all of the airframe components and mainte-nance requirements, and our team has become experts in [creating] a quality program for each airframe. We’ve been in business for more than 25 years, and that speaks to the quality of our pro-grams. We need to be better than the OEMs to compete.”

JSSI Tip-to-Tail programs include 24/7 worldwide maintenance support; calendar, hourly and cyclical airframe-related scheduled and on-condition main-tenance; parts and/or labor for various scheduled inspections and unscheduled repairs/replacements; troubleshooting labor allowance; rental component costs; future mandatory service bulletins and airworthiness directives; and technical oversight during major shop visits.

While JSSI does not perform the actual maintenance services, it uses a global net-work of maintenance providers and parts suppliers to accomplish the maintenance tasks. According to Book, advantages

of JSSI’s Tip-to-Tail maintenance plans include both convenience and reduced cost.

“JSSI is a single provider that cov-ers every component of the aircraft–air-frame, engine and APU,” said Book. “We manage approximately 2,000 aircraft on our hourly cost maintenance programs, so there’s probably no larger purchaser of maintenance services in business avia-tion than JSSI. We get the benefit of that scale, and we’re able to pass on the most competitive rates to our customers.”

In addition to the G650, JSSI also recently added Tip-to-Tail programs for the Bombardier Global 5000 and 6000 and Embraer’s Legacy 650, Phenom 100 and 300. Another benefit of the Tip-to-Tail program is transferability of the investment from one airframe to another or from one engine to another.

“For fleet operators, the Tip to Tail single-point of contact becomes expo-nentially important from an overhead and management perspective,” said Kevin Thomas, JSSI v-p of strategic planning and business development. “Not only can we cover nearly every air-craft make and model, but your invest-ment in our program is transferable to any make and model, unlike the OEM programs. For example, the Bombar-dier Global 5000 and 6000 are powered by Rolls-Royce engines, but the future 7000 and 8000 have GE engines. So if you’re a corporate flight department flying the Bombardier Global series and have invested in the Rolls-Royce CorporateCare program, you’re not able to transfer that to your new invest-ment [with GE engines].” o

Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck 2.1 now displays own-ship position on geo-referenced approach charts for improved pilot situational awareness.

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traffic at o-Dark-thirty

In the wee hours of last Saturday morning, this unlikely parade of eight aircraft may have surprised a few casino patrons on their way back to their hotels. It took about three hours to move the display aircraft through Las Vegas’s streets from McCarran Airport to the Las Vegas Convention Center, where they are viewable at the indoor static display in Hall C. n

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Jet Aviation innovating throughout the globeby James Wynbrandt

Teterboro, N.J.-based Jet Aviation Flight Services (Booth No. N1932) announced here in Las Vegas that it has received authorization from the Ber-muda Department of Civil Avi-ation (BDCA) as a continuing airworthiness management organization (Camo), allow-ing the company to manage the maintenance of Bermuda-reg-istered aircraft.

“This approval expands our operational base globally by enabling us to continue to meet our customers’ growing needs,” said Don Haloburdo, the com-pany’s v-p and general manager. “We are pleased to meet the high-level standards of the BDCA.”

Additionally, Jet Aviation St. Louis, a full-service mainte-nance, modification and com-pletions provider, announced here that it has completed the first Rockwell Collins Enhanced Vision System (EVS) installation in a Boeing Busi-ness Jet (BBJ).

“Being the first in the indus-try to complete this EVS instal-lation, and performing it as part of our first 12-year BBJ inspec-tion, is further proof of Jet Avi-ation St Louis’s capabilities with even the newest technologies,” said Chuck Krugh, senior v-p

and general manager, Jet Avia-tion St. Louis.

In fact, Jet Aviation St. Louis, which began offering narrow-body services only within the past year, also announced that it had already performed inspec-tions on its third BBJ and has a return visit scheduled for one of these in the near future. The company also announced com-pleting the first inspection of an Embraer Lineage, following the facility’s designation as the only authorized service center in the U.S. for the Lineage narrow-body executive airliner.

In other news, Jet Aviation reported that construction of its new 9,060-sq-m han-gar at Jet Aviation Singapore, which is being built alongside its existing maintenance and FBO operation, is on schedule for completion in early Feb-ruary 2014. The new hangar will be able to accommodate up to five Gulfstream G650s or Bombardier Global 7000-sized aircraft, said the com-pany. “We are expanding our facilities in direct response to growing demand in the region for large, long-range business jets,” said Gary Dolski, v-p and general manager, Jet Avi-ation Singapore. o


Five aircraFt programs choose astronics system

Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems (AES) has been selected by a fifth aircraft manufacturing program to supply its next-genera-tion CorePower electrical power distribution system (EPDS). AES is a wholly owned subsidiary of Astronics (Booth No. N5129), based in East Aurora, N.Y.

The CorePower EPDS is based on a digital, customizable architecture. Features include built-in load management and automatically adjustable circuit protection. Other components, such as system control interface units, can also be incorporated with the new system via onboard networks such as AFDX to pro-vide complete redundancy and monitoring of the system and flight displays.

Astronics said the CorePower EPDS reduces pilot workload by enabling a simpler, more integrated and less cluttered cockpit environment. It provides greater crew control over aircraft oper-ation and functions, and lessens aircraft complexity and weight due to reductions in the number of system components and the amount of wiring.

“Astronics AES has been an innovator in the modernization of business jet and rotary aircraft power and distribution systems,” said Peter Gundermann, Astronics president and CEO. “We believe our program win with several aircraft manufacturers for the CorePower EPDS is a testament to the value of this system.”

The company’s first-generation electrical power distribution system has accrued more than 14 million hours on 250 business jets. –B.C.

Cessna’s Wallace honored by Aviation Hall of Fame

“Mr. Aviation” is a big title but Dwane Wallace, who steered Cessna Aircraft (Booth No. C8843) through 40 years of boom and bust and into the age of the modern business jet, deserves the moniker even more after being enshrined into the National Aviation Hall of Fame (based in Dayton, Ohio) on October 4.

A founder and first chair-man of the General Aviation

Manufacturers Association, Wallace was instrumental in the development of business aviation. “Wallace’s aggres-sive expansion of the compa-ny’s product line, including the introduction of the Cessna Citation, secures his legacy,” said Scott Ernest, president and CEO of Cessna. “Mr. Wallace was the personal embodiment of the bold spirit that led Cessna.”

Wallace was the nephew of Clyde Cessna. During the Great Depression, he used money won by air racing to meet the company’s payroll. After World War II, Wallace directed Cessna’s development of an extensive line of cor-porate and general aviation products that grew the com-pany into an aviation house-hold name. He retired from the company in 1975 and passed away in 1989. –A.L.

brighten up and Fly right

It takes a cast of thousands to make the NBAA convention happen, and everyone makes a valuable contri-bution. The headlines most often deal with the big players: the manufacturers, large operators and international financiers. But the NBAA show is equally committed to showcasing service providers, parts manufacturers and countless others who do their part in keeping the industry going. NBAA has been vocal in its message that busi-ness aviation is a driver of the economy, generating jobs and weighing the balance of international trade in our favor. Nowhere is that message heard more robustly than here at the association's annual get-together.�

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Dwane Wallace 1973

Cessna Citation first flight; (L to R) Milt Sills, test pilot; Dwane Wallace, Cessna chairman; James Taylor, v-p commercial jet marketing; Jim LeSueur, test co-pilot; Max Bleck, v-p and general manager of military and twin division; Bob Lair, senior v-p aircraft operations; Thor Stevenson, president United Aircraft Canada; Del Roskam, president, Cessna.

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Flight Display’s iPad app gives passengers control in the cabin by Kirby J. Harrison

What started in David Gray’s base-ment a bit more than 13 years ago as Flight Display Systems will now fill an entire BBJ cabin with just about every high-tech connectivity toy and neces-sity a passenger could want, and they’re on display here at NBAA 2013 (Booth No. N3124).

Perhaps the most eye-catching prod-uct is an iPad app for the Alpharetta, Ga. company’s Select cabin management sys-tem, allowing wireless control of the entire cabin using all versions of the iPad and the iPhone. The operating screen is similar to Flight Display’s own cabin control module, or the user can opt for a more Apple-centric display. The app is free from the Apple App Store.

“So many of our clients have an iPad [that] it only makes sense to be able to use it for cabin management,” said Gray, president and founder of Flight Display Systems.

It might be described as a “go anywhere” app, allowing up to eight passengers to simultaneously view the zoom-capable moving map and streaming video from the cockpit cam-era and movies, as well as listen to music from the audio library, control the cabin lighting or signal the flight attendant.

Jet Jukebox UpgradeAlso being introduced at NBAA 2013

is a range of Flight Display Systems improvements and upgrades.

The Wi-Fi router is now available for cabin use. The stand-alone feature is described as “easy to use and flexible.” In addition to wireless-N (802.11n) net-working, it includes four Ethernet ports and is designed to be paired with the JetJukebox server to provide content-streaming to carry-on devices.

The third-generation JetJukebox upgrade with Wi-Fi streaming capabili-ties is also being introduced. The enter-tainment platform streams movies, music, PowerPoint presentations and other con-tent to carry-on devices such as tablets, laptops and smartphones, regardless of brand, and serving up to eight passengers simultaneously. JetJukebox also streams the Flight Display moving map, with all content accessed through a browser inter-face, with no app requirement.

“Jet Jukebox is designed not only for entertainment, but business users can benefit by loading corporate content for presentation to passengers,” according to Flight Display. “Acting as a local file server, any file that a carry-on device can read can be served with JetJukebox: PDF, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.” Content can be loaded to an internal 250 gigabyte solid-state drive and delivered either by attaching a laptop via an Ethernet port or

by plugging in a monitor, keyboard and mouse. It will also serve content directly from a USB drive, and there are six USB ports for this purpose. JetJukebox also connects to existing Wi-Fi routers such as those made by Aircell, Honeywell and TrueNorth.

Aware of the growing numbers of pas-sengers carrying aboard a plethora of personal devices, Flight Display is also promoting its dual USB charger, which provides 5.2 volts DC for full power and fast charging capability. These devices

may also be used in flight while being charged. The USB charger is also com-patible with iOS, Android and Windows devices. The charger features an internal fan for cool operation.

Sync/charger DockTaking the need for power to the next

level, Flight Display is highlighting its 10X PED sync/charger dock, “a convenient and economical ground solution for sync-ing, charging and securing up to 10 iPads.”

The dock is appropriate, said the com-pany, for flight departments that use iPads as part of an in-flight entertain-ment system or for flight crew. The unit features a locking door to protect the iPad collection, and LED lights indicate when each device has finished charging.

The sync/charger dock uses a single iTunes account installed on a Windows or Mac OS X computer. The computer rests on top of the sync/charger and connects with a USB cable. The dock comes with 10 shorter USB cables and is available in two power versions: 110 volt and 220 volt. o


Flight Display’s iPad app puts the cabin management system at a passenger’s fingertips, displaying moving maps, streaming video and even an external view of a takeoff, as seen below.

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Quest notches delivery of 100th Kodiak t-propby Curt Epstein

Idaho-based Quest Aircraft reached a milestone last month with the delivery of its 100th Kodiak turboprop. In a cere-mony at its Sandpoint factory on September 19, the company handed over the utility airplane, less than six years after the deliv-ery of its first.

“Quest has come a long way in a relatively short period of time,” said company president and CEO Sam Hill. “We received FAA certification in May 2007, just two months after the first fully conforming production air-craft made its initial flight.”

In July, several Quest work-ers traveled to Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Lethbridge assem-bly facility to accept the 750-hp PT6A-34 engine that powered the 100th Kodiak, which was delivered to Sunstate Aviation of Phoenix, Ariz.

According to Sunstate founder Mike Watts, the Kodiak is the

perfect aircraft for his company. “It has the performance capa-bilities I was looking for and a cabin with the right mix of per-sonal comfort and space for bag-gage and other equipment that we need,” he said, noting the air-craft will be used in his construc-tion equipment rental business to shuttle employees and tools to locations around the state.

“While we have other aircraft that satisfy our need to go a lon-ger distance faster, we did not have an aircraft that will handle a large payload, on shorter trips with limited runway length.”

Here at NBAA, the company has one of the 10-seat single engine high-wing airplanes on exhibit in the static display at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The Kodiak is designed for Stol use from rough or unim-proved airstrips and can accom-modate floats without structural upgrades. It can take off in less

than 1,000 feet at a maximum takeoff weight of 7,255 pounds and climb at more than 1,300 fpm. The unpressurized Kodiak has a 183-knot cruise speed and certified ceiling of 25,000 feet.

The cockpit features the three-panel Garmin G1000 avionics suite, including standard synthetic vision. The aircraft is certified for flight into known-icing when fit-ted with the optional TKS ice-protection system.

There are three levels of interior trim available for the 15-foot 10-inch long cabin, with the base Tundra version easily convertible between passenger and freight hauling with remov-able leather seats and a rubber-ized non-skid floor.

The Timberline package, as seen on the static display exam-ple, adds a carpeted interior and more substantial seating with

details such as storage pockets and cup holders.

An upscale cabin line, the Summit, is expected to debut next year and offers a double club seating configuration with portable electronic device charg-ing ports, built-in cabinetry and upgraded soundproofing. The package can be retrofitted to earlier model Kodiaks.

Additional options include Garmin’s GTS 800 traffic alert system, the L-3 Avionics Stormscope lightning detector, weather radar, XM weather and radio, air-conditioning, cargo pod and an upgraded oxygen tank with ports for all passen-gers. A roll-up door is part of a specialized suite of equipment certified and available for para-chute operations.

In July, Quest announced that it had received full certification

for the Kodiak from the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC), the 12th country in which the aircraft is approved. “Receiving Chinese certification is a big milestone for Quest,” said Steve Zinda, the OEM’s vice president for sales, market-ing and customer service. He said there is a large amount of interest from potential custom-ers in the region. “The Kodiak’s multi-mission capability and efficiency make the aircraft well suited to this area,” he said.

The first pair of a 12-aircraft order placed last year by Blue Eagle Aviation Investment were delivered to China this month. Another three are to be handed over by the end of the year. The Beijing-based company signed a dealership agreement with Quest that includes options for additional aircraft. o


Quest Aircraft delivered its 100th Kodiak to Sunstate Aviation of Phoenix on September 19. Accepting the new utility turboprop from Quest CEO Sam Hill (right) were chief pilot Mike Fessenden (left) and Carl Hauprich, director of maintenance (middle).

SmartView to offer lower mins, 3-D taxiby R. Randall Padfield

Honeywell Aerospace con-tinues to develop improvements and add-ons to its SmartView synthetic-vision system (SVS), including the capability to use lower Category II landing min-imums on Category I ILS and GPS-based LPV approaches and a 3-D taxi system. Both new features, while not yet products, offer the promise of increasing pilot situational awareness and flight safety during different phases of flight.

SmartView uses the ter-rain database of Honeywell’s enhanced ground proxim-ity warning system (EGPWS) merged with the company’s head-up display (HUD) sym-bology to show on the pilots’ primary flight displays (PFDs) a synthetic, 3-D, daylight view of the aircraft’s flight path, the terrain ahead and the cur-rent navigational environ-ment. SmartView is currently available on Gulfstream and Dassault business jets equipped with, respectively, Primus Epic-based PlaneView and EASy II flight decks.

Heads-down Cat II MinimumsThe promise of Honeywell’s

SmartView Lower Minimums (SVLM)–to lower the landing minimums of Category I ILS and GPS-based LPV approaches to 150 feet agl ceiling and 1,400-feet RVR visibility without changing or adding navigation equipment on the ground–sounds almost too good to be true. But the

company can back up this prom-ise with several years of research and impressive flight- and simu-lator-test results this year.

“We have been engaged with the FAA since 2010 in a proof-of-concept program,” Thea Feyereisen, an engineer fellow with Honeywell’s Advanced Technology Group, told AIN. “This helps establish certifica-tion requirements, where there may not be any that cover this sort of technology. We provided the FAA with the concept of operations, the concept of sys-tem design and a system safety analysis.” The company expects to get feedback from the FAA prior to moving SVLM into “productization.”

“The crowning moment of the proof-of-concept program was our test flights,” Feyereisen said. “We tested on two different platforms, one an aircraft and the other a simulator. We used Hon-eywell’s Dassault Falcon 900EX EASy II and flew with nine pilots from the FAA and EASA, most of them with SVS and HUD experience, one with neither. He did just fine. They flew more than 100 test approaches where we collected objective perfor-mance data, and the pilots filled out questionnaires.”

“The second part was in a simulator. We rented Boeing’s m-cab [multipurpose engineer-ing cab] 777 simulator, which had 787 displays, and had a dozen pilots fly more than 400 approaches. These were pilots

from the FAA, EASA, UK CAA and a couple of OEMs. They flew both ILS and LPV approaches and we deliberately introduced errors so we could watch the pilots’ responses.”

One of the main goals of SVLM is to provide lower-than-standard minimums for aircraft that are not equipped with a HUD. (Honeywell does not make its own HUD sys-tem.) “So we looked at how pilots made the transition from head-down to head-up at lower altitudes and in poor weather,” Feyereisen explained. “Can they

quickly acquire the runway envi-ronment and make the transi-tion to head-up, what was their landing performance, was the sink rate acceptable, did they land on the centerline, did they land long or short, how did they come over the threshold, were they in a position to land?

“After collecting and ana-lyzing the data, we saw that we can almost provide Category III performance with the head-down display,” she continued. “We have equivalent perfor-mance compared with a HUD. When pilots come back inside the cockpit, they get the infor-mation they need much quicker with an SVLM display than with a traditional display. We found out we could meet the performance standard of a Cat II approach at a Cat I airport.”

Honeywell has delivered the data to the FAA and requested that the FAA and EASA create new approach charts that will support Cat II approach min-imums when using SVLM on Cat I ILS and LPV approaches.

Said Feyereisen, “We’re still in the tail end of the proof-of-concept process, where the FAA now responds to our flight-test performance data and sys-tem safety analysis and gives a go-forward plan for certifi-cation. It’s a process. Person-ally, I believe SVLM brings new capability to the aircraft that we haven’t seen since the HUD. It’s

a HUD heads down, but it has full color, a lot more pixels and it’s a lot easier to interpret, com-pared to a HUD’s monochro-matic display.”

Real Taxi Display on a PFDThe objective of 3-D taxi is

to be a “primary taxi display” for pilots, said Feyereisen. “Cur-rently with SmartView showing on the primary flight display, after the pilot turns off the run-way, the display shows the air-craft taxiing on dirt or grass,” said Feyereisen, who has been working on synthetic vision at Honeywell since the early 2000s. “What we want to do is pro-vide the pilot with a continu-ous external scene of the airport area on that forward display.”

To activate the 3-D taxi image, the pilot would need to select the taxi display via a switch, and would have the choice of two views. “The primary, or pilot’s, view, is an egocentric view,” Fey-ereisen explained. It shows a synthetic view of what the pilot would see through the wind-shield. “The pilot can also select an exocentric, or third-person, view,” she said, “which is almost as if you had a camera on the tail of the airplane looking for-ward and down. The aircraft is shown in the center of what we call the ‘hockey puck.’”

To provide better situational awareness of the taxi display,


SmartView Lower Minimums (SVLM) refines some head-up display (HUD) symbology on the pilot’s primary flight display and adds several new ones. Compare this with the current Dassault EASy II display on the right. “I believe SVLM brings new capability to the aircraft that we haven’t seen since the HUD,” said Honeywell’s Thea Feyereisen.


The Symbology of SmartView Lower Minimums

Honeywell researchers have added to or modified SmartView’s symbology, which is based on the company’s head-up display symbology, to help pilots more quickly and intuitively see where they are on the approach and where the airplane is going.

While current SmartView displays are meant for situ-ational awareness only, the SmartView Lower Minimums (SVLM) display with its new symbology and system monitors is “something you can navigate with,” said Honeywell engineer fellow Thea Feyereisen. “The new symbology elements really bring HUD-like precision to the head-down display. You still have the flight director to follow, but now you can use the display to help you trans-late the flight director.”

Like flying with a HUD, the pilot uses the flight-path vector (FPV) to fly the aircraft. The FPV points to where the aircraft is going, not where its nose is pointing, so it provides an indication of the true flight path.

Among SVLM’s new symbology is what Honeywell calls a “runway approach indicator,” or RAI. This includes

a “super-sized runway” with an extended centerline; the RAI shows the correct visual trapezoid shape of the runway when the aircraft is on the glideslope. A vertical-deviation indicator is positioned to the right of the touchdown zone.

On the left of the zone are four small squares creating a “geometric PAPI” (precision approach path indicator). This is an independently calculated vertical path. Like a real PAPI, two white and two red lights mean you are on the correct glide angle. If you get three or four red lights you are low; if you get three or four white lights you are high.

Another new element of HUD symbology is the “conformal-lateral-deviation scale” (shown below the runway). This was certified on the HUD 2020 on a Gulfstream more than a decade ago, said Feyereisen, but is new on the head-down display. Each one of the hash marks indicates one dot of localizer deviation, as also shown on the compass below it. As the airplane approaches the runway, the hash marks get farther apart. The airplane symbol shown with the conformal-lateral-deviation scale shows the crab angle in a crosswind. –R.R.P.

Type of approach. If a problem, this shows “NO SVLM” and appears in yellow box. This turns red if below minimums.

Geometric PAPI. Two white and two red boxes indicates on glide path.

Super-sized runway approach indicator includes an extended centerline.

Vertical deviation indicator shows more precise glide path than PAPI.

Conformal-lateral-deviation indicator’s hash marks show deviation from localizer.

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the researchers modified or removed much of the standard HUD symbol-ogy that SmartView shows in flight and added other symbols of relevance to taxi operations, placing them where they can easily be seen. For example, instead of showing taxiway signs in the grass next to the runway, as they are in reality, the researchers placed the taxi identifiers in

the center of the taxiways in the 3-D taxi display. Barriers or gates across runways in the display are meant to remind pilots they need a clearance before crossing. If controller pilot datalink communica-tion (CPDLC) is coupled to 3-D taxi, the taxi display will graphically show, using a magenta line, the taxi clearance received and indicate a closed gate at the limit of the clearance. This, of course, could help reduce the chance of an incursion onto an active runway.

The 3-D taxi feature uses that same database that Honeywell uses to display

2-D airport maps. In this 2-D model the heights of most buildings on the airport are the same. The researchers decided not to change this. “One of the things we have found is that we don’t need to show the actual heights of 3-D structures on the airport on the taxi display,” Feyereisen said. “Pilots don’t need this information to taxi safely.” She added that Honeywell also does not want the buildings in the database to be above a certain height. “We envision including ADS-B surface targets in this database, so we want to have visibility to the targets on the other side of terminals and other buildings. So we kept a low, fixed height for most of the buildings,” she said.

3-D taxi is meant to be a companion to Honeywell’s 2-D airport map, not a replacement. “3-D taxi gives more of a tactical view of the airport area, while the

2-D map is more a strategic view. Pilots still need that strategic view,” she said.

When will the 3-D-taxi system reach the market? According to Feyereisen, the system has moved out of the research phase and is now in Honeywell’s prod-uct phase. “The 3-D taxi product is cur-rently targeted for SmartView-equipped aircraft, so it would go to Primus Epic [PlaneView and EASy] customers first and would be an add-on, because it adds a new database and capability. It could be included as standard equipment for a new aircraft for retrofit.”

She said the system could also run on Honeywell’s Primus Apex prod-uct line, now on the Pilatus PC-12 NG and Viking Twin Otter Series 400. “It’s just software, so fits on multiple display sizes,” she said. “You just need a data-base and graphics processors.” o


SmartView to offer lower mins, 3-D taxiuContinued from page 84

With the Honeywell 3-D taxi add-on to SmartView pilots will have the option of selecting an exocentric view (shown here) or an egocentric one, which will resemble the view through the windscreen. Runways and taxiways are clearly identified. Unneeded HUD symbology has been removed to declutter the display.

Monitors Watch SmartView Lower Minimums Behind the Scenes

Honeywell’s SmartView Lower Minimums (SVLM) must be able to show precisely where the aircraft is, without the use of additional navigation signals from transmitters on the ground, as well as tell the pilot when a system malfunction makes the lower-minimums approach unsafe. Honeywell uses five monitors to ensure the integrity of the system and the aircraft’s position.

• Runway-data-integrity monitor. “The current runway database in the FMS does not have the integrity to monitor itself,” said Honeywell engineer fellow Thea Feyereisen. Honeywell has an indepen-dent runway database (RAS) from its EGPWS. The SVLM compares these databases,” to make certain the runway-approach indicator (see box on page 84, “Symbology of SmartView Lower Minimums” ) is properly aligned with the runway.

• Delta-position monitor. One of the reasons LPV 200 approaches stop at 200 feet decision altitude is because it takes 6.2 seconds for the satellite to tell you it has a bad signal,” Feyereisen said. “So your GPS signal can go bad and it’s going to take six seconds for the GPS to flag it,” she continued. “For a Category II approach, the time to alert is two seconds. So we developed a monitor based on our [Laseref] initial reference system [IRS]. The IRS uses pure inertial signals from the unit to calculate the error. We compare our IRS positions to the GPS position so that we can tell if the positions veer off from each other.” If this happens, a warning appears on the SVLM display telling the pilots they cannot go lower than 200 feet.

• Altitude monitor. Honeywell wants SVLM to be approved for both lower decision altitudes (DA, based on barometric altitude) and decision heights (DH, above the ground), which require a radar altim-eter and a special survey. “We know pilots set the wrong barometric setting, or maybe the tower gives them a wrong baro setting,” Feyereisen said. “The altitude monitor compares altitude across three sources: barometric, GPS and radar altimeter versus terrain database. All must align to use 150 feet DA.”

• Virtual inner marker (VIM). “This is the missed-approach-point monitor, which is also a supple-mental way to measure DA. So whether you reach your DA or the virtual inner marker, which measures the distance from the runway via GPS, your ‘minimums’ alert comes up,” said Feyereisen.

• Pilot monitor. This approach-deviation monitor makes sure the pilots are staying within a finely defined corridor on their approach path, and “will alert the crew to flight technical errors, or in other words, a poorly flown approach.” After seeing the alert, the pilots can continue the approach, but use the 200-foot DA or DH, instead of 150 feet, or fly a missed approach. “We try to follow the Cat II frame-work for procedures,” Feyereisen added. –R.R.P.

“I FLY THE MU-2 Because …

The MU-2 is a fast, reliable and e� cient tool for business and personal use”

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New MU-2 Owner/Pilot and West Virginia Businessman Randy Kerns says, “I’ve been in love with the MU-2 since the � rst time I saw one. They are incredibly beautiful and a joy to � y.

I kept reading about the aircraft, really studied it, and when I saw the real facts about the safety record, especially after the SFAR (Special Federal Aviation Regulation mandating MU-2 pilot training) I said I had to buy one.”

Randall bought his Marquise less than a year ago and takes such pride in the MU-2 that he even won “The Queen of the Fleet” award at the 2013 Fly-in at Green Bay, WI. He adds, “Mitsubishi really goes above and beyond in support of this aircraft.”

MU‐2 Facts Of Note:“The MU-2 is a considerably safer aircraft now than other Business Turbo-props”- Breiling & Associates

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Light BIZPLANE Market OUTLOOKby Cyrus Sigari

Light JetsCessna Citation Mustang

At the end of the second quar-ter of 2013, of the 430 Mustangs built there were 37 for sale. Now there has been nearly a 35 percent drop in for-sale inventory to just 25 units, representing approxi-mately 6 percent of the in-service fleet, down from more than 9 per-cent this time last year. A total of 39 Mustangs have traded hands year to date, and while nearly half of these transactions occurred in the first three months of the year, an average of four to five aircraft have traded hands every month

in the second and third quar-ters. This healthy activity, com-pounded by fewer Mustangs being brought to the market, has created a net decrease in overall inventory.

Average pricing has remained relatively unaffected over the past two quarters this year, hovering in the high $1 million mark to the low $2 millions. We see several factors affecting price, but the most notable are age, hours, program enrollment status and overall pedigree.

As we get closer to first Citation M2 deliveries in late October and November, we anticipate seeing a net increase

in available Mustang inventory as many current Mustang own-ers are M2 position holders.

Citation M2The first retail delivery of

the Citation M2 is set to occur in mid-October. This marks the beginning of a new era for the 525 model Citation, as the M2 is a highly upgraded version of the refined 525 with a Garmin G3000 flight deck, upgraded interior, winglets and increased thrust, marking the M2 as an incremental, yet significant upgrade from its predecessor, the CJ1+. There has been little position trading as yet for the $4.5 million Citation M2, but as first deliveries begin we expect to see buyers eager to move to the front of the line.

Citation CJ1+In the CJ1+ market, the first

three quarters of the year have seen a bit of a stack up of inven-tory, with 15 percent of the fleet now for sale. Most of the new inventory that has come to the market is directly related to air-craft owners stepping up to larger Citations. Pricing for the CJ1+ ranges from the mid-$2 millions

to high $2 millions, depending on pedigree. An average of one CJ1+ is trading each month.

Citation CJ2+The CJ2+ market has stayed

relatively consistent over the last few quarters with just 18 units for sale of the 225 built. Approx-imately half of the CJ2+s that are for sale are in non-U.S. mar-kets, with the majority based in Europe. In general CJ2+s are trading in the high $3 million to low $4 million range. With the limited number of new aircraft coming to market, we see the CJ2+ continuing to strengthen.

Citation CJ3The CJ3 market has picked

up in the last quarter with a stark reduction in pre-owned inventory, with just 20 units for sale of the 400+ built, at 5 per-cent for the CJ3 market. Pre-owned CJ3s are trading between the low $4 millions to the mid $5 millions, depending on pedigree.

We believe that the CJ3 contin-ues to represent be the best value in the single-pilot, owner-flown, pre-owned space. Why? The 417-knot cruise, FL450 capability, seating for up to 10 occupants,

efficient fuel burn and 1,800 mile+ range is without question the best bang for the buck avail-able for $5 million or less.

Citation CJ4The CJ4 pre-owned market

has firmed up over the last few quarters with just five units for sale out of the 120 units built thus far. With the CJ4 being the largest and fastest of the sin-gle-pilot Citations, there isn’t a clear upgrade path for these operators, reducing the likeli-hood of current CJ4 owners migrating out of their birds. We have seen just a handful of CJ4s trade hands since first produc-tion, with prices in the high $6 million to low $7 million range. These low transactions volumes are typical in the first couple of years after a model’s intro-duction, though, as production ramps up and owners enjoy fly-ing their new airplanes.

Embraer Phenom 100The Phenom 100 market

continues to be very strong. With an even further tightening of supply, values have not only remained consistent, but have

Mustang: Average Value

Citation Mustang: 6% For Sale

Citation Mustang: Fall 2013 MarketUsed Aircraft Listings 25

Total Fleet 437

Percent of Fleet for Sale 5.7%

Low Ask Price (US Dollars) $1,775,000

Average Ask Price (US Dollars) $2,238,000

Average Airframe Total Time 690

Average Days on Market 128

Pre-Owned Transactions (YTD 2013) 39

CESSNA CITATION MUSTANG

CJ1+: Average Value

Citation CJ/CJ1/CJ1+: Fall 2013 MarketCJ CJ1 CJ1+

Used Aircraft Listings 54 28 15

Total Fleet 352 197 102

Percent of Fleet for Sale 15.3% 14.2% 14.7%

Low Ask Price (US Dollars) $695,000 $1,300,000 $2,650,000

Average Ask Price (US Dollars) $1,382,222 $2,019,091 $3,000,000

Average Airframe Total Time 3,610 2,556 792

Average Days on Market 351 193 224

Pre-Owned Transactions (YTD 2013) 32 25 8

Citation CJ: 15% For Sale

Citation CJ1: 14% For Sale

Citation CJ1+: 15% For Sale







Cessna Citation CJ1

CESSNA CITATION CJ


Cessna Citation Mustang

Preowned jets, tprops show market strengthThe annual NBAA convention routinely serves as an appropriate time to reflect on activity in the pre-owned market for both light jets and single-engine turboprops. As we look back at the year that has passed, it’s fair to say that while these markets have not set any blistering records, some calm is in the air. With the stock market fluctuating at an all-time high, there is some subdued enthusiasm bringing buyers and sellers together in such a way as to provide long-needed liquidity to the market.

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recently started to show signs of a possible increase.

There are currently 18 Phenom 100s listed for sale, which represents less than 6 percent of the total active fleet. Average asking prices range from the mid-$2 million range for an early model air-craft with few options to $3.5 million for a low-time, late-model aircraft. Average sale prices have remained stable, hovering just over $2.8 million

during the second and third quarters of 2013.

In the past two months, at least three Phenom 100 owners accepted offers within 30 days of their introduction onto the market, and in some cases, the aircraft sold before being pub-licly listed for sale. With little room left for improvements in liquidity, we expect to see val-ues remain stable and perhaps continue their rise in the near future.

Phenom 300The Phenom 300 contin-

ues to be a highly sought-after jet, offering range and passen-ger capacity not found in other single-pilot jets. In fact, the Phenom 300 continues to hold the title of being the world’s largest single-pilot certified jet. Several new features and options have been certified for the aircraft, such as an increase in the maximum takeoff weight and zero fuel weight, the intro-duction of new optional features like CPDLC (control-ler-pilot datalink communi-cations) and Aircell Gogo Biz high-speed data, as well as the introduction of an entirely new touch screen-controlled avion-ics platform based on Garmin’s new G3000 avionics suite.

There still are few Phenom 300s available for sale on the pre-owned market. In fact, there are only four aircraft available today, represent-ing less than 3 percent of the active fleet. Model year 2010 airplanes will continue to trade up to $7.5 million, with 2011 models trading in the high $7 million to low $8 mil-lion range, and 2012s chang-ing hands at or above the $8 million mark. The supply of used aircraft may increase in the coming months, however, as owners look to trade up to newer Phenom 300s with all the latest bells and whistles.

Eclipse Model 500The big news in the world of

Eclipse Aerospace continues to center around the Eclipse 550, the company’s new-pro-duction jet that features major avionics and interior enhance-ments over the 500 model. The latest update still has Eclipse delivering the first of the 550s by year-end. Eclipse is also currently selling the Total

Eclipse version of the 500 air-frame, which is a factory-cer-tified, pre-owned 500 airframe with full warranties, updated avionics and custom options.

In the pre-owned market, there is a relative lack of avail-able financing for the EA500. We believe this has minimized the buying power of many potential Eclipse buyers, thus putting downward pressure on used aircraft values. This has, however, served to increase the liquidity of the 500 market due to the fact that the lower up-front acquisition costs are now within reach of more buy-ers, especially those not need-ing or wanting to finance the purchase.

Eclipse 500s continue to be valued primarily based upon the version of avionics installed, essentially creating submarkets within the larger Eclipse 500 market. Aircraft with Avio version 1.7 avion-ics are trading hands from $1 million to $1.3 million. IFMS-equipped (integrated flight management system) aircraft sell for between $1.4 million and $1.6 million, and the Total Eclipse is available for $1.5 million and above, depending upon the options, hours and pedigree.

While values have soft-ened over the past year, condi-tions within the Eclipse market are starting to show signs of improvement. Lenders are returning and Eclipse Aero-space is continuing to build con-fidence in the market by proving that not only does it have a solid, sustainable business model, but that it can deliver on its prom-ise to bring the new-production Eclipse 550 to market and field the support network. As this confidence continues to grow and financing becomes more readily available, we expect to see further improvements in the Eclipse 500 market.

TurbopropsPiper Meridian

The Piper Meridian is the youngest contender currently in production in the single-engine turboprop segment, but that has not stopped it from being a wildly successful air-frame. The Meridian available inventory level sits at a healthy 8 percent of the active fleet, which is the lowest it has been since summer 2007.

The current iteration of the Meridian from Piper features Garmin G1000 avionics as well as other interior enhancements. There have been more than 15 new deliveries year to date and 12 pre-owned G1000 Meridians changed hands, up from six dur-ing the same period in 2012. Just over 4 percent of the G1000 fleet is for sale now, which is a two-year low. Average selling prices vary from $1.5 million to the high-$1.8 millions, depending mostly on age and hours.

The 2006-2009 Meridians came equipped with the Avidyne Entegra three-screen platform, and 8 percent of the fleet of Avidyne Meridians is for sale currently, still a healthy num-ber. Average prices remain fairly flat since the beginning of 2013, hovering in the $1.0 million to $1.2 million range. There have been 29 Avidyne Meridians sold year to date, and that is down slightly from 33 during the same period in 2012.

The first-generation Merid-ians (2001 to 2005) have the highest on-market inventory level of all variants. Pricing var-ies much more on these mod-els as there is more variation in equipment, especially with an increasing number of Merid-ians showing up on the resale market with retrofitted pan-els. There have been 29 “first-generation” Meridians trading


Light Bizplane Market Outlook uContinued from page 88

Eclipse 500: Average Value

Eclipse 500: 14% For Sale

Eclipse 500: Fall 2013 MarketAll Eclipse Models

Used Aircraft Listings 37

Total Fleet 265


Low Ask Price (US Dollars) $650,000




Pre-Owned Transactions (2013) 19


Phenom 300: Average Value

Embraer Phenom 300: Fall 2013 MarketUsed Aircraft Listings 8

Total Fleet 149


Low Ask Price (US Dollars) $7,600,000




Pre-Owned Transactions (Q1 2013) 4

Phenom 300: 5% For Sale

EMBRAER PHENOM 300

ECLIPSE 500 Eclipse 500

Embraer Phenom 300

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hands since the beginning of 2013, with a handful of those being retrofitted versions. Aver-age sale prices for first-genera-tion non-retrofitted Meridians range from the high $600,000 to $900,000 range.

Daher-Socata TBM 700/850Still able to claim the title

as the world’s fastest single-engine turboprop, the TBM 700 and 850 continue to be dominant in the entry-level turbine world. Demand for new TBM 850s has remained strong, with more than 25 new

850 Elite models delivered year to date. The current iteration of the 850 Elite features Gar-min’s G1000 flight deck and reconfigurable cabin seats.

The pre-owned TBM 850 market has proved to be equally as potent, with year-to-date transactions up nearly 40 percent from the same period in 2012. The 850 activity has been evenly spread between the TBM 850 legacy models–those with the Bendix/King EFIS suite–and 850 G1000 models. The average pric-ing for 850 legacy models has

hovered between $1.85 mil-lion and $2.1 million. For the G1000 850 models, pricing has stayed flat year to date, hover-ing in the mid-$2 million to $3 million range.

The TBM 700 market has seen similar transaction vol-ume, although average prices for the 700 have been in decline. These pricing trends can be attributed in large part to the 850 market continuing to chase down prices of the older 700 models. Addition-ally, the aging airframes and equipment combined with

increasing maintenance costs can be partially at fault for the pricing trends. The inven-tory levels of the combined A, B and C2 fleet have been constant year to date. A retail buyer should be able to pick up an average A or B model for around $900,000 to $1.3 million, while a C2 in similar condition would run around $1.45 million to $1.7 million. There is much more variation in equipment, hours and ped-igree in the 700 models (com-pared to the 850), so there have been outliers on both ends of these pricing spectrums.

Pilatus PC-12At the EBACE show in May,

Pilatus publicly announced the PC-24, a Williams-powered jet that will offer the versatility and short-field capability of a turbo-prop with the 1,900-nm range and 425-knot performance of a true business jet. Certification is still several years out, but the jet promises to provide a much-needed migration path for cur-rent PC-12 operators.

In the meantime, the PC-12

continues to defy general avi-ation market trends, with less than 3.3 percent of the 1,200-air-craft fleet for sale. If we break that down further by submar-ket, the -45 legacy fleet of 568 PC-12s has 21 aircraft for sale, or 3.7 percent of the fleet. The -47 fleet of 202 aircraft has only seven aircraft for sale, just 3.4 percent. The latest model -47E or NG fleet of 399 aircraft has only 11 aircraft (2.8 percent) for sale. These low numbers have served to keep values high for existing owners.

With the higher max take-off weight, upgraded engine, Honeywell Apex avionics and better handling, the PC-12NG remains the most sought-after PC-12 for owner-operators tran-sitioning into their first turbo-prop. Recently the NG and the straight -47 market have proven to be extremely liquid, with sev-eral aircraft receiving accepted offers within days of introduc-tion to the market. o

Cyrus Sigari is CEO of light jet sales/acquisition firm jetAviva. Sigari is an ATP, instructor pilot and type rated in the Cessna Citation Mustang, Citation 525, Embraer Phenom 100 and Eclipse 500.


Light Bizplane Market Outlook

Socata TBM: Average Value

Socata TBM: Fall 2013 Market700A/B 700C2 800L 850G

Used Aircraft Listings 14 7 7 8

Total Fleet 200 98 88 219

Percent of Fleet for Sale 7.0% 7.1% 8.0% 3.7%

Average Ask Price (US Dollars) $1,261,000 $1,712,000 $1,975,000 $2,695,000

Average Airframe Total Time 2,306 1,639 961 705

Average Days on Market 188 159 129 104

Pre-Owned Transactions (YTD 2013) 14 8 9 14

TBM 850 Legacy: 8% For Sale

TBM 850 G1000: 4% For Sale

TBM 700C2: 7% For Sale

TBM 700A/B: 7% For Sale

SOCATA TBM

Socata TBM

Pilatus: Average Value

Pilatus: Fall 2013 MarketPC-12 PC-12 47 PC-12NG

Used Aircraft Listings 21 7 12

Total Fleet 568 202 400

Percent of Fleet for Sale 3.7% 3.5% 3.0%

Low Ask Price (US Dollars) $1,400,000 $2,850,000 $3,595,000

Average Ask Price (US Dollars) $2,163,222 $2,875,000 $3,615,625

Average Airframe Total Time 5,035 1,798 1,143

Average Days on Market 316 315 188

Pre-Owned Transactions (2013) 36 12 18

PC-12 45: 4% For Sale

PC-12 47: 3% For Sale

PC-12NG: 3% For Sale

PILATUS

Pilatus PC-12


EclipsE 550 arrivEs at NBaa show

Eclipse Aerospace brought its first production Eclipse 550, a newly built improved version of the Eclipse 500, to its booth (No. C10844) at the NBAA convention. The new jet features many technology improvements as well as upgrades to the cabin and an improved air-conditioning system.

In the cockpit, the Eclipse 550’s Innovative Solutions & Support-based Avio IFMS flight deck is now equipped with dual Waas LPV GPS receivers, SiriusXM weather, full Jeppesen approach plate display, dual and redundant channel FMS, ADS-B out and a new independent standby display. New options include synthetic- and enhanced-vision systems, autothrottles, an Iridium phone, radar, Taws and other optional equipment.

Eclipse has added anti-skid brakes to the 550. The new interior comes in five different palettes; up to six forward-facing seats are available. Buyers can also choose a custom paint scheme, according to Eclipse. A three-year tip-to-tail warranty is included.

Designed to be flown by one pilot, the Eclipse 550 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F turbo-fans. Maximum altitude is 41,000 feet and maximum cruise more than 370 knots, with fuel burn just 59 gph. –M.T.

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InTheAirNet unveils THER networkInTheAirNet announced that

it received U.S. patent approval September 10 for a new in-flight entertainment (IFE) system for commercial and business air-craft. This is one of a recent series of InTheAirNet patent

applications relating to airlines and private jets that the Irvine, Calif.-based electronics special-ist believes will reduce both cost and weight for the end user and still provide full features, includ-ing the connectivity on which

the current market is focused.According to the company

(Booth No. C9637), its patent portfolio aims to enable pas-senger personal entertainment devices to use “all the full, rich content currently available and

can support satellite connectiv-ity from different providers.”

In addition, InTheAirNet claims that the hardware lever-ages technology from advanced computing and devices that will offer unrivaled flexibility for cer-tification and changes.

“The patented technology will enable InTheAirNet to offer a variety of features and sources that are not available from other manufacturers who maintain a proprietary architecture,” said chairman Michael Rogerson. “That means more choices and competition for the customers.”

Historically, InTheAirNet has been a niche provider of broad-cast TV, passenger maps and turnkey IFE systems for pri-vate jets. Last year, InTheAirNet unveiled its Transporting Home Experience Reliability (THER) system for providing IFE and communication to large-cabin aircraft as well as single- and twin-aisle executive variants of airliners, from the Airbus A318 through Boeing’s 747-8 and 787. The technology uses a new, dis-tributed, redundant, Android-based system focused around connecting passenger smart devices, thereby eliminating the server-based, head-end-centric systems of the past.

Also being demonstrated at the exhibit is the Android-based Mapp App, which gives users access to an airplane’s map pro-grams via the cabin’s wired or wireless distribution system and to download the data to their portable devices. While Mapp App is Android-based, it also provides the map to devices running Apple and Microsoft operating systems. Mapp App features high-resolution maps, with the option of higher-res-olution views of key cities. The program’s digital satellite imagery enables views 40 miles across, anywhere in the world, and city views four miles across. The application can also be cus-tomized for destination infor-mation and branding graphics.

InTheAirNet is part of the Rogerson group of companies, doing business in 104 countries with airlines, governments and a wide range of operators of new and existing fleets. –K.J.H.


InTheAirNet aircraft power entertainment module (left) serves up to 10 passengers, and operates in tandem with a dual USB passenger interface port.

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SyberJet preps for productionby Mark Huber

SyberJet Aircraft (Booth No. C13023) is preparing to restart production of the SJ30 light twinjet. The company acquired the rights to the SJ30 in 2011. Hints of activity began a year ago when Syber-Jet announced that production would be moved from San Antonio, Texas, to Cedar City, Utah, and that Honeywell had been tapped to provide an upgraded avionics system, the Apex-based Syber-Vision. (The SJ30 currently features the Honeywell Epic system.)

The new avionics will include Honey-well’s SmartView synthetic vision with HUD symbology in a head-down presen-tation on the primary flight display, dual FMS and Inav moving map. The suite features up to four 12-inch LCDs, charts/maps, Taws-A, dual Waas LPV, graphical flight planning, onboard weather radar, electronic checklists, DME and ADS-B out. The system will support Fans/1A and RVSM operations.

Available options include con-troller pilot data link commu-nications, high-frequency radio, satcom, ADS-B in, enhanced vision, XM WX, flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder, dual charts/maps a second MFD and other customer-specified options.

Ed Swearingen DesignThe transcontinental-range SJ30

began its design odyssey in the late 1980s but the jet was not certified until October 2005. Since then the company has passed through several owners, the latest being Emivest Aerospace. The SJ30 was designed by Ed Swearingen in the mid-1980s as the Gulfjet and received FAA Part 23 certifi-cation 20 years later in October 2005 as the SJ30. Since the aircraft’s inception, the program has had several owners, including Sino-Swearingen and Emivest, while pro-ducing only eight aircraft.

SyberJet general manager Mark Fair-child said a test aircraft is currently being outfitted with the new avionics and should make its first flight in the first quarter of 2014 with certification by year’s end.

Concurrently, the company is working on a new interior design for the jet, which now seats four to six passengers. Plans are to have that approved in time for delivery of serial number 9, the first production air-craft manufactured by SyberJet. Fairchild said the new avionics and interior pack-age should lighten the aircraft by approx-imately 200 pounds, with 110 of those coming from the new avionics.

Some thought is also being given to developing an in-flight entertainment and information system for the airplane that would allow passengers to connect with their own personal electronic devices such as iPads. “It will be more consumer-based,” he said.

That first SyberJet SJ30 will sell for $7.25 million and should be delivered by the end of next year. Beyond that,

Fairchild declined to comment on deliv-ery schedules, order backlogs or future prices. “Our new management is very conservative,” he said. “We want to under-promise and over-deliver.”

In Cedar City, work continues on setting up the SyberJet tooling and production line in a segregated building located next to the headquarters of parent company MSC Aerospace and sister company Metalcraft.

MSC acquired the SJ30 light jet pro-gram in April 2011 for $3.5 million from bankrupt Emivest Aerospace and also was the major airframe subcontractor.

Both state and local governments offered a multi-year tax incentive pack-

age with a combined value in excess of $43 million to entice MSC to locate the Syberjet headquarters and assembly facility in Cedar City and expand Met-alcraft’s operations in Utah. “Our deci-sion to locate the SJ30 assembly facility and SyberJet headquarters in Utah is a result of the incentive package offered by local and state officials,” noted David Grant, chairman of SyberJet parent com-pany MSC Aerospace in 2011.

New Production LineFairchild said SyberJet plans to even-

tually build an entirely new aircraft pro-duction facility in Cedar City and that the company already has established a service center hangar at the airport there. A Part 145 repair station certificate for that facil-ity is pending. The FAA audit for approval of that certificate has been successfully completed, Fairchild said. The company already holds a 145 certificate for its main-tenance shop in San Antonio.

Fairchild said the Cedar City loca-tion will serve West Coast customers, not-ing that aircraft serial numbers 6 and 8 are based in Las Vegas. “We will have our own service centers in the United States and internationally we will have centers asso-ciated with sales centers, once production ramps up,” he said, adding that the com-pany plans to sell factory direct in North America and would pursue EASA certifi-cation of the aircraft as soon as possible.

Besides the new avionics and interior, Fairchild said SyberJet is in discussions with engine maker Williams Interna-tional to provide updated engines for the SJ30. The current aircraft features Wil-liams FJ44-2A engines.

The SJ30 has a ceiling of 49,000 feet, a high-speed cruise speed of Mach 0.83, a range of 2,500 nm and maintains a sea-level cabin pressure to 41,000 feet. o


SyberJet Aircraft upgraded the SJ30 with Honeywell’s Apex-based SyberVision avionics and targets first flight in 1Q 2014.

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PGA’s optic fibers set mood in cabin lightingby Thierry Dubois

PGA Electronic, a special-ist in cabin equipment, brought some new technology to the

NBAA show and is exhibiting optical fibers for mood light-ing, a new reading light and

super-thin flat screens.The optical fibers are dubbed

Be-Bop’tic and should be avail-able early next year; the products displayed here by PGA (Booth No. N831) are prototypes. These flexible fibers can form curved lines of colored light through-out the cabin. “Compared to LEDs, optical fibers don’t heat and are easier to install, thanks

to better flexibility and resis-tance,” Antoine Mergot, motion and lighting systems marketing manager, told AIN. Each con-troller unit controls up to four fibers, each 6.5-feet long. Mer-got added that Be-Bop’tic saves weight and power consumption.

The Châteauroux, France-based company claims to have found a way for an optical fiber

to provide homogeneous light from one end to the other. All col-ors and dimming scenarios are available. In addition, an ambient light sensor enables the system to adapt its intensity, depending on whether the cabin is brightly lit or in shadow. Be-Bop’tic can be con-trolled via an iPad, has better reli-ability than LEDs and is tough enough to be part of the floor, Mergot added.

While Be-Bop’tic is in the final development stage, the compa-ny’s new Calypso reading light will be delivered soon to Air Can-ada for some of its business-class seats. PGA is offering the Calypso for business jets, too. The Calypso light is flush with the seat when switched off and turning it on allows the light to be used for reading or when having a meal. The passenger can ori-ent the Calypso 30 degrees to the left or to the right. Although, at 900 lux, its light intensity is quite high, the Calypso requires less than one watt of power, Mergot said. Several finishes and colors are available.

Super-slim ScreensPGA is also showcasing its

new Xtra Flat Screen–less than two inches in depth–available in sizes from 32 to 55 inches. “They are lighter, easier to install and need less power [than typical screens],” said Nicolas Duch-éron, IFE, connectivity and cabin management system prod-uct manager. The Xtra displays supply full HD images at 1080p and 400 Hz of motion rate. The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) technology enables a passenger to share content from his own device onto the screens he has selected, using the cab-in’s Wi-Fi network. In addition, the new screens are compact, so a 46-inch screen can almost fit into a 42-inch screen housing, according to Duchéron. The same level of technology is avail-able on a smaller range of touch screens, from 12.4 to 21.5 inches in 16:9 widescreen format.

Finally, PGA plans to offer global entertainment servers in early 2014, based entirely on the Internet protocol for easier implementation, hardware sim-plicity and power savings. o


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Leather care, selection are critical for completionsby Thierry Dubois and Kirby J. Harrison

Leather, whether it’s covering seats, creating sound-absorbing sidewalls or softening a bulkhead, is a critical part of aircraft interiors, and NBAA convention attendees have the opportunity to visit the booths of a number of leather provid-ers. Passionate experts in leather crafting at Edelman Leather (Booth No. N5711), Garrett Leather (N213), Green Hides

Leather Studio (C10135) and Townsend Leather (N5124) also gave AIN some tricks for the proper care of leather.

All the suppliers agree the best cattle for leather is bred in countries like Ger-many, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. “Breeders there use no barbwire and no branding,” said Echo Mackenzie, Edelman’s marketing vice

president. Green Hides v-p Keith Hill added that European cows and bulls tend to be larger, yielding greater-area hides, about 60 sq ft on average. “Animals there graze on open land as opposed to feed lots; this helps ensure the overall quality of the raw material,” said Garrett direc-tor for aviation sales Jennifer Coleman. Less insect activity under the Western European climate means hides have fewer bite scars, according to Sarah Eckler, Townsend’s v-p of sales and marketing.

“We buy the top two percent of Euro-pean quality,” Mackenzie told AIN. Edel-man offers more than 800 colors and 80 different types. “The level of quality as a whole is the best, but it’s what you do with it, how you finish it or emboss, that changes it,” she explained.

Edelman is at the NBAA convention introducing its Royal Aviation line, simi-lar to its popular Royal Hide. Royal Avia-tion includes the Edge super finish, which makes leather durable, without losing the magical soft-hand feel, the company says.

Edelman’s “best of collection” is Royal Hide, a full grain leather that shows “natu-ral characteristics,” Mackenzie said, mean-ing that some “beauty marks” are visible. According to Edelman aviation and ma-rine division manager Kay Jeronowitz, many business and private jet owners de-mand the same perfection in the leath-er seat upholstery and sidewall coverings they expect in every other element of a $63 million airplane.

To avoid the contrived “perfection” of vinyl or faux leather, Edelman’s craftsmen emboss the Royal Aviation hides with a fine-grain print, which further evens out inconsistencies. And while offering the same soft-hand feel, the upholstery yield is greater than that of Royal Hide.

Royal Aviation is stocked in 12 flame-treated standard colors for yacht and air-craft owners. While the in-stock inventory ensures short lead times, said Jeronowitz, the company also offers Royal Aviation in custom coloring of the client’s choice.

Green Hides is showing a new leather product with a lower price than its Aero-nautica aviation full-grain leather. Aero-nautica uses a special vacuum drying process, which gives the leather a silky touch plus extra firmness. Both the pas-senger and the tailor in the completion center will enjoy these benefits, Hill said.

Garrett Leather is displaying 16 new colors (on top of the existing 500 plus) for its Avion and Caressa lines, six and 10 additional colors, respectively. Another new product is its Caiman line, with a rugged alligator aspect. Garrett offers 25 different types of leather with vari-ous prices, finishes and patterns, Cole-man said. She emphasized that Garrett specializes in stocking for swift delivery, usually within 48 hours. “We also provide custom coloring, with slightly longer lead times,” she added.

Townsend is showcasing a handful of entire hides, with different textures and

embossments. For aviation, Eckler sug-gested the company’s Excel Cowhide. “A pebbled grain, embossed leather, it will mask a lot of imperfections and the grain will look uniform,” she said. It is also lower in price.

Leather CareWhat is the best way to take care of

leather seats, curtains and so on? Gar-rett recommends not over-cleaning the leather; deep cleaning may not be needed after every trip. A clean damp cloth, fol-lowed by a clean dry cloth, may be used daily. A cleaning product, applied from time to time, should be carefully cho-sen. “You should use the vendor-sup-plied cleaner; as every finish is different, another vendor’s product may degrade your finish,” Garrett’s Coleman said.

Conditioners, which replenish the leather with oil, may be used quarterly, Green Hides’s Hill suggested. This helps repel spills such as wine.

Townsend is exhibiting here along with sister company The Leather Institute. “They offer on-site repairs and repair training programs,” Eckler said. The Leather Institute’s experts can remove a stain and fill holes and scars, she said, as they are “magicians.” Not all miracles are possible with leather, however, and some stains are less forgiving than others. Mus-tard and pen rank worst, she added.

Asked about durability, Edelman’s Mackenzie said, “Good leather wears in, not out.” o


Edelman’s new Royal Aviation line (left) features Edge superfinish, which offers better resistance to stains and spills. Right: Garrett’s Mystique line is created using sizable Italian bull hides, which offer a stronger, denser fiber structure than cowhides.

Townsend Leather’s new lace weave cowhide imparts a certain romance to cabin décor.

Green Hides leather is available in a variety of colors and perforation patterns.

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Kestrel redesign moves along as investors seek fundingby Mark Huber

The old federal building in Superior, Wis., dates back to 1908. The ornate masonry structure features high ceilings, marble floors and trim, stately woodwork and fixtures, enormous walk-in safes and vaults and massive open spaces. It was being redeveloped for private use when it caught Alan Klapmeier’s eye. This is where Klapmeier decided to set up shop as he and his team work to redesign and launch the Kestrel single-engine turbo-prop. The Kestrel first flew in 2006 when the company was called Farnborough Aircraft. Following bankruptcy reorga-nization, the company attracted several new investors, and in 2010 Klapmeier, the former Cirrus Design CEO, joined the company as CEO and president.

Since then, Klapmeier has built his company with funds from a variety of private and public sources and assem-bled a core team of engineers in Supe-rior and Brunswick, Maine, where the company maintains composite opera-tions and recently acquired a small tool-ing company. Kestrel currently employs 100 between both locations. Plans to branch into the aircraft modification

business in Brunswick are still being developed, and the original Kestrel pro-totype has undergone a major redesign, with a revised loft and wing, bigger cock-pit and cabin as well as Garmin G3000 touch screen avionics and Honeywell’s 1,650-shp TPE331-14GR engine and a new engine inlet. Other vendor selec-tion announcements are nearing, includ-ing the supplier of the aircraft’s raw composite material, dual-zone environ-mental control systems, adhesives, trans-parencies and landing gear.

Some changes were made to enhance the aircraft’s ergonomics and perfor-mance, while others, such as dropping the elliptical wing in favor of a straight taper, resulted in changes to the sweep and dihedral of both the main wing and the horizontal stabilizer and improved manufacturability. Initial performance targets include a 320-plus-knot cruise speed, a tanks-full range of 1,300 nm with 1,250 pounds of payload and a price on par with or below that of a Daher-Socata TBM 850.

Kestrel vice president Steve Serfling said the development program had made

good progress over the last year with regard to vendor selection, major compo-nent testing and validation of construc-tion techniques for the all-composite aircraft. This includes the ability to man-ufacture a single-piece fuselage. Initial meetings with the FAA, including a pre-liminary type certificate board meeting in March, also have gone well, he said. At this point, the concepts are frozen while detail design work on the systems and structures continue.

A Question of MoneyNow it’s just a question of money. Just

as he did at Cirrus, Klapmeier spends most of his time at Kestrel raising funds to continue aircraft development. In July, he said the program needed an additional $125 million to see it through certifica-tion and he hopes to start assembling a prototype aircraft next year. If that hap-pens, certification could come as early as 2016; however, Klapmeier has learned not to make predictions about timelines.

When AIN visited Kestrel in August, Klapmeier was out of the office hunting up investors. However, staff continued work there on the Kestrel design.

Engineering director Michael Hinton and Ron Blum, manager of engineering flight test, have been deeply involved in the aircraft’s redesign and discussed those changes as well as program milestones and the program’s progress.

“We should be entering more detailed design phase in November,” said Blum, “but we are not doing anything super fancy. We are taking good, proven equip-ment and combining it with a fantastic aerodynamic shell. The windscreen does

not have any side posts at all.” Until the prototype is ready to fly,

Blum is spending most of his time con-centrating on the man-machine cockpit interface and systems viability, and that has been a big help to engineering, Hinton said. “Having flight test involved early [in the design process] strengthens the con-nection between the paper and physical airplane,” he said. He also noted that a flight-test program takes time to develop and must be ready well in advance of an aircraft’s first flight.

The Kestrel will be available with a variety of interiors including a six-seat executive club, high-density commuter, combi and air ambulance. Hinton said the plan is to first certify the airplane with the executive interior, perhaps with a seventh-seat option, but that the cabin is designed to be easily reconfigurable for different missions. Other options such as an air-ambulance will be kitted post-certification, and Hinton said the com-pany is already working with suppliers to determine their needs and design the aircraft with the features and structures required for these installations.

Synergy between SitesKestrel currently employs 60, between

Superior and Brunswick, in its engineering department. The avionics/electrical and flight test groups are in Superior, while the mechanical systems and powerplant, air-frame and materials processes groups are colocated with members domiciled at each facility. It makes video conferencing a way of life. “Nearly every meeting we do uses Go To Meeting,” Hinton said. “We have Continued on next page u

Plans are to certify the Kestrel first with a six-seat executive club interior, but it will be easily reconfigurable for other missions such as high-density commuter, combi and air ambulance.

The redesigned Kestrel cockpit is equipped with Garmin’s G3000 glass-panel touch screen suite, whose wide-aspect-ratio screen, CEO Alan Klapmeier said, provides “great real estate” for a user-friendly pilot interface.

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multiple screens and cameras in the conference room.”

The wealth of local compos-ite expertise is the main reason not to consolidate the Bruns-wick operation into Superior, Hinton said, and a small num-ber of composite parts for

production aircraft will be fab-ricated there. However, most of the manufacturing will take place in Superior in two facil-ities–a main manufacturing plant in town and then truck-ing those parts for final assem-bly and bonding at a facility six miles away at another build-ing at the Superior airport. The trucking logistics already have

Kestrel and Superior officials looking at possibly reposition-ing some traffic signals.

Hinton acknowledged the need to respect the price point of the aircraft, now estimated at around $3.2 million, to keep it competitive in the marketplace. “We have worked with our sup-pliers to limit price escalation. We have worked hard to know what

our production costs are.”Blum said Kestrel is focus-

ing on providing the simplest and safest cockpit on the mar-ket. “We are focused on simple,” he said, noting that complicated systems add costs. “The reason we are going to stay in our price range is that the airplane is a simple airplane. We’re not tell-ing people we can go Mach 3 in

a $40,000 airplane.” The Kestrel features a single

power lever, eliminating the con-trol for propeller pitch. It is not a full-authority digital engine control (Fadec), but rather an IEC, or integrated electronic control. “It’s a computer that says, ‘Here’s your redline, don’t go past this,’” Blum said. “But you are still setting power man-ually through a hydromechani-cal controller. You set the power by looking at the torque meter.” However, the throttle quadrant will still contain a “hi-lo” con-dition lever. Flight control link-ages from the cockpit side sticks also are all mechanical.

Airframe de-icing will be provided by an electromechani-cal expulsive de-ice system. The propeller and windshield will have electric heat.

Engine Change SignificantOf all the changes made

to the original Farnborough design, Blum thinks the addi-tion of the Honeywell engine is the most significant. “It has a 5,000-hour TBO and it does not have the inertial separator like the PT-6 has, so we gain the efficiency in the inlet. It is proven that it can eat anything.” On the Kestrel, “eductor” noz-zles pull air through the cowl-ing thereby cooling the exhaust stacks and the engine compart-ment any time the engine is run-ning, while also adding some residual thrust. The engine, 110-inch diameter Hartzell compos-ite propeller and Kestrel cowling have been running on a test stand at Honeywell since spring.

“We’ve done a good job reducing the noise signature” with some acoustical treat-ments, said Blum. Hinton added that the noise signature on the Dash 14 engine is inherently less than on the smaller versions of the TPE series engines aboard the Mitsubishi MU-2.

Kestrel also intends to build some components that most other manufacturers subcon-tract, including the seat structure.

Material selection will drive what parts Kestrel manufac-tures, Hinton said. “If we do composite control surfaces, we would do that in house because that is a core competency. How-ever, if they are metal, we would probably farm that out.”

Some systems, such as the environmental control system layout, are being tested on a static engineering mockup. Wing and fuselage manufacturing are going through layup trials. “We’re busy,” said Hinton. “If Alan says we need to fly in a couple of months, we need to be ready.” o


Kestrel redesign uContinued from previous page


TakaTa ProTecTion acquires inTeriors in FlighT

Takata Protection Systems of Orlando, a manufacturer of passenger restraint systems for business and private jets, has acquired Interiors In Flight, a supplier of aircraft interior upholstery and dress covers and of finished cabinetry and other items with veneer coverings.

The purchase of Orlando-based Interiors In Flight, according to Takata (Booth No. N224), provides “increased depth, financial security and expansion capabilities.” It also triples the com-pany’s total floor space, allowing it to keep up with demand and growth. Takata Protection also provides passenger protection systems for both military and emergency medical vehicles.

Takata said the management and staff and all key employees of Interiors In Flight have been retained in order to “continue the level of quality required in this industry as well as expand the capacity and customer base.” Interiors In Flight opened its doors in 2002 and provides out-source work for both green cabin completion and refurbishment.

Parent company Takata Corp., based in Tokyo, Japan, and established in 1933, has a global network that includes 55 plants in 20 countries. In other company news, Takata Europe pur-chased seatbelt manufacturer Schroth Safety Products last year. –K.J.H.

Group wins STC for jumps from GV

For years, it has been an accepted axiom of aviation that you never jump out of a perfectly good airplane, but thou-sands do it every year, and safely, albeit with parachutes. They cram themselves into Cara-vans, Kodiaks and Otters and joyfully leap into the clear, clean air thousands of feet above the ground.

Now The Drake Group, an engineering

services provider, has taken skydiving to a new heights, so to speak, win-ning a supplemental type certificate (STC) for deploying parachutists and cargo under para-chute from a Gulfstream G550 and the GV.

In addition to sin-gle and tandem sport parachuting, the STC allows the delivery of emergency medical sup-plies, survival equipment

and specialized criti-cal replacement com-ponents by static line at great distances from the aircraft departure point.

The STC was awarded this summer and is a multiple certif-icate applicable to any GV or G550. It can be added to any serial number aircraft in a matter of a day, accord-ing to the Las Vegas-based Drake Group (Booth No. C11226). The certificate requires no changes to the air-craft and consists of copyrighted AFM sup-plements. –K.J.H.

The combined capabilities of Takata Protection and Interiors In Flight, which the former recently acquired, will enhance Takata’s overall business aircraft cabin outfitting capabilities.

Parachuting from a Gulfstream GV is definitely an attention getter.

G650 round-the-world flight broke the westbound record by R. Randall Padfield

Records are made to be broken and the Gulfstream G650 did just that on July 1-2 this year, Gulfstream Aerospace revealed yesterday here at NBAA 2013. Flying westbound around the world, the G650 made the trip in 41 hours, seven minutes, making three fuel stops–with an average speed for the 20,310-nautical mile trip of 568.5 miles per hour (494 kt, or 915 kilometers per hour), which broke the record for a non-supersonic aircraft.

Tom Horne, Gulfstream senior exper-imental test pilot, who served as pilot-in-command for the record flight, was accompanied by Gulfstream pilots Bud Ball, John McGrath, Ross Oetjen and Eric Parker. The pilots held the long-range, large-cabin business jet at Mach 0.90, which is its standard high-speed cruise. (The G650’s Mmo–the maximum operating Mach number–is 0.925.)

With Kris Maynard serving as the offi-cial observer for the National Aeronautic Association, the flight departed Brown Municipal Airport in San Diego, Calif., at 9:08 p.m. local time on July 1 and flew to Guam’s Antonio B. Won Pat Interna-tional Airport in 10 hours, 29 minutes. The second leg took the jet to Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum Interna-tional Airport in 10 hours; the third leg continued to Cape Verde’s Cabral International Airport in eight hours 52 minutes; and the fourth and final leg pro-ceeded to Brown Field in 10 hours and 10 minutes, landing at about 3 p.m. The cumulative time for three fuel stops was one hour and 30 minutes.

“The aircraft performed flawlessly, which is what we expected,” said Horne. “It is a tremendous thrill to be a part of a once-in-a-lifetime experience like this.”

The team set up the G650’s cabin aft of the bulkhead of the forward galley as a sleeping area, with two queen-size and two twin beds (all JetBeds), and kept the area dark and quiet during the entire flight. The cockpit, galley, forward lav and crew-rest

seat served as the work area. “We figured out our work/rest sched-

ule before the flight and started using it some days before departure,” Horne said. The four pilots had 10-hour work shifts and 14 hours of rest. The trip was also planned so that the final leg would be flown at the best circadian time for the pilots and in daylight. “So we worked back from that to get the depar-ture time from San Diego, which was at night, as was the entire first leg,” Horne explained.

Working with Universal Aviation and en route via Gulfstream’s BBML satcom, the crew continually sought the best ground speed, flying generally between FL340 and 410. This kept the cabin alti-tude between 2,300 and 3,200 feet, which also helped avoid fatigue. A computer program aided the selection of the best-groundspeed routes and altitudes against the generally westerly winds. The strategy paid off. The calculated average wind for the entire flight was a 14-knot tailwind.

More than 30 Gulfstream employ-ees helped in the planning and execution of the flight. FBOs San Diego Jet Cen-ter, Guam Flight Services, Jet Aviation Dubai and Safeport Executive in Cape Verde provided ground support.

The G650’s record applies to a Class C-1,I airplane weighing from 35,000 to 45,000 kilograms (77,162 to 99,208 pounds). The round-the-world flight also garnered 22 city-pair speed records. The 650 has set 38 records since its first record flight in January 2011, from Burbank, Calif. to Savannah, Ga. o


Gulfstream updates latest statsYesterday Mark Burns, president of

Gulfstream Aerospace product support, summarized the company’s latest efforts in the product support arena, which includes 3,850 personnel, 11 Gulfstream-owned service centers, 14 Jet Aviation facilities, more than $1.4 billion in parts and materials, upgraded Field and Air-borne Support Team (Fast) G150s and three rapid-response Fast trucks, in Los Angeles, Houston and New York.

So far this year, Gulfstream has added more than 150 employees in the product support role. At its Long Beach, Calif., service center, Gulfstream has hired another 21 technicians. Nine specialists joined the team at Gulfstream’s Savannah technical operations call center. In Apple-ton, Wis., the Gulfstream facility now offers wheel and brake repairs. A cus-tomer service representative who speaks Portuguese, Spanish and French joined the company in West Palm Beach, Fla.,

and a Spanish-speaking service center coordinator was hired in Dallas.

To help improve aircraft availability, Gulfstream and FlightSafety Interna-tional are offering FlightSafety’s e-learn-ing ground-handling and servicing course for the G350 through G650 free of charge to FBO personnel. Course content includes handling, servicing, parking, safety walkaround, fueling, towing and mooring, water and lavatory servicing, window cleaning and snow/ice removal.

The familiar CMP.net maintenance tracking system is changing to MyCMP beginning November 1 and will feature a redesigned website. With its 2,000th cus-tomer enrolled recently, the new system introduces electronic task cards and dig-ital signature and attachment capabili-ties. “This upgrade is largely the result of input we received from members of our CMP customer advisory team,” said director of technical information services Bill Colleran.

Scott Neal, senior vice president of sales and marketing, reviewed the latest stats about Gulfstream. The company’s backlog at the end of the first half of this year was $14.7 billion, revenue is $3.83 billion (up 19 percent from the first half of 2012) and operating earnings $699 mil-lion (up 32 percent from 2012).

According to Gulfstream, more than 2,150 of its jets are now in service worldwide, compared to 1,680 in ser-vice in 2008. Of these, 400 were based outside the U.S. in 2008, while 700 are now based there. –R.R.P.

Here at the NBAA show Gulfstream is showing examples of all its current in-production models at Henderson Executive Airport: G150, G280, G450, G550 (with an Elite interior for the first time) and G650.

Tom Horne, Gulfstream senior experimental test pilot, served as pilot-in-command on the G650’s record-breaking, round-the-world flight, covering 20,310 nautical miles in 41 hours, seven minutes.

Mark Burns, left, Gulfstream Aerospace president of product support, and Scott Neal, senior v-p of sales and marketing, briefed the press on developments.

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View the interview of Tom Horne on AINtv.


NBAA expects further growth for ABACE by Curt Epstein

As NBAA kicks off this year’s annual convention here in Las Vegas, preparations are well underway for next year’s Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (ABACE), to be held April 15-17 at the Shang-hai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre (SHP-BASC), which has been its home since the show’s rebirth in 2011.

Just as attendance swelled by more than 2,000 from that first show to last year’s, NBAA presi-dent and CEO Ed Bolen expects a similar boost for next year’s meeting. “This is a particularly important event with the par-ticipation from the government, with the intense media focus and with the all of the CEOs from every international business

aviation company there, it really is a critical forum in so many ways, certainly putting buyers and sellers together but beyond that as well.”

In conjunction with this year’s Shanghai show, NBAA hosted the first ever CAAC business aviation symposium, which gave the association an opportunity to speak with government officials and dis-cuss their plans for growth in the region. Bolen pointed to the “baby steps” the show has helped the industry take in China, breaking new ground with the first-ever landing of a turboprop aircraft at Hongq-iao Airport in 2011 in honor of the show and last year’s first landing of a civil helicopter,

which participated in the static display at the airport.

“The industry is doing extremely well in China,” said Carey Matthews, general man-ager of SHPBASC, which proves ground-handling services at both of Shanghai’s interna-tional airports. “We are up close to 17 percent over the last year in total number of operations between Hongqiao and Pudong airports.” Matthews noted that while international traffic has been flat, the bulk of those peo-ple who are flying right now are domestic operators, which he sees as encouraging as it points to local buyers using their

aircraft increasingly for busi-ness operations. “What’s been, I think, the great success story for China’s business aviation is that the market is actually develop-ing to do what business aviation is supposed to do,” he said.

As the first dedicated FBO/MRO in the region, SHPBASC has given a degree of confidence to users that there is an abil-ity to support business aircraft in China. Earlier this year, the facility received FAA approval as a foreign repair station, and it just received designation from Cessna as an authorized ser-vice center. The FBO had pre-viously earned that approval

from Bombardier, Dassault and Beechcraft. The facility also recently earned approval from the Chinese government as a flight-planning agency, mean-ing it can now file flight plans for approval, something that is especially useful to custom-ers looking to get into Beijing’s crowded airspace.

In preparation for next year’s ABACE, Hawker Pacific is mak-ing modifications to expand the available space of its 43,056-sq-ft hangar, allowing it to accom-modate another 12 exhibitors. The company expects to begin construction next year of a sec-ond, larger hangar. o

NBAA President Ed Bolen, left, listens as Carey Matthews, general manager of Hawker Pacific’s Shanghai Hongqiao-based FBO, discusses the expansion of business aviation in Asia. Matthews noted that the majority of air traffic in the region consists of domestic operators, a positive sign for future growth. The FBO recently received FAA approval as a foreign repair station.

King Air gets U.S. coast-to-coast recordby James Wynbrandt

Beechcraft said this week that it had received official rec-ognition from the U.S. National Aeronautic Association for a record for a “Speed Over a Recognized Course,” set for a transcontinental flight by its special-mission King Air 350ER flying from San Diego, Calif. to Orlando, Fla. last October. The King Air flew the 1,853.97 nau-tical mile route at an average speed of 331.08 miles per hour.

“This recognition signifies not only the speed of this air-craft, it also solidifies the high-performance reputation and the multitude of capabilities of the King Air 350ER as we continue our growth in the special mission market,” said Dan Keady, senior v-p special missions. The Wich-ita-based airframer has several aircraft here in the NBAA 2013 static park at Henderson Execu-tive Airport, including the spe-cial-mission King Air 350ER which flew from Santa Mon-ica Airport in Los Angeles on Wednesday on a demonstration flight, which AIN was able to participate in.

At any speed, flights aboard new Beechcraft aircraft will now be safer. The company has also announced that it will provide a complete risk-management

suite of medical and travel safety services provided by MedAire (Booth No. N3513) on all new aircraft delivered to business and general avia-tion customers. The MedAire Travel Risk Management ser-vices include access to avia-tion travel security briefs and the MedAire global network of security experts, local providers and logistics personnel.

“For decades, customers have turned to Beechcraft products for unmatched safety and secu-rity of their passengers,” said Sean Vick, Beechcraft executive v-p sales and marketing. “By expanding our MedAire offering to this fully integrated solution, flight crews, owners, passengers and operators now have the infor-mation needed to make informed medical safety decisions while onboard their aircraft.”

Beechcraft also announced here in Las Vegas the appoint-ment of Kalamazoo Aircraft of Kalamazoo, Mich., as an autho-rized service center for Bonanza and Baron products. It also named John Keams as regional sales director for the central and West Texas region and Pat-rick O’Connell as regional sales director for the upper Midwest region of the U.S. o

rugged horizons

The great Southwest is the home of some of the best flying weather anywhere in the world. Hosting the NBAA convention here in Las Vegas virtually ensures sunshine and dry conditions. The high-rise "terrain" lining the Strip is equally impressive, in an entirely different way, making the city a popular spot for the annual NBAA gathering. Henderson Airport is the venue for the aircraft static display.

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Learjet 75 deliveries under wayby Kirby J. Harrison

Learjet spent a good part of the day October 17 celebrating the “start of the delivery pro-cess” of its new Learjet 75 at its facilities in Wichita.

The first aircraft went to busi-ness entrepreneur Louis Beck and his Speedbird LCC. Beck, present at the delivery ceremo-nies, expressed satisfaction with the acquisition. He is a long-time Learjet owner and said he

had never heard a pilot complain about Speedbird’s previous air-craft, a Learjet 45. And he added, “there’s also the unmistakable sex appeal that is Learjet.”

The second delivery was five Learjet 75s to Canadian char-ter operator London Air Ser-vices. London Air already has eight Bombardier airplanes in its fleet–five Learjet 45XRs, a Challenger 604 and two

Challenger 605s. Also on order is a Global 7000. President and CEO Wynne Powell said the Learjet 75 will allow non-stop flights from Vancouver to Mon-treal 95 percent of the time, compared with 85 percent of the time with the Learjet 45XR. “We have the luxury of being able to buy the best, and this is it,” he said, pointing to the five aircraft waiting on the ramp in

London Air Services livery. London Air has 28 full-time

pilots and, according to Pow-ell, transition of pilots from the Learjet 45XR (Honeywell Primus 1000 avionics) to the Learjet 75 (Bombardier Vision/Garmin G5000 avionics) will require only about a week.

The Learjet 75 is still awaiting full certification, which Learjet v-p and general manager Ralph Acs said was delayed by the gov-ernment shutdown, an event that effectively closed down much of the FAA’s certification and air-craft registration services for 17 days. Acs said the flight test phase had been completed and the final

paperwork had already been sub-mitted to the FAA before the shutdown. In terms of final cer-tification, he added, “We’re at the one-yard line.”

The Learjet 75 replaces the Learjet 45XR and, according to Learjet, the maintenance require-ments of the newest Learjet to go into service are about one-third those of the 45XR.

The Learjet backlog includes firm orders from fractional operator Flexjet for 25 Learjet 75s and 30 Learjet 85s. Bom-bardier fractional entity Flexjet is being acquired by Directional Aviation Capital, parent com-pany of Flight Options. o


The delivery process for the new Learjet 75 includes five airplanes for Canada’s London Air Services, seen here in the charter operator’s livery.

Beechcraft’s 400XPR offers Garmin G5000 as an optionby James Wynbrandt

Beechcraft announced here in Las Vegas that it had added the Garmin G5000 flight deck as an option for its Hawker 400XPR upgrade program, in addition to adding a new wireless in-flight tele-com option from Aircell, for both low- and high-occupancy aircraft.

The 400XPR factory upgrade includes several factory approved airframe modifications, along with power from new Williams Inter-national FJ44-4A-32 engines, sig-nificantly boosting the range and performance of legacy Beechjet 400

series aircraft. Customers can now choose either the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 or the Garmin G5000 avionics suite for the Beechjet 400- XPR upgrade installation.

“We’re seeing interest [in the upgrade program] grow even more as we add the G5000 option,” said Brian Howell, Beechcraft v-p of aftermarket sales and business development.

The Garmin G5000 flight deck will feature three high-resolution 12-inch displays, along with two touch screen controllers that serve

as the primary crew interface with the system. The Garmin flight deck also incorporates the com-pany’s advanced autopilot, PBN/RNP 0.3 with LPV/APV approach capability, Garmin’s GWX 70 dig-ital turbulence-detecting weather radar and optional synthetic vision. The installation also pro-vides an estimated weight savings of 200 pounds. Certification of the G5000 installation for the 400XPR is expected in 2015.

Beechcraft also announced it has certified and begun installation of the ATG 2000 wireless in-flight con-nectivity system from Aircell (Booth No. C11243), which provides Gogo Biz in-flight Internet and Aircell’s new Text & Talk service. The instal-lation is available today for most Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft, through Hawker Beechcraft Services. HBS is offering introductory incen-tives to operators who purchase an ATG 2000 during the NBAA show and through the end of 2013.

“Our North American oper-ators love this new option,” said Christi Tannahill, Beechcraft senior v-p of Global Customer Support. “The ATG 2000 bun-dles connectivity and voice ser-vices features in a perfectly sized and priced package that’s ideal for light-use King Air, Premier and Hawker operators,” she said. o

Ontic strengthens MrO suppOrt

BBA Aviation’s Ontic (Booth No. N3505) is growing. The company, which specializes in transitioning legacy parts manufacturing and distribution from OEMs to its own aftermarket production, has expanded both physically and through its range of products and services. At a ribbon-cut-ting ceremony last month it opened a new MRO facility in Singapore’s popular Seletar Aerospace Park, co-located with BBA Aviation’s Dallas Airmotive, which has established a Singapore Regional Turbine Center.

A satellite of Ontic’s Cheltenham, UK facility, the Singapore site focuses on Boeing, Fokker and Airbus fuel measurement system product repairs and assemblies for both current and classic aircraft. “This facility supports the fuel measurement systems products we acquired from GE Aviation Systems in May 2011,” said Gareth Hall, president of Ontic.

On the other side of the globe, Ontic’s Houston, Texas site is adding new oxygen system capabilities and part numbers under license from Kidde Graviner, a Hamilton Sundstrand company, for business aviation platforms as diverse as the Hawker 800 and BAe 146. Services include full cylinder re- certifications, hydrostatic testing and valve overhaul, custom-ized pick-up and drop-off services and ATA crate loans.

Ontic’s Houston base has also acquired more than 44,000 parts and exchange units, from landing gear, ailerons, eleva-tors, rudders and tabs, TKS panels and structures including leading edges and wing surfaces for all Hawker series aircraft.

Finally, Hall noted, “We’ve signed a third license agree-ment with Curtiss-Wright Controls in the last nine months, providing solutions for the continued support of their mature, legacy, non-core products, creating lifetime support to their customers.” This agreement is for products used on mili-tary aerostats, blimps and Patriot and Aegis missile systems, among other platforms. The products will be available at Ontic’s Southern California facility. –A.L.

Entrepreneur Louis Beck (center) accepted delivery of a Learjet 75 from Bombardier Business Jets president Steve Ridolfi (left) and Learjet v-p and GM Ralph Acs.

Beechcraft’s Hawker 400XPR upgrade program now includes Garmin’s G5000 flight deck as an available option. Shown here with four displays, the 400XPR version will have three.

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Airbus ACJ cracks U.S. charter marketby Mark Huber

After years of trying, Airbus (Booth No. C11606) has cracked the U.S. VVIP charter market with the first sale of an ACJ318 here, which Airbus believes will significantly increase the visibility of Air-bus Corporate Jets (ACJ) in the country. The aircraft will be based at Jet Aviation Flight Services in Van Nuys, Calif., one of the busiest general aviation airports in the world, where it will be operated for an undisclosed owner and for Part 135 charter.

Don Haloburdo, Jet Aviation Flight Services vice president and general man-ager, said that his company would operate the aircraft and place it on its operating certificate for charter late this year or early next year. Jet Aviation will offer the aircraft to the charter market for $15,000 per hour and expects to charter the air-craft for 250 to 300 hours per year. Halo-burdo said Jet Aviation would provide the crew and maintenance on the aircraft, the latter with the assistance of unspecified partners. The aircraft is being completed by Bizjet in Tulsa, Okla.

Airbus also recently delivered its first corporate jet with new wingtip Shark-lets, an ACJ319 delivered to a private customer on October 18. The Sharklets deliver 4 percent improved fuel econ-omy, boosting the aircraft’s maximum range by 200 nm to approximately 6,200 nm. Airbus has been provisioning its new production aircraft for Sharklet ret-rofit for “some time,” said David Velu-pillai, ACJ marketing director. Velupillai said installation on provisioned aircraft would take only a few days and that the modification brings customers “imme-diate savings that will quickly pay for

[the work]. Most capable maintenance outfits can do it. It’s a huge deal on the airline side, the savings [in fuel burn] is huge. We’re just starting to go down the road on the corporate jet side.”

The Sharklets will be standard equip-ment on single-aisle new engine option (Neo) aircraft and will combine with the engines to offer improved fuel economy of 15 percent. Velupillai said Airbus already had more than 2,600 orders for Neo aircraft.

The Airbus Runway Overrun Preven-tion System (ROPS) is another new option being offered to ACJ customers for the first time. ROPS uses runway databases mated to onboard GPS to alert pilots of potential runway overrun situations. It will not auto-matically abort a landing, but it will issue display and aural warnings and automat-ically applies maximum braking and calls for thrust reverse as needed should crews overshoot the recommended touchdown point. Velupillai said the system pays for itself quickly in reduced insurance premi-ums. “The biggest cause of accidents today is runway overruns,” he said.

A new iPad-based electronic flight bag called “FlySmart” is also now avail-able for ACJ customers to provide more precise aircraft operating data under var-ious conditions.

Over the summer Airbus Corporate Jet Centre (ACJC) delivered a VVIP ACJ319 to Emirates Executive, the charter divi-sion of Emirates Airlines, equipped with 10 individual sleeping compartments called mini-suites, the first business jet to be so equipped. Each mini-suite has its own door for passenger privacy and flat-bed seats. The Emirates ACJ was

also equipped with “Starlight” ceiling and carpet lighting that uses embedded fiber-optic lighting. It is also the first ACJ equipped with a Ku-band antenna.

ACJC will deliver its 25th cabin comple-tion in the next few weeks. The subsidiary specializes in single-aisle Airbus aircraft and recently branched into full MRO work including engine overhauls. Here at the NBAA static display, Airbus is exhibiting a VVIP ACJ319 operated by Comlux that

is configured for 19 passengers. ACJ customers also are now served

by the new Airbus C4you (corporate jet customer care center) program that pro-vides technical assistance 24/7. “Not all ACJ operators have a huge mainte-nance department and they need a little extra help from time to time,” Velupillai said. “It’s a technical advice team tailored to the need of corporate jet customers that we started in May this year. They are answering 200 queries a month. The C4you is part of Airbus’s overall product support center.” Airbus also has formed a new ACJ advisory board that meets quar-terly to address customer concerns. o

Cessna signs agreement to sell Tamarack active wingletsby R. Randall Padfield

Tamarack Aerospace and Cessna Air-craft have signed an agreement in which Cessna will market, sell and install Tam-arack’s active winglets for the CitationJet family through the CJ3. Tamarack announced the agreement here at NBAA 2013 yesterday.

Nick Guida, Tamarack president and founder, said he had met with Cessna offi-cials and engineers early on and “nurtured the relationship over two years. They like to know who they are dealing with, which is understandable. We’ve been waiting for this agreement. I’m proud to be associ-ated with Cessna.”

While providing all the advantages of traditional winglets, the active technology load alleviation system (Atlas) winglets use an active control surface (Tacs) actuator

mounted near each winglet. The Tacs actuator drives small moveable surfaces mounted outboard on the wing trailing edge, near the winglets, and these surfaces move to counteract and alleviate the load on the wing. The result is a much lower bending moment on the wing, allowing addition of winglets without having to beef up wing structure. The Tamarack winglets also help reduce the fatigue life on the wings, when compared to other winglets.

Guida first tested the Atlas concept on his single-engine piston Van’s RV-6 home-built and later on a Cirrus SR22. Tama-rack is now testing Atlas winglets on a Citation CJ1, which has accumulated some 90 flight hours.

Now, with the agreement with Cessna, Tamarack will focus on obtaining a sup-plemental type certificate (STC) for the winglets. Guida expects the first winglets will be installed on customer CJs stating in early 2015. “Having the OEM data does help bring the winglets to market sooner,” he said.

Michael Schneider, Tamarack CEO and investor, told AIN he has full con-fidence that the company would show a positive cash flow in 2015.

“Cessna will also offer aftermarket winglets for several models of the CJ family of business jets through an exclu-sive agreement with Tamarack Aerospace Group,” according to Cessna. “In certain flight profiles, the winglets provide an air-craft of greater range, increased useful loads and improved high and hot perfor-mance, while simultaneously improving fuel economy. Plans call for winglets from Tamarack to be available for installation on several models in the CJ family of air-craft at Citation service centers in 2015.”

Earlier this year, Tamarack’s CJ (N86LA) equipped with active winglets made an unofficial record-breaking trip from Sandpoint, Idaho, to Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y for the NBAA Business Aviation Regional Forum. The nonstop, 1,853-nm flight landed with fuel reserves of 472 pounds after flying six hours and 16 minutes. o

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coverage of NBAA 2013!Enter our Social Media Photo Contest and get

a chance to win an iPad mini, plus a shot at seeing your photo published on our social media channels.

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Viking’s aircraft static display

Fargo airport now offers convenient customs facilityby Curt Epstein

For business aviation passengers, international arrivals and departures at Hector International Airport in Fargo, N.D., have become a lot easier with the announcement of the relo-cation of the U.S. Customs facility to the north general aviation ramp,

adjacent to the 23-acre Fargo Jet Cen-ter (FJC, Booth No. N5100), the lone services provider on the field.

“Prior to the move, foreign nation-als had to clear customs at a facility more than a mile from our FBO loca-tion, thus requiring all of our services to

be provided remotely,” said Darren Hall, FJC’s vice president of marketing. “The new U.S. Customs office is located less than 100 yards from our passenger termi-nal, which allows everything to happen in one location, giving passengers and crews access to our facilities.”

The new $1 million, 3,600-sq-ft Cus-toms structure, which is available 24/7, uses the latest technology to expedite clearances.

Hector International, which has a 9,000-foot main runway, as well as fire-and-res-cue service, is a popular tech stop for aircraft transiting between the U.S., Can-ada, Europe and Asia. FJC (which ranked in the top 5 percent in this year’s AIN FBO Survey) specializes in quick turns. o


Carolina GSE iS SolE SourCE for JBT GPus

Carolina GSE (Booth No. C7621) now serves as the exclusive corporate and FBO distributor in the U.S. and other territories for JBT AeroTech, the man-ufacturer of 400-Hz diesel and electric ground power units, preconditioned air units and 28.5 VDC rectifiers, the New Bern, N.C. ground support equipment supplier announced here.

JBT now offers a redesigned JetPower system with a multi-tap trans-former providing 208/230/460 VAC (and any voltage in between) for hangar appli-cations. Another recent introduction, the JBT JetPower III/28, is a compact 28-VDC ground power supply designed to provide aircraft with power from a standard 50- or 60-Hz source. The unit comes in 200-, 400- and 600-amp ver-sions and features a four-wheel cart for easy, single-person transport.

JBT has also recently introduced the JetPower mobile TR (transformer/recti-fier). The TR provides 28 VDC from an existing 400-Hz system and supplies a fully regulated 28.5-VDC output with an optional current limit. Billed as a handy solution to support regional aircraft in environments already equipped to sup-ply 400 Hz, the compact TR can support multiple locations because of its ease of transport. –G.P.

The U.S. Customs facility at Hector International Airport in Fargo, N.D., has moved adjacent to FBO Fargo Jet Center, giving passengers and crew easy access to the FBO’s services.

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Help is at hand with passport and visa hasslesby Jennifer Leach English

Business travel would be exhausting enough without the added worry of get-ting your papers in order. Countries such as China, Brazil and India all now require visas and often demand additional docu-ments, such as letters of intent or govern-ment invitations if you are planning on doing business. Last-minute travel can be especially complicated, as can trips with a group or to multiple countries.

Expediting services can assist with the entire paperwork process. They’ll know what documents you need–and how to get them much faster than you could on your own.

One such service, G3 Visas and Pass-ports, has offices in eight major American cities and can process passports and many visas in 24 hours. The company counts Jet Aviation, NetJets and GE’s in-house flight department among its clients. Moham-med Jashim, senior director at G3, recom-mends starting the paperwork process two months in advance for an international trip–particularly if your itinerary includes multiple countries–but understands that this is often not possible. “We are here to

make your life easier,” he said. Longstanding relationships with the

U.S. State Department and international consulates help Texas-based A1 Passport and Visa to provide similarly quick ser-vice. “We love procrastinators, because we know how to help them,” said A1 founder and CEO Omar Saleem. His business, which often processes passports in less than eight hours, lists the NBAA, HP and the flight department at Texas Instruments as regular clients. A1 will travel to the offices of large corporate clients like these and process passport renewals for employees on-site.

Most expediting service companies charge about the same rates, ranging any-where from approximately $39 to $350 per document, depending on how quickly you need service and how complicated your trip is.

One advantage of using an expedit-ing service is that it will lead you through the complex web that is international travel. Both G3 and A1 will figure out exactly what you need to legally enter a country–the requirements can vary

significantly–and then help smooth your path. For example, Americans are typi-cally not free to travel to Cuba because of continued diplomatic strains, but, said Jashim, G3 once “helped a few elite clients who were going to visit Castro. We took the documents directly to the embassies to get the visas, and [the matter] was handled legally through the two governments.”

Both G3 and A1 have sections on their websites that report on embassy closures, changes in visa requirements and other breaking news. They will also advise on political climates worldwide and help to cut through rumors. For instance, con-trary to popular belief, the United Arab Emirates will no longer turn away travel-ers whose passports have a stamp indicat-ing prior travel to Israel, but certain other Middle Eastern countries may still do so.

“We will often make recommenda-tions to clients based on what we see in their current passport [regarding pre-vious travel],” said Saleem, who noted that the U.S. Department of State allows Americans to apply for a second “lim-ited” passport that can be used to avoid these sorts of conflicts as well as in situa-tions such as visa delays.

Obviously, when a third-party expedites your travel documents, you need to con-sider the security of your information. A1 shreds all papers containing critical data, such as Social Security numbers, as soon as it finishes with them, retaining only basic information such as passport expi-ration dates and email addresses. G3 also follows strict security procedures, which involve shredding some documents and keeping others in locked storage. o


Business Jet Traveler: Making Sense of Private Aviation

This article first appeared in the bimonthly Business Jet Traveler, whose 10th anniversary issue is available here at the show. Published by the same company that produces this magazine, as well as Aviation Internation-al News, BJT is edited for business jet owners and passengers. It offers unbiased reviews of new and used aircraft; advice about buying and sell-ing jets; and information about taxes, laws, financing, safety and more. It also features articles about luxury autos, vacation destinations and other leisure pursuits, plus interviews with business jet travelers such as John Travolta and Sir Richard Branson. The current issue includes an exclu-sive interview with Penn & Teller and results of the magazine’s com-prehensive survey of business aircraft user. –J.L.E.

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Jet Aviation St. Louis honors wounded warriorby Gregory Polek

Jet Aviation St. Louis has chosen U.S. Army specialist Chad Hembree as the recipient of its Wounded Warrior award–a new Harley-Davidson motor-cycle customized by the business jet completion, modification and repair facility.

Here at NBAA 2013, the Harley Street Bob serves as the centerpiece at Jet Aviation’s exhibit (Booth No. N1932) and a tribute to Hembree’s courage and valor. At 11 a.m. today the cover will be removed from the motorcycle so that Hembree can see the work that a team of Jet Aviation volunteers did to pre-pare the Harley to honor him as well as his seven friends who died in Afghanistan.

The volunteers spent hun-dreds of hours preparing the motorcycle for today’s event, and the Harley is nothing like the stock bike that the team started with. Jet Aviation St. Louis

senior v-p and general manager Chuck Krugh, an Army veteran, was the driving force behind the concept for the Harley. Ven-dors and sponsors helped with donations and materials, includ-ing St. Louis-based Gateway Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, which provided special pricing for the motorcycle.

According to Jet Aviation St. Louis, “What [Hembree] will find will be a stunning bike that combines unique versions of military insignia, badges and patches with interpretations of the symbols of those five days that Hembree described to [Jet Aviation]. Front and center, as Hembree requested as his first priority, will be the names of his fallen comrades–in ways he never could have imagined.”

The Jet Aviation St. Louis exhibit features a large video screen behind the motorcycle, showing “the amazing story of

how the designers, engineers and craftsmen transformed a stock Harley-Davidson Street Bob into a one-of-a-kind homage to Hem-bree’s courage and service.”

According to Krugh, “This effort has been unlike anything I’ve experienced in the avia-tion industry or anywhere else. Nothing was more important to this team than honoring Hem-bree’s service and the sacrifices of his fellow soldiers in Afghan-istan–and by all of the members of the armed forces everywhere. Volunteering more hours and more effort than we could have imagined, this team has built something not only unique, but really remarkable by any stan-dard. While we’re proud to be able to apply the abilities and talents we bring to Jet Aviation’s work every day, we’re espe-cially proud to be able to apply them to honor Hembree, his comrades and all of the armed forces. That’s what this entire effort is all about.”

Hembree, now 22, spent five brutal days and four sleepless nights in 2010 on an Afghan-istan mountainside, engaged in what would prove the most intense and bloodiest series of

firefights of his life. Still recuper-ating from back injuries, PTSD and assorted other injuries from the battle, the decorated spe-cialist insisted that honoring his fallen buddies serve as the theme of a customized motorcycle. Hembree plans to ride the bike in the Patriot Guard, an organi-zation that attends the funerals of members of the armed forces, firefighters and police. The group also greets troops returning from overseas at homecoming cele-brations and performs volunteer work for veteran’s organizations.

Originally expecting that fateful mission to be a 24- to 72-hour event, Hembree felt something amiss the day before he boarded a Chinook heli-copter to “air assault in” to a mountaintop some 3.75 miles away. After assembling Alpha Company following a week off patrols, platoon leaders deliv-ered an unusual message: “Our number-one goal on this mission is to bring everybody back.”

“They had never said that before,” said Hembree. “That was always our game plan, but we never had to say it. That really was not normal. It gave us an eerie feeling about this mission.”

Hembree’s suspicions would not prove unfounded. By the mission’s third day, he and his fellow soldiers fumed over what they considered indeci-sion and poor planning on the part of command officers, who at one point argued about the best course of action while the men stayed low behind mini-mal natural defenses. In the end, five days of furious fighting left seven fellow soldiers dead and only 13 of the 40-man com-pany capable of walking off the mountain. “Hell came down on top of us,” recalled Hembree. o


CRS Jet Spares has named Luis Tapia to its Repair Control Group as a customer advo-cate in the role of repair con-trol coordinator. The CRS RCG, responsible for vendor and asset management, interfaces with customers on managing repairs and providing technical informa-tion. Tapia is an A&P mechanic and has been in the aviation in-dustry for more than 20 years in roles ranging from component repairman, manager of a repair station, sales regional manag-er to purchasing manager for a charter flight department. n

NEWS NOTE

Two-box Aviator S packs more punch by Charles Alcock

Business aviation stands to be one of the beneficiaries of Cobham Satcom’s new Avia-tor S family of satellite com-munications systems, which should be FAA-approved some time in 2015. The UK-based group, which last year acquired satcom specialist Thrane & Thrane, unveiled the Aviator S technology at June’s Paris Air Show. The key breakthrough is the company’s success in reducing the number of boxes required for the system from three to two, by incorporating the amplifier and diplexer into the antenna unit.

“Aviator S is about mak-ing satellite communications equipment smaller and more powerful,” said Kim Gram, vice president of Cobham Satcom’s aeronautical business unit. “This is a step change for the industry because, previously, the amplifier had to be installed somewhere on the aircraft and it generated heat and so was hard to locate because it has to have the appropriate venti-lation.” This issue is critical for business and general aviation aircraft which, being generally smaller than airliners, have less space available for fitting such equipment.

Aviator S has been devel-oped as a full family of Inmarsat SwiftBroadband satcom sys-tems, ranging from the Avia-tor 200S unit to the Aviator 700SD. The new equipment will meet the Inmarsat Class 4, 6 and 7 requirements and will support high-data-rate wave-forms, so operators will ben-efit from higher performance connectivity.

“The real step change is based on the greater versatility [in communications] from being able to use professional levels of IP [internet protocol con-nectivity] with a high level of data integrity,” Gram told AIN. Aviator S will give pilots the choice between ACARS data and IP data access in the cock-pit and will also provide high-performance IP connectivity to the cabin for passengers using voice calls, email and Internet browsing.

Cobham (Booth No. C10506) has yet to announce pricing for the new Aviator S equipment, and still to be revealed is the exact scale of the

weight saving from the existing three-box units. The company is committed to selling the existing

Aviator systems at least until 2017 and Gram claimed that these will continue to be a per-fectly satisfactory solution for many operators for quite some time. The Aviator 200S, provid-ing IP data, ACARS data and multiple voice services, will be the first of the new-generation systems to enter service.

In May Cobham received

an STC from EASA covering the installation of its current Aviator 300 satcom system on Cessna’s Citation 550, Bravo and S550 models. The STC was developed in partnership with Denmark’s Scandinavian Avionics, and the partners are now looking to extend the program to other Citation 500 series jets. o


Cobham’s Aviator S family of satellite communications systems promises high levels of performance and also more flexibility for installation.

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Unfortunately for most aircraft owners and operators, Murphy’s Law is alive and well in all areas of aircraft service. Whether it’s Maintenance, Avionics, Parts, Paint or Interior services, all are susceptible to Murphy’s Law and the “Murphy Gremlin”.

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Andrea’s At Encore at Wynnwynnlasvegas.com/restaurants/finedining/andreas 702-248-3463; 888-352-3463

Named for Steve Wynn’s wife Andrea, this “Hip Asian Dining” res-taurant combines contemporary Asian cuisine with nightlife. It is adjacent to the Encore Beach Club and Surrender Nightclub.

The eclectic Asian Fusion menu fea-tures Dim Sum and a selection of rolls. To be sampled for a salad course are the chili mint duck confit and a five-spice squid salad. The opulent sushi and sashimi offerings include such specialties as abalone, sea urchin, squid and fluke in addition to the usual tuna, salmon, eel and avocado.

For landlubbers, Andrea’s offers a full line of beef entrées: filet mignon, rib-eye, a New York strip. For the sea lubbers there’s lobster, salmon, cod and scallops.

Estiatorio Milos At The Cosmopolitancosmopolitanlasvegas.com/taste/restaurant-collection/estiatorio-milos877-893-2003

Estiatorio Milos by restaurateur Cos-tas Spiliadis presents Mediterranean cui-sine in a one-of-a-kind glass-enclosed terrace decorated with elegant lanterns and featuring a unique misting system.

Seafood imported daily includes fish from around the world: the Loup de Mer is cooked in sea salt to keep the fish juicy, finished with hand-picked sea salt from Kythira Island and served whole at the table. Another choice is grilled octo-pus prepared with chickpeas from San-torini, capers and kritamo.

Signature dishes include the Milos Special: paper-thin zucchini and eggplant fried crispy, served with a tzatziki sauce and graviera cheese saganaki.

And then there are the prix fixe Greek wine tasting and dinner menus.

Gilley’s Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que At Treasure Islandgilleyslasvegas.com/saloon702-894-7111

Gilley’s Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que features custom saddle seats at the bar, live entertainment, line dancing, mechanical bull riding and the world-famous Gilley Girls.

The downhome menu includes “fin-ger lickin’ bar-b-que” and other country favorites. The specialty Ten Gallon plat-ter offers BBQ ribs, rotisserie chicken, pulled pork, hot links imported from Texas. Wash it down with your favorite brew delivered up in a souvenir 48-ounce Gilley’s Boot.

You might want to cap it all off with a warm chocolate walnut brownie sundae, or some hot apple biscuit bread pudding.

The Henry At The Cosmopolitancosmopolitanlasvegas.com/taste/restaurant-collection/the-henry877-893-2003

The Henry specializes in old-school revamped classics like chicken pot pie, fish ’n’ chips and mac-and-cheese cobbler.

For something a little more revolu-tionary, The Henry offers its signature Short-Rib Benedict–braised short ribs with hollandaise and crispy potato cakes or the pan-roasted Salmon Nicoise with fingerling potatoes

Good ole standards include floats and shakes, banana splits and Mississippi mud pie.

And also on Henry’s menus are “Build Your Own Omelette” at breakfast: choose Meat, Vegetable, Dairy; or later, “Build Your Own Burger,” choosing Dairy, Gar-den, Earth. You mix and match ’em to create your own specialty.


Las Vegas

With so many fabulous dining spots in Las Vegas, how do you choose among them after your “hard day’s night” at the NBAA Convention?

AIN has a suggestion...Every year a charitable food bank called Three Square (www.threesquare.org) sponsors a

Restaurant Week in Las Vegas, during which participating restaurants donate some of their proceeds to the organization, whose goal it is to feed some 340,000 needy people in southern Nevada. Three Square, which received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, already feeds more than 100,000 people every day.

Although Restaurant Week was in August, you can still make sure some of the cost of your meal goes to help someone else, as two of the restaurants—notably Lavo and Tao—continue to offer year-round, prix fixe menus, the profits from which benefit Three Square.

And if you decide to go to other restaurants on this Restaurant Week list, you could men-tion to the managers that their support of Three Square is what motivated you to patronize them. Maybe that will motivate the owners to offer their support to Three Square all year round as well.

The Henry at the Cosmopolitan


Lavo At The Palazzo lavolv.com702-791-1800

Lavo Italian Restaurant & Nightclub is a Las Vegas celebrity haunt that has hosted a long list of star-studded eve-nings. It has become a “must-go” des-tination for those who love great food, music, dancing and a high-quality night-life experience.

The restaurant serves classic Italian dishes. Signature highlights include the one-pound Kobe meatballs, served with sausage ragu and fresh ricotta; and some of the best pizzas in Las Vegas, including the Lobster Scampi Pizza, baked straight from a wood-burning brick oven.

Lavo’s raw bar is brimming with lobster, oysters, clams and shrimp.

A Restaurant Week Las Vegas partici-pant, Lavo also has a year-round prix fixe menu from with it donates a portion of the proceeds to Three Square’s feed-the-needy effort.

R Steak & Seafood At the Rivierarivierahotel.com/las-vegas-dining/r-steak-seafood702-794-9233

A cozy space sparkling with cheer-ful attentive service, R Steak & Seafood offers a traditional steak and chops din-ner with a twist of sophistication.

Taking center stage on the menu are,

of course, steaks! Filet mignon, porter-house, prime rib. Their friends, the pork and lamb chops, coexist with a smoked duck breast served with sweet potato purée, kale and pomegranate reduction. A selection of sauces will enhance those center attractions: béarnaise, bleu cheese and chimichurri.

To complete a satisfying experience, try the warm strawberry waffle short cake or the Swan, a cream puff filled with vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate shavings and raspberry sauce.

Rao’s At Caesars Palaceraosvegas.com702-731-7267

Rao’s first opened its doors as a local saloon and 10-table restaurant in East Harlem, New York, in 1896. Its custom-ers were the city’s residents who came by after work to spend time with friends and family while sharing great food and drink. Fast forward to Las Vegas 2013.

The Rao family still offers fresh, high-quality ingredients, such as house-roasted red peppers, freshly grated Pecorino-Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses, Felipo Berio olive oil and certified San Marzano plum tomatoes imported from Italy.

The time-honored dishes include pastas, risottos and the mouthwater-ing steak bistecca–cooked perfectly and sliced tableside. Continued on next page u

Lavo at the Palazzo

Estiatorio Milos at the Cosmopolitan

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The incomparable Uncle Vincent’s lemon chicken takes a bow as do Rao’s legendary meatballs that taste “as if Aunt Anna were still rolling them each morning.”

RM Seafood Mandalay Bayrmseafood.com702-632-9300

Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood is a “state-of-the-art sustainable seafood” restaurant that offers a full casual din-ing menu featuring sushi and a pristine raw bar on the lower level, while the upper level offers a more elegant dining experience.

In June, Chef Moonen transformed RM’s upstairs into a steampunk-inspired restaurant and lounge, with décor remi-niscent of industrialism during the 19th century Victorian era.

On this menu is a panoply of denizens of the sea, some with infrequently seen names–dorade and barramundi–as well as a cioppino joining a crab manage á trois.

Moonen’s signature Catfish Sloppy Joe was highlighted in Esquire magazine’s “Sandwich Encyclopedia,” prompting a guest spot on The Oprah Winfrey Show, which eventually led to raising national awareness of the plight of the hun-gry and thousands of dollars for Three Square Las Vegas.

Rx Boiler Room At Mandalay Baymandalaybay.com/dining/rx-boiler-room702-632-9000

Also from celebrity chef Rick Moonen is the Rx “Rick’s” Boiler Room, where he showcases his spin on classic comfort food, offering guests a variety of playful creations in small- and large-plate por-tions, ideal for a shared dining experience.

Paired to elevate and complement the overall experience, the drink menu fea-tures an emporium of the finest spirits and innovative libations, capably crafted by lead barman Nathan Greene.

Showcasing a playful interior design that defies its new age, Rx Boiler Room offers a modern reflection of the Victo-rian era, celebrating the steampunk sub-genre often associated with science-fiction and inspired by industrialized Western

civilization during the 19th century. Notable on the menu are osso buco,

game hen, squid and sturgeon–and milk-and-cookies for dessert.

Seafood Shack At Treasure Islandtreasureisland.com/restaurants/seafood_shack.php866-286-3809

True to its name, the Seafood Shack tempts diners with market-fresh catches of the day: huge shrimp, steamed clams, oysters in the shell and giant lobster tails.

The Shack’s specialties boast

clam-bakes-for-two, which includes clams, mussels, prawns, sausage and whole Maine lobster, as well as steamers, Little Neck clams, Prince Edward Island mussels, Cajun-spiced crawfish compet-ing for a place on a plate.

Lighter fare: lobster roll, selection of po’ boys, seafood salads and pastas, sour-dough bowl chowder and fried calamari.

The Shack boasts a cocktail and wine list fit for “hardy fishermen, yacht cruis-ers and those pillaging the Las Vegas Strip for delicious, fresh seafood.” For more mellow imbibers, there’s a mojito bar in an area overlooking the casino.


RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay Rx Boiler Room at Mandalay Bay

Henderson Area Restaurant Week ParticipantsFully exploring an NBAA Static Display can be an appetite-inducing experience, so here are some eateries in the area that might offer something to satisfy those hunger pangs.

Todd’s Unique DiningUniquely fresh, flavorful new creations each day4350 E. Sunset RoadHenderson702-259-8633toddsunique.com

Pasta Shop RistoranteGourmet Italian restaurant and contemporary art gallery 2525 W. Horizon ParkwayHenderson702-451-1893pastashop.com

Bratalian Neapolitan CantinaTraditional Brazilian, Italian and Portuguese cuisine10740 S. Eastern Ave.Henderson702-454-0104bratalian.com

Table 34Gourmet comfort food600 E. Warm Springs RoadLas Vegas702-263-0034table34lasvegas.com

Twin Creeks SteakhouseAward-winning wine and food without the exorbitant prices of the Strip3333 Blue Diamond RoadLas Vegas 702-914-8564;800-558-7711silvertoncasino.com/dining/vegas-steakhouse-seafood

Rao’s at Caesars Palace

STK at the Cosmopolitan

uContinued from preceding page

Serendipity 3 At Caesars Palace caesarspalace.com/restaurants.html877-346-4642

Fun and funky is the name of the game at this Caesars Palace unique take on familiar dishes like the colos-sal dinosaur-sized BBQ ribs, monster meatballs and spaghetti, triple-decker grilled cheese sandwich and hundreds of other items, made fresh in their open kitchen daily.

Serendipity 3 Las Vegas’s dessert menu is absolutely spectacular. The can’t-miss item is the famous frrrozen hot chocolate, a drink that blends 20 different kinds of chocolate into an icy, rich cocoa flavor. Or, try the crème de la cream cheese cake, go for the deep-fried Oreo sundae, lose your-self in a heaping mound of apple cob-bler or create your own classic sundae with indulgent toppings. The golden opulence sundae is a Guinness world record dessert covered in 23k edible gold leaf and the most exclusive choc-olate in the world.

The restaurant also features a gen-eral store where you can find treasures like cookie jars, coffee mugs and other keepsakes.

STK At The Cosmopolitancosmopolitanlasvegas.com/taste/restaurant-collection/stk877-893-2003

The bustling bar scene is the center-piece at STK, a new-style eatery offer-ing a “flirty, feminine take” on the classic American steakhouse. The in-house DJ creates the vibes at this celebrity hotspot.

Signature dishes include inspired duo: two large tiger prawns served with shrimp rice crispys, sriracha chili sauce, micro cilantro, shrimp bisque, fresh lime and micro cilantro; and two all-wagyu beef patties, special sauce, cheese, house- made Japanese pickles, onions on a ses-ame seed bun; it can be “super sized” with black truffles, foie gras or both.

Tao At The Venetiantaolasvegas.com702-388-8338

This Asian bistro and nightclub is the perfect place to wind down after a memorable day seeing what’s new and happening at an NBAA convention.

Described as “an Asian paradise,” Tao is designed with an infinity pool that is home to Japanese koi and lush silks and century-old stones where you can

dine and frolic under the watchful eyes of a 20-foot Buddha statue.

Tao’s menu is chock full of culinary components from China, Japan and Thailand, ranging from signature Chil-ean sea bass to sushi and sashimi, Dragon Tail Spare Ribs and Wasabi-crusted filet mignon with tempura of onion rings.

For those with special needs, it offers a

good selection of gluten-free dishes. Desserts include a chocolate Zen par-

fait: layers of creamy and crunchy choco-late, Godiva liqueur and chocolate sorbet.

A Restaurant Week participant, Tao also has a year-round prix fixe menu from which it donates a portion of the proceeds to Three Square’s feed-the-needy effort. n


Tao at the Venetian

Around the world in six weeks in a pair of Robinson R66s

When most operators put a new tur-bine-powered Robinson R66 into service they spend some time flying it around the local area just to check things out. But when Moscow-based Aviamarket got its first pair of turbine-powered R66s, the company went a bit further. A six-week around-the-world-type further, to be exact.

As the Robinson dealer in Moscow and operator of a growing helicopter fly-ing club, Aviamarket’s team was eager to show off the capabilities of their first pair of R66s, which had received Russian cer-tification in March.

Flying serial number 0323, a blue R66, expedition leader Michael Farikh and Alexander Kurylev were accompanied by Aviamarket’s chief pilot Dmitry Rakitsky and co-pilot Vadim Melnikov in serial number 0164, a maroon R66.

The four pilots and two R66s along with documentary filmmaker Dmitry Kubasov took off from Moscow’s Bun-kovo Heliport on August 2. Heading west, the two crews cut a zigzag pattern across Europe from Norway to the tip of Africa then back through Scotland. The next legs took them across the North Atlantic via the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland.

After departing Greenland, the pair

of R66s flew 12.5 hours over water to Newfoundland. That was their longest single-day total of the adventure. After traveling along southern Canada, the group crossed through Alaska and finally across the far northern Pacific to Siberia. They arrived back home in Moscow on September 15.

The two R66s were equipped with auxiliary long-range fuel tanks, which allowed them to cover an average of 820 miles (1,000 kilometers) per day, weather permitting. In total, the teams crossed four continents and two oceans while covering 24,512 miles (39,448 kilome-ters). They logged 220 flight hours.

According to chief pilot Rakitsky, the Robinson R66s performed exceptionally well from start to finish and required only routine maintenance.

The globe-hopping journey was not the first time Farikh and Rakitsky had relied on serial number 0323’s reliabil-ity to complete a record-setting trip. This past April, the intrepid pair few the same R66 to the North Pole. During the 12-day journey, they logged 75 hours, flying in arctic conditions.

Robinson Helicopter is displaying its products here at the NBAA show indoor static area. –D.S.

Robinson dealer Aviamarket flew its pair of new Robinson R66s around the world before putting them to work.

The pilots from left to right: Vadim Melnikov, Dmitry Rakitsky, Alexander Kurylev, and Michael Farikh.


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Mahjong finds a home in bizjet cabinsby Kirby J. Harrison

Jeff Bonner Research & Development, a San Antonio, Texas-based cabin component developer and subassembly fabricator, has read the Asia market tea leaves and sees a

future for a modern, high-tech version of the ancient game of mahjong for installation in private jets.

Myth has it that mahjong originated in China in about

500 BCE with the philosopher Confucius. Typically involv-ing four players, it requires a combination of concentration, strategy, skill and calculation and no small degree of luck.

Jeff Bonner R&D has taken it to new heights of technology while retaining the ancient vir-tues the game represents.

“During the past three years we have had numerous requests to manufacture a mahjong table for executive business jets based in Asia,” said v-p of sales Ed Harris. The result, he said, is not only development of an adaptation of an off-the-shelf table but creation of a one-off semi-private mahjong room inspired by the Asian arts. “The FAA guidance is in place, and we have adapted similar elec-tromechanical products in the past,” Harris added.

The company (Booth No. N2508) has carved a special-ized niche for itself in executive cabin components, developing and bringing to market prod-ucts that include showers, beds that adjust to changes in the angle of flight, customized LED lighting, backlit mirrors, light-ing sconces, toilets and bidets.

Among the more recent proj-ects for an executive Airbus A340 was an in-flight shower, eight feet high and three feet in diameter, with multi-tier frosted doors, gold trim and crystal handles.

Machine-tool capabilities at Jeff Bonner R&D include everything from a 450-ton press and 19-foot autoclave to dual paint booths and CNC lathes. Projects include work contracted by executive and head-of-state aircraft owners, commercial airlines and mili-tary manufacturers.

In addition to a staff of more than 60, Jeff Bonner R&D has an in-house engineering staff familiar with both secondary and primary structure design and certification. The company claims it can manufacture 99 percent of any aircraft compo-nent without relying on out-side vendors. o


Jeff Bonner Research & Development has taken the ancient Asian game of mahjong to a new level for installation in a private jet cabin.

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MebaAdvert_ConvNews_275x352.indd 1 07/10/2013 11:51

MRO buy boosts Marshall stockThe acquisition of Beech-

craft’s flagship European main-tenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business in Septem-ber has given a boost to UK-based Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group’s aviation

services presence.The Beechcraft facility, also

formerly known as Hawker Beechcraft Services Chester, had provided a full range of main-tenance, modification, paint and upgrade services to owners

of Hawker and Beechcraft air-planes for more than 50 years.

Speaking for Marshall Aero-space and Defence Group, CEO Steve Fitz-Gerald said the com-pany is “committed to a strategy of building our civil aerospace

business, and I am delighted that Hawker Beechcraft Limited has become part of Marshall Aviation Services.”

As Marshall Aviation, the facility will continue to pro-vide service and support for Beechcraft throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It also has been granted autho-rized service center status for Hawkers and King Airs.

“We are confident Hawker and Beechcraft owners and operators will continue to receive world-class support through this newly designated authorized service center,” said Christi Tannahill, senior v-p of Beechcraft Global Customer Support.

The acquisition, added Mar-shall Aviation Services managing director Steve Jones, will allow focus on developing the facil-ity as a center of excellence. The former Beechcraft complex, with its workforce, hangars, interior workshop and customer facil-ities, as well as its onsite design engineering capability, engine bay and exterior paint facility, he added, “are a great platform for us to build on.”

The purchase of the Beechcraft MRO assets is Mar-shall Aerospace and Defence Group’s second business avi-ation acquisition this year. In March, the company acquired 100 percent of the share capital of FlairJet, the London Oxford Airport-based aircraft manage-ment and charter company. It is now part of the Marshall Avia-tion Services business unit.

Flairjet marked its third anniversary only recently and will operate alongside Cam-bridge Airport-based Marshall Executive Aviation. The acqui-sition further extends the service offerings of Marshall’s newly formed JETability services con-solidation center to provide a “one-call” business aviation solution. –K.J.H.


Closing the deal for acquisition of Beechcraft European MRO assets by Marshall Aerospace and Defence are (l-r) Beechcraft v-p of strategic planning and programs Dave Rosenberg, Beechcraft senior v-p of global customer support Christi Tannahill, Marshall CEO Steve Fitz-Gerald and Marshall head of business development and strategy development Charles Hughes.

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AIN_SA14_275x352_FA (earlybird)-NBAA.pdf 1 8/10/2013 11:28:04 AM

Teledyne LED landing light approved for business jetsby R. Randall Padfield

Los Angeles-based Teledyne Reyn-olds Lighting & Display Products (Booth No. C12443) received FAA Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) on July 11 for its Alphabeam II LED aviation lights for business jets, which the com-pany is showing here at NBAA 2013 for the first time. The lights are drop-in replacements for incandescent and hal-ogen lamps and require no modification to the aircraft for installation.

“We received our first PMA for Alphabeam, which covers more than 400 makes and models of general avia-tion airplanes, in 2010, and for a num-ber of large commercial aircraft–most Boeing jets–last year,” Shannon Prin-ciotto, director of business develop-ment, standard products, at Teledyne Reynolds, told AIN. Several domestic and international airlines are flight-test-ing the Alphabeam II for both taxi and runway turnoff applications.

“The new PMA for business aviation covers all Learjet models, from the 23 to the 60, the Hawker 800 and 1000 and the Gulfstream 100 and 200, along with the

Astra SPX,” said Princiotto.She explained that the company

learned from the first PMA approval process of the Alphabeam landing and taxi light for general aviation airplanes, which took 14 months. “We thought doing all the models on one PMA would be more efficient, but it wasn’t. So we are now doing the approvals for commercial and business aircraft in smaller groups and expect to announce more PMAs throughout 2014.”

The Alphabeam II LED landing and recognition lights are specific for busi-ness aviation. They use 28-volts DC, operate from -55 to +85 degree C and have a calculated mean time between failure of an amazing 30,000 hours. While the price of LED lighting is high compared to incandescent and halo-gen lights, the Alphabeam lights don’t have to be replaced nearly as often as other lights, which reduces downtime and labor costs, Princiotto emphasized, adding, “This means that landing light bulbs stop being consumables.”

Another advantage of LED lighting

is greater brightness. According to Prin-ciotto, an Alphabeam II landing light illuminates to a distance of 1,500 feet, while an equivalent incandescent land-ing light reaches only 500 feet. An FAA pilot verified this during flight-testing, she said.

Because LEDs are stronger than incandescent bulbs, Alphabeam II, which uses seven LED bulbs, consumes 60 watts compared to a single incandes-cent bulb’s 250 watts. “Although a lot of people think LEDs are cool, they actu-ally do generate heat, but out the back, rather than in the front,” she explained. “Therefore, Alphabeam has an alumi-num heat shield in the back.” Built-in thermal protection monitors the temper-ature and decreases power consumption during high-temp conditions.

The relative coolness of the

high-impact-glass lens, however, means that the temperature on the outer surface of the Alphabeam landing light does not warm up enough to melt ice. Therefore, Teledyne Reynolds added optically clear heating elements in the glass, “like those in the back windows of cars,” said Prin-ciotto, to make sure the lens stays clear of ice. An automatic control activates the heating element when OAT is below 5 degrees C. When on, the heating element consumes up to 40 additional watts.

If just one of Alphabeam’s seven LED bulbs fails, the other six could still pro-vide good illumination. However, the FAA wants the pilot to know there’s a problem with the landing light. So the agency required that the Alphabeam light go completely dark with the fail-ure of just one LED bulb, as would hap-pen with the failure of the single bulb in an incandescent landing light, Prin-ciotto explained. The same requirement applies to the heating element; if it fails, the Alphabeam turns itself off.

Teledyne Reynolds Lighting & Dis-play Products markets Alphabeam pri-marily through distributors, such as Aircraft Spruce & Specialty. o


Alphabeam II LED landing lights are designed specifically for business aviation and have a calculated MTBF of 30,000 hours.

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AUSTRALIAAvalon Airshow Feb ‘15

EUROPE ILA Berlin Air Show May ’14 (Germany)Farnborough Airshow Jul ’14 (U.K.)MSPO Sep ’14 (Poland)Paris Air Show June ’15 (France)MAKS Aug ’15 (Russia)

SOUTH AMERICAFIDAE Mar ’14 (Chile) Commercial Aviation HallF-Air Colombia Jul ’15

Upcoming aerospace and defense shows include:Thousands of companies Exhibit with Con� dence™ in U.S. International Pavilions.

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the company operates King Airs for the Scottish Ambulance Ser-vice. “It’s a 24/7/365 response program, which demonstrated to us that they could handle the type of operation that Wheels Up is going to provide.”

Wheels Up intends to operate the King Airs in seven “regional clusters,” each with a 700-nm service radius. The first nine air-craft are slated for service in the Northeast U.S., with New Jer-sey’s Teterboro airport at the epicenter of the service area.

“Gama Charters is extremely pleased to be aligned with Kenny Dichter and Wheels Up, as both our companies share strong val-ues of superior quality, safety and recognized leadership in private

aviation,” said Gama Charters president Tom Connelly.

Wheels Up plans on offering its members access to a complete range of aircraft categories. In September the company became the exclusive representative in the U.S. for access to VistaJet’s fleet of Bombardier Global long-range jets, under the operation of Jet Aviation, and Dichter told AIN the company soon expects to announce partnerships with oper-ators of light, mid-size, super-mid and large-cabin jets. “We want to deliver the most efficient way that people can experience private aviation,” Dichter said. He sees Wheels Up as a “democratizing” force in the industry, providing members with access to a range of aircraft without large deposits or asset buy-ins.

Wheels Up membership costs $15,750 and annual dues are $7,250; hourly rate for the

King Airs is $3,950 and, for the Globals, $15,950. Wheels Up will have a $25,000 corporate membership program, details of which are yet to be announced.

Wheels Up will complement its air transportation offering with “Wheels Down,” which Dichter described as an “off the ramp, experiential arm” pro-viding members with access to exclusive activities and unique experiences, such as private con-certs, intimate gatherings with noteworthy figures and tickets to major sports events.

Dichter, who also founded Marquis Jets (which was acquired by NetJets in 2010) believes such offerings are important to mem-bers and to the success of the pro-gram. The 2014 Wheels Down events calendar will be released on December 17 in New York City at a kickoff members’ event, Dichter said.

As for other activities planned for here at the show, Dichter said, “It’s going to be great walk-ing around NBAA with the keys to a 350i I got from [Beechcraft CEO] Bill Boisture.” o


Gama to operate Wheels Up fleetuContinued from page 1

Beechcraft, Pratt join for Wheels Up supportOne result of the huge deal to sell up to 105 Beechcraft King Air 350i

twin-turboprops to the new Wheels Up private charter membership compa-ny is that a comprehensive plan was required to support servicing of the air-frames and engines. Thus both Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support (HBGCS) and Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) signed a long-term service agreement with Wheels Up on the eve of the NBAA show, covering support of the Wheels Up King Air 350i fleet and their PT6A-60A engines, respectively. Airframe work will be done at HBGCS facilities, with much of the work cen-tered at Beechcraft’s Wilmington, Del. maintenance facility. Engine work will be done at P&WC network engine shops.

“This is the largest general aviation propeller [aircraft] order in history,” said Christi Tannahill, Beechcraft senior v-p of Global Customer Support. “The value for Beechcraft is over $600 million, just from the services perspective.”

P&WC is providing its ESP Gold plan to cover the PT6 engines power-ing the Wheels Up fleet. “This is the best coverage you can get,” said Denis Parisien, P&WC v-p of general aviation. The ESP Gold plan includes engine condition trend-monitoring via an airframe-mounted aircraft data acquisition system (ADAS) and data transmission unit (DTU). The data from the ADAS will be sent via the DTU over the cellular network, once the King Airs land, to Camp Systems for trend monitoring. “The box takes care of doing that auto-matically,” said Parisien, “and there’s no pilot intervention.”

ESP Gold includes all scheduled overhauls, hot-section inspections, un-scheduled repairs, accessory maintenance, product support improvements, troubleshooting and rental engines. Mobile repair team services for AOG sit-uations are also included.

The overall maintenance support agreement, which includes ESP Gold, also covers extensive airframe requirements, such as scheduled, line and unscheduled maintenance (including parts and labor), interior refurbishment, propeller overhaul and any time-limited items. “It’s a comprehensive package that we put together for them,” said Roger Smeltzer, Beechcraft v-p of customer fleet programs. –M.T.

Wheels Up founder and CEO Kenny Dichter (holding keys) shakes hands with Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture, taking delivery of the first of up to 105 King Airs. Also on hand to celebrate were David Baxt, global head of aerospace and defense investment at Jeffries & Co.(left) and Beechcraft executive v-p Shawn Vick (right).

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added that the $2.2 million price tag is when Nextant provides the airframe to be remanufactured.

This is Nextant’s first fol-low-on product to its 400XTi, a remanufactured Beechjet 400A/400XP upgraded with Williams FJ44-3AP engines, Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics, winglets and new inte-rior and paint. In the 18 months since receiving certification for the 400XTi, the company has delivered 36 of the circa $5 mil-lion light jets, despite a chal-lenging environment for this market segment. The G90XT will be manufactured at a new facility at Nextant’s Cleveland, Ohio campus.

The G90XT project also marks the beginning of a new relationship between Nextant and GE Aviation to collabo-rate on a family of GE-pow-ered, remanufactured aircraft. According to Ricci, the nat-ural evolution of this would be remanufactured 200- and 300-series King Airs, which he

said the company will formally announce sometime next year.

Ricci said there were several reasons why Nextant chose to go with a turboprop. “Like the 400XTi, the G90XT will be in the entry-level market, so it’s a segment we really know and understand,” he said. “In addi-tion, the pre-owned turboprop market is really strong right now and we expect further growth in this segment. And, finally, GE has already STC’d the H80 engines for this application, so it’s a project we can get into the market quickly.”

The King Air C90 also fits Nextant’s requirements for a remanufactured project. Accord-ing to the company, it is an air-craft with a large production run (more than 1,500 C90s are currently in service), reliable structure that requires few mod-ifications, outdated systems and powerplants and available under-valued pre-owned units. This also applies to the larger King Airs, as well as several unspecified busi-ness jet models, Ricci noted.

While Nextant hasn’t yet announced detailed specifica-tions for the G90XT, a com-pany spokesman told AIN that

the airplane “will do everything better than any existing upgrade packages.” More specifically, he said it will have better fuel spe-cifics, performance and range, as well as lower maintenance costs.

Some of the target markets for the G90XT include corporate operations, special mission and replacements for owner-pilots with aging piston twins. The lat-ter group is why Nextant is going with a single-lever power control. “It’s just like the power levers on a jet–there are no propeller con-trols,” the spokesman said. “This makes it simple to operate and reduces pilot workload.”

Initially, customers will have a choice of four different cabin configurations including a five- to six-passenger standard layout, a three- to four-passenger exec-utive interior with a segregated lavatory, an 11-passenger utility configuration and medevac.

Like the 400XTi, the G90XT will have serialized production–meaning they will be delivered in the same exact configuration, just like new aircraft–and come with a nose-to-tail warranty. Ricci said he expected the G90XT to add another 125 employees or more to Nextant’s payroll. o

Re-engined C90 is Nextant’s newestuContinued from page 1

Nextant’s newest project is this re-engined version of the Beechcraft King Air C90, known as the G90XT.


had been made two years ago based on customer feedback from mockup testing, but is only being announced now that the actual cabin mockup is displayed.

Both the Legacy 500 and 450 will feature the compact E2VS (Embraer Enhanced Vision System), making them the first midsize and mid-light jets to utilize Rockwell Collins’s HGS-3500 compact HUD and its EVS-3000, which can detect all types of runway lights, including LEDs.

On the Lineage 1000E, the OEM

expects to deliver the first examples by the end of the year. The revamped bizliner, which costs $2 million more than its predecessor, has a wide vari-ety of interior upgrades including an improved noise-reduction package. Due to its lighter structural weight, the 1000E has an added 200 nm of range, giving a total of 4,600 nm. New cockpit options include autoland and the E2VS system.

Embraer expects soon to augment its service center network, which currently numbers 68 locations worldwide. The newest service center in São Paulo, Bra-zil occupies approximately 200,000 sq ft and will begin operations shortly. An associated $25 million FBO is slated to open early next year. o


Embraer splurges on its NBAA display presenceuContinued from page 4

Boeing looks to BBJ Max to boost bizliner orderbookby Mark Huber

Boeing Business Jets (BBJ, Booth No. 2304, static) yesterday revealed more details about its line of fuel-efficient and longer-range BBJ Max single-aisle bizliners here at the NBAA show, while also announcing a new “Split Scimitar” winglet retrofit for existing BBJs, in coop-eration with Aviation Partners.

The new winglets are actually a modi-fication of existing winglets on BBJs and make use of existing wing structure to add a split-tip and a lower dorsal fin. Aviation Partners president Joe Clark said the Split Scimitar boosts range by 2.5 to 3.0 per-cent, or approximately 200 nautical miles,

and will be priced at $500,000 to $550,000 per set. He estimated the average time to complete the modification at eight days. FAA STC approval is expected next year.

Looking forward, the new BBJ Max 8 and BBJ Max 9 are designed to replace the current BBJ2 and BBJ3, respectively, and feature significant range improve-ments, thanks mostly to new CFM Leap engine and winglet technology. Boeing is targeting existing BBJ customers with these aircraft.

The Max 8 will see a 14.6 percent range improvement and the Max 9 should post a 16.2 percent range jump

over current aircraft. The first BBJ Max will be delivered in 2018, and test-ing is already underway on the “Boeing Advanced Winglet,” a new design being developed by Boeing for the Max.

BBJ president Steve Taylor acknowl-edged continuing soft demand for products in the wake of a slow global eco-nomic recovery; year-to-date Boeing has only sold three BBJs–a BBJ, BBJ2 and BBJ 777-200LR. “We’re selling enough to keep the system working,” he said. How-ever, Taylor noted that Boeing dominates the widebody bizliner market, besting rival Airbus by nearly two-to-one. “We own the big airplane market,” he said.

Taylor pointed to a survey in AIN sis-ter publication Business Jet Traveler, which recorded 77 percent of respondents favoring Boeing bizliners over the compe-tition. Nevertheless, Boeing’s BBJ class backlog is down to 25 aircraft; 211 have been ordered and 186 delivered to date since BBJ was formed in 1996. o

Cessna CEO expresses faith in bizav future by Mark Huber

Cessna Aircraft painted a picture of its mixed fortunes at its NBAA press con-ference yesterday, with CEO Scott Ernest saying the company was making good progress on its marquis development pro-grams–the new Citation Latitude and Longitude–while acknowledging prob-lems with single-engine piston products, and continuing quarterly financial losses.

Cessna (Booth No. C8843, static) lost $23 million more in the third quarter of this year as deliveries of its jets for the period dropped to 25 from 41 in the same quarter last year. “The industry continues to be challenging. It is what it is,” Ernest said. “We are going to continue to invest and we feel like we have good products coming to the market. The market will come back, it is just a function of when.”

In a conference call with analysts October 18, Textron CEO Scott Donnelly indicated that he did not expect things to turn around at Cessna–which is a unit of Textron–anytime soon, but that he was confident that Cessna’s investment in new jet products, as well as refreshment of existing ones such as the Citation X, Sov-ereign and the new M2 (which is derived from the CJ1) would eventually pay divi-dends. “We believe we are doing the right things for the future success of the busi-ness,” Donnelly said of Cessna.

Ernest said the first flight of the mid-size Latitude, scheduled for certification

in early 2015, would occur at the begin-ning of next year and was actually “a lit-tle bit ahead of schedule.” He added that Cessna’s 162 Skycatcher single-engine light sport aircraft, directed at the primary train-ing market, had “no future,” an indication that Cessna may be preparing to perma-nently shutter the troubled program.

Ernest also declined to elaborate on the circumstances surrounding an off-airport landing experienced by the under-develop-ment $515,000 JT-A, a variant of the sin-gle-engine Model 182 fitted with an SMA SR305-230E-C1 diesel engine that can burn jet-A aviation fuel, or what impact it would have on that aircraft’s development schedule. “We’re focused on getting it cer-tified as fast as we can,” he said. Ernest also declined to provide additional details on a new low-wing, single-engine turbo-prop that Cessna started collecting market research for in 2012, beyond saying, “We have the ability to design a lot of products and when it is time, full speed ahead.”

Ernest said that the Garmin avionics issues that had delayed the revised Cita-tion X and Sovereign programs, as well as the M2, were largely behind it. “We are on track and we feel good about certifi-cation [for these airplanes],” Ernest said. “We are learning together [with Garmin]. This is state of the art avionics.” Ernest said he did not anticipate any further delay in the three programs provided that the FAA “continues to stay at work.”

Cessna also has been building a new low-cost reconnaissance and attack twinjet called the Scorpion, with Textron Airland systems. The aircraft can loiter for five hours and has a top speed of 450 knots. It has hardpoints for weaponry, a 3- by 8-foot cargo hold for specialized electron-ics and other packages and twin ejection seats. Ernest said the Scorpion would make its first flight later this year. o

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Jackie chan expands his embraer fleet; adds a new legacy 500 to his stable

Just as he is the owner of the first Chinese-registered Legacy 650, action movie star and Embraer Executive Jets brand ambassador Jackie Chan (center) was introduced yester-day as China launch customer of the 650’s smaller sibling, the Legacy 500, to be delivered in 2015. “Jackie’s Legacy 650 has been supporting his demanding intercontinental travel schedule, and we are honored that he has chosen the Legacy 500 to serve him in the shorter-range requirements of his business development, as well as his tireless endeavors in China, Asia and around the world,” said president of Embraer Executive Jets Ernie Edwards (sec-ond from right), who announced during the briefing that he will retire at the end of the year after a more than four-decade career in aviation. He will be succeeded by Marco Túlio Pel-legrini (third from left), who is currently senior vice president of operations. � n

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Boeing and Aviation Partners announced a program to make “Split Scimitar” winglets available for retrofit on existing Boeing Business Jet models. The winglets are based on the current wing structure, and are expected to boost range by 2.5 to 3 percent; approximately 200 nautical miles.

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