Aviation International News
July 2015
PUBLICATIONS Vol. 47 No. 7 $9.00
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Cessna set for Q3 Latitude deliveries by Charles Alcock
Dassault rolled out the first Falcon 5X prototype on June 2 at its factory in Bordeaux before an audience of about 500 people. The French manufacturer expects to fly its most capacious business jet yet this summer.
Falcon 5X rolls out, first flight imminent by Thierry Dubois Dassault unveiled the first prototype of the 5,200-nm Falcon 5X twinjet at its factory in Bordeaux, southwest France, on June 2 and is preparing to fly the aircraft this summer. Because of the development delay announced in March, Snecma now expects the Silvercrest engine will be certified in the summer of next year. Early last month, Dassault CEO Eric Trappier said, “We are targeting 2017 for certification, and then 2017 or early 2018 for entry into service.” That schedule would see deliveries starting about six months later than originally anticipated. The 5X cockpit features the first-ever combined vision system, in which supplier Elbit
merges synthetic and “real world” vision for enhanced situational awareness in poor weather and at night. Sensors scan the environment ahead in infrared, visible light and “almost radar” wavelengths, according to a Dassault executive. The multispectral array of sensors has a field of view of 35 degrees horizontal by 26.5 degrees vertical, and the field of view for the optional pair of head-up displays (HUD) is 40 degrees by 30 degrees. The pilot can set the contrast to adapt to various kinds of runway lighting. The system has been flying on another Falcon type at Dassault’s flight-test center in Istres, in southeastern France.
Cessna earned FAA type certification for the Citation Latitude on June 6. The approval clears the way for deliveries of the new business jet to begin in the third quarter of this year. Among the first customers is fractional ownership provider NetJets, which has ordered up to 150 of the aircraft. FAA certification was achieved a couple of weeks after the Latitude crossed the Atlantic Ocean for the first time in mid-May to make its European debut at the EBACE show in Geneva, Switzerland. The aircraft first flew in February last year, embarking on a fast-track test program that culminated in earning its type certificate on schedule. Four aircraft were involved in the test
program, logging 1,700 flight hours collectively. According to Cessna, which is part of Textron Aviation, the Latitude offers a superior, flat-floor, stand-up cabin at the same price as smaller midsize
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The Citation Latitude flew across the Atlantic to make its European debut at EBACE in May, just a couple of weeks ahead of completing FAA type certification.
FAA wants more access to airman health records by Matt Thurber In response to the losses of Malaysia Flight 370 and Germanwings Flight 9525, the FAA is planning to “study the emotional and mental health of U.S. commercial pilots,” the agency stated, in a joint effort with industry representatives. The joint effort will be undertaken by the Pilot Fitness Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC), which was formed by a recommendation of the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (Cast). The ARC is tasked with reporting its findings by yearend. (See article on page 12.) In a separate but seemingly related effort, the FAA is conducting a market survey for a major update to its aeromedical Continues on page 12 u
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models. Its cabin is the widest yet of any Citation. The cockpit features Garmin 5000 avionics, also used on the Citation X+ and the Sovereign +. During the EBACE show,
Pilot Report
Maintenance Picture
Airshows
Rotorcraft
Embraer Legacy 500
OEMs keeping customers happy
Paris Air Show wrap
Cap on VA flight training benefits?
AIN senior editor Matt Thurber traveled to Embraer’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil, to fly the Legacy 500, and the fly-by-wire aircraft did not disappoint. page 44
Whether flying a brand-new aircraft or a legacy model, buyers expect top-level support, and the manufacturers embrace modern tools and technologies to ensure that they provide it. page 32
Defense and transport companies turned out in force for the biennial event at Le Bourget, walking away with significant orders, while business aviation made a strong showing as well. page 42
A proposed amendment to the post-9/11 GI Bill closes a loophole that allowed virtually unlimited VA funded flight training at public colleges, but it might do more harm than good. page 62
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The report highlights what interior designers, engineers, completion specialists and manufacturers have been doing to meet the rising expectations of customers. page 20