Aviation International News
November 2016
PUBLICATIONS Vol. 48 No. 11 $9.00
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Cessna Citation Longitude takes flight on time
Special Report Business Aviation Fleet Analysis AIN takes a close look at the fleets of the major fractional and charter providers—their replenishment plans and the effects of the refreshments on the preowned market. page 20
Training Getting Type Rated in the G550 Senior editor Matt Thurber jumped at the chance to get his type rating in the G550 at FlightSafety International. He expected plenty of challenges during the four-week course at Long Beach, and he was not disappointed. page 46
Safety Report Highlights Non-compliance After the fatal crash at BED revealed the crew took off without completing the pre-takeoff checklists—and had a history of doing so—NBAA was tasked with finding out how prevalent the practice is. The results are disturbing. page 6
Airshows The Cessna Citation Longitude logged its first flight on October 8 from Textron Aviation’s east c ampus Beech Field Airport in Wichita. The program reached this milestone less than a year after Textron unveiled the new super-midsize business jet at last year’s NBAA Convention. “Today’s successful first flight was performed exactly as we anticipated,” said Textron Aviation president and CEO Scott Ernest. “Our product development process allowed us to move smoothly from unveiling the Longitude last November to the first flight of the prototype in just 11 months.”
Experimental test pilots Ed Wenninger and S tuart Rogerson tested the Longitude’s flaps, landing gear, pressurization, stability and control during the twohour two-minute maiden flight. “I was extremely pleased with the performance during the first flight,” said Rogerson, who is senior flight-test pilot. “The level of maturity in flight characteristics is already very high. I was particularly impressed with how intuitive the flight systems are, validating the extensive integration work done by our development teams. We accomplished everything we wanted to do.” The prototype, registered as N9227L, will continue
to expand the performance envelope, focusing on testing flight controls and aerodynamics, while the first production aircraft, set to fly in the coming weeks, will be used primarily for systems testing, Textron Aviation said. Powered by a pair of Honeywell HTF7700L turbofans, the Longitude is the largest Citation flying, with seating for up to 12 passengers. It will have a highspeed range of 3,400 nm and a maximum cruise speed of 476 knots. The jet will be equipped with the Garmin G5000 avionics suite. Ernest said he expects the aircraft to enter service late next year. —C.T.
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Aviation faces emissions test with ICAO’s CO2 offset program BIZJETS by Bill Carey The assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) approved a carbon offsetting strategy to cap aviation emissions worldwide after 2020 in what was hailed as an historic and momentous action. Sixty-five nations representing 85 percent of international air traffic have indicated they will participate
in the voluntary pilot phase of the global market-based measure (GMBM) the assembly adopted on October 6. “This is an historic achievement, and it was possible only because of a remarkable willingness on the part of all ICAO member states to come together in the interests of finding a global solution to
addressing climate change in this unique international sector,” said Ambassador Jennifer Haverkamp, U.S. special representative for environment and water resources. The initial level of voluntary participation “doesn’t just demonstrate enormous support for the measure; it signifies a resolute Continues on page 56 u
OEMs are looking to new technology and better product support to distinguish their products in a difficult market. Page
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Reno Air Races A glimpse into the world’s fastest motorsport. Steve Hinton opened the event with the time-honored “Gentlemen, you have a race,” and his son, Steven, took home his seventh career gold, this year flying Voodoo. page 64