NBAA Convention News 10 22 13 by Aviation International News

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OCT. 22, 2013

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GE-powered King Air is Nextant’s new project by Chad Trautvetter Yesterday at the NBAA 2013 show, aircraft remanufacturer Nextant Aerospace (static display area) finally revealed its next project–a King Air C90 outfitted with GE H80 turboprop engines, a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit, zero-timed components, 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 late2014 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 Aviation Capital. “The use of this aircraft is so widely disbursed that it works in our favor.” He

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The time is now for Dassault’s Falcon 5X Dassault 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 welcoming 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, chairman 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, revealing 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 announced an “introductory offer: fully equipped, just under $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 inspection. Even inside the pavilion, the 14 extra-large windows created a bright and spacious cabin, accentuated by a skylight over the entryway. Following the event, Rosanvallon told AIN, “It was 12 years ago when we introduced the 7X at Paris. Now introducing this on the 50th anniversary of Dassault Falcon is a great event. We’re looking forward to the next 50 years.”

> See story on Page 76B

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 longawaited super midsize Falcon 5X.

by James Wynbrandt tip-to-tail aftermarket support from Beechcraft and Pratt & Whitney Canada, in a contract 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 experience with the King Air,” said Wheels Up founder and CEO Kenny Dichter, who noted that

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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

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Avionics

Outlook

Turboprops

People

International ops

New EVS from Rockwell Collins

Honeywell 10-year forecast

P&WC developing a bigger PT6

Cessna’s Dwane Wallace honored

Japan cuts charter red tape

The EVS-3000 is an uncooled “multispectral” 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

The 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

The 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 lowerpower versions, as well. Page 56

Former 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

The 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

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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.

Flexjet’s Ricci doubling down on Learjet order; now $5.6b by Amy Laboda Flexjet, which will soon be owned by Directional Aviation Capital, doubled its firm order for Learjet 85s yesterday at NBAA 2013. This latest transaction 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 tremendous 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 overall 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 significant product advantage. With a modern 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 fuselage baked as one.” Ridolfi believes the composite construction eases manufacturing and makes for an aircraft with fewer parts. “It is a technology not

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 Legacy 500, which is making its first North American show appearance, and the Lineage 1000E extended-range version of its fleet flagship, which is sporting the manufacturer’s new branded paint scheme. At its NBAA press conference yesterday morning, president Ernest Edwards noted several economic factors that could translate to a sustained industry recovery. Embraer predicts a moderate 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 midyear predictions, the airframer anticipates 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 Legacy 500 and 450 poised to enter service

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without challenges but we are overcoming them,” he added. The model 85 is expected to fly before the end of 2013, with certification expected a year after that. It is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307B engine, the newest member of the PW300 family, providing transcontinental 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 distance of 4,800 feet and landing distance of 2,700 feet. The canted (45-degree) winglets are a compromise to allow better 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 system, integrated dual FMS with electronic 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 landing 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 passenger seat, a DVD player, HD monitors at the bulkheads and an optional threeplace 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 buying); mission capability (what can the airplane 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 in that segment. In its long-range forecast, the company predicts a worldwide need for 9,250 new business jets, representing $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 compromising 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

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Rockwell Collins unveils new EVS by Bill Carey Rockwell Collins is enhancing its cockpit and cabin systems 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, “multispectral” EVS camera system that will be capable of detecting 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 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.

midlight and midsize business jets. The image source of the compact HUD is located above the combiner and uses “substrate-guided optics” to distribute imagery through the glass, eliminating the need for a projector behind the pilot’s head. Head-up Displays

With its own enhancedvision sensor, Rockwell Collins can now offer operators a full HUD package with EVS, which will also be available for head-down displays. The company eventually plans to fuse enhanced and synthetic vision for display to pilots. “I feel like we are well positioned to do so much more in the head-up display, situational awareness area,” said Jeff Standerski, 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 enhancedvision system. We really felt we needed to round out the portfolio to provide the complete value proposition.” The Legacy 500 will enter service next year with Rockwell Collins’s Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics suite, which has surpassed its first full year of service on the Bombardier Global 5000/6000 large cabin and Gulfstream G280 supermidsize business jets. Standerski said there have been no extraordinary issues with the system 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 features and functions.” Pro Line Fusion is in flight test on the Beechcraft King Air turboprop, the new Legacys and the Bombardier CSeries narrowbody airliner. The system is in development on the Learjet

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

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Rockwell Collins unveils new EVS uContinued from page 8

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

military airlifter. The advanced avionics system will be offered as a retrofit display option on Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21-equipped King Airs with a new feature: touch-screen control. The company 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 introducing Airshow 500, which it 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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describes as its next-generation 3-D moving-map display system, targeting the light business jet segment. The system will be offered as a lighter-weight drop-in replacement 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 App

Airshow 500 is compatible with older cabin monitors and newer wide-screen monitors with digital inputs. On aircraft equipped with an onboard wireless access point, it can be used with Rockwell Collins’s Airshow interactive application for the Apple iPad, enabling passengers 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, including NASA’s “Blue Marble” satellite imagery, multiple languages and passenger-selectable display settings, Rockwell Collins said. The company has surpassed 300 installations of its Venue high-definition cabin management and entertainment system. Here in Las Vegas, it is announcing 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 Rapids, 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

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Embraer unveils new Lineage, 2014 Phenom by Bill Carey Embraer Executive Jets unveiled a new version of its flagship business jet–the Lineage 1000E–at this year’s NBAA convention. The E-model comes with extended range, an enhanced interior with the latest-generation 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 lowering its empty weight. The manufacturer boiled out more than 500 pounds by redesigning the forward fuselage and removing an unused door; removing 12 to 13 unused “mirage” windows previously hidden behind cabinetry, depending on the interior modules; and optimizing fuselage supports. Engineers also redesigned wir ing harnesses and routing throughout the cabin and attached remote boxes of the inflight entertainment system to the fuselage with lighter attachments. Cabin interior enhancements, including the replacement of hardwood with veneer on table surfaces and side ledges, contributed to the effort. “In the process of designing and manufacturing the new [cabin] modules, 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 interior had a design target theoretically 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 considered 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 Home

With 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 passenger 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 redesigning 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 enhancedvision 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 Lineage 1000 executive jets in service 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 100

Also making its NBAA debut is the Phenom 100 “2014 edition” of Embraer’s entrylevel twinjet, an upgrade that includes multifunction inboard spoilers as standard equipment. 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 landing and as a speed brake that reduces speed and increases sink rate on approach. It will be available as a service bulletin retrofit for existing Phenom 100s. Embraer is now offering 11 improved interior choices or “collections” for the light jet, expanding on the six original 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

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.

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

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.

allowed near the emergency exit); a new optional stowage compartment; and a small galley 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 certified 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 G1000based Prodigy flight deck. Embraer is also offering as an option an additional 419 pounds of maximum takeoff weight and 221 pounds of increased payload, which it said is useful for high-density configurations. An optional 175-mile range increase for a Phenom 300 with six passengers is already available. The Brazilian manufacturer 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 showcasing a cabin mockup of the new “mid-light” Legacy 450 in the Las Vegas Convention Center (Booth No. N2532). o

AT THE BOOTHS Newark, N.J.-based NC Carpet 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 fabricate aircraft seats. Customers in the aviation industry include aircraft manufacturers, completions centers and interior furnishing specialists. The family-owned business has been developing equipment for the flooring trade since 1953. v

Panel explores duty rest changes by 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 publication 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 conjunction with ICAO, IBAC and the Flight Safety Foundation, is working with California-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 daytime 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 people 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 decisionmaking. For people in high-skill occupations, 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 captured on the cockpit voice recorder that he had had only one hour of sleep the Don’t Fly Drunk, or Tired During her research with NASA and other organizations, Dr. Melissa Mallis, a sleep researcher and chief scientific advisor for California-based fatigue management solutions provider Alertness Solutions, has learned that people’s perception 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 fourhour 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 –C.E. than your performance is.”

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 “evening people,” disregarding the body’s internal 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 Organization (ICAO) as a physiological state of reduced mental or physical performance 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 scientific 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 individual fatigue, concentrating instead on its overall physiological aspects. The company advises pilots to make sleep a priority, both in their daily regimen and especially when preparing for a long-distance flight. Studies have shown that those people who are “evening 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, performance levels decline drastically toward the end of that period, with reduced coordination, difficulty maintaining attention, fixation, impaired problem solving and increased risk-taking behavior all threatening safety. While it may be difficult to medically quantify sleepiness, tools such as the psychomotor vigilance test measure reactions to visual stimuli in milliseconds, giving researchers an indication of its effects. Mallis noted that fatigue is affected primarily 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,

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

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.

the body clock that governs our functioning, produces periods in the 24-hour cycle during which we are at low points of alertness (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 afternoon lull). During long-distance flights, pilots may often find themselves operating 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 responsible 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 Solutions has received funding from NBAA to update those guidelines and the company is also working with the International Business Aviation Council to improve IS-BAO guidelines to make fatigue awareness in safety management systems more comprehensive 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 Alertness 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 assessment tools such as a flight risk assessment 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 business 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 companies 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, during 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

Continued on page 20 u

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

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New UTC seat flies without wires by Charles Alcock UTC Aerospace Systems is introducing a new executive aircraft seat that it believes will set a new standard in cabin ergonomics. It features wireless technology to allow passengers

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

create a microclimate in which the temperature is adjusted to their personal preference without causing discomfort to fellow 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 passenger’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

When your aircraft is on the ground, so are our boots.

tapped technology from various parts of the group, most notably 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 connection jack for headphones, a 110VAC power outlet and an arm for holding tablet devices. The use of wireless actuation and new methods for distributing climate-controlled air to passengers without fans has reduced the weight of the seat and, according to UTC, will make the product 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 Controls

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

The 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 functionality 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 longer require cabling. The control unit can be pre-set automatically to return the chair to the position 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 business 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 rethink their own equipment. UTC itself is already a supplier of airmanagement systems for commercial airliners. Some aspects of the climate control interface with the seat are still under development through consultation with prospective customers. UTC intends to have the seat in service by the first quarter of 2015. It has not disclosed pricing for the new product. o

Which midsize jet has the largest cabin and full fly-by-wire technology?

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Duty rest changes uContinued from page 13

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 Solutions Safe (system for aircrew fatigue evaluation) allow

schedulers to input flight plans that will outline periods 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, individuals should take steps to create a restful environment, minimizing exposure to light by

closing shades and wearing eye masks. The use of technology such as PDAs, tablet computers or smartphones in bed should be eliminated. 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 individuals 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 effective it will be. The experts caution, however, that consolidated sleep is the only real way to reverse fatigue. Some aviation insurance providers have partnered with Alertness Solutions to provide fatigue management training to their customers through the company’s online Z-Coach program, which creates 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 calculate the total hours of wakefulness until you get home to decide if you need a nap before turning the key. o 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 addition 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 headquarters at Long Island MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., where it operates a 120,000sq-ft facility. It specializes in worldwide jet charters, aircraft management, maintenance and sales. –J.B.

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

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by Chad Trautvetter

61%

North America  8%

surprise from this year’s survey was an 8-percent jump in projected business jet demand–to 61 percent–from North American operators over the 10-year forecast. “Stronger new aircraft acquisition plans in North America are welcome news and should support 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, business 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 outlook, 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 conducting the survey.” In this year’s survey two common themes emerged from operator responses around the world, Honeywell said. “Demand from developing markets, while significantly higher than mature markets, continues to reflect cooling short-term economic conditions, and, in some cases, regional turmoil. In addition, government responses to budget growth, debt and aircraft-related legislation and regulations in all areas of the

world remain as factors influencing near-term purchase plans.” Despite these concerns, most operators surveyed believe that local economic growth will be stable or improve in the near term. “We continue to see underlying macro-trends that support potential demand for business 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 significant 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 information by conducting interviews with more than 1,500 non-fractional business jet operators across the globe. o

12% 5% Europe  6%

18%

Middle East & Africa  1%

Latin America Steady ––



––

 percentage

Asia Pacific  2%

change from 2012

Purchase plans by aircraft class

56% Big Cabin

83% total valuation

(Super midsized through business liner)

19% Midsize

11% total valuation

(Light-medium, medium)

25%

6% total valuation

NEWS NOTE Elliott Aviation is pursuing supplemental type certificates (STCs) for Aircell’s new ATG 2000 broadband system in the Hawker 800/850/900 models, 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 broadband wireless system aimed at midsize and light jets and turboprops. It allows passengers to connect to the Internet on their laptops, smartphones and tablets. In addition to Internet, voice service is available on either the Aircell Gogo Biz OnePhone cabin handsets or on personal devices via the new Gogo Text & Talk service. n

MARIANO ROSALES

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 Outlook 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 favorable mix as the trend toward larger business jet models continues. Honeywell predicts deliveries 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 General Aviation president Rob Wilson. “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 survey 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 billings 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 aircraft, 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 percent of business jet billings. Wilson said that the biggest

Regional aircraft demand

Source: Honeywell

Honeywell forecast sees billings worth $260B over the next 10 years

what happens in vegas... When NBAA comes to Glitter Gulch, it leaves an impression. One of the few remaining venues capable of s upporting 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

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

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Aircell debuts Gogo Vision movie server by Matt Thurber If anyone thought that Aircell was done innovating after turning on the switch for its new Text & Talk service on October 1, there is a lot more to come. Yesterday, 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 Signature Flight Support. NBAA 2013 attendees can try all the new Gogo services at Aircell’s

broadband-speed airborne Internet access in the continental U.S. and portions of Alaska. Canada will be added soon. While Aircell also offers Iridium and Inmarsat SwiftBroadband systems 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 dealerinstalled 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

booth (No. C11243). During a recent flight in Aircell’s Challenger 600 from Long Beach Airport in southern California, 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 Bernardino Mountains where the height above ground dipped to fewer than 10,000 feet, the bottom limit for Aircell’s service. Aircell’s air-to-ground telecom service started in 1998, then Gogo Biz for business aviation launched in 2009 with

FrontierMedex debuts AirAssist medical plan by 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 emergency planning specialist FrontierMedex, which gave a briefing at the NBAA show yesterday. Those who have dealt with medical emergencies tend to be the ones who subscribe to services such as FrontierMedex’s newest offering, AirAssist Services (Booth No. C9918). “I am still surprised that there are a fair amount of Part 91 operators that have no coverage in this realm,” said Charlie LeBlanc, vice president security 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 emergency 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 StatMD program. AirAssist provides both the crew training and on board medical kit and communication 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 hospital is not the best choice. “Stat-MD has been providing Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines with emergency inflight medical assistance for five years, but we are their only

MARIANO ROSALES

Charlie LeBlanc, vice president, Security Services, FrontierMedex.

business aviation client,” said LeBlanc. “We found them about 18 months ago and began to conceptualize how we could provide the AirAssist product,” he continued. What is unique about the product is that AirAssist provides not just inflight emergency training, support and direction, but also pre-flight passenger health assessments, helping the crew know ahead of time if their passengers have serious health issues that should be monitored. FrontierMedex’s AirAssist product is more than just another medical-assist subscription program for business aviation, the company claims. FrontierMedex grew out of Air Security International/ASI Group. This group was purchased by Medex Global Solutions in 2008, rebranded in 2011 and has been owned by UnitedHealthcare 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 evacuation service. Beyond that, our roots are in security, so it is natural that we would provide a security component that no other medicalassist program has to our newest product,” he said. AirAssist subscribers have access to the company’s FliteBriefs and trip-monitoring products, which provide tailored airport security issues and travel tracking, along with online intelligence tools, secure ground transportation with pre-screening of drivers and vehicles and even aircraft guarding. LeBlanc said that four Part 91 operators have already signed up for the program. o

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

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.

T-Mobile, and Android device support is coming soon. Customers still must pay for text messaging or for voice calling according to their particular phone’s package. Support for SwiftBroadband satcoms will be added shortly, according to Aircell. What makes Text & Talk useful is that it uses the caller’s existing contacts, caller ID, recent call log and other features. Anyone 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 extension. 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 director 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 Bombardier Challenger 300s and Citation Xs beginning in December. Clay Lacy Aviation made a similar announcement, with plans to install Text & Talk on all of its charter aircraft. A New Vision

Gogo Vision is Aircell’s newest 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 content to users in the airplane but also serve as a PBX and provide data compression (WAN optimization) 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 passengers to load movies onto the airplane 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 ultrahigh speed, typically less than 60 seconds to load a 30-minute TV episode and about three minutes for a feature-length movie.” Gogo Cloud services begin Jan. 1, 2014 at Washington-Dulles, Orlando International and Las Vegas airports, and another 15 Signature locations 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 unpopular 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 software 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 permovie charge. o

Controlled by touchscreen. Fueled by innovation. Engineered by Garmin. Say hello to Garmin G5000®. It’s our most advanced flight deck ever. Engineered for business jets, the G5000 suite combines innovative digital touchscreen control units with wide-format, multi-pane displays – providing the most intuitive, most fully integrated pilot/vehicle interface ever seen in this class of equipment. Garmin SVT™ synthetic vision aids situational awareness with database-generated 3-D terrain, obstacles, traffic and runways. And to further simplify pilot workload, Garmin’s patented Telligence™ voice control technology enables certain functions to be activated via spoken commands. Other highlights include: Available worldwide weather* coverage. Doppler-capable onboard radar. TCAS II traffic alerting. NextGen/SESAR growth provisions. Global datalinks for voice calls, email and text messaging*. Graphical synoptics and engine monitoring. Geo-referenced charts. Digital document display. Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP). SBAS-enabled navigation, LPV approaches, and much more. Garmin G5000. To see how the future should look from your flight deck, stop by our NBAA Booth (#C9843). Or check out our website: Garmin.com ©2013 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries * Optional features and subscriptions may be required.

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Finally, DOT issues NPRM aimed at charter brokers by James Wynbrandt The U.S. Department Of Transportation (DOT) released its long awaited Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on Enhanced Consumer Protection 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 services 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 committee 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 associate member to draft a formal response. Though Acana was formed to represent charter brokers, several charter operators have also joined the organization, and having 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 Carriers

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

McCown noted that Acana (here at the Avinode/Wyvern Booth No. N3921) has advocated allowing brokers to act as indirect 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 creates less ambiguity of our role.” The new indirect air carrier designation would, for example, eliminate problems that have occurred when government agencies contract with charter brokers for service (as the last of the DOT’s four proposals addresses). The federal government 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-specific 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/management 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 proposed. “It’s about time the DOT is catching 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 brokers 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 comfortable 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 broker’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 clients 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 suggesting that a far higher percentage of 135 flights are originated through brokers. Forum Today

Here 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 Consulting. Panelists will include Dayton Lehman, Jr., former DOT principal deputy 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 comprehensive 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 publication. For more information, search “charter brokers” at www.regulations.gov. o

Small Illinois city is a mecca for local aerospace talent by Mark Huber Think of a city considered an aerospace manufacturing hub: Seattle, Toulouse, 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 epicenter of aerospace activity in the country and the sixth largest as measured by concentration of aerospace employment. 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 suppliers, including B/E Aerospace, GE Aviation, Esterline, United Technologies Aerospace Systems (UTAS, formerly Hamilton Sundstrand) and Woodward. With all of this activity, it is para-

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 students. 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 Partner

As an offshoot of this effort, EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University is partnering with Rockford Public Schools to establish an aerospace institute that will launch this fall as part of Rockford’s charter school program. The program is offered free to high-school students, enabling them

keep them, but they were not aligned. We really weren’t doing a good job of keeping students here in the market. Conversations 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 companies and others of various sizes. “We also needed to make more companies 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 summer 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 companies must aggressively recruit engineering talent “just to maintain the status-quo,” and that a program like JiET-A is essential 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 college. We needed to create a route back with an attachment to the community.” Exceeded Expectations

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.

mount that employers have access to a constant stream of talent across all sectors of the workforce, from the factory 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 interested in creating incentives for graduates of Rockford-area high schools to return and gain aerospace employment in the area after receiving their university educations elsewhere. Rockford does not have a local engineering school. So in 2011 the Rockford Area Economic Development Council’s (RAEDC) Rockford Area Aerospace Network (RAAN, Booth No. C7924) created the Joint Institute of Engineering and Technology-Aerospace (JiET-A) program. The goal of the program is to boost the flow into the region’s aerospace talent pipeline. JiET-A combines three components: academics, mentorships and scholarships. The internship program is offered at Rockford-area schools such as Northern Illinois University, Rock Valley College, Rockford University and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

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 EmbryRiddle to set up an engineering program in Rockford but those plans were temporarily iced by the recession. However, Embry-Riddle has received approval from the Illinois Board of Education to begin teaching individual master’s level engineering 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 employers, UTAS and Woodward,” said Eric Voyles, vice president of national business development for the RAEDC. “There were multiple programs here in town designed to create engineers and

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

So far the program has exceeded expectations, 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 companies are currently seeking interns under the program. Voyles said that more companies 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 Rockford-area aerospace companies with a variety of qualified graduates, from certified assemblers to post-graduate engineers. Right now its primary focus is on college-track students. Kroll said JiETA intends to provide 45 internships at 12 companies next year. UTAS has hired two JiET-A graduates as full-time employees. Both are graduates of Northern Illinois University. One of them is Mitch Semple, a mechanical engineer, who now works as a manufacturing engineer at UTAS. Semple 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 fulltime 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

NBAA germinates Bizav’s Next Gen With an eye toward the future of the industry, NBAA continues the tradition 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-limitless career opportunities; however, many current industry professionals note that

they were not aware of these possibilities 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 aviation 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 convention 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 general 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 introduce 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 leaders to become engaged in the many career opportunities the aviation industry 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-scholarship 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.

BBJ

boeing.com/commercial/bbj

Cessna Aircraft

October 2012

News highlights from the past year

2012 10

• Announced the first Cessna-owned Citation Service Center in the UK, located at Robin Hood Airport in Doncaster, Sheffield. The former Kinch Aviation Services was rebranded as the Doncaster Citation Service Centre. The 50,000-sq-ft facility offers service ranging from maintenance to modernization and paint. • Cessna debuted the newly updated Citation Sovereign in the static display at NBAA 2012 in Orlando. • Cessna announced that the name of the improved “Citation Ten” will revert to the original and more familiar “Citation X.”

November 2012 • Cessna entered into a joint-venture contract with China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA) to conduct final assembly of Cessna Citation XLS+ jets in China for the Chinese market.

December 2012

• Announced another joint venture contract with CAIGA to conduct final assembly of Cessna Caravan utility turboprops in China for the Chinese market. The joint-venture contract also contemplates the possibility of designing and assembling new models of utility turboprop aircraft in the future. 12

January 2013 • Cessna commenced the initial production run of the new Citation M2 light jet at the company’s Independence, Kan. facility. • The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140-powered Grand Caravan EX turboprop single receives FAA type certification. • In parent company Textron’s 2012 year-end earnings call, Cessna announced that revenues increased to $3.1 billion, up $110 million from the previous year, while profits climbed by $22 million, to $82 million.

April 2013 2013 1

March 2013 • First production new Citation Sovereign rolled off the production line in the company’s Wichita manufacturing facility.

• Cessna rolled out of the first production unit of the new Citation X at the company’s Wichita manufacturing facility. • In its first-quarter 2013 earnings call, parent company Textron CEO Scott Donnelly noted that the airframer delivered 32 new jets in the first quarter, six fewer than in the same quarter last year, resulting in a segment loss of $8 million in the quarter. He added that Cessna is paring its 2013 business jet deliveries outlook and expects deliveries will be down compared with 2012. • The airframer added aircraft-on-ground (AOG) maintenance for its 208 model Caravan at all of its factory-owned Citation service centers, as well as from its mobile service units. • The new-generation super-midsize Citation Sovereign with the Intrinzic Garmin G5000-based flight deck made its first test flight.

• Cessna announced the planned expansion of its worldwide sales force by nearly 50 percent. The company is placing an emphasis on decentralized satellite offices in global markets where Cessna’s presence is established or where the company sees growth opportunities. • Rollout of the 400th production Citation CJ3 from Cessna’s production facility in Wichita. The light business jet is in its ninth year of service.

• Acquired Jet Aviation’s maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities in Zurich, Switzerland, and Düsseldorf, Germany, further increasing the company’s global service center footprint. Jet Aviation continues to operate the FBO facilities at both locations.

Citation Sovereign

May 2013 • Cessna promoted Kriya Shortt to senior, right, vice president of sales. She was succeeded as v-p of sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) by Tom Perry, who held the post of head of sales in the UK, Benelux and Nordic regions.

July 2013

• Cessna reached a milestone in the manufacture of the new Citation M2 light jet with the mating of the wing and fuselage on the first production unit.

• Delivered the first production units of the Cessna TTx high-performance, all-composite piston single to customers.

• At the EBACE show, Cessna introduced a treatment to protect Citation jets based in Europe from the corrosive effects of environmentally friendly but aluminum-hostile runway de-icers increasingly used across the region. The treatment is available under the ProTech+ program.

• Cessna introduced “Sovereign Shield,” a unique service program covering all scheduled maintenance and parts costs for the new Citation Sovereign for the first five years of ownership or 1,500 flight hours.

August 2013 • Promoted Lannie O’Bannion from business leader for the Caravan product line to regional vice president of sales for the midwestern U.S. and Canada.

• In its first-half earnings call, parent company Textron said second-quarter revenues at Cessna decreased by $203 million, with the company delivering just 20 new Citations compared with 49 in the same period in 2012.

• Maiden flight of the first production unit of the new Citation X reaches Mach 0.915 at 41,000 feet.

• Rollout of the first production unit of the Citation M2, from Cessna’s assembly line in Independence, Kan. • Cessna named Bob King, most recently the OEM’s v-p of information technology, as business leader for the Mustang, M2, CJ2+, CJ3 and CJ4 business jets, and promoted Brian Rohloff from business leader for the Mustang and M2 programs to vice president of quality.

Citation X

• Completed the first fuselage for the new midsize Citation Latitude twinjet. • Maiden flight for the first production unit of the Citation M2, from Cessna’s Independence, Kan. facility.

September 2013

• Cessna and sister company Bell Helicopter both contributed to the design and development of parent company Textron’s new Scorpion military jet. According to a Textron spokesman, Bell brought composite expertise to the project, while Cessna designed and built the jet at its Pawnee facility in Wichita. A nearly completed prototype, which has been fitted with a pair of Honeywell TFE731 turbofans, is expected to fly by year-end. Low-rate initial production is scheduled to start in 2015 at Cessna’s Wichita plant.

Citation M2

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

Embraer Executive Jets DECEMBER 2012

Legacy 650

• 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. Minsheng also has an outstanding order for three Embraer Lineage 1000 bizliners.

2012

• 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

MARCH 2013

• 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.

APRIL 2013

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

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

• A new Embraer Legacy 650 level-D flight simulator at FlightSafety International’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.

Embraer’s composites factory in Évora, Portugal, completed its first shipset– a mostly composite empennage for the Legacy 500 midsize twinjet. The component was shipped to the company’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil.

FEBRUARY 2013 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.

NOVEMBER 2012

• 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. 3

• 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 represented 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.

May 2013

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 aircraft 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.

Legacy 500

• The new Embraer Legacy 500 made its first public appearance outside 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 aircraft, 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.

MATT THURBER

News highlights from the past year

• 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 forecast. The U.S. will continue to be the largest market for business jets, predicted to take delivery of nearly half of the aircraft during the forecast period. Embraer anticipates that 7,870 to 9,300 business AUGUST 2013 jets–valued at $205 billion to $246 billion– will be shipped worldwide through 2022. • The first Embraer Legacy 650 built in China completed its maiden flight on August 26. It was assembled by Harbin Embraer Aircraft Industry, the joint venture between Embraer and Aviation Industry Corp. of China, which previously manufactured EMB145 regional jets.

• 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 32to 36-seat VIP shuttle concept of the Embraer E195 on its drawing board. • Embraer named Jet Aviation Basel, Switzerland, an authorized service center for the Embraer Legacy 600 and 650.

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 33

Dynamic changes afoot at Dallas Airmotive

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 support our customers, the organization 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.”

by Kim Rosenlof A new president, restructured 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 undertaken in the past few months by turbine engine overhauler Dallas Airmotive (Booth No. N3505), a BBA Aviation company. According to Doug

Meador, who was promoted to president in January, these changes and others are designed to bring Dallas Airmotive’s services closer to the customers. “The message is really around serving the customer and making our company easier to do business with,” said Meador. “We’ve received past feedback that sometimes our systems or organization were not easy to deal with. So everything we’ve done around aligning ourselves organizationally, 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 directors supported by a team of Doug Meador, regional engine managers. Dallas Airmotive president “Our sales team now sells all 2013 COMBO THROTTLES NBAA_NBAA 2013 9/17/13 1:04 PM Page 1

A Dallas Airmotive field service tech inspects a PW500 engine.

[of our] products; they’re not [individually] product focused like they were,” said Meador. “And then we aligned our service regions with those same sales territories. So now if a customer is in Van Nuys and they have a problem and they call their salesperson, that salesperson has a relationship with [the corresponding] regional field service representatives and managers. This speeds up our response time.” The alignment of sales and service regions also required decentralization in the company’s growing F1rst Support

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

Expands Engine Support

Dallas 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

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

rather than shop activity,” said Meador. “The HTF7000 is a prime example; it’s an on-condition engine. Most of the activity 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. Dallas 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 Horizonte, Brazil; and adding new engine authorizations to its Singapore RTC. Established in February 2012, the Singapore RTC recently completed its first major periodic inspection (MPI) on a Honeywell TFE731 engine. “This first MPI is the culmination of a year’s effort to establish 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 growing base of customers now and for the long term.”

information about the customer’s registered aircraft to Dallas Airmotive 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 service side of our business through enhancing our customer service. [We’re] getting a whole lot faster in our response time and problem resolution, whether it’s just a telephone call or an AOG situation in Bangkok. We’re going through a process of redefining what the service experience with Dallas Airmotive is.” o

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

Honoring

a Wounded Warrior JOIN US FOR THE UNVEILING 11:00 AM ON OCTOBER 22 nd Booth N1932

Engine App

In yet another effort to enhance connectivity between the company and its customers, Dallas Airmotive has launched the new mobile “MyTurbine” app that connects directly to the F1rst Support database, allowing customers to contact F1rst Support with one click and instantly providing

Dallas Airmotive Unveils New Logo Dallas Airmotive unveiled its new logo here at NBAA 2013. Using 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 mythological Phoenix represents cyclical renewal. The Phoenix rises from the ashes of its predecessor,” commented Dallas Airmotive president Meador, “which is symbolically what we do for turbine engines. We take worn and damaged engines and give them renewed life.” –K.R.

O P E R A T I O N

H O G

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www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 35

Microturbo APU poised to enter service on AW189 by Charles Alcock Safran Microturbo’s new e-APU60 auxiliary power unit is set to enter service 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 newgeneration “more electric” and eventually “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 certification by EASA under Category 1 rules for essential use (FAA TSO C77b) and it can be installed as part of any new aircraft 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

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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.

certification tests and seven more units were involved in specific testing to integrate the powerplant with the AW189 twin. Collectively these totaled more than 1,000 hours and 5,000 cycles of testing. According to Microturbo CEO Pierre-Yves Morvan, the equipment has behaved exactly as it was designed to do with further maturation tests still under way. “We found very good [performance] results from the testing and there were no significant discoveries,” he explained. “It certified very easily.” In addition to ground starting the AW189’s main engines, the e-APU60 supplies power to the helicopter’s electrical systems and runs the cabin air-conditioning. Crucially for flight safety, it also can restart the main turboshafts in flight and provide backup electrical power throughout 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 connect 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 aircraft systems gathers pace. “Some OEMs are very used to starting engines with air and so many of the design standards are built around this approach [as opposed to using electrical 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 contribute to reducing aviation’s environmental impact in terms of both engine emissions and noise. “APUs are used for a significant 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 especially important for business jet operations because operators want their customers to be as comfortable as possible and not disturbed by engine noise.” o

UTC’s interface module turns tablets into EFBs by Charles Alcock Pilots will be able to use their they can connect via a USB port tablet devices as fully functional (or wirelessly via Bluetooth). Class II electronic flight bags Windows-based tablets, for now, (EFBs) thanks to the new Tablet can connect only wirelessly and Interface Module (TIM) being so can only receive data. The introduced by UTC Aerospace equipment is also compatible Systems. The low-cost solution with iPad Mini tablets, saving has been developed by the group’s further space in confined cockSensors & Integrated Solutions pits such as those of smaller division and is being demon- business aircraft. The AID is based on an strated here at UTC’s NBAA Arinc 834 server and it can interexhibit (Booth No. C6922). According to Jim Tuitt, direc- face with any avionics suite that tor of business development supports Arinc 429 and 717 with UTC’s cockpit data man- databuses, as well as serial conagement team, the key to TIM’s nections such as RS4232 and ability to transform tablets into Ethernet links. This means that fully functional EFBs is its air- the aircraft’s systems can procraft interface device (AID). vide the tablet with key flight Traditional EFBs can connect data such as the aircraft’s posidirectly to the AID (which effec- tion in latitude and longitude, its tively acts as a firewall to the avi- speed, as well as fuel consumponics systems), but tablets need tion and distance to destination, TIM to connect. plus weather information and For Apple iPads this provides Notams, if available. The system both conditioned power and can also connect the tablet to airJA_global_ads_AIN_ConvNews2013.qxd 10/10/13and1:47 PM Page maintenance data from cockpit systems, and craft condition

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 solution compared to existing technology that requires a larger server. “As well as providing data from the aircraft, it can also be a networking solution communicating between tablets,” he explained. “It’s a right-sized server. It reduces pilot workload and improves their accuracy.” TIM is due to enter service this fall on a mix of Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s with some unidentified airlines. UTC is now in discussion with business aircraft manufacturers and expects to have new applications for TIM in the near future. The system itself has to be installed under a supplemental type 1certificate or fitted as original

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

equipment on new aircraft by the airframer. The tablets 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 programs such as NextGen in the

U.S. and Europe’s Sesar. However, Tuitt said operators that don’t want to make the higher investment in a full-blown EFB now will at least b enefit from using tablets as a first step. UTC has not released pricing 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

at h us oot sit b 2 Vi AA 93 1 NB N

Jet Aviation Teterboro

Enjoy our local hospitality; experience our global FBO network Meet the team who understands the needs of business travelers. At Jet Aviation Teterboro, our awardwinning FBO team provides efficient, friendly service with a can-do attitude at the nation’s busiest general aviation airport. Consistently rated among the top 30 FBOs by leading trade industry publications, our on-site ambassadors, concierges and wait staff greet your aircraft and attend to your passenger’s every need. Our fully-appointed lounge, fitness center and state-of-the-art flight planning resources benefit both passengers and crew alike. Our Teterboro team delivers the best in local service; our global network serves you everywhere else. Personalized to Perfection. Jet Aviation Teterboro Tel. +1 800 538 0832 | Tel. +1 201 462 4000 jteb@jetaviation.com | www.jetaviation.com/teterboro

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www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 37

Aircell adds voice calling to Gogo Biz service Aircraft cabin connectivity 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 operates 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 single 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. Passengers and flight crew can also

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.

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 system) and using the passenger’s own mobile number (not an auto-attendant, two-step dialing or call-forwarding protocol). Because service is 100-percent software-based, voice can be added to any standard Gogo Biz equipment package without additional hardware, weight or installation downtime. According to Aircell, “This makes Gogo Text & Talk practical for aircraft as small as light jets and turboprops, [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 Display

Also on display is Aircell’s Gogo OnePhone, which the company claims offers “superior voice quality and the industry’s most advanced noise-reduction technology. The touchscreen dis- Aircell’s play is bright GoGo OnePhone and the Android operating system simplifies use.” The OnePhone comes in a variety of finishes and materials. Wired and wireless options are available. –K.J.H.

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

AfBAA is putting Africa on the map

Africa–from where this Falcon 900EX operates–accounts for the lion’s share of business aviation in the southern half of the continent.

Just prior to this year’s from the outside of questionable NBAA convention, the African safety and quality. There is also Business Aviation Association the size and terrain of the conti(AfBAA) held its first regional nent itself, which combines with a symposium in Marrakech, lack of infrastructure to bring its Morocco. A range of topics was own unique problems. “There are no highways that discussed, highlighting not only the many issues that face busi- link us, no roads,” asserted Tarek ness aviation as it grows on the Ragheb, founding chairman of continent, but also the strides AfBAA. “The only option we that have been made by AfBAA have is air transportation, through since it was launched at EBACE both commercial and private means. Business aviain May last year. Since tion is the vehicle that then the association will improve economies has grown quickly and in the region.” now numbers about Among the orga50 members, includnization’s tasks are to ing OEMs, operators, foster greater alignsupport companies ment between African and FBOs. nations and to educate AfBAA is facing a African governments number of issues in its role of supporting and Tarek Ragheb, founding about the value of busichairman of AfBAA ness aviation to their expanding the role of business aviation in Africa. Many economies, especially as supof the challenges come from the port to the growing oil/gas and fragmented nature of Africa’s mineral resources industries and constituent states, political insta- as a vehicle to convey inwards bility in some countries, a lack of investment. “We’re a very seriin the 2:16 advocacy of standardization and a perception ous player JA_global_ads_AIN_ConvNews2013.qxd 10/10/13 PM Page

business aviation to African states,” Ragheb told AIN. Arguing the case for business aviation in Africa can be difficult: unlike in Europe where there is relative unanimity regarding standards, all of Africa’s 54 countries have separate requirements and legislations. AfBAA is developing a road show to take around to the civil aviation authorities of the continent, 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 during the African Union’s fifth committee on transportation. For the AfBAA this is a significant step. “It’s a great forum to get all the authorities in the regulatory environment together in one place at one time,” explained Ragheb. The AfBAA is also launching an air show to be held next April in Morocco. The AfBAA Expo builds on the former Mar2rakech air show, which was

DAVID DONALD

by David Donald

mainly a military show, by adding a major exhibition of business 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 concentrated, he replied simply, “Safety is paramount.” Of all the issues facing the AfBAA, the perception of Africa’s poor safety record is the one that stands most in the way of the industry, with its knock-on effects on the cost of insuring and financing aircraft. While horrific figures 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 appreciably worse figures than for other regions. However, the stigma is one that is difficult to shake off.

One answer lies in the potential creation of AfBAA-accredited standards for services and operations. If such standards can be implemented, they immediately provide a discriminator between the AfBAA’s member companies and similarly reputable companies, and other potentially less professional outfits. Such a move would likely begin from the bottom up, by initially introducing standards for ground handling and fuel supply before moving on to more complex 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

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Jet Aviation Palm Beach

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www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 39

Spirit Avionics’ global sales soar by 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

Please do not delete rule border. It is part of the ad design. Junior tabloid page 7 13/16” x 10 3/8” year, a rate that equates to a a world-class aviation services 60-percent increase over the previous year’s tally. “This growing segment of our business is just another example of how Spirit Avionics is evolving into

provider,” said Tony Bailey, Spirit’s new president, who formerly was the CEO of Comlux Aviation Services. While the company offers

varied services such as aircraft management and maintenance, its primary focus lies in avionics sales, design and integration. Spirit’s global parts support division 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 division also handles component repairs, rentals, spares acquisition 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 FAA

In early September, Spirit delivered the sixth Beechcraft King Air 300 that it has modified for the FAA, part of a 17-airplane contract signed in 2010. The program includes engineering and project management as well as new LED lighting, headliners, seats, sidewalls, cabinets and noise-reduction insulation. In other company news, the Columbus, Ohio-based company also announced it has added veteran sales professional Corey Schoo as sales representative 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 disasters,” said Bailey. “That business introduced him to aviation and a strong network of aviation industry leaders who shared his desire for helping people.” o CRS Jet Spares to give away Harley

Draw on the luxury of experience for the most luxurious results. AERIA Luxury Interiors, the completions division of ST Aerospace San Antonio, specializes in VIP completion and refurbishment for Boeing and Airbus airframes. The AERIA team has renowned expertise in completions, engineering, and all related support activities. Our management team collectively has nearly 150 years of experience and has performed successful completions on more than 50 aircraft. For the ultimate expression of airborne style, elegance, and functionality, call on AERIA Luxury Interiors. The Luxury of Experience. Visit AERIA Luxury Interiors at our booth C9626 during NBAA 2013, Oct. 22 to 24! 9800 John Saunders Road, San Antonio, Texas 78216, U.S.A., Call us at +1 210 293 6925

AERIA Luxury Interiors is the completions division of ST Aerospace San Antonio, L.P., which is an affiliate of ST Aerospace.

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

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Business aviation after-market parts supplier CRS Jet Spares is again sponsoring the Harley-Davidson Giveaway Contest 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 departments are invited to participate and may enter the contest at the CRS Jet Spares exhibit. The drawing will take place there on Wednesday, n October 23, at 3:30 p.m.

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Cabin size is king by r. randall padfield

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 passenger 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 manager, chief pilot and maintenance chief are off somewhere examining acquisition and operational costs, performance capability, aircraft systems and maintenance support, a company CEO or high-networth individual and spouse will be taking a leisurely tour through the airplane’s elegantly appointed cabin. Although cabins 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 productive–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 purchasing 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 business 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.

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.

The First Bizliners Although 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 category 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 (sometimes called the BBJ1) also sports Aviation Partners Boeing “blended winglets,” a first for a jet bigger than a Gulfstream Continued on page 44 u

“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.)

BIG BUSINESS JETS Manufacturer & Model

Cabin volume (cubic feet)

Number of passengers possible

Maximum takeoff weight

(with full fuel, including in optional tanks)

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

(pounds)

Max. range at long-range cruise speed

Normal cruise speed, 35,000 feet

Est. price with completed interior

(nautical miles)

(knots)

(millions)

Variable cost/hour

Annual fixed cost

Number built or delivered

(millions)

Embraer Lineage 1000

4,085

120,152

4,487

450

$53.0

$6,432

$0.958

10+

Airbus ACJ319-113

5,900

168,650

6,332

461

$87.0

$7,526

$1.054

Boeing BBJ 737-700IGW

5,390

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.

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

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Cabin Size is king uContinued from page 42

one 767 BBJ. Governments and corporations “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 private owners “also have a traditional business jet, for trips when they fly alone or with four to six passengers.” While the largest, “traditional” business jets–the Gulfstream G650 and Bombardier 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

exm COMPANY / H. GOUS E´

III. (Aviation Partners Boeing is a joint venture of Boeing and winglet manufacturer 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-ubiquitous (on Boeing aircraft) Aviation Partners winglets, at the 2000 Farnborough airshow in England. Both Boeing and Airbus divide their bizliner sales among governments (30 percent), corporations (10 to 15 percent) and private individuals (about 60 percent and typically billionaires), said Richard Gaona, president and CEO of Comlux The Aviation Group, which operates five ACJs and

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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)

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 relative. In a two-class United Airlines 737700 or A319, for example, you’ll struggle for elbowroom among 120 other passengers. 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 customer base, such as royal families with substantial entourages. The U.S. president, 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 understand 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 galley, another lav for other passengers and crew and an enclosed, closet-size crewrest seat. “The size of the cabin and having a layout that has dedicated sections where you can work or relax without converting part of the airplane in flight [such as seats to beds, as one does in a “traditional” 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 comfort in his own bed and arrive in the Middle East fully rested and ready to do business.” “More and more prestigious designers 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 storage for the owner’s watch collection. Yet, addressing the needs and desires of owners while adhering to the requirements of certification authorities is not easy. “The reality of cabin interior design may not strictly follow the adage, ‘form follows function,’” explained Elisabeth Harvey in a promotional book about the Jet Aviation Design Studio, which she heads. “[It] is more likely to be functional form follows 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 people who like to take care of themselves,” the chief pilot said. The Fortune 500 company’s BBJ also typically flies with three to four passengers, 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 Bombardier jets. “The cabin is so comfortable that passengers don’t mind making a fuel stop, if their trip requires

Continued on page 46 u

DAVID McINTOSH

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.

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.

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

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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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).

uContinued from page 44

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, highnet-worth owners do a lot of shopping when traveling. Returning home with

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

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davemarone4803@BLRaerospace.com BLRaerospace.com/4803 425.405.4803 Greenpoint Technologies incorporated a circular shower in the master bathroom of this BBJ. AIN P2v.indd 8 10/1/13 10:58 AM 46BLR NBAA Convention News • October 22, 2013 • www.ainonline.com

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

Advice for Bizliner Buyers Buying 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 complexity of the interior; recent ones were in the ballpark of $20 million to $30 million.” 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 coming out of a G550 or a Global,” said the West Coast BBJ chief pilot. “This person 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-percent 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 company said, “The biggest headache any operator has are the cabin amenities. People 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

Pulsar’s app gauges pilot fatigue by 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 complexity, 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 developed fatigue assessment tools for agencies such as the Department of Transportation, 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 stressors 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 available for free at www.fatiguemeter.com.

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 calculate, 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

Fatigue Risk Mitigation

While its products are in use in space, under the sea and on the nation’s highways, the development team is no stranger to business aviation. Lead engineer Michael Stubna was part of the team that developed a fatigue risk mitigation 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-mathematical model of human fatigue and makes it accessible in an interactive manner. While

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.

the performance impairment curve as the schedule is created. “Sleep needs to be managed as a mission-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 company’s are opening doors into an area that had previously been based on intuition and crude rules of thumb. Seeking Feedback

The 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 support services affiliate status by the International Business Aviation Council, is eagerly seeking feedback from users as to its utility. One use envisioned for the app is helping flight managers share with passengers the justification for decisions that are made. “They may not fully appreciate the importance of adequate crew rest, and so one possible utility of this tool is a means to communicate to your customer that there are elevated risks associated 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 planning package or as a stand-alone tool. o

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 47

Ikhana Twin Otter re-lifing can double original lifespan by Kirby J. Harrison The many lives of the venerable, hardworking 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

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Booth C10040 48 NBAA Convention News • October 22, 2013 • www.ainonline.com

overhauled or new propellers. New-life Twin Otters are also delivered with fresh exterior paint and an interior refurbishment to the customer’s specs. Ikhana holds numerous supplemental 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 fuselage, to flight controls. The most recent STC and PMA approvals were for the RWMI Twin Otter X2 re-life flight controls. An STC for the nacelles has also

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.

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 legacy fleet, many of them with fuselages and wing boxes that are timing out in terms of hours and/or cycles. The original Twin Otter 100, 200 and 300 models produced from 1965 to 1988 have a structural 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 business of extending the airworthiness of those Twin Otters, said director of sales and marketing 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 controls and electrical harness, as well as replacement of critical parts. The company 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, overhauled or factory-new Pratt & Whitney Canada PTA-27s or PT6A-34s and

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 specialmission models are currently in the works. At any one time, there are approximately a half-dozen X2 Twin Otters undergoing relife. “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 Canada and is endorsed by Viking Air for the Dash 7 as well as the Twin Otter. The company also provides MRO services for turboprops through medium business jets. At its NBAA booth, Ikhana has a fullsize Twin Otter nose on a stand, complete with a radar pod. Having a full aircraft on the static display line at Henderson Executive Airport was not an option, said Alksninis. “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 international customer base worldwide that fly Twin Otters.” o

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NetJets opens new Palm Beach terminal

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.

NetJets “soft opened” its new 10,000-sq-ft dedicated passenger terminal solely for the fractional provider’s customers at Palm Beach (Fla.) International Airport last month, almost exactly a year after breaking ground on the facility. 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, Signature maintains the building and provides the ground-handling staff; NetJets has a customer service agent based at the facility. Amenities at the private terminal include passenger and crew lounges, crew rest areas,

conference room, a private customer business center and flight-planning facilities. Notably, it also has a kids’ area, complete with beanbag chairs and an Xbox 360. The interior layout 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 restrictedaccess auto parking. Thanks to an agreement with the airport 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 fourthbusiest location for NetJets, with the company logging 10,000

CHAD TRAUTVETTER

by Chad Trautvetter

aircraft movements there annually. 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 facility 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

Partnerships enhance Honeywell by 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 international trip support and added weather radar capabilities. A new partnership with Aircraft Performance Group (Booth No. C11030) will provide runway analysis data and weight-and-balance software to GDC users. APG maintains a database of airports worldwide to provide customers with upto-date information for preflight planning and provides its proprietary Atlas program for calculating 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 partnership with Dubai-based flight planning company Jetex (Booth No. C11616), announced earlier this year at the EBACE show, allows the companies to jointly offer their flight-planning, aircraft datalink, flightfollowing and international trip support services. The agreement now allows customers in Europe,

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

the Middle East and Asia Pacific to access Honeywell’s Flight Sentinel system through Jetex. Previously offered only in North America, the Flight Sentinel 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-planning services, including local 24-hour support for flight logistics 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 HoneywellJetex app is expected to launch by the end of this year. The third partnership that expands GDC services entails enhanced weather radar coverage through WSI (Booth

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

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 terminal 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 facilities at Palm Beach Airport, would need to be demolished to make way for the new runway at some point in the future. o

No. C7915), a division of The Weather Company. Honeywell GDC customers will be able to view actual radar coverage images through the GDC website, online portal and the updated GDC iPad app. “Providing the actual radar coverage images, versus the aviation text weather briefing, allows pilots to get away from the cryptic language and allows them to have a safer, more efficient way of navigating weather,” said Paul David, director of customer support, Americas for the Business Aviation division. Honeywell also launched a new mobile app at NBAA 2013. The new Direct Access Directory for Business Aviation mobile app provides a directory of worldwide support contacts for engines, avionics and other Honeywell products installed on business aircraft. In development for approximately one year, the free app allows users to obtain AOG support in two clicks, input their locations to find the nearest dealer or technical support contact or dial direct to Honeywell’s Parts Support line to order parts quickly. “We’re continuing to expand and invest in our global footprint, expanding the quantity of part numbers in high growth regions,” said Beatty. “The average 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 technical support at the right place at the right time is critical.” The app, available on Android, Apple iOS and BlackBerry platforms, also provides access to Honeywell’s monthly business newsletter, Business Aviation News. To help operators manage costs and reduce the risk of unscheduled downtime, Honeywell has upgraded is Honeywell Avionics Protection Plan (Happ) Gold program and for engines the Maintenance Service Plan (MSP) Gold. Happ Gold upgrades include coverage for mobile service crews, counter-to-counter shipping and extended troubleshooting allowance, plus elimination of fees associated with no fault found issues. The MSP Gold program now covers all Cessnas equipped with Honeywell APUs, including LRU removal and reinstallation labor, routine inspection 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

True Blue Power introduces lithium-ion main batteries by Matt Thurber Mid-Continent Instrument and Avionics’s True Blue Power division introduced two new lithium-ion main-ship batteries yesterday, designed for jets, turboprops, piston airplanes and helicopters. 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 batteries, 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 Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) convention in Nashville 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 successful development of lithium-ion standby battery systems, now installed in hundreds of aircraft, was a key factor in Mid-Continent’s research into lithium-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 lithium-type battery technology for mainship 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 aviation applications is the advanced lithium-ion chemistry that True Blue Power employs, with benefits in power, safety, life and energy. These benefits are available in a package that, in the case of the TB44, weighs 53 pounds, 40 percent less than a comparable lead-acid or nickelcadmium battery (typically 80 to 90 pounds). For a typical two-battery installation in a business jet, this represents a huge potential saving, according to Winter. 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 temperature 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 temperature 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 lithium-ion developed by battery manufacturer 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 compared to similar-sized leadacid or nickel-cadmium cells. TB44 lithium They also deliver two to battery 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 nickelcadmium (deep-cycling required to prevent memory effect, thermal runaway). Aircraft batteries usually serve a dual purpose: for engine starting and as emergency power supplies. The True Blue lithium-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 turbine helicopter applications, as a lithiumion battery can help prevent hot starts due to low battery power from the heavy loads imposed during the start sequence. Lithium-ion 101

At a pre-NBAA meeting, True Blue division manager Rick Slater and division 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 commitment 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 considerations 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 provided in his presentation, but anyone who attends Mid-Continent’s Lithiumion 101 session next year will receive an in-depth education in how these batteries work. Essentially, the A123 batteries 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 molecules 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 nanophosphate, tiny phosphate spheres incorporated 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 innovation,” Gallman said. Aircraft Applications

In 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 oxidetype lithium-ion batteries are more prone to propagate a fire compared to iron phosphate batteries. Mid-Continent tested lithium-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 emitted heavy smoke. The A123 nanophosphate 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 further layers of protection and include communication 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 protection systems include over- and undertemperature, over-current, over-charge and discharge and short-circuit. The battery also conducts cell voltage balancing and monitoring, and Arinc 429 output is available to deliver information to cockpit displays and for system diagnostics. The TB17 includes discrete analog output of battery temperature and state of charge. The TB17 also contains 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 nickelcadmium, and much longer life than leadacid batteries. “Reliability equates to value,” he said. And the True Blue batteries can easily be recovered if a master/battery 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 manufacturers 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

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 marketplace, 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 helicopter’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 Quattronelle’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 fuchsia from Foglizzo; and cashmere-covered interior sidewalls by Loro Piana. –K.J.H.

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 51

Arinc Direct releases v3.0 of its iPad app by Ian Sheppard Arinc Direct (Booth No. N4510) has released a new version of its iPad app, which has proved popular with flight departments worldwide. The latest version, 3.0, provides “a host of document-management functions that simplify flight-planning needs by putting 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 minimize paper and improve access to information on the flight deck, and version 3.0 is a major step forward in getting our customers there,” said Arinc Direct vice president Bob Richard. The new software release, already available from the Apple App

Store, has a new website component that allows pilots to schedule document uploads and another component that provides access to all their files. This system allows documents to be assigned to specific legs, aircraft or users, and folders can be created for these documents for simple 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-planning side for Arinc Direct, by tying in with the Rockwell Collins Ascend flight operations and trip-support products.

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.

Arinc Direct, which is celebrating 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 paperless approval.” Hardie added that Arinc is now integrating other capabilities 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 developing to help link iPads to Iridium satcom via a portable box carried onboard, Hardie said that a launch at NBAA was “our aiming 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 aircraft type it will be on yet. We’re still aiming for it to be a portable device.” The concept was demonstrated 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,” Hardie said. “We have also had a lot of enquiries from military and helicopter operators.” o

New rules ease charter ops in Japan by Dale Smith

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.

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 charter 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 October 21 that the country is implementing 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 regulations for foreign charter operations. 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 operators 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 incountry,” he said. “But you cannot pick up additional passengers and carry them to other cities in Japan.” As for the structure of the new rules, said JBAA director and special advisor Kirk Tamura, “They are very much the same as Part 135. Technically, the Japanese authority [JCAB] is not changing the law itself, they are just putting in their own standards.” To avoid any misunderstandings, Tamura said that foreign charter operators should check with their third-party provider or Japan-based ground handler, such as Universal Aviation, regarding the new rules.

The new rules also reduce the lead-time for obtaining permits 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 business 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 biggest 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 infrastructure will help it grow. We will have the O lympics in 2020, and by that time we have to be more open. This is the important first step.” “Business aviation is small now in Japan,” Tamura said. “We are expecting this deregulation effort to bring in many more business aircraft operating in Japan along with welcoming more operations from overseas.” o

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

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Learjet Wichita opens doors for 50th-year fest The 50th anniversary of the first flight of the first Learjet, the Model 23, on Oct. 7, 1963, begged to be celebrated and Bombardier obliged with gusto, holding 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 celebration 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 operates 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 passenger 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 beginning 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 unexpected third. After passing over the assembled crowd, he pulled the turbojet-powered 23

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

into a steep climb and zoomed through the cloud deck, apparently 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 delivery 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 company, 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 Status

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.

Clay Lacy (red tie) with (l-r) Matt Dietz, Alex Kvassay, retired, and Flexjet LJ40 Phil Burkert and Jim Diman of LR Services. pilots Pete Wrzosek and Gregg Payne.

PHOTOS: R RANDALL PADFIELD

by R. Randall Padfield

Jim 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

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

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

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.

costs too high for it to be competitively 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 attendees 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 photograph themselves in its wellappointed 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 hangar and far back from the hangar door. Several employees appeared to be working on Learjet’s new flagship in preparation for its first flight, while their coworkers were showing their families around the facilities and enjoying the festivities. On hand for both the Friday evening event and Saturday’s big “come one, come all” employee event were two legendary Learjet employees: Dan Grommesh and Alex Kvassay. Grommesh, an aerodynamicist, 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 Continued on next page u

Employees gather for Learjet 50th uContinued from preceding page

after management decided not to continue with a business jet at that time. Bill Lear hired Grommesh, who believed business aircraft needed to be jetpowered to compete with the airlines, to work with him in Switzerland on the development 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 children 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 several 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.

the Flight Test Center, several dozen employees showed off their “fancy” cars and trucks, while Blue Eyed Soul, a local– and quite talented–rhythm-andblues 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 tornadoes 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 A flight test hangar (note elongated pitot tubes on the wall) served as a lunch room.

A vision becomes reality

A Family Celebration

Along with the numerous customer Learjets on display (at least one of which, a Learjet 24F, was on the market, offered by Northeastern 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 Challengers and numerous experimental 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 popcorn machine and other attractions for children. In an adjacent hangar Learjet provided lunch on one side while local organizations 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 www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 52C

Loss of control seminars held by Flight Research by Matt Thurber Flight Research (Booth No. N515) is holding a one-hour seminar free to NBAA convention

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

The seminar, entitled “Loss of Control Preparation & Prevention–Danger in the Training Gap,” will be offered today and tomorrow at Palmer Room One at the Wynn Hotel. For reservations, call Flight Research at (661) 824-4136. Flight Research says it is the only upset training company that uses a business jet Flight Research of Mojave, Calif., teaches upset recognition and recovery in Sabre 60s as well as single-engine Aermacchi MB-326 Impalas.

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

for real-life training. The company is based at the Mojave Air and Space Port near Edwards Air Force Base in southern California, and it offers twoand three-day upset recognition 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 lossof-control accidents that have occurred, especially in airline operations where pilots either caused the upset or exacerbated a problem that led to the upset. This highlights the need, according to Flight Research, “to fill a critical gap between simulator-based scenario training and hands-on inflight training using actual jet aircraft.” “Loss of control accidents can be significantly reduced with proper hands-on training,” said Flight Research CEO Bill Korner. “Unfortunately, an unsettling large number of business 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 something every pilot carrying passengers should understand, experience and learn to successfully recover from.” While simulators can be useful for training commercial pilots, he explained, “they cannot and should not be a substitute for experiencing upset attitudes and fully developed stalls in an actual business jet– and learning to properly recognize 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

TrueNorth luxury handset TrueNorth Avionics introduced its new Luxury Stylus cordless handset at NBAA 2013 (Booth No. C12440), “featuring the same industry leading high-fidelity voice and multilingual interface as the original Stylus,” according to CEO Mark van Berkel. Van Berkel said that the cordless Wi-Fi Stylus is the aviation industry’s only handset capable of recognizing the cradle in which it’s been placed; location-based technology then configures 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 batteries to facilitate certification and smart-power management technology to improve battery performance while helping conserve power. For upgrades from earlier TrueNorth handsets, 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 Solutions.” And in a nod to the highlife of Las Vegas, the exhibit theme is “Stylus Royale.” As part of opening-day convention 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 business aircraft. –K.J.H.

R-R CorporateCare ‘re-lifes’ engines by Thierry Dubois Rolls-Royce is here (Booth No. C8134) touting the benefits of its CorporateCare program, 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 marketing v-p for Rolls-Royce’s civil small and medium engines. About 1,700 aircraft are covered, Friedrich said, and the

proportion is close to 70 percent for new aircraft. Health monitoring 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, technical 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 maintenance technician can thus virtually select a part, remove it and replace it. For the Gulfstream G650’s BR725, CorporateCare includes additional features such as A and C check coverage and a replacement 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

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 53

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

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Stop by booth N1121 or navigate to swissre.com/nbaa2013 to learn more.

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

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 gathered 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 performance data for three-dozen light business airplanes in eight categories. Data

includes base prices, external and internal dimensions, weight limits, powerplant specifications, operating speeds and takeoff and landing distances. Other NBAA resources for LBA operators include the LBA Flight Operations Manual Template, Aircraft Transactions Checklist, Aircraft Operating and Ownership 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 contact 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 Models, 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 convention 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 display 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 models 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 Phoenixbased 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 desktop 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 exterior and interior detail, “right down to the headsets resting on the seats.” Customers are encouraged when ordering exact replicas of their favorite aircraft to specify the paint schemes, exterior lettering 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 generation of Philippine craftsmen creating airplane replicas in a Factory Direct Models facility. Factory Direct offers models of aircraft from all major general aviation manufacturers as well as commercial 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.

Heads Up fiber-optic cabin flying in new Citations by Kirby J. Harrison Heads Up Technologies, now seeing 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 Harshaw. “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 program 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 systems are already being delivered for installation 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 technology 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 movingmap includes multiple new layers, such as points of interest, added Harshaw. The fiber-optic package also includes components to interface with copper wiring for such cabin items as coffee makers and lighting. The wireless capability of the Clarity system is “device-agnostic,” meaning the cabin management and entertainment systems will interface with any tablet, laptop or smartphone, regardless of brand.

saved a ton of weight over existing systems,” 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 development, starting with the first Citation Sovereign to come off the assembly line. “Cessna was the first company to deliver every aircraft with LED cabin lighting, and we also provided the first LED lighting on Beechcraft’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

Easily Upgradeable

One of the key benefits of the Heads Up fiber-optic backbone is that the system 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

The Clarity cabin management system in new Cessna jets is built on a Heads Up Technologies fiber-optic backbone.

incandescent lights, where the color temperature 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 sideemitting LEDs on the cockpit flood light and speaker assembly, designed to produce 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 produce an approach-chart-sized spotlight, he noted, “perfect for reducing stray light while reading charts or maps yet maintaining 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 pioneering 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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www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 55

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

P&WC to develop bigger PT6 by 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, middle 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 2,000shp 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 retrofitted. Right now our priority 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) continues to work on PT6 product enhancements. At the smaller end of the family, the focus is on providing more modern turboprop alternatives to piston engines powered by avgas, which is facing obsolescence as

an aviation fuel. “We’re working on revolutionary technology to make big changes at the small end,” said Saabas. Further Upgrades

Meanwhile, the Montrealbased group is seeking to further 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 avionics,” Saabas explained, suggesting 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 continue with its long-standing philosophy of making technology developed for one engine

PT6

available to other family members to the fullest possible extent. By year-end, P&WC expects to have delivered more than 100 of the latest 867-shp PT6A140 engines, which are powering 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 hotand-high conditions,” said Denis Parisien, P&WC’s general aviation vice president. According to Parisien, the PT6A-140 and the latest PT6T-9 turboshaft for helicopters 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 500shp PT6A-6 back in the 1960s, and, as important, 20 percent leaner specific fuel consumption (SFC). “We’re constantly looking for where the next 5-, 10- or 20-percent improvement can come from,” said Parisien. “We will always strive to push the needle as far as we can.” Greater Versatility

Given the rising price of fuel and its direct impact on the economic viability of general aviation, SFC improvements have been one of the P&WC’s main goals for PT6 product development. But the company has

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

also focused on adapting the of between $300 million and engines to deliver ever-greater $400 million to keep the comversatility to the extent that the petitive edge. “We’re still delivfamily has achieved some 136 ering the maximum technology different aircraft applications for the price and we’re always in its history. looking at what we can provide These span platforms as for the various markets we supdiverse as Beechcraft’s latest port,” Parisien told AIN. “It’s King Air 350i twin turalways a trade-off in boprop (powered by a terms of what technolpair of PT6A-60As), ogy is affordable and it which is challenging ultimately comes down the role of light jets to what an OEM wants in the executive transto get from its aircraft.” port market, and the In addition to rugged Twin Otter mainstream general operating in extreme aviation applications, P&WC president John Saabas subzero temperatures the PT6 is powering in the Antarctic. “The activities such as agriPT6 effectively crecultural support and ated the single-engine the market for singlecommercial IFR marengine military trainket since operators ers and unmanned are willing to operate air vehicles. Saabas this way due to its relipointed out that the ability,” said Parisien, variety of applicareferring mainly to P&WC vice president tions for the engine has the latest single-turitself been a driver of general aviation boprop workhorses product improvement. Denis Parisien such as the Pilatus “We can compete in all PC-12 and the Daher Socata these different markets and we TBM700/850 series. continue to learn things that we Last year, P&WC established can take from one to another,” its new general aviation divi- he said. “For instance, things sion as the focal point for its we’ve learned from helicopter efforts to ensure the continued operators have fed into [greater longevity of the PT6, and it has operational efficiency] for regularly made annual research- engines serving the regional airand-development investments 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 turboprop 50 years ago this year did indeed change the engine game. The breakthrough technology that allowed this innovative turboprop to displace the piston and radial engines of the day was P&WC’s combination of the “freeturbine” 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 general aviation vice president. “Our engineering team knew they were onto something big that would change the face of aviation.” What sealed the PT6’s family’s place in history was the flexibility of the design, which has allowed the PT6A 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 operators can exchange experiences, positive or negative. “We’re not there to hide anything,” said Parisien. “We looked at all the possible negatives [of opening up to online comment] and felt it was time for operators to have something 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.

Pratt Predicts PW800s Will Succeed In Big Bizjets

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.

In the agricultural sector, PT6powered 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 cropspraying,” 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 specialist field of aerial fire fighting. “The market is using aircraft in ways we never expected and we have been pleasantly surprised at how this has happened,” said Parisien. o

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 efficiency 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 18,000pound thrust engine before the end of this year and to have it flying in 2014. “We want to be in the heavy business 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 PW810 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 improvements 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, referring 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 corporate aviation marketing vice president. “This removes a lot of risk and gives us a springboard. We believe there are opportunities 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 turbofans have remained in demand with new applications 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 lightto medium-sized jet sector, which took a hard hit in the fallout 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 latest performance improvements for their thrust class and that the company remains hopeful that these market segments will bounce back. –C.A.

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 57

Passengers plug in with Astronics outlets by 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 system was developed by Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems, a wholly owned subsidiary of Astronics Corp. (Booth No. N5129). As cabin connectivity and wireless technology fast become standard features 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, voltage and current protection, all

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

The new Astronics in-seat electric power system puts a variety of PED connections at passengers’ fingertips.

managed locally by the system. The EmPower ISPS fully complies with FAA power system 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 supports up to seven seat locations in a single installation and delivers 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 subsidiaries exhibiting at NBAA 2013 include Astronics DME, which provides aviation safety and survival products, airfield lighting and logistics engineering; Astronics Luminescent Systems, which manufactures specialized lighting and electronics systems for cockpits, cabins and exteriors; Astronics Ballard Technology, developer of avionics databus interfaces, rugged computers, embedded devices and software; Astronics Max-Viz, developer of infrared enhanced vision systems (EVS) flying on numerous business and general aviation aircraft; and Astronics PECO, which develops fully engineered and manufactured products for demanding applications. o

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Embraer enhances Legacy 450/500 cabins by Bill Carey The customer comes first, according to Embraer Executive Jets, which is announcing several product enhancements to its midsize Legacy 500 and “midlight” 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 Collins’s HGS-3500 compact headup 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 reporters 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 making a six-seat, seven-seat aircraft with comfortable positions everywhere,” said Augusto Salgado da Rocha, Embraer Executive Jets senior manager of product strategy. “These are things that we learned from having mockups and from having people inside of the airplane saying, ‘This could be a little 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 performance targets,” he added.

Greenpoint buys Jet Works Greenpoint Aerospace, a division of Greenpoint Technologies (Booth No. N2715), has acquired Jet Works Air Center, a business aircraft completion, refurbishment and MRO facility in Denton, Texas. With the purchase of the Jet Works assets, Greenpoint plans to perform interior refurbishment and executive completion work, exterior paint, avionics repair and installation and MRO work at the new location. 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 Components, 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 existing 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 strategy 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 memorandum 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 collaborative engineering, certification and installation of narrow- and widebody executive aircraft modifications.” –K.J.H.

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 carrying 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 specified 4,000-foot takeoff distance remains the same, and there is also no effect on time-to-climb, initial cruise altitude, maximum operating altitude and speed, according to Embraer. “We are compensating [for] that with [engine] thrust and an aerodynamic design that is better than we anticipated,” Salgado said. Fly-by-wire

The $16 million Legacy 450 and $18 million Legacy 500 will be the first two business jets under $50 million to employ flyby-wire flight controls. They will also be the first mid-light and midsize jets equipped as an option with the Rockwell Collins 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 EVS3000 enhanced-vision system (EVS), including infrared sensors and a video camera capable of seeing light-emitting diode (LED) runway lights that infrared 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 system (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

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

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.

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 percent line-replaceable unit commonality. They share the same Honeywell HTF7500E engines and Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion flight deck, offering pilots the possibility of a common type rating. They will also share clever new cabin features that Embraer has introduced since the original concept design through focus groups, sales mockups and a new in-house design capability. These include concealed spaces for storing personal control units for the Honeywell Ovation Select cabin management 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 interior 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 fuselage undergoing final assembly in Embraer’s historic F-30 building on the São Jose dos Campos campus, where the company’s Bandeirante and other early types were assembled. The first prototype, designated EMB-545, will be one of two built for the flight-test program. Entry into service is planned in 2015. The three Legacy 500 prototypes have accumulated more than 650 flight hours since the SN001 test aircraft first flew on Nov. 27, 2012. An “ironbird” 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 aircraft nears its expected type certification 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 Henderson Executive Airport. It made its first public appearance at the EBACE convention in Geneva in May and was displayed again at the LABACE convention at Congonhas Airport in São Paulo in August. o

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THEY’RE CALLED SIMULATORS FOR A REASON. NBAA BOOTH # N 5 1 5 Don’t get us wrong. We have the highest respect for simulator-based training, as far as it goes. But while simulators play a vital role in the training process, they simply can’t take you to the edge of the envelope or fully replicate the emotions of the actual experience. And at the edge is where you need to be – while flying an actual airplane – to learn how to recognize and recover from a deep stall or upset condition. Loss of Control has now surpassed Controlled Flight Into Terrain as the leading cause of aviation-related fatalities. And the need for better training is clear. But it’s also clear there is a serious gap between simulation and actual conditions.

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Al Ueltschi Award Harrison Ford receives Al Ueltschi award Actor Harrison Ford, known by Congress and regularly flies missions most for his many and varied movie in support of humanitarian and personae, is receiving NBAA’s Al philanthropic causes. Ueltschi Award for Humanitarian Since earning his private pilot Leadership for his extensive certificate in 1996, Ford has also advocacy of general aviation. An exposed countless young people accomplished pilot, Ford has made to the excitement of aviation by 20131002_Ad_AIN_NBAAConvNewsDay1_JnrPage_FINAL1.pdf numerous appearances before personally flying them in 1the 10/4/13

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 9:23 AM contributions to aviation as many

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

Harrison Ford

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.

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

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Jet Aviation preps for 787 Executive and government variants of the Boeing 787 are rolling off the assembly lines and will soon be appearing at independent completion centers, among them Jet Aviation Basel (Booth No. N1932). In preparation, the Swiss interiors specialist has been preparing for the unique challenges of a composite fuselage by sending a team of Part 145-licensed engineers 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 engineers 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 Boeing’s 787 capability list. “The all-composite structures of the Boeing 787 present a unique set of

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requirements for interior completions,” said Neil Boyle, Jet Aviation Basel’s completion 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 delivery to an independent completion center by the end of this year. Boeing claims orders to date for 12 of the sleek, twin-engine aircraft. –K.J.H. Duncan expands Wi-Fi program

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

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Duncan Aviation (Booth No. C8543) recently received a supplemental type certificate (STC) for installation of broadband connectivity on three Citation 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 number 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 investment in STCs, said avionics sales representative Andy Fernandes. “Combining the benefits of both our ODA [FAA Organization Designation Authorization] 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 segment and owns 13 STCs for broadband Internet connectivity with Wi-Fi networking. 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.

3-D printed components take flight by Bill Carey Solid Concepts has produced multiple 3-D printed components for aerospace applications that it is highlighting at NBAA 2013 (Booth No. N2011). The company, based in

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

decades of experience in 3-D printing, or additive manufacturing technologies, producing parts from prototypes to production 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 technology, for installation on the Orbis DC-10 “Flying Eye Hospital.” The air duct received an FAA Form 8130 airworthiness approval tag. The company performed Solid Concepts is making aerospace components, [including this FAAapproved air duct for a DC-10,] using the 3-D printing technique.

production work for Area-I, an unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) research and development company based in Kennesaw, Ga. Solid Concepts created control surfaces and a large fuel tank using selective laser sintering for Area-I’s prototype 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 Printing

Solid Concepts also introduced metal 3-D printing to its custom manufacturing offerings with four direct metal laser sintering machines, capable of producing intricate and strong metal components, including turbine engine parts, exhaust system parts and fuel system components for aerospace applications. The company offers high temperature laser sintering with PEEK (polyether ether ketone) material as well, allowing for aerospace applications requiring highly durable, lightweight and chemical- and heat-resistant components. Solid Concepts was established in 1991 as a rapid prototyping service provider with a variety of stereolithography and CNC (computer numerical control) 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, composite and injection molding and tooling machines. o

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

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Win an iPad mini at Conklin booth by Harry Weisberger Conklin & de Decker, the aircraft acquisition and operating cost consulting company, is at Booth No. N5314 with its latest 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 intervals and life-limited parts. This new feature presents all costs

associated with those functions for all 400-plus aircraft. The Excel spreadsheet with preloaded 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 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.

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 application allowing users to run aircraft 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 training 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 manufacturer and its specific models. The AircraftPedia comes at no cost with a subscription to Aircraft Cost Evaluator, which provides an apples-to-apples comparison 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 Aircraft 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 Aircraft Acquisition Planning seminar to be held in Scottsdale, Ariz., December 10-11. o

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

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Last man on the Moon receives NBAA award The 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 Champion An accomplished pilot, Cernan is also a regular guest at NBAA’s annual conventions, where he

Gene Cernan, the last man on the Moon.

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 TaurusLittrow 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.

John H. Winant Award Lawyer-pilot garners Winant award Aviation 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.

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

The 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 Marchesini Manager, 45 Years

Frank Ciliberti

Chief Inspector, Acting Manager, 44 Years MARS Aircraft Radio Services Teterboro 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 Professionals Name

Company

Years

Barbara Wojnar

Company not identified

Frank Marchesini

MARS Aircraft Radio Services

Frank Ciliberti

MARS Aircraft Radio Services

Jill Filer

NextEra Energy, Inc.

George Paupst

Million Air

Clarence Bailey

Richardson Aviation

Kenneth Forester

Meridian Teterboro/Meridian Air Charter

Steve Lister

JetSelect

George Kokinakis

JM Family Enterprises

Jim Such

ExxonMobil

Eva Akans

Pentastar Aviation

Judi Ferrari

AAR/MARS Aircraft Radio Services

Cherri Gott

Million Air

Robert Haulenbeek

Colleen Corporation

John Sutherland

Million Air

Andrew Toy

Axiom Aviation

William Weiss

ConocoPhillips Alaska

Teresa Golla

Central Flying Service

Gerald Grady

CSX Corporation Aviation Dept.

Kimberly Hopple

Leading Edge Operations Co.

Marty Hyde

Central Flying Service

Bob Lauridsen

PepsiCo, Inc.- ADS Base

John Lettiere

PNC Bank

Thomas Prevost

CIGNA

Alonzo Price

ExxonMobil

David Richards

Sony Aviation

Aviation Attorney James Cooling

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News highlights from the past year

October 2012

2012 10

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 JetCorp 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.

2013 1

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.

• Bombardier opened a Moscow office to support the growing number of commercial aircraft customers in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. • Faced a strike in Wichita, Kan., by Bombardier Learjet workers, who rejected a proposed 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 facility will complement Air Works’s center in Mumbai, which has been part of Bombardier’s service network since 2008.

December 2012 • Opened a parts depot in Dubai in a joint venture with Transworld Aviation that is much closer to the new Al Maktoum International Airport than the company’s former parts depot at Dubai International Airport. • Secured orders for five Global 6000s, worth $293 million, and six Learjet 75s, worth $81 million.

• Announced that Latvia’s Air Baltic had agreed to become the launch customer for a high-density version of the Bombardier CSeries CS300 capable of carrying 160 passengers. 4

May 2013

• Appointed FlightPath International as an authorized technical training provider. • Expanded maintenance capacity at Tucson, Ariz. service center for the Q400 and Q400 NextGen twin turboprops. Added three lines of maintenance staff in the Tucson facility. • Reported a strong first quarter for its Flexjet fractional and management subsidiary, with new business up 83 percent, fractional sales up 108 percent and jet-card sales up 48 percent over the same period in 2012.

• Announced an expansion of service capabilities, including deployment of a fleet of mobile response trucks and three new regional support offices colocated with company-owned maintenance facilities in Tucson, Ariz.; Hartford, Conn.; and Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

• Announced that it would be extending the basic warranty of the Challenger 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, aircrew 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.

• 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.

• Named Deanna White president of its Flexjet division, following retirement of Fred Reid, who had overseen the fractional provider’s operations since 2008.

April 2013

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

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

Global 6000

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

March 2013

Deanna White

Learjet 75 6

July 2013 • Announced that its service center at Amsterdam-Schiphol International Airport will add engine services, interior refurbishment and aircraft cleaning and detailing to its line and heavy maintenance offerings for Learjets, Challengers and Globals.

• Drew a record 385 participants in São Paulo, Brazil, for its fourth annual Safety Standdown Latin America. • Signed MOU with Rostekhnologii to validate the prospect of establishing a final assembly line in Russia for Bombardier’s Q400 turboprop, with preliminary agreements to sell 100 Q400s in the country.

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

• Delivered the 400th Challenger 300 in a ceremony at the company’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.

Challenger 300

• 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.

August 2013 • Bombardier reported flat year-over-year revenues for the second quarter but pretax earnings rose $8 million to $107 million and backlog climbed to $33.4 billion from $32.9 billion at the end of 2012.

June 2013

• 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.

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 10

• Celebrated Learjet’s 50th anniversary.

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Timken sees future in turbine MRO market by Harry Weisberger Timken, known for manufacturing precision roller bearings for a variety of industries, is highlighting its wide range of aerospace products and services at the NBAA show, in particular an expanded turbine engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capability. To highlight the latter, during the show Timken is giving 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 aftermarket activities, told AIN that the free gift is part of a program to

make operators more aware of Timken’s turbine engine maintenance, repair and overhaul capability. Timken is a multinational organization which, while remaining a leader in bearing technology, is active in steelmaking, precision components, lubrication, seals, manufacturing of parts (both for OEMs and serving the aftermarket with FAA-approved Parts Manufacturer Approval products), parts remanufacture and repair and industrial services. The company’s aerospace activities are concentrated at a manufacturing and MRO plant in Mesa, Ariz., and bearing reconditioning is done at a facility in Los Alamitos, Calif. Timken Aerospace also offers overhauls on a variety of engines, including the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A and PT6T and Honeywell T53 series.

Timken is in Las Vegas primarily to “spread the word that we’re in the turbine engine overhaul business,” said Shiembob. “We also want it more widely known that we overhaul and manufacture drive-train components for Bell products, specializing 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 facility 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 hermetically sealed air-conditioned enclosure that keeps intake air at a uniform temperature. Testing is no longer temperature limited even when outside readings reach 110-deg F. Shiembob added that Timken provides replacement parts for many fixed-wing aircraft, stressing that “the majority of

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.

those parts are not bearings.” He said the company operates bearing manufacturing and renewal plants in 20 countries in addition 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 competition. “You won’t find both those activities in a single source elsewhere. All of our parts have a significant price advantage because we focus on those we can make

You want it We make it Comlux America Comlux America is an authorized VIP cabin completion center for both Airbus Corporate Jets and Boeing Business Jets. From certification and design to engineering and production, all functions are in-house to ensure that quality exceeds the customer’s expectations. For an exclusive interior reflecting your style and enhancing your comfort and luxury, choose Comlux America. For more information, contact us at completion@comluxaviation.us Call us on +1 317 472 7370 or visit us at www.comluxaviation.com

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

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 manufacturing procedures under close FAA observation. We’re not just copying a drawing.” o

ACJC’s 24th exec cabin boasts 10 mini-suites by Kirby J. Harrison Airbus Corporate Jet Center (ACJC, Booth No. C11606), a specialist in Airbus Corporate Jet executive cabin completion, has delivered its 24th cabin featuring the development and integration of more than 15 new technologies to meet the unidentified 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 passengers and combines a work area of one four-club and a single two-club work area, as well as a rest area with two large sofas surrounding four mechanically articulated cocktail tables. From there, the configuration departs dramatically from what is typical in an ACJ layout. The second zone aft provides 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 entertainment to lighting and heat. The suites also include an electrically actuated bar and substantial storage areas. A unique satellite antenna permits not only global inflight television, but also access to the GSM global system for mobile voice communication and Ku-band high-speed Internet 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 lighting scenarios, including a night ambiance feature. Also part of the interior design is a large and elegant aft lavatory, equipped with a fullheight shower and a timer system 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-deposited using 3-D modeling.

“This latest cabin has reached a new step in terms of cabin innovation with new technologies and decorative materials never seen aboard an Airbus Corporate Jet,” said ACJC CEO Benoit Defforge. o The latest ACJ319 cabin by ACJC features a forward dining and executive lounge, as well as 10 private mini-suites.

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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.

Dassault launches new Falcon 5X by Ian Sheppard Dassault Aviation launched its all-new Falcon 5X yesterday here at NBAA. A twinengine, Mach 0.8, fly-by-wire business jet powered by Snecma’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 standardized 5Xs will be fully equipped and priced “in the mid-40s [millions] 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 September 24. A 5X cabin mockup is being displayed at the NBAA static display at Henderson Executive Airport. “It’s time now to introduce 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 competitor for new large-cabin jets from Bombardier and Gulfstream. “There is no doubt that the 5X will be creating new derivatives in the future,” said Olivier Villa, senior v-p for civil aircraft, 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 feature 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 Falcon, and the three-engine jet has notched almost 200 deliveries. The 7X has a cabin diameter 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 “special focus on the availability of the aircraft” (that is, reliability), there is also a range of technological enhancements, including a new wing, which is “about the same size as the 7X wing,” and the new engine. Notably, the aircraft 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 benefits in maneuvering and comfort in turbulence. Maximum takeoff weight is 69,600 pounds and the maxlanding-weight to max-takeoffweight ratio is 95 percent, said Villa. “So you can land almost straight away to pick up passengers, 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 manufacturing technology, pressurized 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 flaperons, 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. Differential 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 primary control surfaces, taking [pilot] commands and translating them using new functions that drastically reduce pilot workload–for example, autotrim. Also it is very comfortable

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 latter, 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 pressure 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 access 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 important things were cabin comfort and speed.” The cabin can sleep six and it features a skylight over the flight attendant working area/galley area. Agnes Gervais, interior designer for Dassault, said, “It is a new and sleek design that gives the impression of space. The passenger will be wrapped in a cocoon.” Seats have also been completely redesigned with “an outer shell giving a feeling of protection.” –I.S.

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

Continued on next page u

uContinued from preceding page

in turbulence. “With the 5X we went even further, integrating the high-lift devices and airbrakes and nosewheel steering into the FCS architecture. So we can realize the high lift and airbrake functions using all surfaces, increasing the global efficiency of the system.” As part of this, said Dupré, Dassault “took the opportunity to introduce new flaperons with high-speed servoactuators. These can deflect differentially or symmetrically to complement the slats and flaps, and can be used as airbrakes.” The handling qualities and degradation mode philosophies are “close to the 7X,” said Dupré, with normal laws, reverting 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 System

The new flight management system (FMS) is by Honeywell, which also will supply its RDR4000 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 synthetic-vision system (SVS) and enhanced-vision system (EVS)

Dassault Aviation/Philippe Stroppa

Falcon 5X launch

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.

information. “We decided to go further to have a near-IR [infrared] 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 primary displays. This will be a first for a business aircraft.” He also hopes it will lead to “an alternative to autoland” right down to

zero height and zero visibility. A new engine throttle control unit, supplied by Ratier-Figeac, offers another innovative feature: movable or mobile detents (employing the Hall effect in magnetism). The mobile detents adjust for ambient conditions and can help facilitate noisesensitive departures, for example. “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 simulator for the 5X. “The 5X flight deck is based on the [Honeywell] EASy cockpit, with a T-configuration for the 10-inch displays,” he said. “There is better integration of the EFBs now, sidesticks

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).

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 supplying 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 civil 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 architecture is a development of the 7X’s system: four smart probes, associated 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.

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.

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.

and twin HUDs, and full consistency with the other Falcons.” The EFBs are still Class 2 devices. Deleume said developing a Class 3 solution would be expensive and subject to rapid obsolescence. “There is more automation to decrease the overall pilot workload and decrease pilot errors,” he said. “Also, it has simple and reliable initialization, with simple on/off functions and a routine sequence.” Dassault describes the 5X as “the safest aircraft, with improved minimum control speed; better maneuverability and aircraft protection with DFCS on primary and secondary flight controls; improved pilot visibility during approach; robustness and manufacturing quality of the structure; and unique fuel tank pressurization protection.” The company also claims that the 5X will be “the most efficient airplane; 50 percent more efficient than competitors 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 maintenance, but the intervals will be at least 800 hours/12 months between inspections–that’s 30 percent 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 parameters, which can then be accessed on the ground or in the air via Falcon Broadcast. Finally, warranty coverage will be improved to 12 years, although some components 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

Brokers see market upturn for preowned aircraft models On the eve of NBAA 2013, aircraft brokers here are expressing confidence that values of preowned aircraft have stabilized and preowned business aircraft transactions are on the upswing. “I’m getting more calls from buyers 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 bottom,” which passes for good news in this market, while Alireza Ittihadieh, president 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 business jet and turboprop transactions) hit an all-time high of 3,625, according to the National Aircraft Resellers Association (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 anyone interested in buying or selling a business aircraft. Ittihadieh, of London-based Free stream Aircraft (Booth No. N704), noted the robust sales volume “has been very helpful in establishing pricing information. Now we’re able to give people

aircraft values categorically, with side-byside comparisons,” he said. Marburger, from the Palm Beach, Fla. office of Jeteffect (exhibiting at the static display), said low-time, late-model aircraft 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 probably 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 preowned market. Without really long backlogs, which there aren’t, that’s going to keep everybody in check.” North America Improving

But Anderson said Jetcraft (also at the static display) isn’t writing off the market for older aircraft. “North America is back in action, which is a help for older aircraft,” he said. “It has the most support and most educated clients out there, and North America has the most tolerance for the old aircraft.” These aircraft don’t sell quickly, however. “A fiveyear old or younger airplane, you might expect 90 to 120 days [on the market].

BARRY AMBROSE

by James Wynbrandt

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.

Older, out-of-production aircraft, we’re telling clients to be ready to wait six to twelve months,” he said. In August, Jetcraft acquired Switzerland-based ExecuJet Aircraft Trading, giving the Raleigh, N.C.-based company 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 reinforce the message that we are as one, and we’re here and serious about doing business.” 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

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

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 showcasing a Falcon 50, Falcon 2000 and Global 5000, Guardian Jet is unveiling a new website and an online aircraft value calculator that will allow anyone to obtain that valuation. The Aircraft Value Calculator Powered 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-specific questions. Once submitted, an email response provides the aircraft’s market value. A Global Market

Brokers note that the preowned market is now global, and putting together and consummating deals now requires a variety of skills and contacts few organizations can marshal. Yet despite the expertise brokers bring to aircraft transactions, 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 neighborhood. 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 qualifying the seller as they spend qualifying us, because it’s up to good agents to pick the right accounts that are marketready and willing to be guided. Because they have to be ready to take advice that sometimes isn’t easy to hear.” o

StandardAero expands CompleteCare service

r. randall padfield

by Amy Laboda

N550GA features a forward galley, club-four seating, a credenza opposite conference seating and a divan opposite a half club.

Gulfstream shows off Elite interior in G550 by R. Randall Padfield 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), temperature 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

r. randall padfield

The Gulfstream Elite interior concept that made its debut in the G650 and found its second 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 virtually every aspect of the passengers’ experience inside the popular large business jet, now celebrating 10 years in service. AIN, along with representatives of other publications, had a unique opportunity to sample the features of N550GA’s Elite interior on a flight from Teterboro, N.J., to Henderson Airport on Saturday. Gulfstream does all its interiors in-house, Tray Crow, Gulfstream director of interior design, explained. Obviously, this is a profitable area for the company, but it also gives

Each seat has an iPod Touch for controlling the Gulfstream cabin management system.

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 automotive 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 normal 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 features to the seats. “We offer a seat that has more functionality than our regular seat offers, including lumbar, heated seat massage, powered back rest and leg rest,” said Fulford. “We’ve also developed 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 example, the galley can be moved to the rear of the aircraft or the divan to the front. o

StandardAero Business Avi- brokerage; and a pre-purchase ation’s new senior vice president evaluation program (PPE) that Marc McGowan had plenty saw robust growth in 2013, averof positive news to offer at aging five PPE inspections a his first NBAA in the posi- month. In response to what tion. McGowan, who replaced appears to be resurgent activity in now-retired Scott Taylor in business aircraft sales, the com September 2013, announced pany is now offering full aircraft before this year’s NBAA show acquisition services to complethat StandardAero (Booth No. ment the aircraft sales brokerage N6116) expanded its Com- services currently offered. Closer to its MRO roots, pleteCare program over the past StandardAero Busiyear and finalized its ness Aviation has OEM authorization expanded its engine for the next generaauthorization and tion Embraer Legtesting certificaacy 450/500 jets. This tion regime with the expands its existaddition of authoing agreement with rization to perform Embraer to be an line services on the authorized service Honeywell RE100 center on the Legacy and RE220 APUs 600/650 series and fulat its Los Angeles fils a letter of intent Marc McGowan International Airsigned last year. “The CompleteCare pro- port facility, as well as earngram is a dynamic service con- ing certification as one of the cept that coalesces an array of only authorized testing faciliprograms that flight departments ties for Honeywell TFE731-50 require but which are beyond the engines, that power the Hawker core engine MRO business,” said 900XP. To date the company McGowan. “CompleteCare pro- has performed 10 major perivides a complementary set of odic inspections on the engine. It also introduced a tool calibusiness aviation services.” These services include an air- bration service for customers, craft maintenance advisory pro- providing certificates of calibragram; customer fuel discounts; tion that remain on record with on-site maintenance train- StandardAero at its Springfield, o ing classes; aircraft financial Ill. facility.

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 district to open an innovative math and science-focused, aviation-themed high school campus on its grounds. Founded and operated by Highline 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 organizations, 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 simultaneously,” said Reba Gilman, principal of Raisbeck Aviation High. Doug King, president and CEO of The Museum of Flight, commented, “This unique partnership allows us to inspire the professionals of the future.” –A.L.

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 77

Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck 2.1 adds features by Matt Thurber compass rose helps pilots quickly visualize 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, saving 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

JSSI’s Tip-to-Tail coverage available for Gulfstream 650 by 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 Tipto-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 possible 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 maintenance 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 programs. 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 airframerelated scheduled and on-condition maintenance; 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 network 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 covers every component of the aircraft–airframe, 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 aviation 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-toTail 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 exponentially 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 aircraft make and model, but your investment in our program is transferable to any make and model, unlike the OEM programs. For example, the Bombardier 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 investment [with GE engines].” o

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

feature, Nexrad (previously radar was limited to echo tops). Other new features include the ability to input multiple 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 Surface 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 checklists 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 Heugel, director of Jeppesen aviation portfolio management. Delta is not compensating Jeppesen specifically for developing FliteDeck 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 functionality 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 functionality 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 experienced 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

k Jeppesen Mobile FliteDeck 2.1 now displays ownship position on geo-referenced approach charts for improved pilot situational awareness.

where this may benefit Surface users is display of weather in one window alongside another window with FliteDeck Pro. Like the iPad, Microsoft Surface tablets will have to undergo rapid decompression tests, qualification of lithium batteries and electromagnetic compatibility testing. “Additional EFB criteria must be met during FAA authorization, unique to each operator’s implementation,” according 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 company’s selection of Nokia Lumia 820 Windows smartphones for its 19,000 flight attendants and other Microsoft software that the airline uses. Future applications for the pilots’ Surface tablets include electronic dispatch and flight release, real-time weather access, operational information and communication with technicians on the ground. o

NBAA, Alliance Productions

Jeppesen has released version 2.1 of its Mobile FliteDeck iPad app with several significant improvements, including display of own-ship position on geo-referenced approach charts. Jeppesen also revealed that it has begun development of FliteDeck Pro (for commercial 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-measuring 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

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 globe Teterboro, N.J.-based Jet Aviation Flight Services (Booth No. N1932) announced here in Las Vegas that it has received authorization from the Bermuda Department of Civil Aviation (BDCA) as a continuing airworthiness management organization (Camo), allowing the company to manage the maintenance of Bermuda-registered aircraft. “This approval expands our operational base globally by enabling us to continue to meet our customers’ growing needs,” said Don Haloburdo, the company’s v-p and general manager. “We are pleased to meet the highlevel standards of the BDCA.” Additionally, Jet Aviation St. Louis, a full-service maintenance, modification and completions provider, announced here that it has completed the first Rockwell Collins Enhanced Vision System (EVS) installation in a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ). “Being the first in the industry to complete this EVS installation, and performing it as part of our first 12-year BBJ inspection, is further proof of Jet Aviation St Louis’s capabilities with even the newest technologies,” said Chuck Krugh, senior v-p

and general manager, Jet Aviation St. Louis. In fact, Jet Aviation St. Louis, which began offering narrowbody services only within the past year, also announced that it had already performed inspections on its third BBJ and has a return visit scheduled for one of these in the near future. The company also announced completing 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 narrowbody executive airliner. In other news, Jet Aviation reported that construction of its new 9,060-sq-m hangar at Jet Aviation Singapore, which is being built alongside its existing maintenance and FBO operation, is on schedule for completion in early February 2014. The new hangar will be able to accommodate up to five Gulfstream G650s or Bombardier Global 7000sized aircraft, said the company. “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 Aviation Singapore. o

MARK WAGNER

by James Wynbrandt

brighten up and fly right It takes a cast of thousands to make the NBAA convention happen, and everyone makes a valuable contribution. 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 business 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.

Cessna’s Wallace honored by Aviation Hall of Fame

Five aircraft programs choose Astronics system Astronics Advanced Electronic Systems (AES) has been selected by a fifth aircraft manufacturing program to supply its next-generation 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 provide 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 operation 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.

Dwane Wallace 1973

“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 chairman of the General Aviation

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.

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

Manufacturers Association, Wallace was instrumental in the development of business aviation. “Wallace’s aggressive expansion of the company’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 corporate and general aviation products that grew the company into an aviation household name. He retired from the company in 1975 and passed away in 1989. –A.L.

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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 basement 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 necessity a passenger could want, and they’re on display here at NBAA 2013 (Booth No. N3124). Perhaps the most eye-catching product is an iPad app for the Alpharetta, Ga. company’s Select cabin management system, 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 Applecentric 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 camera and movies, as well as listen to music from the audio library, control the cabin lighting or signal the flight attendant.

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 passengers 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

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.

Jet Jukebox Upgrade

Also 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) networking, it includes four Ethernet ports and is designed to be paired with the JetJukebox server to provide contentstreaming to carry-on devices. The third-generation JetJukebox upgrade with Wi-Fi streaming capabilities is also being introduced. The entertainment platform streams movies, music, PowerPoint presentations and other content 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 interface, 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

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

may also be used in flight while being charged. The USB charger is also compatible with iOS, Android and Windows devices. The charger features an internal fan for cool operation. Sync/charger Dock

Taking 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 syncing, charging and securing up to 10 iPads.” The dock is appropriate, said the company, for flight departments that use iPads as part of an in-flight entertainment 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

Quest notches delivery of 100th Kodiak t-prop by Curt Epstein Idaho-based Quest Aircraft reached a milestone last month with the delivery of its 100th Kodiak turboprop. In a ceremony at its Sandpoint factory on September 19, the company handed over the utility airplane, less than six years after the delivery 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 aircraft made its initial flight.” In July, several Quest workers traveled to Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Lethbridge assembly 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 capabilities I was looking for and a cabin with the right mix of personal comfort and space for baggage and other equipment that we need,” he said, noting the aircraft will be used in his construction 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 longer 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 unimproved airstrips and can accommodate floats without structural upgrades. It can take off in less

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).

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 threepanel Garmin G1000 avionics suite, including standard synthetic vision. The aircraft is certified for flight into known-icing when fitted with the optional TKS iceprotection 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 removable leather seats and a rubberized non-skid floor. The Timberline package, as seen on the static display example, 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 charging 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 passengers. A roll-up door is part of a specialized suite of equipment certified and available for parachute 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, marketing and customer service. He said there is a large amount of interest from potential customers 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

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 83

SmartView to offer lower mins, 3-D taxi

Type of approach. If a problem, this shows “NO SVLM” and appears in yellow box. This turns red if below minimums.

by R. Randall Padfield

Geometric PAPI. Two white and two red boxes indicates on glide path.

Honeywell Aerospace continues to develop improvements and add-ons to its SmartView synthetic-vision system (SVS), including the capability to use lower Category II landing minimums 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 terrain database of Honeywell’s enhanced ground proximity warning system (EGPWS) merged with the company’s head-up display (HUD) symbology 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 current navigational environment. SmartView is currently available on Gulfstream and Dassault business jets equipped with, respectively, Primus Epicbased PlaneView and EASy II flight decks. Heads-down Cat II Minimums

The 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 promise with several years of research and impressive flight- and simulator-test results this year. “We have been engaged with the FAA since 2010 in a proofof-concept program,” Thea Feyereisen, an engineer fellow with Honeywell’s Advanced Technology Group, told AIN. “This helps establish certification 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 system 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 Honeywell’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 performance data, and the pilots filled out questionnaires.” “The second part was in a simulator. We rented Boeing’s m-cab [multipurpose engineering cab] 777 simulator, which had 787 displays, and had a dozen pilots fly more than 400 approaches. These were pilots

Super-sized runway approach indicator includes an extended centerline. Vertical deviation indicator shows more precise glide path than PAPI. Conformal-lateraldeviation indicator’s hash marks show deviation from localizer.

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.

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 lowerthan-standard minimums for aircraft that are not equipped with a HUD. (Honeywell does not make its own HUD system.) “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

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 situational 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 translate 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.

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

quickly acquire the runway environment and make the transition 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 analyzing the data, we saw that we can almost provide Category III performance with the headdown display,” she continued. “We have equivalent performance compared with a HUD. When pilots come back inside the cockpit, they get the information 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 minimums when using SVLM on Cat I ILS and LPV approaches. Said Feyereisen, “We’re still in the tail end of the proof-ofconcept process, where the FAA now responds to our flighttest performance data and system safety analysis and gives a go-forward plan for certification. It’s a process. Personally, 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, compared to a HUD’s monochromatic display.” Real Taxi Display on a PFD

The objective of 3-D taxi is to be a “primary taxi display” for pilots, said Feyereisen. “Currently with SmartView showing on the primary flight display, after the pilot turns off the runway, the display shows the aircraft 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 provide the pilot with a continuous 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,” Feyereisen explained. It shows a synthetic view of what the pilot would see through the windshield. “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 forward 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, Continued on page 86 u

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SmartView to offer lower mins, 3-D taxi uContinued from page 84

the researchers modified or removed much of the standard HUD symbology 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 communication (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

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

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.

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 product phase. “The 3-D taxi product is currently 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 product 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 database and graphics processors.” o

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 independent 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 altimeter 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 supplemental 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 framework for procedures,” Feyereisen added. –R.R.P.

Light BIZPLANE Market OUTLOOK by Cyrus Sigari

Preowned jets, tprops show market strength The annual NBAA convention routinely serves as an appropriate time to reflect on activity in the pre-owned market for both light jets and singleengine 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.

Light Jets Cessna Citation Mustang At the end of the second quarter 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 approximately 6 percent of the in-service fleet, down from more than 9 percent 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 quarters. This healthy activity, compounded 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 owners are M2 position holders.

to high $2 millions, depending on pedigree. An average of one CJ1+ is trading each month.

Citation M2

Citation CJ2+

The 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.

The CJ2+ market has stayed relatively consistent over the last few quarters with just 18 units for sale of the 225 built. Approximately half of the CJ2+s that are for sale are in non-U.S. markets, 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 CJ1+ In the CJ1+ market, the first three quarters of the year have seen a bit of a stack up of inventory, with 15 percent of the fleet now for sale. Most of the new inventory that has come to the market is directly related to aircraft owners stepping up to larger Citations. Pricing for the CJ1+ ranges from the mid-$2 millions

The 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 percent for the CJ3 market. Preowned CJ3s are trading between the low $4 millions to the mid $5 millions, depending on pedigree. We believe that the CJ3 continues to represent be the best value in the single-pilot, owner-flown, pre-owned space. Why? The 417knot cruise, FL450 capability, seating for up to 10 occupants,

Citation CJ4 The 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 single-pilot Citations, there isn’t a clear upgrade path for these operators, reducing the likelihood of current CJ4 owners migrating out of their birds. We have seen just a handful of CJ4s trade hands since first production, 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 introduction, though, as production ramps up and owners enjoy flying their new airplanes.

Embraer Phenom 100 The Phenom 100 market continues to be very strong. With an even further tightening of supply, values have not only remained consistent, but have

Citation Mustang:

Fall 2013 Market

Citation CJ/CJ1/CJ1+:

Fall 2013 Market CJ

CJ1

Used Aircraft Listings

Total Fleet

352

197

102

5.7%

Percent of Fleet for Sale

15.3%

14.2%

14.7%

$1,775,000

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)

Used Aircraft Listings

Total Fleet

437

Percent of Fleet for Sale Low Ask Price (US Dollars) Average Ask Price (US Dollars)

$2,238,000

Average Airframe Total Time

690

Average Days on Market

128

Pre-Owned Transactions (YTD 2013)

Cessna Citation CJ1

CJ1+

CJ1+: Average Value

Mustang:

Continued on page 90 u

CESSNA CITATION CJ

CESSNA CITATION MUSTANG Cessna Citation Mustang

Citation CJ3

efficient fuel burn and 1,800 mile+ range is without question the best bang for the buck available for $5 million or less.

Citation CJ: 15% For Sale

Citation CJ1: 14% For Sale

Citation CJ1+: 15% For Sale

Citation CJ: 15% For Sale

Citation CJ1: 14% For Sale

Average Value

Citation Mustang: 6% For Sale

Citation CJ: 15% For Sale

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

Citation CJ1: 14% For Sale

Citation CJ1+: 15% For Sale

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Light Bizplane Market Outlook 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 aircraft with few options to $3.5 million for a low-time, latemodel 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 publicly listed for sale. With little room left for improvements in liquidity, we expect to see values remain stable and perhaps continue their rise in the near future.

EMBRAER PHENOM 300 Phenom 300:

Average Value

Embraer Phenom 300

uContinued from page 88

Phenom 300 The Phenom 300 continues to be a highly sought-after jet, offering range and passenger 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 introduction of new optional features like CPDLC (controller-pilot datalink communications) and Aircell Gogo Biz high-speed data, as well as the introduction of an entirely new touch screen-controlled avionics 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, representing 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 million range, and 2012s changing 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 500 Embraer Phenom 300:

Phenom 300: 5% For Sale

Used Aircraft Listings

Total Fleet

149

Percent of Fleet for Sale

5.4%

Low Ask Price (US Dollars)

$7,600,000

Average Ask Price (US Dollars)

$8,854,359

Average Airframe Total Time

665

Average Days on Market

229

Pre-Owned Transactions (Q1 2013)

ECLIPSE 500 Eclipse 500:

Fall 2013 Market

The big news in the world of Eclipse Aerospace continues to center around the Eclipse 550, the company’s new-production jet that features major avionics and interior enhancements 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 500

Eclipse 500:

Eclipse version of the 500 airframe, which is a factory-certified, pre-owned 500 airframe with full warranties, updated avionics and custom options. In the pre-owned market, there is a relative lack of available 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 buyers, especially those not needing 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 avionics 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 softened over the past year, conditions within the Eclipse market are starting to show signs of improvement. Lenders are returning and Eclipse Aerospace is continuing to build confidence in the market by proving that not only does it have a solid, sustainable business model, but that it can deliver on its promise 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.

Turboprops Piper Meridian The Piper Meridian is the youngest contender currently in production in the singleengine turboprop segment, but that has not stopped it from being a wildly successful airframe. 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 during the same period in 2012. Just over 4 percent of the G1000 fleet is for sale now, which is a twoyear 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 number. 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 Meridians (2001 to 2005) have the highest on-market inventory level of all variants. Pricing varies much more on these models as there is more variation in equipment, especially with an increasing number of Meridians showing up on the resale market with retrofitted panels. There have been 29 “firstgeneration” Meridians trading Continued on page 92 u

Average Value

Fall 2013 Market All Eclipse Models

Used Aircraft Listings

Total Fleet

265

Percent of Fleet for Sale

14.0%

Low Ask Price (US Dollars)

$650,000

Average Ask Price (US Dollars)

$1,247,548

Average Airframe Total Time

468

Average Days on Market

302

Pre-Owned Transactions (2013)

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

Eclipse 500: 14% For Sale

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Light Bizplane Market Outlook SOCATA TBM Socata TBM:

uContinued from page 90

PILATUS TBM 700A/B: 7% For Sale

Average Value

PC-12 45: 4% For Sale

Pilatus: Average Value

TBM 700C2: 7% For Sale PC-12 47: 3% For Sale

TBM 850 Legacy: 8% For Sale PC-12NG: 3% For Sale

Socata TBM Pilatus PC-12

TBM 850 G1000: 4% For Sale

Pilatus: Fall 2013 Market Socata TBM:

Fall 2013 Market 700A/B

700C2

800L

850G

PC-12

PC-12 47

PC-12NG

Used Aircraft Listings

568

202

400

Used Aircraft Listings

Total Fleet

200

219

Percent of Fleet for Sale

3.7%

3.5%

3.0%

Percent of Fleet for Sale

7.0%

7.1%

8.0%

3.7%

Low Ask Price (US Dollars)

$1,400,000

$2,850,000

$3,595,000

Average Ask Price (US Dollars)

$1,261,000

$1,712,000

$1,975,000

$2,695,000

Average Ask Price (US Dollars)

$2,163,222

$2,875,000

$3,615,625

Average Airframe Total Time

2,306

1,639

961

705

Average Airframe Total Time

5,035

1,798

1,143

Average Days on Market

188

159

129

104

Average Days on Market

316

315

188

Pre-Owned Transactions (YTD 2013)

Pre-Owned Transactions (2013)

hands since the beginning of 2013, with a handful of those being retrofitted versions. Average sale prices for first-generation non-retrofitted Meridians range from the high $600,000 to $900,000 range.

Daher-Socata TBM 700/850 Still able to claim the title as the world’s fastest singleengine 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 Garmin’s G1000 flight deck and reconfigurable cabin seats. The pre-owned TBM 850 market has proved to be equally as potent, with year-todate 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 pricing for 850 legacy models has

hovered between $1.85 million and $2.1 million. For the G1000 850 models, pricing has stayed flat year to date, hovering in the mid-$2 million to $3 million range. The TBM 700 market has seen similar transaction volume, 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. Additionally, the aging airframes and equipment combined with

increasing maintenance costs can be partially at fault for the pricing trends. The inventory 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 pedigree in the 700 models (compared to the 850), so there have been outliers on both ends of these pricing spectrums.

Eclipse 550 arrives at NBAA show

Pilatus PC-12

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 enhancedvision 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 threeyear tip-to-tail warranty is included. Designed to be flown by one pilot, the Eclipse 550 is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F turbofans. Maximum altitude is 41,000 feet and maximum cruise more than 370 knots, with fuel burn just 59 gph. –M.T.

At 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 turboprop 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 muchneeded migration path for current PC-12 operators. In the meantime, the PC-12

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

continues to defy general aviation market trends, with less than 3.3 percent of the 1,200-aircraft fleet for sale. If we break that down further by submarket, 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 takeoff weight, upgraded engine, Honeywell Apex avionics and better handling, the PC-12NG remains the most sought-after PC-12 for owner-operators transitioning into their first turboprop. Recently the NG and the straight -47 market have proven to be extremely liquid, with several aircraft receiving accepted offers within days of introduction 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.

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InTheAirNet unveils THER network InTheAirNet announced that it received U.S. patent approval September 10 for a new in-flight entertainment (IFE) system for commercial and business aircraft. This is one of a recent series of InTheAirNet patent

applications relating to airlines and private jets that the Irvine, Calif.-based electronics specialist believes will reduce both cost and weight for the end user and still provide full features, including the connectivity on which

the current market is focused. According to the company (Booth No. C9637), its patent portfolio aims to enable passenger personal entertainment devices to use “all the full, rich content currently available and

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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can support satellite connectivity from different providers.” In addition, InTheAirNet claims that the hardware leverages technology from advanced computing and devices that will offer unrivaled flexibility for certification 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 broadcast TV, passenger maps and turnkey IFE systems for private 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, distributed, redundant, Androidbased 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 programs 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-resolution 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 customized for destination information 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.

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SyberJet preps for production by Mark Huber SyberJet Aircraft (Booth No. C13023) Fairchild declined to comment on delivis preparing to restart production of the ery schedules, order backlogs or future SJ30 light twinjet. The company acquired prices. “Our new management is very the rights to the SJ30 in 2011. Hints of conservative,” he said. “We want to activity began a year ago when Syber- under-promise and over-deliver.” Jet announced that production would In Cedar City, work continues on setting be moved from San Antonio, Texas, to up the SyberJet tooling and production line Cedar City, Utah, and that Honeywell in a segregated building located next to the had been tapped to provide an upgraded headquarters of parent company MSC avionics system, the Apex-based Syber- Aerospace and sister company Metalcraft. Vision. (The SJ30 currently features the MSC acquired the SJ30 light jet proHoneywell Epic system.) gram in April 2011 for $3.5 million from The new avionics will include Honey- bankrupt Emivest Aerospace and also well’s SmartView synthetic vision with was the major airframe subcontractor. HUD symbology in a head-down presenBoth state and local governments tation on the primary flight display, dual offered a multi-year tax incentive packFMS 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 SyberJet Aircraft upgraded the support Fans/1A and RVSM SJ30 with Honeywell’s Apex-based operations. SyberVision avionics and targets first flight in 1Q 2014. Available options include controller pilot data link communications, high-frequency radio, satcom, age with a combined value in excess of ADS-B in, enhanced vision, XM WX, $43 million to entice MSC to locate the flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder, Syberjet headquarters and assembly dual charts/maps a second MFD and facility in Cedar City and expand Metalcraft’s operations in Utah. “Our deciother customer-specified options. sion to locate the SJ30 assembly facility Ed Swearingen Design and SyberJet headquarters in Utah is a The transcontinental-range SJ30 result of the incentive package offered began its design odyssey in the late 1980s by local and state officials,” noted David but the jet was not certified until October Grant, chairman of SyberJet parent com2005. Since then the company has passed pany MSC Aerospace in 2011. through several owners, the latest being New Production Line Emivest Aerospace. The SJ30 was designed by Ed Swearingen in the mid-1980s as the Fairchild said SyberJet plans to evenGulfjet and received FAA Part 23 certifi- tually build an entirely new aircraft procation 20 years later in October 2005 as duction facility in Cedar City and that the the SJ30. Since the aircraft’s inception, the company already has established a service program has had several owners, including center hangar at the airport there. A Part Sino-Swearingen and Emivest, while pro- 145 repair station certificate for that facilducing only eight aircraft. ity is pending. The FAA audit for approval SyberJet general manager Mark Fair- of that certificate has been successfully child said a test aircraft is currently being completed, Fairchild said. The company outfitted with the new avionics and should already holds a 145 certificate for its mainmake its first flight in the first quarter of tenance shop in San Antonio. 2014 with certification by year’s end. Fairchild said the Cedar City locaConcurrently, the company is working tion will serve West Coast customers, noton a new interior design for the jet, which ing that aircraft serial numbers 6 and 8 are now seats four to six passengers. Plans are based in Las Vegas. “We will have our own to have that approved in time for delivery service centers in the United States and of serial number 9, the first production air- internationally we will have centers assocraft manufactured by SyberJet. Fairchild ciated with sales centers, once production said the new avionics and interior pack- ramps up,” he said, adding that the comage should lighten the aircraft by approx- pany plans to sell factory direct in North imately 200 pounds, with 110 of those America and would pursue EASA certificoming from the new avionics. cation of the aircraft as soon as possible. Some thought is also being given to Besides the new avionics and interior, developing an in-flight entertainment Fairchild said SyberJet is in discussions and information system for the airplane with engine maker Williams Internathat would allow passengers to connect tional to provide updated engines for the with their own personal electronic devices SJ30. The current aircraft features Wilsuch as iPads. “It will be more consumer- liams FJ44-2A engines. based,” he said. The SJ30 has a ceiling of 49,000 feet, That first SyberJet SJ30 will sell for a high-speed cruise speed of Mach 0.83, $7.25 million and should be delivered a range of 2,500 nm and maintains a seaby the end of next year. Beyond that, level cabin pressure to 41,000 feet. o

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PGA’s optic fibers set mood in cabin lighting by Thierry Dubois PGA Electronic, a specialist in cabin equipment, brought some new technology to the

NBAA show and is exhibiting optical fibers for mood lighting, a new reading light and

super-thin flat screens. The optical fibers are dubbed Be-Bop’tic and should be available early next year; the products displayed here by PGA (Booth No. N831) are prototypes. These flexible fibers can form curved lines of colored light throughout the cabin. “Compared to LEDs, optical fibers don’t heat and are easier to install, thanks

to better flexibility and resistance,” Antoine Mergot, motion and lighting systems marketing manager, told AIN. Each controller unit controls up to four fibers, each 6.5-feet long. Mergot added that Be-Bop’tic saves weight and power consumption. The Châteauroux, Francebased company claims to have found a way for an optical fiber

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to provide homogeneous light from one end to the other. All colors 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 controlled via an iPad, has better reliability 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 company’s new Calypso reading light will be delivered soon to Air Canada for some of its businessclass 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 orient 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 Screens

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

PGA 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 Duchéron, IFE, connectivity and cabin management system product 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 cabin’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 available 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 simplicity and power savings. o

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Leather care, selection are critical for completions by 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 providers. 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 Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands. “Breeders there use no barbwire and no branding,” said Echo Mackenzie, Edelman’s marketing vice

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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 director 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 European quality,” Mackenzie told AIN. Edelman 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, similar to its popular Royal Hide. Royal Aviation 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 “natural characteristics,” Mackenzie said, meaning that some “beauty marks” are visible. According to Edelman aviation and marine division manager Kay Jeronowitz, many business and private jet owners demand the same perfection in the leather 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 flametreated standard colors for yacht and aircraft 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 Aeronautica aviation full-grain leather. Aeronautica uses a special vacuum drying process, which gives the leather a silky touch plus extra firmness. Both the passenger 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 various prices, finishes and patterns, Coleman 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

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.

embossments. For aviation, Eckler suggested 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 Care

What is the best way to take care of leather seats, curtains and so on? Garrett recommends not over-cleaning the leather; deep cleaning may not be needed after every trip. A clean damp cloth, followed by a clean dry cloth, may be used daily. A cleaning product, applied from time to time, should be carefully chosen. “You should use the vendor-supplied 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. Mustard and pen rank worst, she added. Asked about durability, Edelman’s Mackenzie said, “Good leather wears in, not out.” o

Kestrel redesign moves along as investors seek funding by 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 turboprop. The Kestrel first flew in 2006 when the company was called Farnborough Aircraft. Following bankruptcy reorganization, 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 assembled a core team of engineers in Superior and Brunswick, Maine, where the company maintains composite operations and recently acquired a small tooling 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 prototype has undergone a major redesign, with a revised loft and wing, bigger cockpit 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 selection announcements are nearing, including the supplier of the aircraft’s raw composite material, dual-zone environmental control systems, adhesives, transparencies and landing gear. Some changes were made to enhance the aircraft’s ergonomics and performance, 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

The redesigned Kestrel cockpit is equipped with Garmin’s G3000 glass-panel touch screen suite, whose wideaspect-ratio screen, CEO Alan Klapmeier said, provides “great real estate” for a user-friendly pilot interface.

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.

good progress over the last year with regard to vendor selection, major component testing and validation of construction techniques for the all-composite aircraft. This includes the ability to manufacture a single-piece fuselage. Initial meetings with the FAA, including a preliminary 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 Money

Now 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 certification and he hopes to start assembling a prototype aircraft next year. If that happens, 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 equipment and combining it with a fantastic aerodynamic shell. The windscreen does

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not have any side posts at all.” Until the prototype is ready to fly, Blum is spending most of his time concentrating 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 connection 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 postcertification, and Hinton said the company is already working with suppliers to determine their needs and design the aircraft with the features and structures required for these installations. Synergy between Sites

Kestrel 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, airframe 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

Kestrel redesign uContinued from previous page

multiple screens and cameras in the conference room.” The wealth of local composite expertise is the main reason not to consolidate the Brunswick operation into Superior, Hinton said, and a small number of composite parts for

production aircraft will be fabricated there. However, most of the manufacturing will take place in Superior in two facilities–a main manufacturing plant in town and then trucking those parts for final assembly and bonding at a facility six miles away at another building at the Superior airport. The trucking logistics already have

Kestrel and Superior officials looking at possibly repositioning 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 suppliers to limit price escalation. We have worked hard to know what

our production costs are.” Blum said Kestrel is focusing on providing the simplest and safest cockpit on the market. “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 telling people we can go Mach 3 in

a $40,000 airplane.” The Kestrel features a single power lever, eliminating the control 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 manually through a hydromechanical controller. You set the power by looking at the torque meter.” However, the throttle quadrant will still contain a “hi-lo” condition lever. Flight control linkages from the cockpit side sticks also are all mechanical. Airframe de-icing will be provided by an electromechanical expulsive de-ice system. The propeller and windshield will have electric heat. Engine Change Significant

Of all the changes made to the original Farnborough design, Blum thinks the addition 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” nozzles pull air through the cowling thereby cooling the exhaust stacks and the engine compartment any time the engine is running, while also adding some residual thrust. The engine, 110inch diameter Hartzell composite 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 treatments, 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 subcontract, including the seat structure. Material selection will drive what parts Kestrel manufactures, Hinton said. “If we do composite control surfaces, we would do that in house because that is a core competency. However, 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

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Takata Protection acquires Interiors In Flight

Parachuting from a Gulfstream GV is definitely an attention getter.

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 thousands do it every year, and safely, albeit with parachutes. They cram themselves into Caravans, 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, winning a supplemental type certificate (STC) for deploying parachutists and cargo under parachute from a Gulfstream G550 and the GV. In addition to single and tandem sport parachuting, the STC allows the delivery of emergency medical supplies, survival equipment

and specialized critical replacement components by static line at great distances from the aircraft departure point. The STC was awarded this summer and is a multiple certificate applicable to any GV or G550. It can be added to any serial number aircraft in a matter of a day, according to the Las Vegasbased Drake Group (Booth No. C11226). The certificate requires no changes to the aircraft and consists of copyrighted AFM supplements. –K.J.H.

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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 company’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 outsource 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 purchased seatbelt manufacturer Schroth Safety Products last year. –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.

Tom Horne, Gulfstream senior experimental test pilot, served as pilot-in-command on the G650’s recordbreaking, round-the-world flight, covering 20,310 nautical miles in 41 hours, seven minutes.

G650 round-the-world flight broke the westbound record

Yesterday 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 Gulfstreamowned service centers, 14 Jet Aviation facilities, more than $1.4 billion in parts and materials, upgraded Field and Airborne 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 Appleton, Wis., the Gulfstream facility now offers wheel and brake repairs. A customer service representative who speaks Portuguese, Spanish and French joined the company in West Palm Beach, Fla.,

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 experimental test pilot, who served as pilotin-command for the record flight, was accompanied by Gulfstream pilots Bud Ball, John McGrath, Ross Oetjen and Eric Parker. The pilots held the longrange, 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 official 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 International Airport in 10 hours, 29 minutes. The second leg took the jet to Dubai World Central-Al Maktoum International 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 proceeded 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 schedule 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 departure 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 altitude between 2,300 and 3,200 feet, which also helped avoid fatigue. A computer program aided the selection of the bestgroundspeed 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 employees helped in the planning and execution of the flight. FBOs San Diego Jet Center, 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

View the interview of Tom Horne on AINtv.

R. RANDALL PADFIELD

by R. Randall Padfield

Mark Burns, left, Gulfstream Aerospace president of product support, and Scott Neal, senior v-p of sales and marketing, briefed the press on developments.

and a Spanish-speaking service center coordinator was hired in Dallas. To help improve aircraft availability, Gulfstream and FlightSafety International are offering FlightSafety’s e-learning 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 customer enrolled recently, the new system introduces electronic task cards and digital signature and attachment capabilities. “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 million (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 service 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.

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 105

MARK WAGNER

Gulfstream updates latest stats

NBAA expects further growth for ABACE 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 discuss 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 Hongqiao Airport in 2011 in honor of the show and last year’s first landing of a civil helicopter,

King Air gets U.S. coast-to-coast record by James Wynbrandt Beechcraft said this week that it had received official recognition 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 nautical mile route at an average speed of 331.08 miles per hour. “This recognition signifies not only the speed of this aircraft, it also solidifies the highperformance 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 Wichita-based airframer has several aircraft here in the NBAA 2013 static park at Henderson Executive Airport, including the special-mission King Air 350ER which flew from Santa Monica 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 aviation customers. The MedAire Travel Risk Management services include access to aviation 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 security 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 information needed to make informed medical safety decisions while onboard their aircraft.” Beechcraft also announced here in Las Vegas the appointment of Kalamazoo Aircraft of Kalamazoo, Mich., as an authorized service center for Bonanza and Baron products. It also named John Keams as regional sales director for the central and West Texas region and Patrick O’Connell as regional sales director for the upper Midwest region of the U.S. 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.

which participated in the static display at the airport. “The industry is doing extremely well in China,” said Carey Matthews, general manager of SHPBASC, which proves ground-handling services at both of Shanghai’s international 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 people who are flying right now are domestic operators, which he sees as encouraging as it points to local buyers using their

aircraft increasingly for business operations. “What’s been, I think, the great success story for China’s business aviation is that the market is actually developing 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 ability 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 service center. The FBO had previously earned that approval

from Bombardier, Dassault and Beechcraft. The facility also recently earned approval from the Chinese government as a flight-planning agency, meaning it can now file flight plans for approval, something that is especially useful to customers looking to get into Beijing’s crowded airspace. In preparation for next year’s ABACE, Hawker Pacific is making modifications to expand the available space of its 43,056-sqft hangar, allowing it to accommodate another 12 exhibitors. The company expects to begin construction next year of a second, larger hangar. o

MARK WAGNER

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 Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Centre (SHPBASC), 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 president and CEO Ed Bolen expects a similar boost for next year’s meeting. “This is a particularly important event with the participation from the government, with the intense media focus and with the all of the CEOs from every international business

MARIANO ROSALES

by Curt Epstein

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.

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

by Kirby J. Harrison had never heard a pilot complain about Speedbird’s previous aircraft, 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 charter operator London Air Services. 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 Montreal 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

Kirby J. Harrison

Learjet spent a good part of the day October 17 celebrating the “start of the delivery process” of its new Learjet 75 at its facilities in Wichita. The first aircraft went to business entrepreneur Louis Beck and his Speedbird LCC. Beck, present at the delivery ceremonies, expressed satisfaction with the acquisition. He is a longtime Learjet owner and said he

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.

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-cutting 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 recertifications, hydrostatic testing and valve overhaul, customized 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, elevators, 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 agreement 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 military 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 400XPR offers Garmin G5000 as an option by 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 telecom 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 International FJ44-4A-32 engines, significantly boosting the range and performance of legacy Beechjet 400

paperwork had already been submitted to the FAA before the shutdown. In terms of final certification, he added, “We’re at the one-yard line.” The Learjet 75 replaces the Learjet 45XR and, according to Learjet, the maintenance requirements 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. Bombardier fractional entity Flexjet is being acquired by Directional Aviation Capital, parent company of Flight Options. o

series aircraft. Customers can now choose either the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 or the Garmin G5000 avionics suite for the Beechjet 400XPR 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

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.

as the primary crew interface with the system. The Garmin flight deck also incorporates the company’s advanced autopilot, PBN/ RNP 0.3 with LPV/APV approach capability, Garmin’s GWX 70 digital turbulence-detecting weather radar and optional synthetic vision. The installation also provides 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 connectivity system from Aircell (Booth No. C11243), which provides Gogo Biz in-flight Internet and Aircell’s new Text & Talk service. The installation is available today for most Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft, through Hawker Beechcraft Services. HBS is offering introductory incentives to operators who purchase an ATG 2000 during the NBAA show and through the end of 2013. “Our North American operators love this new option,” said Christi Tannahill, Beechcraft senior v-p of Global Customer Support. “The ATG 2000 bundles connectivity and voice services features in a perfectly sized and priced package that’s ideal for light-use King Air, Premier and Hawker operators,” she said. o

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 107

Kirby J. Harrison

Learjet 75 deliveries under way

London Air Services livery. London Air has 28 full-time pilots and, according to Powell, 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 government shutdown, an event that effectively closed down much of the FAA’s certification and aircraft registration services for 17 days. Acs said the flight test phase had been completed and the final

Airbus ACJ cracks U.S. charter market by 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 Airbus 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 manager, 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 aircraft for 250 to 300 hours per year. Haloburdo 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 Sharklets, an ACJ319 delivered to a private customer on October 18. The Sharklets deliver 4 percent improved fuel economy, boosting the aircraft’s maximum range by 200 nm to approximately 6,200 nm. Airbus has been provisioning its new production aircraft for Sharklet retrofit for “some time,” said David Velupillai, ACJ marketing director. Velupillai said installation on provisioned aircraft would take only a few days and that the modification brings customers “immediate 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 equipment 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 Prevention 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 automatically abort a landing, but it will issue display and aural warnings and automatically 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 premiums. “The biggest cause of accidents today is runway overruns,” he said. A new iPad-based electronic flight bag called “FlySmart” is also now available for ACJ customers to provide more precise aircraft operating data under various conditions. Over the summer Airbus Corporate Jet Centre (ACJC) delivered a VVIP ACJ319 to Emirates Executive, the charter division 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 completion 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

Cessna signs agreement to sell Tamarack active winglets by R. Randall Padfield Tamarack Aerospace and Cessna Aircraft have signed an agreement in which Cessna will market, sell and install Tamarack’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 officials 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 associated 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

#AINphotocontest Be a part of AIN’s award-winning 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. Submit your NBAA photos to AIN’s Facebook or Twitter pages. For more information contact Zach O’Brien at 530-247-7330 or zobrien@ainonline.com

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

is configured for 19 passengers. ACJ customers also are now served by the new Airbus C4you (corporate jet customer care center) program that provides technical assistance 24/7. “Not all ACJ operators have a huge maintenance 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 quarterly to address customer concerns. o

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 c ompared to other winglets. Guida first tested the Atlas concept on his single-engine piston Van’s RV-6 homebuilt and later on a Cirrus SR22. Tamarack 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 supplemental 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 confidence 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 exclusive agreement with Tamarack Aerospace Group,” according to Cessna. “In certain flight profiles, the winglets provide an aircraft of greater range, increased useful loads and improved high and hot performance, while simultaneously improving fuel economy. Plans call for winglets from Tamarack to be available for installation on several models in the CJ family of aircraft 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

View the new Twin Otter Series 400 at Vikingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s aircraft static display

Fargo airport now offers convenient customs facility by 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 relocation of the U.S. Customs facility to the north general aviation ramp,

adjacent to the 23-acre Fargo Jet Center (FJC, Booth No. N5100), the lone services provider on the field. “Prior to the move, foreign nationals had to clear customs at a facility more than a mile from our FBO location, thus requiring all of our services to

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.

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 terminal, which allows everything to happen in one location, giving passengers and crews access to our facilities.” The new $1 million, 3,600-sq-ft Customs structure, which is available 24/7, uses the latest technology to expedite clearances. Hector International, which has a 9,000foot main runway, as well as fire-and-rescue service, is a popular tech stop for aircraft transiting between the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia. FJC (which ranked in the top 5 percent in this year’s AIN FBO Survey) specializes in quick turns. o

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

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 manufacturer 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 transformer providing 208/230/460 VAC (and any voltage in between) for hangar applications. 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 versions and features a four-wheel cart for easy, single-person transport. JBT has also recently introduced the JetPower mobile TR (transformer/rectifier). 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 supply 400 Hz, the compact TR can support multiple locations because of its ease of transport. –G.P.

Help is at hand with passport and visa hassles by Jennifer Leach English

“We will often make recommendations to clients based on what we see in their current passport [regarding previous travel],” said Saleem, who noted that the U.S. Department of State allows Americans to apply for a second “limited” passport that can be used to avoid these sorts of conflicts as well as in situations such as visa delays. Obviously, when a third-party expedites your travel documents, you need to consider 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 expiration 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 International News, BJT is edited for business jet owners and passengers. It offers unbiased reviews of new and used aircraft; advice about buying and selling 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 exclusive interview with Penn & Teller and results of the magazine’s comprehensive survey of business aircraft user. –J.L.E.

MIFFLIN-SCHMID DESIGN

Business travel would be exhausting make your life easier,” he said. Longstanding relationships with the enough without the added worry of getting your papers in order. Countries such U.S. State Department and international as China, Brazil and India all now require consulates help Texas-based A1 Passport visas and often demand additional docu- and Visa to provide similarly quick serments, such as letters of intent or govern- vice. “We love procrastinators, because ment invitations if you are planning on we know how to help them,” said A1 doing business. Last-minute travel can be founder and CEO Omar Saleem. His especially complicated, as can trips with a business, which often processes passports in less than eight hours, lists the NBAA, group or to multiple countries. Expediting services can assist with the HP and the flight department at Texas entire paperwork process. They’ll know Instruments as regular clients. A1 will what documents you need–and how to travel to the offices of large corporate get them much faster than you could on clients like these and process passport renewals for employees on-site. your own. Most expediting service companies One such service, G3 Visas and Passports, has offices in eight major American charge about the same rates, ranging anycities and can process passports and many where from approximately $39 to $350 visas in 24 hours. The company counts Jet per document, depending on how quickly Aviation, NetJets and GE’s in-house flight you need service and how complicated department among its clients. Moham- your trip is. One advantage of using an expeditmed Jashim, senior director at G3, recommends starting the paperwork process two ing service is that it will lead you through months in advance for an international the complex web that is international trip–particularly if your itinerary includes travel. Both G3 and A1 will figure out multiple countries–but understands that exactly what you need to legally enter this is often not possible. “We are here to a country–the requirements can vary 105.1897_AIN_NBAA_254x165_Completion_254x165 09.10.13 15:38 Seite 1

significantly–and then help smooth your path. For example, Americans are typically 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, contrary to popular belief, the United Arab Emirates will no longer turn away travelers whose passports have a stamp indicating prior travel to Israel, but certain other Middle Eastern countries may still do so.

Aesthetic Intelligence in Completions and Refurbishment Renowned for Swiss excellence in business aviation, AMAC Aerospace is now the largest privately owned facility in the world providing completion and refurbishment services. Harmonizing individual aesthetics, safety and precision engineering for functionality makes the craft of completions and refurbishment an exacting one. That trio of factors determines both the integrity of your aircraft and the realization of your dream interior. A highly experienced and committed staff ensures successful

delivery on time and within budget. AMAC workshops are manned with superior craftsmen and outfitted with state-of-the-art cabinet, upholstery, sheet-metal, composite and electro/avionic workshops. A vibrant working shop-floor, where we simultaneously perform completion and refurbishment projects, awaits our exclusive clientele. We look forward to welcoming you!

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Telephone +41 58 310 31 31 info@amacaerospace.com www.amacaerospace.com

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 111

Jet Aviation St. Louis honors wounded warrior by 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 motorcycle 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 prepare the Harley to honor him as well as his seven friends who died in Afghanistan. The volunteers spent hundreds 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. Vendors and sponsors helped with donations and materials, including 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 Hembree’s courage and service.” According to Krugh, “This effort has been unlike anything I’ve experienced in the aviation industry or anywhere else. Nothing was more important to this team than honoring Hembree’s service and the sacrifices of his fellow soldiers in Afghanistan–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 standard. While we’re proud to be able to apply the abilities and talents we bring to Jet Aviation’s work every day, we’re especially 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 Afghanistan mountainside, engaged in what would prove the most intense and bloodiest series of

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

firefights of his life. Still recuperating from back injuries, PTSD and assorted other injuries from the battle, the decorated specialist 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 organization that attends the funerals of members of the armed forces, firefighters and police. The group also greets troops returning from overseas at homecoming celebrations 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 helicopter to “air assault in” to a mountaintop some 3.75 miles away. After assembling Alpha Company following a week off patrols, platoon leaders delivered 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 indecision 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 minimal natural defenses. In the end, five days of furious fighting left seven fellow soldiers dead and only 13 of the 40-man company capable of walking off the mountain. “Hell came down on top of us,” recalled Hembree. o

NEWS NOTE CRS Jet Spares has named Luis Tapia to its Repair Control Group as a customer advocate in the role of repair control coordinator. The CRS RCG, responsible for vendor and asset management, interfaces with customers on managing repairs and providing technical information. Tapia is an A&P mechanic and has been in the aviation industry for more than 20 years in roles ranging from component repairman, manager of a repair station, sales regional manager to purchasing manager for a charter flight department. n

Two-box Aviator S packs more punch by Charles Alcock Business aviation stands to be one of the beneficiaries of Cobham Satcom’s new Aviator S family of satellite communications 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 making 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 ventilation.” 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 developed as a full family of Inmarsat SwiftBroadband satcom systems, ranging from the Aviator 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 waveforms, so operators will benefit 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 connectivity] 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 cockpit and will also provide highperformance 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

Cobham’s Aviator S family of satellite communications systems promises high levels of performance and also more flexibility for installation.

Aviator systems at least until 2017 and Gram claimed that these will continue to be a perfectly satisfactory solution for many operators for quite some time. The Aviator 200S, providing 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

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Visit Us At NBAA Booth #N4421 www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 113

Estiatorio Milos At The Cosmopolitan

cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/taste/restaurantcollection/estiatorio-milos 877-893-2003

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 mention 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

Estiatorio Milos by restaurateur Costas Spiliadis presents Mediterranean cuisine 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 octopus prepared with chickpeas from Santorini, 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.

Andrea’s At Encore at Wynn

wynnlasvegas.com/restaurants/finedining/andreas 702-248-3463; 888-352-3463

Named for Steve Wynn’s wife Andrea, this “Hip Asian Dining” restaurant combines contemporary Asian cuisine with nightlife. It is adjacent to the Encore Beach Club and Surrender Nightclub. The eclectic Asian Fusion menu features Dim Sum and a selection of rolls. To be sampled for a salad course are the chili mint duck confit and a fivespice 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.

Gilley’s Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que At Treasure Island gilleyslasvegas.com/saloon 702-894-7111

Gilley’s Saloon, Dance Hall & BarB-Que features custom saddle seats at the bar, live entertainment, line dancing, mechanical bull riding and the worldfamous Gilley Girls. The downhome menu includes “finger lickin’ bar-b-que” and other country favorites. The specialty Ten Gallon platter 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 Cosmopolitan

cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/taste/restaurantcollection/the-henry 877-893-2003

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 revolutionary, 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, Garden, Earth. You mix and match ’em to create your own specialty.

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

Estiatorio Milos at the Cosmopolitan

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Lavo at the Palazzo

Lavo At The Palazzo lavolv.com 702-791-1800

Lavo Italian Restaurant & Nightclub is a Las Vegas celebrity haunt that has hosted a long list of star-studded evenings. It has become a “must-go” destination for those who love great food, music, dancing and a high-quality nightlife 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 participant, Lavo also has a year-round prix fixe menu from with it donates a portion of the proceeds to Three Square’s feed-theneedy effort.

R Steak & Seafood At the Riviera

rivierahotel.com/las-vegas-dining/r-steakseafood 702-794-9233

A cozy space sparkling with cheerful attentive service, R Steak & Seafood offers a traditional steak and chops dinner with a twist of sophistication. Taking center stage on the menu are,

of course, steaks! Filet mignon, porterhouse, 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.

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Rao’s At Caesars Palace raosvegas.com 702-731-7267

Rao’s first opened its doors as a local saloon and 10-table restaurant in East Harlem, New York, in 1896. Its customers 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, highquality ingredients, such as house-roasted red peppers, freshly grated PecorinoRomano 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 mouthwatering steak bistecca–cooked perfectly and sliced tableside.

316.210.4775

NBAA13@gretemangroup.com

TWEET+MEET Direct message @GretemanGroup to meet #NBAA13.

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www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 115

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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.”

STK at the Cosmopolitan

RM Seafood Mandalay Bay rmseafood.com 702-632-9300

Rick Moonen’s RM Seafood is a “state-of-the-art sustainable seafood” restaurant that offers a full casual dining 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 reminiscent 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 hungry and thousands of dollars for Three Square Las Vegas.

Henderson Area Restaurant Week Participants Fully 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 Dining

Rx Boiler Room At Mandalay Bay

Uniquely fresh, flavorful new creations each day 4350 E. Sunset Road Henderson 702-259-8633 toddsunique.com

mandalaybay.com/dining/rx-boiler-room 702-632-9000

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 portions, ideal for a shared dining experience. Paired to elevate and complement the overall experience, the drink menu features 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 Victorian era, celebrating the steampunk subgenre often associated with science-fiction and inspired by industrialized Western RM Seafood at Mandalay Bay

Rao’s at Caesars Palace

civilization during the 19th century. Notable on the menu are osso buco, game hen, squid and sturgeon–and milkand-cookies for dessert.

Seafood Shack At Treasure Island

treasureisland.com/restaurants/seafood_shack.php 866-286-3809

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 competing for a place on a plate. Lighter fare: lobster roll, selection of po’ boys, seafood salads and pastas, sourdough bowl chowder and fried calamari. The Shack boasts a cocktail and wine list fit for “hardy fishermen, yacht cruisers 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.

Rx Boiler Room at Mandalay Bay

Pasta Shop Ristorante Gourmet Italian restaurant and contemporary art gallery 2525 W. Horizon Parkway Henderson 702-451-1893 pastashop.com

Bratalian Neapolitan Cantina

Traditional Brazilian, Italian and Portuguese cuisine 10740 S. Eastern Ave. Henderson 702-454-0104 bratalian.com

Table 34

Gourmet comfort food 600 E. Warm Springs Road Las Vegas 702-263-0034 table34lasvegas.com

Twin Creeks Steakhouse

Award-winning wine and food without the exorbitant prices of the Strip 3333 Blue Diamond Road Las Vegas 702-914-8564; 800-558-7711 silvertoncasino.com/dining/vegassteakhouse-seafood

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

Serendipity 3 At Caesars Palace

STK At The Cosmopolitan

Fun and funky is the name of the game at this Caesars Palace unique take on familiar dishes like the colossal 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 yourself in a heaping mound of apple cobbler 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 chocolate in the world. The restaurant also features a general store where you can find treasures like cookie jars, coffee mugs and other keepsakes.

The bustling bar scene is the centerpiece at STK, a new-style eatery offering 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, housemade Japanese pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun; it can be “super sized” with black truffles, foie gras or both.

caesarspalace.com/restaurants.html 877-346-4642

cosmopolitanlasvegas.com/taste/restaurantcollection/stk 877-893-2003

Tao at the Venetian

Tao At The Venetian taolasvegas.com 702-388-8338

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 Chilean 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 parfait: layers of creamy and crunchy chocolate, 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-theneedy effort. n

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 117

The pilots from left to right: Vadim Melnikov, Dmitry Rakitsky, Alexander Kurylev, and Michael Farikh.

Around the world in six weeks in a pair of Robinson R66s

n Thrives Here o i t a i , Av

So CanY

Greensboro, North Carolina’s thriving aviation sector is supported by strong education and training programs,

When most operators put a new turbine-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 flying club, Aviamarket’s team was eager to show off the capabilities of their first pair of R66s, which had received Russian certification 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 Bunkovo 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 kilometers). 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 reliability 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.

a growing base of aviation and aerospace-related companies, and available sites at Piedmont Triad International Airport. That is why HondaJet, Timco and BE Aerospace has chosen the Piedmont Triad as their home.

(336) 387-8312 • (888) 693-6939 www.greensboroeda.com

(336) 665-5600 www.ﬂyfrompti.com Robinson dealer Aviamarket flew its pair of new Robinson R66s around the world before putting them to work.

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

Can your business afford to miss out... Visitors to BIAS 2014 can expect high-level interaction with international aerospace industry peers and colleagues. The 2014 event showcases a NEW Airports, Security and Surveillance pavilion and unique B2B networking opportunities.

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Mahjong finds a home in bizjet cabins by 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 involving four players, it requires a combination of concentration, strategy, skill and calculation and no small degree of luck. Jeff Bonner Research & Development has taken the ancient Asian game of mahjong to a new level for installation in a private jet cabin.

D E D I C AT E D T O H E L P I N G B U S I N E S S A C H I E V E I T S H I G H E S T G O A L S .

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Take the Lead at SDC2014 If you share any responsibility for scheduling and dispatching business aircraft – regardless of your position in the flight department – this is the single best face-to-face educational opportunity of the year:  Choose from 30 educational sessions, with focuses on flight operations & risk management  Network and share best practices with 2,500 of your peers  Meet face-to-face with nearly every vendor you do business with throughout the year Keynote address provided by Betty Shotton, CEO and founder of LIFTOFF LEADERSHIP LLC.

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

Jeff Bonner R&D has taken it to new heights of technology while retaining the ancient virtues 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 electromechanical products in the past,” Harris added. The company (Booth No. N2508) has carved a specialized niche for itself in executive cabin components, developing and bringing to market products that include showers, beds that adjust to changes in the angle of flight, customized LED lighting, backlit mirrors, lighting sconces, toilets and bidets. Among the more recent projects 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 military 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 component without relying on outside vendors. o

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MRO buy boosts Marshall stock The acquisition of Beechcraft’s flagship European maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business in September has given a boost to UKbased Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group’s aviation

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of Hawker and Beechcraft airplanes for more than 50 years. Speaking for Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group, CEO Steve Fitz-Gerald said the company is “committed to a strategy of building our civil aerospace

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122 BDNNBAA Convention News • October 22, 2013 • www.ainonline.com AIN JT.indd 1

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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.

business, and I am delighted that Hawker Beechcraft Limited has become part of Marshall Aviation Services.” As Marshall Aviation, the facility will continue to provide service and support for Beechcraft throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. It also has been granted authorized service center status for Hawkers and King Airs. “We are confident Hawker and Beechcraft owners and operators will continue to receive worldclass support through this newly designated authorized service center,” said Christi Tannahill, senior v-p of Beechcraft Global Customer Support. The acquisition, added Marshall Aviation Services managing director Steve Jones, will allow focus on developing the facility as a center of excellence. The former Beechcraft complex, with its workforce, hangars, interior workshop and customer facilities, 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 Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group’s second business aviation acquisition this year. In March, the company acquired 100 percent of the share capital of FlairJet, the London Oxford Airport-based aircraft management and charter company. It is now part of the Marshall Aviation Services business unit. Flairjet marked its third anniversary only recently and will operate alongside Cambridge Airport-based Marshall Executive Aviation. The acquisition further extends the service offerings of Marshall’s newly formed JETability services consolidation center to provide a “one-call” business aviation solution. –K.J.H.

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Teledyne LED landing light approved for business jets by R. Randall Padfield Los Angeles-based Teledyne Reynolds 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 company is showing here at NBAA 2013 for the first time. The lights are drop-in replacements for incandescent and halogen 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 aviation airplanes, in 2010, and for a number of large commercial aircraft–most Boeing jets–last year,” Shannon Princiotto, director of business development, standard products, at Teledyne Reynolds, told AIN. Several domestic and international airlines are flight-testing 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 business 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 halogen 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

Alphabeam II LED landing lights are designed specifically for business aviation and have a calculated MTBF of 30,000 hours.

is greater brightness. According to Princiotto, an Alphabeam II landing light illuminates to a distance of 1,500 feet, while an equivalent incandescent landing 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 incandescent bulb’s 250 watts. “Although a lot of people think LEDs are cool, they actually do generate heat, but out the back, rather than in the front,” she explained. “Therefore, Alphabeam has an aluminum heat shield in the back.” Built-in thermal protection monitors the temperature 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 Princiotto, 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 provide 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 failure of just one LED bulb, as would happen with the failure of the single bulb in an incandescent landing light, Princiotto explained. The same requirement applies to the heating element; if it fails, the Alphabeam turns itself off. Teledyne Reynolds Lighting & Display Products markets Alphabeam primarily through distributors, such as Aircraft Spruce & Specialty. o

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

U.S. Companies. Globally Focused.

uContinued from page 1

the company operates King Airs for the Scottish Ambulance Service. “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 aircraft are slated for service in the Northeast U.S., with New Jersey’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 values of superior quality, safety and recognized leadership in private

Re-engined C90 is Nextant’s newest uContinued from page 1

added that the $2.2 million price tag is when Nextant provides the airframe to be remanufactured. This is Nextant’s first follow-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 interior and paint. In the 18 months since receiving certification for the 400XTi, the company has delivered 36 of the circa $5 million light jets, despite a challenging 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 collaborate on a family of GE-powered, remanufactured aircraft. According to Ricci, the natural evolution of this would be remanufactured 200- and 300-series King Airs, which he

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 longrange jets, under the operation of Jet Aviation, and Dichter told AIN the company soon expects to announce partnerships with operators 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 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 addition, 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. According to the company, it is an aircraft with a large production run (more than 1,500 C90s are currently in service), reliable structure that requires few modifications, outdated systems and powerplants and available undervalued pre-owned units. This also applies to the larger King Airs, as well as several unspecified business jet models, Ricci noted. While Nextant hasn’t yet announced detailed specifications for the G90XT, a company spokesman told AIN that

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).

MARIANO ROSALES

Gama to operate Wheels Up fleet

the airplane “will do everything better than any existing upgrade packages.” More specifically, he said it will have better fuel specifics, 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 latter 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 controls,” 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 fiveto six-passenger standard layout, a three- to four-passenger executive 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 Nextant’s newest project is this re-engined version of the Beechcraft King Air C90, known as the G90XT.

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” providing members with access to exclusive activities and unique experiences, such as private concerts, 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 members and to the success of the program. 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 walking around NBAA with the keys to a 350i I got from [Beechcraft CEO] Bill Boisture.” o

Beechcraft, Pratt join for Wheels Up support One result of the huge deal to sell up to 105 Beechcraft King Air 350i twin-turboprops to the new Wheels Up private charter membership company is that a comprehensive plan was required to support servicing of the airframes 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 centered 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 powering 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 automatically,” said Parisien, “and there’s no pilot intervention.” ESP Gold includes all scheduled overhauls, hot-section inspections, unscheduled repairs, accessory maintenance, product support improvements, troubleshooting and rental engines. Mobile repair team services for AOG situations 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.

www.ainonline.com • October 22, 2013 • NBAA Convention News 125

uContinued from page 4

MARK WAGNER

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 m idsize and mid-light jets to utilize Rockwell Collins’s HGS3500 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 variety 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, Brazil occupies approximately 200,000 sq ft and will begin operations shortly. An associated $25 million FBO is slated to open early next year. o

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 yesterday 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 shorterrange 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 (second 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 Peln legrini (third from left), who is currently senior vice president of operations.

Boeing looks to BBJ Max to boost bizliner orderbook by 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 cooperation with Aviation Partners. The new winglets are actually a modification 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 percent, 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 improvements, 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

00 NBAA 126 NBAAConvention ConventionNews News• •October October22, 22,2013 2013• •www.ainonline.com www.ainonline.com

Cessna CEO expresses faith in bizav future by Mark Huber Cessna Aircraft painted a picture of its mixed fortunes at its NBAA press conference yesterday, with CEO Scott Ernest saying the company was making good progress on its marquis development programs–the new Citation Latitude and Longitude–while acknowledging problems 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, Sovereign and the new M2 (which is derived from the CJ1) would eventually pay dividends. “We believe we are doing the right things for the future success of the business,” Donnelly said of Cessna. Ernest said the first flight of the midsize Latitude, scheduled for certification

in early 2015, would occur at the beginning of next year and was actually “a little bit ahead of schedule.” He added that Cessna’s 162 Skycatcher single-engine light sport aircraft, directed at the primary training market, had “no future,” an indication that Cessna may be preparing to permanently shutter the troubled program. Ernest also declined to elaborate on the circumstances surrounding an off-airport landing experienced by the under-development $515,000 JT-A, a variant of the single-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 certified as fast as we can,” he said. Ernest also declined to provide additional details on a new low-wing, single-engine turboprop 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 Citation X and Sovereign programs, as well as the M2, were largely behind it. “We are on track and we feel good about certification [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 electronics and other packages and twin ejection seats. Ernest said the Scorpion would make its first flight later this year. o

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.

over current aircraft. The first BBJ Max will be delivered in 2018, and testing is already underway on the “Boeing Advanced Winglet,” a new design being developed by Boeing for the Max. BBJ president Steve Taylor acknowledged continuing soft demand for products in the wake of a slow global economic 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. However, 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 sister publication Business Jet Traveler, which recorded 77 percent of respondents favoring Boeing bizliners over the competition. 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

MARIANO ROSALES

Embraer splurges on its NBAA display presence

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