NBAA Convention News 10-23-14 by Aviation International News

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OCT. 23, 2014

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ClearVision shows the way by David Donald

of developments as part of its ClearVision situational awareness enhancement range. Among the aims is to gain credits for landing with a 1,000-foot runway visual range (RVR), equating roughly to a 50-foot decision height. Drawing on its commercial EVS and defense equipment expertise, Elbit

Continued on page 4 u

ORLANDO

Carville & Matalin; ‘he said, she said’ The happily married, but politically opposed, media stars, James Carville (Democrat) and Mary Matalin (Republican) agreed at the NBAA 2014 second-day general session on Wednesday that the Republican Party would likely take control of the U.S. Senate in the upcoming midterm elections on November 4.

BARRY AMBROSE

With the 1,500th enhanced vision system recently delivered, Elbit Systems (Booth 4246) has been at the forefront of this technology since the first Kollsman enhanced vision system (EVS) was developed in 2001. At this year’s NBAA Convention in Orlando, Fla., the company unveiled a number

has developed a new six-sensor, multispectral EVS that maximizes detection capabilities by viewing in various spectral bands. These can be combined to optimize visibility and extract the best possible long-range detection capabilities through fog, rain, smoke, haze and the dark of night. The ability to detect LED and incandescent runway lights at long ranges in low visibility is of significant value to pilots. ClearVision EVS provides high-

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Continued on page 4 u

As always, the NBAA static display area is chock-a-block with all the air-candy you can take. For details, see page 4.

Airports

Medical

Aircraft

Maintenance

Certifications

London Biggin Hill links with TEB

MedAire weighs in on Ebola scare

Pilatus updates its upcoming PC-24

Dallas Airmotive’s live PT6 rebuild

Dassault awaits 7X nod from CAAC

Leveraging its cooperative agreement with New York-area Teterboro Airport, London’s legendary Biggin Hill is making its case as a logical landing spot. FBOs Rizon Jet and Signature help the argument. Page 12

As one of the most respected suppliers of in-flight medical service, MedAire has recommended a common sense view of the current health hazard. The company offers advice on coping. Page 29

Having announced its developmental twinjet at 2013’s EBACE show, Pilatus came to NBAA with lots of news on how the program is progressing. They’re upgrading the PC-12, too. Page 30

It’s not often a maintenance provider opens the doors to its workshop, but Dallas Airmotive is here at NBAA performing an actual PT6 overhaul on the show floor. Page 46

The extensive flight trials are complete, and Dassault expects official approval early next year to operate at China’s Daocheng Airport, the highest elevation commercial airport in the world. Page 48

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Republican strategist Mary Matalin addresses the NBAA general session as her outspoken Democrat husband, James Carville, chews his fingernails. As polarized as the married couple is, they agree that today’s negative posturing is bad for the political process and even worse for the electorate the process is meant to serve.

The dynamics of a static display

ClearVision shows the way uContinued from page 1

FOUNDED IN 1972 James Holahan, Founding Editor Wilson S. Leach, Managing Director R. RANDALL PADFIELD, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

‘he said, she said’ uContinued from page 1

“That is a ‘dog bites man’ story,” Carville said of a possible Republican Senate takeover, pointing out that since World War II, the party with an incumbent President and a majority in the Senate had lost that majority in every midterm election except one. “If the Democrats keep it, that would be a ‘Man Bites Dog’ story,” he quipped. Matalin noted that the statistical advantages President Obama had enjoyed among some groups of likely voters have shrunk to marginof-error leads, while among other groups, slim Republic advantages had grown larger. Nonetheless, she said that the Democrats “have a superior ground game and better hardware and software,” for getting out the vote, one of the wild cards in the elections. Regardless of the outcome, Matalin sees the antipathy for the opposition that has energized many voters in recent elections as ultimately harmful to both parties, as well as the nation’s progress. “Winning on the failure of your opponents is not a [viable] strategy going forward,” she said. “The Republicans’ challenge, if they do win, is to say what they’re going to do and imagery and that from the SVS to best suit his or her needs and the prevailing light and weather conditions. Working with Nicarnica Aviation, Elbit has also developed optional volcanic-ash detection for its EVS, which provides an 80- to 100-nm detection range. Detected ash can be displayed on a regular cockpit screen or as an image in the HUD. Announcement of a launch customer for this feature is expected soon. Elbit’s ClearVision CVS has

MARIANO ROSALES

resolution (1280 x 1024) imagery on a head-up display, either fixed or wearable. The EVS imagery can be combined with synthetic vision system (SVS) imagery, as well as standard flight data symbology. This ClearVision combined vision system (CVS) can be configured in real-time in the cockpit, allowing the pilot to adjust the balance between EVS

Convention News

MARIANO ROSALES

The impressive lineup of aircraft at the NBAA BACE 2014 static display, hosted by Showalter Flying Service, drew large numbers of show attendees from the Convention Center to Orlando Executive Airport. The almost 100 new and preowned jets and twin turboprops comprised several aircraft making their first NBAA or public appearances, including Embraer’s Legacy 450 and Cessna’s Citation Latitude (both making their public debuts) and the Gulfstream G650ER and Citation Sovereign+. With more than a dozen pistons, helicopters and turboprop singles showcased at the Convention Center’s indoor static display, the ramp was clear to feature the largest gathering of large-cabin jets and executiveconfigured airliners in recent memory. Bombardier’s display included a trio of Global 6000s, Dassault Falcon’s lineup featured its flagship 7X, Embraer’s roster was led by the Lineage 1000E, while an Airbus ACJ and Boeing BBJ anchored corners of the vast apron. While today is the last day to experience this year’s NBAA show, there is always next year’s BACE, which takes place in Las Vegas November 17-19. –J.W.

NBAA

Elbit’s ClearVision CVS combines multi-spectral and synthetic imagery with flight symbology, which can be displayed on this wearable HUD.

start arguing for it, not compromising to bring people around to this philosophy.” Carville, in contrast, sees the lack of bipartisanship as the true threat to the electorate. “The political arguments have become more apocalyptic,” he said. “It’s always, ‘One engine is out and the other is sputtering, and we’re going in the ocean.’ If it’s your way or everybody dies, you can’t compromise.” Also at the session Sen. Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), a senior member of the Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and of the Budget Committee, urged attendees to contact their representatives regarding the passage of next year’s FAA reauthorization legislation. “This bill is our best chance to address the issues that matter most to the general aviation community,” he said. Nelson served as a payload specialist on the Columbia space shuttle in 1986, making him the first member of the House of Representatives and second sitting member of Congress to travel in space. Delaware Governor Jack Markell (D) shared some of his state’s initiatives for enhancing its business aviation climate, including the impending formation of a Delaware Business Aviation Association, which took place yesterday afternoon. –J.W.

been selected by Dassault for its Falcon 5X and 8X for display in a twin-HUD installation. The two companies aim to certify ClearVision for the HUD next summer, which will make it the first CVS to be approved. Wearable HUD Goggles

Another exciting development in Elbit’s range is the pilot-wearable SkyLens HUD goggles, which offers 1280 x 1024 resolution and can show the same imagery and symbology as a standard HUD. Planned to be certified as a primary flight display, SkyLens opens up many opportunities for enhanced vision, including small/mediumsized jets and helicopters where installing a full-size HUD is impossible. It can also be a cost-effective means of providing a second display in a single-HUD cockpit. SkyLens is cheaper than a fixed HUD installation and is easy to install, employing an accurate and lag-free head-tracker system mounted under the glareshield.

4 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Another advantage of SkyLens is that it can continue to show symbology when the pilot is looking away from the fixed-HUD “window.” For helicopter pilots this is particularly important, but it can also be a boon for fixed-wing pilots, especially when taxiing or looking for nearby ADS-B traffic to the sides. Meanwhile, Kollsman (Elbit Systems of America) itself has launched a third-generation EVS, branded as EVS SP. This high-resolution, cooled infrared sensor has now been packaged with its processor into a single LRU and has been selected by Gulfstream for the new G500 and G600. o

Correction: BBA company H+S Aviation is opening a service center in Abu Dhabi by the end of this year. AIN incorrectly wrote in yesterday’s issue of NBAA Convention News that BBA’s Dallas Airmotive unit would open the center.

Editor-in-chief – Charles Alcock editor - domestic show editions – Matt Thurber PRODUCTION DIRECTOR – Mary E. Mahoney PRess room managing editor – R. Randall Padfield the editorial team Jeff Burger Gordon Gilbert Mark Phelps Bill Carey Mark Huber Gregory Polek Bryan Comstock Amy Laboda John Sheridan David Donald David A. Lombardo Ian Sheppard Thierry Dubois Paul Lowe Harry Weisberger Curt Epstein Robert P. Mark James Wynbrandt Rob Finfrock Nigel Moll Annmarie Yannaco the production team Mona L. Brown John A. Manfredo Thomas Jackson Jane Campbell Lysbeth McAleer Aaron Tollin Alena Korenkov Photographers Barry Ambrose; Mariano Rosales online editor – Chad Trautvetter online ASSISTANT – Susie Alcock DIGITAL MEDIA DESIGNER – Colleen Redmond Lead web developer – Mike Giaimo web developer – Evan Williams online videographer – Ian Whelan AINtv EDITOR – Charles Alcock director of finance & new product/ONLINE development David M. Leach Publisher – Anthony T. Romano associate Publisher – Nancy O’Brien Advertising Sales – north america Melissa Murphy – Midwest +1 830 608 9888 Nancy O’Brien – West +1 530 241 3534 Anthony T. Romano – East/International +1 203 798 2400 Joe Rosone – East/International/Middle East +1 301 834 5251 Victoria Tod – Great Lakes/UK +1 203 798 2400 Advertising Sales – International – Daniel Solnica – Paris Marketing Manager – Zach O’Brien GROUP PRODUCTION manageR – Tom Hurley AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER – Jeff Hartford manager of onsite logistics – Philip Scarano III group brand manager – Jennifer Leach English sales/production administrator – Susan Amisson Advertising/sales Secretary STAFF Patty Hayes; Cindy Nesline financial analyst/Human ResourceS Manager – Michele Hubert accounting/Administration manager – Irene L. Flannagan accounting/AdministratiON Staff – Mary Avella U.S. EDITORIAL OFFICE: 214 Franklin Ave., Midland Park, NJ 07432 Tel: +1 201 444 5075; Fax: +1 201 444 4647 Washington, D.C. EDITORIAL OFFICE: Bill Carey (air transport and defense) bcarey@ainonline.com Tel: +1 202 560 5672; Mobile: +1 202 531 7566 Paul Lowe (business aviation) paulloweain@aol.com Tel: +1 301 230 4520; Fax: +1 301 881 1982 EUROPEAN EDITORIAL OFFICE: Ian Sheppard Hangar 9, Redhill Aerodrome, Surrey RH1 5JY, UK Tel: +1 44 1 737 821 1409; Mobile: +1 44 775 945 5770 isheppard@ainonline.com U.S. advertising OFFICE: 81 Kenosia Ave., Danbury, CT 06810 Tel: +1 203 798 2400; Fax: +1 203 798 2104 EUROPEAN ADVERTISING OFFICE: Daniel Solnica 78, rue de Richelieu, 75002 Paris, France Tel: +33 1 42 46 95 71 dsolnica@solnica.net Italian Representative: Diana Scogna; dscogna@dsmedia.com.fr Tel: +33-6-62-52-25-47 RUSSIAN ADVERTISING OFFICE: Yuri Laskin, Gen. Dir., Laguk Co. Ltd. Russia, 115172, Moscow, Krasnokholmskaya Nab., 11/15 - 132 Tel: +7 05 912 1346, +7 911 2762; Fax: +7 095 912 1260 ylarm-lml@mtu-net.ru The Convention News Company, Inc. – AIN Publications President – Wilson S. Leach Executive Vice President – John F. McCarthy, Jr. Vice President of Operations – R. Randall Padfield Treasurer – Jane L. Webb Secretary – Jennifer L. English NBAA Convention News is a publication of The Convention News Co., Inc., 214 Franklin Ave., Midland Park, NJ 07432; Tel.: +1 201 444 5075. Copyright © 2014. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of The Convention News Co., Inc. is strictly prohibited. The Convention News Co., Inc. also publishes Aviation International News, AINalerts, AIN Defense Perspective, AIN Air Transport Perspective, AINmx Reports, AINsafety, Business Jet Traveler, ABACE Convention News, EBACE Convention News, HAI Convention News, LABACE Convention News, MEBA Convention News, Dubai Airshow News, Farnborough Airshow News, Paris Airshow News, Singapore Airshow News. Printed in Orlando by Central Florida Press Computer Services: Rentfusion

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by Mark Huber While the FAA launched a one-year pilot program in Phoenix, Ariz., earlier this year to collect general aviation data for the Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) system, questions remain concerning how GA ASIAS data will be used by the FAA to develop trend analysis in pursuit of increased safety and safety oversight. The ASIAS initiative collects information from a wide variety of sources, including flight data recorders. At first, when the program began in 2007, thirteen airlines and the FAA joined the initiative. The FAA’s role is nonpunitive. Today, membership

has grown to 44 airlines representing 96 percent of commercial airspace operations and 142 safety data sources, according to the FAA. The Mitre Corporation analyzes and safeguards proprietary airline data; integrates it with Mitre’s own aviation safety databases covering weather, radar tracks, airspace and traffic and other public data; conducts studies; and builds analysis capabilities. Airline data is shared over Mitre secure servers and includes pilot safety reports and flight data recorder (FDR) data. Mitre began delivering safety studies generated by

Flight Data recorders are an important source of information for an FAA database.

Huge Data Cache

The data trove collected to date is huge. By 2013 it included 125,000 aviation safety action program (ASAP) reports, 10 million flight operational quality assurance (FOQA) reports and 50,000 air traffic safety action program reports. Although the system is relatively new, to date, seven of the 76 safety enhancements proposed by the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (Cast) have been derived from ASIAS data.

FOTOLIA

ASIAS is branching out to improve GA safety

the program to the FAA and stakeholders in 2008. The studies had an immediate benefit, including the redesign of airspace in select regions to thwart false Taws alerts. ASIAS also establishes safety measurement benchmarks that allow individual operators to see where they stack up against the industry as a whole.

ASIAS also tracks the effectiveness of those enhancements as well as 51 distinct metrics. Twice annually, 500 airline aviation safety professionals share safety information at closed-door “Infoshare” meetings. Issues discussed are linked to ASIAS for early detection and analysis. The Phoenix demonstration project is part of the FAA’s effort to develop parallel programs for GA and helicopters between now and 2018. Related tasks include determining data-sharing requirements, developing a governance structure, deploying “GA ASIAS” and related directed studies, known-risk monitoring and information sharing of GA issues among all GA operators. Predictive Tool

The main facility for UAS Africa, the Dubai-based company’s headquarters for the continent, is located in Johannesburg. UAS also has African regional offices in Lagos and in Nairobi.

UAS adds support staff in nine African locations Dubai-headquartered UAS International Trip Support (Booth 2208) has recruited a number of industry experts to provide flight and ground support in nine African countries: Cameroon, Cote D’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria and South Africa. “Appointing country managers across Africa was our way of responding to client demands for quality services,” said Wynand Meyer, UAS

regional director of Africa. “We are the first international trip-support company to take on an initiative of this scale for supervisory support in Africa,” he claimed. UAS country managers are responsible for ensuring that all UAS flights in their country operate on time. This requires providing accurate and up-to-date Notams, news and updates regarding air traffic, information about regulatory requirements and

guidance concerning local operations. The managers also work with local ground handlers to enhance operational safety, minimize language barriers and coordinate credit for aviation fuel and services. UAS’s goal is to have a country manager based in every nation in Africa. UAS Africa, the company’s headquarters for the continent, is located in Johannesburg; it also has African regional offices in Lagos and in Nairobi. The international trip support company’s other continental headquarters are in Houston for the Americas, Dubai for the Middle East and Hong Kong for Asia-Pacific. –R.R.P.

6 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

The FAA also wants to use “de-identified” ASIAS data as a predictive tool to assist its field inspectors in spotting problems before they happen. This is unlikely to happen anytime soon, according to a December 2013 report by the Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General (IG) that examined ASIAS at the airlines and its future application for GA. In its report, the IG noted, the “FAA’s plans to achieve this predictive capability are still several years away due to challenges such as the time it takes to enhance automated capabilities and analytical methodologies. In the meantime, FAA is working to improve the quality of data that ASIAS receives, including standardizing data collection practices.” Currently, the FAA does not allow its inspectors and analysts to use ASIAS confidential data for oversight purposes, including data from FOQA programs and the ASAP. However, the IG found through surveys it administered in preparing its report that “Seventy-four percent of field inspectors and analysts who responded

to our survey and were familiar with ASIAS stated that access to national level ASAP/FOQA trends would improve air carrier safety oversight. According to inspectors, accessing trend data from confidential programs would allow them to gain awareness of safety issues for other air carriers and help them assess the potential for related risks at their own carriers.” The Phoenix program collects data from pilots operating within a 40-nm radius of Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Data can be voluntarily submitted to a national database administered by the University of North Dakota, and operators can elect to hide identifying information. Data can be transmitted via some cockpit avionics, a smartphone app and through FOQA and ASAP. Publicly available information, including pireps, ATC transcripts and weather reports also will be fed into the system. The General Aviation Issues Analysis Team–composed of representatives from the FAA, Mitre and industry–is charged with disseminating data and making safety recommendations. The IG noted that participation of GA is critical to ASIAS’s overall success. “There are frequent interactions between different segments of the industry in the airspace above and around New York City area. Commercial air carriers arriving and departing from La Guardia, Newark and JFK airports often intersect with business jet traffic around Teterboro airport and helicopter traffic from Manhattan heliports. Additionally, higher-risk aviation sectors such as general aviation (which has an accident rate many times greater than commercial aviation) that are not yet ASIAS participants do not receive the benefit of ASIAS safety analytics,” it said. o

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reported conducting 30 field studies involving 80 small UAS operations under the auspices of the Northern Plains UAS Test Site in North Dakota. The FAA selected the North Dakota site and five others in December 2013, answering a requirement of Congress in the

BILL CAREY

The first of six new unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test sites in the U.S. to obtain an FAA certificate of authorization (COA) to operate is forging ahead with research projects as it awaits further guidance from the federal government. University researchers in September

After receiving an FAA certificate of authorization, North Dakota State University researchers recently began research test flying with the camera-equipped unmanned Trimble UX5 aerial imaging rover, shown here on display.

Max Technologies adds to Flex avionics lineup Max Technologies is displaying and demonstrating its newest products at Booth 3471, a new line of avionics test and measurement units in the Flex family. The first two offerings are the FlexMulti and the Flex1553. The Multi is a stand-alone rackmountable device that supports 1553, Arinc 429 and asynchronous 422/485 databus protocols along with many others. The Flex 1553 is a PCIe card that supports many of the same

protocols as the FlexMulti but requires a computer to function. Max Technologies, based in Quebec, Canada, specializes in the design and manufacture of “high performance and highly functional hardware” as well as software that can run in commercial off-the-shelf products for test, measurement and simulation. The company’s products feature proprietary modular and multi-protocol intelligent devices that are able to perform on a

variety of hardware platforms with integrated software tools. Hardware products include intelligent carrier boards for PCI, CompactPCI and PXI platforms, and mezzanine modules for a wide range of digital and analog I/O architectures. For mobile solutions Max Technologies provides the high channel density multi-protocol MaxBox product. The company’s software products include the Maxim graphical user interface for Windows and the MX Foundation multi-protocol application programming interface for the Windows, Mac OS X and Linux operating systems. –H.W.

Air BP adds to its global fueling stable Air BP has entered into an agreement to purchase the aviation fuel business Statoil Fuel & Retail Aviation (SFR Aviation) from Canadian company Alimentation Couche-Tard. The deal will add around 73 new airports in the Nordic countries and Northern Europe to Air BP’s 600-strong global fueling network. SFR is selling its aviation fuel business, comprising supply at 79 airports across Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Greenland, Finland, the Netherlands and Germany, plus interests at three airports in the UK and Belgium. The purchase agreement, which is subject to regulatory approvals, is expected to close by the end of 2014. On completion around 59 SFR Aviation employees, currently based in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, are expected to join Air BP.

“Bringing SFR Aviation’s business into our own strengthens our position in Scandinavia,” said David Gilmour, CEO of Air BP, “which is an attractive region for the aviation industry, especially in the general aviation market. This deal will grow BP’s airport coverage as well as introduce us to new customers and give us access to SFR Aviation’s quality infrastructure and operations. It complements our existing presence in the region and will allow us to expand where we see longterm prospects.” The acquisition expands the reach of Air BP (Booth 2020) in new locations around the world, particularly in Norway, and also helps grow the company’s position in the general aviation customer segment. –M.T.

8 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Inn ova tio ns

field studies involving 80 aeronautical research flights at NDSU’s 1,800-acre Carrington Research Extension Center. The project is evaluating how small UAS fitted with multi-spectral camera payloads can help manage and improve crop and livestock production. Testers started by using the Draganflyer quadcopter; as of September 15 they introduced the catapult-launched Trimble UX5 flying wing under new FAA authorization. While NDSU made use of unmanned aircraft for agricultural research, the North Dakota test site awaited direction from the FAA on UAS-specific studies it could perform to support the introduction of unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system. When it selected the test sites last December, the FAA sketched out broad research objectives– North Dakota was to develop UAS airworthiness data–but it had not assigned specific research tasks, said Robert Becklund, Northern Plains test site director. One reason could be that the test-site designations came with no funding commitment from the federal government, said Becklund, a former F-16 pilot and commander of the North Dakota Air National Guard’s 119th Wing. “The thing I would like to see is the FAA define the areas of research that they would like the test sites to focus on so that it’s de-conflicted and avoids redundancy,” he said. “The challenge is there’s no funding for this. They’re very sensitive about [enforcing] a mandate upon these test sites that’s not funded, so they’re walking a fine line themselves. From a national point of view, that needs to be organized.” Experimental Category

The FAA has said it may delegate to the test sites the authority to issue special airworthiness certificates in the experimental category (SACECs) to applicants seeking to test, demonstrate or train on UAS platforms. The sites would host designated airworthiness representatives for that purpose, helping the agency process applications. Yet while

The Northern Plains UAS Test Site first obtained an FAA certificate of authorization to operate the Draganflyer X4-ES quadcopter.

a SAC-EC enables a private operator to fly an unmanned aircraft without a public sponsor, a prerequisite for a COA, the experimental ticket does not allow commercial operations. “The frustration I have is the FAA has really not painted a path beyond experimental,” Becklund said. “You still can’t sell your services. It’s frustrating because industry in this country is moving out on its own. People trying to follow the rules don’t have a path to commercialization.” In his presentation, Becklund listed as a potential test-site challenge the FAA’s ability to approve UAS operations by exemption– something allowed by Section 333 of the 2012 FAA Moderniza-

BILL CAREY

by Bill Carey

Dra gan fly

First of six UAV sites launches test-flying ops

2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act. The legislation mandates the agency to open the nation’s airspace system to unmanned aircraft by September 2015, with the test sites serving as one channel of entry. The other sites are based in Alaska, Nevada, Texas, New York and Virginia. Northern Plains, a collaboration of the University of North Dakota (UND), North Dakota State University (NDSU) and the state’s adjutant general, aeronautics commission and Department of Commerce, laid claim on April 21 to being the first of the six sites to obtain a COA from the FAA allowing it to operate, specifically with the Draganflyer X4-ES quadcopter. The FAA awarded the second COA to the Pan Pacific UAS Test Range that the University of Alaska-Fairbanks manages on May 5. Both North Dakota and Alaska claim to have performed their first test-site operations that same day. During a briefing for reporters at UND’s campus in Grand Forks in September, researchers said that since obtaining FAA approval, they had conducted 30

University of North Dakota professor Benjamin Trapnell teaches unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and also promotes them on his license plate.

tion and Reform Act. On September 25, the agency said that it had for the first time approved Section 333 applications from six aerial photo and video production companies, which had been backed by the Motion Picture Association of America, to fly unmanned aircraft. FAA Administrator Michael Huerta said these were the first of 40 applications the agency had received. That number exceeded 50 on October 2. Section 333 potentially provides people seeking to fly unmanned aircraft a way to circumvent the test sites by providing a “categorical exemption” to federal aviation regulations, Becklund said. “If that happens,” he remarked, “you’ve got to wonder what good are the test sites?” o

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Charlotte wooing aviation companies by Charles Alcock The Charlotte Regional Partnership has come to this week’s NBAA show (Booth 3575) seeking to attract companies to join the area’s growing cluster

of aviation/aerospace activity. Curtiss-Wright and Sealed Air are among the latest companies to relocate their headquarters to the North Carolina city–in

both cases moving from New Jersey. Other companies now with significant facilities in the area include UTC Aerospace Systems, General Dynamics,

Charlotte Douglas International Airport is a key part of the infrastructure and competitive business environment that has attracted aviation companies to the region.

Michelin Aircraft Tire, ATI Allvac and Turbomeca. According to David Swenson, senior vice president for economic development with the Charlotte Regional Partnership, the Charlotte area’s competitive business climate is the common factor in attracting aviation and aerospace businesses. Another important consideration is the relative proximity to existing facilities operated by major airframers, such as Boeing in Charleston, S.C.; Airbus in Mobile, Ala.; and Honda Aircraft in Greensboro, N.C. According to the Charlotte Regional Partnership, local labor costs are between 2 and 5 percent less than the U.S. national average and the overall cost of living is 5 to 8 percent lower. The corporate income tax rate in North Carolina is 6 percent and in neighboring South Carolina is just 5 percent. Union membership rates in both states is among the lowest across the U.S. “Companies know they can count on having lower costs in the long term,” Swenson told AIN. Local community colleges can provide customized training to match the specific workforce skills needs of particular companies, with the cost of the training directly offset by the state government. For instance, significant investment has been made to train people in metal manufacturing techniques. Many local workers learn new skills at South Piedmont Community College’s Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing Training Center in Monroe. The Charlotte suburb is also home to Turbomeca’s helicopter engine factory and Midway Aircraft Instrument, which in late 2013 completed construction of a $2.3 million, 27,000-sq-ft facility. Another important asset in the region is Charlotte Douglas International Airport, proving nonstop scheduled service to 151 U.S. cities and 24 international destinations. Sealed Air, in particular, highlighted the airport as a key factor in its willingness to relocate to the area. o

SUCCESSFUL ROLLOUT OF THE PC-24 Typically, uniquely, unmistakeably – Pilatus! And so indeed was the Rollout of the PC-24 on August 1st, 2014. Some 35,000 spectators watched as the show took place at the company airfield in central Switzerland. The maiden flight of the first prototype, which was presented at the rollout, will go ahead in spring 2015. Pilatus Business Aircraft Ltd • Phone +1.303.465.9099 • www.pilatus-aircraft.com

PC-24_Rollout_199x264_final_061014indd.indd 1

10 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

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Biggin Hill leveraging its link with Teterboro by Ian Sheppard If there were two business aviation airports that spring to mind in the UK they would be Biggin Hill (official name London Biggin Hill, Booth 1285) and TAG Farnborough (Booth 4085). The airfields are very different. Farnborough is neat and shiny and dedicated to business aviation but has no flying schools. Biggin Hill, on the other hand, is much closer to London and is a more pleasing setting, surprisingly enough, set up on a hill. Yet Biggin Hill is playing catch-up, with the most Farnborough-like part of it being the impressive Rizon Jet FBO. It also has Signature Flight Support–linking it into a vast global chain–and its own FBO operation, whereas TAG Aviation is the sole FBO at Farnborough. Neither airport is open 24 hours, both being limited by planning permission to daytime plus a

bit (and shorter on weekends), which explains why those wanting to land or depart in the early hours of the morning might prefer one of the main London airports (though all are increasingly busy with airliner traffic, including Luton and Stansted). A runway comparison can be seen in the chart at right. One area where Biggin Hill now wins hands-down is quick helicopter transfers to the London Battersea Heliport–only six minutes away–with Castle Air, which is available with no notice. Another area where Robert Walters, London Biggin Hill Airport’s business development director, believes the south London airport has gained “first mover advantage” is in its tie-up with Teterboro, New York’s main business aviation access point (Booth 1636). The airports signed a formal memorandum of understanding last August and stated that it was to be “…an innovative transatlantic aviation initiative…aimed at supporting and developing business air transportation between the financial and commercial centers of the City of London and New York.” Reliever Airport

Robert Walters, London Biggin Hill Airport’s business development director

Walters told AIN during a visit in mid-September, “[The deal with] Teterboro came about when our chairman [Andrew Walters] was speaking with them about the Davies Commission [on UK airport capacity] about its relationship with the Port

The flight from London Biggin Hill Airport to Battersea Heliport in downtown London is just six minutes by helicopter.

Authority of New York and New Jersey. There were a lot of similarities.” He added that London Mayor Boris Johnson has been supportive of Biggin Hill’s development as a business aviation and congestion-reliever airport (similar to Teterboro’s role in New York area). Biggin Hill falls just inside the London Borough of Bromley, arguably another advantage it has over Farnborough, as it can just about be considered a proper London airport (though not as close as London City, which is still not allowed to have a heliport). Walters said that the helishuttle traffic is increasing and “we’ve had a lot of U.S. [customers] give it a go and they’ve kept on coming back.” A chauffeurdriven limo into London can take about an hour, although the train journey from Bromley into London Bridge or Victoria takes only 15 minutes. Walters is also happy about Signature coming to Biggin Hill, which it did last year when Jets (part of the 328 Jet Group) agreed to run only the MRO side of the facility. “Signature Flight Support put us back in a big network, especially in the U.S.

Long-range business jets make linking the UK with the U.S. a routine daily occurance.

Runway Comparison Biggin Hill vs Farnborough Airport Biggin Hill

Rwy

Length/width

*TORA

*TODA

*ASDA

*LDA

5,930 x 148 ft

5,832 ft

7,131 ft

5,832 ft

5,110 ft

1,808 x 45 m

1,778 m

2,174 m

1,778 m

1,558 m

5,504 ft

5,911 ft

5,504 ft

1,678 m

1,802 m

1,678 m

8,554 x 151 ft

6,562 ft

6,758 ft

8,497 ft

5,905 ft

2,608 x 46 m

2,000 m

2,060 m

2,590 m

1,800 m

6,768 ft

6,965 ft

8,005 ft

5,905 ft

2,063 m

2,123 m

2,440 m

1,800 m

21 Farnborough

06 24

Operating hours (local time): Biggin Hill: 6:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. M-F, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. weekends and holidays. Farnborough: 7 a.m. – 10 p.m. M-F, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. weekends and holidays.

*TORA – Takeoff run available *TODA – Takeoff distance available *ASDA – Accelerate stop distance available *LDA – Landing distance available

market and the Middle East,” remarked Walters. There are a growing number of other companies resident at Biggin Hill, such as RAS Completions in East Camp. “They have a constant flow of Gulfstreams going through painting, including NetJets Europe ones, and they have Part 23 approval now so are doing interior design as well,” said Andy Patsalides, Biggin Hill’s new marketing manager. Walters added that there is “lots more in the pipeline.” Even the flight training organization that was mooted and a hotel opposite the Rizon hangar are live plans again, he said. Designs are also well advanced to add a second big hangar, able to take larger aircraft (such

as the new Bombardier Global 7000 and 8000). Movements at London Biggin Hill totaled 41,000 over the past 12 months (as of September) of which 15,000 were business aviation-related. Unlike Farnborough, there are flying schools at Biggin Hill (fitting well with its RAF heritage–see box below). Farnborough does have FlightSafety International simulators but no flying schools. “We have the ability to do 125,000 movements a year,” said Walters, “and there are no slot restrictions.” Farnborough does have a movement cap of 50,000 movements (phased to 2019), but is only halfway to this number, and those are purely business aviation operations. o

proud legacy of ‘biggin on the bump’ Of all the British Royal Air Force fighter bases during World War II, none is more storied than Biggin Hill. The echoes of past Spitfires and their pilots still fill the "circuit," along with the odd flesh, blood and alumin num example. This Mark LFXVIe was restored right on the field.

12 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

WE INTERRUPT THE MIDSIZE CATEGORY WITH AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE.

NBAA 2014 | Static 265 | Booth 220

JetWave to launch on Global series by Curt Epstein Bombardier will be the business aviation launch customer for Honeywell’s new Ka-band JetWave satellite connectivity system, as announced by the two companies last month. In 2012,

Honeywell signed an agreement with Inmarsat, making it the exclusive distributor for the satellite operator’s Jet ConneX aviation communication network, which is expected to go

live next year. Honeywell developed the JetWave hardware platform–which is on display here at NBAA in the company’s booth (2000)–to support it. “With JetWave securing the

backing of a leading business jet manufacturer in Bombardier, we celebrate a major milestone in the evolution of business aircraft connectivity,” said Brian Sill, president of Honeywell’s business and general aviation division. “The industry is showing clear desire for high speed, global, consistent in-flight connectivity and is turning to

Honeywell and Inmarsat to deliver it.” In addition to providing the hardware, Honeywell will also serve as the master distributor of airtime for the business aviation market, working with channel partners Satcom1, Aircell, Arinc Direct, Satcom Direct and OnAir. Unlike the performance of other satellite-based platforms, which can vary dramatically as signals are passed between satellites of different capabilities, the uniform global coverage of the Inmarsat Ka-band network is expected to deliver continuous high-speed data stream rates, and based on that reliability the companies are willing to back up their claims. “This is the first time that any

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Honeywell’s JetWave Ka-Band Satellite Connectivity system will make its business aviation debut starting in 2016, aboard Bombardier’s Global series long-range twinjets.

satellite service provider is committing to performance guarantees for data rates,” said Brad Nolen, Bombardier Business Aircraft’s director of product planning. “Between Inmarsat, Honeywell and Bombardier we’ll have packages that will commit to a minimum information and a maximum information rate.” Faster than Satcom

While the companies are not yet prepared to define exactly what those speeds are, as well as the pricing structure, the least expensive of the packages will offer connectivity speeds faster than any satellite-based communication system today, according to Nolen. He said the premium packages will offer speeds several times faster than any satellite or even groundbased cellular system currently available in the U.S. Ka-band speeds are projected to deliver up to 50 Mbps downlinks and 5 Mbps uplinks, compared to current Ku-band system speeds of 2 to 6 Mbps. The Ka-band system will spend some time in flight-test (Air China was named as the launch customer on the commercial aviation side earlier this year) before being officially

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14 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Continued on page 16 u

Booth 2074

IDAIR Media Service A new era in private cinema Experience the launch of the IDAIR Media Service at booth 2074.

For more information about IDAIR, please visit www.idair.aero A joint venture between Lufthansa Technik AG and Panasonic Avionics Corporation

Falcon 8X will wear Michelin radials The Michelin Man must be proud. The company that introduced the world’s first radial aircraft tire–on the Dassault Mirage fighter in 1981–will provide its Air X radial tires for Dassault’s under-development

Falcon 8X business jet, destined to become the French OEM’s next flagship. “Michelin is the sole source supplier on the new Falcon 8X,” said Frank Moreau, president of Michelin Aircraft Tire

(Booth 647). “We are proud to have been selected by Dassault Aviation as its official partner.” Michelin’s radial tires with NZG (near zero growth) technology are designed to provide a long tire life and exceptional

performance. The tire for the Falcon 8X, which is expected to have the same weight as the Michelin tire for the Falcon 7X, is designed to carry a 10-percent greater load and reach a 10-mph higher maximum speed. According to Michelin, NZG radial technology, when compared with bias-ply technology, provides these advantages: up

to 50 percent more FOD resistance; up to a 40-percent reduction in weight; and up to a 50-percent increase in the number of landings. Michelin claims that its Air X radial tire is offered in more radial sizes than all other aircraft tire brands combined. This includes 19 tire sizes for business jets. –R.R.P.

JetWave to launch on Global series uContinued from page 14

rolled out in 2016 on deliveries of Bombardier’s Global family of long-range business jets. Undetermined by the Canadian airframer at this time is whether the system will be standard or optional equipment, or if and when it will be available on other Bombardier products such as the Challenger family. Those decisions will be made based on customer feedback, according to the manufacturer, which added that retrofit service to install the JetWave system on existing Globals will also be available. The Internet Imperative

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16 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

“It’s not surprising how important it would be to our customer base to have a homelike experience as it relates to connectivity on the aircraft,” Nolen told AIN. “Given the level of Internet usage at home today and the range of an aircraft like a Global 6000, which can fly for 12 hours, obviously offering this to our customers is critically important and will give us a huge differentiating factor to be able to move in first with this product from Honeywell.” Among the services envisioned through the high-speed network are enhanced personal smartphone service, video conferencing, voice and video communications through services like Skype and streaming media using Netflix, YouTube and so forth. Though Bombardier will be the first to offer the system to business aviation operators, those bragging rights will not last long. “We obviously will be selling this to other customers,” said Jack Jacobs, vice president of systems and information management with Honeywell Aerospace. “We expect complete adoption by lots of other people as well.” o

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New distribution agreements expand Aviall’s support offerings

Based in São Paulo, Brazil, TAM Business Aviation is the largest service center for Cessna aircraft outside the U.S.

By Rob Finfrock

Long-time Brazilian MRO makes first NBAA appearance TAM Business Aviation (Booth 408), a Brazilian company with more than four decades of experience, is making its first appearance as an exhibitor at NBAA this year. The São Paulo-based company operates Latin America’s largest MRO facilities for business aviation and has the capability to support more than 100 aircraft at the same time. Its location at Jundiaí, with 215,000 sq ft, is the largest service center for Cessna aircraft outside the U.S. It includes a large spare-parts inventory, shops for paint, engines, avionics and component repair and other services. The company holds maintenance approvals not only from Brazil’s civil aviation authority (ANAC), but also from the FAA and Chile’s DGAC. Currently, TAM covers the entire Cessna

product line, as well as ANAC approval for the Beechcraft King Air family. Along with its other repair centers in Belo Horizonte and Brasilia, the company will soon open its first MRO in the northeast of the country, in Aracati, which will initially focus on Cessna Citations and Caravans. TAM also owns FBOs at five Brazilian cities, specifically, São Paulo (Congonhas), Rio de Janeiro (Santos Dumont), Belo Horizonte, Brasilia and Aracati. While it plans to expand its network of bases, the company can provide ground handling at any major airport in the country. As a charter provider, TAM operates an all-Cessna lineup consisting of the Citation CJ2+, CJ3, CJ4, XLS, Sovereign and X. –C.E.

Million air FBO network gives away classic Harley

MARIANO ROSALES

Million Air (Booth 4620) is an FBO network brand that celebrates its customers every year at the NBAA convention by giving one of them a motorcycle. Yep, if you frequented a Million Air facility last year you were probably asked if you wanted to enter your name in the company’s annual motorcycle giveaway. This year’s bike is a classic Harley Road King 103 with the history of the Million Air brand airbrushed onto every surface. “The paint job cost more than the bike, but it is so special to all of us here at Million Air,” said Roger Woolsey, CEO. The lucky winner? Robert Frazier of Cutting Technologies, a demolitions company located in Gloucester City, N.J. –A.L.

18 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Dallas-based Aviall (Booth 1885) came to this week’s NBAA convention with announcements of several new distribution agreements, including the expansion of the company’s support portfolio for GE Aviation CF34-3A and -3A2 turbofans on the Bombardier Challenger 601. On Monday, the company announced a new agreement with GE Aviation to provide used material/ refurbished and lease engine parts for the popular aircraft series, building on Aviall’s existing distributorship for OEM unique CF34 spare parts. “We believe the customers who depend on CF34-3A and -3A2 engines will realize added benefits from our ever-expanding relationship with GE,” said Aviall

president and CEO Ed Dolanski. Aviall also announced new agreements to market and distribute products manufactured by three subsidiaries of TransDigm. The contracts provide Aviall with exclusive rights to sell audio, power, lighting and control systems manufactured by AvtechTyee, and hydraulic and fuel systems components produced by Arkwin, through the company’s network of 40 global service centers in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific. A third agreement grants Aviall exclusive rights to market and distribute AeroControlex fuel, hydraulic and lubrication pumps throughout the globe, with the exception of a non-exclusive clause for operations in China. o

Bombardier bolsters mobile service, offers 605 upgrade by Curt Epstein Bombardier announced yesterday that it will be doubling its fleet of customer response team (CRT) trucks with a planned total of 14 trucks in operation by the end of the year. “Our customers are learning to love the small jobs that can be done right in the hangar, eliminating a flight to a maintenance facility,” said Stan Younger, the OEM’s vice president of customer support and training. “We’re going from 2,100 unplanned maintenance events in 2011 and this year we’ll see 4,500 and so customers are starting to learn how to use that CRT truck as a tool. One of those mobile units will be attached to a new line maintenance station located in France at Aéroport Nice Côte d’Azur, to provide AOG/line service to customers in the French Riviera. The Bombardier service center in Amsterdam will support the services there. The other CRT trucks, which are crewed by highly skilled nonspecialized technicians, will be deployed in Columbus, Ohio; Houston; Miami; the San Francisco Bay area; Washington, D.C.; and White Plains, N.Y. The company invites NBAA visitors to examine one of the trucks here at the static display. In the wake of its launch of the Challenger 650, the Canadian airframer said it will offer its Challenger 605 customers a suite of upgrades that will provide them with many of the same features available on the new aircraft. Bombardier expects to roll them out as a series of optional service bulletins starting late next year. The program is similar to the upgrade package offered for the Challenger 300, which started last year, and will focus on the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21

Advance avionics suite, adding synthetic vision, FANS, MultiScan weather radar, ADS-B, LPV and head-up guidance system with enhanced vision. o

FreeFlight launches compact ADS-B solutions FreeFlight Systems of Waco, Texas, has launched a pair of compact and affordable systems that can provide NextGen-compliant systems for Part 25 business aircraft operators. Weighing less than two pounds and packaged into a small box that allows it to be installed close to antennas or in bays to minimize cabling, FreeFlight’s FRX-250 combines the company’s Rangr ADS-B in receiver with a 1203C Waas/ GPS. The 15-channel GPS/GNSS sensor provides the required positional accuracy, and when paired with an approved Arinc 743A ADS-B out transponder satisfies NextGen requirements in one unit. Through the ADS-B in function the aircraft can receive free (in U.S. airspace) FIS-B weather and TIS-B traffic data, which can be displayed on existing flight deck screens or wirelessly on personal device displays using FreeFlight’s FWF125 serial-to-Wi-Fi system. FreeFlight’s second compact system is the FTX-200 1090ES, which integrates a 15-channel Waas/GPS sensor with an ADS-B out transponder, providing ADS-B compliance and TCAS I compatibility without the costs associated with an expensive avionics upgrade. The company is aiming this solution particularly at Part 25 owners –D.D. of older business jets.

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SyberJet’s SJ30 cockpit inspired by exotic autos As the newest torchbearer for the SJ30 program, San Antonio, Texas-based SyberJet (Booth 4259) brings a little swagger to this year’s NBAA convention with the debut of a mockup of the company’s new flight deck clearly inspired by high-end (and fast) automobiles. Designed by Jason Castriota, whose portfolio includes work at Ferrari, Maserati and Audi, the look emphasizes sweeping shapes, rendered in high-level materials such as Alcantara faux suede, brushed aluminum and carbonfiber veneer. Thick red stitching contrasts against black leather along the top of the panel. As opposed to the earlier layout that favored a decidedly more industrial approach, “marketing drove the interior styling of this cockpit,” Mark Fairchild, SyberJet general manager, told AIN. “We also sought input from our customers for this design because they’re usually the ones up front.” Housed in the new panel is a

variant of Honeywell’s Primus Epic 2.0 avionics package, dubbed SyberVision, featuring four 12-inch displays and standard SmartView synthetic vision, TCAS II, Taws level-A and electronic checklists. The avionics also support FANS 1A equipage and the addition of Honeywell’s SmartLanding, SmartTaxi and SmartRunway systems. Fairchild said the avionics decision was between Garmin and Honeywell. While the latter company had also supplied the Epic flight deck on the first SJ30-2s delivered by prior caretakers Sino Swearingen and Emivest Aerospace, the company also took a long look at Garmin’s touchscreen-controlled G3000 system. “It worked very well,” Fairchild recalled, “[but using] the touchscreen controllers presented some issues in turbulence. It seemed like the workload was increased.” Fairchild also believed the Honeywell FMS layout was better suited for the SJ30’s emphasis on long trip legs. o

Hawker winglets certified, range improvements noted by David Donald Beechcraft has received FAA certification for its new Hawker winglets, which deliver a 3- to 4-percent range increase to Beechjet 400A and Hawker 400XP aircraft, according to preliminary performance data. The winglets can be fitted to either model at Textron Aviation service centers. Also announced this week is an order for the 400XPR upgrade package, including winglets. Guardian Flight has ordered six upgrade kits for its fleet, which is used for aeromedical evacuation services in Alaska. First deliveries are planned in the first half of next year. Genuine Hawker winglets are part of a factory-approved and supported upgrade for older Beechjet/Hawker 400s. The heart of the 400XPR is a new powerplant, in the form of the Williams International FJ44-4A-32. Combined with the winglets, the new engines are projected to generate a 33-percent range increase,

while allowing the aircraft to reach FL450 in 19 minutes at maximum takeoff weight. Other elements of the Hawker 400XPR package include upgrades to the exterior, cabin and cockpit. Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 and Garmin G5000 avionics suites can be installed. As well as improving fuel economy by reducing induced drag, the winglets reduce timeto-climb, improve high-altitude stability and improve low-speed handling as a function of the wing-area increase they impose. The winglets feature LED position lights, and come with a two-year warranty and an average lifetime of 5,000 hours. o

MARIANO ROSALES

by Rob Finfrock

From the studio of Jason Castriota, the redesigned cockpit of the Syberjet SJ30 borrows from his work for the likes of Ferrari, Maserati and Audi. Castriota derived much of his direction from customers“because they’re usually the ones up front.”

Extant adds product lines Meggitt to its stable of offerings gets nod for Gulfstream autobrake by Amy Laboda

Melbourne, Fla.-based Extant Components Group Holdings (Extant) announced at NBAA 2014 that it has experienced considerable growth this year with the addition of three product lines through acquisition or license agreements with major aviation OEMs. Extant signed an agreement on Monday to acquire Rockwell Collins’s Customer Specified Avionics (CSA) product line, which comprises more than 100 individual assemblies, including electronic controls, audio and annunciator panels, current sensors and converters used on a wide range of business jets.

In July, Extant acquired the AIM line of standby avionics from L-3 Communications Avionics Systems, which includes various AIM directional and attitude gyros used on business and general aviation aircraft since the products entered the market in 1957. Extant also signed a licensing agreement mid-year with a major aerospace OEM to provide manufacturing, repair and technical support for voice and data recorders in military trainers. “We still have several opportunities in process to announce later this year, and a very active pipeline for 2015,” said Extant CEO Jim Gerwien. o

Plans announced in China for major bizav air park Representatives of China’s Ordos Airport Industrial Zone (OAIZ) in Inner Mongolia and China Aviation Investment Group (CAG, Booth 4666) announced the establishment of the Ordos World Aviation Expo Industrial Zone, created to stimulate development of an indigenous aircraft manufacturing and services industry as well as high-end tourism. “Ordos was selected based on the exceptional geographic condition as well as economic development and the resources of Ordos,” said Wang Jian, OAIZ Party Committee Secretary. “The [Inner Mongolia Autonomous] region is ideally suited for the growth of key industries and

20 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

foreign investment.” An eight-kilometer-square Air Park, designed to attract aviation businesses from around the world, will be the centerpiece of the $8 billion World Aviation City industrial zone, and include “bases” for general aviation, aircraft exhibitions, aviation education and commerce and related activities. It is planned to also include tourism attractions, such as a shopping mall, amusement park, golf course and boutique hotel. CAG vice president Jiang Michael said planning for most of the bases is complete, and a new terminal, to become Air Park’s FBO, has already been built at Ordos Ejin Horo Airport. –J.W.

Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, Meggitt Aircraft Braking Systems (MABS) manufactures a wide range of braking systems for aircraft in commercial, business and military sectors. The company has been awarded a contract to provide the autobrake system for the Gulfstream G650 and G650ER ultra long-range aircraft. The system will become standard for future production aircraft and introduced via the Gulfstream service network to existing aircraft. Meggitt (Booth 3070) provides the brakes for the entire in-service and in-production Gulfstream portfolio. Automatic braking provides a number of benefits, such as applying the appropriate level of braking required for the selected level of deceleration. The MABS system also controls braking during the de-rotation phase, before the nosewheel has touched down, reducing landing distances by applying the brakes at an earlier stage. The system also automatically provides maximum braking following a high-speed rejected takeoff. Autobrake has been a feature of commercial airliners for some time, but it has historically proven too expensive for business jets. New digital brake-by-wire technologies allow it to be added to existing systems as a software drop-in, in turn rendering the capability more affordable. –D.D.

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SACjet addition expands UVair brand to 25 FBOs The UVair FBO Network recently added the three facilities of the Sacramento Jet Center (SACjet) chain to its roster, bringing the total number of

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22 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Sacramento Jet Center recently took over the FBO operations at Mather Field and last month hosted its first California Capital Airshow, which attracted more than 100,000 visitors.

and fuel supplier Epic Aviation (Booth 3400). The network is comprised of independently operated upscale FBOs. California-based SACjet was recently awarded the lease for the sole FBO at countyowned Mather Field–with an 11,300-foot main runway–and is also the lone service provider at both Sacramento Executive and Sacramento International airports, all of which will wear the UVair brand. “As we take over the FBO operation at Sacramento’s Mather Field, we wanted to bring the premier FBO experience to the entire Sacramento aviation community,” said Sacramento Jet Center owner and president Scott Powell. “The UVair FBO Network has demonstrated the ability to help its members do this.” The Mather Jet Center is home to 10 jets and 15 turboprops and has a 7,500-sqft FBO with 84,000 sq ft of hangar space, while Sacramento Executive has a 15,000sq-ft terminal and 60,000 sq ft of indoor aircraft storage for its 18 based turbine aircraft. The Sacramento International facility has a 15,000-sq-ft FBO with office space, 11 based jets and 40,000 sq ft of hangar space. All three locations are open 24 hours and feature onsite car rental, pilot lounges, complimentary Wi-Fi and crew cars. UVair (Booth 1825, 2225) targets upscale facilities with outstanding customer service and a track record of exemplary safety, said the company. “We are excited about the rapid growth of the network, giving our clients more options throughout North America,” said Steve McCullough, Epic’s senior vice president for business development and strategy. “This network is here to support you, and we are thankful for the support that has allowed us to reach 25 members in just a few years.” –C.E.

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24 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

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Embraer could break ground next month on a new Legacy 450/500 assembly facility.

Embraer moving quickly on Legacy assembly plant in Fla. The Melbourne (Fla.) Airport Authority approved Embraer Executive Aircraft’s plans for a Legacy 450/500 assembly facility during a special meeting in late August. Embraer has proposed constructing $76 million of new facilities totaling approximately 250,000 sq ft that would be situated between its business jet delivery center and Phenom 100/300 assembly facility on the north side of Melbourne International Airport. The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer expects to break ground on the expansion within the next month. According to the approved plans, this includes a 140,000-sq-ft final aviation assembly/fuselage joining building, 42,000-sq-ft hangar, 35,000-sq-ft paint hangar and 25,000 sq ft of administration and support shops. In addition, there would be taxiway and aircraft apron facilities, an auto parking lot for 800 to 1,000 vehicles, utilities service extensions and other associated infrastructure for the new Legacy assembly complex. At the meeting, elected officials

outlined the details of Embraer’s more than $48 million incentive package to assemble midsize Legacys in Florida. This includes $36.1 million from the Florida DOT’s capital improvement program, $8 million from a “quick closing fund” from Florida’s Department of Economic Opportunity and $1 million each from the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, Brevard County and Melbourne Airport Authority. At EAA AirVenture 2014, Embraer confirmed plans to begin assembling its new midsize Legacy 450 and 500 at the Melbourne campus by 2016. The company expects to add about 600 jobs when the new plant is fully up and running. The airport authority’s approval brings the aircraft manufacturer one step closer to its goal. Embraer already assembles and delivers Phenom 100s and 300s at the Florida facility, and it opened its new U.S. engineering and technology center there last month. –C.T.

Advent recasts top management Aviation services conglomerate Advent Aerospace (Booth 1895) has made some restructuring moves among its senior management and corporate division leadership. The New Hampshire-based company has promoted Harvey Ticlo from president of its Cabin Innovations division in Lewisville, Texas, to senior vice president for corporate strategy, business development and integration, while Steve Jourdenais, formerly president of the corporation’s Florida-based Jormac Aerospace unit, was named senior vice president of the interiors group consisting of both Jormac and the Cabin Innovations businesses. Frank Nelson was promoted from vice president of program management at Jormac, to vice president and general manager, succeeding Jourdenais as head of the division. He, in turn, was

replaced by Colt Mehler, formerly Jormac’s vice president of project engineering. Shawn Bucher, most recently B/E Aerospace’s vice president of engineering, also joined the company to head up Cabin Innovations as vice president and general manager. “These appointments are reflective of our desire to grow technology, innovation and product development at Advent Aerospace overall, while leveraging synergies between our interior divisions,” said Advent managing director Ken Goldsmith. “These experienced executives are each exceptionally well-suited to their new and expanded roles.” o

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AirSide Door debuting HydraLink hangar door by Harry Weisberger The creative team of recently formed AirSide Door Systems, based in Sarasota, Fla., has designed, manufactured and installed hangar and marina door systems throughout the U.S. and Caribbean islands for nearly 30 years. This year, new NBAA Convention exhibitor AirSide Door Systems is showcasing its newest hydraulic door system, the Hydra Link, at its NBAA booth (4450). AirSide Door Systems engineers have installed, maintained and repaired many doors manufactured by other companies and they used the knowledge gained to design the company’s own more reliable and rugged door systems. Problems seen on competing doors in the field include design and warranty

issues that trigger reoccurring cable lift, bifold and hydraulic swing door service calls. Single-span hydraulic lift doors have become more desirable, not only in the aviation industry but also for industrial, agricultural and marina applications. In 2013, AirSide leaders tasked the engineering and design team with developing the “…best hydraulic lift, pivot-door design in the industry.” Several months later, the AirSide team unveiled the HydraLink door system, which employs an innovative hydraulic lift-and-pivot design. The HydraLink hydraulic door system is now available in widths of more than 160 feet and it is capable of withstanding wind speeds of more than 200 mph. All AirSide hangar doors are

Duncan’s repair pact adds Avidyne EX500 to roster Avionics manufacturer Avidyne of Lincoln, Mass., has extended its agreement with Duncan Aviation to include the Avidyne EX500 series of multifunction display (MFD). This makes Duncan Aviation the exclusive provider of repair services for the EX500, as well Avidyne’s

Avidyne EX500

first-generation Flight Situation Displays and early-model FlightMax MFDs. “We have had a great working relationship with Duncan Aviation and we are pleased to have Duncan as our worldwide repair center for our legacy MFD products,” Patrick Herguth, COO, Avidyne, said. Don Fiedler, new business development manager for Duncan Aviation, explained, “As we did when we took on Avidyne’s legacy MFDs in 2010, our plan is to continue with the same EX500 service pricing and warranty that Avidyne has had in place for some time. We will also be providing free loaners,

made in the U.S. and available in multiple configurations, including pilot doors, and with added safety devices and a variety of cladding options. The doors carry a standard warranty, as well as extended warranty options for hydraulic power units and rolling door drive units. “This design is unlike any other current system,” said Gary Bergstrom, AirSide director of sales. “When I was first retained, much of my time was spent dealing with warranty issues on systems our team had installed. A valued client with multiple FBOs nationwide asked us for a hydraulic door system that required less maintenance with minimal callbacks. Our goal was to design the best hangar door in the world.” He added that the door itself functions like a robotic arm with a fluid lift-and-swing motion. “Our system can include a fully monitored touchscreen program on the control panel to provide an exterior live video feed of the door while in motion,” he said. o quick turn times and excellent technical support.” Repair and service of the EX500 MFDs are expected to be fully transitioned to Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln, Neb. facility by the end of November. Under the terms of this agreement, Duncan Aviation will be the worldwide repair center for Avidyne’s EX500 series of multifunction displays. “We look forward to supporting Avidyne’s EX500 customers as well as their other legacy MFD customers for years to come,” said Todd Duncan, chairman of Duncan Aviation. Since 2010, Duncan Aviation has provided similar repair and support services for Avidyne’s legacy display products, including the 5-RR FSD and the FlightMax 440, 450, 640, 650, 700, 740, 750, 800, 850 and 950 model MFDs. –R.R.P.

Better screen, lower price for Sporty’s SP-400 backup com/ILS Sportsman’s Market (Booth 1357) is here in Orlando highlighting the various products offered by its many divisions, which range from the popular Sporty’s Pilot Shop to the company’s flight school–Sporty’s Flight Center– to airport management, avionics repair and installation, aircraft sales and a seemingly endless cornucopia of general aviation services. One of the products that has long been of interest to

the business aviation market is the SP-400 portable radio, which now has a new screen that is easier to read in sunlight and a lower price of $349, down from $399. The SP-400’s new screen now comes with an adjustable backlight and better contrast. But what makes the radio interesting is that it not only is a backup com radio but also contains a VOR navigation display with CDI and

26 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

While National Jets’ company roots extend back to 1947, the Florida company has been operating Learjets since 1974. Its current fleet of three Bombardier Learjet 45XRs makes it one of the largest operators of the type in the region.

National Jets expands its Learjet 45XR fleet Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based FBO and aircraft charter/management provider National Jets has added another Learjet 45XR to its Part 135 management certificate, making it one of the type’s largest operators in the Southeast U.S. “We now have three 45XRs on our certificate, allowing for additional availability for our charter customers,” said company president and CEO Sam Robbin. “From our base at KFLL, these aircraft easily service South and Central America, the Caribbean, the U.S. and Canada,” he said. The nine-passenger aircraft are all equipped with Gogo Business Aviation broadband

an ILS with cross-pointer needle display, which could enable a pilot to follow a glideslope in an emergency situation, such as an electrical failure, where cockpit instruments are unavailable. Unlike many handheld radios, the SP-400 doesn’t require the pilot to use memory positions to store frequencies; just type in the frequency, which can be done with one hand, and that’s it. That said, there is a visual memory recall feature that shows five memory channels per screen. The last freSP 400 quency used is retained

Internet systems and an enclosed lavatory. They offer range of more than four hours. “We’ve had great success with this aircraft and look forward to now having three,” Robbin added. The aircraft are all maintained by the company’s Part 145 maintenance shop on its 40-acre facility at Ft. Lauderdale International. National Jets, which has more than four decades of Learjet charter experience, is exhibiting here at NBAA at the Phillips 66 Aviation Fuels booth (4200). Its clients can take advantage of low home base fuel prices as well as worldwide discount contract fuel. –C.E.

so the operator can toggle back and forth with the new frequency that was just entered. According to Sporty’s, the keypad is large and easy to use in turbulence. Battery power is via AAs, which last five to 15 hours, and an extra battery pack is available. Separate squelch and volume knobs make tuning the radio simpler. In the nav mode, the CDI display includes bearing-to-station information. Other features include a built-in NOAA weather radio receiver, dedicated 121.5 emergency button and a sidetone so pilots can hear themselves talk when using a headset. –M.T.

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U.S. Customs facility on tap for Atlanta’s McCollum Field Airplanes flying into Cobb County Airport-McCollum Field in Kennesaw, Ga., from outside the U.S. currently have to land at another airport for customs clearance before coming into Cobb County. But this should change next year. On September 17, officials ceremoniously broke ground for a dedicated, on-site U.S. Customs Inspection Facility at the airport, which will become the first Atlanta metro-area general aviation airport to offer the service. Construction of the $800,000 facility began in September and should be completed by April next year, with customs services starting in July. A new $3 million, 80-foot control tower is also expected to open in April next year. “Travelers to our Atlanta FBO will soon have easy access to U.S. Customs, making it an international destination for private jet travelers,” said Steven Levesque, CEO of Hawthorne Global (Booth 3031), at the groundbreaking ceremony. “This makes our new Atlanta FBO an even more attractive option for private jet travelers to the Atlanta area.”

Hawthorne is financing the construction of the customs facility and will also fund its operation. It will be manned by an inspector with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who will be on site for a minimum of 40 hours per week. Cobb County Airport is the second busiest general aviation airport in Georgia and offers the longest general aviation runway– at 6,295 feet–in the Atlanta area. The airport is managed under the guidance of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners. Hawthorne’s new Atlanta FBO has more than 500,000 sq ft of hangar space capable of accommodating up to a G650, a 6,000-sq-ft passenger terminal and offers pilot lounges and conference facilities. Services for pilots include computer flight-planning, weather service and after-hours fuel and emergency services. It is also a full-service Shell Aviation fueling station. In addition to its Cobb County FBO, Hawthorne Global Aviation Services operates FBOs at MacArthur Airport in Islip, N.Y.; Chicago Executive Airport in the Chicago area; and Lakefront Airport in New Orleans. –R.R.P.

Officials ceremonially broke ground on September 17 for a dedicated, on-site U.S. Customs Inspection Facility at Cobb County Airport-McCollum Field near Atlanta, the first for a general aviation airport in the region. The $800,000 center will allow international passengers to clear customs, making the airport an attractive gateway to the Atlanta area. A new control tower is also under construction, expected to open in April 2015.

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28 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

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FlightAware’s ADS-B network makes debut at NBAA 2014 by David Donald

Among the most effective weapons in mitigating the risk of Ebola infection, good old-fashioned handwashing tops the list. Bizav medical specialist MedAire tried to put the global Ebola panic in perspective.

MedAire urges common sense in assessing Ebola risk profile by Amy Laboda Dr. Moneesh Bhow of MedAire (Booth 3185) made it clear: “Ebola is not passed via airborne transmission. In fact,” he continued, “it is half as infectious, on a measureable scale, as HIV. Transmission can be prevented with commonsense, basic hygienic precautions,” he told AIN at NBAA 2014. Unfortunately, the disease has spread rapidly in certain West African countries, notably through funeral rites of some people, according to Bhow. MedAire and its parent company, International SOS, have prepared a list of free resources for anyone in need of the information at www.internationalsos.com/ebola. The World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also have downloadable information regarding the disease and preventative measures. “CDC has an entire section dedicated to air crew,” said MedAire

spokeswoman Erin Mitchell. Jonathan Howells, senior vice president, international, for Universal Weather & Aviation (Booth 1825, 2225), told AIN that his company is also directing clients to the CDC for information. “Our primary concern is helping them think through the potential impact of changing regulations and policy in-motion in relation to Ebola containment,” he said. “There is no consistent approach globally of how airport authorities are responding to passengers and crew arriving from Ebola-affected areas,” he continued. The primary questions being asked are, “Where have you been traveling the past 21 days?” and “Where has the airplane been?” Universal has a web page with information regarding these questions at: www.universalweather. com/ebola/. o

Jet Edge’s managed fleet grows to include six new large-cabin jets Los Angeles-based Jet Edge (Booth 4223) has added six aircraft to its managed-jet fleet, including two Gulfstream G650s, a G550, a GIVSP, a GIV and a Bombardier Global 6000. It expects to add another G550 and a Global 6000 next year, which will bring its one-year new and used sales figures north of the $600 million mark. The company now has more than 40 large-cabin jets under management around the globe. With a larger fleet comes more personnel and locations. Jet Edge has hired managers for its flight operations and maintenance departments,

enhanced its safety management systems and introduced flight operational quality assurance (FOQA) and aviation safety action plan (ASAP) programs. It has also received IS-BAO Stage II certification. Finally, the company announced three additional operating bases: Tokyo; Miami, and Atlanta. This comes on the heels of opening its base at Narita, Japan. “We will continue to focus our efforts on the global, long-range-aircraft, management model in the U.S. and Asia,” said Bill Papariella, president and CEO of Jet Edge. –A.L.

Flight-tracking company FlightAware has launched a number of new developments here at NBAA, including a worldwide ADS-B network that provides real-time, high-precision updates for any ADS-B-equipped aircraft operating within range of the more than 1,000 ADS-B FlightAware ground stations in more than 70 countries. ADS-B data augments that from other tracking sources, such as datalink and radar. FlightAware is showing off its new FlightFeeder ADS-B receiver here at NBAA (Booth 4845). FlightAware has also introduced a flight plan advisory service. Currently, flight plans filed in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Europe and New Zealand are received automatically, but for plans filed outside these areas, FlightAware’s new offering allows customers to input plans into an advisory service web page. When the aircraft sends ADS-B or datalink position information, the uploaded flight plan activates to allow worldwide flight tracking. For aircraft operating without a filed plan, FlightAware’s system can synthesize a flight plan based on positional data, allowing the tracking of these unscheduled operations. The company has also introduced the ability to track business aviation flights in Europe that

operate under a tail number, rather than an ICAO callsign. DeLorme and Yellowbrick Tracking (which make portable Iridium-based datalink units) have been added to the roster of systems that FlightAware supports, joining Arinc Direct, Garmin, Honeywell GDC, Satcom Direct, Sita and Universal Weather and Aviation. In terms of its tracking maps, FlightAware has brought innovations, including live update and a paid option for highresolution, satellite-mapping imagery with street and terrain information. Temporary flight restriction areas can also be displayed, with a hot-link to the relevant FAA web details. There is also a “nearby flight” function that shows all traffic in the vicinity of the tracked flight. Finally, the company has launched FlightAware TV, which presents live tracking maps on high-definition 720p or 1080p TV screens through a subscription Internet connection. FlightAware TV is aimed at two primary markets: fleet operators and FBOs/airports. The fleet offering displays a real-time map of the fleet’s positions as well as a list of previous and forthcoming flights. The airport option shows aircraft (commercial, general aviation or both) arriving at or departing from the airport, together with a live arrivals/departures list. o

Hawker Pacific, Aero Dynamix launch night-vision-goggle shop by Mark Huber MRO and services company Hawker Pacific has partnered with nightvision specialist Aero Dynamix (Booth 1157) to create a new international night-vision imaging repair station at Hawker Pacific Services in Dubai to serve customers in the Middle East and Asia. The repair facility for nightvision imaging systems (NVIS) will be an extension to Hawker Pacific’s existing avionics repair facility in Dubai. Hawker Pacific said it has the necessary equipment, expertise and documentation that is required for testing and recertification of Aero Dynamix’s night-vision goggle-modified lighting systems and equipment. “Hawker Pacific is delighted to be partnering with Aero Dynamix in the Middle East. The creation of the international repair station for [NVIS] will add to the range of services Hawker Pacific already offers and contribute to future growth in the region,” said Paul Giles, COO of Hawker Pacific-Middle East. “The new facility will ensure minimal down time and improved

service levels to Aero Dynamix operators throughout the Middle East region and beyond,” he said. Aero Dynamix develops integrated NVIS solutions for commercial and military aircraft. The company specializes in complete and fully integrated cockpit modifications for night-vision applications and has completed more than 700 STC’d cockpit upgrades. It was founded in 1994 and is based in Euless, Texas, at a new 23,200-sq-ft facility that is a certified FAA/EASA avionics repair station and holds FAA-approved parts manufacturer approval (PMA) for thousands of NVIS products. Product offerings include aircraft modifications, edgelit panels, NVIS panel overlays, NVIS instrument modifications and repair for a wide range of avionics manufacturers, lighted switches and annunciators and external aircraft lighting. Aero Dynamix is also a stocking distributor and certification repair station for L-3 night-vision goggles, offering 48-hour turnaround time on NVG recertification. o

www.ainonline.com • October 23, 2014 • NBAA Convention News 29

Awaiting its PC-24 jet, Pilatus updates PC-12

The Pilatus pavilion is always an NBAA crowd pleaser, and this year is no exception. Attendees got to see a vision of the future in the models of the upcoming PC-24 jet, right, but also to learn about further refinements to the PC-12 turboprop single, introduced two decades ago and constantly refined. BARRY AMBROSE

constructing a level-D simulator for the PC-24 that will be based in Dallas, Texas. “We felt that FlightSafety offered the best combination of technology, instructors, simulators, training materials and customer service that will enable PC-24 pilots to safely realize all the performance capabilities of this innovative new aircraft,” Aniello said. For maintenance training, Pilatus is partnering with FlightSafety to develop a curriculum that will include handson technician training using a real PC-24, and this training will be available at a Pilatus Training Center. Pilatus will use the existing PC-12 dealer/service center network to support the PC-24, but could add to it. “Pilatus is committed to retaining our existing global partner network to sell and service the PC-24,” Aniello said. “For over 20 years, the Pilatus Center network has done an outstanding job of distributing and supporting the PC-12 fleet. We see no reason to change the partnerships that work so well today between Pilatus, the Pilatus Centers and our customers. “In fact, for the past 13 years in a row, an independent survey of customers ranked PC-12 service as the best in the industry. We also feel that the local relationships

our Centers have developed with customers in their regions are very important as many of these customers transition to the PC-24. The size of the network is continuously evaluated to ensure we are providing the best support to our customers. In areas of the world that we believe are under-served by Pilatus representation, we will seek the right partners to help us deliver a Pilatus-class experience.” Aniello did not have any additional information on when Pilatus would re-open the PC-24 order book. At the EBACE show earlier this year, Pilatus opened and then closed the order book for the airplane after receiving nonrefundable deposits for 84 aircraft. “That quantity of aircraft represents the first three

MARIANO ROSALES

Pilatus Business Aircraft (Booth 4699) is gearing up for the 2017 arrival of its new PC-24 twinjet and continuing to make improvements to its strong-selling PC-12 turboprop single. Plans include completing the interiors for PC-24s destined for North and South America at Pilatus’s Broomfield, Colo. campus, a move that will necessitate a significant expansion there. “At our Broomfield operations, we currently employ 75 people to manage the North and South American sales and service network, craft and install the interiors of the PC-12 NG, paint the aircraft to the customer’s specification and deliver the final aircraft to our customer,” said Tom Aniello, Pilatus Business Aircraft vice president. “In 2014 we will complete over 50 aircraft at this facility, and that puts us almost at the peak of our physical capacity. We plan to conduct similar completions functions for PC-24s going to customers in North and South America and will obviously have to expand to accommodate that growth.” Pilatus already is putting the pieces in place for training on the PC-24, recently signing an agreement with FlightSafety International for flight crew initial type certification and recurrent training. FlightSafety is currently

BARRY AMBROSE

by Mark Huber

3-d printing meets interior design At the Aeria Luxury Interiors booth (1685), you can see this BBJ interior mockup. It was created using the latest in 3-D printing. All components and furnishings are built to true and accurate scale.

30 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

years of scheduled production. The next available unsold aircraft will deliver in 2020, but we elected to freeze the backlog at that point, rather than commit to pricing and delivery dates so far in the future. As everyone knows, the farther out you try to forecast the future, the fuzzier the picture gets,” Aniello said. Pilatus is working with Williams International to develop an hourly engine maintenance program, and, separately, an airframe maintenance program for the PC-24, but details are still in the works. The PC-24 will be powered by a pair of Williams FJ44-4A engines (3,435 pounds of thrust each, 5,000-hour TBO). “We have not yet established final pricing for either the engines or the airframe maintenance,” he said. “Customers can expect direct operating costs very similar to other business jets in the same weight and power class as the PC-24.” Meanwhile, demand for the PC-12 continues to be strong, two decades after its introduction, with more interest in fleet orders, including one from California-based Surf Air for 15 aircraft and options for dozens more. “Pilatus is extremely pleased to have been selected as the aircraft supplier of choice for Surf Air,” Aniello said. “Their business model [allyou-can-fly for a fixed monthly rate] is unique and innovative, and the PC-12NG is a key enabler for the success of their service. We will be working closely with them to ensure the first 15 aircraft provide maximum uptime to support their customers, and look forward

to exercising their options for an additional 50 aircraft. “With the proven success of the PC-12 in large fleet operations ranging from SurfAir to PlaneSense to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service, it seems as if the PC-12 concept has reached a critical mass, and more people now understand its tremendous capabilities and benefits. We seem to be preparing more fleet proposals than we were 10 years ago, but obviously are not able to discuss them publicly at this time,” he said. Pilatus continues to look at adding refinements and enhancements to the PC-12. “We design and plan for each of our aircraft to have a very long service and marketing life, and the PC-12NG is no exception,” Aniello said. “Pilatus engineers and marketers are involved in a continuous R&D effort to look for ways to make the PC-12NG faster, more efficient, more comfortable and more economical for our customers to operate. “Incremental improvements present a challenging task because the original PC-12 introduced in 1994 was a very optimized design. However, new technology is constantly being introduced in the areas of propulsion, avionics, interior design, maintainability and cabin connectivity. In-flight Internet connectivity is the most desired option right now, and we are working to offer our customers the best solution possible in terms of connection speed and cost. That technology is moving very rapidly, so we must be agile and quick to keep up with our customers’ needs.” o

FlightSafety G550 eRecurrent ground school makes its debut

course was developed based on FlightSafety’s significant experience with online learning and the expertise gained through the design and deployment of close to 80 courses,” said Marin Todorov, manager of specialty and enrichment training. “We are pleased that a rapidly increasing number of pilots, maintenance technicians and flight attendants are taking advantage of the dynamic and engaging online courses FlightSafety offers.” –M.T.

Classical Glass You don’t normally expect a full EFIS panel in an old-school, taildragging bush plane. But Aviat's Husky, on display at the indoor static area here at NBAA 2014, comes with this optional Garmin avionics suite, including weather, traffic and synthetic vision. It fits right in with the Husky’s oversize tundra tires.

MARIANO ROSALES

FlightSafety International has earned to provide the training, including phoFAA approval of its Gulfstream G550 tos, animated graphics and audio explaeRecurrent online training course, which nations backed by textual descriptions. allows G550 pilots to complete some Failure modes are explored using inof their recurrency training on their flight failure scenarios to make it more own time before attending training at a realistic. In the hydraulics systems lesson, FlightSafety learning center. The G550 eRecurrent course is available for pilots whose G550s are operated under FAA or EASA regulations. The course consists of 13 hours of an eLearning ground school module and LiveLearning CRM training lead by a FlightSafety instructor. By taking the eRecurrent course, pilots can shave two days off their G550 recurrency training, but all of the training, including the simulator sessions, systems integration training and written exam at the learning center must be done within a 60-day period for the pilot to gain FAR 61.58 endorsement. The online eRecurrent course starts with a lesson overview, then a more detailed system overview for each subject area, followed by brief knowledge check quizzes and at the end of each lesson, a lesson assessment test. The lessons use multimedia features 2014 ICD NBAA 5 Final _NBAA 2014 10/8/14 2:38 PM Page 1

for example, actual CAS failures messages are shown, with the failed items displayed on system synoptic pages as they would be in the simulator or airplane. An early lesson in the ground school, called the Flight Deck Builder, helps pilots learn and recall all of the cockpit panels and then tests the pilot’s knowledge by having the student “build” the system by dragging all of the switch panels onto an empty instrument panel. “The Gulfstream G550 eRecurrent

Icing Conditions Detector. Safe Flight announces a breakthrough in ice detection technology. Safe Flight’s new Icing Conditions Detector provides a warning of hazardous conditions before ice has a chance to accumulate on the aircraft.

To learn more about our Icing Conditions Detector for your aircraft, visit us at NBAA Booth #1416.

www.ainonline.com • October 23, 2014 • NBAA Convention News 31

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news clips z AviationGlass & Technology Debuts New Mirror AviationGlass & Technology (Booth 1675), a first-time NBAA exhibitor, offers a certified mirror and optical lens that may change the face of aircraft interior design. The two-year-old Netherlands-based manufacturer of optically true mirrors and lenses has been finishing its AS9100 paperwork with the goal of EASA certification of its products this fall. AviationGlass & Technology has installed the products in a Dassault Falcon 900 testbed. Typical applications include interior windows, bulkhead mirrors, lavatory glass (showers, for example) and mirrors, and so forth. “Business jet owners can quite literally see the difference with their reflections in our product,” said John Rietveldt, CEO of the company. “They’ll feel it, too, when they discover how durable the product is in comparison to traditional polycarbonate.” The company’s glass products are said to be ultra-thin, scratch-resistant and lightweight.

z Japan’s Civil Aviation Bureau Makes Bizav Easier Japan has won its bid for the 2020 Olympics, and Toshiaki Baba of the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) knows his country needs to be ready for an influx of business aircraft. Along with projections for extending runway lengths at several airports, JCAB (Booth 1291) has been busy building dedicated business aviation passenger processing areas for customs and immigration, international terminal ramp parking that cuts taxi time by as much as 30 minutes and even, at smaller airports, FBOs, VIP lounges and executive hangar space. Charter rules have loosened up, as well, easing the way for Japanese Part 135-type on-demand operators. The changes are beginning to have an effect.

z MyGoFlight Shows HUD Prototype MyGoFlight (Booth 4654), a Denver, Colo.-headquartered aviation accessories company, is known for its flexible and diverse mounts for iPads and Android tablets in the cockpit and is showing an array of mounts, a 2015 edition flight bag for techies and ArmorGlas, an anti-glare screen protector for any iPad or iPhone. But what is really exciting is the company’s prototype MGF head-up display (HUD). “Our goal is to get all pilots to be heads-up, eyes-out during all critical phases of flight,” said CEO Charles Schneider. The MGF HUD prototype contains a projection unit, a combiner and a wired or wireless interface to an iPad or video/ computer. The initial price is expected to be less than $10,000 USD, and expected delivery is set for autumn next year.

Nation’s newest FBO on display by Curt Epstein Among the 18 service providers exhibiting under the Shell Aviation banner (Booth 2040) at NBAA 2014 is the newest FBO in the country, having opened literally just days before the start of the convention. Named after pioneering Chicago-area resident and aviatrix Bessie Coleman, B. Coleman Aviation now occupies a newly-built $9 million facility at Indiana’s Gary/Chicago International Airport, making it the second service provider at the airport, which is located less than half an hour from the Windy City’s downtown. The 18,000-sq-ft terminal, which is open 24/7, offers concierge service, onsite car rental, complimentary Starbucks coffee and high speed Wi-Fi connectivity, a pair of conference rooms,

B. Coleman Aviation, named in honor of Chicago-area pioneer aviatrix Bessie Coleman, opened at Indiana’s Gary/Chicago International Airport just days ago.

pilots lounge complete with a 105-inch television, snooze room, flight planning and weather briefing room, fitness room with shower facilities, crew cars and Type I and Type IV de-icing. The 20,000-sq-ft heated hangar can accommodate aircraft up to a Bombardier Global. The full-service location also provides aircraft management and charter service. The FBO’s fuel farm consists of a 12,000-gallon Jet A tank served by 5,000- and 3,000-gallon refuelers and an 8,000-gallon avgas tank, tended by a 1,200-gallon truck. As a Shell-branded dealer, the FBO’s line service personnel have been certified through the

Jetcraft shows five jets in NBAA static display Raleigh, North Carolinabased Jetcraft has brought five business jets to sell at NBAA 2014: two Bombardier Globals, two Dassault Falcons and a

Bombardier Challenger, which are on display on the static display ramp at Orlando Executive Airport this week. Chad Anderson, Jetcraft

Aircraft maintenance provider BBA Aviation (Booth 228) came to NBAA 2014 with the announcement that subsidiary companies Dallas Airmotive and H+S Aviation will open new facilities in Dallas and Abu Dhabi. H+S Aviation is scheduled to open its Abu Dhabi center this December to support the PW200, PW210, PT6C-67 and PT6T engines, while a new facility opening in the first quarter of 2015 at DFW International Airport will offer MRO capabilities for the PW200 and PW210. Both companies have also added support of the Rolls-Royce RR300 turboshaft engine at facilities in Dallas and Portsmouth, N.H. H+S Aviation managing director Mark Taylor noted that recent EASA certification for the light turbine “provided a definite boost to the European helicopter market” and builds on the company’s experience with the previous Model 250 design.

z Safran and Aero Asahi Sign Five-year Contract Turbomeca, a Safran group company (Booth 3259) based in France, announced at NBAA 2014 that it has signed a five-year, support-by-the-hour, maintenance contract extension with Japan-based Aero Asahi and its subsidiary Central Helicopter Service, all part of Toyota Motor Corp. Turbomeca and Aero Asahi Corp. have partnered for maintenance support for more than 50 years.

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z BBA Aviation Opens Abu Dhabi Service Facility

NATA’s Veteran Fundraising hits High gear Leaders from business aviation companies participating in the National Air Transportation Association’s (NATA) Flag Pins for Veterans fundraising program gathered yesterday morning for a photo at the Beacon Aviation Insurance Services booth (4093). Their companies either collected donations from customers using American flag pins, or made outright financial donations to the cause, which so far has tallied more than $30,000. On Veterans Day, NATA president (and a military veteran himself) Thomas Hendricks (center left) will present the donation to representatives from the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation and the Veterans Airlift Command, which provides services to wounded military members, such as retired Marine Corps Sergeant n Adam Kisielewski (center right).

34 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

fuel provider’s ACE program. While the location offers ramp-side vehicle access, a 12,500-sq-ft arrivals canopy with ground heat system adjoins the spacious lobby and provides shelter for deplaning passengers. B. Coleman Aviation also operates a maintenance facility at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida and it has plans to expand that service to the Chicagoland FBO with the construction of another maintenance hangar. The company chose to honor Coleman based on her trailblazing status as the first African-American woman to earn a pilot’s license in the early 1920s. o president, told AIN the aircraft are here as part of a concerted effort by National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA) members to help NBAA sell out its static display this year. Jetcraft is a member of NARA. The group strives to hold aircraft sales brokers to a higher operating standard, he explained. “NARA also has product-andservices affiliate members, and we are [displaying] them in combination with the aircraft,” said Anderson. “It’s the first time I know of that they have exhibited this way.” Yesterday Anderson represented NARA on a panel in the Orange County Convention Center where he was joined by Brad Harris, Dallas Jet International; Ed Kammerer, Hinkley Allen; Louis Seno, JSSI/Embry-Riddle; Wayne Starling, PNC Aviation Finance; and Nick Cerretani, Cerretani Aviation Group. The discussion covered current trends and recent changes affecting new and used aircraft sales. “There are a lot more deals happening this year,” Anderson told AIN. “The North American market in particular has been a bright spot, which is why NBAA is so optimistic,” he continued. “We are well ahead of the pace of last year, and we are looking forward to networking with our clients at the show.” –A.L.

by Thierry Dubois Microturbo is exhibiting an auxiliary power unit (APU) and an engine starter here at NBAA 2014 and also is developing two new APUs. Last summer, the Safran group company assumed full responsibility for two programs in which it was a minority partner: the APUs for the Dassault Falcon 5X and the Bombardier Global 7000/8000. Microturbo now wants to play a greater role in business jet APUs, including meeting the needs of future system architectures. On display here at the Safran exhibit (Booth 3259) is the e-APU 60, which started operating on the AgustaWestland AW189 helicopter last July. “Feedback from the field is very good,” Microturbo CEO Pierre-Yves Morvan told AIN. A dozen are in service with four helicopter operators. The e-APU has been designed for socalled “more electric” architectures, where electric power tends to replace hydraulics and pneumatics. The e-APU 60 (delivering 60 kilowatts) is certified in category 1, which means it can be used in flight. “This can be for engine re-start or supplying electric power to some systems if a

generator has failed,” Morvan explained. Also showcased here is the ATS 337 engine starter, which equips the Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional jet but is also suitable for large business jets, according to Morvan. An air-turbine starter, it delivers up to 90 kilowatts and weighs 31 pounds. Its manufacturer claims that the e-APU 60 features competitive operating costs and high reliability. In July, Microturbo and Pratt & Whitney AeroPower announced that Microturbo would take on 100 percent of the APS2800 and APS500[D] APU programs for Bombardier and Dassault, respectively. The program purchase agreement covers design, production and support. The collaboration was initiated in 2011, when Microturbo had a 30-percent share in each program. “Pratt & Whitney did not necessarily want to carry the nonrecurring costs it was seeing ahead,” Morvan commented. The APS500[D] is a derivative of an APU designed for the Embraer ERJ 135/145. “It will be certified with a much higher level of reliability and

APUs. Deliveries to both Bombardier and Dassault have begun. Next March Microturbo will inaugurate a new design, production and repair facility in San Diego, Calif. The French firm will have 60 employees there by yearend, as the transition continues from Aeropower’s San Diego site. “We want to invest in the long term and be a skillful APU provider for future business jet programs,” Morvan stated. Current APUs are not used in normal flight, even though some have that capability, and this may change. “Aircraft manufacturers are striving to optimize the onboard energy chain and this could lead to new strategies, where APUs could play a more important part,” he concluded. o

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safety,” Morvan said. Moreover, noise has been lowered, both for passenger comfort when they board the aircraft and for airport environment protection. “The APS500 will be used mainly on the ground, while the APS2800 can be used in flight and will be involved in the Global 7000/8000’s ETOPS certification program,” he continued. The latter APU was developed from the Embraer E170’s APU and “is practically a new APU,” Morvan said. It is said to have a very high power-to-weight ratio and can be started at 45,000 feet and work at up to 51,000 feet–high altitudes consistent with business jet operations–despite the thinner air. It has been designed to supply bleed air (pneumatic power), as well as greater electric power than the previous generation of

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www.ainonline.com • October 23, 2014 • NBAA Convention News 35

news clips z Performance Upgrades Approved for BLR BLR Aerospace (Booth 1020) of Everett, Wash., said it had received FAA flight manual supplement approval for performance improvements on King Air 200 twin-turboprops equipped with BLR winglets. The improvements are a 30-percent reduction in required runway length and an increase of up to 1,000 pounds in useful load. BLR expects to receive a similar approval of performance improvements for King Air 90s equipped with the winglets. The winglets, which increase aircraft wingspan by three feet five inches, are standard equipment on the King Air 250. To date, BLR has sold 700 winglet systems. Meanwhile, BLR’s FastFin kit for Bell Helicopter 205s, 212s and 412s is now being sold in Europe, following FAA approval in 2009. FastFin delivers a 10- to 90-percent increase in useful load, depending on specific model and conditions. Bell Helicopter made the FastFin standard on the Model 412EP in 2010. More than 650 FastFin systems, which include dual tailboom strakes and a reshaped vertical fin, are flying worldwide.

z Falcon 900 Gets Chicago Jet FANS STC Chicago Jet Group and Universal Avionics (Booth 273) have announced the award of another STC for Universal’s future air navigation system (FANS) upgrade solution, for the Dassault Falcon 900. This STC is the first FANS retrofit for the Falcon 900; last year Chicago Jet received approval for the first FANS STC for the Falcon 50. The STC involves integrating Universal’s UniLink UL-801 communications management unit (which includes a VHF VDL Mode 2 receiver), interfaced with the UNS-1Fw SBAS-FMS and CVR-120A cockpit voice recorder. The STC also includes an ICG NxtLink ICS-220A Iridium satcom datalink. Chicago Jet (Booth 1867), based in Sugar Grove, Ill., is developing FANS retrofits for a number of other aircraft, including the Boeing 767-200, Bombardier Challenger 600 and 601, Falcon 2000 and a range of Gulfstream types (GII, GIII, GIV, GIVSP, GV and G100/Astra). Clay Lacy Aviation is also expecting to receive an STC for a Universal Avionics-based GIV/IVSP/V FANS retrofit in the fourth quarter of this year.

z West Star Aviation Achieves ODA, and More West Star Aviation (Booth 2685), headquartered in East Alton, Ill., has joined a select group of FBOs and MROs, earning Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) status from the FAA. Having the ODA allows West Star to manage its own certification projects and determine for itself if its STCs and PMAs are meeting FAA procedures and guidelines, streamlining the entire process. West Star also announced it has added Embraer Legacy 600/650 maintenance to its current Embraer Phenom 100/300 authorized service center at its Grand Junction, Colo. facility. The company intends to seek further authorization to offer complete aircraft inspection services on those models. It also just finished building a self-serve fuel station at Grand Junction. In Columbia, S.C., West Star added an accessory shop and intends to build similar capabilities in East Alton before the end of the year.

z Globalair.com Awards Aviation Scholarships Globalair.com (Booth 4993), a Kentucky-based aviation information service that uses the Internet as its platform, announced yesterday that it has awarded Calvin L. Carrithers scholarships, valued at $750 each, to Hayley Haning, Matt Jones and Daniel Patterson, all Eastern Kentucky University freshmen enrolled in the school’s professional pilot program. The annual recurring scholarship requires the students to keep weekly blogs about their flight-training progress. Jeff Carrithers, president and CEO of GlobalAir.com, said he hopes the blog platform will become a networking portal for student pilots and possibly even a recruitment tool for the university.

L-3 is ready for ADS-B with transponder options by Matt Thurber After the stroke of midnight on Dec. 31, 2019, all aircraft that fly in U.S. airspace where transponders are required must carry equipment that meets the FAA’s automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B out) standard. The ADS-B out mandate is part of not only the FAA’s but many other countries’ plans to replace inaccurate and expensive radar surveillance systems with highly accurate, GPSbased ADS-B, which reports aircraft position, velocity and identification information to air traffic controllers and other aircraft. The European mandate kicks in June 8, 2016, for new aircraft

and June 7, 2020, for retrofit installations. Other countries, notably in Asia, have already begun implementing ADS-B out requirements for aircraft flying on certain routes and at certain altitudes, so business jets traveling in those areas need ADS-B equipment sooner rather than later. L-3 Avionics Products is highlighting its ADS-B equipment at Booth 3016, including the ACSS NXT-800 and NXT-600 ADS-B out transponders. Both are compliant with the applicable RTCA DO-181E standards, which apply in the U.S. and Europe. This year, L-3 also introduced its new Lynx ADS-B

out products for piston aircraft, turboprops and light jets. Installation of the Lynx will be easier because it includes an ADS-B rule-compliant GPS position source in a single box. The Lynx will also use existing antennas and wiring, further simplifying the installation. FAA officials are worried that the pace of retrofit ADS-B installations is lagging and that there will be a massive traffic jam at installation centers as the deadlines approach. “We encourage business jet operators to get their upgrades in place for ADS-B out,” said Shane LaPlant, vice president of aftermarket sales for ACSS and L-3 Aviation Products, “because they’ll need to take the aircraft out of service for installation. In most cases, the upgraded mode-S transponder installations require new wiring between the GPS sensor and the transponder for retrofit aircraft.” o

Mitsubishi ramps up support for MU-2 fleet Japan-based Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America (MHIA) announced that Kensuke Takeuchi has been appointed general manager of the Mitsubishi MU-2 Aircraft Product Support division. “This new role with MHIA aircraft product support is perfect for me, having worked in a variety of specialties, including space vehicles, manufacturing, engineering and commercial aircraft structure design,” said Takeuchi. MHIA (Booth 3885) has also added a new authorized MU-2

service center, Professional Aircraft Maintenance, located in Bakersfield, Calif. “David Smutny, president of PAM, and his team have many years of experience maintaining and repairing a substantial number of MU-2s in California and the western U.S.,” Takeuchi said. Mitsubishi also renewed its commitment as a supporting sponsor of Barrington Irving’s Flying Classroom project, which was cleared for takeoff this past September. Irving is traveling the world in Inspiration III, a Hawker 400XP

Clay Lacy offers FANS for widebody business jets by David Donald With FBOs in Los Angeles and Seattle, Clay Lacy Aviation (Booth 678) is expanding its avionics sales, installation and repair business and is currently engaged in two STC programs to offer future air navigation system (FANS) solutions for the Challenger 601-3A and -3R and for the Gulfstream GIV/IVSP/V. The work is being performed at Clay Lacy’s Van Nuys, Calif. facility and will be available through partner Universal Avionics’

36 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

authorized dealer network. With 132 Challenger 601-3As and 59 601-3Rs still active, the Challenger market is a sizeable one. Clay Lacy’s solution incorporates key aspects of FANS 1/ A+ such as controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC) and ADS-C, with provisions to incorporate ADS-B out and Link 2000+. The solution employs a TrueNorth Simphoné TN1007 Iridium datalink. Implementing the solution

Kensuke Takeuchi GM Mitsubishi MU-2 Support

rigged to transmit images and video to classrooms around the world as he travels the seven continents in the next three school years. More information about the program and its sponsors is at www.flyingclassroom.com. –A.L. entails installing the datalink, replacement of the existing flight management system with a Universal Avionics UNS-1Fw FMS and swapping the automatic flight information service system with a UniLink UL-801 communications management unit, again from Universal. A Universal CVR-120R cockpit voice recorder is also installed, required for recording of datalink messaging. Clay Lacy is currently completing the installation in the certification platform and expects to receive its STC early next year. Clay Lacy has also completed a similar FANS upgrade for the Gulfstream IV, IV-SP and V. Paperwork for the Gulfstream STC has been filed, and the STC is expected shortly. o

Located in the southwest corner of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, Flying Cloud Airport is one of the main corporate airports serving this market.

Fargo Jet Center gains foothold in Twin Cities Expanding into the Minneapolis FBO market, Exclusive Aerospace, an affiliate of Fargo Jet Center (Booth 2616), recently acquired the assets of Premier Jet Center at Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie, Minn. “We’ve been looking for the right location to grow our business into the Minneapolis/St. Paul area,” said Jim Sweeney,

president and co-founder of Fargo Jet Center. “We see a lot of opportunity for growth in providing quality maintenance support¸ aircraft management, fueling and charter services to the community.” Located in the southwest corner of the Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area, Flying Cloud Airport is one of the main corporate airports serving this market.

Durable Ultraleathers fill a wide range of roles Cabin interior fabric specialist Tapis (Booth 3667) is introducing its latest Ultraleather product developed for use in vertical applications, including aircraft seats. The material can be used with a variety of composite structures and meets all the latest FAR 25.853 requirements in terms of fire resistance, heat release and smoke density. Ultraleather is available in a variety of custom grains, colors and finishes. The range includes the Promessa and Brisa HP, both of which have been chosen for the tough environments of airline cabins. Promessa is Tapis’s most durable version of the Ultraleather product and

features enhanced stain and ink resistance, antimicrobial protection and breathability. Brisa HP is the company’s lightest material, while still delivering high durability. Ultraleather has been in production since 1966, using custom-engineered premium grade polycarbonate resins with proprietary Takumi technology that promotes thermal comfort and neutral body temperatures regardless of climate. According to Tapis, other leather alternatives and resin composite materials, such as polyether and polyester, have a much shorter lifespan than Ultraleather, which generally weighs less than half as

The latest Ultraleather materials from Tapis have been developed for various applications in aircraft interiors. The company’s Ultrasuede seating materials can be etched by laser to show customized decoration.

“The Premier Jet Center facility gives us a solid foundation to build and expand our business,” Sweeney said. While Exclusive Aerospace plans to continue to operate Premier Jet Center under its current name and keep the present staff in place, it also intends to make significant investment in the FBO. Fargo Jet Center, based at North Dakota’s Hector International Airport, provides aircraft charter, management, sales and maintenance, avionics sales, service and installation, operates a Cessna-certified flight school and is an Avfuel dealer. –R.R.P. much as traditional leathers. According to the manufacturer, Ultraleather is also easy to care for in service. Most stains can be removed with soap and water, and the material can be disinfected using a simple 5:1 water-tobleach solution without damaging the grain or color. The Ultraleather Pro version of the material features even greater ink and stain resistance that is infused directly into the polyurethane resins during the manufacturing process. New Ultrasuede

Tapis also has introduced its new Ultrasuede seat insert material, which is made from 100 percent recycled ultra-microfibers in a more energy-efficient manufacturing process. The material can be decorated with patterns using Tapis’s laser-etching technique. The process can duplicate a pattern from a photo and does not require any water or chemicals, while generating zero waste. Along with the lightweight TapiSuede material, Ultrasuede meets all current flame-retardant requirements for commercial aviation use. Tapis is headquartered in Armonk, N.Y., and also has a facility in Dallas. The company is a qualified vendor for Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault Falcon Jet, Embraer, Gulfstream Aerospace, Duncan Aviation and Jet Aviation. Its operations are certified to AS9100 and ISO 9001 international quality system standards. o

38 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Hot-Stop L series fire-containment bags, produced by Industrial Energy Products, are designed to contain in-flight overheating of lithium-ion battery powered devices.

Baker sole distributor of Hot-Stop fire bags In addition to providing aircraft maintenance, management and charter services, North Texas-based Baker Aviation is also the exclusive distributor of the U.S.-made Hot-Stop L series fire-containment bags, designed to contain in-flight overheating of lithium-ion battery-powered devices. It has a full range of the U.S.-made safety bags produced by Industrial Energy Products (IEP) on display at its NBAA booth (1813). Lithium-ion battery-powered computers and electronic devices have been identified as potential in-flight hazards due to the possibility of malfunction, which could lead to difficult-to-extinguish fires and explosions. IEP’s bags come in several sizes to accommodate laptop computers, tablets or cellphones and, according to IEP president Thomas Connelly Jr., are constructed of specialized materials engineered to withstand temperatures of 3,200 degrees F on the inside and more than 2,000 degrees F on the outside. Baker has committed to free lifetime replacement of any customer’s Hot-Stop L bag that has been used to contain such fires. While the bag would certainly be able to survive another use, it would be permeated with the odor of burned plastic, a smell that would be quite noticeable in the cabin. Baker is also offering a $100 on-the-spot rebate to customers who turn in a competing product when they purchase a Hot-Stop L bag. “People have come to us after purchasing other bags and are concerned about the flawed logic of using water to contain these types of devices on board an

aircraft,” said Ray Goyco Jr., Baker’s president and CEO. “We provide an alternative product that is tested and proven without the need of water, which minimizes those life-threatening smoke emissions and could also reduce costly cabin cleanups should there be a battery runaway.” Use of the bag will also relieve flight-crew members of the responsibility of determining when and if a passenger’s device might ignite and when to pour that water. “That’s a tough situation to put someone in,” Connelly told AIN. “Do you want to trash your boss’s computer because you think it’s running hot?” He suggests simply putting the device in one of his company’s containment bags instead. “If it explodes, then it’s contained. If it doesn’t, you land and hand the device back to the customer.” –C.E. CMC sensor meets ADs-B out mandate Operators that need to meet upcoming ADS-B out mandates have an option for a precision GPS source, the Esterline CMC Electronics IntegriFlight CMA-5024 landing system sensor. The CMA-5024 not only meets the ADS-B out GPS sensor requirements but also offers the optional CMA-5025 control panel so the unit can act as a completely independent precision approach system. The CMA-5024 offers RNP 0.1 performance and builtin LPV approach capability to CAT I standards, “with growth to GBAS CAT I/II/III, according o to CMC.

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Satcom1 widens its bandwidth by Harry Weisberger Satcom1, the Denmark-based satellite communications service provider, is here at the NBAA Convention (Booth 4589) as part of a year of globe-trotting international appearances. The company has announced new services, and its research and development department in Paris is working to improve performance for Satcom1 SwiftBroadband customers with

recently released new bandwidth solutions. Satcom1 is also a default Gulfstream catalog selection for airtime and cockpit services. When an operator buys a new Gulfstream, Satcom1 can be chosen as the in-flight communications source, which will also include a one-year free subscription to Honeywell’s Global Data Center cockpit communication service.

In September, Satcom1 hosted its annual customer training event in Dubai, where the focus was on providing industry updates for both cabin and cockpit services by experts from Inmarsat, ViaSat and several hardware manufacturers. Satcom1 earlier announced that it has teamed with Ruag and Emteq to deliver an affordable turnkey upgrade to current satcom installations on the Falcon 7X. The upgrade includes in-flight entertainment (IFE) and cabin management capabilities and faster connection speeds for Internet access, e-mail and video conferencing.

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CAVU primps EFB-Pro app Business aviation software designer CAVU Companies (Booth 4732) has increased the utility of its EFB-Pro application for the iPad/iPhone with the addition of two new functions, which will be available at no additional fee with a standard subscription.

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Already known for its performance and weight-and-balance calculator, in its latest version EFB-Pro adds fuel tankering computations to help answer whether the carrying of extra fuel is a viable solution. The application will determine how much fuel will be required for a particular leg by a specific aircraft type and will factor in variables such as landing fee rebates with minimum purchase. “Fuel tankering has always been one of those questions that, on the surface, appears to be a rather simple one,” said CAVU Companies president James Deuvall. “But when you try to get your arms around the many facets that affect the economics of hauling fuel around, the solution is actually quite complex.” –C.E.

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Flight Display is bringing IFE to the next ultra-high-def level by Nigel Moll Flight Display Systems is here (Booth 2008) promoting ultra-high-definition (4K) video displays and what it bills as “significant” upgrades to the JetJukebox, which connects directly to an aircraft wireless cabin router and streams media content to as many as eight personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets or laptop computers. JetJukebox can now interface with the Smart Cabin CMS to control cabin functions such as lighting, video and audio, and video can now be streamed to a bulkhead monitor as well as to personal devices. Resolution on the moving-map display built into the JetJukebox is up fivefold, to 90 meters per pixel from what had been the standard 500 meters per pixel, which provides an improvement in detail that FDS describes as “breathtaking.” The moving map displays flight data such as position, speed, altitude and time to arrival. With a one-terabyte solid-state drive in place of the original 240-GB drive, JetJukebox now provides four times as much storage, sufficient for holding more

than 400 movies, tv programs and corporate or home videos. “We are excited to offer these additions and improvements to the JetJukebox,” said David Gray, president of Flight Display Systems. “We’ve already had such a positive response to the previous model. We can’t wait to hear what our customers say about this one.” The JetJukebox supports iOS, Android and Windows. Content, which can be loaded by connecting to a computer or copied from a USB thumb drive, can include video, audio, photos or productivity files such as PowerPoint. FDS emphasizes that JetJukebox provides all its stored content in flight without an expensive Internet streaming connection. For tighter budgets, FDS has introduced the JetStreamer, an entry-level entertainment platform that streams movies, music and other content to carry-on personal devices and retails for $14,960, about half the price of the $29,600 JetJukebox. (These prices do not include installation by the dealer.) Again, no Internet connection is required: in

Satcom Direct starts digging on new ‘Campus of Excellence’ by Harry Weisberger Satellite communications service provider Satcom Direct has broken ground on a new Melbourne, Fla. headquarters, which is slated for completion in August 2015. The 41,212-sq-ft, twostory facility will have an open floor plan designed to allow more natural daylight into the building and will consolidate several buildings where Satcom Direct employees currently work in Satellite Beach, Fla. “Our Campus of Excellence is being designed to foster innovation and creativity,” said Jim Jensen, Satcom Direct founder and CEO. “The building has both technological

and natural features to inspire our growing team.” The new site has underground parking and an on-site fitness facility and will be able to accommodate up to 200 employees as Satcom Direct expands. The atrium-style lobby is topped by a “floating conference room,” and the entire building will be certified to U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. The second floor features 16-inchhigh raised flooring to accommodate wiring and other infrastructure and to make reconfiguring of internal layouts and building technology simpler. Satcom Direct is building its new “Campus of Excellence” headquarters in Melbourne, Fla.

42 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Flight Display Systems is now offering upgraded versions of its video displays and “significant” improvements to the JetJukeBox in-flight entertainment system. The company calls the new resolution “breathtaking.”

concert with a Wi-Fi router, the JetStreamer creates a local-area network within an aircraft cabin for streaming movies, music or images wirelessly to as many as eight passengers. The JetStreamer also streams the FDS worldwide moving map. Content is accessed through an interface accessible through a browser–no app required. “JetStreamer is the entry-level version of JetJukebox, designed not only for entertainment but for business users as well,” notes FDS. “Corporate content can be loaded and presented to passengers. Any file that a carry-on device can read can be served with Jetstreamer. Business passengers can collaborate with documents such as PDF, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.” Satcom Direct (Booth 980) and affiliate company ndtHost recently opened a 25,000-sq-ft data center on the Melbourne property to protect critical business IT systems for Satcom Direct and other companies. The center is equipped with backup generators and multi-layered physical and network security features. Satcom Direct also announced that training team members received Certified Instructor and Trainer status from CompTia, a vendor-neutral IT certification provider. With training and certification in instructor skills and Network+ certification, the Satcom Direct training team members can now teach certified courses to their colleagues, as well as provide train-the-trainer instruction. “We’re committed to making life easier for our customers,” said Jensen. “The more we know, the more we can help them meet their goals and objectives.” o

“We know that aircraft owners are looking for cost-effective ways to include carry-on devices in in-flight entertainment, especially without an Internet connection,” said Gray. “JetStreamer allows passengers access to a library of content.” The JetStreamer has the 240-GB internal solid-state drive now replaced by the JetJukebox’s one-terabyte drive. Content can be loaded either by attaching a laptop via an Ethernet port, or by plugging in a monitor, keyboard and mouse. Jetstreamer will also serve content directly from a USB storage device, such as a thumb drive. There are six USB inputs. FDS says it will soon be providing its own Wi-Fi router, but in the meantime the JetStreamer uses an Ethernet port to connect to an existing Wi-Fi router such as Gogo, Honeywell and True North. The JetStreamer connects to the aircraft FMS to get map data. Also offered is an installation kit, which includes a USB thumb drive, test router, keyboard and mouse. UHD 4K Displays Coming to Cabins

Flight Display Systems began working on ultra-HD (4K) LCD screens last year, to bring to aircraft cabins the sort of picture quality that likely transfixed you while wandering the aisles of Best Buy recently. However, notes FDS, “in developing leading-edge technology, it’s not sufficient to merely provide a retrofitted terrestrial video platform. The needs and concerns of aircraft must be taken into consideration.” FDS has taken the wraps off its ultrahigh-definition display prototypes here in Orlando at the convention. The displays are 23.8-inch and 39-inch widescreen UHD LCDs, and they can display 1.07 billion colors with a maximum resolution of 3,840 pixels by 2,160 pixels. Each will have three HDMI ports and one DisplayPort for video input. They support multiple resolutions from VGA to UHD at 56Hz to 75Hz. “We were one of the first to market with aircraft-grade HD displays. Now our team is developing 4K displays, and the quality will blow you away,” said Gray. With commercial 4K content limited at this stage, FDS says its UHD displays will be useful initially in special-mission applications. “As more content becomes available, private and business jet uses will increase.” o

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Composites specialist seeing rapid expansion by Mark Huber Leading Edge Composites (Booth 937) is experiencing significant growth, doubling its work force and tripling its plant space over the last year. The Coatesville, Pa.-based company recently moved into a new 44,000-sq-ft facility and now has more than 60 employees. It was founded 23 years ago by Brian and Charlene Arni. Brian, a former shop supervisor of Keystone Helicopter, also

Leading Edge Composites uses the latest in 3-D tech.

has a background in fixed-wing aircraft composite structures. Today, Leading Edge specializes in customized aircraft exterior and interior design, engineering and manufacturing solutions with a diverse range of products including radomes, cargo pods and VIP interior cabinetry, galleys, lavatories, seat components, panels, side ledges, bulkheads and shrouds for fixed- and rotor-wing aircraft. Its customer base also includes major aircraft OEMs as well as numerous widebody VIP completion centers. Leading Edge uses the latest 3-D engineering programs to import customer data and fabricate rapid prototypes with a bank of four modern CNC machining centers, said Brian Arni. The company’s diversified portfolio comprises engineering services; reverse engineering, including the use of laser scanning; design services, including the use of SolidWorks 3-D CAD model design

and editing; MasterCAM CNC programming and geometry nesting; PolyWorks reverse engineering and advanced inspection; and Simulayt 3-D layup ply development. Arni said the company’s continuing growth is driven by its ability to deliver increasing use of services quickly, the aviation industry’s increasing use of composite structures to reduce weight and improve fuel efficiency and the OEMs’ trend to more outsourcing. “It’s a combination of the fuller service we are providing,”

he said. “Some of our customers formerly had multiple companies they used for the engineering, design and part production. We have shown the value of being a one-stop shop; from the timing aspect and the clarity of concept and detail to giving them input into the production side. Simultaneously, our regular composite parts production continues to expand. And depending on project size and scope, weeks can be saved by using [our] services.” Leading Edge builds to print virtually anything a customer

wants and has been instrumental in the design and production of a number of systems, including boarding step structures, RF-transparent cargo pods and radomes. The company also has been involved with numerous STCs for upgrading and designing internal and external parts for utility, search-and-rescue and VIP rotor- and fixed-wing aircraft and is also developing FAAapproved PMA parts. It holds an FAA Part 145 repair station certificate and is certified to international quality standards. o

Argus subsidiary addresses EMS helicopter rules Professional resources in system management (Prism), a wholly owned subsidiary of Argus International, has released enhanced features for its online flight risk analysis tool (Frat) software. The new features are designed to align with upcoming FAA regulations governing helicopter air ambulance operators. Among the items addressed in the forthcoming legislation, and the Prism software, are establishing methods for documenting the following: • the highest obstacle along a planned route of flight; •w hether or not another helicopter operator has refused an assignment; •a nd approval of the certificate holder to release a flight when a risk exceeds a predetermined level.

Frat also addresses documentation of other factual information about a flight, such as whether or not medical personnel have been briefed. There is also a specific section in the new regulations evaluating human factors risks–an issue also addressed in the Frat software, among others. In other Argus news, the company has agreed to sponsor the Public Safety Aviation Accreditation Commission (Psaac), also known as the Airborne Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission. Prism v-p Chris Young expressed support for the group, saying, “As the leading provider of complete SMS solutions for on-demand aircraft operators, Prism was excited to enter [this agreement] with Psaac.” –M.P.

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news clips

Apollo Jets certified as a brokerage

z Conklin & de Decker Releases Updated Volume

Argus International announced on the eve of NBAA 2014 that Apollo Jets has become the first charter broker to complete its new on-site audit program and be named an Argus Certified Charter Broker. The Argus Certified Charter Broker program was introduced this year in response to calls to create a set of voluntary standards for air charter brokers, an otherwise unregulated industry. “We are very proud to welcome Apollo Jets as the first Argus Certified Charter Broker,” said Joe Moeggenberg, president and CEO of Cincinnati-based Argus (Booth 3585). “Apollo has validated our program as both demanding and rewarding, as it inherently improves business for the broker, as well as the charter operator’s and end customer’s experience.” The new Argus audit program provides two levels of recognition: registered and certified.

Citation Jet Pilots Group Recognizes russ meyer and Arnold Palmer In a brief ceremony held before the Opening General Session at NBAA 2014 on Tuesday in Orlando, Fla., the Citation Jet Pilots Association (CJP) recognized Cessna chairman emeritus Russ Meyer (left) and renowned golfer and pilot Arnold Palmer with special pins in recognition of the 8,000 hours that each has spent at the controls of Citation jets. “These are two extraordinary Cessna jet pilots and two people who have given as much to this industry as any two people, anywhere,” noted NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen before the presentation. Meyer was also the inaugural inductee to CJP’s Hall of Honor in 2012, n and Palmer was inducted to the Hall last month.

A registered charter broker provides Argus with documented proof of compliance with Argus’s charter brokerage standards, while certified charter brokers additionally undergo an on-site audit. New York Citybased Apollo Jets has achieved both levels of certification.

“Apollo has spent the last year working hand-in-hand with Argus to build out this certification,” said Apollo Jets chairman and CEO Al Palagonia. “We believe we have elevated the bar for the rest of the industry to follow in our footsteps, making jet charter safer than ever before.” o

Vector touts engine MRO capabilities by David Donald Vector Aerospace (Booth 2640) of Slemon Park, Prince Edward Island, Canada, is showcasing its engine MRO services at NBAA 2014, in particular highlighting the capabilities of the company’s Engine Services-Atlantic (ES-A) and France-based Seca divisions. Vector holds approvals to support a wide range of General Electric, Honeywell, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca engines. Illustrating the company’s global expansion, Vector ES-A

will open a designated overhaul facility for the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150A next month in Singapore, at Seletar Aerospace Park. In another development, ES-A recently signed a three-year agreement to continue fixed-wing engine MRO for the Solenta Aviation Group, headquartered in South Africa and which operates a fleet of PT6A- and PW100-powered turboprops. ES-A has been working with Solenta for nearly a decade. In addition to its engine business, Vector Aerospace offers

airframe and avionics MRO and engineering services. The company’s Helicopter Services-North America (HS-NA) division has recently added the Airbus Helicopters AS332L1 to its STC for a cockpit voice and flight data recorder upgrade. Last year the STC was issued for the AS332C and AS332L. HS-NA also announced a five-year deal with the Sheriff’s Department in Florida’s Orange County to support a fleet of Airbus Helicopters AS350 Squirrels and Bell UH-1H helicopters. o

Pentastar touts new King Air shared-ownership program Pentastar Aviation has introduced its PentaShares program, offering shared ownership positions in the Beechcraft King Air 250. Ownership will be divided into four quarter-shares and the aircraft will be based at the company’s Waterford, Mich. headquarters. “With 50 years of experience in business aviation, we’ve witnessed the needs of our customers change through the decades,” said Greg Schmidt, president and CEO of Pentastar (Booth 2285). “This program allows us to offer the benefits and flexibility of owning your own aircraft coupled with the affordability of shared ownership.” Earlier this year Pentastar received renewal of its Argus Platinum rating, the highest safety rating Argus

International bestows on charter operators. “Maintaining compliance with the Argus Platinum standard helps us ensure quality and consistency in our daily operations and to continuously enhance safety standards,” said Danny Clifton, Pentastar’s v-p of flight operations. “We strive to operate above and beyond FAA regulatory standards, industry best practices, and international standards.” Pentstar this summer also received notice of renewal of its Stage 2 IS-BAO Registration, a safety standard based on International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Standards and Recommended Practices –J.W. and industry best practices.

z Peerless Electronics Locks Cut Fire Risk Sometimes the best fire prevention you can come by in an aircraft is a good lock. Well, that’s how they think at Peerless Electronics, a New York online distributor of heavy equipment and aerospace electronics components. For NBAA 2014 the company is featuring two aircraft locks that can help prevent electrical shorts. The S2329 Master Lock aircraft circuit breaker lock keeps pilots or maintenance personnel from resetting critical circuit breakers. It accommodates short or long circuit breakers. The S2029 aircraft ground power receptacle lock fits three- and six-prong power receptacles and prevents ground power plug insertion.

z AOS Selected To Provide Vision SF50 Belts Cirrus Aircraft has selected Aviation Occupant Safety of Sterling Heights, Mich., to provide seatbelts for the Vision SF50 singleengine personal jet, the conforming prototype of which flew in March this year. Aviation Occupant Safety (Booth 1024) will supply its inflatable three-point belts for the crew and front passenger seats, while the company’s standard three-pointers will be used for other passenger seats. The inflatable seatbelts deploy an airbag from the lap strap. Aviation Occupant Safety is a joint venture between Aircraft Belts and Key Safety Systems.

z JSSI Enters Strategic Alliance with AfBAA Bryan Moss, vice chairman of hourly cost maintenance program provider Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI, Booth 1206), signed an MOU with Tarek Ragheb, founding chairman of the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA), cementing an alliance that should be good for both organizations. Africa’s business aviation market is expanding, and with that the complexity of the market is ratcheting up. Under the new agreement JSSI will provide educational tools and incentives designed to promote the adoption of industry best practices among AfBAA members. “Our maintenance programs enhance the residual value of aircraft, making them more marketable for resale,” said JSSI senior vice president Kevin Thomas, who was present at the signing. “We see the MOU as a great opportunity.”

MARIANO ROSALES

by James Wynbandt

Conklin & de Decker (Booth 3231) announced at NBAA 2014 the release of the second volume of its 2014 Aircraft Cost Evaluator, providing updated operating and ownership cost information on more than 575 business aircraft. The new version includes data for recently released offerings, such as the Cessna Citation CJ3+, Daher Socata TBM 900 and Embraer Phenom 100E and Lineage 1000E, as well as fuel, maintenance, parts and labor costs, and other criteria necessary for tax reporting. Individual Aircraft Cost Evaluator reports, covering jet, turboprop and piston-engine fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, are available on a one-time basis (including one free update) and by subscription. NBAA attendees who sign up for a subscription to the cost report or another Conklin & de Decker data product receive a 10-percent discount, as well as entry into a contest to win an Apple iPad Air. The Orleans, Mass.-based aviation research and consulting firm will also host its 15th annual Aircraft Acquisition Planning Seminar, December 9-10, in Scottsdale, Ariz. Those who register for the event during NBAA 2014 will receive a copy of the Aircraft Acquisition Planning Book, autographed by Bill de Decker.

Tarek Magheb (left), founding chairman of the African Business Aviation Association, signs an MOU with Bryan Moss, vice chairman of JSSI.

www.ainonline.com • October 23, 2014 • NBAA Convention News 45

live pt-6 rebuild under way at the bba booth

MARIANO ROSALES

BBA company Dallas Airmotive wants NBAA attendees to experience the thrill of the build. The company has brought in a team of mechanics and technicians to perform a complete rebuild assembly of a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop engine right here on the floor of the Orange County Convention Center during the three-day show. If you’ve ever wondered what your engine looks like on the inside or how it goes together, this exhibit is tuned precisely for you. But beware, construction projects such as this are addicting. You may find yourself wandering past Booth 228 more –A.L. than once to monitor the progress on the engine.

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46 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Universal Avionics Systems (Booth 273) recently received FAA TSO approval for its SCN 1001/1101 software for the company’s satellite-based augmentation system FMS/multi-mission management system (MMMS). The latest software release includes a number of new features and enhancements for better operational efficiency and to support special-mission operations. Tucson, Ariz.-based Universal’s SBAS-FMS is available in three basic models (UNS-1Ew, UNS-1Fw and UNS1Lw), plus the UNS-1Espw that is packaged into a reduced-depth module. The MMMS builds on the SBAS-FMS with additional interfaces and search pattern options for special missions. Included in the SCN 1001/1101 software release are the FlexPerf trip performance function that provides advanced fuel-saving predictions, flight plan wind upload from the UniLink UL-800/801 communications management unit, maximum indicated airspeed display, improved selected crosstrack function and other enhancements. The software upgrade for the MMMS allows for the Airdrop module to be added, providing steering position offset for accurate delivery of air-dropped loads. –D.D.

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Team JAS, Jacksonville, Fla., announced the first installation of its PMA nosewheel assembly on a new-build Viking Series 400 Twin Otter under a multi-year support agreement signed with Viking Air earlier this year. Noting that the original component design “has stood the test of time,” Team JAS president and CEO Andy Sanfilippo said his company focused on improved resistance to corrosion through use of higher-grade magnesium over earlier wheels, and chemically bonded wheel weights that eliminate risk from galvanic corrosion caused by steel bolts. The new nosewheel (Part number PDM3-1197) also meets the testing requirements under FAA TSO C26D. Viking Air is based in Sidney, B.C. n

St. Croix’s Bohlke joins the yachting set by Curt Epstein

BARRY AMBROSE

brand for the mega- and superyacht community. The partnership, the first of its kind, will make Bohlke (Booth 4600), which has been in operation since 1959, the preferred aviation services provider for IGY. For the yachting community, the marina is the nautical equivalent

BARRY AMBROSE

Bohlke International Airways, an FBO and aircraft charter operator at Henry E. Rohlsen International Airport on St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, has signed an agreement to partner with IGY (Island Global Yachting) Marinas, a luxury destination

William Bohlke Jr., left, and Fiona Horne of FBO Bohlke International Airways announced a strategic alliance with Island Global Yachting. Both the FBO and the marina are located on the island of St. Croix.

of an FBO. And, as the first chain of luxury destination marinas, IGY has numerous facilities across the Caribbean and Eastern U.S., catering almost exclusively to the seagoing version of ultra-long-range, large cabin jets and their passengers. Yacht Haven Grande, its purpose-built flagship facility in St. Thomas, lies just 38 miles from Bohlke’s FBO. As part of the agreement, Bohlke is now an IGY Anchor Club strategic partner and a participant in the company’s points reward program. “It’s the first of its kind in the industry. Never before has a luxury marina destination chain brand offered a points return system on money spent,” said Fiona Horne, Bohlke’s marketing manager. “By becoming a strategic partner with them, when anyone spends money with us or with IGY, they get Anchor Club points which is similar to fuel cards. Offering it in a private charter and private aviation situation is unique, so we’re excited to have that opportunity.” Bohlke operates a charter fleet that includes a Cessna Citation II, a Mitsubishi

Here at NBAA 2014, executives planning the architecture of GE Honda Aero Engines’ HF120 service network include (l-to-r) HondaJet v-p sales Lyn Shinn; GE Honda Aero Engines’ Steven Shaknaitis, president, and Masahika Izumi, executive v-p; and Skyservice president and CEO Marshall Myles.

GE Honda Grows Service Network GE Honda Aero Engines (Booth 5031), the 50/50 joint venture company between GE Aviation and Honda, is continuing with the establishment of the authorized service provider (ASP) service network for the HF120 engine. The engine, which powers the HondaJet, is expected to enter service early next year and has also been selected for the Sierra Industries Sapphire CitationJet upgrade. Announced yesterday at NBAA 2014 were the addition of Canada’s Skyservice, with locations in Toronto, Montreal and Calgary, along with Banyan Air Service at Florida’s Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport and German service provider and HondaJet dealer Rheinland Air Service. –C.E.

MU-2, a Beechcraft King Air B200, and a Wi-Fi-equipped Gulfstream G100, its most recent addition. Bohlke is a three-generation, family-owned business. Its FBO offers 43,000

sq ft of hangar space, catering and crew accommodation options, concierge service, and since St. Croix is a U.S. port of entry, customs pre-clearance into the mainland U.S. o

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www.ainonline.com • October 23, 2014 • NBAA Convention News 47

Customer-care training offered in online course Falcon 7X finishes trials at world’s highest airport by Chad Trautvetter Dassault recently wrapped up flight-testing that is expected to see its Falcon 7X become the first certified business jet to operate at the world’s highest commercial airport–14,470-foot-high Daocheng Yading Airport in China’s Sichuan province. The certification effort is intended to meet demand in Western China for business jets capable of operating at small high-altitude airports in the region. In terms of performance, Cessna’s Sovereign/Sovereign+ and XLS/XLS+ are also capable of flying to such high-altitude airports, with a flight manual supplement that allows operation at airports as high as 15,000 feet. But the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) must authorize operations at Daocheng, and Dassault expects to receive official approval for the 7X early next year. The trials included some milestones for Western companies. Falcon 7X testing at Daocheng began on August 25 and concluded on September 7, with support from both the EASA and

China’s CAAC, a first. Daocheng flight-tests started after preliminary flights at Jiuzhai Huang Long Airport (elevation 11,311 feet) near Chengdu with a CAAC pilot at the controls. After an initial landing at Daocheng, the 7X performed engines/APU runup followed by a series of takeoffs and landings, including some with simulated engine failure. “The aircraft handled flawlessly in all conditions of flight and the engines, APUs and pressurization systems performed perfectly,” said Jean-Louis Dumas, Dassault Aviation test pilot. “This performance highlights the unparalleled ability of the 7X to operate from difficult short airstrips in the most challenging conditions.” Once finalized, CAAC approval will enable the Falcon 7X to operate at airports as high as 15,000 feet. The campaign established several benchmarks for aviation in China: the first flight-test campaign over Chinese territory by a foreign-registered aircraft; and the first approval undertaken jointly by EASA and CAAC. o

WAI plans a high-power agenda for 2015 Look for a “turbocharged” 2015 from Women in Aviation, International (WAI Booth 2037). WAI president Peggy Chabrian said the year will bring more plans and projects than ever before in the group’s history. The focus will be on outreach to girls as young as 10, as well as women throughout the world. It starts with the 26th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference, March 5-7, at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas. Dozens of educational, networking and social events are on the agenda, as well as a host of distinguished speakers. For the fourth year, there will be a Girls in Aviation Day, dedicated to daughters, nieces, friends and neighbors of WAI members. One aspect of the day is a job and college fair, and some 250 young women are expected to partake. A follow-up international Girls in Aviation Day is planned for Saturday, September 26, promoted by WAI’s 88 chapters worldwide. Women in Aviation administers close to 100 annual scholarships for its members. Valued at more than $500,000, the scholarships provide funding for flight training (including type ratings), maintenance, engineering and dispatcher options, academic tuition and a variety of recreational pilot opportunities. At EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, WAI will hold for the eighth consecutive year its WomenVenture event. Hundreds of women will participate in daylong events highlighting the AirVenture experience. In cooperation with EAA, WAI’s WomenVenture gives women a welcome visibility at the world’s largest aviation event, bringing even more women into the group. –M.P.

by Curt Epstein ServiceElements International, which provides customer-service training, has joined forces with Vancouver, B.C.-based TrainingPort. net (Booth 3876) to produce a new online course aimed at improving the customer-relations skills of flight department personnel. The result, “Organizational Resource Management-Aircraft Operations: Going from Great to Exceptional to Indispensible,” is designed to serve flight operations without the need for a workshop or a classroom program, at a time where resources for training are everdwindling. “The most important thing about an aircraft operation is to become indispensible,” said Bob Hobbi, president of ServiceElements, “and the only other way to do this other than the obvious,

which is flying the aircraft safely, is to provide an exceptional experience for the folks that are using it.” Among the topics discussed in the course are how to interact with the principal and other passengers. “In our industry there are a lot of things that we can do and a lot of things we can’t do,” said Hobbi, citing the scenario of a pilot facing a no-go situation where the passenger is eager to depart. “How do you say no without losing your job, without being too aggressive or too weak, and still maintain a good trustworthy relationship?” TrainingPort has also partnered with Aviation Medicine Advisory Service (AMAS) and its president and CEO Dr. Quay Snyder to produce an online training program on aeromedical topics. Snyder,

Innovation marks FDS offerings by Nigel Moll Georgia-based Flight Display Systems (Booth 2008) came to NBAA 2014 with one goal: to innovate obsolescence away, according to company president David Gray. To do that the company released a series of cabin management systems (CMS) products at the show. On its quest to banish the old, the tired and the outright broken, Flight Display Systems (FDS) is demonstrating a CMS Bridge controller that will work with legacy systems installed in countless business jets today. “We can go to an airplane, map the airplane’s CMS and then if the device dies our bridge CMS, with its digital controller and JetJukebox, is a relatively simple field installation,” said Gray. “The point is to get you up and running again, for just $55,000. We hope that in a bit you’ll be back, and we’ll replace the entire system with a modern FDS Smart CMS.” Hot on the heels of Apple’s Watch launch, FDS also unveiled concept prototypes of

48 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

MARIANO ROSALES

Dassault’s Falcon 7X handled ops at China’s Daocheng Airport with ease.

who is certified in aerospace medicine, family practice and occupational medicine, in addition to his role as aeromedical advisor to the Air Line Pilots Association, is also a commercial pilot, aircraft owner and flight instructor. Furthering its safety education offerings, TrainingPort announced that it will release an online emergency procedures training course, developed in conjunction with Aircare International (Booth 1681). The web-program will serve as a precursor to Aircare’s classroom and handson Facts training course, providing interactive theoretical instruction. For all its courses, the company has recently added functionality that allows training managers to store documents pertaining to their trainees, such as certificates, medical records and training completion letters, free of charge to current clients. Those who purchase a training program here at the show or in the following 30 days will be offered this feature at no extra charge. o

Flight Display Systems is here at NBAA 2014 with an array of cabin management equipment at its booth. Also on display are FDS’s “wearable” cabin controllers.

“wearables” for controlling aircraft cabin functions. “No one knows exactly how wearables can best benefit the aviation industry yet,” said Gray, “so we are exploring this area to provide our customers with the best options.” FDS took the wraps off its first “cabin management wearable controller prototypes” here and is demonstrating these wristwatch-style devices to gather feedback from prospective customers. “The wearable cabin controller is a first in this market,” said Gray. “We’re hoping to demonstrate a cool new gadget and get feedback from our dealers and customers.” The device contains a powerful processer with built in Wi-Fi

capabilities. Combined with a Wi-Fi router and the JetJukebox, it can be used for passengers to see flight data, such as speed, altitude and ETA, at a glance. Depending on the cabin management system, it can also be used to control lights and audio/video. Attendants can use the devices for passenger communications and alerts. o

Daher-Socata TBM900

BUSINESS

TURBOPROPS by Mark Huber

Offering value the market can’t refuse This is the healthiest market for new turboprops in years. In 2008, the last year before the wheels completely came off the global economy, members of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association delivered 538 turboprop aircraft before experiencing a steady decline in those figures in the following years. Last year, shipments of turboprops bounced back strong to a record 645 units, and there is no shortage of new single-, and even some new twin-engine models on the horizon. Meanwhile, the used turboprop market has firmed substantially, with the fleet percentages for most models on the market showing only single-digit availability and high pricing as a result. According to the aircraft pricing service Vref, a 1985 Cessna Caravan trades for an astonishing 93 percent of its new price; a 1981 Cessna Conquest II twin even higher at 99 percent of new; a 1991 TBM 700, 85 percent of new; a 2008 TBM 850, 81 percent of new; a 2009 Piper Meridian 75 percent of new; and a 1990 Pilatus PC-12, 74 percent of new. This kind of used pricing makes new turboprops all the more attractive. U.S. turboprop manufacturers dominate the market with more than an 80-percent share, and most of this output is destined for the export market, which seems to better understand the turboprop value proposition, especially for unpressurized singles, such as the Cessna Caravan and Quest Kodiak, that can use unimproved runways. What once were almost exclusively civilian turboprops are being pressed into military service by costconscious nations, also driving demand. Last year the United Arab Emirates (UAE) unveiled a weaponized Cessna Caravan and an Air Tractor 802 crop duster at the Dubai airshow. While U.S. manufacturers likely will dominate the turboprop market for some years to come, the rising dollar, pushing through four-year highs against a basket of international currencies including the euro, could make competing foreign products, including the simple single Mahindra/Gipps Airvan 10, much more attractive on price to some buyers. That could also jump start programs such as the speedy Avic Primus 150 single in China. One thing is certain: as energy prices remain firm at current levels, the airlines are rediscovering the turboprop value proposition–nothing hauls as much as efficiently on short hops–and so is general aviation.

Singles Daher-Socata TBM 900

The latest iteration of the famed TBM line was developed in secret over the last three years and delivered to its launch customer this past March. Sadly, that first aircraft crashed under mysterious circumstances on September 5, killing TBM Owners and Pilots Association president Larry Glazer and his wife, Jane, after they became unresponsive. The $3.7 million 900 is distinct from its predecessors with a new Hartzell five-blade composite propeller with swept blades and a redesigned spinner, winglets, new engine exhaust stacks and a subtly different engine air intake that has a slight twist. It is mainly the new propeller that helps give the TBM a faster top speed of 330 knots, reduces standard-day sea-level takeoff distance by more than 20 percent, improves climb rates (18 minutes to the 31,000-foot certified ceiling) and boosts range to 1,730 nm (45-minute reserve). At cruise altitude the Pratt & Whitney Canada P&WC PT6A66D burns 37 gph and a new torque limiter enables the use of 850 shp engine power at takeoff. Minor changes also have been made to the cowling airflow, landing-gear doors (bigger and more aerodynamic), wings, dorsal fin and empennage– all designed to wring the last bit of aerodynamic efficiency from the airplane. A new strake on the left lower forward fuselage a few feet in front of the wing leading edge gives the airplane better stall manners. Numerous improvements have been made to the cockpit. A simplified, single-lever power lever replaces the throttle and propeller controls and the condition lever and reduces pilot workload. The lever operates in a classic H-gate pattern reminiscent of 1960s Ferraris: the left side is the thrust mode for taxi and flight and the right side is condition mode for start and cutoff. In condition mode the propeller is automatically feathered. Other cockpit refinements include more buttons on the control yokes. The yokes

50 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

have been optimized to accommodate tablet computer devices and the instrument panel now has two USB ports and a 12-volt socket. The pilot seats now adjust in all three axes and the rudder pedals are also adjustable, so pilots can dial in their personal ergonomics. The 900 features the Garmin G1000 system with three large displays and a remote FMS control panel. Starting is easier thanks to a new 300-amp generator that accelerates the sequence and automatically shuts off at 50 percent Ng, and all external lights are now LEDs. Altogether, more than 26 changes were made to the 900 compared to its 850 predecessor. The company holds orders for more than 40 of the aircraft. Mahindra/Gipps Airvan 10

Developed from the boxy metal piston-powered Airvan 8, this $1.3 million unpressurized turboprop single is powered by a 450-shp RollsRoyce 250 B-17 engine driving a Hartzell HC-D3F-7 three-blade propeller. It features a 50-inch-wide sliding aft cargo door. It has a fullfuel payload of 1,400 pounds (useful load 2,250 pounds, standard fuel capacity 153 gallons), a range of 550 nm with IFR reserves and a cruising speed of 145 ktas. Maximum climb rate is 1,000 fpm and the service ceiling is 20,000 feet. The takeoff roll is 1,100 feet (1,600 feet over 50-foot obstacle), giving this aircraft true Stol capability. The flat floor of the Airvan 10 main cabin can be configured for a variety of diverse missions including patrol/reconnaissance/surveillance, medevac, skydiving, freight and commuter operations. The cabin measures 50 inches wide; 45 inches Mahindra/Gipps Airvan 10

tall; and 16 feet one inch long and can be configured for nine passengers in the main cabin (plus one in the copilot position) commuter configuration with an additional 32 cu ft of cargo space in the rear cabin. An optional cargo pod (600 pounds maximum capacity) can also be fitted onto the aircraft and the ability to fit the aircraft with amphibious floats is anticipated. At this point the program is several years behind schedule, but this summer representatives from Mahindra told AIN they expect certification next year. The aircraft will be built at the Gipps Latrobe factory in Victoria, Australia. India’s Mahindra Aerospace bought Australiabased GippsAero in 2009. Earlier this year Mahindra rebranded the Gipps GA8 (piston) and GA10 the Mahindra Aerospace Airvan 8 and Airvan 10 and unveiled a new company logo. “The new logo and naming is closely aligned with Mahindra’s brand identity, encompassing both aircraft and component manufacture for Indian and global markets,” said Arvind Mehra, executive director and global CEO of Mahindra Aerospace. “The new identity combines the Airvan name with the numbers 8 and 10 signifying seat capacity,” he said. The Mahindra Group is a $16.5 billion company employing 180,000 in more than 100 countries. Epic E1000

Epic continues its campaign to develop a certified version of its $1.95 million LT kit plane. More than 46 of those have been delivered, but Epic has decided to exit the kit business and focus its efforts on certified aircraft production. The $2.75 million, 325knot E1000 features carbon-fiber Epic E1000

construction, Garmin G1000 avionics and is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67A engine (1,200 shp, derated from 1,825 shp) mated to a Hartzell four-blade propeller. The E1000 has a range of 1,625 nm (economy cruise at 265 ktas), payload with 288 gallons full fuel of 1,120 pounds and a 34,000-foot ceiling. Time to climb is 15 minutes and the maximum rate is 4,000 fpm. The cabin seats six and measures 15 feet long, 4.6 feet wide and 4.9 feet high. Mtow is 7,500 pounds. Takeoff distance is 1,600 feet; landing distance is

Continued on page 52 u

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TURBOPROPS uContinued from page 50

1,840 feet (over 50-foot obstacle). The company had said it planned to fly two conformal test aircraft last year, but that goal appears to have slipped. Earlier this year it said it was building parts for its conformal aircraft and was hiring additional staff at its Bend, Ore. facility and that certification remained on track for 2015. Epic’s order book of 35 aircraft also seems largely to have been generated by its parent company, Engineering LLC, a Russian MRO that bought the company in 2012, and holds orders for 25.

(pilot, five passengers, maximum cruise speed at 31,000 feet and NBAA IFR reserves with 100-nm alternate); 1,200 pounds of payload with full fuel (319 U.S. gallons usable) and 8,500 pounds mtow. Extra EA 500

Extra Aircraft’s long-troubled attempt to manufacture and market this light turboprop single got a shot in the arm when the program was sold in May to China’s Jiangsu A-Star Aviation Industry. Extra had been trying to set up a U.S.-based manufacturing plant and gain FAA certification. The 500 won EASA approval in 2006. Under terms of the sale, parts for the aircraft will be fabricated by Jiangsu and then shipped for assembly at Extra’s Extra EA 500

Kestrel K-350

The future of this program hinges on obtaining additional investment. To date the company has received support in the form of various government grants, loans and tax credits, and some of these have been renegotiated recently while the company pursues additional private equity. The engineering work is largely complete, some parts have been fabricated, and the engine/prop/cowl has run on a test stand. The aircraft today bears little detailed resemblance to the original Kestrel JP10 that first flew in 2006 and was developed by the now-defunct Farnborough Aircraft. Major suppliers for the K-350 have already been selected. They include Garmin for its G3000 touchscreen avionics system and Honeywell for the TPE33114GR engine, flat-rated to 1,000 shp and providing a 5,000-hour TBO. Kestrel K-350

The aircraft features a four- to fiveseat executive interior on par with those of modern corporate jets, including highgloss wood veneers, upscale leathers, a wide aisle and oversize oval cabin windows reminiscent of a Gulfstream. It is just one of nine interiors Kestrel is developing, with passenger seating from five to nine people. The others will accommodate missions as diverse as medevac, cargo and a high-density configuration for eight passengers. The cockpit features sidestick controls, a low, contoured instrument panel with large flat-panel displays and a wraparound windshield allowing views of both wingtips. Kestrel has not released a price for the aircraft but it is expected to be in the neighborhood of $3 million. Preliminary specifications include a maximum cruise speed of at least 320 ktas; 1,300-nm range

incorporate the all-composite, wound fuselage of the discontinued Premier IA twinjet with new wings, empennage and a single turboprop engine mounted in the nose. Target price was reported to be in the $2- to $4 million range. The aircraft is thought to be aimed at buyers of the Pilatus PC-12NG.The preliminary concept includes seating configurations for 9 to 11 (including the pilot). Cabin dimensions: 5.5 feet wide, 5.4 feet high and 20.4 feet long. The NBAA IFR range with four passengers would be 1,750 nm and high-speed cruise 302 knots at FL250. The airplane would have a max payload of 2,800 pounds and a full-fuel payload of 1,650 pounds. In the wake of the Textron takeover, the status of this program is unclear, with Textron Aviation executives making cryptic comments about any new programs needing to justify themselves. Consider the recent remarks of Christi Tannahill, Beechcraft vice president: “This is a market space that continues to grow, and we will continue to look at the single-engine turboprop market and evaluate if that’s a space we want to be in.” Cessna Concept Single

factory in Dinslaken, Germany, through 2016. After that, production of the entire aircraft likely will move to China. Jiangsu is located in Zhenjiang in China’s Jiangsu Province. The all-composite six-seat 500 features the 450-shp Rolls-Royce 250-317F/2 engine, cruises at 226 knots and has range of 1,600 nm and a service ceiling of 25,000 feet. The cockpit can be fitted with the Avidyne Entegra R9 avionics system. (EASA approved that installation in 2011.) The last listed price for the 500 was $1.75 million.

In July 2012 Cessna unveiled a research cabin mockup for a design slightly larger than the Piper Meridian, but has said little about it since. As this sector becomes increasingly crowded, and Cessna CEO Scott Ernest continues his campaign for each member of the company product line to defend itself on profitability, Cessna’s entry into this sector seems questionable at best, especially if the PD434 program gets green-lighted.

Avic/Caiga Primus 150

China’s state-run general aviation company made two big moves into GA: buying the design rights to the old Epic Aircraft designs and acquiring composite lightplane maker Cirrus in 2011. It apparently went to school fast, unveiling a mockup for a five-seat fast single in late 2012. The all-composite, $1.24 million Primus 150, with styling more than just a little similar to the old Epic Escape, is aiming for a maximum cruise speed of 352 knots (identical to the Escape), a range of 1,410 nm and a ceiling of 28,000

Cessna Concept Single

The concept aircraft design proposed included all-composite construction with retractable landing gear, a wingspan of 42 feet, sidestick controls and seating for seven in a cabin measuring 53 inches tall, 54 inches wide and 17 feet 8 inches long. Target price is $2.1- to $2.4 million. Baggage compartment space is 26 cu ft. Target maximum cruise speed is 260 knots.

Twins Avic/Caiga Primus 150

feet. Power comes from the 850-shp GE H85. The aircraft made its first flight over the summer and deliveries could begin as early as next year; however, at this time the order book appears very modest with only eight launch customers. Beechcraft PD434

Before being acquired by Textron earlier this year, Beechcraft had announced plans for a new line of turboprops including one code-named PD434, believed to be a single-engine design that may

52 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Nextant G90XT

The company that remanufactures the Beechjet has now turned its sights to remaking Beechcraft C90-series King Airs. A firm price has not been set but is expected to be in the $2.2 million plus range, consistent with Nextant’s goal of having the remanufactured aircraft come in at roughly half the price of a new model. The Nextant G90XT will feature winglets, Garmin G1000 glass-panel avionics and GE H75 engines (750 shp, 4,000-hour or 8,000 cycle TBO with no hot section or fuel nozzle inspections

required) mated to a propeller gearbox that turns more slowly to yield reduced cabin noise and increased engine cruise efficiency, Nextant says. Both Garmin and GE already have STCs for retrofit and Nextant will integrate them with other changes to the airframe. Nextant received its first H75s Nextant G90XT

over the summer and plans to fly them on the aircraft this fall. Shortly thereafter, the company plans to release performance numbers. Customer deliveries are expected next year. The cockpit of the G90XT will be substantially different from a typical G1000 retrofit in a King Air. The instrument panel is trimmed in carbon fiber. It includes a three-screen layout with a backup MidContinent Instruments standby attitude module and a Luma Technologies LED glareshield warning panel. The flight deck features a simplified, single-lever engine power control that uses the Unison system that manages engine power and prop speed and has in-flight torque- and temperature-limit protection, auto-start and engine-trend monitoring capabilities. The fuel-system controls are now mounted above the power levers, replacing pressurization switches that are no longer needed because the pressurization system is digitally integrated into the G1000 system. Several different standard cabin configurations are available including specialmission/air ambulance, a high-density five-passenger layout and an executive three-seat configuration. More than 1,500 C90 airframes have been produced and Nextant believes an abundance of those are suitable for the program. Piaggio Avanti Evo

Piaggio’s long-promised improvements for its Avanti II have finally materialized in the form of the recently announced $7.4 million Avanti Evo. Deliveries of the refreshed aircraft could commence by year-end. The improved aircraft features winglets, anti-skid carbon brakes, digital steering, redesigned engine inlets, a reshaped “front wing” and new five-blade Hartzell scimitar propellers that will dramatically cut the twin pusher’s notorious external noise signature by 68 percent (5dB) and give it a less obnoxious pitch. The changes also improve the Avanti’s performance: maximum range increases by 17 percent, to 1,720 nm, and time to climb is reduced by 3 percent, as are emissions. Short-field and steep-approach capabilities are maintained as is the aircraft’s 41,000-foot ceiling and 402-knot top speed. The aircraft’s cockpit and cabin interior also have been improved. Cockpits now support electronic flight bags. The Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics are

Continued on page 54 u

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retained. The passenger cabin has been redesigned with new Iacobucci seats and a fresh finish from Poltrano Frau as well as a new environmental control system and LED lighting. Five seating configurations are now available with seating for up to nine (six to seven in executive configurations) in the 375-cu-ft cabin. The new propellers help reduce cabin noise by 20 percent. Piaggio is also moving to bring more reliability to its product support by instituting a new Parts Total Care hourly lifecycle parts program at the starting rate of $235 per flight hour.

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Certification for the Outback has now slid another two years, this time to 2017. This $2.1 million light twin from the Czech Republic has been in development for more than a decade, made its first flight in 2011 and had logged a scant 135 hours through the summer. A second test aircraft, a production-conforming prototype, could fly later this year. However, the order book to date appears anemic and the flighttest program appears to be adhering to a leisurely schedule, perhaps a reflection that it is a largely public-sector project. Evektor claims two dozen international orders for its military/utility/cargo/ combi/passenger aircraft, which seats between nine and 14 people.

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The project is being underwritten by the Czech ministry of industry and is receiving technical assistance from the Czech army. The aircraft is designed for high-altitude operations at unpaved airstrips. Evektor claims interest from several air forces and is marketing the aircraft to entities currently flying Cessna 402/404 piston twins and Antonov An-2 single-radial biplanes. The Outback features a quick-change cabin that can be reconfigured in 20 minutes. Power comes from a pair of P&WC PT6A-21s rated at 536 shp each. Maximum speed at 10,000 feet is 220 knots

NAL Saras

Now in its 23rd year of development, the twin-pusher NAL Saras could be back in the air “any day now,” a spokesman for India’s National Aerospace Laboratory said in August. Indeed, a third prototype–the first was hopelessly overweight and the second crashed in 2009–was spotted taxi testing over the summer. There is little chance this aircraft will find a commercial market and NAL as much as admitted it two years ago when it announced that the Saras program will not subject itself to the civil certification process and that the airplane’s lone customer, the Indian Air Force (IAF), currently with an order for 15 aircraft for use as tanker and freighter trainers, might even opt to reject the final product as costs have ballooned and a new Saras is thought to cost more than $23 million. As currently configured, the Saras is powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67A engines (1,200 shp each) mated to composite five-blade constantspeed MT propellers. Cruise speed is NAL Saras

280 knots. Mtow is 15,653 pounds and useful load is 2,710 pounds. Service ceiling is 30,000 feet and the climb rate is 2,000 fpm. The Saras is designed to operate from 3,000-foot runways and can be configured to carry up to 14 passengers. NAL is using the “lessons learned” from the Saras program to develop a 70- to 90-passenger regional turboprop by 2020. Avic Aircar

A lookalike to the discontinued Dornier 328 twin and an update of the Chinese YF-12, the Aircar premiered in 2011 and was initially available in a Avic Aircar

MARK WAGNER

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and maximum payload is 4,021 pounds. Service ceiling is 29,000 feet. The volume of the combined cargo/passenger area is 447 cu ft and the maximum cargo payload is 3,021 pounds. Evektor claims the Outback can take off from, and land on, runways of less than 1,700 feet at 6,500-foot elevation. Evektor has selected Esterline’s CMC SmartDeck integrated digital avionics system as standard equipment.

19-seat commuter configuration. Avic has recently begun promoting the aircraft with an executive interior. Power comes from a pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-65B engines (1,100 shp each). The cockpit hosts Honeywell’s Apex avionics. The Aircar is decidedly designed for the short haul: 230-knot cruise speed and a seats-full range of 700 nm. Dornier SeaStar CD-2

Plans to build this $6 million, certified, push-pull, all-composite amphibian in Quebec appear to have sunk, and the lone flying prototype has been returned to the Dornier family in Germany, who underwrote its $150 million design/certification costs in the 1980s and 1990s. A family spokesman said last year that production would not begin without full funding in place and that Dornier continued to seek manufacturing and/or investment partners for the program for a needed infusion of

up to $100 million. However, the marketing campaign appears to continue in some form. Earlier this year, Hellenic Seaplanes announced plans to add the CD-2 to its fleet serving the Greek Islands. The 180-knot, 10,000-pound SeaStar is powered by a pair of 650-shp P&WC PT6A-135s. Interiors for the unpressurized cabin range from six-seat executive layout to a 12-seat high-density configuration.

Mahindra/Gipps Airvan18

Mahindra is working on an updated version of the classic Government Aircraft Factories N24 Nomad twin and initially rebadged it the GA18. It is now the Airvan 18. The company hopes to bring the aircraft to market next year. Plans for the aircraft include an 18-passenger layout with Mahindra/Gipps Airvan18

Turbo Mallard

Frakes Aviation is contemplating putting the line of Grumman amphibians– Widgeon, Goose, and Mallard–back into production with Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 power, the already approved 715-shp Dash 34 for the aircraft under Turbo Mallard

Dornier SeaStar CD-2

STC or some other dash number. Frakes owns Mallard Aviation, the entity that owns the type certificates to the aircraft. It’s all still in the discussion phase with investors and manufacturing partners. The last turbine conversion of a Mallard was in the 1980s. If the project goes ahead, new production aircraft could begin manufacture next year.

quick-change options among passenger, cargo and combi. The AirVan 18 will be powered by a pair of upgraded Rolls-Royce C250series 450-shp engines and receive new propellers and a modern glass cockpit, while retaining its historic Stol capabilities, easily using runways shorter than 2,000 feet. Maximum cruise speed is 173 knots and range is 1,080 nm with 2,190 pounds of payload. Maximum useful load is 4,405 pounds with an mtow of 9,400 pounds. The AirVan18 will be manufactured at Gipps’s main complex in Victoria, Australia. o

New Retrofit Programs • Blackhawk Cessna Caravan Engine modification firm Blackhawk announced a new program for Cessna Caravan owners earlier this year. The company is certifying the 867-shp PT6A-140 engine as a direct aftermarket replacement for the standard 600-shp PT6A-114 or the 675-shp PT6A-114A in these aircraft. Blackhawk said -140 engine customers could expect significant increases in climb performance, cruise speeds, takeoff distances and operations in icing conditions. Deliveries will begin in the first quarter of 2015. The company currently offers the PT6A-42A as a high-power option for Caravan owners who routinely operate from airports above 6,000 feet with heavy loads on hot days. The company said the -140 engine will be a less expensive alternative conversion for operators who fly at lower altitudes, particularly those who operate on floats. Separately, Blackhawk announced a new program with maintenance program provider Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) that will give customers the option of upgrading to new Blackhawk conversions in place of standard overhauls.

• Daher-Socata Garmin upgrade for TBM 700 Daher-Socata is offering a $120,000 avionics modernization package built around the Garmin G600/GTN 750 GPS/NAV/COM touchscreen system to replace first generation cathode ray tube displays in TBM 700 series aircraft. The Garmin system includes graphical flight planning, electronic charts, transponder and audio control, and n synthetic vision technology (SVT).

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www.ainonline.com • October 23, 2014 • NBAA Convention News 55

NBAA Booth #1885

Skandia showcases new refurb answer for 9-g seats by James Wynbrandt

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by Seating materials and interior products manufacturer Skandia is showcasing here at the NBAA Convention its recently introduced replacement seat foam for 9-g certified business aircraft seating found on older airplanes. Skandia calls its 9G-EC (engineered comfort) foam “a quantum leap in simplifying and reducing the cost” of replacing or refurbishing seats built to TSO-C39 (9-g dynamic certification) standards. Made of firehard Dax foam, the 9G-EC is a pre-engineered seat foam block. Its custom architecture and the “negative space” designed and engineered into the cushion allow for both softer compression and greater support, achieving what the company calls “a level of comfort never before experienced.” Skandia is the business aviation market’s exclusive supplier of Dax foam, the primary material used in about 95 percent of all business jet seats, according to the company. Skandia (Booth 1040) is also known for its flammability testing services and currently conducts about 70 percent of

amount of time” saved, “they were pleasantly shocked at how easy it was to work with,” and “more impressed with the comfort,” he added. Growth on the Horizon

More seating innovations could be on the way. Two years ago Skandia sold a majority stake to investment firm Graycliff Partners of New York City, and the company is now in expansion mode. “We’re looking to actively grow,” said Triplett. “I can see us doubling in size of the next five years, with some targeted market recovery as well as the acquisition of some new product lines and services to our portfolio.” A year ago, aiming “to drive down cost and weight, but enhance quality,” the company created an R&D team of four headed by a new vice president of engineering to study the interactions of various seating materials. Last fall Skandia introduced a new-generation Dax VXS visco-elastic foam, a highdensity product 25 to 50 percent lighter per cubic foot than other visco-elas-

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56 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

Skandia’s expert engineers and fabricators can design and build custom seats to suit your needs.

all aviation flammability testing in the world, a capability that also helps cut costs and save time for 9G-EC purchasers. The Dawson Junction, Ill.-based company can take a customer’s desired dress cover for the seating and test the complete seating package for overall flammability as part of the purchase. The pre-formed 9G-EC cushion blocks can easily be cut and crafted to desired seat configuration using either hand tools or Skandia’s patented foam cutting and trimming Pin Saws. In a field test, Skandia took G9-EC foam blocks and a Pin Saw to a customer refurbishing the interior of a Gulfstream GIII. “They took their template, applied it to a 9G-EC cushion and produced a finished cushion ready for upholstery in four minutes,” said Jarod Triplett, Skandia’s vice president. In addition to the “significant

tic foams, and whose anti-flammability performance meets current 25.853(a) and 25.853(c) regulations. This spring, Skandia opened a new smoke and heat release testing facility. Triplett said the facility was created at the direction of Airbus to meet the OEM’s testing needs, but that it’s “necessary that we have that capability” for future heat release, smoke emission and toxicity testing needs.” The company also recently received Airbus authorization to provide ongoing flammability testing and certification services. Thirty Years Ago

Founded in 1983 as a business jet interiors completions provider, the company took off soon after when the FAA implemented new flammability standards. “Nobody knew how to do oil-burn

tests other than the FAA,” Triplett said. Company founder Tim Theden built test equipment designed to the FAA’s fire-test handbook specifications, to test materials the company was using in aircraft interiors work, and soon Skandia developed a thriving flammability testing business. Another break came in the late 1980s when Theden gained from Dax’s manufacturer, NCFI Polyurethanes, exclusive rights to the non-airline aviation market. Skandia currently provides Dax foam alone or foam and fabricated foam

seat parts for 26 different business aircraft programs. The foam is also used in divans, headliners and side paneling. Today Skandia has four divisions: flammability testing and engineering; Dax distribution; upholstery supplies; and turnkey seat solutions. Its turnkey seat division handles design and engineering, testing and construction of seats for OEMs. “Just lock them into the seat rails,” Triplett said of the ready-to-install seating. The division launched by providing seats for the Learjet 40 and 45 models,

1982_AIN_NBAA_October 2014_254x165 19.09.14 09:40 Seite 1

later produced the seating for the Learjet 60, and has now been awarded the seat contract for the Learjet 70 and 75. This year the company celebrates its 15th anniversary as Learjet’s primary seating and interior integrator. Triplett, however, said Skandia isn’t looking to expand this division and is eager to avoid stepping on the toes of refurbishment centers and customers like Zodiac Aerospace and Iacobucci HF Aerospace, which use Dax in the seats they manufacture. (One of Skandia’s few

AMAC Aerospace: Swiss Excellence in Business Aviation

AMAC Aerospace is the largest privately owned aviation firm in the world specializing in completions, maintenance, charter and brokering. We provide corporate and private aircraft maintenance, refurbishment and completion services, as well as aircraft management and charter services. Located at EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse in the new expansion zone, our three state-of-the-art maintenance and production facility hangars enjoy generous workshop and office space as well as 31,325m² securely fenced tarmac that opens directly onto the linkage taxiway. Of our three hangars, we dedicate one wide-body hangar to maintenance, the second to completions and refurbishment and a third, smaller hangar

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competitors in the seating materials supply space is Metzeler Schaum of Memmingen, Germany.) Nonetheless, Triplett said the turnkey seat construction work “is helpful in keeping people on top of changes in materials and how they need to be used more efficiently.” In addition to its testing services, the flammability testing and engineering division provides engineering services to help customers meet material flammability standards and improve the comfort and anti-flammability properties of their products. The company has four DERs and two DARs on staff to develop the engineering and tests for clients’ products. Skandia also manufactures soundproofing kits that cover 82 aircraft models from piston-engine aircraft to Boeing 747s, and these can dampen sound three to five decibels, Triplett said, or about 50 percent on average. In recent years Skandia has experienced 12- to 14-percent organic growth, and the company expects to maintain that rate over the next five years. To help keep Skandia on track, the company in August brought aboard James Barnes as executive vice president and CFO, charged with managing Skandia’s aircraft interiors and engineering business, and assisting the company in its search for a strategic acquisition. “While not without risks, acquisitions can be a very effective way to accelerate growth,” said Barnes. o

to maintenance work on a variety of smaller aircraft. Total floor space extends over 21,000m². The two large hangars comfortably accommodate multiple narrow and wide-body aircraft, Boeing B747s, B777s, B787s, Airbus A340s, A330s and extend to service an A380. The smaller hangar simultaneously serves two narrow-body aircraft, Boeing Business Jets and/or Airbus A318, A319, A320 or Gulfstreams and select Bombardier jets. We are proud to offer our esteemed clientele the chance to experience AMAC professionalism and we look forward to welcoming you!

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www.ainonline.com • October 23, 2014 • NBAA Convention News 57

Lazy-Eights program helps build ATP hours by Curt Epstein When the FAA implemented more rigorous minimum standards for airline first officers last year (the “1,500 hour ATP” rule), many in the industry expressed concern about the possibility of a shortage of pilots who meet the requirement. Under the new regulation, first officers must hold an ATP certificate, which requires 1,500 hours’ total time as a pilot (although a lower threshold is permitted for graduates from university aviation degree programs). Previously, first officers were required to have only

a commercial pilot certificate, which requires just 250 hours of flight time. Earlier this year, NBAA published its conclusions on the subject of the pilot shortage, which stemmed from a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that examined the issue, “Aviation Workforce: Current and Future Availability of Airline Pilots”–NBAA and other industry associations, airlines and aviation universities participated in the GAO study. A key factor, according to the study, is how general aviation

cutter names Myers Avionics Supervisor Russell “Buck” Myers has been specializing in electrical and avionnamed avionics supervisor for Cut- ics systems, safety management, ter Aviation’s service department accident prevention and leaderwhere he will be responsible for ship development. Most recently he all operational aspects of Cutter’s has supported corporate and genAvionics department. eral aviation aircraft, Myers has worked in including Beechcraft, aircraft avionics as Piper and Cessna a technical inspecproducts. tor and supervisor Cutter Aviationof electrical compoprovides aircraft nent repair for more fuel/line services, than 20 years. His maintenance and background includes avionics repair and experience with the installations, charter U.S. Army, Boeing, and management Russell “Buck” Myers several general aviaand aircraft sales. tion facilities and operating his It operates from eight major airown avionics shop. ports in five states within the A graduate of Embry-Rid- southwestern U.S. including: Aridle Aeronautical University, Myers zona (Phoenix-Deer Valley and holds aviation maintenance techni- Phoenix-Sky Harbor), New Mexcian certification. Prior to attending ico (Albuquerque), Colorado Embry-Riddle, he served with the (Colorado Springs), California U.S. Army where he worked on (Carlsbad) and Texas (Dallas-AddiApache and Blackhawk helicopters, son, El Paso and San Antonio). n

Red Aviation partners with private equity firm by R. Randall Padfield Seeing the need for additional capital to meet increasing customer demand, Red Aviation of Georgetown, Texas, a supplier of parts and services for Bombardier, Dassault and Gulfstream business jets, has completed “a majority recapitalization” with The CapStreet Group, a Houston-based, private-equity firm that invests in owner-managed, middle-market companies. “We are thrilled to have the

CapStreet team as partners,” said Steve Davis, president and CEO of Red Aviation, and “look forward to leveraging their expertise to take Red Aviation to the next phase of growth.” Two Locations

Red Aviation’s primary business is the procurement, sale, repair and maintenance of business jet aftermarket parts and engines. Formerly known as

serves an important role in helping future professional pilots build flight time. But there are fewer general aviation jobs available now to enable pilots to gain the necessary experience, according to the study. Commenting on the pilot shortage, the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association (RACCA) recently said the rule has had the effect of opening a gap between new commercial pilots and the current Part 121 minimum qualification, “in an environment where opportunities to build flight time have significantly decreased because of the overall reduction of light airplane flying in the U.S.” To help close that gap Greg Ungurait created online professional network, to help aspiring airline transport pilots (ATP) earn their required flight hours more rapidly, while reducing associated costs. Ungurait has experienced first-hand the struggles ATP candidates face in trying to accumulate flight hours. He currently serves as a CRJ700 first officer for United Express, and has worked in Part 91 and Part 135 operations as well. Like many, he sees a dearth of pilots, which the new requirements will only exacerbate. “The pilot shortage at the regional level is real,” he told AIN. “I see flights cancelled every day because they can’t fill the pilot seats. In the current market, the first one to 1,500 hours will have interview offers from most, if not all, regional airlines.”

Lazy-Eights is an online resource that brings aircraft owners together with aspiring airline transport pilot (ATP) candidates. Pilots who need to build hours can fly as safety pilots with aircraft owners who are willing to participate. No money changes hands.

The network’s goal is to encourage owner pilots of GA aircraft (up to twin-engine pistons, as Ungurait doesn’t want to take away any paid pilot positions) to fly with local commercial pilots who are building

time. To accomplish this, the heart of the Lazy-Eights program is a web dispatch board similar to those on contractpilot hiring boards, where aircraft owners post upcoming flights, ones for which they would otherwise not be hiring a contract pilot or certified flight instructor. For aircraft owners, the service is free and confidential. Through the open pilot clause on most insurance policies, aircraft owners are free to select any pilot who meets minimum qualifications to fly their aircraft on an occasional basis without having to list them on the policy as a named pilot, according to Ungurait. By responding to those posted flights, registered timebuilding pilots can offer owners their services, simply for the flight time in which they are serving as safety pilot or pilot-in-command. As stated on the website, “All time building members on Lazy-Eights are commercial contract pilots, offering their services for ‘hire.’ Though no money is exchanging hands, the FAA has, in the

Challenger Spares & Support, the company was founded by Stephen and Karen Davis in 2001. Eight years later, they created a sister division, Challenger Repair Group, to supplement repairs in-house. This division later became the Red Aviation Repair Group (RARG), an FAA- and EASAcertified repair station with more than 600 different repair and overhaul capabilities. The company now operates in two locations: Red Aviation, based in Georgetown, which focuses on components and structures; and Turbine Jet Specialties, based in Granbury, Texas, focusing on engines.

During its 12-year history, Red Aviation has assembled an expert staff and has built an inventory of more 12,000 parts. Remarking on the recapitalization, George Kelly, CEO of The CapStreet Group, said, “We are excited about the future of Red Aviation. “The company will be able to capitalize on several growth opportunities stemming from its unique market position and favorable macro-economic trends in the aftermarket business jet industry. We know that Steve and the rest of the Red Aviation team will be great partners as they continue to expand their business.” o

Network for Building Time

58 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

past, viewed flight time itself as compensation.” For those pilots interested in applying, there is a monthly $9.95 membership fee, cancellable at any time, which Ungurait says will improve the quality and dedication of the pilot applicant pool, while simultaneously thwarting the access of Internet spamming programs. Pilot members must complete a résumé on the site, listing their aviation goals, current flight hours, education and work history. They can then send these résumés through the online system to the aircraft owners who have posted their location, aircraft make and model, and flight date at www.lazy-eights.com. The site also features a marketing center where pilots can find aircraft registered in their local area, based on the FAA database. For a nominal amount, they can have Lazy-Eights dispatch a printed postcard directly to the aircraft owner’s registered address introducing them, with a summary of their experience and a link to their résumé and contact information. Since the site went live, it has attracted more than 60 aircraft owners who have volunteered flights. According to Ungurait, who runs the network, its launch was delayed by more than a year while the FAA provided interpretations regarding the applicability of the system for private pilots. Currently only those Part 91 pilots seeking their ATP certificates may participate. The new flight hour regulations stem in part from the crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 in February 2009 and address a Congressional mandate in the Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010 to ensure that both pilots and copilots in air carrier operations receive ATP certification. o

Trine Aerospace & Defense adds Caravan camera mount by Matt Thurber The FAA has issued a supplemental type certificate (STC) to Trine Aerospace & Defense for installation of Trine’s retractable camera mount system (RCMS) in the Cessna 208 Caravan single-engine turboprop’s cargo pod. Based in Colorado Springs, Col., Trine Aerospace (Booth 4492) specializes in engineering, manufacturing and modification and avionics repair and installation on general aviation, commercial and special-mission aircraft. It also pioneered developed of aerial

Trine’s retractable camera mount fits in the cargo pod of a Cessna 208 Caravan.

surveillance camera mounting systems. The company development the RCMS, which protects the camera from FOD when the aircraft is operating on unimproved fields and from lightning strikes while airborne. Trine’s RCMS is currently installed on 12 aircraft types and it is capable of mounting the FLIR Systems Star Safire 380-HD and the Wescam MX-15HDi surveillance camera systems. The new Caravan STC includes the RCMS, mission console, surveillance camera system, dual 21.5-inch LCD flight displays and a console operator’s seat with five-point harness and mounting pallet. Pro Star Aviation of Manchester, N.H., did the work to install the STC on the Caravan and provided FAA organization designation authorization support for the STC program. In June, Trine Aerospace announced that retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lee Taylor joined the company as COO. Taylor assumed responsibilities for operations at the company’s

headquarters and reports directly to Britt Ham, the company’s president and CEO. More recently, Trine received FAA approval to perform maintenance, repair and overhaul services on rotary-wing aircraft. Trine opened a 30,000-sq-ft commercial modification facility at Colorado Springs Airport in January and employs four helicopter mechanics, a helicopter inspector and a helicopter test pilot. The

helicopter certification comes on the heels of Trine’s receiving FAA Part 145 approval as a certified repair station in April. “Trine is one of the few facilities in our region with helicopter repair station certification,” said Ham. “The certificate enables us to serve our customers better by providing in-house repair and replacement of non-warrantied parts as well as avionics and installation repair.” o

Blackcomb chooses JSSI for its EC135 maintenance Hourly cost maintenance provider Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) was selected by Canadian Helicopter operator Blackcomb Aviation to provide coverage for the Turbomeca Arrius 2B2plus engines on the company’s Airbus Helicopters EC135T2e helicopter. “The ability to accurately predict the maintenance costs for these engines, even when unexpected events occur, is important to us,” said Jonathan Burke, the Vancouver-based company’s president and CEO. “As the only independent provider of these types of programs JSSI also acts as Blackcomb’s advocate whenever maintenance is required.” The service selected by Blackcomb, JSSI’s Premium Engine Program, covers the powerplant’s scheduled and unscheduled events as well as life-limited components. “Predictable maintenance budgets are difficult to maintain for any helicopter operation, and our programs are designed to provide just that,” said rotorcraft industry veteran Ray Weiser, who recently joined JSSI as helicopter program specialist, “plus [there is] the added benefit of 24/7 technical advisor services.” JSSI (Booth 1206) announced earlier this year that it plans to increase the profile of its rotorcraft support services, which it has provided since 1995, with more programs to be introduced in the coming months. –C.E.

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Lux Air upgrading its Phoenix Goodyear FBO Fixed-based operator Lux Air Jet Centers (Booths 4208 and 4600) announced that it recently signed a 25-year lease at Phoenix Goodyear Airport (GYR), a move that also paves the way for a new, dedicated

general aviation terminal and expanded hangar space at the Arizona airfield. “With the growth of the Phoenix area in general, our customers deserve an executive FBO facility at Goodyear as a

gateway to that growth,” said Lux Air managing partner Tim Berger. “Our new lease is the first step in creating that space. We’re pleased to invest muchneeded FBO development at the airport.”

According to Lux Air, the $10 million capital improvement project will bring more than 36,000 sq ft of new hangar space and 20,000 sq ft of office space to the southwestern Phoenix facility. “The city

has been great to work with,” Berger added, “and we look forward to beginning our construction project and serving the growing aviation market in Phoenix.” Originally established as an aircraft delivery center and a training facility for carrierbased U.S. Navy pilots during World War II, the former Naval Air Field (later Naval Air Station) Litchfield Park was purchased by the city of Phoenix in July 1968 to serve as a reliever field for Sky

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arbor International AirH port. Lux Air general manager Ryan Reeves noted that background allows Goodyear to compare favorably with other established GA airports in the Valley of the Sun. “The airport infrastructure itself is of the highest quality and regularly supports aircraft as large as a Boeing 747,” he added. “This lease allows Lux Air Jet Centers to create a new purpose-built FBO with adjoining hangar space for business and general aviation–the first of its kind in the airport’s 74-year history.” Construction on the new terminal is slated to begin next year. –R.F.

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60 BDN NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com AIN JT.indd 6

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Gama Aviation sees uptick, cites link with Wheels Up by Curt Epstein It’s been an exciting year for Gama Aviation according to company executives. Little more than a year into its relationship with private aviation provider Wheels Up, the company is seeing an uptick among all its business lines in the U.S. The company’s core aircraft management business has seen growth of 20 percent over the past year-and-a-half. “Since 2008 aircraft management had been a tough business to be in and we finally got that back up to a trajectory that’s good for us,” said Thomas Connelly, president of the global aviation service provider’s North American operations. “We’re bringing in very good solid managed clients.” Gama now offers maintenance at four locations around the country, including Connecticut, Teterboro, Las Vegas, and Van Nuys, Calif. “We’re in the right spots where we need to be for the AOG and Wheels Up support,” noted Connelly, adding the company’s 80 maintenance staff among the four facilities provides AOG and line maintenance for Gama’s own managed fleet, some fractional providers and, of course, the Wheels Up

fleet, which will number 37 aircraft–27 King Airs and 10 Citation Excels–by the end of the year. It’s in the operation of the Wheels Up fleet that the company has seen the largest share of growth, causing it to nearly double its maintenance staff. “The size of the task that was in front of us in September of last year cannot be underestimated,” said Gama group CEO Marwan Khalek during a discussion at the company’s booth (2625). “You talk about bringing into service 37 aircraft and 150 pilots performing the level of work that we are doing at the moment for the Wheels Up program. That’s akin to starting a commuter airline, and to achieve that while still running a business I think is great testament to the spirit that we have within Gama.” Looking beyond the excitement of the new program, Khalek gave a brief assessment of its operations around the world. “In Europe we see steady improvement,” noted Khalek, “but not on the level of the U.S.” The company has also seen signs of growth in Middle East, “although it’s slower than we would like it to be in our Far East business.” o

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Panama Jet Center to begin ops Heliflight Aviation Group (Booth 1272) is to open a new FBO facility at Albrook “Marcos A. Gelabert” International Airport in Panama in the coming weeks. Known as the Panama Jet Center, the facility is ready to go and is expecting to get the necessary paperwork to begin operations in the first week of December. Panama’s economy has boomed in recent times, and with it has come a dramatic increase in corporate flights to around 7,000 per year, and rising. The new FBO will offer with a full range of amenities, including customs/immigration clearance and the only temperature/humidity-controlled hangar in the region. It will also offer overflight and landing permits for domestic and international flights. Panama Jet Center’s parent group,

Heliflight Aviation, has been providing aviation services for many years and is the only legal charter operation in Panama, with a fleet of 19 aircraft. Fixed-wing managed assets include a Gulfstream IV, Citation Ultra, Citation X and a Piper Seneca II. A Citation Excel on pre-buy will join the fleet shortly. The majority of the fleet comprises 15 Airbus Helicopters products, and Heliflight is the local distributor and service center for the marque. Heliflight’s helicopter fleet operates on a variety of duties in a number of countries. As well as various charter duties for sightseeing, aerial photography, transport and rescue, the company undertakes mining support operations in Peru and oil industry support in Mexico, both employing underslung loads. The company is also active in Ecuador. -–D.D.

Submit your NBAA photos to AIN’s Facebook or Twitter pages.

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www.ainonline.com • October 23, 2014 • NBAA Convention News 61

Honeywell’s wearable tech controls aircraft cabin systems by Chad Trautvetter “OK, glass. Cabin lights off.” With pairs directly from Google during softthose five words, the lights turned off ware development. The company is also in a cabin mockup at Honeywell’s exploring control of Ovation Select exhibit (Booth 2000) that is being used using other wearable devices, including to demonstrate control of the Ovation the new smart watches from Samsung Select cabin management system with and Apple. In fact, Honeywell received a watch from Samsung last Thursday and Google Glass. The demonstration is part of a new already has it working with the cabin rapid-prototyping effort under way at management system. Due to the limitations of the cabin Honeywell to develop products and feamockup, the Google Glass tures intended to enhance the Ovation Select demo here user experience. Honeywell at NBAA 2014 can do only engineers started work on basic functions: turn cabin Google Glass control of lights on/off; show galley Ovation Select in February water level; change, mute or and had a working protounmute volume; set monitype aboard the company’s tor displays for takeoff; show Gulfstream G550 in August. and change temperature; and This project started when show flight map informaHoneywell engineers asked tion. The system aboard Honcompany corporate flight eywell’s Gulfstream is more attendant Nan Kramer how sophisticated and can do such they could make her job easthings as raise and lower the ier. She told them that getWilliam Rowell, Honeywell’s ting the airplane set up for business and general aviation electronic shades (the mockup the passengers was her bus- senior manager for technical does not have shades). Honeywell is now makiest time and that using a sales, demonstrated how the ing the beta test version of handheld device to con- Google Glass and Samsung trol the environment was smart watch wearable devices the Google Glass control control the Ovation Select intrusive. Thus, the idea for cabin management system in a feature available to customers of aircraft with Ovation hands-free control of Ova- mockup here at NBAA 2014. Select installed. Those intertion Select was born. With Google Glass supply lim- ested in being Beta testers should see ited earlier this year, Honeywell engi- William Rowell, Honeywell’s business neers had to buy their first pair of the and general aviation senior manager for $1,500 wearable devices on Craigslist. technical sales, at the company’s booth o Honeywell has since bought three more this week at the show.

Avionica satLink Max covers EuroControl’s Link 2000 needs by Amy Laboda Avionica (Booth 1851) with 60 employees at its south Miami-facility isn’t the largest company exhibiting at NBAA 2014, but with its Iridium-based satLink Max product flying in fleets of air transport aircraft worldwide, it may be just the ticket for business aircraft that need to meet the upcoming equipage deadline for Eurocontrol’s Link 2000 datalink requirement in 2015. “The new EuroControl Link 2000 requirements for connectivity that take effect in 2015 are a big driver for our product,” explained Raul Segredo, president and CEO of Avionica. “No one wants to be kept at lower altitudes, because they lack required equipment,” he said. “Right now we are supplying Gulfstream 650s with our satellite equipment, but we believe more small jets and rotorcraft deserve the kind of connectivity that we are delivering

to the air transport world,” he said. The Iridium system from Avionica weighs just 20 pounds, which makes it a prime connectivity and datalink solution for a large swathe of general aviation aircraft. “We are seeing considerable interest from the MRO community here at NBAA 2014,” said Simone Drakes, director aircraft engineering for the company and an FAA DER. She heads up the STC program. “We’ve had a couple visits from Tier 1 suppliers to larger OEMs who would like to offer our equipment to their clients, who are driven by VIP aircraft requirements,” she continued. o

62 NBAA Convention News • October 23, 2014 • www.ainonline.com

David Radford (left) is the primary instructor at the new Saudi branch of upset training provider Aviation Performance Solutions. He’ll be teaching in an Extra 330LX (above).The former Naval aviator has several thousand hours of experience in the training role.

Saudi upset training program established with Extra 330LX by David Donald Aviation Performance Solutions of Mesa, Ariz. (Booth 4127), has opened an upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT) center in Saudi Arabia, adding to other company training facilities in Mesa, Dallas and The Netherlands. APS has already installed a two-seat Extra 330LX aerobatic piston-single airplane in Riyadh, and UPRT services are scheduled to get under way in midNovember. David Radford, a highly experienced former U.S. Navy training pilot, is heading the Riyadh team, having recently passed through APS’s own sixweek instructor course. The company has partnered with the Saudi Aviation Flight Academy at Thumamah airfield to offer UPRT to Saudi

pilots. The aim of the APS syllabus is to mitigate loss-of-control in-flight (LOCI) incidents, and uses a mix of computerbased and on-aircraft training, along with advanced full-flight simulator sessions. The course teaches pilots to recognize, avoid and recover from aircraft upsets, unusual attitudes and stall/spin entry conditions. APS is fully compliant with a range of international standards. It is the only Part 141 flight school currently certified to deliver UPRT, stall/spin and instrument recovery training courses. Recognizing the company’s expertise in the sector, APS’s president, Paul BJ Ransbury, joined the NBAA’s Safety Committee this week. o

Challenger 350s join VistaJet fleet VistaJet started operations with the first two of its large order for the Bombardier Challenger 350 on October 1. The charter company had ordered 40 aircraft (20 firm and 20 options) in June 2013 and by the end of the year plans to put four more in service. The first six 350s are being acquired to replace VistaJet’s current Learjet 60XRs, but ensuing deliveries will help fuel the company’s fleet expansion plans. Ten Challenger 350s are planned to be in service by the second quarter of next year. The first two aircraft, which are the

first Challenger 350s in Europe, entered service right after delivery and had logged more than 100 hours before the start of the NBAA show. VistaJet has received good reports. “Customer feedback is very positive, with high marks on cabin design, technology and comfort,” reported Thomas Flohr, VistaJet’s founder and chairman. With jump seats provided for a cabin attendant, cabin divider doors and sophisticated cabin systems, VistaJet’s Challenger 350s are equipped to mirror the operator’s larger-cabin aircraft. –D.D.

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