Helicopters remained a bright spot and agricultural aviation boosted otherwise flat sales for general and business aviation manufacturers in 2012, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) announced today.

Fixed-wing shipments grew by 0.6% compared with 2011 largely due to a surge of demand for turboprop-powered crop-sprayers, such as Thrush Aircraft and Air Tractor models, GAMA says. Rotorcraft shipment, meanwhile, leaped 21.5% to 1,044 deliveries, the advocacy group adds.

"2012 was kind of mixed," says Brad Mottier, chairman of GAMA and vice president and general manager for GE Aviation's business and general aviation unit. "We think we see the turboprops and the agricultural market are going to continue to thrive. There are more and more needs for those types of specialized aircraft around the world."

GAMA, however, was unable to offer a similarly positive outlook for 2013 for the test of its fixed-wing manufacturing members, especially as the US fiscal outlook remains uncertain.

The Obama Administration and Congress are poised to allow automatic budget cuts to take effect early next month, removing about $100 billion in government spending from the economy and forcing federal agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, to furlough employees for perhaps several weeks.

"Just the fact that we have so much uncertainty out there is really hurting our industry," says Pete Bunce, president and chief executive of GAMA.

But the manufacturers are clearly preparing for a market recovery in the light- and medium-sized jet market in the near term.

Mottier noted the airframers have more than 20 new products in development.

"When these products are introduced in the next three to five years we'll see the numbers changed substantially," he says.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/helicopters-crop-sprayers-lead-general-aviation-growth-in-2012-382275/ 

Greater China's business jet fleet grew by 40% last year to 336 aircraft, fuelled by the region's insatiable appetite for top of the range business jets.

According to a study compiled by aviation consultancy Asian Sky Group, the fleet of jets in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Macau and the People's Republic (PRC) grew by 96 aircraft through 2012, with large, super-large, ultra long-range and corporate airliners accounting for 91% of the growth.

Gulfstream topped the delivery tally, with 36 aircraft - 22 G550s and 12 G450s - handed over during the 12-month period. Bombardier came in second, delivering 22 Challenger types and nine Global business jets, the study revealed.

The PRC saw the largest rate of growth across the region, with its fleet climbing by 40% to 193 business jets.

"This represents an increase in absolute numbers over 2012 - 60 versus 43 aircraft in 2011 - but the growth rate slowed by 5% to 40%," says report author and Asian Sky general manager Jeffrey Lowe.

He is confident, however, that demand will remain strong across Greater China, as more individuals and companies experience the benefits of business aviation. "There is huge pent up demand for business jets in China. We have barely scratched the surface," he adds.

Top-end business jets continue to dominate the shopping lists of China's consumers, the study reveals. This is due to the status that these brands offer, Lowe says, "and also the increasing need for companies and individuals to fly globally for business".

In contrast, demand for bottom-end jets is lacklustre. Bombardier, for example has yet to find a market for its Learjet family, while Cessna has seen no net growth in its fleet from 2011 to 2012, the report said.

"In fact, Cessna has seen little growth over the last three years, with only one net aircraft added in 2010 and two net aircraft in 2011," the study said.

"The range of available models has not catered to more recent large-cabin and ultra-long range tastes of high net worth individuals in the PRC," it continued. "Cessna is hoping its new midsize Citation Latitude and large cabin Longitude [scheduled to enter service in 2015 and 2017 respectively], will reverse its fortunes in PRC." 

Cessna announces multi-year partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing Teams

CHARLOTTE, NC, January, 23, 2013 — Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today a strategic partnership with Chip Ganassi Racing Teams (CGRT) for multiple races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the IZOD IndyCar Series and the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. This partnership extends Cessna’s presence across all three series in which CGRT competes.

“Clyde Cessna founded this company on our customers’ need for speed. Today, performing with precision to drive success is the purpose of business aviation,” said Scott Ernest, Cessna’s President and CEO. “The racing industry is built on those same principles – each day teams are moving as fast as they can to get from point a to point b and win, which is why this partnership is such a natural fit for both Cessna and CGRT. The scope and success of CGRT across all components of racing gives us a strong presence as we invest in the sport.”

Cessna, along with sister Textron companies Bell Helicopter and E-Z-GO, is incorporated into every race event where CGRT competes, giving each brand the opportunity to showcase transportation solutions to the industry including air travel to and from the host cities, helicopter transport from airports to racing venues and ground transportation onsite.

Cessna will sponsor multiple races on the No. 1 Chevrolet SS of Jamie McMurray in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS), sharing assets with sister Textron companies such as Bell Helicopter and E-Z-GO, one race on the No. 10 Honda with Dario Franchitti in the IZOD IndyCar Series and one race with Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series on the No. 01 Dinan-Prepared BMW.

“Cessna helps make racing possible for my team by getting me to the races quickly and efficiently,” said Chip Ganassi, owner of Chip Ganassi Racing. “With almost 70 races a year separated by hundreds of miles with little time in between, I rely on business aviation to help me keep driving my business and to keep winning.”

In summer 2012, Cessna partnered with CGRT and owner Chip Ganassi at the GoPro Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma to announce the enhanced maximum speed of the new Citation X to mach.935, thus regaining the title as the fastest civil aircraft in the world.

###

About Cessna
Cessna is the world's leading general aviation company. Since its inception in 1927, Cessna has designed, produced and delivered more than 193,500 airplanes around the globe. This includes more than 6,300 Citation business jets, making it the largest fleet of business jets in the world. Today, Cessna has two principal lines of business: aircraft sales and aftermarket services. Aircraft sales include Citation business jets, Caravan single-engine utility turboprops, single-engine piston aircraft and lift solutions by CitationAir. Aftermarket services include parts, maintenance, inspection and repair services. In 2011, Cessna delivered 689 aircraft, including 183 Citation business jets, and reported revenues of $2.990 billion. More information about Cessna Aircraft Company is available at cessna.com.

About Bell Helicopter
Bell Helicopter, a wholly owned subsidiary of Textron Inc., is an industry-leading producer of commercial and military, manned and unmanned vertical-lift aircraft and the pioneer of the revolutionary tiltrotor aircraft. Globally recognized for world-class customer service, innovation and superior quality, Bell's global workforce serves customers flying Bell aircraft in more than 120 countries.

About E-Z-GO
E-Z-GO, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, is a leading global manufacturer of golf cars, utility and personal transportation vehicles. Products sold under the E-Z-GO brand include RXV® and TXT® fleet golf cars, Freedom® RXV and Freedom TXT personal golf cars, E-Z-GO Terrain™ and Express™ personal utility vehicles, and the 2Five® street-legal low-speed vehicle. E-Z-GO also produces the Cushman® line of heavy-duty material carriers and utility vehicles, and the Bad Boy Buggies® line of off-road utility vehicles for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts. Founded in 1954 in Augusta, Ga., E-Z-GO became part of Textron Inc. in 1960.

About Textron
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna Aircraft Company, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, and Textron Systems. More information is available at textron.com.

About Chip Ganassi Racing Teams
Chip Ganassi has been a fixture in the auto racing industry for over 25 years and is considered one of the most successful as well as innovative owners the sport has anywhere in the world. Today his teams include three cars in the IZOD IndyCar Series, two cars in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and one Daytona Prototype in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series. Overall his teams have 15 championships and 150 victories, including four Indianapolis 500s, a Daytona 500, a Brickyard 400 and four Rolex 24 At Daytonas. Ganassi boasts state-of-the-art race shop facilities in Indianapolis and Brownsburg, Ind. and Concord, N.C., with a corporate office in Pittsburgh, Penn.

www.cessna.com 

Hawker Beechcraft Sees Increased Interest for Surveillance Aircraft in Middle East

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Dec. 11, 2012) – Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) today announced at the 2012 Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) expo that it continues to see an increase in interest for special mission aircraft in the Middle East – particularly for surveillance aircraft utilized for oil spill detection, anti-piracy and fisheries protection purposes.

“The Middle East is a key area of focus for HBC, and surveillance and reconnaissance is becoming increasingly important to protect national interests here,” said Dan Keady, HBC senior vice president, Special Missions. “The King Air is well adapted to missions of this kind, with a proven track record across the globe, as well as the ability to operate in the sometimes harsh climate of the region.”

The King Air family continues to lead the turboprop category with more than 70 percent of the market share in the region during the past three years. Current production King Air models include the King Air 350ER, King Air 350i, King Air 250 and King Air C90GTx – all of which can be customized for special mission operations such as the following:

Oil spill detection: Aerial surveillance is a key element in the response to marine oil spills, with aircraft such as the Beechcraft King Air used to assess the location, extent and severity of spills, and to monitor the spread and movement. King Air turboprops are also vital in aiding the deployment and control of marine-based containment and clean-up operations, as well as enabling the protection of threatened coastlines. Observations may be undertaken visually or by the use of surveillance systems – the King Air’s high payload allows installation of modern surveillance systems without substantial internal modifications.

Anti-piracy: A significant escalation in piracy in the region in recent years has meant an increase in guarding against these activities. As a result, anti-piracy patrols have come into force, such as in the Maritime Security Patrol Area within the Gulf of Aden. The ability of the King Air to run lengthy missions with low operating costs is a major advantage in surveillance operations, ensuring that aircraft can operate extended runs without needing to frequently return to base.

Fisheries protection: Fisheries protection divisions have a wide-ranging role, from monitoring for illegal fishing activity in protected waters to disputes between trawlers. Although such forces are chiefly water-based, the use of an aerial element is key in carrying out the reconnaissance required to monitor for and identify incidents.

Hawker Beechcraft Corporation is a world-leading manufacturer of business, special mission, light attack and trainer aircraft – designing, marketing and supporting aviation products and services for businesses, governments and individuals worldwide. The company’s headquarters and major facilities are located in Wichita, Kan., with operations in Little Rock, Ark.; Chester, England, U.K.; and Chihuahua, Mexico. The company leads the industry with a global network of more than 100 factory-owned and authorized service centers. For more information, visit www.hawkerbeechcraft.com.

Crane-crash pilot requested to divert and land at the London Heliport


The pilot of the ill-fated AgustaWestland AW109 that crashed in London on 16 January had requested to divert and land at the London Heliport in Battersea because of bad weather.

The light twin-engined helicopter was on a commercial flight from Redhill in Surrey to Elstree in Hertfordshire when it collided with a crane on top of a high-rise building at about 08:00 local time.

It came down on Wandsworth Road near Vauxhall train station, south of the river Thames, killing the pilot, the sole occupant of the aircraft, and one person on the ground. Thirteen others were injured and one remains in a critical condition.

eather data from nearby London City airport at the time of the crash shows a ceiling of 100ft (30m) in conditions of freezing fog with visibility down to 600m.

On 7 January, the UK Civil Aviation Authority issued a NOTAM warning of a jib crane at a height of 770ft near London Heliport. It says the obstacle would be "lit at night".

The CAA says: "There are requirements for lighting on tall structures. In addition, where appropriate, very tall structures are also notified to pilots for flight-planning purposes, as was the case with the crane that was involved in this morning's accident."

London Heliport says it received a request from Heathrow air traffic control to allow the AW109 to divert to Battersea. It adds: "Earlier in the helicopter's journey the pilot had been receiving an air traffic control service from NATS. At no point in time were we able to establish contact with the helicopter and NATS was not providing [a]service [to it] at the time of the incident."

Kate Hoey, MP for Vauxhall, has called for an inquiry into the "increasing numbers of helicopters flying around London" among so many new high-rise buildings.

She says: "The river [Thames] is a kind of motorway for helicopters but the noise, of course, is horrendous sometimes, when we get a lot of helicopters hovering. Maybe we've come to take it almost for granted that people have the right to take their helicopter over London at any time and I think we may have to look at that." 

VisionAire sets sights on 2014 first flight for new Vantage je

VisionAire Jets – the new owner of the Vantage single-engined business aircraft – is planning to fly the first conforming prototype of the modernised entry-level jet in 2014 and is seeking up to $140 million to fund the programme through to certification and first deliveries.

VisionAire chief executive Jim Rice is a founder of the original Vantage programme and managed the company – also called VisionAire – until it was forced into Chapter 7 liquidation in 2003. “We were hit by the fallout of 9/11,” Rice says of the company’s demise. “We could not raise the finance. Nobody was interested in funding an aircraft programme at that time despite the fact we had an 155-strong orderbook and had a proof-of-concept aircraft that had flown more than 500h.”

The Vantage technical drawings, trademarks and tooling were acquired later that year by US venture Eviation Jets, which established a subsidiary in São Paulo to manage the programme, which it dubbed the EV-20. “They set about trying to change the design from a single to twin-engine aircraft powered by Williams FJ44-1APs,” Rice says. “This proved to be a big mistake. Not only is it very costly to redesign an aircraft but it is unwise for a company with no track record to go head to head with an established brand like Cessna – which dominates the entry-level business jet sector.”

VisionAire bought the intellectual property from Eviation about six months ago, although Rice says Eviation owner Matt Eller continues to have a small stake in the new venture. “We are sticking to a single-engine concept. There was nothing like it on the market when the programme was launched [in the 1990s] and there is no comparable aircraft – a single-engine jet with an entry-level size cabin – now,” he adds.

The all-composite aircraft will be priced at about $2.25 million, will seat up to seven passengers and be certificated for single pilot operations. The new Vantage will be powered by a Williams International FJ44-3AP – replacing the original Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15-B5 engine. “This should boost the range by about 400nm [740km], to 1500nm, and give the Vantage a cruise speed of around 375kt [694km/h],” says Rice. The new Vantage will also be equipped with Garmin G3000 avionics.

The Vantage will be built in Newton, North Carolina, where the company is planning to open a manufacturing facility by the middle of the year. “In the meantime, we are establishing strategic alliances with composite manufacturers to build the tooling for the Vantage,” Rice says. “Our aim is to fly the first of four conforming aircraft within 20 months, leading to certification and first deliveries in 2016,” Rice adds.

VisionAire has received a positive response from foreign investors and is close to securing a letter of intent for “a large sum of money”. “The interest in the programme has come from offshore in countries such as a China,” Rice says. “In the long term this country could be a big market for the Vantage and we may consider setting up an second assembly base to cater for this demand,” he adds 

Gulfstream has released new drawings of a supersonic business jet design in patent application forms, revealing features such as a telescoping nose, highly-sloped fuselage and variable-geometry wings.

The drawings from patent filings dated in April and August emerge less than two months after a Gulfstream executive said the company is "very close" to overcoming the noise problem that prevents commercial supersonic aircraft from operating over populated areas.

They also reveal a configuration significantly evolved from Gulfstream drawings released in 2007 and 2009 for a concept aircraft identified in trademark applications as the "Whisper". In July, Gulfstream resubmitted an application for the Whisper trademark, describing its intended use for a supersonic aircraft featuring quite-boom technology.

Gulfstream also has been assigned an experimental aircraft designation by the US Air Force for an undisclosed supersonic aircraft called the X-54.

Previous versions of Gulfstream's supersonic aircraft concept featured a long slender nose, a conventional fuselage cross-section that peaks just aft of the cockpit and fixed-geometry wings.

In the latest drawings, the telescoping nose - a legacy of the company's "Quiet Spike" experiments - appears to be thicker and is divided into six distinct sections at full extension.

A side-view drawing reveals a highly sloped fuselage that peaks slightly aft of the leading edge of a highly-swept wing. The top-view drawing shows the mid-fuselage mounted wing also sweeps forward by as much as roughly 30°. A cabin section is illustrated with five oval windows, or one fewer than the 13.7m (45.1ft) interior cabin length of the Gulfstream G450.

The drawings were part of Gulfstream's application for a patent describing the invention of a "relaxed isentropic inlet" for a supersonic inlet, which is intended to achieve supersonic compression in ways that do not increase certain kinds of inlet drag. Such an inlet also should reduce sonic boom noise without degrading engine performance, according to the application.

Belgium has accepted its first of eight NH90 helicopters from NH Industries (NHI) partner company Eurocopter.

One of four aircraft to be produced for the Belgian Air Component in the tactical transport helicopter configuration, and first flown on 18 September, the rotorcraft was delivered at Eurocopter's Marignane site near Marseille on 21 December. Manufactured in the NH90's final operational configuration standard (below), the asset will enter use soon, with the first Belgian pilots and technicians having begun training on the type in July 2012.

Belgium's other four NH90s will be produced in the NATO frigate helicopter (NFH) variant. Two will be embarked aboard naval vessels, while the remainder will replace Westland Sea Kings in providing search and rescue services.

Meanwhile, Eurocopter has also handed over the French navy's first NFH-variant NH90 to have completed in a "Step B" version. An enhancement over the seven examples already operated by the service, the model features improved capability in performing anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare tasks.

NHI says it has so far delivered 133 NH90s to operators in 14 countries. 

FAA receives appeal on denial of Bell 429 weight exemption

Bell Helicopter has petitioned the US Federal Aviation Administration to reconsider the agency's decision to deny an exemption from a gross weight limit for the Bell 429.

The appeal comes after the company's warning that the market for the Bell 429 could be substantially reduced in the USA if the FAA upholds its decision in August to restrict the medium-twin to a 3,175kg (7,000lb) weight limit under Part 27 safety standards.

The FAA will open a 120-day comment period that begins on 18 December, allowing the public and Bell's competitors to submit views and information about the petition.

Bell argued when it applied for the 227kg exemption from the Part 27 weight limit that the standard forces operators to fly the Bell 429 with fewer passengers or safety equipment.

But Bell's competitors, including AgustaWestland, opposed Bell's request for an exemption, saying it would create an unfair advantage for the Bell 429.

The FAA sided with the competitors' argument and denied Bell's request for exemption.

That decision put US regulators at odds with several airworthiness authorities that have already approved the request for the Bell 429 exemption. Transport Canada approved the original exemption request submitted by Bell Helicopter, which manufactures the Bell 429 near Montreal.

Bell Helicopter has already delivered examples of the increased gross weight Bell 429 under the Transport Canada exemption. But the FAA's denial means Bell Helicopter cannot deliver aircraft that do no meet the Part 27 weight limit to customers in the US market, which must continue to operate the lighter weight version of the aircraft.

European airworthiness authorities have not yet ruled on Bell Helicopter's request for an exemption.

Without an exemption, the higher-weight Bell 429 would have to be certified at the Part 29 standards, which adds requirements for flaw-tolerant rotor blades and more stringent bird strike conditions. 

ATR has received strong interests from clients on a 90-seat turboprop, and is awaiting the company's shareholders, EADS and Alenia Aermacchi, to give the go-ahead to launch the project.

"We've finished our major part of the work, and now the ball is in the camp of the shareholders," ATR chief executive Filippo Bagnato tells Flightglobal at the inauguration of its training facility in Singapore.

He adds that the turboprop manufacturer has done work on a feasibility study "in order to be ready as soon as shareholders give the go-ahead".

The manufacturer has a clear project of the larger turboprop and is now refining the design, adds Lilian Brayle, ATR senior vice-president product support and services.

"The aircraft is not a modification; it's a completely new aircraft. The overall philosophy is the same but the wings, landing gear, fuselage, everything will be bigger," says Bagnato.

He expects that it could take up to five years for the new aircraft to receive certification, once shareholders give the approval.

"We're in regular contact with our customers and there is definitely strong demand for the 90-seater turboprop," says Bagnato.

Flightglobal understands that EADS is unlikely to approve the new generation turboprop soon because of its limited engineering resources, as much attention is now focused on Airbus's A320neo and A350 programmes.

Lion Air's president director Rusdi Kirana, whose regional subsidiary Wings Air will be the largest ATR operator, tells Flightglobal he is "definitely interested" in the larger turboprop as it will be "more economical". He is also open to switching from jets to turboprops on some routes to cut costs.

"Now the trend is for the aircraft to go bigger and bigger with the lack of pilots, congestion and growing market. The question is, is ATR willing to take the risk?" says Kirana.

"If Bombardier comes up with a 90-seater, I will take it for sure. Of course if ATR does it, I'm happier because of the commonality."

Malaysia Airlines turboprop operator Firefly had also said it is keen to be a launch customer for the larger turboprop.

Rival Bombardier had previously indicated that it could develop a larger version of the 70-seat Dash 8 Q400 for entry into service in the second half of the decade.

Eurocopter has pushed back certification of its in-development EC175 medium twin by six months to summer 2013, following undisclosed issues with the type's in-house Helionix avionics suite.

However, the airframer says the delay will not affect first delivery of the aircraft, which is scheduled for September 2013 to an as-yet undisclosed customer. Eurocopter had previously indicated deliveries would commence in the first quarter of 2013.

The programme hiccup was announced shortly after the airframer performed the first flight of a serially produced EC175 from its Marignane production facility in the south of France during the week of 3 December.

The airframer has also revealed increased performance for the type, raising its recommended cruise speed to 150kt (278km/h), an increase of 10kt over the previously stated figure "without affecting payload range". Maximum cruise speed exceeds 165kt, it says.

To make its debut in the oil and gas sector, the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-67E-powered type has so far accumulated 500h of flight testing using two prototype aircraft. 

Virgin America will begin flights to Newark Liberty International airport from 2 April 2013.

The Burlingame, California-based low-cost carrier will offer three daily flights between Newark and both Los Angeles and San Francisco, according to a source familiar with the situation.

The service will complement Virgin America's existing flights to New York's John F. Kennedy airport from Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The airline plans to cut capacity by about 3.5% during the first quarter of 2013 on seasonally lower demand and anticipates mid single-digit capacity growth for the full year, as it seeks profitability.

American Airlines and United Airlines fly between Newark and Los Angeles, and United flies between Newark and San Francisco, according to Innovata schedules. 

ExecuJet Africa adds helicopters to managed aircraft fleet

ExecuJet Africa has teamed up with off-shore helicopter operator Acher Aviation to offer a range of services, including helicopter management and charter, as well as specialised support to the oil, gas, mining and resource exploration sectors.

ExecuJet's fleet now includes three helicopters from Acher Aviation, including a Bell 407, an Agusta 109 Power and a Eurocopter EC310, plus access to other models.

The six-passenger EC310 is currently based at ExecuJet's Lanseria facility, and completed its first charter flight last month.

The specialised services available to the oil, gas and mining sectors include hoisting operations, oil pipeline inspections, equipment and cargo transportation and remote location support.

"ExecuJet is continuously exploring solutions for the business and private charter industry," says Chris Frost, charter business development manager at ExecuJet Africa. "We believe our helicopter charter and management services will be of particular interest to our customers in the mining sector, due to the remote areas and harsh conditions in which employees have to operate," he adds. 

NetJets has taken delivery of the first Bombardier Global 6000 business jet featuring its new bespoke interior - the Signature Series.

The ultra long-range aircraft - registration N160QS - is the first of a trio of Global 6000s destined for the world's largest business aircraft operator and fractional ownership company this year.

The Globals are part of two industry record-breaking orders NetJets has placed with the Canadian airframer over the past 20 months, as part a top-to-tail overhaul of its fleet.

The deals have a combined value of nearly $14 billion, and include 120 Signature Series Global 5000/6000/7000/8000s and 225 Challenger 300 and 605s.

NetJets' Signature Series interior features advanced in-flight entertainment and a custom cabin design including specially selected fabrics and materials along with customised seating, lighting and storage

The Legacy 500, the world's first fly-by-wire super-midsize business aircraft, was expected to have completed its first flight by early this month, triggering an exuberant, but very brief celebration at Embraer's headquarters in Brazil. The aircraft was slated for certification in 2012, but that original development schedule assumed first flight in third or fourth quarter 2011. That target day passed because Parker Aerospace, supplier of the three-axis fly-by-wire (FBW) control system, failed to earn a critical software approval, thereby grounding the flight test program for a year or more.

Parker's problems were traced to improper software documentation for the remote electronic units (REUs), the computers that command movement of the flight control actuators. Demonstrating strict FBW software verification and validation to airworthiness authorities is as critical to safety of flight as showing that you've used only aircraft grade hardware for the flight control computers and flight control surface actuators. Software glitches potentially can have fatal consequences, so ground testing of the aircraft at São José dos Campos has been limited to 80 kt., well below liftoff speed at the lightest weights.

Upon learning of the depth of Parker's problems, Embraer was compelled to send in its own team of software engineers and also an expert crew from veteran FBW firm BAE Systems. Ultimately, the aircraft manufacturer transferred responsibility for FBW software development from Parker to BAE Systems, with Parker's Irvine, Calif., division supplying hardware components.

Parker's woes doubtlessly blindsided the Brazilians because the California firm supplies key FBW components for the latter's ERJ 170/190 regional airliners. But the Legacy 500's three-axis FBW is considerably more capable and more complex than the two-axis digital electronic controls installed on Embraer's E-Jets.

Fortunately for Embraer, BAE Systems is intimately familiar with the overall Legacy 500 FBW control system because it has supplied both hardware and software to Parker for the main flight control computers (FCC) from the onset of the program. The FCCs are the top-level digital brains of the FBW system that tell the REUs how to command the control surfaces. Embraer officials said that, in contrast to Parker, BAE Systems' FCC hardware and software development was “flawless” throughout the program.

“It's behind us now, thank goodness. We're moving on. All the tough questions are going to come [out]. How did we get here? What did we learn? And all of that stuff will be handled by Parker. I guess they're the people who have learned the most from this,” says Ernest Edwards, president of Embraer Executive Jets. So, how did Embraer get the FBW development program back on track?

“In a nutshell,” says Edwards, “it took a lot of hard work and dedication by all the teams involved. Once we identified the delay, it was a case of getting all the parties around the table and saying 'OK. Let's get involved and find out what we need to do to minimize this delay . . .' It was more a team effort than any individual party. It wasn't so much of the problem being a problem, the problem was the delay and how do we recover.”

NetJets has taken delivery of the first Bombardier Global 6000 business jet featuring its new bespoke interior - the Signature Series.

The ultra long-range aircraft - registration N160QS - is the first of a trio of Global 6000s destined for the world's largest business aircraft operator and fractional ownership company this year.

The Globals are part of two industry record-breaking orders NetJets has placed with the Canadian airframer over the past 20 months, as part a top-to-tail overhaul of its fleet.

The deals have a combined value of nearly $14 billion, and include 120 Signature Series Global 5000/6000/7000/8000s and 225 Challenger 300 and 605s.

NetJets' Signature Series interior features advanced in-flight entertainment and a custom cabin design including specially selected fabrics and materials along with customised seating, lighting and storage.

Swiss luxury business aircraft operator VistaJet has placed the largest Bombardier business jet order in history with a deal to acquire up to 142 Global twin jets. The $7.8 billion deal includes firm orders for 25 Global 5000s, 25 Global 6000s and six Global 8000s - currently in development - as well options for 40 Global 5000s, 40 Global 6000s and six Global 8000s. Deliveries are set to begin in 2014.

"By any standard, this is an historic order for Bombardier," says Steve Ridolfi, president, Bombardier Business Aircraft. "It goes without saying that we are thrilled VistaJet has again chosen to grow their fleet with the industry-leading Global family," Ridolfi adds.

For VistaJet, the order signifies a key part of its expansion plans and ambitions to make business aviation more accessible to the emerging markets. Thomas Flohr, founder and chairman, VistaJet explains: "This order is the most significant milestone for VistaJet and is a testimony to our successful strategy that focuses on global coverage. Our customers need to fly point-to-point across the globe, and in many instances at short notice. Whether it's a direct flight from Los Angeles to Shanghai, from London to Luanda or from Kinshasa to Ulan Bator, we are seamlessly connecting our customers to every corner of the world."

Eurocopter promises to solve EC225 issues by February

Eurocopter chief executive Lutz Bertling has committed to returning the global EC225 fleet to unrestricted service by next February as operators continue to wait on firm information from the airframer on the cause of the 22 October ditching in the North Sea.

As in interim measure it has issued a revision of its emergency service bulletin, introducing new guidance for overwater flights of the type.

Bertling attended a 15 November meeting of the Helicopter Safety Steering Group in Aberdeen and expressed his "deep apologies" for the two ditchings and subsequent operational disruption.

He says a hypothesis for the root cause of the cracks on the main gear bevel shaft has been developed and Eurocopter will now attempt to prove this through a combination of ground and flight tests. It says it will take around three months to complete the testing and agree on corrective measures with the authorities.

"Therefore, a return to flight of the EC225 in full capacity and overwater is expected in February 2013. Eurocopter will of course make its best efforts to reduce this timeframe," it says.

Eurocopter followed up on the meeting with a revision to its emergency service bulletin covering the EC225 and AS332, and their military equivalents, on 22 November. It says that its studies suggest the cracks propagate in the shaft more slowly at lower engine power. Therefore, for aircraft "performing operations which do not enable an emergency landing on the ground within 10 minutes" it has reduced the maximum continuous power limit for the aircraft in level flight by 15% to 70%.

However, although the CHC Scotia-operated EC225 involved in the October ditching had developed a similar crack to that seen in an earlier incident this year, the service bulletin says it did not initiate from a hole drilled in a weld on the shaft, as was the case in the May ditching.

Additionally it has revised the thresholds used on the type's vibration monitoring system which provides an early warning that a crack is developing. And for those helicopters not fitted with that equipment, it says in-situ non-destructive testing of the integrity of the shafts is possible.

Although a ruling from the UK Civil Aviation Authority banning overwater flights covers only UK-based helicopters, both CHC Helicopter and Bristow Helicopter Services have grounded their EC225 fleets globally.

Brazilian carrier Gol Linhas Aereas is to shut down budget airline Webjet and lay off 850 employees.

Webjet will be closed down in phases, beginning with the cessation of flight operations which are conducted by Boeing 737-300s.

Gol says the aircraft are "technologically out of date" and their fuel consumption makes them "no longer competitive".

The carrier disclosed in July 2011 that it was intending to take over Webjet. Brazilian regulator CADE approved the acquisition in October, stating that Gol would have 36% of slots at Rio de Janeiro's Santos Dumont airport following the merger.

Gol says that Webjet's passengers' flights will be "guaranteed" and that Gol will assume resonsibility for transporting them. "All the necessary measures have been taken," it adds.

Closure of Webjet and the laying-off of the flight crew, cabin crew and maintenance personnel will lead to a non-recurring cost to be included in Gol's fourth-quarter results.

All 20 of Webjet's aircraft will be returned by the end of the first half of 2013, including 16 in the first quarter. Gol says: "The measures will improve operational efficiency from 2013."

Gol expects domestic capacity will be cut by 5-8% in the first half of next year as a result of the smaller fleet. 

 San Marino has revamped its 11-year-old aircraft registry in an effort to broaden its customer base and range of T7-prefixed business aircraft.

The restyled registry has been developed in partnership with US-based Aviation Registry Group, which already administers Aruba's offshore registry. It will become active on 1 December and will get a formal unveiling around a week later at the Middle East Business Aviation show in Dubai.

"There are 40 aircraft on the register at the moment mainly Cessna Citations, Beechcraft King Airs and a range of helicopter types," says ARG chief executive Jorge Colindres. "The register has been designed for the Italian market, but we are keen to attract owners from across the globe, notably in Asia. We are also looking at top-end business aircraft and are in talks to add a couple of Boeing business jets."

San Marino - a small state surrounded by Italy - is outsourcing all technical tasks to ARG under a 10-year exclusive agreement and has established a woldwide network of inspectors. The registry will incorporate ICAO's standards and recommended practices.

The registry will be targeted at private owners initially, "but we plan to open it up to commercial operators in two years", he adds. "We will offer very competitive fees and tariffs," says Colindres. Aircraft registered in San Marino will not be subject to import duties or value-added tax - which was previously set at around 2%. However, it has reached an agreement with the Italian government not to allow Italian-based aircraft on its registry, Colindres says. As a means of boosting its coffers Italy has imposed "luxury" taxes on privately owned aircraft in its country.

San Marino is hoping to emulate the success of the Isle of Man registry, which has registered more than 500 aircraft since its was established in 2007.

Oil workers unconvinced by Eurocopter EC225's safety

Eurocopter faces an uphill struggle to convince oil industry workers that its EC225 is safe to fly, even if the UK Civil Aviation Authority revokes its ban on overwater use of the type.

Jake Molloy, regional organiser for the Rail Maritime and Transport trade union, says offshore staff have been left angry and frustrated by the 22 October ditching of a CHC Scotia-operated EC225 (G-CHCN), which came barely five months after a similar incident.

It is the "carbon copy" nature of the second ditching that has left oil field workers so incensed, he says. "[In May] we were given countless assurances by Eurocopter that they had identified the problem and it was a manufacturing defect on a small batch of [bevel gear vertical] shafts.

"But we have had a repeat event, and its only through the grace of God that it happened on a benign weather day, otherwise we would have been counting body bags here," he says.

Eurocopter has yet to come up with a modification that would allow the grounded aircraft to resume operations. Even if they are cleared for service by the regulator, Molloy says the airframer will have to "rebuild confidence" in its aircraft.

"There are a lot of questions to be answered, they are going to have to justify everything about these shafts," he says.

Molloy is also critical of the European Aviation Safety Agency's approach to the issue, believing its remedy of increased vigilance of the type's vibration monitoring system to offer an unacceptable level of risk.

Eurocopter officials met with operators on 8 November to advise them of updates with its investigation. It has additionally been invited to the next meeting of the Helicopter Safety Steering Group - an oil industry body which includes union representatives - on 15 November.

Meanwhile, in a safety information notice issued on 2 November, the manufacturer confirms that the emergency lubrication system on the helicopter involved in the latest ditching appears to have been working. This suggests, as was the case in the May incident, that the warning system had again generated a false alarm indicating a failure of the back-up lubrication mechanism.

Alongside the EC225s, operators had grounded a number of AS332 helicopters. These are now being released back into service as Eurocopter retrofits the older variants with shafts unaffected by the safety issue. 

Citation in fast overrun at Sao Paulo Congonhas downtown airport

Following a damaging runway overrun by a Cessna Citation Jet III business jet at Sao Paulo Congonhas airport on 11 November, the Brazilian aviation authority, Infraero, confirmed that the main runway had been closed from 17:35h to 18:41h to allow the firefighters to rescue the two pilots and passenger on board, and to check the runway was safe.

The Tropic Air Citation (PR-MRG) from Florianópolis, overran the runway end at Sao Paulo's downtown airport and crashed down an embankment on to the edge of a busy city street. Infraero says two people needed hospital treatment.

Eleven flights needed to be diverted, said Infraero, but then Congonhas reverted to normal operation.

In July 2007 a TAM Linhas Aereas Airbus A320 overran the same runway very fast, killing all six crew and 181 passengers, as well as 12 people on the ground. 

Iberia to cut 4,500 staff and reduce fleet by 25 aircraft

Iberia will cut 4,500 staff, reduce its fleet by 25 aircraft - five long-haul and 20 short-haul - and downsize its network by 15%, under a large-scale restructuring plan announced today by parent company International Airlines Group.

The Spanish carrier, which made a nine-month operating loss of €262 million ($334 million), is in a "fight for survival", says IAG chief executive Willie Walsh.

Iberia chief executive Rafael Sánchez-Lozano says the carrier is "unprofitable in all its markets".

Under the transformation plan, IAG hopes to stem cash losses at its Spanish unit by mid-2013.

Other measures include the cessation of "non-profitable" third-party maintenance and the launch of new commercial initiatives.

"As well as halting Iberia's financial decline, we will establish a viable business that can grow profitably in the long term," says IAG.

It has set a deadline of 31 January 2013 to hammer out an agreement with its unions on the restructure.

"If agreement is not reached, deeper cuts and a more radical reduction in the size, and scale of Iberia's operations will take place to secure the natural long-haul traffic flows at Madrid and safeguard the company's future," it says.

Bell’s new 525 Relentless moves into initial production

Bell Helicopter has entered the production phase of the first prototype of the 525 Relentless, a "super-medium"-class product and the company's boldest move to reclaim share in the commercial market.

The Fort Worth, Texas-based company started releasing digital design models to suppliers after completing a preliminary design phase on 26 June.

That allowed suppliers of certain components, such as a tail rotor assembly actuator, a main rotor gearbox carrier development part and the accessory gearbox, to enter production, says Larry Thimmesch, Bell's vice president of commercial programmes.

Bell announced the Relentless programme in February, finally taking the wraps off what had been internally known as Project Magellan. Aimed at the oil and gas, corporate and VIP transportation, and parapublic and emergency medical services markets, the 525 is Bell's biggest commercial helicopter and the beginning of an entire series of medium- and heavy-lift helicopters.

The company started by constructing a wooden mock-up of the aircraft in 2010. It has progressed to the full-scale mock-up that was revealed at Heli-Expo earlier in 2012.

Bell has not released its internal deadline for the 525's critical design review, but it must come before the prototype begins assembly in the second quarter of 2013 at the company's Xworx facility in Fort Worth.

In the meantime, Bell has activated a 525 systems integration lab comprised of a main rotor test rig, avionics test bench, tail rotor test rig and two flight control systems test benches.

A simulated cabin equipped with the Garmin G5000H integrated avionics system is also developing the control laws and math models for the fly-by-wire control system. The 525 could become the commercial market's first fly-by-wire rotorcraft to enter service, and the third launched by Bell with partners after the Bell Boeing V-22 and the AW609, which is now owned solely by AgustaWestland. Bell has not set a date for entry-into-service.

Bell has held its first interim certification type board meeting with the FAA. Although it is the first such commercial helicopter to be certificated, Bell says it has benefitted having conversations with the FAA for several years over the requirements to certify the fly-by-wire controls of what was then called the BA609 tiltrotor.

For now, the company has chosen to downplay its performance claims for the 525. It has released only the minimum value for the helicopter's range - 400nm. Thimmesch says he wants to keep the company focused on making the aircraft as good as possible, rather than meeting a particular specification. The company also has not launched a sales drive on behalf of the aircraft prior to first flight, and only released an unquantified order from oil and gas transportation service PHI.

Sandy's impact on airline financials too early to tell

The jury remains out on the impact of superstorm Sandy on the financials for airlines, as operations creep back to normal.

Airlines had cancelled 18,445 flights in North America since 27 October through this morning due to Sandy, according to FlightStats.com. The website says that an additional 2,664 flights were cancelled today as of 05:30.

Low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines chief executive Ben Baldanza that says Sandy's impact on its fourth quarter will be "significant", during an earnings call today. He did not quantify the impact, but says the carrier has cancelled 136 flights through today.

The consensus among airlines is that there will be an impact from the storm but that it is too early to say by how much. Bob McAdoo, an airline analyst at Imperial Capital, says that there was only a small financial impact during the snowstorm of 2010 when acomparable number of flights were cancelled. However, he notes that it will depend on when the airlines can return to normal operations, which includes getting employees and passengers to the airport in addition to clearing the runways and resuming flights.

"Our concern now is getting the airline up and running, and making sure employees and passengers are safe," says US Airways. The Tempe, Arizona-based carrier plans to resume operations at New York's John F. Kennedy (JFK) and Newark airports on 1 November, and hopes to begin flights into LaGuardia by 2 November.

All three New York area airports were shut down during the storm. Sandy knocked out power to Newark and caused flooding at JFK and LaGuardia.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) says that JFK and Newark are open but with limited service. It is assessing when it can reopen LaGuardia, which suffered more severe flooding, it says.

American Airlines says that it will resume flights from JFK and Newark in the morning on 1 November and from LaGuardia that same afternoon.

Delta Air Lines says that it will resume limited operations at JFK and Newark today, and anticipates resuming flights at LaGuardia on 1 November.

JetBlue Airways plans to operate about a 50% schedule at its JFK hub on 1 November with full operations the next day, it says. Newark will be at a full schedule on 1 November.

United Airlines will operate a limited inbound schedule into Newark today and may operate a limited number of outbound flights this evening, it says. It anticipates 50% operations at JFK today with normal operations at both airports on 1 November, according to an employee bulletin.

The bulletin also says that there will be normal operations at LaGuardia by 1 November.

"Damage from the storm has been extensive," wrote Jeff Smisek, chief executive of United, in a letter to employees. "The runways at LaGuardia have been flooded, and there has been some facility damage at Newark that we are currently assessing. Moreover, there are power issues at Newark currently, and the surrounding bridges are closed."

With recovery and safety the focus at all airlines, Smisek sums up the general sentiment towards those in Sandy's path: "Our thoughts and our hearts are with co-workers who have been personally impacted by superstorm Sandy. Please continue to stay safe." 

 Virgin Australia will acquire Australian regional carrier Skywest Airlines, and pay A$35 million ($36.2 million) for a 60% stake in Tiger Airways Australia. Separately, Singapore Airlines has agreed to buy a 10% stake in Virgin Australia for A$105.3 million.

Skywest will become part of the Virgin Australia brand but will continue to operate under its air operator's certificate with its own management team, says Virgin Australia's chief executive John Borghetti.

"If approved, this transaction will enable us to fast-track our advancement in the high growth fly-in-fly out and regional markets, increasing competition in these important segments," he adds.

Skywest already operates eight ATR-72 turboprops on behalf of Virgin Australia, and also has a fleet of 20 Airbus A320s, Fokker F100s and F50 turboprops.

The Skywest acquisition would require the approval of Singapore's Securities Industry Council, Australia's competition watchdog, the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board and the Singapore High Court. Skywest is incorporated in Singapore.

Under the in-principle agreement, Virgin Australia will offer Skywest shareholders A$0.45 per share, with A$0.225 per share to be paid in cash and 0.53 new Virgin Australia shares given for each Skywest share.

Virgin Australia also announced today that it has agreed to acquire a 60% stake in Tiger Airways Australia from its holding company, Tiger Airways Holdings, for A$35 million.

Tiger Airways and Virgin Australia will invest up to a further A$62.5 million into Tiger Airways Australia, which will become a joint venture between the two companies.

"The joint venture has flexibility to grow Tiger Australia's fleet from 11 to up to 35 aircraft by 2018," says Virgin. As part of the transaction, Tiger Airways Australia has agreed to pay A$5 million to Tiger Airways Holdings if the carrier achieves certain financial goals within five years. Virgin and Tiger did not elaborate on these goals.

Of the $62.5 million, the first A$20 million will be contributed by Tiger Airways, followed by A$30 million from Virgin Australia and the remaining A$12.5 million will be a "proportional investment by both parties".

Tiger Australia will remain a standalone carrier with its own AOC and management team, and will continue to operate under the Tiger brand.

Borghetti says the transaction will allow Virgin to "access the budget market and enables Tiger Australia to expedite its growth, providing greater competition to this important market segment".

Separately, Star Alliance carrier Singapore Airlines (SIA) will pay A$105.3 million for a 10% stake in Virgin Australia. This will be done through a placement of 245.7 million new shares to SIA at A$0.4288 cents per share.

The transaction comes with anti-dilution rights, in the event of an equity issuance as a result of the Skywest and Tiger transactions. The share purchase is likely to be completed on 16 November, and approval from the Australian Foreign Investment Board has been obtained.

"This major development demonstrates the importance and strength of the partnership between our two airlines, and our shared commitment to an alliance that provides a wide range of consumer benefits," says SIA's CEO Goh Choon Phong.

SIA and Virgin Australia entered into a long-term partnership in 2011 that covered codesharing, reciprocal frequent flyer benefits and others.

 Boeing today revealed the 737 Max will be converted into a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ), with deliveries starting to the VIP market almost as quickly as the re-engined and updated narrowbody enters commercial service in 2017.

The BBJ Max 8 will become the fourth version of the 737 family to be aimed at the business aviation market, and the announcement precedes a decision by Airbus on whether to offer a corporate jet version of the similarly re-engined A320neo.

"I don't think we'll get enough [production slots] for all the demand we're expecting," says Steve Taylor, president of Boeing Business Jets.

The same changes being introduced with the 737 Max 8 - including new CFM International Leap-1B engines, split-tip winglets and a redesigned tail cone - are expected to deliver similar performance improvements for the BBJ market, but with a different emphasis. Airlines are more focused on the fuel savings, while business jet passengers are more influenced by increased range and reduced cabin noise, Taylor says.

The BBJ Max 8 should improve range by roughly 600nm compared to the roughly 5,670nm range of the BBJ2, the business jet version of the 737-800, he says. A BBJ version of the 737 Max 9 will follow the introduction of the version based on the 737 Max 8.

By announcing the BBJ at NBAA, Boeing beats Airbus in the race to develop alternative versions of the re-engined narrowbodies. Airbus unveiled the A320neo nine months before Boeing launched the 737 Max family in August 2011, but has yet to announce an Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) version. The delay has baffled Airbus' competitors in Seattle.

"I'm fascinated they haven't moved out more quickly than not," Taylor says.

Boeing, meanwhile, is continuing to evaluate other opportunities for spin-offs of the 737 Max. Boeing adapted the BBJ into a military surveillance and patrol aircraft, and Taylor says the example will be followed with the BBJ Max.

"Inevitably it will," he says. "The military is typically not an early adopter of these kinds of things, so not right in the front end."

Boeing has sold 157 BBJs since introducing the type 15 years ago.

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SIA orders five A380s and 20 A350s, transfers 787s to Scoot

Singapore Airlines (SIA) is ordering five additional Airbus A380s and 20 more A350s to renew and expand its fleet. The deal with the European airframer is valued at $7.5 billion based on list prices, and deliveries will begin in 2017.

In a related move, SIA's low-cost longhaul subsidiary Scoot will take over the parent carrier's existing order for 20 Boeing 787s.

SIA already operates 19 A380s and previously placed a firm order for 20 A350-900s for delivery from 2015. The carrier says the five newly-ordered A380s will be equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, in common with its in-service fleet.

SIA has ordered five additional Airbus A380s and 20 more A350s to renew and expand its fleet

R-R's Trent XWB is the sole engine option for the A350.

Scoot says an engine selection for its 787s will be made "at a later date". The twinjets will be used to replace Scoot's four 777-200s and "facilitate the airline's ongoing expansion".

SIA's order was for stretched 787-9s, but Scoot's statement did not specify which version of the twinjet will be taken by the subsidiary carrier.

 Brazil tests Hermes UAVs

Brazil has begun using its Elbit Systems Hermes 450 unmanned air vehicles to perform surveillance duties along its border with Bolivia. Two of the Brazilian air force's new UAVs were trialled in the monitoring task during the recent Operation "Agata 6".

The first two Hermes systems are being operated by the air force's "Horus" squadron from Santa Maria air base, Rio Grande do Sul. Founded in 2011, the unit has now flown more than 600h with its Hermes 450s, locally designated as RQ-450s.

In preparation for hosting the football World Cup in 2014 and Olympic Games in 2016, Brazil's defence ministry has dispatched 7,500 troops to the country's northwest borders with Peru and Bolivia in an effort to stop cross-border criminal operations.

Elbit's Brazilian subsidiary Aeroeletronica was awarded a $48 million contract in January 2011 to supply Hermes 450 systems. The air force is evaluating the purchase of more UAVs following the recent operation along its border.

With a 450kg (990lb) maximum take-off weight, the Hermes 450 tactical UAV can supply real-time intelligence data to ground forces. With a wingspan of 10.5m (34ft), the aircraft has a maximum flight endurance of more than 20h.

 Business jet aggregation and seat-trading website Victor has expanded its business worldwide, increasing the number of routes covered from 440,000 to 400 million potential combinations.

The soft-launch of the global offering comes on 15 October, a little over a year since the company unveiled its service in the European market.

Clive Jackson, Victor founder and chief executive, says customer requests have driven the expansion. "The time is absolutely right to launch the service globally, all the signs are telling us to do it.

"Members and users have been saying they love the [European] service, but want to know when we will be able to offer them destinations further afield. Although it was always in the game plan to build the business globally, this decision is very much led by consumer demand."

Since its European launch in August 2011, UK-based Victor has expanded rapidly and can offer a notional fleet of 300 aircraft, including airliner-derived types, made available through its partner operators.

The global expansion has necessitated recruiting outside of its European heartland and it has managed to sign up companies such as Qatar-based Rizon Jet, Beijing firm Deer Jet - part of the Hainan Airlines Group - and Pegasus Elite Aviation in the USA.

In future Jackson may relinquish some control over markets outside Europe by offering Victor franchises in 10 geographies. It was either that, he says, "or clone myself 10 times".

The company will also launch a second round of capital raising in the second quarter of 2013, seeking £10 million ($16.1 million) to fund the global push.

It closed a previous fundraising effort in early 2012, netting £1.5 million through a private share placement.

Jackson says he was "encouraged" by Victor's first year of trading. He adds: "I know that Victor will make it, and the only question in my mind is - provided I don't make too many mistakes - just how big can it be on a global scale?"

 Boeing will begin putting together the first aerial refueling boom for the US Air Force's new KC-46 tanker at a new assembly center that opened on 16 October in Seattle, Washington.

"We're pleased that this facility opened on schedule," says Maureen Dougherty, Boeing's KC-46 programme manager. The opening of the facility marks the transition of the new boom from the design phase and to the production phase, Boeing says.

USAF

Once the first boom is completed, it will enter into testing at a system integration lab during the third quarter of 2013. The KC-46 boom is based on the system used on the McDonnell Douglas KC-10 but uses new fly-by-wire controls.

The next major step for the programme is the aircraft's critical design review, scheduled for the summer of 2013. "Boeing continues to make good progress toward delivering the KC-46 tanker on schedule," says Maj Gen John Thompson, the USAF's KC-46 programme executive officer.

Boeing is contracted to deliver 18 operational KC-46 tankers by 2017. The USAF plans to buy a total of 179 KC-46 tankers.

Alaska Airlines has placed a firm order for a total of 50 Boeing narrowbodies, including 37 of the re-engined 737 Max, in a deal worth $5 billion at list prices.

The commitment comprises 20 737 Max 8s, 17 -9s and 13 current-generation 737-900ERs and is the largest order in Alaska Airlines' history.

Alaska Airlines currently operates a total of 120 737s, including 30 older -400 models, according to Flightglobal's Ascend Online database, with the oldest dating from 1990. It has a further 25 737s on order.

The deal with Alaska Airlines takes Boeing's total orders for the CFM International Leap-1B-powered 737 Max to 858 aircraft.

NTSB criticizes Gulfstream on G650 management, safety lapses

US safety investigators today criticized Gulfstream managers over charges that a chain of errors and process lapses contributed to a fatal flight test crash of a Gulfstream 650 in April 2011.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) meeting added few new details to the events leading to the crash in Roswell, New Mexico, but members instead sharpened their critique of Gulfstream's handling of time pressures and safety controls during the G650 flight test programme.

"In this investigation we saw an aggressive flight test schedule and pressure to get the aircraft certified," says Deborah Hersman, NTSB chairman. "Assumptions and errors were made, but they were neither reviewed nor re-evaluated when review data was collected."

The NTSB's findings have been a black eye to the ultra-long-range jet as Gulfstream prepares to deliver the first of 200 G650s on order by the end of the year. Although the crash made little impact on the overall schedule, the NTSB meeting makes it clear that investigators want to ensure the right controls and regulations are in place to prevent such incidents in the future.

"This crash was as much an absence of leadership as it was of lift," Hersman says.

Gulfstream issued a statement thanking the NTSB for thoroughly reviewing the accident.

"Safety is Gulfstream's first priority. Since this accident, we have redoubled our efforts to strengthen the safety culture in flight test and throughout the rest of the company," Gulfstream says. "We are committed to continuous safety improvement."

The circumstances of the G650 crash first appeared last May, as exclusively reported by Flightglobal. It was an engine-out take-off test at maximum weight, among the most challenging points on the test card.

Gulfstream had been struggling to make the G650 achieve the minimum certifiable speed after climbing 10.7m (35ft) over the runway. Programme officials tried to solve the problem partly by increasing the angle of attack at rotation, but they miscalculated the minimum angle necessary to avoid a stall. Unaware of the loss of lift at rotation, the flight crew was unable to prevent the G650's right wing from rolling off. The aircraft then veered off the runway and skidded to a stop about 100m from the airport's control tower.

Discovery is the point of any flight test, but the NTSB found that Gulfstream quickly disregarded or misinterpreted two previous wing roll-offs that could have given away the true stall angle for the G650. Gulfstream failed to reconvene a safety review board to examine the results of the previous events.

"According to industry practice, take-off tests should have stopped because these were unexpected results," says Mitchell Gallo, an NTSB air safety inspector. 

NTSB criticizes Gulfstream on G650 management, safety lapses

US safety investigators today criticized Gulfstream managers over charges that a chain of errors and process lapses contributed to a fatal flight test crash of a Gulfstream 650 in April 2011.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) meeting added few new details to the events leading to the crash in Roswell, New Mexico, but members instead sharpened their critique of Gulfstream's handling of time pressures and safety controls during the G650 flight test programme.

"In this investigation we saw an aggressive flight test schedule and pressure to get the aircraft certified," says Deborah Hersman, NTSB chairman. "Assumptions and errors were made, but they were neither reviewed nor re-evaluated when review data was collected."

The NTSB's findings have been a black eye to the ultra-long-range jet as Gulfstream prepares to deliver the first of 200 G650s on order by the end of the year. Although the crash made little impact on the overall schedule, the NTSB meeting makes it clear that investigators want to ensure the right controls and regulations are in place to prevent such incidents in the future.

"This crash was as much an absence of leadership as it was of lift," Hersman says.

Gulfstream issued a statement thanking the NTSB for thoroughly reviewing the accident.

"Safety is Gulfstream's first priority. Since this accident, we have redoubled our efforts to strengthen the safety culture in flight test and throughout the rest of the company," Gulfstream says. "We are committed to continuous safety improvement."

The circumstances of the G650 crash first appeared last May, as exclusively reported by Flightglobal. It was an engine-out take-off test at maximum weight, among the most challenging points on the test card.

Gulfstream had been struggling to make the G650 achieve the minimum certifiable speed after climbing 10.7m (35ft) over the runway. Programme officials tried to solve the problem partly by increasing the angle of attack at rotation, but they miscalculated the minimum angle necessary to avoid a stall. Unaware of the loss of lift at rotation, the flight crew was unable to prevent the G650's right wing from rolling off. The aircraft then veered off the runway and skidded to a stop about 100m from the airport's control tower.

Discovery is the point of any flight test, but the NTSB found that Gulfstream quickly disregarded or misinterpreted two previous wing roll-offs that could have given away the true stall angle for the G650. Gulfstream failed to reconvene a safety review board to examine the results of the previous events.

"According to industry practice, take-off tests should have stopped because these were unexpected results," says Mitchell Gallo, an NTSB air safety inspector. 

MEBAA’s Al Naqbi: Middle East executives must think differently about business aviation

Middle Eastern executives must think differently about business aviation before smaller business jets can make a breakthrough in the region.

That is the view of Ali Al Naqbi, who heads the Dubai-based Middle East Business Aviation Association. He says the market must move towards a "more efficient use of aircraft" with companies regarding them as a "business tool" and not just an exclusive method of transport for individuals of high net worth.

Although sales of business jets in the Middle East have boomed in the past eight years, the most popular brands are airliner-based variants from Airbus, Boeing and Embraer, as well as large-cabin types from Bombardier, Dassault and Gulfstream. Mid-size jets tend to be used for missions such as medevac, with light and entry-level types - which have suffered worst globally as a result of the downturn - barely registering.

Bridging the gap between scheduled airlines and chartering large aircraft for tens of thousands of dollars is something the industry has to work harder at, says Al Naqbi.

"The core of the market is big jets, but we are calling for more use of smaller aircraft. There will always be people who fly with two colleagues on a BBJ [Boeing Business Jet], but we want to capture the ordinary community of businessmen and women," he says. "Business aviation should not just be about luxury. It needs a new type of business mentality."

MEBAA is behind the Middle East Business Aviation exhibition, which takes place in Dubai in December.

Star Alliance carrier Turkish Airlines is to acquire 15 Airbus A330-300s in a further expansion of its long-haul twinjet fleet.

Following approval at its last board meeting, Turkish Airlines will take four A330-300s in 2014, another six in 2015 and five more in 2016.

After delivery they will take Turkish Airlines' A330-300 fleet to 27. It already has 10 of the type and another pair will be delivered over the next few weeks.

Turkish Airlines also plans to add five options to the order but these have not yet been confirmed. The carrier, which recently said it was looking to add more twinjets before turning to high-capacity types like the Airbus A380, is still talking to Boeing about more 777-300ERs.

Europe's business aviation industry has many tough choices and challenges this year and it must be proactive in the face of new political hurdles and rising operating costs, according to Fabio Gamba, chief executive of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA).

Speaking at the trade association's annual general meeting in Brussels this month, Gamba cited as key industry concerns the "worrying proliferation of national taxes, a burdensome EU emissions trading system (ETS), a faulty Single European Sky due to the lack of member states' political will, a recast of the slots regulation that deprives business aviation of historical rights under their current form, and other important initiatives in domains such as ground handling and noise".

Gamba said: "We may be facing headwinds, but that means we must push harder against them. We must demonstrate the significance of our industry. And we must use our expertise and influence to assist politicians and regulators as they weather the global crisis."

Business aviation is taking important steps, said the EBAA. One initiative is the creation of an International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH). It mirrors on the sector's successful International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO), which is a recognised European standard and has more than 500 operators registered globally as in compliance.
"The EU's ground handling regulation recast did not include airports of less than two million passengers [a year], which is primarily the types of airport from which business aviation operates. Therefore we have anticipated the needs of our industry and developed up-to-date standards that are also aligned with the regulations," said EBAA president Brian Humphries. "We will conduct our own quality and safety assessments of fixed base operators and ground handling against this standard, enhancing both safety and the customer experience to the benefit of all."

Another important initiative is business aviation's campaign to curtail illegal charter flight activity within Europe. It aims to discourage the operation of aircraft that do not have a valid air operator's certificate, or are non-compliant with traffic rights. The EBAA has published guidance for operators, brokers, passengers, politicians, authorities and regulators.

JetBlue on Tuesday broke ground on an extension to its facilities at John F. Kennedy's Terminal 5 to create an international arrivals hall.

Set to open in early 2015, the space includes six international arrivals gates - three new and three converted from Terminal 5 - and an International Arrivals Hall with full U.S. Custom and Federal Inspection Services (FIS).

Some highlights of the international arrivals terminal extension include:

An overall constructed area of 150,000 square feet;
Two additional baggage claim belts and a U.S. Custom and Border Protection, Federal Inspection Service (FIS) facility designed to accommodate up to 1,200 customers per hour; and
Circulation paths designed to move customers through gates and Customs in the most efficient way possible with walking time and travel minimized. 

Bravo to Dassault and Thales, who have today delivered the first Rafale equipped with a production example of the latter's RBE2 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.

To enter French air force service around mid-2013, single-seat aircraft C137 is the first European fighter to be delivered with an AESA array (file image from Thales, below), as similar sensors for the Eurofighter Typhoon and Saab Gripen remain in the development or flight test phases. I think we can expect our French friends to make great play of that fact when trying to drive through exports of the "omnirole" Rafale in places like India and Brazil 

 Business aviation being squeezed out of Dubai International Airport

The rapid growth of Emirates Airline and its low-cost sister Flydubai is squeezing business aviation operators out of the Middle East's busiest airport.

The two fixed-base operators at Dubai International - ExecuJet and Jet Aviation - expect to begin relocating to the city's new Dubai World Central (DWC) airport next year, along with some of the dozens of business aviation services providers based in offices in the airport's free zone.

However, the plan remains controversial because the new airport - in the industrial zone of Jebel Ali - is much further from the city's commercial centre than Dubai International and - although one runway is functional - is still in the early stages of construction. Over the past decade the original Dubai airport has become firmly established as the region's hub for business aviation.

ExecuJet has this month considerably expanded its presence at Dubai International, taking over the next-door FBO formerly run by Executive Flight Services, a subsidiary of Dubai Airports. It acquired EFS's maintenance operation two years ago, giving it two hangars at the airport.

But time appears to be running out for business aviation at Dubai International. Take-off and landing slots are constrained, and with Emirates and Flydubai adding three new aircraft to their fleets each month between them, there are at least 12 fewer stands available for business jets each year, even before the expansion of foreign airlines is accounted for, says Michael Rücker, vice-president and general manager at Jet Aviation Dubai.

The Swiss company plans to have moved some activities to DWC by the time of the next Dubai air show in November 2013 and Rücker expects "95% of business aviation traffic" to have relocated to the new airport within five years.

ExecuJet, meanwhile, is in the "final stages" of commissioning a facility at DWC and expects to begin transferring operations during 2013, although it plans to continue offering services at both airports for several years. ExecuJet Middle East managing director Mike Berry says he is "impressed" by progress at DWC: "The infrastructure is amazing and I have been taken aback by the progress over the past four months."

Dubai Airports says it is positioning DWC "as a more attractive and less congested airport" for business and general aviation. However, Richard Talian, senior vice-president for strategy and development for Dubai Airports, insists operators will not be compelled to vacate the current airport. "Although the increased pressure on capacity at Dubai International will mean that accommodating the requirements of business aviation will become increasingly challenging, we do not plan to enforce any policies which effectively force the sector into a wholesale move," he says.

A Boeing BBJ set a new world speed record over the weekend, the company said, flying from Los Angeles to New Zealand nonstop -- a distance of 5,658 nautical miles -- in 13 hours, 7 minutes and 54 seconds. The airplane landed with 7,800 pounds of fuel still in the tanks.

The jet, a modified 737-700 that is owned by Samsung Electronics, is equipped with seven auxiliary fuel tanks, Boeing said. It was flown to New Zealand for installation of a VIP interior. Steve Taylor, BBJ president, said the airplane was 21,000 pounds below max takeoff weight when it left California. "This means the customer can add a full VIP interior, fill all the seats and still carry full fuel and have remarkable range," he said.

The record attempt was monitored by the National Aeronautic Association. Boeing said the BBJ is its best-selling model in the business jet line, with 157 sold to date. The company forecast recently that it expects the world market to demand 34,000 new airliners over the next 20 years, with the 737 expected to capture a major share of those orders.

New owner of Ocean Sky Engineering and Jet Centre rebrands business units

RSS Enterprises, the new owner of Ocean Sky Group's engineering and fixed-base operations, says its is focused on regaining customer support and trust that it fears has been tested following the collapse last month of Ocean Sky's management, charter, sales and brokerage divisions.

Ocean Sky Group called in UK financial advisory firm Duff & Phelps in early September to liquidate the operating companies. The process is expected to be complete by early next year.

"The company traded well beyond its means for a long time," says Eddie Allison, a former Ocean Sky executive who has been appointed by RSS to run the Jet Centre and Aircraft Engineering businesses. "We have moved on. The businesses have been rebranded [under the RSS banner] and we are running both entities effectively and efficiently across our bases in Manchester, Luton and Prestwick." The company also has two FBOs in Spain, which under Spanish law it is unable to rebran Allison says.

The privately owned Cypriot company says it will look to expand its operation in due course. "We will use the next 12 months to get our house in order," Allison says. "Then we will take a controlled and measured look at new market opportunities."

ExecuJet's strategy to secure a foothold in the up-and-coming Indonesian market has moved a step closer following the signing of a joint venture agreement with newly created private company PT Dimitri Utama Abadi to manage up to 13 general aviation terminals (GAT) in the country.

The move follows on from a framework agreement - signed three months ago - between ExecuJet and state-owned airport and air traffic control provider Angkasa Pura 1 to design, construct and manage the GATs.

"The signing of this agreement is a wonderful opportunity for ExecuJet to establish operations in Indonesia, which we view as an important and strategic location for ExecuJet's South East Asia expansion", says ExecuJet Asia managing director Graeme Duckworth.

Operating under the PT ExecuJet Indonesia brand, Duckworth says the company "will manage the GATs in East Indonesia to the same standards and service levels delivered at our 16 other fixed-based operations around the world".

Robinson Helicopter has clinched US Federal Aviation Administration approval for the R66 Police helicopter.

The first of the four-seat single-engined aircraft will be delivered next month to Southern California's Fontana Police Department - which has deployed the smaller R44 stablemate for aerial law enforcement since 2005.

The R66 Police helicopter is equipped with a FLIR Ultra 8000 thermal imaging camera, a 10-inch fold down colour monitor, the new Spectrolab SX-7 searchlight and a dual audio controller.

Robinson says "the modest price tag of $1,104,000 and simplified maintenance schedule will appeal to both large and small police agencies."

The airframer plans to offer an electronic news gathering and float version of the R66 next year. 

Hawker Pacific has delivered a Bell 429 helicopter equipped for the VIP mission to a private owner in Australia's state of Queensland.

The helicopter will be used throughout Australia, Hawker Pacific said in a statement.

It comes with an in-flight entertainment system that includes a DVD player and two LCD screens. It has 61-inch sidedoors, with "corporate seating" for six passengers in the cabin.

"Corporate helicopter numbers are continuing to grow and because this helicopter type is perfectly suited to the Australian corporate and regional markets, the product is becoming more and more significant across the country," Tony Jones, senior vice-president of Hawker Beechcraft Aircraft Sales and Flight Services Group, said in a statement.

This is the sixth Bell 429 delivered by Hawker Pacific, which distributes and supports several aircraft types in the Asia-Pacific region.

Boeing Business Jets set a new world record on 16 September for "Speed Over a Recognised Course" when a BBJ flew non-stop from Los Angeles to Auckland for installation of its VIP interior. The BBJ made the 5,658nm (10,467km) trip in 13h 7min 54s, according to the official US aviation record keeper, the National Aeronautic Association.

"When we left Los Angeles with full fuel, we were 9,534kg (21,000lb) below our maximum take-off weight," says BBJ captain and company president Steve Taylor. "This means that the customer can add a full VIP interior, fill all the seats and still carry full fuel and have remarkable range - something our competitor with the same class business jet simply cannot do nonstop," he adds.

The aircraft - owned by Samsung Electronics - had 3,540kg of fuel remaining when it landed in Auckland. It will undergo interior outfitting at Altitude Aerospace Interiors' completion facility. The project marks the first BBJ completion by the four-year-old Air New Zealand subsidiary.

Comlux has opened a new completion hangar at Indianapolis International airport for VIP narrowbody aircraft built by Airbus and Boeing, but is already eyeing expansion into a growing market for widebody completions. The 12,000m2 (129,000ft2) hangar opens four years after Comlux America acquired the Indianapolis Jet Center, a completions and service center for Bombardier Challenger-series business jets. The acquisition launched Comlux into the completions market, but the hangars were too small and too old to accommodate narrowbody aircraft projects.

"I remember when we came in for the first time," says Richard Gaona, chairman and president of Comlux. "Frankly speaking, I was not expecting that four years later we would have so nice a facility."

Completion positions in the new hangar are already sold out until the end of 2013, with some orders in the backlog for 2014, says David Edinger, chief executive and president of Comlux America. At the same time, the company is thinking of making the next move into the widebody completions sector for Boeing 747s and 787s and Airbus A340s, among other types.

"The widebody aircraft - maybe that's the future for Comlux and the next step," Edinger says. However, Comlux wants to focus on the narrowbody sector before taking on the challenge of scaling up operations dramatically.

"I don't want to make the mistake that other companies are currently making and take on too much," Edinger says. "I want to go slow. We started with one [narrowbody] airplane, and now we have two."

Another consideration in making the step from narrowbody to widebody is the availability of labour, a precious commodity in a booming market for aircraft completions, Edinger says.

"We've got to grow this workforce," he says. "A narrowbody compared to a widebody [requires] basically five times the amount of labour per aircraft, so let's take this in steps and not put the cart before the horse, and let's make sure we grow slowly and smart."

Comlux must also invest to build yet another facility. There is room on the other side of the airport from the new Comlux narrowbody completion hangar to build a facility large enough to accommodate widebody aircraft, Edinger says.

For Gaona, a decision to move up to the widebody sector is not a sure thing, and will require "some years" to pass before he would consider it. "Today, I cannot answer" that question, he says. The success of Comlux America depends not on venturing into the widebody market, he adds, but on making the narrowbody business work. "If we deliver on time and if we deliver the quality," Gaona says, "we'll be okay."

Bombardier has confirmed its intention to launch a scaled-down version of the all-composite Learjet 85.

The Learjet 85 was designed to define a new category between the traditional ranges for the midsize and super-midsize segments. However, it is now clear Bombardier has no intention of overlooking the core of the midsize category with its latest and most significant new product in decades.

"I think there is an opportunity between the 75 and 85," says Ralph Acs, vice-president and general manager of Learjet.

The market appears to fall within the super-light segment now occupied by the Learjet 45XR, which is being replaced by the revamped Learjet 75 model in 2013.


"Do you invest to this extent on the 85 and just make it a point design?" Acs asks rhetorically. "Our entire notion all along has been that you can come up with a platform and then you spin that into other things. So that is the homework we are doing."

Asked if the new model could be branded the Learjet 80, Acs jokes in deadpan fashion: "Not necessarily. It could be the 81."

At the same time, Bombardier is grappling with the future of the Learjet 60XR, a model with an emotional resonance within the company as the last aircraft completely designed and built in Wichita. The Learjet 85 is assembled in Wichita but most of the structures are built in Mexico or Ireland.

Bombardier placed future production of the Learjet 60XR in pause mode earlier in September because of declining sales. Assembly work is continuing on the 60XRs already in the production flow, but no new work is being commissioned on the supply chain.

"The idea is to put [the 60XR] on pause, think about what pause means, and we'll go through a fixed period of time, then you'll see where we end up," Acs says

Monday, Aviation Week & Space Technology announced that it named Louis R. Chenevert, chairman and CEO of United Technologies Corp, its 2011 Person of the Year. I feel confident in telling you choosing Chenevert was easy, considering how strong his support was from the AW&ST staff. Anthony "Tony" Velocci, editorial director of the Aviation Week group said succinctly, "He is the person who had the most impact on the industry in 2011."

Oh yeah. No question. Chenevert bet big on development of Pratt & Whitney's geared turbofan [GTF] engine for single-aisle jetliners and won big by landing orders for more than 800 engines for Airbus's next-generation A320NEO airplanes, as well as the Mitsubishi MRJ, Bombardier CSeries and Irkut's MS-21. He acquired also Goodrich, with its broad range of aerospace component manufacturing, for $18.4-billion, thus becoming one of the most important Tier 1 suppliers to jetliner manufacturers. Now UTC is well positioned to reap huge profits from the booming jetliner business.

Building revolutionary engines and many systems parts for new jetliners isn't Chenvert's only focus for UTC's aerospace business. The firm's Sikorsky division also acquired a large part of Eclipse Aerospace last year, with the intentions of building major components for the EA500 / EA550 at its Mielec plant in Poland and restructuring supply chain management. The move will infuse Eclipse with structure, discipline and financial resources, as well as the rock-bottom manufacturing cost structure, that few other aerospace firms could offer a VLJ manufacturer.

Chenevert makes 10 to 20 year plans and then executes on them with extraordinary focus and force. He didn't just casually dabble in GTF technology, for instance, before he committed UTC's vast resources to full-scale development of the new engine. He rigorously studied the market and made his decision based upon comprehensive data.

Similar to making the commitment to GTF, Chenevert didn't make a hasty decision on the Eclipse program. The move was based upon meticulous research. [It also helps that he has a decade-plus long relationship with Vern Raburn, founder of Eclipse Aviation, the firm that originally developed the Eclipse 500.]

Eclipse Aerospace, with UTC's backing, guidance and discipline, now has a much better chance of succeeding than Eclipse Aviation. That fledgling firm had to develop the original aircraft without the backing of an aerospace giant. With Chenevert and UTC behind the Eclipse program, you can expect much stronger financial performance out of the VLJ firm as the economy improves and demand for light jets increases. We'll be watching and reporting on developments.
 

Sikorsky Aircraft has awarded Corona, Calif.-based CIRCOR Aerospace with a multi-year contract to produce landing gears for H-60 Black Hawks and Seahawks. The landing gear will be manufactured, assembled and tested at CIRCOR’s Corona facility. The initial contract award is for more than $20 million.

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