Business & Commercial Aviation

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has dropped its complaint with the FAA against Waukegan National Airport outside Chicago over fees at FBOs serving three airports.

Citation Bravo's performance and utility are head-and-shoulders above the original 1978 through 1994 CE-550. Bravo flies up to 2,000 ft. higher, 40 kt. faster and 300 mi. farther.

The Philippine Department of National Defense has purchased 16 Bell 412EPI helicopters that will be operated by the Philippine Air Force.

The business aviation market in mainland China has been challenging in recent years, partly due to the government's austerity measures. But the consensus in the industry is that China's business aviation market is starting to take off again.

Selected aviation accidents and incidents in January 2018.

Nextant Aerospace has received the final piece of FAA certification on its remanufactured G90XT twin-engine turboprop, which paves the way for deliveries to begin.

The 2017 Tax Cuts & Jobs Act has some important provisions relating to aircraft purchases, operations and federal excise taxes that drew little notice by the media as the bill raced through the federal legislature.

AviationManuals recorded a 35% increase in revenue and a 30% growth in its manual and software subscription services in 2017, the company said. Its client base now exceeds 4,000.

Textron Aviation's assembly line for its new Citation Longitude super-midsize business jet is now at full-rate production, the company said. FAA certification is expected early this year.

I was excited when an emergency medical service (EMS) helicopter operator asked if I would help the company's safety officer get a flight data monitoring (FDM) program implemented well in advance of the April 23, 2018, deadline.

Boutsen Aviation, based in Monaco, closed on 17 aircraft transactions in 2017, including a Bombardier Global XRS and a Falcon 7X in December, the company said.

News of business aviation promotions, appointments and honors.

Dassault Aviation expects improved business jet sales in 2018 following an upturn in demand in 2017.

Signature Flight Support has received approval to purchase the only existing self-service avgas 110LL facility at the Santa Barbara Airport in California.

According to FAR 135.607 "Flight Data Monitoring System," as of April 23, 2018, no person may operate a helicopter in air ambulance operations unless it is equipped with an approved flight data monitoring (FDM) system capable of recording flight performance data.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern Section has ordered two modified Beechcraft King Air 350 cargo heavyweight turboprops to modernize its patient transfer and air ambulance fleet.

BCA shares news of the latest products and services for the business aviation industry.

Bye Aerospace's Sun Flyer 2, a two-seat electric flight-training aircraft, is in the final stages of ground testing and is expected to fly for the first time this spring.

Tamarack Aerospace Group, based in Sandpoint, Idaho, has received FAA and EASA approval for its Atlas Active Winglets for the C525B business jet series, which includes Citation CJ3 and CJ3+ aircraft.

Several years ago, I was asked by a helicopter EMS operator whether I would first choose to set up an aviation safety action program (ASAP) or flight data monitoring (FDM) program for an operation such as his. I have extensive hands-on experience with ASAPs and was one of the principals involved with getting the first ASAP program approved in business aviation. Now that the FAA has grown more comfortable with ASAPs outside of FAR Part 121 carriers, it is easier getting an ASAP program approved and implemented.

Gulfstream Aerospace delivered its final G450 business jet as its new G500 approaches certification. The G450 entered service in 2005. Since then the company has produced more than 360 aircraft, the company said.

We were a cocky bunch of young naval aviators, and maybe even a bit more so than our predecessors since we had the extra distinction of being jet fighter pilots, something relatively new to the U.S. Navy in 1952.

The FAA deadline for equipping aircraft with Automatic Dependent Survillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) is fast approaching. There are many upgrades programs available to help you meet the Jan. 1, 2020, mandated deadline for ADS-B and Future Air Navigation System-1/A.

Piper Aircraft has received its largest order ever for training aircraft. The Vero Beach, Florida-based manufacturer received an order for 152 aircraft valued at $74 million from Fanmei Aviation Technologies, Piper's dealer in China.

Entrepreneur Michael Lemaire, CEO of Stratos Aircraft in Redmond, Oregon, and his chief technology officer, Carsten Sundin, have ambitious plans to develop an all-composite, 400-kt.-cruise VLJ that will be significantly more fuel efficient than any light jet aircraft.