Business & Commercial Aviation

Michael J. Silvestro, CEO of Flexjet and Flight Options, discusses how the two organizations have been integrating since the acquisition of Flexjet as well as the plans for new aircraft on order.

There’s a new unleaded fuel that will soon be available to the light, piston aircraft fleet. Swift Fuels LLC says its Unleaded 94 MON avgas (for “motor-octane-number”) is already FAA certified and meets ASTM standards. The fuel is tailored for lower-octane piston engines, and does not replace the 100LL avgas used in high performance aircraft. The company says it is working with certain avgas producers and distributors to supply the fuel to select regions of the U.S. and Canada.

The number of used business jets and business turboprops sold globally fell in May, when compared to the same time a year ago, according to JetNet. The total number of used business jets sold in North America in May totaled 170, down from 183 in May 2014. That’s still up from May 2013, however, when 149 used business jets were sold. While the number of light and medium-size jets sold fell in May, the number of heavy jets sold rose to 55 from 48 in May 2014.

The G150 is one of the fastest and most cost-effective mid-light business aircraft that is capable of flying non-stop between most coastal cities in the U.S.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley recently signed a bill removing a 6% sales tax on maintenance performed on general aviation aircraft in the Palmetto state. The tax exemption takes effect on Jan. 1, 2016. There are 37 certified repair stations in the state, but many had been losing out on work as operators took their aircraft to Georgia, Florida or Arkansas to avoid the tax, supporters said. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association backed the bill. In the doing, South Carolina became the 21st state to pass such an exemption.

Bombardier Aerospace has received type certification for the Challenger 300 and Challenger 350 business jets from the Unidad Administrativa Especial de Aviacon Civil (UAEAC) of Colombia, the country’s Civil Aviation Authority, the company said. The Challenger portfolio is gaining strong momentum in Latin America, company officials said. And Colombia is a growing market in the region.

Learjet’s new turbine engine development “plans” are not much more than thought radiations from Bill Lear’s fertile mind. The company has no such program for study, research or building a mock-up or model of a jet engine. Utility, flexibility and ease, of control make the Hiller SL4 one of the best all-around vehicles in the small reciprocating engine helicopter field. Vision from the front-centered seat is excellent in all directions.

Bombardier Aerospace says the Global 7000 and 8000 programs are undergoing a strategic review, raising questions about the development schedule for the long-range business jets. “Following the arrival of new leadership in our organization — namely Alain Bellemare as president and CEO, Bombardier Inc. and David Coleal as president, Bombardier Business Aircraft — we are conducting a full review of all aspects of the program, including its schedule,” the company said.

Watch footage from Gulfstream Aerospace of the same flights with an enhanced vision system (EVS) and without this technology.

In its recent market outlook, Embraer predicts deliveries of 6,350 jets in the 70-to-130 seat category over the next 20 years.

Bell Helicopter’s all new Model 525 Relentless is flying.

Magnum Aviation, Sun Air Jets Now Signature Select Members

Aircraft operating costs are presented in a format that separates the data into seven separate areas: Mission Costs, Variable Costs, Fixed Annual Costs, Periodic Costs, Personnel Costs, Training Costs and Facilities Costs. Aircraft Category

It’s worked on the Pacific coast, so why not on the Atlantic coast as well? That’s the thinking of the team that founded Surf Air, the growing commercial operation that provides scheduled PC-12 service among various California business aviation airports to its members.

Jim Holahan, the founding editor of Aviation Convention News and the monthly Aviation International News, and a former editor in chief of this publication, has gone west.

A recent court decision in the battle over aircraft noise in East Hampton, New York, left neither side particularly happy. In late June, Judge Joanne Seybert of U.S. District Court in Central Islip issued an injunction a town law limiting summer takeoffs and landings at East Hampton Airport to one a week.

When maintenance managers gather and the talk turns to their work woes, the subject of rules and regulations inevitably comes to the fore. It seems as though technicians spend more effort complying with precautions than turning wrenches.

Boeing Business Jets has launched its BBJ MAX 9 large cabin, ultra-long-range business aircraft with an order from an undisclosed European customer. It’s the fifth firm order for a Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) MAX aircraft. Boeing has previously booked four orders for the BBJ MAX 8 model. The first order was announced in 2014. “We are thrilled to announce that the BBJ MAX 9 program is officially launched with our first BBJ MAX 9 order,” Boeing Business Jets President David Longridge said.

Jet Aviation Geneva has received CAR-145 approval from the Director General Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India to provide base-maintenance services to Indian-registered Gulfstream and Bombardier aircraft.

Rockwell Collins has announced a series of updates to its ARINCDirect Flight Operations System, including the ability to integrate with new tools and the launch of a new vendor alliance charter management program. The FOS release features a more intuitive, mobile-friendly, touchscreen user interface for tablets and smartphones. It also provides access to flight-risk assessment and fatigue-risk-management tools through the Pulsar Infomatics Aviation Fatigue Meter suite and the SAFE tool developed by Fatigue Risk Management Science Limited.

Aviation Research Group/U.S. is a specialized aviation services company whose mission is to provide the aviation marketplace with data and information necessary to make informed decisions and manage risk. We provide software and business management solutions, including AVMOSYS business management software, TRAQPak, CHEQ and ARMOR SMS. TRAQPak provides market intelligence data and research services as well as expert aviation consulting. Subsidiaries include ARGUS PROS, a provider of on-site safety audits and PRISM, a leader in Safety Management Systems (SMS) and certification services.

Texas-based FreeFlight Systems has received FAA Supplemental Type Certificate and Approved Model List certification for its ADS-B systems,which are ready for shipping and installation. The systems are approved for installation in more than 400 light general-aviation aircraft. The RANGR Lite systems are available as an ADS-B Out only system for $1,995, and as an ADS-B In/Out system for $3,695. The price includes built-in WAAS/GPS, ADS-B and GPS antennas, an install kit, control head and/or Wi-Fi module if needed.

Plane Perfect, an aircraft detail supply company, has formed a partnership with Maule Air to provide cleaning products to the aircraft manufacturer.

In July, the Lincoln, Nebraska-headquartered business aviation maintenance and modification company reported joining the Robotic Skies network to service “the emerging commercial unmanned aircraft fleet.” “Duncan Aviation has always been in the forefront of new industry trends,” said Don Fiedler, the company’s Business Development for Avionics and Instruments, adding, “We see a promising and growing future for unmanned aircraft systems.” With service centers located throughout North America, South America, Australia, New Zealand and

The NBAA has a great resource for hangar safety compliance that includes OSHA checklists and guidance for developing an effective safety program. In addition to safety resources, the NBAA has guidance for developing a procedures manual and implementing effective management programs. To learn more visit http://www.nbaa.org/ops/safety/hangar/