The Weekly of Business Aviation

Civil helicopter deliveries declined 16% in 2019—from 979 aircraft in 2018 to 819—with the largest drop coming from piston rotorcraft deliveries, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) says.

Startup Jetoptera is reporting progress in its collaboration with General Electric in development of its Fluidic Propulsion System (FPS).

Signature Aviation turned in a “transformational” 2019, while its FBO division outperformed a flat U.S. business and general aviation market, the company reports.

U.S. Transportation Department (DOT) auditors will examine the FAA’s recently-updated safety inspector staffing model with an eye on evaluating whether forecasted personnel needs are accurate, and how the agency factors in designees.

The GoFly team is considering its next step after high winds on Feb. 27-29 prevented the final fly-off between personal flying devices competing for a $1 million grand prize.

German startup Fraundorfer Aeronautics is flight testing a technology demonstrator for its Tensor 600X compound gyrocopter, a two-seat personal air

Startup Joby Aviation will be the only electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing developer to provide a vehicle for flight testing in NASA’s urban air mobility Grand Challenge development testing event this year.

The public comment period for the FAA’s Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems draft regulation closed just before midnight on March 2, with 51,006 comments counted.

Bombardier Aviation is offering high-speed 4G air-to-ground internet coverage over North America as a retrofit on Learjet aircraft.

Wheels Up, a private aviation provider, has acquired Gama Aviation, doing business as Gama Aviation Signature and the exclusive operator of Wheels Up’s fleet of King Air and Citation aircraft.

More than 45,000 respondents have commented on the FAA’s draft regulation for remote identification of drones as of the March 2 deadline.

Luxemburg-based SES, which operates and is planning a multi-orbit constellation of satellites including the medium Earth orbit O3b system, will look to spin off its data business with a remaining, restructured company to focus on video services to airliners, ocean liners and the direct-to-home market, executives said March 2.

Conferences and events for professionals in the business aviation community.

Appointments and promotions in the business aviation industry.

The FAA is adopting a new airworthiness directive (AD) for Leonardo S.p.A. Model AW189 helicopters.

Nomad Aviation has added a factory-new Bombardier Global 6000 to its charter fleet in Switzerland.

The Bell Training Academy is conducting a fleet-wide installation of Precise Flight’s Pulselite System, an FAA-certified lightweight electrical system controller that pulses the landing and auxiliary lights of a helicopter.

Satcom Direct, based in Melbourne, Florida, has launched a new tail-mounted antenna series with the introduction of SD Plane Simple, which positions the company to provide end-to-end connectivity for business jet and government operators.

Magellan Jets is offering a new toolkit to help travelers stay healthy during the flu season and amid concerns of the growing coronavirus crisis.

Air BP has extended its agreement with BAA Training to supply Avgas 100LL aviation fuel to all BAA training flight bases and unleaded aviation fuel to BAA’s training aircraft in Lleida-Alguaire and at other Spanish airports.

KlasJet, a European private and business charter operator, will add a newly refurbished Boeing 737 VIP aircraft from Saudi Arabia.

C&L Aerospace has purchased a package of ATR inventory from Intertrade.

ExpressJet Airlines, a United Express carrier, will become the largest operator of 50-seat Embraer ERJ 145 jets, with an order of 36 additional aircraft for its fleet.

North American business aviation flight activity declined 0.5% in January compared to a year ago, according to Argus.