Category: BizJet

Textron Aviation completed the successful flight of its second Cessna SkyCourier (P1) flight test article in mid-August. The milestone flight for the high-wing, large utility aircraft comes just two-and-a-half months after the prototype Cessna SkyCourier first took to the skies on May 17. The P1 aircraft is the first conforming production flight test aircraft and is the first airframe configured as a freighter.

The first flight of P1, piloted by Peter Gracey and Todd Dafforn, lasted one-hour and 35-minutes reaching a max altitude of 14,200 feet with a max speed of 210 ktas. The aircraft will be used for the flight test program, primarily for systems testing, including propulsion, environmental control and avionics.

MD Helicopters (MDHI) has received FAA certification to increase its MD 530F single engine helicopter’s internal max gross take-off weight (MGTOW) from 3,100 to 3,350 lb. This increase allows the MD 530F to support extended range, increased mission versatility, more time on target, and additional mission equipment options.

“We’re pleased to provide our current and future MD 530F customers expanded versatility with a 250-pound increase in allowable weight,” says Nick Nenadovic, vice president, Aftermarket and Customer Support. “The MD 530F is a favorite among law enforcement agencies and utility operators around the world thanks to its unrivaled maneuverability and hot-high capabilities. When our customers asked for more versatility in this workhorse, we listened. This best-in-class aircraft is now even more desirable, cementing it as the aircraft of choice well into the future.”

MD Helicopters’ Experimental Flight Test Engineering team says they conducted a comprehensive range of tests required to prove the aircraft meets or exceeds all FAA performance and safety requirements at the new max weight. These included performance and handling, acoustic, flight load, and height velocity tests performed at different pressure altitudes, temperatures, and wind conditions. Tests proved the aircraft met all requirements while still maintaining sufficient margins for safe autorotation at the higher MGTOW. MD submitted certification paperwork to the FAA for the increase in January 2020.

The MGTOW affects only internal weight. MGTOW with external loads remains at 3,750 lb.

To take advantage of the increased MGTOW, customers can order the upgrade kit, which includes a new rotorcraft flight manual (RFM) supplement assigned to the aircraft serial number and a VNE IAS (knots) placard reflecting the increased MGTOW for display in the aircraft.

The Nigerian charter operator OAS Helicopters has awarded Rusada a contract for the use and implementation of its MRO and Flight Operations software, ENVISION. Odengene Air Shuttle Services Limited (OAS) has operated in the region since 1992. Headquartered in Lagos and operating out of Port Harcourt, OAS recently acquired a new AW139 helicopter for use in supporting oil and gas operations for the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation.

As well as signing up for several of ENVISION’s key modules, OAS are also employing its Flight Operations solution to help organise their flights and crew.

This new deal further strengthens Rusada’s footprint in Africa and will be supported by their MEA team, based in Dubai.

“We were looking for an industry-proven, all-in-one solution for our operation,” says Edwin George, deputy managing director of OAS Helicopters. “In ENVISION we found a system with comprehensive capability and a logical interface that will serve to significantly increase the efficiency of our operation.”

“The awarding of this contract during the current pandemic, is recognition of Rusada’s ability to implement, advise and support our customers remotely,” says Rusado CEO, Julian Stourton. “Work on the project with OAS has already begun, and not only are we finding this remote approach pragmatic, but also very efficient. We look forward to a long and successful relationship with OAS Helicopters.”

“Our focus is to always enable our customers to manage their flights and operations using the services, products and systems that best suit their needs. FDF was one of our first services built using open architecture to allow integration of third-party services,” says Chris Moore, president of Satcom Direct Business Aviation. “Reaching this milestone demonstrates the market’s hunger for integrated services that streamline the workflow. As the digitization of aviation continues to evolve, we will continue adapting and modifying our products to meet the changing requirements of flight crew, ground operations and the business aviation infrastructure.”

Textron Aviation says they are offering customers the option to choose an initial tank containing Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) with delivery of new Beechcraft turboprop, Cessna turboprop and jet aircraft. SAF delivers a cleaner source of fuel to power turbine aircraft. Customers of Textron Aviation’s service center in Wichita, Kan. also have the option of refueling with SAF as part of their service experience.

“SAF equips air travelers with the ability to lessen the impact of their journeys on our planet, and we are proud to be making this fuel type available as part of our new aircraft delivery experience,” says Christi Tannahill, senior vice president, Customer Experience. “SAF can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent over the fuel’s lifecycle, compared to those made from fossil sources and provides an active way for the aviation industry to lower its overall carbon footprint. In 2019, Textron Aviation flew a wide array of aircraft to major industry events such as EBACE and NBAA-BACE using SAF, and it is something we will seek to do for future events. Offering SAF for customer deliveries demonstrates an important next step in Textron Aviation’s commitment to sustainability.”

As an industry, general and business aviation is alone in having developed internationally agreed-upon carbon emission reduction standards for both aircraft and operators. The industry is committed to addressing climate change with focused goals on achieving carbon neutral growth and reducing CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2050 relative to 2005.

Textron Aviation also announced earlier this year it is harnessing Kansas winds with a 20-year wind energy agreement signed with Evergy, Inc. This initiative will meet nearly all electricity needs through renewable wind energy across the company’s facilities located in Wichita and Independence, Kansas. Evergy’s new green energy program will empower Textron Aviation with a clear path toward achieving its long-term sustainability goals using the abundant, affordable and renewable wind energy in its home state of Kansas.

Satcom Direct (SD) has achieved a milestone for its FlightDeck Freedom (FDF) datalink service by activating its 2,000th aircraft. The head-of-state customer signed for the service to take advantage of its unique configuration options, ability to integrate third-party flight planning services, evolving compliance support, and the streamlining of flight crew and ground operations workflow.

Specifically designed for business and military aviation, SD says FlightDeck Freedom features an open architecture design to support every type of avionics and datalink-capable airframe and can be customized to meet each customer and/or aircraft platform’s mission needs. On launch in 2007 it was the first datalink service to give allow customers to select, upload from and communicate with preferred third-party trip planning services. SD says it is still the only datalink service provider with a comprehensive offering of flight planning options. FDF also continues to be the only service that supports flight deck and cabin communications enabling crew to monitor connectivity and troubleshoot issues in real time to better manage passenger expectations.

In addition, FDF enhances operational safety through direct delivery of automated notifications including hazardous weather, route and security alerts, and supports real time aircraft and fleet tracking worldwide, which can be monitored from the ground and in the air. The GeoNotification feature details when aircraft are approaching a defined geographic area which may affect connectivity or be defined as sensitive airspace.

Integrated with SD Pro, the digital flight operations management system, data shared through FDF synchronizes flight crew with ground operations keeping team members informed about aircraft performance in real time to support improved flight operations, budgeting and maintenance scheduling, SD says. FDF also supports fleet compliancy with FANS, ADS-C and CPDLC to meet evolving Air Traffic Control safety requirements and the changing landscape of business aviation operations.

“Our focus is to always enable our customers to manage their flights and operations using the services, products and systems that best suit their needs. FDF was one of our first services built using open architecture to allow integration of third-party services,” says Chris Moore, president of Satcom Direct Business Aviation. “Reaching this milestone demonstrates the market’s hunger for integrated services that streamline the workflow. As the digitization of aviation continues to evolve, we will continue adapting and modifying our products to meet the changing requirements of flight crew, ground operations and the business aviation infrastructure.”

North American Aerospace Industries (NAAI, Kinston, North Carolina, USA), a provider of sustainable end-to-end aircraft recycling, has merged with Aircraft Interior Recycling Association (AIRA, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, UK), a total aircraft interior support company. The merger will offer new opportunities for airlines, aircraft owners and OEMs to generate new revenue streams, gain savings, reduce their carbon footprints and help address critical social needs. All of these things will become important in the post-pandemic period, the companies believe.

“AIRA is the only aircraft interior recycling company that has developed the scientific expertise and technical know-how to properly recycle end of life aircraft interiors and waste materials from manufacturing,” says Sven Daniel Koechler, PhD, president and CEO of NAAI. “Since our top priority is to provide sustainable aircraft recycling services through which 100 percent of an aircraft is recycled or up-cycled, gaining the ability to effectively address one of the most challenging aspects of an aircraft’s recycling – its composite plastic interior components – is a major achievement for us. We are very proud of our new alignment with AIRA. Together, we intend to revolutionize aircraft recycling, transforming it into an industry which delivers enormous benefit across the entire chain, from OEMs, MROs, airlines, and leasing companies to the general public and the environment.”

AIRA’s Tony Seville, managing director, adds, “This is two companies coming together with a mutual vision and solutions to the major challenges of recycling aircraft correctly, with all of its many different materials and with the environment foremost in mind. It has taken AIRA six years of research and hard work to develop cost effective recycling processes. We are very proud to be part of this merger with NAAI and now the real work can begin with airlines, lessors, MROs, OEMs and material manufacturers all working with us and making a huge difference to the aviation industry and the environment at the same time.”

Through their merged organizations, NAAI and AIRA says they will help customers gain the maximum return on their aircraft investment by recycling interior components often neglected due to the complexities involved in identifying composite materials. With AIRA’s expertise in this area, the companies will be able to help their customers capitalize on these materials by returning them to the supply chain for use in producing other products. Koechler says the revenue opportunities can be “enormous, but equally important, these materials can be put to good use to help provide clothing, housing and even manufacturing job opportunities for those in need across the world.”

“The pandemic has had a devastating impact on the aviation industry and many other industries, causing wide-scale job losses and leaving many people in severe economic distress,” says Koechler. “Even before the pandemic, many people across the world were living in poverty. Through more sustainable aircraft recycling practices, we can help them achieve a better quality of life and protect our environment by reducing aircraft waste in landfills and aircraft boneyards.”

NAAI is building one of the world’s largest hangar systems in North Carolina. The three-part hangar system will house a 357,00 square foot dismantling shop; 151,800 square foot MRO facility; and 102,000 square foot paint shop for narrow and wide body aircraft. Its proprietary processes will enable the company to recycle multiple aircrafts simultaneously for a much faster recycling process. The NAAI facilities will also encompass an 80,800 square foot space designated for storage and offices. The facility’s construction schedule was interrupted by the pandemic and subsequent business lockdowns in the United States, however, Koechler is projecting that the facility will be operational by late 2021.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced 15 more schools have been selected to participate in the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Collegiate Training Initiative (UAS-CTI).

The new schools are:

• Austin Community College, Austin, Texas
• Atlantic Cape Community College, Mays Landing, New Jersey
• Big Bend Community College, Moses Lake, Washington
• Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, Martinsburg, West Virginia
• Carroll Community College, Westminster, Maryland
• Clark State Community College, Springfield, Ohio
• Elizabeth City State University, Elizabeth City, North Carolina
• Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
• Fullerton College, Fullerton California
• Kansas State Polytechnic, Salina, Kansas
• Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia
• Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
• Mitchell Technical College, Mitchell, South Dakota
• Southern West Virginia Community and Technical College, Mount Gay, West Virginia
• Yavapai College, Prescott, Arizona

The FAA’s CTI program allows educational institutions to collaborate with the FAA to help students pursue their aviation career goals. The UAS-CTI program recognizes institutions that prepare students for careers involving UAS, commonly referred to as drones. The new schools join 26 schools that have already been selected to participate in the program. These previously selected schools are listed below:

• Blue Mountain Community College, Pendleton, Oregon
• Central Oregon Community College, Bend, Oregon
• Dakota College, Bottineau, North Dakota
• Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, FL, Prescott, AZ, and Worldwide Campus
• Green River College, Auburn, Washington
• Gulf Coast Community College, Panama City, Florida
• Hazard Community and Technical College, Hazard, Kentucky
• Hinds Community College, Raymond, Mississippi
• Idaho State University, Pocatello, Idaho
• Indiana State University, Terra Haute, Indiana
• Mira Costa College, Carlsbad, California
• Mountain Empire Community College, Big Stone Gap, Virginia
• Mountwest Community and Technical College, Huntington, West Virginia
• Niagara Community College, Sanborn, New York
• North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
• Northeastern Technical College, Cheraw, South Carolina
• Northland Community and Technical College, Thief River Falls, Minnesota
• Northwestern Michigan College, Traverse, Michigan
• Oklahoma City Community College, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• Palomar College District, San Marcos, California
• Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa, California
• Southwestern College, Chula Vista, California
• Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee, Florida
• University of Maine at Augusta, Augusta, Maine
• University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota
• WSU Tech, Wichita, Kansas

The FAA launched the UAS-CTI program in April 2020. Participating institutions will engage with the FAA, each other, general industry, local governments, law enforcement, and regional economic development entities to address labor force needs. UAS-CTI school graduates will have the knowledge and skills needed to pursue a successful career in a UAS-related field.

Post-secondary institutions with UAS curriculums seeking recognition as UAS-CTI partners may still apply for this distinction. Program guidelines are posted at FAA.gov. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-254) required the FAA to establish a collegiate training initiative program relating to unmanned aircraft and to establish a process to designate consortia of public, two-year institutions of higher education as Community and Technical College Centers of Excellence in Small Unmanned Aircraft System Technology Training.

Western Jet Aviation says they are paving the way for Collins Aerospace’s new LuxStream connectivity service to provide the “fastest speeds available on multiple Gulfstream aircraft.” Western Jet Aviation, based in Van Nuys, California, and Collins Aerospace anticipate the first Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this month to install the KuSAT-2000 SATCOM terminal on the G450. The G350, GV and G550 aircraft will follow shortly behind, with their STC’s slated to be complete before the end of the year.

LuxStream, launched in late 2019, offers speeds up to 25 Mbps in the United States and 15 Mbps globally via SES’s managed Ku-band satellite network. This new solution, available as part of Collins Aerospace’s ARINCDirect portfolio of services, will provide customers with additional benefits including high-quality bandwidth capable of supporting multiple streams of ultra-high-definition content; flexible pricing models and an “always-on service” enabled by the redundancy and resiliency offered by SES satellites; and a turn-key solution with both hardware and service provided by Collins Aerospace, giving the operator one point of contact and access to Collins’ industry-leading global support services.

“With Western Jet Aviation’s STCs, Gulfstream operators can now go to any Collins Aerospace approved MRO to install the KuSAT-2000, allowing them to experience LuxStream’s unparalleled connectivity speeds and services,” said Dori Henderson, executive director, Business Aviation & Digital Solutions for Collins Aerospace. “We know in-flight connectivity is one of the most in-demand features on today’s business aircraft and we are proud to provide the market’s premier service.”

“Western Jet Aviation is committed to providing our customers with top-class products and services,” said Jim Hansen, CEO of Western Jet Aviation. “When it comes to Cabin Connectivity, we believe the KuSAT-2000 system combined with the LuxStream service meets this mark. The fast speeds and great customer service will be a great fit for our Gulfstream customer base.”

LuxStream is powered by SES’s global geostationary high-throughput and wide satellite beams, as well as a flexible, intelligent ground network. Its performance has been validated y with more than 25 passengers able to easily access the internet and stream entertainment content to their personal devices at 25Mbps at the same time. Additional LuxStream STCs are anticipated by the end of the third quarter of 2020.