Textron Aviation Delivers 600th CJ3-series Jet

Less than a week after handing over its 1,000th Cessna Citation 560XL, Textron Aviation today said it delivered its 600th Cessna CJ3-series twinjet to an undisclosed North American customer. The Model 525B series includes the CJ3 and CJ3+.

“Since joining the Citation family, the Citation CJ3 series has proven to be an incredible performer for customers around the world with the connectivity, price, range, and efficient operation that puts it at the top of its category,” said Textron Aviation senior v-p of global sales and flight operations Lannie O’Bannion. “The CJ3+ remains a strong performer due to its versatility as Covid-19 limitations have prompted customers to look for alternatives to commercial travel.”

Equipped with Garmin G3000 avionics and powered by two Williams FJ44-3A turbofan engines, the CJ3+ has maximum seating for nine passengers and up to 1,000 pounds of baggage. NBAA IFR range is 2,040 nm.

The CJ3 is part of the CitationJet family of single-pilot twinjets and was introduced to the market at NBAA 2002, followed by FAA type certification and first delivery in 2004. The CJ3+ was first delivered in 2014.

NBAA Promotes Damato and Carr, Brings Broom on Board

NBAA has reinforced its leadership team with the addition of industry veteran Andrew Broom as senior v-p of strategy, marketing, and innovation, and the promotions of long-time employees Jo Damato and Doug Carr to senior v-p roles.

The appointment of Broom follows the announced planned departure of Mike Nichols, who is senior v-p of strategy and innovation but is retiring from the association later this month. Broom brings a background of association experience including with GAMA and AOPA, and most recently as CEO of the Citation Jet Pilots Association. Broom also held roles with Hawker Beechcraft, Eclipse Aviation, and Honda Aircraft.

Damato was promoted to senior v-p of education, training, and workforce development. She joined NBAA in 2001 to manage the association’s Air Traffic Services desk at the FAA ATC command center. Most recently, Damato was v-p of educational strategy and workforce development and last year was appointed to the Department of Transportation’s Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force.

Carr, who joined NBAA in 1998 as manager of domestic operations and most recently was v-p of regulatory and international affairs, takes on the expanded role of senior v-p of safety, security, sustainability, and international affairs. A U.S. Navy veteran, Carr has represented business aviation interests before ICAO and EASA and serves as the corporate secretary for the International Business Aviation Council.

Luxaviation Expanding Charter Service to U.S.

Luxaviation Group is “doubling down” on the U.S. market with the establishment of an office in Miami. This new office allows the Luxembourg-based aircraft management and charter firm to offer charter services to high-net-worth clients for domestic U.S. charters, as well as international flights to and from the U.S., the company told AIN.

The company also plans to open an office in New York City and determine plans for a larger base of operations that would include flight crews and aircraft. As part of its entry to the U.S., Luxaviation will operate all U.S. flights using sustainable aviation fuel.

“As global travel reemerges in the wake of the pandemic and with private charter poised to deliver service in a safe, self-contained setting in a post-pandemic world, it is more crucial than ever for Luxaviation to turn its attention to the vital U.S. market,” said Luxaviation Group CEO Patrick Hansen.

U.S. clients of Luxaviation will have access to its bespoke travel packages and fine wine program, which through relationships with select estates curates what the company said is some of the world’s most prestigious wines and provides access to exclusive wine events.

All international flights originating from the U.S. would be subject to local pandemic restrictions, the company noted. Luxaviation has 221 business jets and turboprops under management, as well as 32 helicopters.

Pilatus Expands UAE Component Work for PC-24

Mubadala Investment Company-owned Strata Manufacturing is expanding its components work under a new agreement covering pylon fairings, bullet fairings, tail cones, and other parts for the Pilatus PC-24. Negotiated through the Tawazun Economic Council, Strata, and Pilatus Aircraft, the “offset agreement” extends seven years and includes the use of autoclave manufacturing for the aforementioned components. The agreement further calls for hot-press composite parts, which Strata said marks a first for UAE aerospace manufacturing.

“The extended agreement marks the next step in a long-term partnership aimed at delivering further high-quality composite work packages for Pilatus in the UAE,” said Strata CEO Ismail Ali Abdulla. “It also highlights the confidence Pilatus has in Strata’s manufacturing abilities and excellent delivery record."

"The success in the production of PC-24 belly fairing and the progress we are having on the PC-24 flap track fairings clearly demonstrates the capabilities and performance of Strata,” added Tawazun chief economic development officer Matar Al Romaithi.

Strata said it is supporting Pilatus’s goal of accelerating the PC-24 production rate. Pilatus earlier this year celebrated the 100th delivery of the model since it entered service in 2018, and despite the complexities associated with Covid, Pilatus managed to hand over 41 PC-24s in 2020. Pilatus chairman Oscar Schwenk has said the Stans, Switzerland plant has the capacity to produce up to 60 of the twinjets per year.

Fatal Alaska Heli-ski Hit Ridge, Then Tumbled

The Airbus Helicopters AStar that crashed in Alaska on March 27 hit mountainous terrain 10 to 15 feet below a ridgeline at an altitude of approximately 5,500 feet msl and then tumbled down through the snow approximately 800 to 900 feet before coming to rest, according to the NTSB. The Part 135 heli-ski adventure flight killed five of the six on board.

NTSB member Tom Chapman characterized the crash site as “steep and remote terrain” approximately 21 miles southeast of Palmer and “accessible only by helicopter.” Sole survivor David Horvath was rescued from the wreckage approximately six hours after the helicopter’s last satellite transmission at 6:34 p.m. local time. The helicopter was reported overdue two hours later and the wreckage was located at approximately 9:30 p.m. Horvath was flown to Anchorage with serious injuries. The local NTSB investigator on site was able to aerially document the crash site using an Alaska State Troopers helicopter equipped with a high-definition camera system.  

While all of the deceased were recovered, Chapman said recovery of the wreckage is uncertain due to terrain and weather conditions in the area. He further said it was not possible to precisely determine weather conditions at the site at the time of the accident. Weather at Palmer (242 feet msl) was reported visibility 10 miles with scattered clouds at 6,500 feet.

ACI Opens New Digs at San Luis Obispo

ACI Jet, the lone FBO at California’s San Luis Obispo County Airport, began operating today at its newly-built facility at 4751 Aviadores Way. The California-based company had occupied its previous 6,000-sq-ft facility on Airport Drive for 16 years and began construction on the new $20 million facility in 2018.

Its new 28,000-sq-ft, two-story terminal features an expansive lobby; mezzanine seating overlooking the ramp; pilot suite with two large snooze rooms, shower facilities, and flight-planning area; a trio of conference rooms seating four, eight, and 18, respectively; and a refreshment bar. An adjoining new 28,500-sq-ft hangar with glass wall panels can accommodate ultra-long-range business jets and has 3,000 sq ft of adjoining shop/office space.

The new facility caps an expansion plan that was derailed for more than a decade by the global economic downturn. ACI Jet had planned the complex and begun construction before the Great Recession, but only a 30,000-sq-ft hangar with an adjoining 3,000 sq ft of offices was built at the new location before the remainder of the project was put on hold.

According to company v-p Andrew Robillard, the former facility—which also includes an 8,000-sq-ft hangar—will be retained for general aviation use, possibly by the company’s Part 145 repair center or leased out to a third-party flight school.

Pilot Preflight Procedures Obtain AC Status

New FAA Advisory Circular AC 91-92 offers detailed guidance intended for establishing highly effective preflight briefings. The guidance in this 20-page circular goes far beyond the minimum preflight requirements outlined in FAR 91.103. The FAA said information in the circular serves as an “educational roadmap for the development and implementation of preflight self-briefings, including flight planning, weather interpretation, and risk identification/mitigation skills.”

The FAA believes that following these guidelines will better prepare pilots to properly interpret and utilize real-time weather information before departure and en route, in the cockpit, via technology like ADS-B, and via third-party non-government providers, as well as Flight Services Stations. Despite their consolidation over the last few years, the FAA maintains FSSs “remain an important source of comprehensive weather and aeronautical information.”

Two appendices that follow the 15-page main section of the circular might be the most valuable takeaways. The first appendix contains a thorough list of preflight briefing elements, their specific value to the pilot, and the website links to the government resources for each of the elements. The second is a sample preflight checklist presented in a single-page format similar to that for other standard checklists familiar to pilots.

Covid Couldn’t Stop Direct Helicopter’s Shipping Biz

While people might not have been traveling the globe over the past year due to the Covid pandemic, used helicopters certainly were. This has provided a bump in Direct Helicopter's business, according to Dave Urban, CEO of the international rotorcraft shipping services provider.

“When Covid hit, I thought we were going to go down, but we actually went up,” Urban told AIN. 2020 had actually exceeded 2019, setting a new record for the Canada-based company, which offers full-service, turnkey helicopter relocation services. “Revenue was down, but profits were up, just in the nature of the deals,” explained Urban. “Volume was the same, we still did around 150 aircraft for the year.”

A typical job for the company involves a helicopter being flown to the company’s U.S. base at South Carolina’s Greenville Spartanburg International Airport, where it is disassembled by technicians on the ramp, packed on a pallet, and loaded aboard a 747 freighter flight, where it is carried either to its final destination, or a point close enough for it to be reassembled and flown there. “They want a guy who will insure the aircraft, take care of taking it apart, packing it up, doing all the export customs, doing all the import customs and delivery, and we’re really the only company you can call to do all that,” he said.