ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia Gets Chinese Nod

ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia was granted CAAR-145 certification this week by Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to conduct line and heavy maintenance on Gulfstream GIV and Bombardier Challengers and Globals.

Ivan Lim, vice president ExecuJet MRO Services Asia, said the company applied for the approvals from CAAC in response to demand from operators in China. According to Asia Sky Group fleet report, there are 62 Challenger series jets and 25 Global Express family jets based in Mainland China. Including Hong Kong and Macau, that number will increase to 76 and 61, respectively.

Dassault Aviation acquired Subang, Malaysia-based ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia earlier this year. It was part of a broader acquisition of ExecuJet’s MRO facilities across the world, which also included facilities in Belgium (Brussels and Kortrijk), South Africa (Johannesburg and Cape Town), Dubai, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, Tianjin, Australia (Perth, Sydney and Melbourne), and New Zealand (Wellington).

AINsight: Are the ‘Good Old Days’ Here Again?

The big takeaway from GAMA’s second-quarter shipment report released this week—that business jet unit shipments were up 12.5 percent year-over-year in the first half—was welcome news. After a more than 10-year period in the doldrums, there are encouraging signs of strength in the business jet market.

The post-2008 rebound in new business jet sales has been a long time coming. Borrowing from the “build it and they will come” playbook, at least three business jet OEMs are finally beginning to reap the harvest after many years and, collectively, billions of dollars of investments in engineering, design, test, tooling, equipment, and facilities.

Driving up the GAMA delivery shipments data are a number of new business jets that have recently entered service and are in production ramp-up. These include the Pilatus PC-24 and Gulfstream G500, which each accounted for about one-third of the overall improvement in first-half jet shipments. The second half of the year, already well under way, is always associated with higher aircraft deliveries. Joining the production ramp-up in this latter part of the year is the top-of-market Bombardier Global 7500, Gulfstream G600, and Cessna Citation Longitude, all of which should account for double-digit year-over-year increases in unit deliveries.

After such a long, slow period of recovery in the business jet industry, it sure would be nice to continue living the “good old days” again.

Dale Earnhardt, Others Escape Fiery Citation Crash

Retired race car driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 44, his wife, infant daughter, a dog, and the two pilots emerged without serious injuries after their Cessna Citation Latitude overran Runway 24 yesterday at Elizabethton Municipal Airport in Bristol, Tennessee. The twinjet then went through a fence, caught fire, and came to rest near a road some 500 feet past the paved end of the runway. It was destroyed in the blaze.

The aircraft was registered to JRM Air based in Mooresville, North Carolina, near Earnhardt’s home and is a reference to his NASCAR team, JR Motorsports, also in Moorseville. At the time of the crash, about 3:40 p.m. local, the twinjet was arriving on a Part 91 flight from Statesville Municipal Airport in North Carolina. The aircraft’s registration, N8JR, is a reference to the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro racecar that Earnhardt drove.

At press time, two NTSB investigators were still at the crash site. An FAA preliminary report says the aircraft “experienced a hard landing, bounced, departed the runway, and caught fire.” Precise weather conditions at the time of the accident were not immediately available.

Earnhardt Jr. and his family were in the area near Bristol Motor Speedway where he was expected to join the broadcast team to cover the race this weekend.

AOPA Asks TSA To Give GA More Input on Airport Security

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) appealed to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to consider providing general aviation pilots more say in the development of airport security procedures. While the TSA largely does not regulate general aviation airports or operations, general aviation pilots face challenges at some of the 400 commercial airports regulated by the TSA, said Nobuyo Reinsch, AOPA director of aviation security in a letter to Michael Rucinski, TSA’s industry engagement manager for general aviation policy, plans, and engagement.

“Among these challenges, the issue with access to the air operations area and aircraft parking area can be significant and has the most impact on both general aviation-based pilots and transient operators,” Reinsch said. The TSA works with airport managers to devise an airport security plan (ASP) tailored to each individual airport.

“However, it is unfortunate for transient and based pilots that AOPA and the public do not have access to the specific requirements that govern airport security, nor to finalized ASPs, because the information is considered sensitive security information,” she said. “General aviation operators do not have any opportunity to provide input on security policies for airports that could directly impact their operations. We strongly believe that there should be a formal process where the industry and operators can provide input to minimize negative impacts."

Nexa: Global UAM Investment Could Top $318B by 2020

Over the next 20 years, as much as $318 billion could be invested to transform urban air mobility in 74 cities around the world, according to a new study published today by Nexa Advisors and the Vertical Flight Society. The “Urban Air Mobility—Economics and Global Markets” study promises a detailed analysis of infrastructure needs and opportunities in major metropolitan areas and forecasts a projected growth path for each location in the period 2020 to 2040.

According to the study, the potential for developing urban air mobility in each metropolitan area is defined by what Nexa calls its “DNA,” which the company defines as “a complex blend of current transportation issues, congestion, population density, existing transportation infrastructure, regulation, business aviation, gross domestic product, local politics, per capita income, and a host of other issues.” The study uses these factors to determine the likelihood of any given city being either an early or late adopter of electric-powered vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft.

According to Nexa’s managing partner Michael Dyment, the report is intended to guide prospective investors in urban air mobility as where capital can be put to most effective use.

NBAA To Honor Barrington Irving’s Inspiration To Youth

Barrington Irving, who in 2007 became the youngest pilot to solo around the world in a single-engine airplane, will be recognized during NBAA’s upcoming convention for his continued effort to inspire young people to pursue aviation and aerospace careers. NBAA will present its 2019 American Spirit Award to Irving during its Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in October in Las Vegas. “[Barrington Irving ] embodies a tremendous spirit of inspiration and mentorship that not only serves as an important example for the students who have benefitted from his guidance, but for everyone working in business aviation," said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, Irving grew up in Miami believing that college football was his only opportunity to pursue higher education, NBAA said, adding he received several scholarship offers. But a Jamaican airline pilot provided guidance and mentoring that led Irving to instead pursue a career in aviation.

“Those experiences set Irving on a course that culminated in his 97-day solo flight around the globe in a single-engine piston aircraft—appropriately christened ‘Inspiration’—to demonstrate to young people worldwide that they could also achieve their dreams,” the association said.

Irving subsequently founded the Experience Aviation Learning Center that is dedicated to empowering middle and high school students in the Miami area to pursue STEM careers, including within aviation and aerospace.

Airbus Starts Building First A220s in Mobile

Airbus has begun manufacturing the A220 at its U.S. assembly site in Mobile, Alabama. The first team of A220 production workers last week began work at the plant following their recent return from on-the-job training in Mirabel, Quebec, site of the A220 program and primary final assembly line.

Airbus announced plans for the addition of A220 manufacturing in Mobile in October 2017, when it confirmed its intention to buy the then-Bombardier C Series program. Construction began in January on the main A220 flowline hangar and other support buildings at the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley, adjacent to where Airbus builds A320s for the U.S. market. The company said it will produce the first few aircraft within some current A320 family buildings and newly built support hangars

It plans to deliver the first U.S.-made A220—an A220-300 destined for Delta Air Lines—during next year’s third quarter. The European manufacturer expects the facility will produce between 40 and 50 A220s per year by the middle of the next decade.

New Android Version of WingX Released

WingX Version 3 for Android is now available for devices running Android 5.0 or higher. The new version adds a number of features to WingX that have been available on the Apple iOS version. These include an improved moving map with regional selection for downloads and overlays of terminal area charts, helicopter routes, Gulf Coast and Grand Canyon VFR charts, and VFR Flyaway planning charts on the moving map.

Route planning has been improved with specific point and route summary information. In addition, the Bluetooth connection has been upgraded along with new hardware specs for connecting ADS-B In receivers.

WingX Version 3 is a free upgrade, and the company continues to offer the app for free to CFIs and retired military aviators. In addition to Apple iOS and Android devices, WingX also runs on Amazon’s Fire tablet.

Tales from the Flight Deck: Grappling with Grief

Pilots are keenly aware about physical issues that might ground them from flying, including vision problems, cancer, and heart trouble. But mental and emotional issues can also cause problems if brought onto the flight deck. One of them is grief—the human response to losing someone or something we cherish. But even though they’re often unwilling to admit they need help coping with grief, pilots don’t have to do it alone.