Didier Wolff, founder of Happy Design Studio in France, has completed the exterior design of Olivier Dassault’s Falcon 900EX for which he was commissioned. The design features a tri-color livery dubbed “Thermidor” that aims to pay homage to the family's heritage and the owner’s embodiment of French values, according to the studio.
The grandson of Dassault Aviation founder Marcel Dassault, Olivier Dassault is a 1974 graduate of the French Air Force’s École de l'air and a deputy in the French National Assembly. As a pilot, he has set a number of world speed records in a Dassault Falcon 50, 900, and 900EX.
Four subtle shades of gray paint stretch across the fuselage of Dassault’s 900EX as well as a trilogy of blue, white, and red stripes that gradually thin toward the aircraft’s radome. The words, “Faire face,” are painted near the jet’s engine intakes, which is the motto of French fighter pilot Georges Guynemer who was killed in action in 1917.
The livery was painted by OEM aircraft painter Satys at Paris Le Bourget under the supervision of Wolff and Dassault Falcon Service over five weeks and 2,600 man-hours.
AINsight: Time Out for Safety
A spate of business aviation accidents has left pilots asking the question: why have there been so many in recent months? It’s not uncommon in the military for organizations to take a break when safety issues rise to a high level, called a “safety standdown.”
During my career, there have been a few instances where, in retrospect, I should have applied more consideration toward the safety of what I was doing. In thinking about that, I came up with a concept that I named “Time Out for Safety.” The idea is that anyone involved in the operation can at any time raise a hand and say, “Time Out!” This stops the clock, halts whatever steps are underway, and forces those involved to rethink the plan.
There are times I should have invoked the time out before it was too late and there are times I did, and I feel much better about the latter. It’s easy to get caught up in the vortex of an activity and go along with events without stopping to think about consequences.
It never hurts if when that little voice on your shoulder starts to raise some questions, take a deep breath, ask whether it makes sense to call a time out, and, if so, step back and talk through the situation before making an irrevocable decision.
CAE, Directional Aviation Ink Exclusive Training Deal
Training services provider and simulator manufacturer CAE has agreed to a deal with Directional Aviation Capital (DAC) to be the exclusive training services provider to six DAC-owned business aircraft operators, as well as acquire for $85 million a 50 percent stake in Simcom Holdings, another DAC company that provides simulator-based training to pilots and mechanics. “Our investment in Simcom is another step in the expansion of CAE's business aviation training business that gives us access to a rapidly growing customer base as Directional Aviation affiliates' exclusive training partner for the next 15 years,” said CAE president and CEO Marc Parent.
The six DAC-owned companies under which CAE and Simcom will have an exclusive training agreement are Flexjet, Flight Options, Flairjet, Sirio, Nextant Aerospace,, and Corporate Wings. Combined, these operators have a fleet of 175 business aircraft.
Another part of the agreement calls for Simcom to purchase equipment from Montreal, Canada-based CAE, including five full-flight simulators. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, with two training centers there, Simcom operates 47 simulators spanning jets, turboprops, and piston airplanes. It also operates training centers in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Humberside, UK.
DAC principal Kenn Ricci said his company’s holdings account for one of the largest business aviation fleets in the world, “and we plan on having significant growth in the future.”
L.J. Aviation Opens New Base at Pittsburgh Intl. Airport
Latrobe, Pennsylvania-based L.J. Aviation aircraft management and business jet charter company has opened a new base at Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), it announced yesterday. Its new facility includes a reception area, private offices, lounge, and meeting rooms. It also has 36,000 sq ft of hangar area, complete with shop space, with 42-foot doors, and can accommodate business aircraft up to a BBJ or ACJ.
“As a part of our commitment to offering an exceptional customer experience, we are delighted to offer our customers expanded support, more resources, and increased flexibility,” said L.J. Aviation founder and CEO Ed Kilkeary Sr. He added that the PIT location provides customers with services such as passenger assistance; baggage handling; immigration and customs clearance; transportation, hotel, and catering coordination; line maintenance; and aircraft fueling.
“This new location provides room for continued growth of L.J. Aviation’s aircraft management services, aircraft charter operations, and our OnFlight charter membership program,” said company president and COO Ed Kilkeary Jr. “It allows our customers the convenience of basing their aircraft at a world-class international airport. At the same time, the proximity of the new facility to our headquarters in Latrobe ensures that L.J. can immediately provide the same high level of customer service our clients have grown to expect.”
Shannon Looks To Expand Bizav Options for U.S. Arrivals
Business aviation representatives are working with government leaders to obtain approval on a catering program at Shannon Airport in Ireland that would eliminate the need to manage international garbage. Shannon is one of two airports worldwide where business aircraft operators can obtain U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance before entering the U.S.; the other is in Aruba.
But currently, aircraft that preclear through Shannon must then arrive at a facility in the U.S. that has an approved international garbage-handling program, said NBAA v-p of regulatory and international affairs Doug Carr. There are only a couple hundred such facilities out of the thousands of airports that business aircraft might otherwise be able to access in the U.S., he said, adding, “It limits the number of options you have available to you.”
Carr is hopeful that this program might receive final approval later this year. With such a program, he added, “An operator can get catering from Shannon, fly directly to any airport in the U.S., and park in their hangars just like with a domestic flight.”
The initiative continues an effort to expand services at Shannon, which in June began providing an after-hours extension of preclearance until 9 p.m. local time. “It provides operators a full day of business in Europe before the need to head home,” Carr said.
Avia Files 737 Max Contract Breach Suit Against Boeing
Russian aircraft leasing company Avia Capital Services has begun a breach of contract lawsuit against Boeing over its order for thirty-five 737 Max airliners. In a case filed on Tuesday with the Cook County district court near Boeing’s Chicago headquarters, Avia is demanding the return of the $35 million deposit it paid (with interest). It is also seeking $75 million in compensation for profits that it says will be lost as a consequence of severe disruption in deliveries in the wake of two fatal accidents involving the 737 Max, as well as punitive damages.
Miami-based aviation law firm Podhurst Orseck, which is representing Avia, is arguing that Boeing knowingly misrepresented the steps necessary to safely bring the new 737 Max into commercial service. In view of the significant changes in aerodynamics, weight, and systems compared to earlier versions of the 737, it claims that the U.S. manufacturer should have taken the Max through a completely new type certification process that would have resulted in the need for type-specific training for pilots.
Podhurst Orseck partner Steven Marks told AIN that he expects more 737 Max customers to file similar lawsuits in the coming weeks. Over and above legal action by customers, Boeing is now facing multiple lawsuits from shareholders and the families of passengers killed in the accidents.
The second H145D3 prototype flew earlier this month at the Airbus Helicopters Donauwörth, Germany facility. It will be used mainly for autopilot testing and performance and airframe structural validation as part of a flight-test program that aims to gain EASA certification for the helicopter in early 2020. The first prototype is being used for high-altitude testing in South America this summer.
Announced earlier this year at Heli-Expo, the new H145 variant features a new five-blade, bearingless main rotor system; two Safran Arriel 2E engines with Fadec; four-axis autopilot with the Helionix digital avionics suite; and an integrated wireless airborne communication system (wACS). Cumulatively, the improvements will give the H145 an increased useful load of 330 pounds and boost mtow to 8,377 pounds.
The upgrade will be offered as a retrofit kit for the current production H145D2. In addition to the aforementioned improvements, the retrofit kits will include a transmission kit consisting of rotor mast, swashplate, scissors, control rods with associated assembly, oil cooler, and rotor brake; an additional electrical hydraulic pump whose sole function is to test the hydraulic controls during preflight checks; a new forward cross-tube; and modification/tuning of the horizontal stabilizer. It deletes the 3-Hz landing gear dampers and the light active vibration control system found on the D2.
New Schedule, Figures for VRT500
Russian Helicopters intends to fly a prototype of the VRT500 light rotorcraft later next year, one year behind the original plan, and start series production at the corporation’s UUAZ plant in Ulan-Ude in 2023, some two years later the previous schedule. It hopes for a production run between 700 and 1,000 examples, competing with the Bell 505 and Robinson R66, the manufacturer said this week at the MAKS 2019 airshow in Moscow.
The development effort is led by Moscow headquartered VR-Technologies, which used to be an independent company but now is a full member of Russian Helicopters. This week at MAKS, the design house is exhibiting a refined full-scale mockup.
The mockup was unveiled at HeliRussia 2018, and since then the gross weight has increased by 140 pounds, up to 3640 pounds, and payload in the cabin by 10 pounds, to 1,610, while that on the sling jumped to 2,000 pounds. Its structural weight is given at 2,030 pounds and flight endurance at 348 minutes. The VRT500 will be able to cruise 465 nautical miles at a speed of 130 knots (against 124 previously) with a pilot and five passengers. These take seats in the cabin measuring 187 cu ft in volume with 46.61 sq ft in floor space.
Collins Aerospace explains how its active control sidestick system works, what the benefits are, and how it can be customized for a specific fly-by-wire aircraft application.
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