Lynx FBO Expands in Northeast U.S.

Lynx FBO has increased its network with the acquisition of Northstar Aviation, the lone service provider at Providence, Rhode Island’s Theodore Francis Green State Airport (PVD). The acquisition gives Lynx its ninth FBO location in the U.S., and its second in the Northeast along with Morristown, N.J.

The facility has a recently remodeled 10,000-sq-ft terminal that offers a pilot lounge, snooze room, showers, business center, three large conference rooms, courtesy cars, and onsite car rental.

"We are excited to further expand the Lynx FBO Network in the Northeast U.S., and Providence will greatly enhance our East Coast presence,” said Lynx president and partner Chad Farischon. “We look forward to working with the Rhode Island Airport Corporation, the local FBO team, and all stakeholders in continuing the great partnership Northstar Aviation has established over their tenure of over 30 years at the airport."

Lynx’s growth is backed by private equity firm The Sterling Group, which noted that the Rhode Island capital gateway FBO was a key part of the company's plans.

"Providence is a strategic location for Lynx that has been a top priority target for years,” said Sterling Group partner Greg Elliott. “Our team's ability to get this across the finish line during Covid shows our commitment and ability to continue to expand our network in any environment.”  

Gulfstream’s G600 Enters European Market

Gulfstream handed over the first European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)-certified G600 ultra-long-range jet to an undisclosed customer, the Savannah, Georgia-based airframer said Wednesday. The ultra-long-range model, which can travel 6,600 nm under a recently announced range boost, had received European validation in May, not quite a year after the FAA awarded type certification. The company delivered the initial G600 in August 2019.

The delivery to a European customer marks an expansion of the global fleet, Gulfstream noted. “We are glad our customers in Europe can now register their G600 on the continent and easily experience the advanced technology and cabin comfort of the aircraft,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns, noting positive feedback the company has received from the use of the aircraft’s Symmetry Flight Deck and cabin features. “With the latest range increase—the third for the G600—customers in Europe and around the world will get even more out of their aircraft.”

In addition to the FAA and EASA, the G600 has received approval from aviation agencies in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, the Isle of Man, San Marino, and Mexico.

ExecuJet MRO Services Plans Malaysian Expansion

ExecuJet MRO Services Malaysia is laying plans for a 100,000- to 150,000-sq-ft facility at Subang Airport in Kuala Lumpur that will accommodate 10 to 15 large-cabin, long-range business jets at the same time. The announcement comes after the Dassault Aviation subsidiary reports that it is now certified to perform maintenance on all in-production Falcon aircraft.

“Falcon aircraft accounted for less than 10 percent of ExecuJet’s Malaysian business in 2019, being an inception year, but by the end of 2020, Falcon aircraft will account for 15-20 percent and next year we anticipate Falcon aircraft will account for at least a third,” said Ivan Lim, ExecuJet MRO Services regional v-p for Asia.

Significant maintenance checks on the Falcon 900, 2000, 7X, and 8X have been completed at the facility, including a 24-month maintenance check on a Philippine-registered Falcon 900EX with ADS-B Out upgrade as well as a number of 24-month/1,600-flight-hour inspections on Falcon 2000 series aircraft. It also is an authorized service center for Bombardier and Gulfstream.

The Malaysian operation encompasses 64,000 sq ft of hangar, workshop, and office space at Subang. As a temporary measure, it expanded into a second, 32,000-sq-ft hangar because of the increased workload. Lim said the new facility it is planning will help it serve the increasing number of Falcon and other aircraft.

Bizav Groups Worldwide Unite in Illegal Charter Battle

Concerned that illegal charter remains a threat to the industry, a dozen business aviation organizations are uniting in their effort to combat the practice through the creation of a new Air Charter Safety Alliance (ACSA). Through ACSA, the organizations will work together to raise awareness of illegal charters for potential customers, charter brokers, ministries of transport, and national aviation organizations.

The issue has been a top priority for ACSA members, which have worked both individually and collaboratively on various initiatives to fight illegal charter. “Illegal/grey charters know no boundaries,” said Ryan Waguespack, National Air Transportation Association senior v-p. “The industry has made great progress in joining together to advance crucial initiatives, such as sustainability. We look forward to experiencing that same level of success as a unified force in eliminating illegal charter operations.”

Over the next three months, the organizations will create an online platform on the issue, launch an education campaign on the dangers of illegal charter, and collaborate on best practices. 

“We believe this multi-pronged approach to consumer education, along with regulator and supply-chain awareness, will reinforce the safety value of approved charter operators,” added Doug Carr, NBAA v-p for international and regulatory affairs.

In addition to NATA, and NBAA, the coalition consists of IBAC, ABAG, ACA, AfBAA, AsBAA, BAOA, BBGA, EBAA, EBAA France, and MEBAA. 

Thales, StandardAero Fly AStar with 4-Axis Autopilot

Thales and StandardAero have developed a compact four-axis autopilot for the Airbus AS350/H125 AStar family of turbine single helicopters and conducted a successful first test flight. The companies anticipate FAA STC approval by mid-2021. Flight testing will continue throughout the next several months at StandardAero’s Langley, British Columbia, Canada facility. Earlier this year, StandardAero/Thales announced that Airbus helicopter operator WeatherTech, the automotive accessories company, is the launch customer. 

The autopilot is an intuitive automatic flight control system that provides stability augmentation, attitude retention, and flight director modes such as altitude or heading hold. “We aim to bring a user-friendly solution offering an unparalleled level of safety and reliability to the light helicopter market,” said Jean-Paul Ebanga, Thales vice president of flight avionics activities. “This product combines Thales’s Autopilot experience, based on billions of flight hours accumulated and outstanding customer satisfaction, with StandardAero’s extensive aftermarket capabilities in aircraft modification and certification.”

“This state-of-the-art, four-axis autopilot system has been designed as a straightforward retrofit and provides pilots with simplified operation that will help reduce wear and tear on the helicopter while making flying in normal and adverse conditions much easier and safer for the crew and passengers,” said Elvis Moniz, StandardAero vice president of product development for helicopters. 

RFDS Selects FlightSafety’s MissionFit Training Device

FlightSafety will provide the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) of Australia Central Operations a MissionFit flight training device for the service’s Pilatus PC-12 NG pilot training program. The training device is expected to enter service at RFDS in Adelaide in July 2021.

“We are honored to support the important programs the Royal Flying Doctor Service provides throughout the central corridor of Australia,” said FlightSafety executive v-p of sales and marketing Nathan Speiser. “The innovative design of MissionFit will help to increase the effectiveness of its Pilatus PC-12 NG training program while providing value and added flexibility.”

Using a seamless glass display that represents the PC-12 NG’s flight deck, the device is equipped with synthetic vision system, weather radar, and terrain and traffic collision avoidance systems. Other features of the device include the ability to be outfitted with flight controls, power control levers, and tactile and wireless smart panels.

In terms of training, the device can be used for ground school, systems integration, and general cockpit familiarization as well as normal, abnormal, and procedures training and crew coordination. Portable and easy to install, the device could also be used at RFDS’s Alice Springs facility and other locations. RFDS operates 77 aeromedical aircraft from 23 bases in Australia.

Jet Aviation Dubai Completes Milestone Mx Check

Jet Aviation Dubai has completed the Middle East region’s first 4C maintenance check on a Dassault Falcon 50, the General Dynamics subsidiary recently announced. A milestone maintenance event that comes due 24 years after service entry, the check requires removal and reinstallation of an aircraft’s structures and systems for a detailed inspection.

In the case of the Falcon 50, Jet Aviation technicians stripped the cabin and removed its three engines. They also replaced the landing gear as part of the inspection process. Additionally, technicians upgraded the FMS, installed ADS-B, and performed a light refurbishment to the aircraft’s cabin. In all, the Falcon 50 check and upgrade totaled 8,000 man-hours.

Simultaneously, Dubai facility technicians completed a 144-month check on a Gulfstream G450 that included a limited cabin refresh and a 192-month inspection on a GIV, which required major structural work for a total of more than 5,000 man-hours. “Completing the region’s first Falcon 4C-check alongside major inspections on the Gulfstream fleet truly demonstrates the breadth and scope of our maintenance team’s capabilities, as well as the strength of our MRO network,” said Jet Aviation Dubai maintenance director Prabhat Gummadi.

At Dubai, the company recently established a dedicated team of interior specialists and it is building an interior shop that will have the tooling to perform limited refurbishment activities.

Charter Provider Jung Sky Establishing Mx Department

Croatian business aviation operator Jung Sky is taking the first step to establishing an in-house maintenance department with the hiring of a former airline maintenance executive, Davor Bujan. Bujan was previously technical director of maintenance and CMO at flag carrier Croatian Airlines.

“After all these years we’re still burdened with the necessity to outsource aircraft maintenance, which inevitably affects our flexibility, aircraft availability, and expenditures,” said Jung Sky COO Kresimir Vlasic. “When we decide to add a third jet to our fleet, this will become an even bigger problem.”

Vlasic added that hiring Bujan “is the first step” to establishing a maintenance department. “He is a professional with experience in establishing and supervising aircraft maintenance organizations, which is a process defined by complex regulatory requirements,” he said.

The next step will be to set up line maintenance operations followed by the first base maintenance tasks. “It’s a step-by-step process” Vlasic explained. “Before we can apply for the maintenance organization approval certificate, we need to strengthen our team with the right expertise and by hiring Davor, we’re off to a great start.” The 11-year-old charter provider currently operates two Cessna Citation Model 525A CJ2 twinjets.