Pratt & Whitney Canada (PW&C) has received Transport Canada type certification for the PW812D turbofan that powers the Dassault Falcon 6X, moving the twinjet a step closer toward its planned late 2022 certification. More than 4,900 hours of testing has been conducted on the PW812D, including more than 1,150 of flight testing, along with 20,000 hours on the engine core that it shares with the company’s Pratt & Whitney GTF, according to P&WC. The engine delivers 13,500 pounds of thrust and is expected to provide the 6X with a range of 5,100 nm at Mach 0.85.
Dassault’s three flight-test 6Xs have logged more than 500 hours and 150 flights to date. Soon, an initial production 6X with a fully outfitted cabin will join the development program for a global tour to evaluate aircraft and system performance, including operation in remote locations and other “challenging environments,” according to Dassault.
Last month, a Falcon 6X test aircraft landed at Paris-Le Bourget Airport, where the French airframer said it became one of the first aircraft to refuel on the field using a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend from TotalEnergies. Dassault said it will continue to use SAF in 6X testing to minimize its carbon footprint.
Some 12,261 preowned business jet sales transactions worth $57.2 billion are anticipated over the next five years, according to a forecast released yesterday by business jet acquisition and sales firm Jetcraft. The company expects preowned aircraft transaction volume and value to maintain their current “healthy” growth rates, reaching 2,647 transactions worth $12.4 billion annually by 2025. Midsize and large-cabin jets are predicted to lead overall volume and value growth.
“Since the pandemic, the true benefits of business aviation have been realized,” said Jetcraft owner and chairman Jahid Fazal-Karim. “The combination of limited commercial airline services, plus expanding offerings within business aviation, presents the sector with a real opportunity to further broaden its customer base and secure long-term prosperity.”
He added that this growing buyer pool combined with rising manufacturer backlogs and wait times “means many will be compelled to turn to preowned aircraft to meet their needs.” However, the Jetcraft forecast calls for market values to remain rational, with the current market strength predicted to last another 12 months before transaction values and depreciation eventually return to normal by 2025.
Meanwhile, the forecast calls for the number of new business jet owners in Asia-Pacific and Europe to rise, reaching closer to U.S. ownership levels. Regional drivers, such as wealth levels and flying hours, represent the main reasons behind ownership in North America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Fazal-Karim noted.
Charter operator GrandView Aviation has formally implemented a fatigue management program that cuts the duty day for its 50 pilots by two hours, to 12 hours. Additionally, GrandView pilots will be seeing a $15,000 increase in pay, with starting pay for a Phenom 300 captain and first officer now $110,000 and $80,000 a year, respectively. It is also offering a $12,000 bonus for newly hired Phenom 300 captains.
The Maryland-based company is also adding compensatory rest for flight crews that awards pilots extra hours off for working beyond their schedule, as well as limits for those volunteering to work on their days off. Now, pilots will be limited to working no more than four extra days during their rotation of eight days on and six days off. “We’re trying to put brakes on how many hours they can work and work safely,” GrandView COO Jessie Naor told AIN.
GrandView is also looking to add 70 more pilots through next year, and Naor hopes the fatigue management program and the pilot pay increases will help with its recruiting of additional flight crewmembers.
Like other charter operators in the industry, GrandView is wrestling with increasing demand for its flights. “Even before we limited the duty day…we were turning down at least half of the trips that we were requested to do,” Naor said.
Daher has delivered the 300th Kodiak turboprop single, reaching the milestone some 11 years after the rugged multi-mission aircraft was introduced. Daher, which acquired the Kodiak program in 2019, said the delivery further underscores its commitment to the aircraft remaining a part of its future plans for its single-engine turboprop portfolio.
Designed initially to carry supplies and bring services to remote locations, the Kodiak now is operating in a range of applications, from business and general aviation use to humanitarian, medical evacuation, utility, governmental, and special-mission roles. Kodiak aircraft are in service in North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and South America, and the global fleet has logged more than a combined 278,700 flight hours. The aircraft can take off from unprepared strips of 1,000 feet, can fly 1,132 nm, and has a loiter time of up to 10 hours.
“Every day around the world, Kodiak aircraft meet the mission: from delivering crucial aid in conflict zones to providing comfortable airlift for business and personal travel,” said Nicolas Chabbert, senior v-p of Daher’s aircraft division and CEO of Kodiak Aircraft.
Since acquiring the Kodiak, Daher has been working to reinforce its worldwide service network and upgrade the aircraft as it joined Daher’s TBM series in its product line.
The White House is requiring all inbound international travelers to test negative for Covid-19 within one day of travel to the U.S. beginning early next week, down from the previous 72-hour requirement. The administration formally announced the tighter testing protocols today as part of a wider range of actions to grapple with the ongoing pandemic and particularly in light of the discovery of the Omicron variant.
A shortened testing timeline will provide an “added degree of public health protection as scientists continue to assess the Omicron variant,” the White House said. Administration officials confirmed that testing requirements are regardless of nationality or vaccination status. However, foreign nationals who travel into the U.S. must be vaccinated.
“We believe, and our doctors believe, that tightening that testing requirement for pre-departure will help catch more cases—potential cases of people who may be positive before they fly into this country,” according to an administration official. “We think now is the right time to do it, and we can implement it very quickly.”
In addition, the administration is extending its mask requirements on airplanes, rail travel, and public transportation through March 18 to combat the pandemic through the winter, it said. Those in noncompliance will face a minimum fine of $500 for first-time offenders and up to $3,000 for repeat offenders.
Canada-based Helijet International today inked an agreement under which global air mobility platform Blade will have exclusive rights for booking its scheduled helicopter flights. Helijet will continue to operate these flights. While Blade is not acquiring any shares or ownership in Helijet under the agreement, it will have the right to acquire up to 49 percent of Helijet‘s wholly-owned subsidiary, Pacific Heliport Services, which manages and operates heliport waterfront terminals in Vancouver, Victoria, and Nanaimo.
This deal is part of a new operating partnership aimed at introducing additional routes and delivering the first commercially available electric vertical aircraft to the British Columbia market. Helijet and Blade said they are combining their expertise and investment efforts to accelerate the introduction and commercialization of newer, more sustainable, and cost-effective electric vertical aircraft into communities served by Blade and Helijet, as well as potential new routes in the Pacific Northwest.
“Electric vertical aircraft technologies are going to change aviation in the same way that the jet engine revolutionized air travel 60 years ago. [They] will make urban air mobility more efficient, more sustainable, and more affordable,” said Helijet president Danny Sitnam. “In Blade, we have found a unique partner that shares our commitment to customer service and experience, safety, and innovation. Together, we are looking forward to a future that is literally just around the corner.”
House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon), who made a mark as a strong and outspoken aviation safety, consumer, and labor advocate over his 36-year congressional career, has decided to retire at the end of this congressional term. Announcing yesterday that he would not seek re-election in 2022, DeFazio said, “It’s time for me to pass the baton to the next generation so I can focus on my health and well-being.”
First elected to Congress in 1986, DeFazio has been actively involved in the T&I throughout his tenure, having served not only as chair of the full committee but also chair or ranking member of four of its six subcommittees, including aviation.
Most recently serving as an architect behind certification reforms in the wake of the Boeing Max crashes, DeFazio over the years has been a strong voice on numerous other issues, from pilot fatigue and repair station oversight to aircraft noise and air traffic controller protections. Among the original members of the House General Aviation Caucus, he opposed efforts to privatize the air traffic control system and has pushed legislation to shield FAA workers from government shutdowns.
“Congressman DeFazio has been extraordinarily thoughtful, thorough, and hard-working in everything in which he has been involved, including an in-depth understanding of, and appreciation for, matters affecting our national aviation community,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen.
Leonardo has sold its first AW189s into the Chinese market, with Beijing General Aviation placing an order for two of the super-medium helicopters for delivery in 2022 and 2023 for the Beijing Police. They will be used for law enforcement, search and rescue, and fire-fighting missions directed by the newly created Chinese Ministry of Emergency Management.
The new rotorcraft will be equipped with searchlight, rescue hoist, tactical radios, weather/search radar, cargo hook, and firefighting equipment provisions. They will join the Beijing Police's existing complement of Leonardo twins—including three AW139s, three AW109 Powers, one AW109 GrandNew—as well as a fleet of 200 Leonardo helicopters already flying in China for a variety of customers.
Worldwide, Leonardo has delivered more than 80 AW189s. The helicopter is available with more than 200 certified kits and can be powered with either the stock GE Aviation CT7-2E1 engine or a 2,500-shp Safran Aneto 1K powerplant, the latter of which received EASA approval last year. The AW189, which received EASA certification in 2014 and FAA approval a year later, can seat up to 19 passengers, has a maximum range up to 490 nm, and is able to cruise at 150 knots.
King Air 360 Snags Top Flight Award for Best New T-Prop
The Textron Aviation Beechcraft King Air 360 topped the list as the New Business Turboprop category in AIN's 2021 Top Flight Awards. Badged the 360, the upgrade of the King Air 350 includes Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion touchscreen avionics, IS&S ThrustSense autothrottles, an updated onboard maintenance system, a digital pressurization system, and a cabin redesigned for better aesthetics and comfort.
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