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NOAA Takes Delivery of Second Beechcraft King Air

Textron Aviation has delivered a special missions Beechcraft King Air 350CER (cargo, extended range) to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of Marine & Aviation Operations, joining one that was delivered in 2009 and used for coastal mapping, as well as aerial survey and emergency response missions following earthquakes, oil spills, and other man-made and natural disasters.

“We are honored the King Air 350CER aircraft continues to be the aircraft of choice to fill a variety of critical mission needs for NOAA,” said Textron Aviation special mission sales v-p Bob Gibbs. “The aircraft’s custom sensor port modification, combined with its extended-range-performance features, makes it a powerful and reliable platform to carry out the agency’s unique missions during critical times.”

It is capable of loitering for up to eight hours and, using a dual-sensor port modification, can simultaneously collect data from multiple onboard sensors. Removable optical-grade glass plates allow the aircraft to be operated in a pressurized or non-pressurized environment.

This newest King Air will join NOAA’s fleet of manned aircraft that is operated, managed, and maintained by its aircraft operations center at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Central Florida.

AINsight: Limitations of Pilot Weather Apps

Pilots are increasingly relying on apps for preflight weather briefings. Built for convenience, these apps provide a host of information, including the latest weather conditions, forecasts, radar, and charts.

As an example of their popularity, one radar app has sold more than 30 million copies. The problem is these tools might not provide the pilot with a complete weather picture in very dynamic scenarios such as rapidly-growing thunderstorms, and there are some known data latency issues with radar returns.

The simplicity of these apps should not alleviate the in-depth knowledge of weather required to safely operate an aircraft. In general, a weather app is only as good as the source or model used to create that information. Likewise, these tools only provide a snapshot of the weather at a given time, and once the pilot straps into the aircraft this information becomes outdated.

While the utility and popularity of weather apps are impressive, they are no substitute for knowledge of weather required to operate an aircraft safely. Bottom line: never confuse a weather app with a degree in meteorology or good airmanship.

West Star, Collins Team Up for G450 Cabin, CMS Upgrade

West Star Aviation has introduced an A-level cabin upgrade bundle for the Gulfstream G450 that includes Collins Aerospace’s Venue cabin management system (CMS) and interior upgrade, the MRO provider announced. The bundle, in which Venue replaces the original ACMS and CMS-1 system, is being offered through a partnership between the two companies at a limited-time price of $800,000 for the first quarter of 2021, which Westar estimates is a savings of $200,000.

Offered at any one of West Star’s four full-service authorized Collins dealer locations—East Alton, Illinois; Grand Junction, Colorado; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Perryville, Missouri—the installation time is estimated between eight and 12 weeks. It can be performed along with any other scheduled maintenance at West Star.

“The original factory-installed inflight entertainment systems are becoming increasingly complex to repair due to obsolete replacement parts, so we’ve developed this unique package offering G450 owners the ability to upgrade both the CMS and interior together, providing considerable savings,” said West Star Grand Junction avionics technical sales manager Walt Marcy.

U.S. Imposes Aerospace Export Controls on China, Russia

U.S. aerospace companies could face new complications in dealing with Chinese and Russian partners and customers after the U.S. Department of Commerce today published a new Military End User (MEU) List requiring export licenses for exports, re-exports, and in-country transfers of equipment and technology. The list names 103 foreign entities, of which 58 are in China and 45 in Russia.

The U.S. government said the action is necessary to prevent American-made civil aviation products from being diverted for military use. The action comes barely a week after the outgoing Trump Administration blacklisted Chinese drone maker DJI and introduced rules to enable Chinese public companies to be barred from U.S. stock markets if they fail to comply with financial reporting requirements.

Included on the list are leading aerospace groups such as China’s AVIC and Comac, including AVIC’s General Aviation division, as well as Aero-Engine Company of China, Harbin General Aircraft Industries, and Xian Aircraft. In Russia, United Aircraft Corporation, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, Irkut, Kazan Helicopters, and Beriev are all on the new MEU List.

Several industry observers have indicated that the process for securing export licenses could become so onerous as to make it impractical for American companies to do business with the companies concerned. It is yet unknown if the export ban will apply to U.S.-based subsidiaries of any named companies—for example, AVIC-owned Cirrus Aircraft.

Omni Air Adds Charter Base, Expands Mx Operations

Charter and aircraft management firm Omni Air Transport has opened a new satellite base in Oklahoma City and plans to offer maintenance services to owners and operators outside the charter and managed aircraft it operates. Company president Chris Deslongchamp told AIN the decision to expand its maintenance operation comes after 37 years of maintaining its charter and managed aircraft in-house.

Nearly all of the twinjets the Tulsa, Oklahoma-based company operates are Learjets and over the years its technicians have developed an expertise in that type, with its current director of maintenance serving on the Learjet advisory council for maintenance. “It’s just a natural progression,” Deslongchamp said of the maintenance expansion.

Omni’s managed fleet comprises 11 aircraft, nine of which are available for charter and include the Learjet 40, 45, 60, and 75, as well as a Beechcraft King Air 350i. Those are the models it will initially offer outside maintenance services for, Deslongchamp said. But it will seek to add other types as the 50-employee company expands its maintenance and charter business, the latter of which is also growing with the Oklahoma City base at Sundance Airport.

That base will be served by a Cessna Citation XLS+ that will be added to Omni’s managed fleet. Besides Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Omni operates bases in Dallas and Houston, Texas, and Nashville, Tennessee.

Duncan Amends STCs for Challenger, Legacy Models

Duncan Aviation’s Engineering & Certification Services has been busy amending STCs for a couple of Honeywell products on variants of Bombardier Challenger 600 series and Embraer Legacy 600s, the Lincoln, Nebraska-based MRO provider announced.

For the Challenger 601, 604, 605, and 650, the Duncan team amended STCs for the Honeywell flight management system (FMS) and future air navigation system (FANS) that enable owners and operators to upgrade their existing NZ-2010 FMS to version 6.1.1, which it said will solve the FANS latency issue.

“The new software includes a message-latency monitor to detect old controller-pilot datalink communication (CPDLC) messages that may no longer apply,” said Duncan certification coordinator Russ Kromberg. “Prior to the software fix, air traffic control could send a pilot a message, and it was possible for that message to get lost or delayed. With this updated software, pilots will now be notified if the message is out of date.”

Duncan also amended an STC for Honeywell Primus Elite avionics in the Legacy 600 that provides the option to add Primus Elite Advance features. These include upgrades to the Honeywell Integrated Avionics Computer and DU-875 displays for synthetic vision system functionality, as well as display of Metars and TAFs delivered via SiriusXM Weather on Primus Elite’s enhanced moving-map display.

Safran Signs China Utility to Engine Support Program

Safran Helicopter Engines has signed a Support-By-Hour (SBH) contract with State Grid General Aviation Company of China (SGGAC), covering its Airbus H215 and H225 fleets. The contract also includes the renewal of SBH support for 14 Arriel 2D engines powering the operator’s fleet of 13 H125 turbine-single helicopters within its larger fleet of 33 rotorcraft.

SGGAC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the world's largest utility company, State Grid Corporation of China, and is responsible for the air construction and maintenance of extra-high-voltage and ultra-high-voltage power networks. It is the launch customer for the Airbus H215 in China.  

SBH now covers 50 percent of Safran’s turbine helicopter customer flying hours. The program and health monitoring are part of Safran’s EngineLife Services. “We are proud that SGGAC has renewed its confidence in Safran Helicopter Engines and its SBH support contract, and we look forward to delivering them world-class services and supporting them in their most demanding missions,” said Bernard Plaza, Safran Helicopter Engines China CEO.

Congress Nixes ‘Surprise Air Ambulance Bills’

Congress moved to eliminate “surprise air ambulance bills” as part of the just-passed federal Covid relief bill. Section 105 of the measure provides major relief for air ambulance companies and patients.

The bill would effectively end health insurance company claim payment denials for transports that are “out-of-network,” establish independent resolution for disputed claims, mandate air ambulance data collection on costs and quality, and form a federal air ambulance advisory committee to examine best practices. The nation’s air ambulance companies have long been criticized for saddling patients with transport bills that can run into the tens of thousands of dollars.

However, the bill does not totally eliminate patient financial responsibility—they would still be required to satisfy their in-network deductible. Air ambulance companies and benefits payers would have 30 days to settle claims before taking any disputes to voluntary binding arbitration/independent dispute resolution.   

The Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) expressed support for the intent of the legislation but cautioned it could create additional problems for its members. “While the entire healthcare community is united in advocating for a solution to balance billing that takes the patient out of the middle of billing disputes, it cannot be done in a way that sacrifices healthcare services, especially during this unprecedented global health emergency,” it said.

Photo of the Week

Santa's helpers. Sometimes Santa needs a little boost from his aviation friends, and luckily captains Dwayne McMurry and Scott Stevens and flight attendant Valentina Del Rio found room for the world traveler in their Challenger 605. "What a special Christmas gift for this flight crew," they said. "Merry Christmas!" Thanks for sharing Dwayne, Scott, and Valentina!

If you'd like to submit an entry for Photo of the Week, email a high-resolution horizontal image (at least 2000 x 1200 pixels), along with your name, contact information, social media names, and info about it (including brief description, location, etc.) to photos@ainonline.com. Tail numbers can be removed upon request. Those submitting photos give AIN implied consent to publish them in its publications and social media channels.