Bombardier received FAA validation for its newest Globals, the 5500 and 6500, paving the way for the aircraft to enter the U.S. market. With the latest nod, Bombardier has a triumvirate of approvals for the models, with Transport Canada certification coming in late September, followed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s nod in October. The first 6500 entered service in late September after Canadian approval. As Bombardier celebrated U.S. certification, the Montreal-based manufacturer also today announced the delivery of the initial 6500 on order with Hong Kong-based HK Bellawings.
The trio of approvals come a little more than a year and a half after Bombardier made the surprise unveiling of the aircraft during the 2018 EBACE in Geneva. Building on their Global 5000 and 6000 predecessors, the new variants are fitted with the new Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 engines, reprofiled wings, upgraded interiors, and flight deck features.
HK Bellawings initially announced a letter of intent for a fleet of up to 18 6500s and 7500s valued at well over $1 billion at EBACE 2018. The aircraft management company later firmed up that LOI with orders for at least four 6500s and six more options. In addition, HK Bellawings has firmed up at least six orders for the 7500. The agreements position HK Bellawings to manage the largest fleets of 6500s and 7500s in China.
Two companies—OpenAirplane and FlyOtto–that were designed to simplify general aviation (GA) aircraft rental and charter booking will cease operating today. The companies were founded by Rod Rakic and Adam Fast, with OpenAirplane launching in 2013, followed by FlyOtto in late 2016.
OpenAirplane solved the perennial GA problem, where pilots who fly rental aircraft avoid doing so because of the onerous checkout requirements at rental outlets. With OpenAirplane, pilots could qualify to rent from any member company after completing a universal checkout. The system allowed pilots to rent the same aircraft model at participating rental firms, anywhere in the U.S., simply by scheduling via the OpenAirplane website, showing up at the agreed time, and proffering identification documentation.
FlyOtto was a unique transparent charter marketplace that sought to change the way brokers vie to sell a trip to a client at the lowest possible cost. FlyOtto was free to charter clients and for operators to join, and once a trip was confirmed, the operator would pay a fee to FlyOtto.
Unfortunately, Rakic lamented, “There weren’t enough people like me who wanted to use the service.” FlyOtto likewise didn’t reach the volume of business needed to continue and prosper. Still, he clarified that no one has lost money: “From the beginning, we designed OpenAirplane to be [financially] failsafe. We’re not going bankrupt, and not leaving anyone holding the bag.”
Embraer Kicks Off Flexjet Order with Praetor 500 Delivery
Flexjet has taken delivery of an Embraer Praetor 500 business jet, marking the first delivery from the fractional operator’s $1.4 billion order for a mix of Praetor 500/600s and Phenom 300Es announced at NBAA-BACE 2019 in October. “We have long been partners with Embraer, helping to launch aircraft such as the Legacy Executive, the Phenom 300 and the Legacy 450,” Flexjet CEO Michael Silvestro said. “Now we take the next step in that relationship, making the Praetor 500—the most technologically advanced aircraft in its category—available to Flexjet owners first.”
The next generation of the Embraer Legacy 450, the Praetor 500 has larger cabin seats, better fuel efficiency, and a range of 3,340 nm. In addition to purchasing new Praetor 500s, Flexjet also will convert its Legacy 450 fleet into Praetor 500s under an FAA-approved modification.
Flexjet introduced the Legacy 450 to its shareowners in 2016, and the midsize twin became a popular component of its Red Label by Flexjet service, the Cleveland, Ohio-based company said.
“As the Praetor fleet launch customer, Flexjet, once again, will lead the fractional ownership market with the introduction of this modern midsize aircraft,” Embraer Executive Jets president and CEO Michael Amalfitano said.
Gulfstream Reaches New G550 Milestone
Gulfstream has delivered its 600th G550 since the large-cabin, ultra-long-range twinjet entered service 16 years ago. The delivery to the customer was celebrated at the airframer’s Brunswick, Georgia completions and maintenance facility.
Debuting the OEM’s PlaneView flight deck with its enhanced flight vision system upon its entry into service in 2003, the aircraft was awarded that year’s Robert J. Collier Trophy for “greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America.”
“The G550 has solidified its place as one of the most dependable business jets available,” said company president Mark Burns. “More than 20 percent of Gulfstream aircraft in service are 550s, proving its reputation as an established and versatile aircraft for business aviation.”
Powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce BR710 engines, the G550 can fly 6,750 nm at Mach 0.80 and is capable of linking Palm Beach, Florida, with Tokyo, or Shanghai to London. Available in numerous cabin configurations, it can seat up to 19 passengers and sleep up to eight. It has also seen extensive use outside of luxury passenger transport, including aeromedical evacuation, head-of-state transport, atmospheric research, maritime patrol, and airborne early warning.
“The G550 is also a popular choice for special missions and government configurations,” Burns continued. “The flexibility and adaptability of the aircraft make it an ideal platform for challenging missions.”
House Airports Bill Drawing Alarm from Aviation Orgs
A bill seeking to permit small airports to establish a range of operational restrictions is drawing fire from a spectrum of the aviation industry, with nine associations expressing fear that such authorization would “dismantle our national system of airports.” Representing general aviation, business aviation, cargo, helicopter, and commercial operators, the associations raised their concerns about H.R.5423, the Aircraft Noise Reduction Act, to House Transportation and Infrastructure leaders in a December 20 letter.
Rep. Joe Neguse (D-Colorado) recently introduced the bill to enable small airports to set curfews and limit the number and types of aircraft that can operate at their facilities, among other restrictions. However, the associations said that the bill would be “undercutting the utility and safety of thousands of airports across our nation and reversing course on the need to regulate aviation matters at the federal level.”
In 1990 Congress passed the Airport Noise and Capacity Act (ANCA) affirming that aviation should be federally regulated, the organizations said, adding that act “stopped an epidemic of local noise restrictions that had begun to threaten the efficiency and safety of our nation’s airports...Uniform federal authority is an essential predicate to the safe and efficient administration of the [national airspace system]."
Potez Aéronautique and Safran are the newest suppliers of components and systems to Aerion Supersonic’s 12-passenger AS2 business jet, while engine supplier GE Aviation will expand its relationship by supplying the airplane’s electrical power systems in addition to its Affinity supersonic engine, the Reno, Nevada-based aircraft developer announced. “Aligning with industry-leading partners is key to making sustainable supersonic travel a reality,” Aerion CEO Tom Vice said.
Potez is an aerostructures supplier with a specialization in design-and-build work packages for aircraft doors. “We are excited to have Potez on the AS2 team for the design and development of the aircraft doors, including the main passenger entry door,” Vice said.
Two Safran companies have been selected to join the AS2 development project as well. Safran Landing Systems will design the complete braking and landing gear system: main and nose landing gears, wheels and brakes—including extension/retraction, monitoring, and steering systems—at its engineering centers in Canada and France. The AS2’s nacelles— inlets, fan cowl doors, and thrust reverser—will be designed by Safran Nacelles in France.
Aerion declined to identify the cities it is considering for the location of its final assembly site but expects to receive the first articles for AS2 assembly in 2023.
Frequentis Powers South America’s First Remote ATC Tower
The first remote ATC tower in South America, provided by Frequentis, was recently inaugurated at the Santa Cruz military air base in Rio de Janeiro. The setup includes 16 high-resolution and pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras located around the air base that are linked to a wall of fourteen 55-inch high-definition monitors, providing controllers with a panoramic view and the ability to zoom the cameras up to 24 times.
Frequentis’s technology includes automated object detection and camera tracking based on image recognition. That allows automatic following of not only aircraft but also flocks of birds and animals on the taxiways and runways, reducing collision risks, according to Santa Cruz ATC commander Aviator Major Bruno Michel Marcondes Alves. “The system also permits inspection of runways, as well as visualization of strategic positions.”
It took six months to implement this first project in Santa Cruz and the experience gained will be used to develop standards for broader implementation. Brazil’s Department of Airspace Control (DECEA) said remote towers will make it possible to manage and control air traffic in hard-to-reach locations in states and cities in the Amazon region.
Aviation Safety Question of the Week
Provided by
Which of the following is true about aircraft stall speed?
A. The stall speed is always the same and should be memorized for a particular aircraft type.
B. When measured in true airspeed, the stall speed never changes.
C. The stall speed increases when the load factor is increased.
D. A high stall speed is desirable to improve runway performance during landing.
Part 135 Survey To Help Orgs in Flight, Duty Rewrite
Business aviation organizations, including NBAA and NATA, are surveying Part 135 organizations to get a more complete picture of the evolving community as work gets underway for a potential rewrite of pilot rest and duty requirements. At the behest of Congress, the FAA last summer formally established a Part 135 Pilot Rest and Duty Rules Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to review current regulations and make recommendations on any necessary changes.
Congress stipulated that the ARC comprises representatives of industry, labor (both from Part 135 and 91K), and safety experts, along with FAA officials. The ARC kicked off in September and held its first couple of meetings, with the next scheduled in January. Recommendations from the ARC are due within 16 months of the first meeting, but the charter of the group is to last 24 months.
“The ARC aims to incorporate the latest fatigue science into recommendations, but NATA also wants to ensure we understand how our recommendations may affect the current state of 135 operations,” NATA, which is participating in the ARC, told members this week in releasing the survey.
Open through January 20, the survey is designed to provide insight on the type, size, and complexity of operations. NATA noted that some operators might receive multiple surveys but that it should be filled out only once.
AINalerts News Tips/Feedback: News tips may be sent anonymously, but feedback must include name and contact info (we will withhold name on request). We reserve the right to edit correspondence for length, clarity and grammar. Send feedback or news tips to AINalerts editor Chad Trautvetter.
AIN Alerts is a publication of AIN Publications, 214 Franklin Avenue, Midland Park, New Jersey. Copyright 2019. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.
For advertising in AIN Alerts please contact Nancy O'Brien at nobrien@ainonline.com.
