The new Gulfstream G500 and G600 will make their regional debut next week at the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) show at Dubai Al Maktoum International Airport. They will round out Gulfstream Aerospace’s complete line-up of in-production aircraft on static display at MEBAA 2018, which will also include the super-midsize G280, large-cabin G550, and flagship G650ER.
“We are proud to showcase our latest aircraft, the G500 and G600, along with the full complement of the Gulfstream fleet at the MEBAA show,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns. “We have been delivering aircraft to this region since the 1960s and value the commitment of our customers and their recognition of the benefits delivered by the evolving Gulfstream product line.”
The G500, which entered service in September and has amassed nearly 30 city-pair speed records, can link Dubai with Cape Town, South Africa, at Mach 0.90. Meanwhile, the G600, which is slated to enter service early next year, is capable of flying from New York to Dubai at Mach 0.87, according to Gulfstream.
Executive Aircraft Maintenance Relocates to PHX
Executive Aircraft Maintenance (EAM) has relocated from Arizona’s Scottsdale Airport to a larger facility at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. The Class III FAA Part 145 repair station will now be a tenant of Swift Aviation at Sky Harbor and occupy a 40,000-sq-ft hangar, which can shelter aircraft as large as an MD-80. With that increase in space, the company plans to focus on larger aircraft, in addition to the smaller airframes it has maintained over its decades-long history.
Currently, the company’s capabilities include Gulfstream, Beechcraft, Bombardier Challenger, Embraer Legacy, and Cessna Citation inspections and line maintenance, as well as extensive sheet metal repairs and modifications. The company also offers modifications from Raisbeck and Blackhawk.
As an authorized dealer for most cockpit and cabin avionics equipment, it can perform work ranging from repairs and simple installations to full cockpit retrofits. EAM specializes in ADS-B installations for aircraft up to midsize jets from all the major avionics manufacturers, as well as cabin connectivity systems and autopilots.
"This transition has been seamless for our existing customers,” noted vice president of operations Jorge Gonzalez, adding the company is excited about the possibilities the additional space will offer. “We now have the ability to focus our resources on the avionics and maintenance needs of our customers, while expanding into some new territory, including custom interiors."
NYPD Launches Drone Force
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is launching a drone program with 14 aircraft that will be operated by FAA-licensed officers of the Technical Assistance Response Unit (TARU). TARU provides the NYPD with specialized investigative equipment and tactical support and has developed an expertise in audio/visual technology that is used to recover surveillance video, record police action at large-scale demonstrations and arrests, and provide live video to incident commanders during emergencies.
Its UAS fleet will consist of 11 DJI Mavic Pro quadcopters; two larger DJI all-weather M210 RTK quadcopters fitted with a 30x zoom camera, thermal imaging capabilities and 3-D mapping that will be used for search and rescue; and one DJI Inspire 1 to be used for training.
The NYPD emphasized that the drones would not be used for routine patrol, traffic enforcement, or warrantless searches. Rather the department said the aircraft would only be flown for search and rescue, accident and crime scene documentation, evidence search at large or inaccessible locations, hazmat incidents, traffic, and pedestrian monitoring at large events, and to provide assistance at hostage/barricade situations.
Execujet Haite, the China-based aviation maintenance joint venture between ExecuJet Aviation and Tianjin Haite, has received maintenance organization approval from the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) and the Aruba Department of Civil Aviation (ADCA) to provide full maintenance services at its MRO facility at Tianjin Binhai Airport.
The full-service location also holds maintenance approval from CAAC, FAA, EASA, the Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, and Macau. An authorized service facility for Embraer Executive Jets, Bombardier Business Aircraft, and Dassault Falcon, the MRO also provides line and base maintenance on several Gulfstream models. It is also authorized to provide service on multiple GE and Rolls-Royce engine types and is a Honeywell-authorized dealer.
“We are proud to be one of the safest and most trustworthy business aviation operators in the industry, and we are recognized by a growing number of the world’s leading aviation bodies,” said Execujet Haite general manager Paul Desgrosseilliers. “We have an unwavering commitment to delivering a quality service that runs through the core of our global network, and we look forward to providing maintenance on more of the world’s aircraft in 2019 and beyond.”
Liberty Hall Builds on Aerospace Portfolio with APG
Private-equity firm Liberty Hall Capital Partner acquired flight operations engineering firm Aircraft Performance Group (APG). Founded in 1999 to bring takeoff, landing, and weight-and-balance services expertise to corporate operators and air carriers, APG serves more than 1,800 customers that represent more than 11,000 aircraft worldwide.
Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but Liberty Hall, which specializes in the aerospace and defense markets, called APG a “platform acquisition” and said it planned to help build on the company’s services. APG's existing management team, including CEO Michael Caflisch, will remain in place.
"Over its nearly 20-year history, Aircraft Performance Group has grown into a leading independent, global provider of flight and aircraft performance software solutions through continuous development of new technologies and products,” said Rowan Taylor, Liberty Hall's founding and managing partner. “We intend to provide APG the resources to continue its history of innovation and disruption in its market segment and better serve its customers by accelerating the introduction of these technologies and products."
APG is Liberty Hall’s fifth platform investment and first in the software service field, the company said.
Van Horn LongRanger Blades Receive Brazil, Canada Nods
Tempe, Arizona-based Van Horn Aviation is expanding the market for its composite 206L LongRanger main rotor blades with STC validations from Canada and Brazil. Canadian STC approval was granted on December 3 after the Brazilian ANAC greenlighted the STC on November 29. These approvals followed an FAA STC nod in August and both cover the 206L-1, -3, and -4 fleets. In addition, Transport Canada validation applies to 206Ls.
“We’ve had orders from several Canadian 206L operators since the FAA STC was announced in August,” said Van Horn Aviation president Dean Rosenlof. “We’re pleased that both Transport Canada and ANAC were able to validate the FAA STC within a few months so we could get the product to our customers in these countries.”
The blades are designed with corrosion and damage-resistant carbon fiber skin, titanium root grip plates, foam core, and electroformed nickel and stainless steel abrasion strips along the leading edge. Van Horn Aviation customers have reported speed increases of one to three knots thanks in part to the NASA-designed laminar flow airfoil that enables air to move more efficiently over the blade.
“Our 206L main rotor blades offer performance and fiscal improvements over the OEM blades, at nearly the same initial acquisition cost,” said Rosenlof.
South Dakota FBO Gets New Owner, New Name
Skyways, the lone FBO at South Dakota’s Huron Regional Airport (KHON), has been sold and renamed Fly Jet Center. In addition to the new name, the Avfuel-branded FBO has completed a renovation of its facility, which features a pilots' lounge, conference room, flight-planning room, and passenger lobby.
The facility has heated hangar space and can accommodate aircraft up to an Embraer Legacy 650. Located in the eastern part of the state, the full-service FBO offers aircraft maintenance and sales, as well as aircraft charter through sister company Jet 60.
“The new name is representative of the developments we’re making at KHON,” said company president and COO Tanyika Sims. “We’re thrilled to be able to serve South Dakota’s aviation market, as well as those visiting for a quick tech stop, with the quality services they deserve in a facility of which the Huron community can be proud.”
Airplus Maintenance Upgrades Phenom 300 for ADS-B
German MRO airplus Maintenance completed its first ADS-B upgrade on an Embraer Phenom 300. The upgrade was completed ahead of schedule, the company said.
“To deliver a reliable and cost-effective ADS-B solution and to keep the ground time low, is what we are focusing on,” added airplus COO Florian Kindzorra, stressing the need for other operators to book slots for the modification as soon as possible with the 2020 mandate looming.
The latest upgrade expands on the offerings for the maintenance provider that is based at Friedrichshafen Airport in Germany. The company, which has more than 20 years of experience in the business and general aviation market, provides a range of services, including maintenance, inspection, parts, repairs, avionics upgrades, equipment installation, modification, refurbishments, and other specialized services for piston, turboprop, and jet aircraft. The company has a hangar to accommodate midsize aircraft and another for aircraft up to the size of a Boeing 737.
Requires revising the existing maintenance or inspection program, as applicable, to incorporate new or more restrictive maintenance requirements and airworthiness limitations.
Affected parts include main gearbox (MGB) suspension bar right-hand-side rear attachment fitting (P/N 330A22-2702-07) and screws (P/N 330A22-0135-20); MGB suspension bar left-hand-side rear attachment fitting (P/N 330A22-2702-06) and screws (P/N 330A22-0135-20); and MGB suspension bar front attachment fitting screws. Requires determination of the accumulated service life and introduces life limits to replace the affected parts with serviceable parts. Prompted by review of helicopter in-service data that revealed tightening torque loss of the attachment screws of the upper deck fittings of the three MGB suspension bars.
Requires repetitive inspections of the tail rotor servo actuator’s back-end castellated nut slippage marking, as well as the roughness and breakaway force of the tail rotor duplex bearing, and any applicable corrective action(s).
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