Gulfstream G700 Begins Flight Testing

The new Gulfstream G700 achieved first flight on Friday, departing Gulfstream Aerospace’s headquarters at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport at 1:19 p.m. and landing back at the Georgia airport 2 hours and 32 minutes later. Piloted by Jake Howard and Eric Holmberg, with flight-test engineer Bill Osborne, the first flight-test G700—T1—made the flight on a 30/70 blend of sustainable aviation fuel.

“This first flight is a momentous occasion and the next step forward in Gulfstream’s vision for the future,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns. The G700 was introduced as the company’s flagship in October at NBAA-BACE.

Five flight-test aircraft are already manufactured, and a structural test article has completed load testing. T1 will focus on envelope expansion, flutter, stalls, flying qualities, flight control, and ice shapes; T2, cabin development and static test; T3, loads/PID, engine/thrust-reverser operation, field performance, and climb performance; T4, environmental control system, mechanical systems, flight into known icing, and cooling/vent; T5, avionics and level-D sim data. A sixth G700 will also serve as a production test aircraft, according to a Gulfstream spokeswoman.

Powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines, the Mach 0.90, 6,400-nm G700 features a five-living-area cabin with 20 panoramic windows and the Gulfstream Symmetry flight deck. Service entry of the airplane, which is a stretch derivative of the G650ER, is scheduled for 2022.

Vision Jet Fire Mystery Solved

When a first-generation Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet caught on fire while parked at Santa Monica Airport in Southern California on Dec. 27, 2019, it didn’t take long for photos and videos of the burning airplane to appear on social media. Speculation about the cause spread rapidly but Cirrus cleared up the questions around the accident with the issuance of a service bulletin on February 7. The FAA followed with an emergency airworthiness directive (AD 2020-03-50) on February 14, which calls for compliance with Cirrus SBA5X-23-03.

The Vision Jet was substantially damaged in the fire, but no one was injured. According to the NTSB preliminary report, the pilot noticed “haze in the cabin accompanied by a faint smell of smoke” after entering the cabin and closing the door. 

In a notice sent to customers on February 7, Cirrus explained that the root cause was “a potential malfunction of the audio interface circuit card, which can result in excessive heat generation…We have issued Mandatory Service Bulletin SBA5X-23-03 to resolve this issue and it affects every SF50 in operation.”

According to Cirrus, within seven days of issuing the customer communication and service bulletin, Cirrus’s Assist mobile teams and factory and authorized service centers had brought 97 percent of the more than 170 Vision Jets in the field into compliance with the service bulletin and emergency AD. 

Thress Lands at FlightSafety

Longtime Textron Aviation executive Brad Thress was named president and CEO of FlightSafety International, succeeding David Davenport who left the company he had been a part of since 1996.

Thress did not remain idle for long, following the announcement of his retirement from Textron earlier this month. He spent 27 years with the airframer, holding leadership roles in several areas including engineering and customer service, with his last title there senior v-p of parts, programs, and flight operations. He also served as Cessna’s senior v-p of business jets.

“I am honored to join FlightSafety International and look forward to leading this exceptional company,” Thress said. “FlightSafety is known for enhancing aviation safety around the world by providing the highest quality training programs and products, thanks to its outstanding teammates.”

The flight training provider operates training facilities in the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Hong Kong, India, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, South Africa, and the UK, with its instructors offering more than 1.4 million hours of instruction a year to pilots, technicians, and other aviation professionals.

Senate Panel Probes Honolulu FAA FSDO

The FAA’s Honolulu Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) is under fresh scrutiny following two separate whistleblower complaints filed last year regarding the office’s oversight of a pair of helitour operators involved in recent fatal accidents. 

Since June, the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. has been investigating the allegations from FAA employees that their supervisors obstructed effective oversight of operators, issued improper check ride certifications, had “inappropriate” relationships with operators, and retaliated against the employees when they questioned supervisors' conduct in these matters. 

In a statement issued on January 31, the Commerce Committee accused the FAA of stonewalling its investigation by delaying the production of requested documents for months and then producing tranches of documents that were largely incomplete and irrelevant. The Commerce Committee also suggested that the FAA was engaged in ongoing harassment of at least one of the whistleblowers and has asked the Transportation Department’s Inspector General to investigate.

In a statement provided to AIN, the FAA said, “The FAA takes allegations of wrongdoing very seriously and prioritizes safety above all else. The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation acknowledges that its review of these allegations is ‘incomplete and not yet conclusive.’ The FAA itself has been investigating these matters and is already taking steps to address substantiated concerns...We cannot comment further on any pending investigations or potential enforcement actions.” 

ASG: Southeast Asia Becoming Bizav Growth Driver

With a dimmer outlook and declining utilization in Greater China, Southeast Asia is poised to become the growth driver of the Asia Pacific region, according to Asian Sky Group (ASG) managing director Jeffrey Lowe.

In the latest edition of Asian Sky Quarterly detailing the business jet market, Lowe said 2019 “was unquestionably quite gloomy,” with a challenging year for Greater China facing a trade dispute with the U.S. and more recently the outbreak of the coronavirus. In particular, the percent annual GDP growth in the third quarter in Mainland China marked the weakest pace in more than 27 years.

“Each quarter of 2019 saw business confidence down and a great deal of economic pessimism, translating to more ‘I’m not sure’ when it comes to purchase intentions and a shift to a ‘Buyer’s Market,’” Lowe said. At the same time, though, purchase intentions for preowned aircraft were up slightly, making it a stronger market for aircraft such as the Gulfstream G450, he added.

With the exception of Central Asia, Asia Pacific regions mostly saw improving, even if still low, optimism levels. However, that may be tempered by the coronavirus, ASG cautions. In ASG’s survey on moods and intentions, 33 percent of respondents believed that the economy has not yet hit bottom. This marked a 4 percent improvement from the previous survey.

Leonardo Breaks Ground On Brazil Service Center

Leonardo broke ground on a new, larger regional helicopter customer service center on Friday in Itapevi, Brazil, 19 miles outside of São Paulo. The center will replace the existing facility there. Construction is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter. The new support center will include maintenance hangars, bonded warehouse, workshops, and a dedicated heliport and will house spares, maintenance, product support, engineering services for the AW119 single and AW109 light twin, along with the AW139, AW169, and AW189.

Leonardo said the new center demonstrates its “long-term commitment to the region and its customers and aligns with Leonardo’s Industrial Plan’s focus on stronger customer support services and proximity. Enhanced services will contribute to maximizing helicopter fleet mission effectiveness and safety of operations to the benefit of operators, crews and the served communities.”

To date, more than 190 Leonardo helicopters operate in Brazil, flying diverse missions including corporate/private transport, law enforcement, public services, offshore transport, and naval applications.    

Ombudsman Backs EASA Denial of Test Bank Access

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency’s refusal to grant public access to the European Central Question Bank (ECQB), the database containing more than 10,000 multiple-choice questions used by EU countries to test the theoretical knowledge of persons seeking to become professional aircraft and helicopter pilots, is justified, the European Ombudsman determined.

Moreover, European Ombudsman Emily O'Reilly found that disclosure of the test questions would undermine the integrity of theoretical knowledge examinations. “Any weaknesses in the assessment of the competence of pilots poses serious risks to public safety. Accordingly, the integrity of the exams must be protected,” the Ombudsman’s conclusion stated.

The investigation followed a complaint to the Ombudsman from a person who had asked EASA for full public access to the entire ECQB based on EU transparency rules. The Cologne-based agency, however, denied access to the test questions, citing the need to protect intellectual property rights and the need to protect its decision-making in relation to the theoretical knowledge examinations of applicants for a pilot’s license.

In her conclusion, O’Reilly noted that the interest the complainant pursues appears to be “a personal one,” as he apparently wants access to the questions to prepare for the exams.

Textron Customer Event Includes ‘Night With Doc’ B-29

Textron Aviation has opened registration for its 2020 Customer Conference set for April 14-16 in Wichita, Kansas. It is free and available to Beechcraft, Cessna, and Hawker aircraft owners and operators.

This year’s conference will feature a mix of technical and industry topics as well as social and entertainment activities. Specifically, topics will include trends and challenges for flight department operations, a review of air safety investigations, and an understanding of industry workforce challenges and opportunities.

Also, the airframer plans to host a customer social titled “A Night With Doc” that will be held at the Boeing B-29 Doc Hangar & Education Center at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport (ICT), which is the home of one of only two restored and airworthy B-29 Superfortresses. Doc was manufactured by Boeing Wichita.

“The Textron Aviation Customer Conference is a great opportunity for owners to ask questions, learn more about their aircraft, and hear updates about the industry,” said Textron Aviation senior v-p of customer support Brian Rohloff. “It’s a pleasure to host our customers for a mix of education and fun, and it’s also a chance for us to understand how they use their aircraft so that we can better anticipate their service and support needs.”

Count on AIN for Full Coverage of NBAA’s Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference

NBAA’s Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference (SDC2020) will be held from Tuesday, March 10 through Friday, March 13 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Exhibitors with news to share ahead of the show should contact AIN senior editor Curt Epstein.