Bombardier Defense has won a firm-fixed-price contract to supply a Global 6500 to the U.S. Army, with options for two more of the ultra-long-range business jets, the Army announced yesterday. The December 12 award was from the U.S. Army Contracting Command-Redstone Arsenal and in coordination with the Army Fixed Wing Project Office. Its first Global 6500 will be delivered on Oct. 1, 2024.

The Army will use the Global 6500s as prototypes for the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (Hades) project, which “will provide advanced deep-sensing capabilities for use in multidomain operations against peer and near-peer adversaries,” according to the Army.

“Hades will bring the Army increased range, speed, endurance, and aerial [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR)] depth,” said Joe S. Minor, project manager for Army fixed-wing aircraft. “Hades will operate at higher altitudes than legacy turboprop platforms. Higher altitudes equate to an ability to sense farther and more persistently into areas of interest. Deep sensing is the Army’s number-one operational imperative for the Army of 2030.”

In 2020, the Army started buying aerial ISR in an “as a service” technology demonstrator format from defense companies using aerial technology demonstrators. The Army’s Athena-R (radar) and Athena-S (passive detection) programs—which also use the Global 6500 as their platforms—are part of an earlier award to MAG Aerospace and L3Harris Technologies and support Hades development.

Business aircraft travel limped into the New Year, softening last month by 2.7 percent globally from a year earlier, according to the latest report from Argus International.

Based on TraqPak data, Argus’ December Global Aircraft Activity Report found operations in the North American market had declined by 3 percent year-over-year (YOY) with weaker-than-expected traffic between Christmas and New Year's. The European market plummeted by 8.8 percent last month.

In North America, fractional operators ended December with the only gain regionally, up 11.8 percent YOY. Part 135 operations fell 10 percent, while Part 91 activity inched down by 1.3 percent.

By category, large-cabin jets were relatively stable in the month, marking a 0.9 percent gain, but all other aircraft classes were down—turboprops, -7.2 percent; light jets, -2.7 percent; and midsize jets, -1.2 percent.

In Europe, a 17.1 percent YOY decline in turboprop activity helped drag down operations overall. Large-cabin jet flying dropped by 9.8 percent. Midsize jet activity was down by 3.3 percent, while light jets descended by 3.8 percent.

In the rest of the world, business aircraft activity rose 4 percent YOY last month, led by a 16.6 percent gain in light jet activity. Turbporop activity climbed 11.9 percent and midsize increased by 5.6 percent. The only category down was large-cabin jets at -10.9 percent.

FBO provider Jet Access is now accepting leases for hangar and office space at its new facility nearing completion at Dallas Executive Airport (KRBD). The company presently operates from a small leased area in the city-owned terminal on the south side of the field, which features a 7,136-foot runway.

Jet Access—with nine FBOs in the central U.S.—began construction on its KRBD complex in December 2022. It will include 60,000 sq ft of hangar space able to accommodate ultra-long-range business jets and 8,000 sq ft of office space, in addition to the existing 40,000 sq ft of hangars. A modern 8,000-sq-ft terminal will offer a pilot lounge/theater room, two snooze rooms, conference room, kitchenette, and Class A office space.

“Space is already filling up with interested parties that want to take advantage of the convenient location, brand-new facilities, and expanded hangar space,” said Sean White, the chain’s executive v-p of development. “The facility is located on the recently developed west side of the airfield, which allows direct access to I-35 and a quick route to downtown Dallas.”

Ahead of the anticipated opening in March, Jet Access—in conjunction with the North Texas Business Aviation Association—will be hosting a "dusty boots" reception and tour of the unfinished complex on January 11.

Coulson Aviation has been awarded a $16 million firefighting contract to continue supporting Southern California’s Quick Reaction Force (QRF) year-round throughout 2024, with an option to continue through 2025.

The contract includes three Boeing CH-47 Chinook helitankers, a Sikorsky S-76 intelligence and recon helicopter, and flight and maintenance crews. The aircraft operate around the clock, with pilots using night vision goggles (NVGs) at night. While the aircraft are primarily dedicated to the QRF, they are available to support other local fire departments within the 50,000-sq-mi service area in Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura counties.

The QRF is a fully equipped wildfire suppression program that launches at the first sign of fire. This is Coulson’s sixth year contracting with Southern California Edison (SCE) to support the QRF and its second year supporting it directly.

For the QRF, Coulson has flown over 700 hours—60 percent of that time at night using NVGs—and dropped more than 4.5 million gallons of water on just under 200 wildfires. Every fire Coulson fought with the QRF was successfully extinguished in its initial burn, with none expanding into large fires.

Coulson’s CH-47s are equipped with their own 3,000-gallon RADS-L delivery systems, which can hover fill in 90 seconds, as well as the company-designed and -manufactured retractable snorkel.

Guernsey’s 2-Reg aircraft registry celebrated its 10th anniversary last month. The British Crown dependency in the Channel Islands launched the registry in December 2013 and largely acts as a conduit for leased aircraft moving between lessors and lessees or for aircraft needing a temporary home while they are sold.

The offshore registry is open to fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters operated either privately or under a commercial air operator certificate, but it does not accept drones. Most aircraft are registered in Guernsey for relatively short periods and 972 aircraft have been on the registry since its inception.

Aircraft registered in Guernsey can get maintenance, overhauls, and modification projects completed before being transferred to a new owner or lessee. As of December 11, there were 248 aircraft on the registry. 

The 2-Reg aircraft registry is run under a strategic partnership between Guernsey’s government and private company SGI Group. It aims to combine a cost-effective registration process with the tax efficiencies offered by the island’s fiscal jurisdiction.

“I am delighted to see the registry go from strength to strength and provide economic and social value to Guernsey,” commented the States of Guernsey’s director of operations Damon Hackley. “It has become a significant player in the aircraft registry arena, and I look forward to seeing it grow even further.”