Honda Aircraft, which last month green-lighted the HondaJet 2600 as its second model, has confirmed plans to build the new light jet at its Greensboro, North Carolina facilities and to invest $55.7 million to accommodate that production. Certification of the HondaJet 2600 is planned for 2028.
Announcing the expansion plans this week, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said the addition of the 2600 line will create 280 jobs and increase the company’s total investment in the state to more than $335 million. “This decision shows our state’s commitment to developing a skilled workforce, not only in the key industry of aerospace with a flagship brand like HondaJet, but in the entire advanced manufacturing arena,” he said.
Estimating that the latest Honda Aircraft project would help increase the state’s economy by $2.37 billion, the North Carolina Economic Investment Committee approved a Job Development Investment Grant that authorizes a potential reimbursement to Honda Aircraft of more than $3.4 million over 12 years. In addition, the state set aside $381,600 to help the community finance necessary infrastructure upgrades.
“The state of North Carolina provides a rich talent pool and tremendous support from our local community and having our facilities located right next to the Piedmont Triad International Airport is an ideal location to develop and produce our new light jet,” said Honda Aircraft president and CEO Hideto Yamasaki.
AINsight: Liability Risk Management for Bizjet Owners
Everyone seems to talk about risk management in their businesses and even their personal lives. But what does risk management mean in the context of business aviation, and what risks matter the most to aircraft owners and operators?
When I talk with prospective and current aircraft owners or operators, they often seem content that liability insurance will cover all their liabilities. Yet navigating through aviation risk management entails a far wider perspective.
Whether you use or operate aircraft in your company flight department, via a charter company, or with your own crew, you should be clear-eyed about the value and purpose of insurance as part of business aviation risk management. But insurance does not mitigate or eradicate the risk of liability or property damage or loss. Rather, insurance shifts to your insurer the responsibility to pay covered claims up to policy dollar limits on your insurance policy terms.
From a 50,000-foot perspective, business aviation risk management refers to the process of identifying, assessing, and mitigating business, legal, operational, and personal aviation-related risks. These concerns affect not only your aircraft but also you and your businesses, operators, financiers, and others.
What is an ERJ 135, 140 & 145 Semi-Private Jet Conversion?
Looking to offer your passengers a first-class experience with a “hop-on” jet service? There’s a variety of customizable options available for converting an ERJ 135, 140, or 145 to a semi-private aircraft—from complete interior reconfiguration to unique exterior paint—to make your jet service stand out above the rest.
Incorrect altitude information from a faulty air data computer in a Cessna CitationJet resulted in a near-midair collision with an Embraer 170, according to the final incident report incident from France's BEA. Because of the Citation's errant data, the Embraer's TCAS failed to warn of the close call, while the air traffic controller believed that the altitude separation was adequate based on radar data.
On Jan. 12, 2022, the French-registered Citation was carrying two pilots and two passengers on a charter flight from Paris to Geneva. After observing that the left and right altimeters were giving different indications on climb-out, the crew didn’t inform ATC of the discrepancy until they were en route. Controllers informed the Citation crew of converging traffic—the Embraer 170—two miles distant and 1,000 feet higher than the business jet. In reality, the Embraer was at a distance of 1.5 miles and 665 feet lower than the Citation. Both aircraft continued to their destinations without further incident.
The fault on the Citation’s air data system 1 (left-side altimeter and airspeed indicator) had occurred three other times on this airplane since 2017. Investigators believe that all four events could be traced to a low point in the pitot system hosing where water or other contaminants caused an obstruction.
BEA made more than a dozen recommendations stemming from this investigation.
Business aircraft operators are boosting security arrangements in response to recent attacks mounted by protestors demonizing the industry on environmental grounds. According to MedAire, the company has seen a fourfold increase in demand for its security support services since eco-protesters damaged display aircraft at the EBACE show in Geneva in May and weeks later at Sylt Airport in Germany.
“We’re doing more asset protection and looking at how we can get people and their aircraft in and out of locations undetected,” MedAire CEO Bill Dolny told AIN. “We’re working with FBOs to get more secure locations at airports, and providing not only a visible security presence to protect company principals but also having people more discretely keeping a lookout on site and conducting reconnaissance missions. We’ve been contacted about providing ongoing protection but also around specific events such as company board meetings and aircraft transaction processes.”
MedAire's security teams worldwide monitor events at a national and local level, assessing security risks posed by civil unrest, crime, and political instability, including ongoing conflicts in Sudan and Ukraine. Dolny pointed out that rising threat levels are not only now being seen in regions historically viewed as insecure. For instance, the company's daily security alerts now include increased reports of threats in the U.S. and also in Western Europe.
Thales plans to acquire Cobham Aerospace Communications for $1.1 billlion, the companies announced Wednesday. The deal is expected to close in the first half of 2024.
Cobham is projecting revenues of $200 million this year and has operations in France, South Africa, the U.S., Canada, and Denmark. According to Thales, the combination will yield $10 million of annual pre-tax cost savings from “consolidation” and tack on $40 million in additional annual sales beyond the current combined revenues of both companies via market synergies and upselling.
Thales also said the acquisition would strengthen its avionics portfolio by adding Cobham’s line of safety cockpit communications and integrating both companies’ communications products to create “connected cockpits.” This spans L-band satellite communications systems (antennas and transceivers), digital audio and digital radio management, and passive antenna systems. These systems include the Cobham Aviator-S Satcom and digital audio/radio equipment that will provide future solutions to deliver real-time, cyber-secure air-to-ground services; increased operational efficiency; better pilot assistance, which is a precursor to autonomous flight solutions; and simplified OEM installations that reduce weight and drag.
Yannick Assouad, Thales executive v-p of avionics, said the deal will allow the company to “establish a game-changer in the communications and connectivity market by facilitating optimized flight trajectories in real-time, significantly reducing fuel consumption and, consequently, CO2 emissions in the next two to three years.”
Duncan Aviation recently delivered a fully refurbished Falcon 2000 with a freshly painted exterior and a new interior featuring cabinets with hydrographic finishes, the company said yesterday. The aircraft also received a Collins Pro Line 21 avionics upgrade, Collins Venue CMS upgrade, Gogo Avance L5 connectivity system, HUD removal, L3Harris GH-3900 electronic standby instrument system, and Honeywell Laseref IV inertial reference system.
The aircraft arrived at Duncan Aviation’s facility in Battle Creek, Michigan, with a deep brown color palette and solid textures, making the interior feel heavy and dark. The owner sought to lighten the interior and update it with a contemporary look.
“To achieve the owner’s vision of a modern interior, we gave the cabinets a new look that can only be achieved through hydrographics,” said Duncan Aviation lead designer Heather Pridemore. “This process is becoming very desirable and was executed by the team at the Battle Creek facility with great detail and precision, creating a stunning natural wood look.” The hydrographics process involves applying custom designs through a water transfer—making it ideal for surfaces with complex contours hard to cover with veneer.
Interior elements of the refurbished Falcon include lower sidewalls with hand-tipped leather and luxury vinyl flooring in the entry and lavatory. Meanwhile, the exterior paint scheme features wisps of blue and silver stripes to accentuate the aircraft’s length.
A Wisconsin woman was charged on June 22 with felony theft for allegedly pocketing $80,000 her charity collected to support honor flights of military veterans to Washington, D.C. Joni Nogay, 60, faces up to 10 years in prison and $25,000 in fines if convicted.
Prosecutors allege that Nogay collected $100,000 from her charity, “We Run—They Fly,” which conducts an annual 5K run in Milwaukee in support of the flights, but deposited the funds in her personal account and only disbursed $20,000 of it to the Stars and Stripes Honor Flights between 2013 and 2023.
Nogay’s attorney, Daniel Morgan Adams, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that she's “dead set on making everyone harmed in this controversy whole. Joni Nogay had every intention of being a community servant, and one thing led to another,” he said. “She is ready to make good on this situation.”
Milwaukee-based Stars and Stripes was founded in 2008 and since then has flown more than 8,000 veterans to Washington. It is part of the National Honor Flight Network that, since 2005, has flown more than 250,000 veterans, beginning with those who served in World War II, to see the memorials in the nation’s capital dedicated to their service.
Photo of the Week
Dubai by night. Scott Buethe, a development test master and pilot at Gulfstream Aerospace, snapped this photo of Dubai from a Gulfstream G600 cruising at FL450 and Mach 0.90 en route from Athens to Mumbai. We love the detail that the Dubai city lights provide at night, including the outline of the Palm Islands. Thanks for sharing, Scott!
Keep them coming. 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.
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