Gulfstream Aerospace’s second flight-test G800 took to the skies for the first time on Saturday morning, the company announced today. The ultra-long-range twinjet took off at 9:27 a.m. from Gulfstream’s headquarters at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport (KSAV) in Georgia and flew for 3 hours and 26 minutes using a 30 percent sustainable aviation fuel blend. It reached a top speed of Mach 0.935 during the flight.
“Gulfstream’s flight-test team continues to make advanced strides forward for our company,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns. Able to fly 8,000 nm nonstop, “the G800 will bring the industry’s longest range to customers around the world, and we are seeing strong demand for this capability,” he added.
This second G800 will be dedicated to environmental control systems, avionics, and flight controls evaluation and builds on the more than 1,600 test points already accomplished by the first flight-test G800, according to Gulfstream.
“Thanks to the design philosophy behind our next-generation fleet, the G800 is also benefiting from the excellent progress we continue to make in the G700 flight-test program,” Burns said. “This commonality helps us enhance efficiency and reliability for our customers, who are already seeing firsthand how well these aircraft perform.”
FAA and EASA certification of the G700 is expected in the fourth quarter, with G800 approval to follow in about six months, Gulfstream said.
Spanish police arrested four people who vandalized a business jet parked at Ibiza Airport on Friday. Three eco-protesters from the Spain-based Futuro Vegetal (Vegetable Future) and one from Extinction Rebellion daubed a German-registered Embraer Phenom 300E with yellow and black paint before gluing themselves to the fuselage.
Ibiza Airport, which is part of the Aena group, did not respond to a request for further details from AIN. Local police said the protesters have been released but have not confirmed what further legal action they may face.
Two days after the incident, another group from Futuro Vegetal claimed responsibility for damaging a super-yacht owned by Walmart heir Nancy Walton Laurie that was docked in Ibiza. According to photos posted by the group, at least one of the protesters was involved in both attacks.
Statements from the protesters emphasized their intention to target individuals in the world’s top 1 percent financial bracket, claiming that they are responsible for as much carbon dioxide output as the poorest 50 percent of the global population. The attacks occurred about a week before Spain's general election, with Futura Vegetal declaring that its action was provoked by what it regards as the failure of the country's political parties to propose an adequate response to climate change.
The House Rules Committee today is expected to consider the comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill, clearing the way for a full House vote. The Rules Committee will establish the parameters for the House vote, which is anticipated later this week.
While the bill, the Securing Growth and Robust Leadership in American Aviation Act (H.R.3935), passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee last month with a 63-0 vote, a few amendments have been floated that are generating opposition.
These includ a possible amendment from Jay Obernolte (R-California) and Matt Cartwright (D-Pennsylvania) to require all public-use airports to provide transient aircraft parking for operators and require airports and FBOs to provide free access to transit from their airplane to parking, even if that means through privately owned buildings. Similar to a measure included in the Senate bill, the amendment is strongly supported by AOPA but drawing fire from NATA, which issued a call to action to members to urge a no vote. NATA warned that the provision “ignores the unique, local operating environments of individual airports, as well as the varied needs and concerns of all stakeholders."
Other issues potentially on the table surround the mandatory airline pilot retirement age and the 1,500-hour rule for new-hire airline pilots. NBAA, meanwhile, is asking its members to reach out to House lawmakers to offer support for the overall bill.
A loose iPad that jammed a flight control pedal appears to have triggered the fatal crash of a Boeing CH-47D Chinook helicopter on a firefighting mission last summer, according to information recently published in an NTSB accident investigation docket. The NTSB has yet to issue a formal probable-cause finding.
Both crewmembers died after the aircraft, operated by Rotak Helicopter Services, crashed on July 21, 2022, near North Fork, Idaho. The helicopter was setting up for a water bucket dip 250 feet above the Salmon River and then entered into a left yaw turn that continued until it hit the water. The iPad was found in the river near the wreckage. Examination of an exemplar helicopter and accident iPad suggests that it fell between the left pedal and airframe next to the heel slide support assembly on the copilot’s side.
During tests on the exemplar helicopter conducted by the NTSB, pressure applied by the pilot’s left pedal “allowed the iPad to fall farther into the left pedal and jam between the heel slide support assembly. The jammed iPad prevented the pedals from recentering."
The NTSB found that neither pilot could reach the iPad in this position and that the crew’s flight helmets and restraints, as well as the cockpit instrument panel visor, further impeded the crew’s ability to reach down toward it.
FBO operator Avflight has expanded its network with the acquisition of the FlightLevel Aviation FBO, the sole service provider at West Michigan Regional Airport (KBIV). For Avfuel sister-company Avflight, this marks its 25th location overall and the eighth in its home state of Michigan.
FlightLevel owned the FBO—formerly known as Tulip City Air Service in reference to its location in Holland, Michigan—for less than two years, having acquired it in August 2021. Located in the airport’s 7,000-sq-ft glass-sheathed terminal, it features 20-foot-high vaulted ceilings, a large passenger lounge with a refreshment bar, two conference rooms with seating for 20 and 12, a pilot lounge with showers, crew car, and on-site car rental. It has more than 50,000 sq ft of hangar space that can accommodate aircraft up to a Gulfstream G650.
The facility will undergo rebranding and, like all Avflight locations, it will be a member of the Avfuel dealer network, offering contract fuel and the Avtrip customer loyalty program.
“Avflight Holland is a wonderful addition to our FBO network, adding yet another key Michigan tourism destination to our portfolio,” explained Joe Meszaros, the company’s v-p of operations. “We are thrilled to now support Holland’s businesses as a premier gateway to the region, welcoming leisure and business travelers alike.”
Aviation Safety Question of the Week
Provided by
In gas turbine engines, what is a spool?
A. A compressor and a shaft and turbines that drive that compressor.
B. The shaft that contains all the compressors.
C. The shaft that contains all the turbines.
D. The shaft that provides power to the accessory gearbox.
Los Angeles-based air services provider Clay Lacy Aviation has expanded its charter fleet over the past year with the addition of nine Bombardier and Gulfstream jets to its Part 135 certificate. The recent arrivals bring the company’s charter fleet to 65 aircraft nationwide.
Its latest aircraft additions include a Gulfstream G550, G450, and GV, along with a Bombardier Challenger 300 at Clay Lacy’s Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) headquarters. At John Wayne Orange County Airport (KSNA)—where the company was awarded an FBO in 2020—it picked up a G650 and a GIV-SP, and at Montana’s Bozeman Yellowstone Airport (KBZN) and Tacoma Narrows Airport (KTIW) in Washington, it signed on a G500 and a Challenger 300, respectively.
The company expects to open its third FBO, and its first on the East Coast, at Connecticut's Waterbury-Oxford Airport (KOXC) by the end of first-quarter 2024. It already operates a Part 145 repair station there and occupies a hangar with 10 based aircraft, the latest being a GIV-SP.
“These aircraft allow us to meet client demand in key markets, and follow our model of strategic, organic growth, that is supported by continued improvements and investments in our FBO and MRO services,” said Joe Barber, the company’s senior v-p of commercial operations.
Last Chance: Bizjet Vision Systems (SVS, EVS, and CVS) Webinar
Join us on Wednesday, July 19 for a webinar panel discussion with Collins Aerospace and experienced business jet pilots discussing synthetic vision systems and how they improve the operational efficiency of business jet flights.
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