The airworthiness directive limiting Gulfstream G500/600 runway crosswind operations and the resulting, and still pending, software fix is causing some customers for the type to defer deliveries, in addition to delaying G700 and G800 certifications. Jason Aiken, the senior v-p and CFO at parent company General Dynamics, told investors today that four of 13 customers set to receive a G500/600 in the second quarter deferred deliveries to the third quarter, when the software fix is expected to be approved by the FAA.
Thanks to a Covid-driven resurgence in super-midsize jet demand, Gulfstream delivered 22 aircraft (17 large-cabin jets and five G280s) in the quarter. That compares to 18 large-cabin jets and three G280s shipped in the same three-month period last year. First-half deliveries stand at 47 aircraft (38 large cabins and nine G280s), down from 49 (43 large cabin, six G280s) a year ago.
Meanwhile, Aiken said Gulfstream’s shifting of software resources to the G500/600 fix has come at the cost of finishing an FAA-mandated line-by-line software review for the G700. Previously projected to be FAA certified by year-end, the G700 will now see a six-month program delay. In turn, he said, that will cause a cascade effect on FAA certification for the follow-on G800 derivative, which is now not anticipated to be approved until late 2023.
A “backlog clean-up” during the second quarter resulted in Gulfstream purging its backlog by $300 million in firm orders and $900 million in options from “fractional aircraft operators,” parent company General Dynamics revealed today during its quarterly investor call. Flexjet, the only known fractional customer for Gulfstreams, declined comment to AIN.
Despite this $1.2 billion reduction, funded backlog at General Dynamics’ aerospace division, which also includes Jet Aviation, ended the quarter at $18.8 billion. That was up 6.6 percent quarter-over-quarter and 38.9 percent higher than a year ago. But the company’s unfunded backlog, which includes order options, fell by nearly $1 billion from the first quarter, to $877 million.
The company’s aerospace division recorded a book-to-bill ratio of 2:1 in the quarter, with Gulfstream seeing a higher 2.2:1 ratio. Aerospace revenues in the quarter climbed by 15.1 percent year-over-year to $1.867 billion, while earnings rose 22.1 percent, to $238 million. Aircraft services sales were particularly strong in the three-month period, rising 35 percent year-over-year, and prompting General Dynamics to increase its aerospace revenue forecast for the year by $200 million, to $8.6 billion.
Daher rolled out its Aviator Marketplace e-commerce portal for parts, services, and branded products for both its in-production and legacy airplanes. Announced today at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, the Daher Aviator Marketplace is designed to provide a single source for a complete inventory of parts from Daher and its suppliers.
Inventory is already available for the TBM family of turboprop singles, while Kodiak parts are expected to be added soon. Also available are products and services for TB and Rallye-series general aviation aircraft, including those produced by predecessor companies.
Daher’s network of authorized distributors and service centers have access to the full marketplace, covering a range of products from rivets to wing subassemblies and maintenance services including upgrades and parts overhauls. A publicly-accessible pilot shop is also available with products such as aircraft tow bars, bulbs and lights, pitot tube covers, and air intakes.
“This portal is an important tool in helping us optimize the management, availability, and ordering of parts and services for our customers worldwide,” said Delphine Bourdalle, sourcing and parts director for Daher’s aircraft division. “It is vital today—especially with the current global supply chain challenges—and is part of our commitment to maintaining the highest levels of support.”
Clay Lacy Aviation has completed its 10th installation of Garmin’s G1000 NXi fully integrated flight deck on an Embraer Phenom 100. The upgrade took place at Clay Lacy’s FAA Part 145 repair station at Van Nuys Airport (KVNY) near Los Angeles. Clay Lacy has operated an Embraer authorized service center at Van Nuys since 2009, and the company is also an authorized Garmin dealer.
Garmin first revealed the G1000 NXi (next generation) flight deck in 2017 as a major upgrade to the G1000 avionics suite first introduced in 2004. The FAA approved the upgrade for Prodigy-equipped Embraer Phenom 100s in 2019. Garmin’s upgraded flight deck features glass displays with faster processors and a more intuitive, user-friendly interface.
“The G1000 NXi flight deck offers a host of leading-edge capabilities to help pilots fly safer and reach their destinations easier,” said Dan Lind, Garmin’s senior director of aviation sales and marketing. “From enhanced guidance in visual flight conditions to SurfaceWatch runway monitoring technology, the G1000 NXi is a comprehensive upgrade for any operator.”
The Sikorsky S-92 fleet has surpassed two million flight hours, a milestone that comes just six years after the fleet posted its first million flight hours. Sikorsky has delivered 300 S-92s to operators in 28 countries since 2004, with approximately 86 percent flying in the offshore oil and gas industry for personnel transport.
In addition, the type has completed more than 91,000 civil search-and-rescue missions, as well as being used for commercial airline transport, executive transport, coastal and border patrol, emergency response, and disaster relief. The S-92 is flown by 13 nations for head-of-state missions, and the aircraft is the baseline for the VH-92A helicopter for the new U.S. presidential helicopter fleet.
Overall, the fleet has a 93 percent availability rate, according to the OEM. Sikorsky said its predictive maintenance capabilities allow it to capture and analyze data to identify maintenance drivers and helps to improve readiness and reduce costs. Sikorsky combines data sets, analytics, machine learning, and prognostic algorithms to equip them with the information and parts they need for timely maintenance.
“The two million flight hours milestone is a testament to the reliability, availability, and cost-effectiveness of the S-92 in some of the world’s most demanding conditions and no-fail missions,” said Leon Silva, Sikorsky’s interim v-p of global commercial and military systems.
Duncan Aviation has expanded its satellite network with the addition of a base in Aurora, Oregon. Situated in the Charlie Hangar next to the only FBO at Aurora State Airport, Duncan’s newest permanent location can serve avionics customers in the region full time. The base operates under Duncan’s Portland repair station.
“Growth at the Aurora Airport has been significant over the last decade, and our techs have spent a great deal of time on the road, commuting between our satellite here in Portland and Aurora,” said John Almeida, manager of the Portland satellite. “With no other shop in the area doing avionics repairs, maintenance, or testing, we’re filling a niche by locating a full-time technician there. There’s a small but growing community, and we have many customers on the field who rely on us exclusively for their avionics work.”
Avionics crew lead Justin Weber, who joined Duncan three years ago after working with a Part 135 operator, is establishing the Aurora facility for the Lincoln, Nebraska-headquartered MRO chain.
Universal Aviation has expanded its partnership with Spanish ground handling provider Andalucia Aviation with the addition of Menorca to the Universal Aviation Spain network. The facilities at Menorca Airport include a dedicated general aviation ramp, onsite customs, immigration and quarantine service, crew and passenger lounges, and a prayer room. Menorca joins the Andalucia locations in Almeria, Ciudad Real, Granada, Jerez, Malaga, and Sevilla, and as with the others, it will remain branded under the Andalucia name.
Universal which has been providing ground handling services in Spain for the past four decades also operates in Madrid, Barcelona, and Girona, giving it a total of 10 locations in-country and 23 throughout the EMEA region.
“The Balearic Islands are one of the most popular and beautiful leisure destinations in the world,” said Gonzalo Barona Jr., general manager of Universal Aviation Spain, adding the islands are seeing record-setting traffic. “Based on the overwhelming success of our partnership with Andalucia Aviation, established earlier this year, we saw an opportunity to follow that model to work together to raise service levels, enhance facilities, reduce handoffs, and drive down risk at Menorca.” He noted that despite the high volume of traffic at Menorca, the company can facilitate turnarounds in less than 40 minutes.
Decatur, Texas-based MRO AeroBrigham is on record pace in 2022 with nine airframe completions and reconfigurations delivered in the first six months and more fixed-wing and rotary aircraft on the books for the remainder of the year. AeroBrigham has a mix of law enforcement, fire suppression, air medical, and corporate configurations planned this year.
In the first half of the year, AeroBrigham delivered two AT802F Fire Boss fire-bomber airplanes, two Bell 429s to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Department in Louisiana, another 429 to Collier County Sheriff’s Department in Florida, and four Bell 429s to the Jamaica Defence Force. In addition, a Bell 407GX was converted from a VIP to a fire-suppression configuration.
To accommodate the growing workload, AeroBrigham is planning a new support facility that will be adjacent to its existing facility at Decatur Municipal Airport, as well as hiring new staff.
The airframes delivered involved extensive modifications, AeroBrigham said. For Collier County, AeroBrigham completed the 429 with CNC Technologies, which provided a microwave downlink with military-grade encryption. The work also involved a hoist, MX15 thermal imager, Meeker nose and tail mounts, Trakka TLX searchlight, and AEM (Eagle) digital audio system. With the latest four 429s, AeroBrigham has now provided seven to Jamaica.
It’s Not Easy Being Green, but AIN Can Help
Join AIN in Chicago on August 30 for a free, in-person Sustainability Forum to learn about how to develop a sustainability plan for your corporate flight department. Topics to be discussed by industry experts will include sustainability legislation and industry goals, benchmarking current sustainability efforts, sustainable aviation fuel, and offset programs such as carbon credits and book-and-claim. A wrap-up will feature an OEM’s initiatives that enable corporate aviation to achieve the carbon-neutrality goals set for the next decade. Register today—lunch will be served and seating is limited.
Model(s): Global Express, XRS, 5000, 5500, 6000, 6500
Published: July 21, 2022
Effective: August 4, 2022
Requires updating non-destructive testing manual procedure ET-57-51-009 to include instructions to fulfill the inspection requirements of its associated airworthiness limitation (AWL), which mandates a special detailed inspection of the inboard, mid, and outboard flap metallic end ribs. If the inspection requirements of this AWL are not fully satisfied, there is a potential that any cracks in this area will go undetected, which could subsequently lead to structural failure of the flap.
Requires modifying the pilot's operating handbook to include an updated emergency procedure to open the emergency exit door until the gripping strap, which maintains the upholstery panel on the emergency exit trim panel, can be replaced. It has been identified that, due to interference between the emergency exit trim panel and upholstery panel, additional effort may be required to open the emergency exit door. Further investigation identified insufficient clearance between the two panels and revealed that the gripping strap is not properly sized.
Requiresrepetitive inspections of the tail rotor blades for cracks and any necessarycorrective action(s). Prompted by a determination that fatigue cracks may develop at the root section of tail rotor blades installed on these helicopters. If not detected and corrected, this condition may lead to crack propagation and consequent blade failure, possibly resulting in loss of control of the helicopter.
Requires repetitive inspections of tail rotor duplex bearings (TRDB) and, if necessary, replacement with serviceable part(s). Prompted by a reported occurrence of a damaged TRDB found on an AW139. Investigation results determined that the bearing had been removed from a sliding control assembly and reinstalled on another sliding control assembly, even though aircraft maintenance program procedures do not allow reinstallation of a removed bearing.
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