Textron Aviation continued its strong contribution to its parent company’s financial performance during the second quarter despite “unfavorable” labor conditions and supply-chain disruptions, Textron Inc. CEO Scott Donnelly reported during a quarterly earnings call this morning.

Donnelly attributed Textron Aviation’s $78 million revenue improvement over the same period last year, to $1.4 billion, to strong demand and beneficial pricing conditions, even while deliveries proved “light” due to production inefficiencies stemming from continuing supply-chain issues. He noted that the company won’t meet its guidance for 200 deliveries this year, as some will move into 2024 because of supply-chain problems.

Textron Aviation’s production constraints led to a decrease in Citation business jet deliveries from 48 in second-quarter 2022 to 44 this year, while the company saw a modest increase in turboprop deliveries—from 35 to 37. During the period, the backlog grew by $315 million, thanks partly to the sale of 11 special-mission King Air 360s and the lighter-than-expected delivery performance.

Donnelly said he felt good about airplane demand in general. “I think [during] the Covid years, a lot of people got exposed to this market that had not in the past,” he noted. “And [private aircraft are] turning out to be a great tool. And so I think that's what continues to fuel a lot of the demand in this marketplace.”

An upgrade to Honeywell's Primus Epic avionics is now available for the Gulfstream G650/650ER. According to Gulfstream, the Block 3 avionics update enhances pilot situational awareness.

As standard features, the Block 3 update comes with new graphics modules that provide higher terrain resolution. It also has additional synthetic vision display options with better graphics, improvements to the communications and alerting systems, and updated software for the next-generation flight management system.

One new optional feature is a situational awareness package that provides 3D airport moving maps, ADS-B In visual separation on approach, and enhanced synthetic vision system symbology. Honeywell is also offering an optional predictive landing performance system that integrates with the runway overrun awareness and alerting system. 

Customers also have the option to upgrade the Primus Epic weather awareness package with eight more SiriusXM Weather products and an XM receiver. Honeywell has also added a predictive weather feature for the IntuVue RDR4000 3D weather radar system, which can warn pilots of hazardous weather such as lightning and hail. The predictive weather hazard feature also extends turbulence detection from 40 to 60 nm. 

“These enhancements provide operators even more tools that help pilots make informed safety decisions during all phases of flight, with particular emphasis on improving awareness in high-traffic situations and during takeoffs and landings,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns.

Piper Aircraft said Monday at EAA AirVenture that it expects to deliver 270 aircraft this year, up from 236 in 2022. Company v-p of sales, marketing, and customer support Ron Gunnarson characterized the market as “the best many of us have ever seen,” with dealer inventories of new M-class airplanes, as well as Seminoles and Archers, at “near zero” and available used inventories of M-class aircraft at less than 3 percent. He called market conditions, coupled with continuing supply-chain challenges, “both a curse and a blessing” that was forcing the company to “keep it real” and not over-expand during the current boom.

Gunnarson said Piper’s bottom line continues to be accredited by large fleet orders for training aircraft, including one announced earlier this year from Blue Line Aviation in North Carolina for up to 115 aircraft. He also noted strong demand for the company’s Archer DX turbo-diesel engine training aircraft from foreign markets, particularly India, which he characterized as “one of the fastest-growing commercial markets.” 

According to Gunnarson, Piper is meeting the challenge of increased demand with a $30 million modernization of plant and equipment that includes robotic welders and 3D printers. These capabilities are forming the foundation of the Piper industrial manufacturing division, which will serve Piper’s manufacturing and, using excess capacity, outside customers.

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) technology pioneer LanzaJet is the first energy provider to join the Air Transport Sector Action Group (ATAG), a global association consisting of airlines and airports, as well as aircraft and engine OEMs, to promote sustainable aviation practices. By joining the ATAG, LanzaJet will now team with like-minded industry stakeholders to support the implementation of sustainable aviation solutions.

“Our Waypoint 2050 analysis outlines the potential pathways to net-zero for aviation,” said Haldane Dodd, the organization’s executive director, adding that all of those strategies will rely heavily on a rapid switch from fossil fuels to SAF. “This may cost up to $1.45 trillion over the coming three decades and requires a collective effort from the aviation sector, governments, finance community, and new-energy providers such as LanzaJet.”

Lanzajet—whose process converts ethanol derived from renewable sources into SAF—is constructing its first commercial production facility in Soperton, Georgia, and expects it to become operational by year-end.

“Decarbonizing air travel is critical to mitigating the impacts of climate change, and SAF is our best near-term opportunity to do that,“ said LanzaJet CEO Jimmy Samartzis. “Through our partnership with ATAG, we can continue to accelerate the adoption of [SAF] worldwide, and we must accelerate this critical work now; we can’t wait…to make meaningful change.”

Honda Aircraft brought the latest version of the HondaJet to EAA AirVenture, marking the first time the Elite II has been displayed at the annual event in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Elite II adds ground spoilers to improve takeoff and landing performance and boosts range to 1,547 nm.

Honda Aircraft is also boasting its largest-ever display at AirVenture, with the HondaJet joined by a variety of Honda automobiles and motorcycles, as well as marine and other power sports products, including the Jett Lawrence HR CFR250F 2022 championship bike. For its flights to and from Oshkosh, Honda Aircraft is using sustainable aviation fuel book-and-claim to “support the industry's commitment to carbon neutrality,” the company said.

"Building on Honda’s heritage of revolutionizing mobility through technological advancement, the HondaJet Elite II redefines what it means to be a very light jet," said Honda Aircraft v-p of sales Peter Kriegler.

The HondaJet fleet now numbers some 230 airplanes that have logged more than 180,000 flight hours.

After introducing the PlaneSync GDL 60 connected aircraft management system in April for new-production aircraft with G3000 avionics, Garmin is now offering it for retrofit. PlaneSync is now available for aircraft with GTN Xi navigators, TXi flight displays, GI 275 electronic flight instruments, and select Garmin-integrated flight decks.

The GDL 60 eliminates the need for Garmin’s Flightstream 510 wireless gateway, with similar inflight Connext features such as data streaming to smart devices. This includes ADS-B traffic and weather, SiriusXM satellite weather and audio, GSR 56 Iridium satcom weather and messaging, GPS and attitude data, and engine and flight data service subscriptions.

PlaneSync automatically sends database updates to the aircraft even with no one present and when powered off; then when the pilot powers up the aircraft, the updates are synchronized with compatible avionics. The updates are done via the GDL 60’s 4G LTE or Wi-Fi connectivity.

With the optional 4G connectivity, PlaneSync allows pilots to remotely access fuel and systems status; aircraft location; Hobbs, tachometer, and flight times; battery voltage; and outside air and oil temperature. This information is viewable on the Garmin Pilot app or using Garmin’s D2 Mach 1 aviator smartwatch.

Early next year, Garmin will add the ability for engine and flight log data to be transmitted automatically after landing. The GDL 60 starts at $3,995.

Nicholas Chabbert, Daher aircraft division senior v-p, this week at EAA AirVenture reconfirmed plans announced in April at Sun 'n Fun Aero Expo to establish a second production line for its Kodiak and TBM turboprop aircraft at a former Spirit AeroSystems plant it recently acquired in Stuart, Florida. Chabbert and other Daher executives stressed that production of the Kodiak would also continue in Sandpoint, Idaho, and for the TBM 900 series in Tarbes, France, but that the Stuart facility would be used in concert with those facilities to meet the increasing aircraft demand. The Florida production lines will likely open in two to three years.

Daher plans to deliver eight of its Kodiak 900s this year and 15 in 2024; however, deliveries of its shorter Kodiak 100 Series III will still constitute two-thirds of Kodiak deliveries in 2023 and 50 percent in 2024. Chabbert said the first Kodiak 900 was recently delivered into Europe, which he called “a big market for the airplane.” Overall, 325 Kodiaks have been delivered to date, with total fleet hours approaching 350,000.

Meanwhile, Daher recently delivered its 80th TBM 960 among a total of more than 488 TBM 900-series airplanes. Previous TBM models—the 700 and 850—collectively account for 662 aircraft since the program started in 1988. More than 1,000 TBMs are based in North America and the worldwide fleet has amassed 2.6 million hours.

The comprehensive FAA reauthorization bill aims to bolster aviation safety in Alaska with provisions addressing weather and ADS-B coverage in the state. If passed into law, these provisions could see Alaska finally receiving the increase in certified weather-reporting equipment that pilots and commercial operators have been requesting for years.

Section 510 of the House bill addresses recommendations made in the 2021 FAA Alaska Aviation Safety Initiative concerning the installation of automated weather observation systems (AWOS) at airports throughout the state. It requires the FAA to install—“to the greatest extent practicable”—AWOS equipment at applicable airports by Dec. 31, 2030. Airports with existing instrument approaches will receive priority selection.

It also makes the FAA responsible for ensuring the reliability of the equipment and asserts that the agency must act to repair systems that are unable to broadcast due to any failure, including those related to telecommunications.

ADS-B coverage also was addressed in the bill with a mandate that, no later than Dec. 31, 2030, the FAA will ensure that broadcast coverage is available at 5,000 feet throughout the state.

The Senate bill makes no mention of weather cameras or AWOS equipment other than to require the implementation of “reasonable alternative mitigations to improve maintenance” of FAA weather systems that suffer frequent outages.