Jet Linx Boosts Fleet with Meridian Management Buy

Private aircraft management and jet card membership operator Jet Linx has expanded its fleet with the acquisition of Teterboro Airport-based Meridian’s aircraft charter/management division. In the transaction announced today, Jet Linx will add 23 aircraft to its managed fleet, with a combined value of more than $365 million. This brings the Nebraska operator to more than 120 aircraft under management, making it the second-largest management provider in the U.S.

“It is an honor to have purchased Meridian Aircraft Management and Air Charter, one of the most admired, respected, and trusted operators in the private jet industry,” said Jet Linx president and CEO Jamie Walker. “It also could not be better timed as it follows the grand opening of our flagship private terminal at Teterboro Airport last September.”

For Meridian, which was established at Teterboro in 1946 and gave up its Part 135 certificate in the deal, it means the end of more than three decades in the aircraft management/charter business. “Jet Linx aligns perfectly with Meridian’s values, culture, and commitment to safety, and we could not be happier to have partnered with Jet Linx to purchase our aircraft management and charter business,” explained Meridian owner and CEO Ken Forester. He noted that Meridian will continue to support its former aircraft management customers through its FBO and aircraft maintenance operations.

Time Running Out on Old Laserefs

Operators of some 965 business jets equipped with older Honeywell Laseref II and III inertial reference systems (IRS) are facing a looming obsolescence problem, as repairs of Laseref IIs and IIIs will come to an end later this year. Among the airplanes affected are Gulfstream IVs and Vs; Bombardier Globals and Challenger 601s; older Dassault Falcon 900s and 2000s; and Embraer Legacy 600s and 650s.

The main problem for these aircraft is that the Laseref II and III units are no longer repairable because parts are not available, explained Trent Tseunis, Honeywell Aerospace director of offering management for navigation and sensors. According to Duncan Aviation western regional avionics sales manager John Spellmeyer, most of the affected jets are fitted with three Laserefs, but some have two, and the total number that will need to be replaced is more than 2,500.

The upgrade path for any of these jets is Honeywell’s Laseref IV, which is a no-modification replacement for the III. A small rack adapter is needed to swap out a IV for a II. STCs are available for both.

Only a failed Laseref II or III will need to be swapped for a Laseref IV, but Honeywell is currently offering significant discounts for the Laseref IV upgrade that cuts the cost to less than half, said Spellmeyer.

Aerion Forms Partnership To Explore Synthetic Fuels

Continuing on a quest to lay the foundation for environmentally-friendly supersonic travel, Aerion Supersonic has signed a memorandum of understanding with direct air capture (DAC) specialist Carbon Engineering to explore the possible use of synthetic fuel in its AS2 Mach 1.4 business jet. Founded in 2009, Squamish, British Columbia-based Carbon Engineering produces fuels from carbon dioxide captured through the atmosphere, water, and clean electricity.

Aerion chairman, president, and CEO Tom Vice said at the AIAA Aviation Forum in June that Aerion was focused on direct air capture methods because this approach enables factories to have smaller footprints and to be built and accessible anywhere.

Aerion and Carbon Engineering will jointly evaluate requirements to ensure that the GE Aviation Affinity engine, which will power the AS2, can run entirely on synthetic fuel. In addition, the partners will consider collaborating on an air-to-fuels plant to produce synthetic fuel specifically for the AS2, Aerion added.

“The fundamental value of fuels made from atmospheric CO2 is that they create a circular system of emissions,” said Carbon Engineering CEO Steve Oldham. “Our DAC technology captures yesterday’s emitted CO2 and converts it into fuel.” Vehicles then return CO2 into the atmosphere and that CO2 is recaptured to make more fuel. 

The companies believe that the partnership will forward their common goal toward building a clean-energy transportation network.

Duncan Aviation Transitions Senior Leadership

Duncan Aviation today announced a number of senior leadership changes that were called for in the MRO provider’s midyear leadership transition plan announced earlier this year. Previously Duncan’s COO in Lincoln, Nebraska, Jeff Lake assumes the role of president from Aaron Hilkemann, who is now serving as part-time CEO and chairman of Duncan’s board of advisors.

“I am very appreciative to have had the guidance of Aaron and the entire senior management team during my career at Duncan Aviation,” said Lake. “Working together with them for years and facing numerous challenges and celebrations prepared me to coordinate active discussion and develop ongoing strategy for our team members and customers. It is obvious that our industry has challenges, but I am confident that working together, Duncan Aviation and business aviation will find opportunities and solutions that will ultimately make us stronger and more resilient.”

Assuming Lake’s COO role in Lincoln is Mike Minchow, who has been with Duncan since 1993. At Duncan’s facility in Provo, Utah, executive v-p and COO Bill Prochazka has retired after 33 years with the company. Chad Doehring, a 26-year veteran of Duncan, has assumed Prochazka’s COO post in Provo.

Lastly, Ryan Huss fills the newly created role of director of sales, overseeing all of the company’s sales teams. Huss started at Duncan 19 years ago as an airframe technician.

NTSB: Los Angeles Newscopter Hit Drone

Damage sustained by a Los Angeles news helicopter on December 4 likely resulted from a drone strike, according to an NTSB probable cause report released last week. The report states the damage was caused by “an in-flight collision with a hard object of polycarbonate construction, with size and features consistent with that of a small UAS (drone).”

The Airbus Helicopters AS350B2, operated by long-time electronic newsgathering aviation and charter firm Helinet for television station KABC, was flying in night VFR at a speed of approximately 110 knots and an altitude of 1,100 feet msl near Los Angeles City Hall. The pilot reported colliding with an unknown object and made a precautionary landing at a nearby helipad without injury to any of the three aboard.

Post-flight examination revealed minor damage to the right horizontal stabilizer and tail rotor blade. Laboratory analysis indicated the shape, dimensions, and markings of the damage to the horizontal stabilizer to be consistent with the footprint of a small drone and an infrared examination revealed material transfer of the same type of polycarbonate polymer used in small drone construction. An extensive physical and electronic search failed to locate the drone or its operator.

Viasat Maxes Out Connectivity Speeds

Viasat has eliminated “internet speed limits” for business aviation customers of its Ka-band satcom network, and some customers have already reported seeing airborne connectivity speed tests of 30 to 40 Mbps. “We removed a software limit, which takes place in a ‘traffic shaper’ in our satellite network,” explained James Person, director of business development and strategy for the satcom operator. 

Viasat’s initial Ka-band satcom services peaked at 16 Mbps and this was available even for the smallest aircraft that can accommodate the Viasat airborne hardware—super-midsize business jets such as the Gulfstream G280 and Embraer Praetor 500/600. Members of Viasat’s customer advisory board asked if more speed might be available, and it turned out that Viasat’s network had “massive amounts of capacity,” Person said. “Why not open that for our business jet customers?”

The traffic shaper limited the capability of the network for end-users and once that was removed the full capacity became available to business aviation operators. “Instead of artificially constraining the internet experience,” he said, “now it will go up to whatever capacity is available in our satellite beams and the hardware in the aircraft.”

Viasat is unique among satcom network operators in that it also provides the airborne hardware. Its system comprises just three LRUs that can fit on midsize and larger business jets, thanks to the 12-inch antenna.

StandardAero Completes Helo MRO Consolidation Early

StandardAero has completed a two-year restructuring plan of its helicopter centers of excellence (COE) early, integrating operations in Langley, British Columbia and Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada, with its Winnipeg, Manitoba helicopter COE. The consolidation brings helicopter airframe and engine MRO services into a single location in Winnipeg though its Summerside facility will continue to operate as a COE for Pratt & Whitney PT6 and PW100 turboprop engines.

Included in the consolidation was the relocation of Rolls-Royce M250 and RR300 engine lines, which join MRO lines for PT6T and Safran Arriel 1 and 2 engines that have operated in Winnipeg’s Plant 4 facility since early 2019. StandardAero also invested in facility improvements and acquired a new test cell to support the Rolls-Royce engines. The Winnipeg site also will conduct all helicopter inductions effective immediately. StandardAero officials originally expected the consolidation to be completed by year-end.

“The early completion of our COEs was a key element to ensure organizational efficiency and increase our capability to respond more effectively to the dynamic and uncertain market conditions that currently affect customers’ operations anywhere in the world,” said Winnipeg Helicopter COE v-p and general manager Claus Eisenschmid. “Our overall strategy and commitment is to be the most trusted partner for MRO services.”

ExecuJet’s Dubai MRO Gets EASA Falcon 2000EX EASy Nod

ExecuJet MRO Services Middle East, which was acquired by Dassault Aviation in early 2019, has received EASA approval to perform line and base maintenance on Falcon 2000EX EASy models. This expands Dassault’s capabilities for the Falcon line that also include the Falcon 7/8X and 900EASy up through a C check and 900C/EX up through a 36-month inspection. The MRO can support the 2000EX EASy up to and including a C check/72-month inspection.

“We are delighted to extend our maintenance and support capabilities on the Falcon aircraft in the Middle East. ExecuJet is committed to providing class-leading customer service worldwide, so enhancing our service capabilities is paramount,” said Nick Weber, regional v-p for ExecuJet MRO Services Middle East.

Based at Dubai International Airport with a line facility at Dubai South Al Maktoum International Airport, ExecuJet’s Middle East facility supports a number of aircraft types and has approvals from Rolls-Royce, GE Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace, and Collins Aerospace.