Honeywell is forming a new Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) business unit to advance the aerospace group’s ambitions in the fast-emerging UAS and urban air mobility (UAM) sectors. The new division, announced this morning, will have its own engineering and sales resources and will offer aircraft systems including avionics, hybrid and electric propulsion, thermal management, air traffic management, and ground services such as predictive maintenance.
The new Honeywell division will have a strong focus on developing software to advance key technological needs for UAS and UAM aircraft. These include fly-by-wire autopilot to ensure aircraft stability, detect-and-avoid algorithms to automatically fly an aircraft around oncoming traffic, and artificial intelligence to track landing zones.
“We can provide unified systems that will make [the operation of the aircraft] more simple and intuitive, which is especially important for operators who will need to depend on less well trained and experienced pilots,” said Stephane Fymat, Honeywell's v-p and general manager of the new business. “We’re taking a unified holistic approach to developing core technology for this sector and we believe we can help to make it happen and not just chase opportunity.”
Jetcraft, JSSI To Offer Buyers Unscheduled Mx Plan
Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) is offering an unscheduled maintenance program on business aircraft purchased through international broker Jetcraft that will be cost-free to buyers for the first six months or 175 flight hours under a new partnership between the two companies. Engines, airframes, avionics, and APUs that are not under warranty will be covered under the program for “manufacturer indifferent” aircraft purchased through Jetcraft that are generally five to 15 years old, officials from both companies told AIN.
The program enables Jetcraft and clients who are selling their airplanes through the broker a way to differentiate themselves in the preowned market, said Jetcraft president Chad Anderson. It's also an opportunity for JSSI to extend and expand buyers’ participation in its maintenance programs, said JSSI senior v-p of business development and strategy Francisco Zozaya.
JSSI already offers maintenance programs for a business aircraft and its systems that are no longer covered by a warranty, including for scheduled and unscheduled maintenance. “This is the first time that a broker-dealer actually has the ability to offer [an unscheduled maintenance program from JSSI] across different makes and models on a global basis,” Zozaya explained. He added that once the six months is up, Jetcraft customers will be eligible for JSSI’s pay-by-the-hour maintenance program at a preferred, initial enrollment fee that’s roughly about half of its normal cost.
Charter Execs See Light, Midsize Jets Drive Uptick
Charter and fractional industry executives have seen an uptick in business particularly in the past two to three weeks, but business still remains at a level that is two-thirds or less than those from a year ago. Speaking during an NBAA Leadership Council Briefing webinar late last week, Solairus Aviation manager of fleet utilization and standardization Chad Davidson called the last three weeks “more encouraging than discouraging” and said he’s seen business return to the 50 to 60 percent level. Similarly, Flexjet senior v-p for flight operations Joe Salata has also seen business return to about two-thirds of levels from last year.
Operations in May were less predictable—busy for some and “very dead” for others, Davidson said. This might have “equated directly to whether people were flying on light and midsize jets and maybe super-mids versus heavy and ultra-long-ranges,” he said.
Solairus is seeing “a very large uptick in that light and mid category of new clients and referrals,” he said. This involved a number of people new to private aviation. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it before.” Bookings are improving on long-range and heavy jets of late, and Solairus conducted two such trips to Europe in recent weeks. Those trips involved a high level of operational complexity, with typically simple details such as finding ground transportation proving difficult, he said.
Senate Panel Moves To Pause Ligado Cellular Network
As a cross-section of the civil aviation community continues to voice grave concerns about plans for Ligado Networks to move forward with a cellular network using the L-band spectrum, a U.S. Senate committee voiced its own worries about the ramifications on military operations and moved to stall those plans.
In the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), the Senate Armed Services Committee included language calling the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to approve Ligado’s bandwidth request “misguided,” expressing concerns that it would interfere with GPS signals. “As our warfighters rely on these signals, the bill prohibits the use of DOD funds to comply with the FCC Order on Ligado until the Secretary of Defense submits an estimate of the costs associated with the resulting GPS interference, and directs the Secretary of Defense to contract with the National Academies of Science and Engineering for an independent technical review of the order to provide additional technical evaluation to review Ligado’s and DOD’s approaches to testing,” a summary of the NDAA states.
The committee approved the bill on Thursday by a 25-2 vote, clearing the way for full Senate consideration. Various House Armed Forces subcommittees are anticipated to begin work on the lower chamber’s version of the FY’2021 NDAA next week, with a full committee vote planned at the beginning of July.
Textron Aviation has delivered the 250th Cessna Citation M2 entry-level jet, the Wichita airframer announced today. The milestone copy of the upgraded variant of the Model 525 CitationJet was delivered to Fast Rabbit Aviation in Seattle.
“The M2 is an ideal fit for operators in need of an agile aircraft with the power, range, and speed to complete their mission with efficiency and comfort,” said Textron Aviation senior v-p of sales Rob Scholl. “Today, when reliability, flexibility, and value are more vital than ever before, we’re proud to reach this milestone and continue providing an aircraft that can support the operations of many dynamic organizations worldwide.”
The single-pilot light twinet was certified and first delivered in December 2013. Powered by two Williams FJ44 turbofans, the M2 seats seven passengers and has a range of 1,550 nm and a 404-ktas cruise speed. Recent updates to the aircraft include Garmin G3000 avionics that Scholl said allow “a straightforward transition for piston and turboprop aircraft pilots.” Fast Rabbit owners plan to use their new M2 for frequent trips along the U.S. West Coast and are considering a round-the-world flight.
Textron Aviation noted this latest delivery adds to its more than 5,000 light jet deliveries, which include the Citation CJ3+ and CJ4.
New Mexico Mx Providers Join in Local Covid Support
With many members of the New Mexico community suffering economic hardship during the Covid-19 pandemic, aircraft maintenance providers at Santa Fe Municipal Airport (SAF) have joined together in a charity initiative. Santa Fe Aero Services and Skyland Aircraft have partnered with the local Food Depot to provide financial support during the crisis.
The two companies have pledged to donate 25 percent of the labor costs on annual aircraft inspections performed through the end of September, in the name of the customer, to the 501(c)(3) charity. The customer will in turn receive a donation receipt in the amount, which for a 27- to 34-hour inspection will equal approximately $700. The MROs also will apply that donation plan to any follow-up work needed to correct any defects encountered during the inspection.
Santa Fe Aero Services has also coordinated with SAF FBO Jet Center Santa Fe to offer a fuel discount for any out-of-town customers who fly in to support the initiative.
“Because we are able to keep our techs employed, they all got together and brainstormed ideas on how to give something back to those not as fortunate, which in New Mexico is a staggering amount of used-to-be breadwinners,” Santa Fe Aero Services president Ron Tarrson told AIN. “We all came up with an acceptable way of making a social impact.”
Acass Expands Global Footprint Through Sonas Stake
Business aviation support group Acass is expanding its global footprint with the formation of Acass Ireland. The expansion is made possible through the Montreal-based company’s ownership stake in Irish private aviation operator Sonas Aviation.
“Acass Ireland is a major milestone for us in several ways,” said Acass CEO Andre Khury. “First, it builds on our already strong physical presence in Europe. Second, it exponentially expands our charter capabilities. And, finally, it allows us to offer our clients very flexible management options in a post-Brexit world.”
Sonas’s EASA Type A air operator certificate provides Acass efficient importation of private and corporate aircraft into the European Union, unrestricted access and free circulation for aircraft through Europe, and a simple tax environment, explained Acass Ireland president Graham Williamson. “Acass Ireland can deliver the comprehensive bespoke solutions and the same highly experienced team Sonas was known for with the peace of mind and resources of a global leader like Acass.”
Acass Ireland has offices at Shannon Airport in Ireland and Farnborough in the UK.
Aviation Safety Question of the Week
Provided by
Which of the following has been defined as a critical element to avoid airplane upsets?
A. Autopilot and autothrottle.
B. Flight director.
C. Active monitoring.
D. Multicrew operations.
Siemens Offers UV Light as Cabin Disinfection Solution
Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA has joined the effort to provide the aviation industry with options to guard against the risk of Covid-19 infection. The group is now offering UV light systems that it says provide an effective way to disinfect aircraft cabins or buildings such as FBOs. The equipment, which uses technology developed by Violet Defense, can be customized according to the size and layout of the areas to be cleaned.
According to the company, the UV treatment has been demonstrated to “inactivate” pathogens. Violet Defense has presented the findings of third-party laboratory tests showing that it has been effective in “killing” various bacteria, viruses, and fungi including E.coli, Salmonella, MRSA, C.diff, Norovirus, and C.auris. Florida-based Violet Defense is awaiting results from independent testing to confirm whether it is specifically effective against Covid-19.
UV light only affects pathogens that are within a direct line of sight, and so the solution offered by Siemens involves the use of multiple overlapping lights to achieve an optimal impact level in the cabin or space being disinfected. By leveraging the low-penetration characteristics of UV rays, the indirect reach to some obscured areas can be achieved using reflective materials such as aluminum, foil, or reflective paint.
In tests conducted on a Boeing 757, the Siemens team was able to disinfect a 100-sq-ft area in 30 minutes.
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