Honda Aircraft is increasing the role Spirit AeroSystems will play in manufacturing its HondaJet 2600 light business jet. Spirit’s contribution to the program, formally launched on June 13, will now include a build-to-print approach to making the aircraft’s composite fuselage and bonded frame.
The company has yet to determine whether it will manufacture the 2600’s fuselage at one of its U.S. sites or at its factory in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Spirit doesn’t participate in the current HondaJet program; GKN Aerospace is the main fuselage supplier for the HA-420 HondaJet. Aernnova will contribute aerostructures and components for the new jet, which Honda will assemble at its factory in Greensboro, North Carolina.
“This agreement expands our regional and business jet portfolio and is a testament to our expertise in advanced materials and processes,” commented Alex Bellamy, v-p of regional and business jet programs at Spirit AeroSystems. Bellamy told AIN that Spirit is pursuing tier-one supplier roles in other aircraft programs. It has signed an agreement with Airbus to make the wings for its planned CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL.
Honda Aircraft plans to certify the HondaJet 2600 light jet in 2028, having first unveiled the concept at NBAA-BACE in 2021. The aircraft is a larger version of the current HondaJet, featuring the same over-the-wing-engine-mount design, a pair of Williams International FJ44-4C turbofans, and the Garmin G3000 avionics suite.
Bombardier has delivered its first Challenger 3500 destined for European operations. Nuremberg, Germany-based Aero-Dienst—which will operate the super-midsize business jet on behalf of Aviator Aircraft—oversaw the completion process and conducted the technical acceptance inspection of the twin-engine jet during a five-day delivery process in Montreal.
Upon completion of the first phase of its contract with the owner, Aero-Dienst then ferried it to Germany. There, the 3500 was registered with the Civil Aviation Authority and placed on Aero-Dienst’s air operator certificate. As one of the oldest commercial aircraft operators in the country with more than 65 years of business jet operations and maintenance experience, the company now has eight aircraft in its fleet based throughout Germany. The 3500 entered service last year and made its first visit to the continent last month.
“It makes us proud to be the operator of the first Challenger 3500 in Europe,” said Andreas Stabel, Aero-Dienst’s manager of aircraft sales. “This outstanding aircraft will be based at the Central European Airport Oberpfaffenhofen, located close to Munich in the southern part of Germany. Our experienced maintenance team will handle technical support of the new CL3500 at our own onsite service center.”
Coming out of the Covid pandemic, the FAA has had to reevaluate itself and “take a focus back on our core mission” as it works to wade through the lengthy certification, registration, and other services backlogs, said Jodi Baker, the FAA’s deputy associate administrator for aviation safety. Speaking to the attendees at the National Air Transportation Association Air Charter Summit this morning, Baker noted that the agency realized that “there's more activity and we can't keep managing work the same way we always have.”
The agency has been evaluating how it could leverage its workforce and prioritize, she said. “We’ve taken lots of actions [and] really some things we're particularly proud of,” adding the agency is seeing results already, particularly in the backlog times with the registry.
Caitlin Locke, acting deputy executive director of the Flight Standards Service, agreed. She noted that the registry time was at 191 days—“which was unacceptable”—and is now at 46 days with a goal of reaching 30 days by September. “We didn’t really do anything that crazy,” to get there but focused on how the agency could make the situation better she said.
Similarly, in certifications of new applicants, the FAA has had to make changes, she said. The agency has had a “staggeringly large list,” translating to “two or even three years to even initiate the certification process.” Those changes are helping, she noted.
World Fuel Services has expanded its branded dealer and sponsored Air Elite FBO networks.
The fuel provider has added Aircraft Specialists Jet Center at Gwinnett County Airport-Briscoe Field in Lawrenceville, Georgia, to its roster of supplied locations. The larger of the two service providers on the field, Aircraft Specialists is a full-service FBO and is open 24/7, offering access to the Atlanta area.
Miami-based World Fuel also welcomed three additional members to its sponsored Air Elite FBO network. Skyservice Business Aviation’s newest addition in Vancouver represents the company’s sixth location to join the Air Elite network. It offers a multilevel passenger lounge, conference rooms, heated hangars, and 175,000 sq ft of ramp space, while Chartright Air Group’s second FBO provides service for the greater Toronto area at Region of Waterloo International Airport, featuring a full suite of amenities, 75,000 sq ft of heated hangar space, and 150,000 sq ft of ramp. At Addison Airport in the Dallas metroplex, Galaxy FBO provides a modern terminal, an enclosed garage for customer vehicles, large hangars, and a seven-acre uninterrupted ramp.
“We are pleased to welcome these four locations to our global FBO networks,” said Malcolm Hawkins, World’s senior v-p of business aviation global sales. “Flight operators traveling in the U.S. and Canada now have even more opportunities to experience an elevated level of service from our member locations.”
Your Dream Plane’s Maintenance Journey: What’s Next?
Now that you’ve got your wings, you might be wondering, “What’s next?”
A well-informed and "engaged" facility should be reaching out to you several weeks prior to input to discuss and verify several things - and here are just a few..."
The FAA has amended its regulations to facilitate certification of Part 25 air transport aircraft, cabin-pressurization systems, and oxygen-dispensing equipment for operation at high-elevation airports—namely those above 8,000 feet msl.
Current regulations require that the cabin pressure altitude on transport airplanes remain at or below 8,000 feet in normal operating conditions. The amendments, effective on July 17, eliminate a burden on industry by removing a rule that calls for applicants to meet specialized design-modification requirements under an equivalent level of safety finding and file a petition for exemption when seeking to operate above 8,000 feet.
Under the new rules, when aircraft are operating at airports at or above 8,000 feet, cabin altitude may be up to or greater than the airport elevation by 2,000 feet, provided that in the event of a “probable failure” of the pressurization system, “the cabin altitude must not exceed 15,000 feet, or 2,000 feet above the airport elevation, whichever is higher.” Also, “the cabin pressure high altitude warning alert may be provided at up to 15,000 feet, or 2,000 feet above the airplane’s maximum takeoff and landing altitude, whichever is greater.”
Regarding passenger oxygen-dispensing units, the rules require that when operating at airports with elevations above 13,000 feet, dispensing units must be deployed automatically at cabin pressure altitudes no higher than 2,000 feet above the airplane’s maximum takeoff and landing altitude.
France’s Daher Group has launched a partnership with Ascendance Flight Technologies, a Toulouse-based start-up, to drive research into the hybridization of propulsion for Daher aircraft.
“Hybridization is the best way to show that you are going forward,” said Didier Kayat, Daher Group CEO, at a Paris Airshow media briefing on Tuesday.
Ascendance CEO Jean-Christophe Lambert said that the research would likely benefit other OEMs, as Daher has seen its research and development budget quadruple since 2017 and Ascendance has raised €34 million ($37.2 million) in the past two years.
Daher’s TBM pressurized single-engine turboprop family grew with the introduction of the TBM 960 last year, while another aircraft expected to benefit from the hybridization effort is the Kodiak utility aircraft series. Operators have taken delivery of more than 1,400 TBM and Kodiak aircraft.
“As a major player in general aviation, Daher Group is committed to achieving the goals around decarbonizing aviation by 2050 and taking significant steps towards that goal during this decade,” said Kayat. “The new collaboration illustrates the 360-degree innovation strategy we’re now implementing to make that happen.”
CrewBlast has added a dedicated aviation expensing and invoicing program to its app, which is designed for flight attendants, pilots, and flight departments.
The CrewBlast Wallet feature enables users to track their expenses while traveling through a user-friendly interface that accommodates the upload of receipts directly into the app. Further, the program can generate invoices tailored to aviation requirements and convert them into formats such as CSV or PDF. CrewBlast also incorporated a real-time currency converter within the app for international travel.
"We understand the challenges faced by aviation professionals when it comes to managing expenses and invoices while on the move,” said CrewBlast founder and CEO Timothy Griffin. “With this new addition, we aim to provide a comprehensive solution that simplifies the entire process, enhances efficiency, and ultimately contributes to the success of our users."
CrewBlast Wallet continues to expand the breadth of the app, which was launched in 2021 to connect crewmembers quickly and easily with operators that have staffing needs. Other features range from crew scheduling to communications.
The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) has teamed up with flight department consultancy Aviation Safety Solutions (AVSS) to offer an online International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) Protocol Standardization (IPS) course. Developed for business aircraft operators, safety managers, and auditors, the course provides an overview of IS-BAO in a user-friendly, self-paced format, IBAC said.
The course reviews each IS-BAO section with explanations for each protocol requirement, IBAC said. Users can complete the course in seven hours but can stop and start as needed with access to the content for up to 12 months after first log-in. IPS is accessible through the IS-BAO Training and Resources webpage and through Aviation Safety Solutions IPS course registration.
Now available to business aviation professionals online, the course is expected to be folded into IS-BAO workshops in the future.
“This co-developed course with AVSS was formed out of a mutual passion for delivering best practices for business aviation operations, including education and training programs for operators and auditors,” said Andrew Karas, IS-BAO program director. “We look forward to sharing this new tool with the industry.”
An IS-BAO auditor, AVSS provides a range of safety services and guidance.
Sustainability Question of the Week
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Which of the following is not an example of Scope 3 emissions?
A. Business travel on an airline.
B. Employees commuting to/from work at the hangar.
C. Emissions generated by aircraft tugs and fuel trucks at an FBO.
D. The emissions generated from the distribution of products.
Bombardier Global Aircraft Upgrades Webinar
Join us on July 19th to learn about the Collins Aerospace Tech Insert 5.8 for retrofitting Global 5000, 5500, 6000, and 6500 aircraft. We'll break down all the upgrades within these Bombardier service bulletins that include enhanced vision systems, real-time weather services, and upgraded traffic information.
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