Gulfstream Further Lowers G700 Cabin Altitude

Gulfstream Aerospace is lowering the cabin altitude of its G700 flagship to 2,916 feet at 41,000 feet, marking an improvement from the originally announced 3,290-foot cabin altitude. The change, Gulfstream said, will give the 7,500-nm airplane the lowest cabin altitude of any large-cabin business jet.

“This new, industry-leading cabin altitude is a result of our ongoing investments in customer health and safety and will provide even more comfort for passengers over the ultra-long-range flights the G700 is capable of achieving,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns.

Along with the low cabin altitude, Gulfstream has designed the cabin to have 100 percent fresh air, “whisper-quiet” noise levels, a high-definition circadian lighting system, 20 panoramic oval windows, and a seating design with advanced ergonomics.

Eyeing a late 2022 entry-into-service timeline, Gulfstream flew the first fully outfitted production test aircraft on April 15. Plans call to examine more than 15,500 test points on the aircraft cabin, which can accommodate up to five living areas, to ensure its comfort, maturity, and durability.

The fully outfitted aircraft joined the five flight-test vehicles already in the G700 program that had collectively accrued some 1,100 hours by mid-February, about a year after the initial G700 took to the skies for the first time on Feb. 14, 2020.

Wireless Cabin Management System Introduced

Cabin Management Solutions unveiled its new CMS Evolve cabin management and in-flight entertainment system at the Aircraft Electronics Association convention in Dallas this week. Evolve eliminates wired connections between components using a patented wireless technology that penetrates interior furnishings and products.

The first STC for Evolve is in a Dassault Falcon 900 and the next will be for a Gulfstream G550, part of an approved model list STC program for Part 25 jets, according to Jeffrey McCormick, v-p of operations for Cabin Management Solutions.

McCormick said the Falcon 900 installation uses one of the company’s Evolve cabin management units (CMUs) to control lighting, window shades, and environmental and other systems. The CMU communicates wirelessly with devices connected to Evolve touch switch panels, touch panels, and remote-mount switches, making installation much easier, without the need to run cables or wiring throughout the airplane.

Most Cabin Management Solutions products are made using additive manufacturing technology to speed up development and delivery times. Products are tested in the company’s own lab, which can perform tests to RTCA DO-160 environmental standards, McCormick said. In addition to the cabin management products, Cabin Management Solutions also makes its own series of lightweight monitors up to 65 inches.

Cabin Management Solutions expects to establish dealer relationships and begin taking orders before NBAA-BACE in October.

Blade, Eve Strike U.S. Urban Air Mobility Service Deal

Embraer subsidiary Eve Urban Mobility Solutions and transport provider Blade have struck a deal whereby Eve will provide Blade with up to 60,000 hours of flight time per year on its currently-under-development eVTOL aircraft starting in 2026. Eve president and CEO Andre Stein said Blade will be instrumental in the deployment of the Eve eVTOL in the Southern Florida and West Coast markets.

Eve said it has reached key milestones on its path to certification, including the first flight of the engineering simulator last July and the proof of concept in October. At the same time, the company’s Urban Air Traffic Management project has collaborated with the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority to develop the scalable environment needed to allow the operation of urban air mobility flights.

The U.S. agreement, subject to definitive final agreements, will see Eve, along with local partners deploy up to 60 aircraft across the country for the use of Blade, which will pay for the flight time accrued on the aircraft. Blade is a charter broker and does not operate any aircraft.

“Blade is aligned with our mission as they have created a platform that provides the user seamless access to urban air mobility, and now with Eve to provide an experience that is quiet and without emissions,” said Stein.

House Bill Would Protect FAA from Government Shutdown

House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders have reintroduced a measure to shield the FAA from the effects of federal government shutdowns. Offered by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon), aviation subcommittee chairman Rick Larsen (D-Washington), and Reps. Bob Gibbs (R-Ohio) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania), the Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2021 would enable the FAA to continue to draw from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF) and maintain operations for up to 30 days without congressional action should the federal government shut down due to a budget lapse.

Bill managers say this would help avoid a situation like the one that resulted from the 2018/2019 federal government shutdown, which led to the furlough of about 17,000 FAA employees, accounting for approximately 40 percent of the agency. The remaining employees, including air traffic controllers, continued to work without pay. DeFazio and Larsen first introduced legislation to protect that from happening again in early 2019, shortly after the historic 35-day shutdown ended.

The latest bill has garnered endorsements from more than 30 aviation organizations. Lawmakers call the legislation necessary for protecting public safety.

DeFazio said the aviation system “contributes trillions of dollars to our national economy and supports millions of American jobs. We can’t allow for everything to be thrown into chaos in the event of a federal government shutdown."

Take The Stress Out Of Turbulence With Bombardier’s Smooth Flĕx Wing

One of the most important aspects of a wing’s design that yields the greatest effect on ride quality is wing loading, which is the relationship between the weight of the aircraft and the size of its wing.

Plane Simple Antenna To Make STC Debut on Falcon 2000

Satcom Direct’s tail-mounted Plane Simple Ku-band satcom antenna will first be STC’d for Dassault Falcon 2000-series jets, the company announced this week. Installation of the Plane Simple dual variant antenna on a Falcon 2000LX is currently ongoing at Dassault’s facility in Little Rock, Arkansas, with aerial validation flights to start next month followed by STC approval and service entry in the third quarter.

Plane Simple provisional hardware is already installed on Satcom Direct’s Gulfstream G350 testbed and has been able to provide “true broadband” connectivity during more than 100 test flights. The company will soon be upgrading the G350 with “qualified hardware” and then will STC Plane Simple on this platform by year-end, after the Falcon 2000 approval. Further STCs will follow by year-end, though Satcom Direct was mum on what business jets models might be next.

“Adding a second platform will serve to further verify the benefits of integrating the new advanced technology antenna with the already proven SD ecosystem of hardware, software and terrestrial infrastructure. Our mission is to analyze the performance and deliver a reliable, validated, connectivity solution,” said Chris Moore, the company’s president of business aviation.

The Plane Simple Ku-band antenna is the first in a series of antenna systems being developed by SD in partnership with Germany-based QEST Quantenelektronische Systeme. Once activated, the terminal will support Intelsat’s FlexExec Ku-band service.

Atlantic Aviation’s Clive Lowe Steps In as NATA Chair

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) selected its leadership for the upcoming year, naming Atlantic Aviation Services executive v-p Clive Lowe as chairman and TAC Air COO Joe Gibney as vice-chair. Lowe succeeds Curt Castagna, the president and CEO of Aeroplex/Aerolease Group who will remain on the NATA Executive Committee as immediate past chair.

“We all owe a debt of gratitude to Curt as he completes his second term as board chairman,” said NATA president and CEO Timothy Obitts. “Curt’s dedication to seeing the association and its membership thrive despite great odds is commendable.”

As immediate past chair, Castagna will continue to support initiatives that foster relationships between aviation businesses and their communities, Obitts said. Alongside Castagna is Ross Aviation president and CEO Jeff Ross, who was elected to another term as past chair on NATA’s Executive Committee. Meanwhile, C.R. Sincock, president and CEO of Avflight, and Todd Anderson, COO of Sheltair Aviation, joined the board.

"C.R. Sincock and Todd Anderson join NATA’s board at a crucial time for our industry,” added Obitts. “NATA and its membership benefited greatly from the expertise and steady guidance of the board this past year as we faced so many unknowns. We look forward to Clive’s leadership as incoming chairman and the addition of C.R. and Todd as we continue to grow our membership and build on our achievements.”

Send Solutions Unveils Tablet Bulkhead Mounts

Send Solutions unveiled a new series of bulkhead mounts that hold Apple iPads that can display moving-map information for business aircraft passengers this week at the Aircraft Electronics Association convention in Dallas. The mounts are approved under FAA non-required safety-enhancing equipment standards and come in sizes to accommodate 10.2- and 12.9-inch iPads.

For moving-map information, Send Solutions connects its Airtext+ or new map-only Airtext Iridium connectivity devices to the HD Map display. More than 15 aircraft icons are available for the moving-map display, along with custom welcome messages, logos, and briefing.

When connected to the Airtext device, the iPad operates in bulkhead mode and switches itself on and off automatically. The mount can be installed in portrait or landscape mode on bulkheads and cabin dividers, and its front frame is held on magnetically and is easily removable to access the iPad.

The Airtext map-only device retails for $7,350, and the mounts cost $3,000 for the 10.2-in iPad and $5,000 for the 13.9-inch iPad. Both of the latter prices include the mount and iPad.

FAA Signs Off on AEA’s Avionics Tech Apprenticeships

The Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) has been notified by the FAA that its avionics technician apprenticeship program satisfies regulatory compliance for the issuance of a repairman certificate. This announcement was made by FAA Aircraft Maintenance Division manager Jackie Black during the regulatory session yesterday at AEA’s 64th annual convention and trade show in Dallas.

AEA’s program, which provides member repair stations with a framework to train avionics technician apprentices, already received approval from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration Office of Apprenticeship in 2019. Representatives of AEA-member repair stations and manufacturers partnered with AEA and the Urban Institute to create the program.

“AEA-member repair stations have another tool to grow their own and successfully recruit, train and retain qualified technicians,” said AEA president and CEO Mike Adamson. “It is another critical step in our industry's ongoing workforce development efforts and offers a new career pathway where individuals can simultaneously earn a competitive wage, gain knowledge with structured learning and on-the-job training, and achieve industry-recognized credentials.”