Garmin expects dealers to start installing its flight deck upgrade for the Cessna Citation CJ2 in the coming months. Yesterday at the Aircraft Electronics Association Convention, the company said it expects to receive FAA supplemental type certificate approval for the upgrade in the second quarter; the all-Garmin retrofit will include TXi touchscreen flight displays, GTN Xi navigators, and GFC 600 digital autopilot, along with several options.

According to Garmin, the CJ2 upgrade will transform what it described as a "fragmented avionics architecture" into an integrated cockpit experience. Stock CJ2s have the Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite.

The upgrade features two G600 TXi flight displays, providing primary flight display and multi-function display capabilities with a touchscreen interface. It also includes situational awareness features specific to the CJ2, such as stabilized approach monitoring and aural V-speed alerting during takeoff. Meanwhile, the TXi engine indication system features a refined gauge layout and user interface.

GTN Xi navigators add next-generation GPS/navcom capabilities to the light jet, enabling VNAV with the GFC 600 autopilot and allowing pilots to create and execute holding patterns over a published or user-defined waypoint. The GFC 600 digital autopilot delivers capabilities such as coupled VNAV descents and coupled go-arounds while executing a missed approach, allowing automation to assist during high-workload procedures.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Florida arrested a man and is searching for a second for allegedly using an aviation fuel pricing scheme to embezzle nearly $800,000 from a company led by actor John Travolta. Jean Paul Lacruz Romero, a pilot who was arrested, and fellow pilot Jorden Coursey, who is still at large, are suspected of defrauding Travolta’s Constellation Productions business between October 2021 and July 2023.

Both pilots were employed by Constellation and issued company credit cards to purchase fuel and other expenses, according to the police report. A coworker contacted the police after he became concerned about how much the business was paying for fuel.

A forensic examination revealed that the pilots used their company card to purchase fuel until October 2021, the police report detailed. After that point, the pilots would pay for fuel and expenses purchased through an organization named Lux Fuels, which the pilots had called a discount fuel brokerage. However, when the coworker researched Lux Fuels, he found that the business was registered to Paola Alvarez, wife of Lacruz Romero.

The pilots allegedly used World Fuel cards issued to Lux Fuels at the point of purchase, and Lux Fuels would then invoice Constellation for the cost of the fuel and other services. The Lux Fuels invoices were compared with the actual FBO invoices to determine the extent of the alleged fraud.

Nuremberg, Germany-based MRO outfit Aero-Dienst will inaugurate a hangar expansion at its Vienna maintenance line station on April 1. Increasing the area to 16,145 sq ft results from a growth strategy that the company has pursued for several years.

Aero-Dienst has responded to increasing demand for large aircraft maintenance services by increasing its hangar capacity while simultaneously offering its maintenance customers access to the Vienna Airport FBO, which recently celebrated the reopening of its newly renovated VIP lounge.

The company has provided maintenance services for business aviation at Vienna Airport longer than any other MRO provider there, it said. “Our nearly 18 years of good partnership with Vienna Airport are very important to us,” explained Aero-Dienst Vienna station manager Christian Weigl. “We appreciate the FBO’s excellent service quality. Our regular Austrian and international customers who land in Vienna a lot use these stops to have us do maintenance work; they are also attracted by the high traffic and central location of Vienna Airport as a site for business aviation.”

The 10-member Vienna Aero-Dienst team of technicians, inspectors, and logistics and work preparation specialists serves the entire Bombardier product range, from the Learjet 45 to the Global 7500, as well as the Falcon 2000EX EASy and 900EX EASy as a Dassault-authorized service center.

High costs and limited feedstock are the key hurdles in the path toward expanding global sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, according to a new report from the UK-based Energy Industries Council (EIC).

Despite SAF’s environmental benefits—which in its neat, unblended form can reduce lifecycle carbon emissions by up to 80 percent compared with conventional jet fuel—the nascent industry today accounts for less than 1 percent of the total aviation fuel usage. With aviation’s stated ambitions of achieving net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050, overcoming challenges such as feedstock access, attracting investment, and the need for governmental policies encouraging SAF production and adoption are crucial.

According to the EIC report, substantial development is required for SAF to make a meaningful impact. Based on more than 100 announced projects, total SAF production by that point could equal 50 million tonnes a year, but reaching that amount will require a strategic focus on feedstock availability and the development of additional SAF pathways.

“While SAF has numerous environmental benefits, its adoption is not without challenges,” stated report author Nabil Ahmed, adding high production costs, two to four times that of traditional jet fuel, alongside the limited availability of scalable feedstocks, present significant hurdles. “With strategic initiatives and enhanced governmental support, including mandates and subsidy mechanisms, we can navigate these challenges effectively.”

True Blue Power has introduced the TB50, a 50-amp-hour lithium-ion main-ship battery that fits in the space occupied by typical 44-amp-hour lead-acid batteries. Unveiled today at the Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) annual convention, the lithium-ion 28-volt battery replaces batteries with capacities of 38, 42, 44, 48, or 50 amp-hours and it weighs 43.9 pounds, about 50 percent less than lead-acid and nicad batteries.

As the latest member of True Blue Power’s Gen5 series, the TB50 uses the same connectors as the batteries it replaces, although it does require the installation of a vent system and a cockpit annunciator. Information available to the flight crew includes real-time state of charge and state of health but installers can also program parameters such as charge current limiting and end-of-life, minimum dispatch capacity, and engine start readiness alerts.

After completing the first King Air 200/300 supplemental type certificate (STC) for installation of SpaceX’s Starlink satcom, AMI Aviation Services brought its customer’s Starlink-equipped King Air 200 to Fort Worth, Texas, for flight demonstrations of the system this week during the Aircraft Electronics Association Convention. AIN was invited on one of the demo flights, which took place at Perot Field/Fort Worth Alliance Airport yesterday.

During the flight, I made a video call using Facebook’s Messenger app on my phone then ran a Facebook video while testing our company content management system on my laptop. It all worked the same as if I was in my office on the ground, although the Messenger call did have audio that sounded like the caller on the other end was in a pipe.

With the six passengers all using multiple devices, along with the pilots using electronic flight bags, the post-flight results showed our flight experienced peak download speeds of more than 300 Mbps and uploads up to 35 Mbps. A three-minute average measurement showed 150 Mbps downloads. For other portions of the flight, downloads ran 10 to 30 Mbps and uploads 5 to 10 Mbps. I ran some speed tests on short final and during the landing and one showed 7.93 Mbps download and 3.7 Mbps upload, while another just a minute later jumped to 135.2 Mbps and 8.73 Mbps, respectively.

Executives from the UK’s XS Aviation plan to launch an aircraft parts trading platform on April 1 called Spaero. Led by XS Aviation owner Myles Corey, Spaero aims to unite and democratize aircraft parts trading and accelerate the procurement process, ultimately helping operators return their aircraft to service more quickly and safely.

“Spaero tackles the longstanding challenges of trust, efficiency, and inflated costs in parts trading head-on,” the company said. “Recognizing the complexity of transactions, through their dedicated efforts, the platform streamlines the entire process of buying, selling, and repairing parts, ensuring a seamless experience from start to finish.”

Operating on a subscription-free model with no sign-up costs, the platform serves as a private intermediary in which every buyer, distributor, and repair center using the platform undergoes a rigorous security and compliance audit. Recurring "know your customer" checks assess wider risk factors to aircraft operators, including those facing AOG situations.

For distributors, Spaero aims to boost parts demand and visibility and ensure all inquiries originate only from vetted end users, thereby eliminating brokers. The service is also committed to delivering improved efficiency for buyers and repair centers, streamlining bulk requests for quote processing, and real-time availability of parts.

“We created Spaero to bring a disruptive force to the sector and to help partners fed up with archaic ways of doing business and trading,” said Corey.

Private aviation company Flexjet will be showcasing its Sikorsky S-76 at the Palm Beach International Boat Show later this week. The helicopter will be on display between Dock D and Dock E, near the Worth Avenue Yachts exhibit.

“Yachting and private aviation are a perfect duo, and the Palm Beach International Boat Show provides us with a unique opportunity to showcase our helicopters to a clientele that appreciates finely appointed cabins, dedicated crews, and travel not limited by airport runways,” said Eli Flint, president of Flexjet’s helicopter division. “Demand for our helicopter service in Florida and the Bahamas is surging, and this event allows us to engage with people who want to learn more about the unique capabilities we provide.”

Use of Flexjet’s helicopters are complimentary to the company’s aircraft owners for a limited number of airport transfers within its service area. Flexjet said its Sikorsky S-76s are often used as last-mile transportation from an airport to outdoor concerts, golf courses, polo fields, and auto race infields. The company also started offering helicopter flights from Florida to the Bahamas in November.

“We are thrilled to be at the Palm Beach International Boat Show, displaying this superior helicopter fleet and demonstrating why Flexjet is the number-one choice to reach your final destination throughout Florida and The Bahamas,” said Flint.