Bombardier’s new line maintenance station (LMS) in Perth, Australia, is the company’s tenth and provides more local service options, complementing the company’s Melbourne service center that opened in September 2022.

At the Perth LMS, Bombardier offers light scheduled, unscheduled, and aircraft-on-ground support for all Learjets, Challengers, and Globals. Bombardier also operates mobile response trucks in Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, and plans to open a second LMS in Sydney later this year.

These added capabilities are part of Bombardier’s Services and Support business growth in the region. In addition to stocking parts at the Melbourne service center, Bombardier has Asia distribution hubs in Singapore and Hong Kong. The company now has 10 service centers and 50 mobile response and unscheduled maintenance team units globally.

“The addition of the Perth line maintenance station is an integral part of our overall mission to enhance OEM support for our customers in Australia,” said Paul Sislian, Bombardier executive v-p for aftermarket services and strategy. “We are delighted to be offering our customers expanded support, more resources, and increased flexibility closer to their base of operations.”

In the early 1950s, my mother, Janice Barden, stepped into the niche field of aviation recruitment. The industry was still in its early stages and there was no shortage of seasoned pilots. Over her six decades, she witnessed an influx of pilots in business aviation. They came to us after the Korean and Vietnam wars, in the early 1980s, post-9/11, and during the Great Recession in 2008.

The business aviation industry offered a great opportunity for pilots looking to make a career change. They sought more stable career opportunities and perceived corporate flying as financially secure during a period of stalled advancement at the airlines. Moreover, their extensive flight hours and experience were welcomed in our sector.

My mom had an eye for talent and an unwavering belief: that regional pilots were the hidden gems of the skies. Every day, they experienced frequent takeoffs and landings, braved all sorts of weather, and navigated through high-density airports. They also amassed a lot of flight hours.

But the current aviation pipeline presents a different scenario as traditional paths to accruing flight hours have dwindled. Today, developing pilots have fewer options to gain the experience they need outside of flight instructing. Once a pilot achieves the magic 1,500-hour number, it’s off to the airlines. And without the airlines scaling back, there’s no reason for most pilots to consider a business aviation career.

Winds were gusting to 35 knots and the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) did not activate when an Endeavour Air (dba Delta Connection) Bombardier CRJ-900LR crashed on February 17 at Toronto Pearson Airport (CYYZ), according to a preliminary report issued yesterday by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).

The report includes data retrieved from the aircraft’s flight data recorder, along with weather information issued before and after the occurrence. It also provides details on the post-impact condition of the aircraft, including structural damage and engine status, and summarizes the emergency response and evacuation. A video featuring the investigator-in-charge has been released to offer a firsthand update on the investigation’s progress.

While landing on Runway 23, the right main landing gear of the Endeavor Air CRJ (dba Delta Connection) fractured, causing the landing gear to collapse and the wing root to detach from the fuselage when the wing struck the ground. The wing separated, releasing jet fuel that ignited a fire. After the aircraft inverted and slid along Runway 23, it came to rest inverted near the intersection of Runway 23 and Runway 15L.

The right wing detached completely and slid about 215 feet further along the runway. Two flight crewmembers, two cabin crewmembers, and 76 passengers were on the flight.

Execujet Flight Services, one of three FBOs at St. Thomas Cyril E. King Airport (TIST) in the U.S. Virgin Islands (and not to be confused with Luxaviation Group’s worldwide ExecuJet FBO chain), has completed its new terminal.

The multimillion-dollar project took 18 months to build and replaces the service provider’s former terminal, which was rendered unusable following 2017’s twin hurricanes Irma and Maria. Execujet was forced to demolish the old building and operate from a temporary 800-sq-ft facility that will now house USVI-based medevac provider AeroMD.

A lot is packed into the company’s 1,400-sq-ft facility, which is powered by solar energy. It features passenger and pilot lounges, private bathroom with shower, full kitchen, flight-planning area, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance. Concierge service is available, as is a crew car. The facility is open daily from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m., with its NATA Safety 1st-trained staff available for after-hours callout.

Any size aircraft can be accommodated by the FBO’s ramp, which offers direct access to TIST’s 7,000-foot runway. As an Avfuel-branded FBO, Execujet participates in the fuel provider’s Avtrip customer loyalty program, as well as its contract fuel plan.

“Clients reserve with us for seamless execution and personalized support, and we’re thrilled to serve them in a modern space fitted for peace and privacy,” said Roy Romney, the location’s operations manager.

The U.S. government’s Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) has awarded a multimillion-dollar contract to Honeywell to lead the development of real-time speech anonymizing technology. Honeywell’s Real-time Anonymization & Speech Protection (RASP) technology can turn spoken words into anonymized speech to protect people from exploitation and help convert heavily accented dialogue into understandable words. This could allow an air traffic controller, for example, to understand radio transmissions from a non-native English speaker.

Honeywell's RASP work is part of IARPA’s Anonymous Real-Time Speech (ARTS) program. The company's goal is to “safeguard users from unintended speech signals and support real-time communication in industries such as aviation.

“By anonymizing speech, RASP is designed to help address the growing risk of exploitation and privacy threats that may be associated with devices such as smartphones, digital assistants, televisions, and smart appliances that contain microphones that may be perpetually listening. It will aim to protect an individual’s identity, as well as attributes like dialect, gender, and age, along with dynamic traits such as fear, stress, and anger.”

The three-year ARTS program is focused on English first and will then examine Spanish and other spoken languages. Honeywell is leading a team from the University of Rochester, Texas A&M University, and the University of Texas at Dallas.

All Bell civil helicopters are now approved to use GE Aerospace’s Rotor Analysis Diagnostic System-Next Generation (RADS-NG) for rotor track and balance and diagnostics. RADS-NG, which replaces GE’s RADS-Advanced Technology and Aviation Vibration Analyzer systems, is the company’s latest portable rotor track and balance solution. More than 5,000 RADS-AT units have been delivered and it is standard equipment for the U.S. Army and Navy.

The first RADS-NG delivery was in 2024 to Germiston, South Africa-based Henley Air, and since then, GE has delivered these systems to Bell for flight test and pre-delivery checks. Bell and other customers helped refine the next-generation system, which also has a flexible configuration to be used for other rotorcraft types such as tiltrotors, coaxial rotor helicopters, and eVTOL aircraft.

“Enabling the use of RADS-NG will differentiate the Bell fleet of helicopters as a leader in cutting-edge vibration analysis,” said Bell director of customer solutions Van Wilson. “The distinct advantage of performing regular, proactive vibration measurements and monitoring this data with GE Aerospace’s latest technological advancements will provide a real-time benefit in enhancing component life and passenger comfort.”

“One of our first operators reported a 10% torque savings after using RADS-NG,” said Matt Burns, general manager of avionics at GE Aerospace.

PS Engineering unveiled two audio panel solutions Tuesday at the Aircraft Electronics Association’s 2025 convention in Phoenix. This expands its product lineup with systems designed to address integration challenges in business aircraft.

The Tennessee-based company has received FAA technical standard order approval for its PAC37 digital audio panel, designed as a direct replacement for aging Baker B1045 audio systems in legacy business jets. Simultaneously, PS Engineering introduced the CTL-G Comm Expander audio system, which it said facilitates the addition of supplementary transceivers to aircraft with factory-installed audio systems.

“Traditionally when upgrading the primary avionics suite, the factory audio system has been off limits due to the complexity, labor, and cost burden,” said PS Engineering CEO Greg Ledbetter. “With the PAC37, this is no longer the case because it’s truly a plug-and-play solution for Baker B1045 audio systems.”

The CTL-G Comm Expander facilitates the addition of auxiliary transceivers to existing audio systems. “Adding additional transceivers to an OEM aircraft can require removal and replacement of the factory audio system and that isn’t an easy task,” noted Ledbetter. “Normally, the labor associated is a deterrent for most avionics shops, but with the CTL-G audio system, this anxiety will be drastically reduced.”

PS Engineering expects expects to start shipping CTL-G systems later this year. It is already processing orders for the PAC37, with initial shipments beginning next month.

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