Global 7500 Takes LA to New York City Speed Crown

A production Bombardier Global 7500 that serves as a demonstrator aircraft set a speed record from Los Angeles to New York City over the weekend, besting the previous record set on this route by a Gulfstream G650 operated by a German pilot on Nov. 29, 2014. The Global 7500—registered as C-FXAI and piloted by Bombardier pilots Kerry Swanson and Andrew Sibenaler—left Van Nuys Airport on Sunday at 7:01 a.m. local time and landed at Teterboro Airport at 1:55 p.m. local time, completing the coast-to-coast mission in 3 hours and 54 minutes.

During the flight, the aircraft reached a top speed of Mach 0.925—the 7500’s Mmo—and sustained that for more than two hours in level flight, “demonstrating exceptional speed capabilities,” according to Bombardier Business Aircraft president David Coleal. “This latest speed record demonstrates once again that the Global 7500 jet is the undisputed leader in business aviation.”

The record, which is pending certification by the National Aeronautic Association, comes on the heels of a speed and distance record set earlier this month by a Global 7500. The aircraft logged 8,152 nm after taking off from Singapore at 7:12 a.m. local time on March 4 and landing in Tucson, Arizona, at 8:19 a.m. The aircraft landed with 4,300 pounds of fuel, falling well within NBAA requirements with nearly 90 additional minutes of flight time possible.

ODA Gets Critical Eye from Congress

Six months after Congress passed legislation that encouraged the strengthening and full use of the FAA’s designee system, some lawmakers are now critically eyeing the use of organization designation authorization (ODA) and at least one is promising new legislation to overhaul the system.

During a Senate aviation subcommittee hearing yesterday that delved into issues surrounding the two Boeing 737 Max crashes, Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) questioned “the system that led to outsourcing safety to the manufacturers of these aircraft,” and said, “the fact is the FAA decided to do safety on the cheap…put the fox in charge of the hen house.” Blumenthal said he planned to introduce legislation that would rigorously reform the system that he called “riddled with flaws” and put the FAA back in charge of safety. Sen. Krysten Sinema (D-Arizona) had also asked if there is a way to ensure an aircraft is “independently and appropriately evaluated for aviation safety.” 

Kansas Republican Sen. Jerry Moran expressed his belief of the importance of the system and FAA acting administrator Dan Elwell responded, “The concept of ODA has been around for 60 years…It is part of the fabric of what we use to become as safe as we are today.” Elwell conceded that, without ODA, the FAA would require roughly 10,000 more employees and an additional $1.8 billion to cover the costs.

NBAA Promotes Staff, Creates Strategy/Innovation Unit

NBAA has conducted some organizational restructuring and promoted several staff members, it announced today. Mike Nichols has been promoted from v-p of operational excellence and professional development to head a new division within the Washington D.C.-based organization as senior vice president of strategy and innovation. In addition, he will oversee NBAA’s professional development initiatives, including its educational offerings, as well as define the vision and strategy for enhancing the advocacy group’s conferences and seminars.

Joanne “Jo” Damato, most recently senior director of educational development and strategy, was named v-p of educational strategy and workforce development and will lead the team for all of the organization’s professional development activities such as the Certified Aviation Manager program and the Professional Development Review Committee. A member of NBAA’s staff since 2001, she will also steer its efforts to address the industry’s labor challenges.

Last, Dina Green was promoted from senior director of conferences and forums to v-p of events and will also be in charge of the team responsible for registration and sponsorships.

"We are pleased to recognize the outstanding contributions and forward-looking vision of three of our most dedicated veterans,” said NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen.

Aviaa Forms Global FBO Network

Aviaa has added a global network of more than 110 FBOs prompted by member demand for cost savings on fuel and related FBO services, the California-based business aviation group purchasing organization announced today. Its preferred FBO network comes after a request-for-proposal (RFP) process that was begun in December and a two-month-long evaluation of those proposals. 

U.S. and Canadian FBOs selected through the RFP join FBO partners in the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia and will receive exclusive pricing on fuel uplift in North America and discounts on handling and services at other locations. “Our preferred network is a big part of our community building,” said Aviaa CEO Gillian Hayes. “Just like our jet owners and operators want to join together and aggregate their volume to streamline purchasing, these FBOs are committed to joining together and supporting our community as partners."

Brands that are part of the preferred FBO network in the U.S. include Jet Aviation at Washington Dulles, Fontainebleau in Opa-locka, Florida, and Castle and Cooke. TAG Aviation, Jetex, Omni Handling, and Aviapartner Executive are among the overseas FBO partners.   

“It is wonderful to be able to join our FBO networks just as we joined our fleets during the Aviaa acquisition of Convolus [in late January],” said Irena Deville, former Convolus CEO and Aviaa managing director for Europe, Middle East, and Asia.

Blade Launches Continuous Helicopter Shuttle at JFK

Passenger helicopter flight provider Blade has launched what it describes as “the largest urban air mobility initiative (UAM)” in the U.S., with the announcement that it will offer continuous daytime shuttle flights in New York, between midtown Manhattan and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). The per-seat service, which will run on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. using a Bell 206L-4 operated by Zip Aviation, will fly between Blade’s lounge at the West 30th Street Heliport and the JFK helipad, with ground transportation then linking to the airline terminals, for $195 per passenger.

According to Blade, that cost is comparable to that for car service on the same route during rush hour but at a fraction of the time. At JFK, Blade will soon open a counter in the lobby of the TWA Hotel.

“The heavy traffic between urban centers and area airports is a key point of friction in city life,” said Blade CEO Rob Wiesenthal. “Our UAM service begins to remedy this issue at a reasonable price today, while paving the way for even more affordable solutions tomorrow driven by our partners’ next-generation electric aircraft.”

Earlier this year, Blade announced an agreement with American Airlines, whose Five Star Service passengers at JFK can book an airplane to helicopter transfer option at the time of their ticket purchase.

Avfuel Adds Two New Dealers

Avfuel has welcomed two new member FBOs to its branded dealer network.

Textar Aviation is one of five service providers on Dallas Love Field, located minutes from downtown Dallas. It is open 24/7/365, and offers more than 75,000 sq ft of hangar space, while its 5,000-sq-ft private aircraft terminal has a passenger lounge/lobby, conference room, fitness center, concierge, kitchen, two pilot lounges, exercise room, showers, and flight-planning room. Amentities include Wi-Fi, crew car, and courtesy shuttle van.

“It is always our goal to surpass our clients’ expectations,” said general manager Darrell Northern. “We put our customers first, and Avfuel shares that vision, which is one of the reasons we chose to partner with it as our new fuel supplier.”

At Buchanan Field in Concord, California, Pacific States Aviation (PSA) has served the San Francisco Bay area’s general aviation community since 1946. The independent FBO, one of three on the field, offers the largest ramp and can handle any size business aircraft. The facility has 34,000 sq ft of hangar space, on-site car rental, concierge service, crew cars, shuttle van, recently renovated passenger and crew lounges, conference rooms, flight planning area, and a pet-friendly atmosphere.

“Avfuel is proud to offer its loyal operators an upstanding connection to the Bay Area with this new partnership,” said Mark Haynes, the fuel provider’s vice president of sales.

Metro Makes Gains with EC145e, Simulators

Metro Aviation continues to gain EMS helicopter market share with its Airbus Helicopters EC145e program. This month, Metro won a tender to supply Madison, Wisconsin-based UW Health Med Flight with three of the Airbus medium twins and also secured an order for one by HealthNet Aeromedical Services in Charleston, West Virginia. Metro will replace Air Methods as the supplier of helicopters and crews for the UW contract, effective in May.

The UW program currently operates a pair of EC135s from bases in Madison and Mineral Point, Wisconsin. The additional helicopter will allow it to open a third base north of Madison at Divine Savior Healthcare in Portage, Wisconsin, and extend its reach into the northern/north central Wisconsin. In West Virginia, HealthNet’s IFR-capable EC145e will be delivered in the summer of 2020 and replace an EC135 based in Charleston.

Separately, Metro and FlightSafety International marked five years of partnership at the Metro Aviation Training Center in Shreveport, which is equipped with EC135 and EC145 level-D simulators used by Metro to qualify and train its pilots and by FlightSafety to serve other operators. According to Metro CEO Mike Stanberry, the company was the first air medical operator to equip its entire fleet with night-vision goggles, require its pilots to be IFR current and qualified, and use simulators as part of its training curriculum.

New Hangar Complex Planned for Raleigh-Durham

Aviation real estate developer Western LLC has announced a private-public agreement with North Carolina’s Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to develop a corporate aviation campus. The 48-acre project on the northeast side of the airport will include approximately 21 hangars, at a cost of approximately $125 million, ranging from 12,000 sq ft to more than 30,000 sq ft, with the option for attached offices on several of the units.

Western, which received a 25-year ground lease and has a construction window of 10 years, will develop, design, construct, and lease-back the hangars to potential clients, as well as manage and maintain them. The company expects to break ground this fall with targeted completion of Phase 1 by next summer. According to an airport spokesperson, Western will be responsible for the entirety of the campus, including taxiways and utilities.

“RDU is excited to engage Western LLC in its first public-private partnership to build a new, state-of-the-art corporate aviation campus,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the RDU airport authority. “The new campus will support local customers with existing general aviation needs and also help recruit corporate jetsetters whose companies may be considering entry into the Triangle.”

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