Jetflite Challenger 650 Logs 100 Hours in First 14 Days

Finnish charter and management firm Jetflite has begun to rack up hours already on its newly-delivered Bombardier Challenger 650 as it assists with Covid-19 relief efforts. Within 14 days of delivery, the Challenger had completed 100 hours of flight that included the repatriation of dozens of patients affected by Covid-19.

Bombardier delivered the aircraft to Finnish industrial conglomerate and Jetflite parent Wihuri Group on March 26, initially configured for executive charter service. The interior design enabled Jetflite to quickly adapt the 12 to 16-passenger VIP aircraft for air ambulance use, accommodating two stretchers, a portable isolation unit, personal protective equipment, Covid-19 test kits, and a medical team.

During one of the tours, the Challenger 650 traveled across three continents in five days, departing from its base in Helsinki on repatriation missions to Portugal, Italy, Mali, Canary Islands, Liberia, South Africa, the Seychelles, Afghanistan, and Estonia.

“Our Jetflite fleet is always busy, but completing the first 100 hours inside 14 days directly out of the factory was something of a record, even for us, particularly in light of the challenges in flight-route planning, obtaining diplomatic clearances and booking risk-free crew accommodation during the spread of Covid-19,” said Jetflite managing director Elina Karjalainen.

MRO Touts Major Aircraft Mx During Covid Slowdown

California-based aviation services provider Sun Air Jets has completed a major inspection project on a customer’s Gulfstream G550 at its Part 145 repair station. With the industry facing reduced demand for private jet charter, the client viewed this as an opportunity to conduct the project, which included 12/24/36/48/72 and 144-month inspections.

That five-week project, conducted at the company's Camarillo Airport headquarters, entailed the disassembly of the long-range twinjet’s landing gear, fuselage, interior, and tail section; a detailed inspection with operational checks; and then the reassembly of the aircraft for return to service.

“Aircraft owners are looking at their schedules for the rest of the year and are choosing to utilize the current slowdown to conduct large-scale maintenance events, helping free up the airplane for the rest of the year,” said Rob Cox, the company’s executive v-p of maintenance. “We schedule all other minor maintenance events around the owner's normal schedule, minimizing the required downtime for scheduled maintenance.”

In addition to its MRO services, Sun Air operates an FBO and its own diverse charter fleet, including Gulfstream, Bombardier, Cessna, Hawker, and Dassault jets.

Assent Aeronautics To Hold Virtual Aircraft Auction

Conklin & de Decker has teamed up with Assent Aeronautics to provide aircraft operating expense and life cycle cost data for all attendees at the inaugural Assent Aeronautics Live Virtual Aircraft Auction tomorrow at 2 p.m. CDT. The auction lineup includes six business jets, three turboprops, one amphibian, and three piston twins—all worth a combined $18.9 million, according to Assent Aeronautics.

Prospective buyers will be able to review a complimentary Conklin & de Decker report for all 13 aircraft in the auction catalog. Each report features key aircraft data—range, speed, payload, cabin area, and wingspan, among others—and fixed and variable cost information.

Given the current environment driven by the Covid-19 crisis, Assent Aeronautics transitioned to the new live online digital aircraft auction to adhere to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other government recommendations, as well as at the request of aircraft consignors and bidders.

The turbine aircraft slated to be auctioned include a 2008 Bombardier Challenger 605, which is expected to fetch the highest price; Cessna Citation Bravo and II, and two CitationJets; Beechcraft King Air 100 and 350i; Dassault Falcon 50; and Fairchild Merlin IIIC. Each aircraft has a reserve price, a spokeswoman for Assent Aeronautics told AIN.

FlightSafety Dallas Adds Gulfstream G650 Sim

FlightSafety International has expanded its Gulfstream G650 training options with the addition of a new full-flight simulator at its Dallas training center. Installation of the new FlightSafety FS1000 simulator in Dallas gives FlightSafety a fifth location for G650 training. The FS1000—which includes the CrewView collimated glass mirror display and Vital 1150 visual system, electric motion cueing system, and instructor operating station—is the company’s sixth full-flight simulator for the ultra-long-range business jet.

“Our customers who fly the G650 can now benefit from a wide variety of courses in Dallas using this new advanced technology simulator,” said Nathan Speiser, FlightSafety's executive v-p of sales and marketing. The added courses include FlightSafety's Advanced Training series, initial and recurrent training, and those covering RNP authorization required (RNP AR) and enhanced flight vision systems.   

A Gulfstream factory-authorized training organization for more than five decades, FlightSafety now has nearly 30 full-flight simulators, along with advanced training devices and equipment, for the Gulfstream lineup. Along with Dallas, the company provides Gulfstream training at its facilities in Hong Kong; Long Beach, California; Savannah, Georgia; Wilmington, Delaware; and London.

Constant Sees Rising Demand for CL604 Fusion Upgrades

Constant Aviation is on track to install the Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion flight deck in nearly 15 percent of the Bombardier Challenger 604s in the U.S., the company said yesterday. The Cleveland, Ohio-based MRO provider has completed 25 Fusion installations since 2018 and expects to perform 35 more by early next year.

“Operators looking to maximize the investment in their aircraft are electing to upgrade to Pro Line Fusion,” said Constant director of avionics sales Blake Hogge. “With one installation, their airplanes are NextGen compliant with unparalleled situational awareness and safety enhancements, and they are well-positioned to operate into the future. This provides peace of mind and improves the airplane’s resale value.”

Replacing the Challenger 604’s factory-installed cockpit displays with three widescreen, high-resolution touchscreens with synthetic vision technology, Pro Line Fusion displays provide 35 percent more glass than legacy systems for enhanced data presentation and improved situational awareness. In addition to synthetic vision, the Fusion avionics package includes datalink, ADS-B Out, and WAAS/LPV, as well as optional Safe Flight AutoPower autothrottles and FANS-1/A.

TAG Aviation Asia Adds MicroShield Application Services

TAG Aviation Asia is the latest MRO provider to offer MicroShield 360 disinfection services and the first one to do so in the Asia-Pacific region. MicroShield 360, an FDA-approved antimicrobial coating that kills 99.99 percent of bacteria for one year after application, is clear, colorless, odorless, nontoxic, and hypoallergenic. The new product has become popular with business aircraft operators amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The treatment has proven itself and has already been applied to hundreds of business jets, said TAG Aviation Asia maintenance manager Vince Picard.

TAG offers MicroShield at its Hong Kong and Macau MRO facilities and plans to soon offer remote applications using a portable electrostatic applicator. The service takes only a few hours and doesn’t require a hangar. After treating surfaces with an electrostatic disinfectant, technicians apply a proprietary coating that prevents pathogens from living on them for at least one year.

Flight Simulation Icon Rudy Frasca Flies West

Rudy Frasca, a pioneer in the flight simulation field who founded Frasca International in 1958, died of natural causes on May 11 at the age of 89. “Rudy was truly larger than life. His contributions to the aviation industry will not be forgotten,” Frasca International said in announcing his passing.

Born on April 19, 1931, in Chicago, Frasca had an affinity for aviation early on, taking flight lessons at the age of 14. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1949 and was a flight instructor at Glenview Naval Station, where he taught on Link trainers. Following the Korean War, he attended the University of Illinois, where he conducted research in aviation psychology and sharpened his interest in flight simulation.

Combining the knowledge he obtained while at the university and in the Navy, he built his first flight simulator in his home garage in Champaign, Illinois. This proved to be the first step to launching the company that was first called Frasca Aviation. Initially starting with general aviation trainers, over the next 60 years Frasca built simulators for college, airline, and military training programs, delivering more than 2,600 devices to 70 countries.

Along with his interest in training, he became a collector of antique aircraft and further was a benefactor to collegiate aviation organizations.

Duncan Expands Battery Services to More Satellites

Duncan Aviation has expanded its aircraft battery capabilities to more of its satellite avionics shops. It now offers battery installation and maintenance in Bedford, Massachusetts; Morristown, New Jersey; Fort Worth, Texas; and Atlanta.

Those shops join satellites in Denver and St. Paul, Minnesota, that have had battery capabilities for some time. “The primary objective of this new capability is to take advantage of the avionics competencies we've built throughout the network and support customer needs and requests,” said Duncan Aviation satellite operations manager Matt Nelson.

A few more of the company’s two-dozen satellites will be adding battery installation and maintenance services, although the Lincoln, Nebraska-based MRO provider didn’t identify them. Specific battery maintenance capabilities—such as main ship and emergency power maintenance—vary by location, a Duncan spokeswoman told AIN. “The exact repair capabilities do vary by location but can be coordinated through the shops if the specific shop cannot meet the exact need,” she added.

Correction

In the story in yesterday's AINalerts about the Aero Center Wilmington FBO, we incorrectly identified the state. The new FBO will be based at Wilmington International Airport (ILM) in North Carolina.

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