Cutter Betters Its Own Light Jet Distance Record

Cutter Aviation notched a new company record flight for one of its light jets on April 13, the company said yesterday. The HondaJet, which was equipped with the Aircraft Performance Modification Group (APMG) package that yields performance similar to the upgraded HondaJet Elite, departed Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport at 11:58 a.m. MST and landed in Kelowna, British Columbia, at 3:37 p.m. PDT. The twinjet then returned to its Arizona home base at 6:54 p.m. MST, completing a the 2,437-mile roundtrip in 6 hours and 56 minutes, including a 38-minute refueling turn.

Cutter Aviation is now the largest fleet operator of HondaJets in the continental U.S. with seven in operation, five of them available through its charter division. The company is home to HondaJet Southwest, which has sold more new and preowned aircraft than any other dealer in the OEM’s network.

Since Cutter is an authorized service center, it can also provide the APMG upgrade installation. The package includes a horizontal stabilizer extension, removal of vortex generators on the tail and winglets, elimination of the mid-aileron fence, and installation of Garmin G3000 avionics software updates that enhance safety and situational awareness. As a result, aircraft takeoff field length is reduced 443 feet to 3,491 feet, forward baggage capacity is doubled to 200 pounds, mtow is increased to 10,700 pounds, and range is extended about 100 nm to 1,437 nm.

WingX: Global Bizav Traffic Continues Climbout

According to data released today by WingX Advance, global business aviation activity is down 58 percent month-to-date versus last year, but is still better than the 70 percent decline recorded in April. Notably, there has been a consistent increase in the seven-day average daily activity since mid-April, and it is now trending at 5,900 flights per day worldwide.

The North American business aviation market is dominant, with 53,000 departures month-to-date—58 percent below normal, but representing 82 percent of global activity. Looking at other regions, Asia business aircraft traffic is down 61 percent thus far in May; Africa, -54 percent; Europe, -66 percent; and Oceana, -34 percent. Across all regions, business aviation has increased its share of total fixed-wing activity from around 20 percent to 35 percent, WingX said.

By aircraft segment, large-cabin jet activity continues to be the most subdued, flying 75 percent less than normal. Meanwhile, light jet activity is around 50 percent of normal levels, while turboprop flying is “slightly more resilient,” said WingX. The Beechcraft King Air 200, Pilatus PC-12, and Cessna Caravan continue to be the workhorses in the turboprop segment, while the busiest jet models are the Bombardier Challenger 300 and Cessna Citation XLS.

Universal Rolls Out Global Vendor Covid Standards

Universal Weather and Aviation has launched a new Covid-19 standards program for its preferred suppliers across the top 100 destinations frequented by its trip support customers. The first phase of the plan covers three core logistical components that involve physical contact of passengers and crew: FBO ground services, in-flight catering, and ground transportation—all areas in which the company operates its own divisions.

“We have an intimate and unique understanding of what Covid-19 best practices should be followed by our third-party providers within each of these domains,” said company chairman Greg Evans. “Universal and our preferred providers have a shared responsibility to do everything in our power to keep our staff and mutual customers safe from potential exposure.”

The standards are based on health and safety practices recommended by the CDC, FDA, IATA, and WHO, and are similar to those that have already been implemented by the company’s Universal Aviation, Air Culinaire Worldwide, and Universal-Drivania Chauffeurs businesses.

According to the company, more than 80 percent of its suppliers have pledged their commitment to follow all the standards established by Univeral for missions it manages, with a goal of 100 percent compliance by the end of this month.

Av8 Group Ready To Take On More Work with Expansion

Av8 Group has completed a 10,000-sq-ft expansion in Houston, giving the company additional space for service of landing gear and other component overhauls. The project to stretch its facilities to 30,000 sq ft began in the fall last year and was recently completed.

“This additional space will allow us to expand our capabilities even further, which we are excited about,” said Av8 Group CEO Yoel Arnoni. “We will be announcing further details to the industry in the near future.”

Besides landing gear overhauls, Av8 Group specializes in hydraulic, mechanical, and electrical components. An FAA and EASA-authorized repair station, Av8 Group’s capabilities include in-house engineering, Parts Manufacturer Approval, and Designated Engineering Representative offered through three subsidiaries: Av8 MRO, Av8 PMA, and Av8 AOG. In the past five years, it has reverse-engineered, certified, and manufactured more than 500 parts.

Collins Adopts Creative Cabin Management System Testing

Collins Aerospace has deployed a graphical user interface (GUI) preview tool to keep its schedule of Venue cabin management system (CMS) customer preview tests that would normally take place at its Cedar Rapids, Iowa headquarters before delivery.

This testing typically takes up to two days, involving hands-on trials of the switches and controls, running on hardware installed on racks instead of in the airplane. The tests allow users to try out the software configuration and LRUs as if installed in the airplane and suggest any changes before installation.

With pandemic-related travel difficulties, Collins engineers rolled out the GUI preview tool, software that runs on a PC and allows much the same testing as if the customer was on-site. The tool replicates the exact software configuration as specified during the purchase process. “It just as if it’s on their aircraft,” said Stephanie Cooper, cabin marketing manager for business and regional avionics.

Engineers had developed the GUI preview tool well before the pandemic, but it wasn’t used that much because customers traveled to Cedar Rapids for the testing. “We weren’t using it to its full potential,” she said. “Covid-19 pushed it over the edge. We had to be able to do things virtually to deliver that software configuration to the customer.”

Customer feedback been positive and, Cooper said, “We’re continuing to deliver and execute on time."

San Juan MRO Surrenders Certificate after Investigation

MRO provider Ecolift Corporation of San Juan, Puerto Rico, has surrendered its repair station certificate after the FAA alleged the company repeatedly performed aircraft maintenance work for which it was not authorized. The list of eight allegations includes the performance of an unauthorized altimeter correlation check on a Beechcraft 1900C, audio control panel installation on an MD Helicopters MD600N, and transponder inspection and tests on an Airbus Helicopters EC130 and a Robinson R44.

“In each instance of alleged unauthorized maintenance work, the company signed documents stating it had performed the work according to the applicable federal aviation regulations and approved the aircraft for return to service,” the FAA said.

The regulator further alleges in an emergency order to revoke Ecolift’s certificate that it failed to properly document maintenance performed on the engines of a Bell 427 and allowed an unauthorized person to sign off on maintenance work performed on a Bell 407GX and 206L4.

Before discovering Ecolift’s unauthorized activities, the FAA found earlier instances of the company performing unauthorized maintenance and had worked with it to develop a corrective action plan between 2016 and 2018, according to the FAA. Between 2018 and 2019 the regulator notified Ecolift that it was continuing to perform unauthorized maintenance.

Daher Names Kodiak Reps in Indonesia, India Region

Daher is expanding the sales reach for the Kodiak utility turboprop single in Asia with the appointment of two representatives—PT Auvia Gaya Perkasa in Indonesia and JetHQ for the Indian subcontinent. The appointment of Jakarta-based PT Auvia Gaya Perkasa will provide a foothold for the aircraft in the regional market for public and government missions, Daher said.

“The Kodiak aircraft is perfectly suited for operations in Indonesia, where public and governmental missions are crucial,” said Paul Branham, Kodiak sales director for Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. “PT Auvia Gaya Perkasa is well positioned to sell Kodiak aircraft in the region based on this company’s two decades of success and its strong interactions with many government officials and branches.”

Established in 1996 originally as an aircraft supplier for the Indonesian Air Force, PT Auvia Gaya Perkasa has expanded into aircraft maintenance and other services, building relationships with OEMs, MRO partners, and the Indonesian armed forces.

International broker JetHQ, meanwhile, will represent the Kodiak in India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, and Pakistan. The appointment comes as JetHQ recently bolstered its expertise in the region, bringing on board people who have been involved in Indian business aviation for 30 years.

“For the Indian subcontinent market, the Kodiak offers a highly capable aircraft for transportation in serving regional communities,” said Branham.

Bristow-Era Merger To Close in June

Offshore helicopter operators Bristow and Era, expecting to close their planned merger by mid-June, this week detailed plans for a combined senior management team featuring Era CEO Chris Bradshaw as the leader of the merged company that will be known as Bristow.

Other announced senior managers include David Stepanek, executive v-p and COO. He previously served as Era’s senior v-p of business development and was PHI’s president of the Americas. Alan Corbett, Bristow’s senior v-p for Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Australia, and search and rescue, will continue in that position. Corbett joined Bristow from energy services company Baker Hughes in 2015. 

When the two companies announced their merger in January, before the full impact of the Covid-19 crisis, they predicted annual revenues of $1.5 billion, $35 million in cost savings due to various synergies, and a combined fleet of 300 aircraft. Since then the price of oil has plummeted from $64 to $25 per barrel, triggering mass layoffs in the offshore industry and up to a 50 percent reduction in drilling activity. In April, Baker Hughes reported that the international offshore active rig count had dropped by nearly 10 percent year over year, with most of that attrition occurring in March.