Gulfstream Zooms Along on G700 Flight-test Milestones
With five ultra-long-range G700s now in the flight-test program, Gulfstream Aerospace has wrapped up many of the tests for certification of its new $75 million flagship as the company proceeds toward service entry in 2022.
Gulfstream unveiled the new twinjet during last year’s NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas and flew the first flight-test vehicle just four months later on Valentine’s Day. Since then, four more G700s have been added to the flight-test fleet, with T5 taking to the skies last month. “The G700 development program continues to go very well,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns. “Now we’ll be inducting the first airplane into completion very soon.”
Colin Miller, senior v-p of innovation, engineering, and flight for Gulfstream, agreed, saying the program hasn’t “missed a beat,” adding that the aircraft has flown to 54,000 feet, reached Mach 0.99, and completed nearly all of the fundamental tests that are needed as the company prepares for certification. This has included flutter testing, stalls, loads, flying qualities, cold weather, and high altitude. The company now is “deeply immersed in avionics testing,” Miller said, “and we’re preparing for certification.”
The aircraft has performed “exceptionally well,” Miller said. “Almost every flight we fly comes back squawk-free with no maintenance discrepancies."
In a November 16 auction, AML Global won the right to bid for assets related to the Eclipse 500/550 jet for $5.25 million and approximately $1 million extra in cure costs. Sontchi also approved a $225,000 bid by NHG for assets related to Kestrel Aircraft, the one-time developer of the K350 turboprop single that comprised the other portion of One Aviation.
The sale hearing was extended to November 20 after time ran out earlier in the week due to arguments by Citiking International, which once served as debtor-in-possession of One Aviation and received approval Sept. 19, 2019 for its plan to take the company out of Chapter 11. The China-backed entity has since proposed to leverage its debt in the company as a credit bid for those assets.
Sontchi denied Citiking’s motion but also delayed the sale’s effective date until November 27, providing time for the two sides to come to an agreement. Citiking subsequently appealed the sale order.
Meanwhile, AML Global plans to rehire 45 former, non-management One Aviation employees to resume sales and support for the Eclipse fleet.
Rep. Julia Brownley (D-California) introduced a bill to incentivize the increased production and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The Sustainable Aviation Fuel Act, H.R.8769, would establish a national goal for the U.S. aviation sector to achieve a net 35 percent reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2035 and net zero emissions by 2050 and, to get there, would use a mix of regulatory requirements, tax credits, research funding, and grants for the production, transport, blending, and storage of SAF.
H.R.8769 calls on the Environmental Protection Agency to establish an aviation-only low-carbon aviation fuel standard regulating fuel producers and importers. The EPA would be required to set annual benchmarks that culminated in a 20 percent reduction in carbon intensity by 2030 and 50 percent by 2050.
The bill would have the FAA create a program to offer competitive grants and cost-sharing agreements to incentivize the expansion of facilities producing SAF and support the development of the necessary infrastructure. It would set aside $1 billion over five years for the program, as well as authorize $175 million over five years for research on ways to increase SAF use and to eliminate GHG emissions.
Further, the bill would establish a new blender’s tax credit of up to $1.75 per gallon for use of sustainability material in the production of SAF.
AMAC Aerospace recently logged its 30th JetWave Ka-band high-speed satcom installation, with 27 completed—two BBJs and a Bombardier Global being the most recent—and three pending. In the process, it has become “a center for Ka-band installation,” AMAC COO Bernd Schramm told AIN.
As a Honeywell JetWave channel partner, he said, “No other company has as many Ka-band STCs” as AMAC, with approvals covering most models of long-range and larger business jets. Now the Swiss company is seeing more demand for newly introduced Ku-band system installations and recently installed a Gogo 2Ku system on a Middle East-based BBJ 767.
“We did a comparison of [Ka-band and Ku-band] systems” that found “very similar performance,” Schramm said. In some cases, typical passenger loads or other factors could favor one over the other, but as for what drives the system choice, “Some buy BMW, some buy Mercedes,” Schramm explained. He noted the JetWave Ka-band system has significant brand—and band—recognition.
Meanwhile, newer, more compact systems have raised demand for installations on large-cabin business jets. AMAC has seen growing demand for maintenance work in the category since becoming a Bombardier-authorized service facility in 2018. Hangar 5, a dedicated large-cabin facility at AMAC's Basel headquarters, is slated for a March 2021 opening.
World Fuel Rolls Out New Jet Fuel Carbon Offset Program
World Fuel Services has rolled out an enhanced carbon offset program that makes it easier for flight departments and FBOs to meet their carbon targets. The company’s new Carbon Offset Fuel program allows FBOs and operators to combine jet fuel and carbon offsets through their regular measurement and reporting, in conjunction with offset purchasing by World Fuel through its sustainability brand, World Kinect Energy Services.
Under the program, FBO members of the World Fuel Network can bundle their carbon offsets using a monthly or quarterly self-reporting process, or through a built-in automated feature in World Fuel’s Total Aviation Software (TAS), avPOS, or TotalFBO software. The latter automated reporting feature permits FBOs to offer their customers carbon offsets at the time of fueling.
The company’s Carbon Offset Fuel program also provides a similar solution directly to flight departments, allowing them to track fuel burn over a monthly or quarterly reporting period and then report that information to World Fuel. World Fuel’s World Kinect division then converts gallons to tons of carbon dioxide and purchases the required carbon offsets on behalf of its flight department customers.
“Carbon offsets bundled with jet fuel are a perfect bridge until sustainable aviation fuel supply rises to meet demand,” said World Fuel Services v-p of business development Darren Fuller.
ForeFlight’s 3D and Profile Views Show Weather Layers
ForeFlight has released an update to its electronic flight bag app that helps pilots view forecast cloud, icing, and turbulence layers in the profile view and 3D preview. The release also adds live internet traffic in the 3D airports view.
To access the new weather layers, after creating a route, users can click on the profile view in the flight planning tab then choose which layers to display. The depth of the profile can be changed by moving the altitude slider up and down. And the four choices—airspace, icing, turbulence, and clouds—can all be selected simultaneously or individually. The same individual elements can be viewed for 3D route preview by clicking on the globe icon in the navlog, but in this case, only one overlay can be selected at a time. This preview shows a route timeline in a 3D view of the flight, and the user can scroll through the route to visualize how each weather element will affect the route.
Live internet traffic is available with 3D View for an airport. It shows traffic flying in the airport vicinity, although unlike the normal traffic view in maps, it’s not possible to click on each aircraft to see more information (heading, speed, relative position, etc.).
Other new features in the upgrade include many more mountain peak markers on the basemap and airport terrain information.
BizjetMobile, which manufactures Iridium-based airborne connectivity systems, is seeing a significant amount of messaging activity by users of its products. The company also shipped the first of its new CrewX systems to a European fleet operator.
Iridium-based messaging systems offer aircraft owners and operators a lower-cost method for sending and receiving messages anywhere in the world. Current systems such as those offered by BizjetMobile provide email, SMS, and WhatsApp messaging, but not internet access due to the low bandwidth of the original Iridium network. BizjetMobile is developing new products that will take advantage of the higher speeds available from the Iridium Next satellite constellation.
“There seems to be a boost generated by the new normal,” said BizjetMobile CEO Adam Chapman. “Whether it’s the U.S. election or the latest news on a Covid-19 vaccine, we have not seen activity like this for months. Either way, we currently have several major fleet operators looking for an alternative approach to expensive Wi-Fi. Combine this with the imminent launch of our enhanced ultra-low-cost managed internet solution and several advance orders secured means 2021 is looking very promising.”
BizjetMobile’s systems start at $2,490 and $199 per month for unlimited data.
FXAir Opens NYC Headquarters
Directional Aviation’s premium on-demand charter service FXAir has opened its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan. The office, at 605 Third Avenue in New York City, will also serve as its central national sales and marketing center.
“Our location here puts us right at the center of private aviation users, and near many of our current and prospective clients,” said FXAir president Gregg Slow. The new office can accommodate 30 staff and features lounge areas for client meetings and a large video board for flight tracking and bookings. Access to a second space on a separate floor will allow the company to hold larger group meetings.
As part of the office opening and a sign of support to surrounding businesses, FXAir is donating $20,000 to the Relief Opportunities for All Restaurants New York City Restaurant Employee Relief Fund. “We’re here for the long haul, and we want to ensure Midtown returns to its vibrant self once this pandemic is under control,” said Slow. “Supporting the restaurant workers of the city was an easy decision to make.”
Since the company’s launch this summer, FXAir has arranged charter flights for more than 3,000 passengers to 375 destinations on its network of aircraft that include the Nextant 400XTi and Bombardier Challenger 300 and Global Express.
People in Aviation
Damon Ward, Maggie Severen, and Dayna Reynolds joined US Trinity Aviation to form the leadership team at the startup FBO at Denton Enterprise Airport in Texas. Ward brings 30 years of leadership experience to his new role, including founding Business Air and serving as operating partner at Catalyze Dallas and executive chairman of Metro Aerospace. Severen formerly spent nine years as the FBO manager at US Aviation, which is also at Denton. Reynolds, meanwhile, most recently was general manager of Cornerstone Air Center at Meacham Field in Fort Worth and also has served with Million Air.
Gur Kimchi joined the board of directors for Ascent AeroSystems, becoming the company’s first outside board member. Kimchi, a founding member of the FAA Drone Advisory Committee, is the former v-p of Amazon Prime Air and also spent 10 years at Microsoft.
Jet Linx named Ron Silverman chief commercial officer. Silverman has more than 30 years of business aviation experience, previously serving as chief business officer for XO and as president for VistaJet US.
Direct Travel appointed Shelby Donley v-p of luxury services. Donley previously had owned Camelback Odyssey Travel, which was acquired by Direct Travel in 2018.
West Star named Michael Sichmeller avionics technical sales manager at its East Alton, Illinois facility. Sichmeller has more than 37 years of aviation experience and served in the U.S. Air Force.
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