Coulson Aviation is expanding its global aerial firefighting capabilities with the acquisition of four Cessna Citation 550 High-Performance Aircraft (HPA) previously operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection to lead tankers to retardant drop points and collect intelligence for fire commanders on the ground. “It’s a growing piece of our industry that we plan to expand into,” president and COO Britt Coulson told AIN.
The company chose the Citation IIs because of their special-mission configuration, as well as their speed and range compared with older turboprops used by competitors. “While we started to get into the lead plane and aerial intelligence business on the fixed-wing side…we purchased these four from Border Patrol specifically for the unique mission suite that they have in them,” he said.
As a lead aircraft, Coulson explained, they will be equipped with smoke kits. In advance of the tanker dropping its retardant or water, the Citations will fly a dry run with the tanker crew watching, rejoin, and lead the tanker through the drop using the smoke to signal to the tanker when to begin dropping its retardant. In terms of intelligence gathering, Coulson will use the Citations to gather information from fire scenes—including weather, maps, drop analysis, and video—and transmit it to fire agency command centers.
AINsight: Avoiding TCAS Conflicts in the Covid Era
A problem identified during the early months of the pandemic was the number of objects flying decreased, but the rate of TCAS alerts increased. With fewer aircraft flying, if everything was proportional, the rate of TCAS alerts should have decreased, but it did not.
Covid by no means blew up the “big sky” theory, but it exposed a vulnerability caused by poor procedural compliance and a general lack of knowledge of TCAS limitations by pilots. In the past, these shortcomings were masked by heavy aircraft weights and poor climb performance at altitude. Post-pandemic, light passenger loads equate to light aircraft weights and much stronger climb performance; often this was the case when a nuisance TCAS alert was triggered.
To reduce nuisance TCAS RA events, it is recommended that pilots reduce the rate of climb or descent to below 1,500 fpm when approaching their assigned altitude or flight level. This action limits the rate of convergence between the two aircraft, lessening the likelihood that an alert will be triggered.
This safety issue is easy—adherence to procedures that pre-date Covid-19 will help mitigate these undesirable events.
With its latest ultra-long-range models skirting the sound barrier in flight test, Gulfstream Aerospace has continued to research supersonic possibilities. However, company president Mark Burns cautions that it could be 10 years before such a supersonic business jet actually reaches the market.
Gulfstream has reported that the G650 and G700 both reached Mach 0.99 in flight test, and when asked if the company was ready to take the leap into supersonic, Burns told reporters that “we certainly look into supersonic flight in our [research and development] center.”
He added that the company has continued to invest in the future product line and “we’re always looking out to what the future may hold.” Burns further credited the technical expertise and “innovative nature” of the company's engineering team.
Having said that, he conceded supersonic flight presents “a tremendous hurdle for anyone to clear.” Noting that Gulfstream’s certified more than 11 aircraft during his tenure with the company, Burns said, “I know the difficulties associated with certifying new and novel technology. So there's a lot to be learned. There's a lot to be done before that type of airplane can be certified.” One of the key obstacles is on the environmental front, he said.
Gulfstream continues to invest in that space, he stressed, “but I think…it's probably a decade away before there's a viable opportunity.”
EASA Issues Proposed AD for 737 Max Return to Flight
A proposed airworthiness directive (AD) issued by EASA on Tuesday outlines conditions that would allow Boeing’s 737-8 and -9 Max to resume flying in Europe following their worldwide grounding in March 2019.
Comments on the EASA proposed AD are due 28 days after the proposed AD’s issuance, and EASA expects to finalize the AD in mid-January. A preliminary safety directive issued at the same time also has a 28-day comment period and will apply to non-European airlines with third-country operator authorization flying the Max into EASA member states.
In addition to changes to the airplanes, EASA also is requiring a mandatory pilot training program that will include simulator training “to ensure that the pilots are familiar with all aspects of the flight control system of the 737 Max and will react appropriately to typical failure scenarios.”
Changes to the airplane mirror the requirements of the FAA and include flight control computer and maneuvering characteristic augmentation system software updates; an update to display an alert to pilots if there is a disagreement between the two angle-of-attack (AoA) sensors; separation of wires from the flight deck to the stabilizer trim motor; flight manual, limitations, and procedures updates “to equip pilots to understand and manage all relevant failure scenarios;” systems and AoA sensor testing; and before carrying passengers, an operational readiness flight.
Bell has appointed Rheinland Air Service (RAS) as the first authorized German dealer for the Bell 505 turbine light single. Located in Mönchengladbach, RAS was established in 1972 and employs 280 across four locations in Germany.
“We are pleased to announce RAS as Bell’s first authorized 505 dealership for Germany,” said Duncan Van De Velde, Bell managing director, Europe and Russia. “This partnership has been highly valued as we continue to expand our footprint in Germany. With the Bell 505 dealership, we can use our customer collaboration to attract new owners and establish a stronger presence in the region.”
"The Bell 505 is an incredible helicopter," said RAS CEO Johannes Graf von Schaesberg, “and we see a huge potential for our German customers. The cooperation between Bell and RAS is our long-term vision to expand the German market for the Bell brand.”
The Bell 505 features the 500-shp Safran Arrius 2R engine with dual-channel Fadec and Garmin G1000H avionics. More than 250 have been delivered since its entry into service in 2017.
FAA, EC Sign New Pilot Licensing, Training Annexes
The U.S. FAA and European Commission (EC) recently signed decisions on several areas of collaboration, including two new annexes that expand the U.S.-EU Safety Agreement in the areas of pilot licensing and flight simulation devices. The new annexes mark the culmination of a multi-year effort to permit reciprocal acceptance of certain approvals, the FAA said, adding that they reduce duplication and leverage FAA and EU resources.
One of the annexes facilitates the conversion of FAA and EASA private pilot certificates, airplane ratings, and instrument ratings. An estimated 9,000 European residents hold FAA pilot certificates, the agency said. The second annex enables FAA and EU/member state authorities to conduct recurrent evaluations on flight simulation training devices on each other’s behalf in the U.S. and in Europe.
GAMA called the new annexes a “significant milestone” in the effort to improve safety and streamline pilot licensing and training acceptances.
“We applaud the work done between the EU and the U.S. to finalize and reach agreement on these long-awaited annexes,” said GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce. Noting GAMA’s efforts to advocate for the harmonizations, he added, “[GAMA] will continue to work for growth and advancements within the general and business aviation industry and look forward to expanding bilateral aviation safety cooperation.”
Airbus Helicopters's sale of two H145s to ExxonMobil marks the first by the former to the latter and the first order in the oil and gas sector for the new H145 in the Asia-Pacific region. The intermediate twins, which are equipped with the new five-blade, bearingless main rotor, will support the oil and gas company’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Papua New Guinea (PNG).
Based at the Hides Gas Conditioning Plant in Hela Province of the PNG Highlands, the H145s will transport workers and equipment in support of the LNG project. Airbus Helicopters said the new H145’s hot-and-high performance led to its selection by ExxonMobil because the aircraft will be operating at an altitude of 5,400 feet in temperatures of 95 degrees F (35 degrees C).
“It’s an honor to win the confidence of a safety and performance-focused customer like ExxonMobil for operations in PNG’s highly demanding operational environment,” said Airbus Helicopters executive v-p of global business Ben Bridge. “The new H145 has made a strong start in the market and it’s clear that it has a great future across multiple market segments.”
Aerocor Buys BlueMAX Data Transfer Unit
Aerocor has acquired the BlueMAX wireless data transfer device from Control-J, an Australian manufacturer. BlueMAX is a Bluetooth device that enables data transfer from onboard avionics to portable devices for later analysis. Aerocor, which is a Henderson, Nevada-based specialist in jet brokering and training, especially for Eclipse 500/550 very light jets, also offers post-flight data analysis services with its FlightData product (formerly CirrusReports).
For now, the BlueMAX device can download data from Cirrus single-engine airplanes with Avidyne Entegra avionics and older ARNAV multifunction displays, as well as JPI engine monitors. But Aerocor plans to expand the unit’s capabilities to other compatible avionics. Once installed (installation takes about an hour), the BlueMAX unit transfers data to mobile devices via Bluetooth, and then the BlueMAX app can send that data to servers for analysis by FlightData or Savvy Analysis.
The app can also summarize information about the flight for postflight analysis. While flying, the BlueMAX app displays engine information, a GPS-based moving-map, route information, fuel at destination, fuel tank switching reminders, and other information.
Photo of the Week
Far out, man. Hannah Bowron of SolJets submitted this photo taken by Jet Focus of a Cessna Citation X (currently for sale on the preowned market) that shows the Milky Way galaxy in the background. Thanks for sharing, Hannah.
If you'd like to submit an entry for Photo of the Week, email a high-resolution horizontal image (at least 2000 x 1200 pixels), along with your name, contact information, social media names, and info about it (including brief description, location, etc.) to photos@ainonline.com. Tail numbers can be removed upon request. Those submitting photos give AIN implied consent to publish them in its publications and social media channels.
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