Embraer has completely revamped the cabin of its entry-level Phenom and added more cockpit safety systems while still maintaining its $4.995 million list price and shaving 190 pounds of interior weight. Now known as the Phenom 100EX, the light twinjet is the latest to incorporate Embraer’s design DNA, including upper tech panels, wider seats, increased use of more sustainable materials, and flush-to-the-wall tables. It also makes standard the previously optional side-facing fifth seat and a belted lavatory.

The cockpit was also enhanced by adding more pilot legroom and an open-concept design for easier communication within the cabin. In addition, a Runway Overrun Awareness and Alerting System (ROAAS) has been added to the Phenom 100EX’s Garmin G3000 avionics system, making it the first light jet with this feature. Other avionics upgrades include the Garmin FlightStream 510 wireless gateway, automatic 3D volumetric scanning radar with lightning and hail prediction, stabilized approach, and predictive windshear. 

“We are proud to announce the Phenom 100EX—an aircraft designed to experience excellence with superior comfort and disruptive technology that enhances safety,” said Embraer Executive Jets president and CEO Michael Amalfitano. “This product reimagines the entry-level flight experience, offering enhanced comfort, empowering pilots, and enriching journeys to deliver more value to our customers.”

The Phenom 100EX is already ANAC, FAA, and EASA certified and the first delivery will occur by year-end.

Pilatus Aircraft this morning announced increased payload and range for its PC-24, along with a new cabin interior that will be available for deliveries in 2024. With six passengers onboard the midsize business jet, the maximum range climbs by 200 nm, to 2,000 nm, based on a 600-pound rise in full fuel payload.

“The payload increase was achieved by refining both wing and fuselage structural elements to reduce the airframe empty weight while simultaneously increasing the maximum gross takeoff weight limit,” explained Bruno Cervia, Pilatus’ v-p of engineering.

At maximum takeoff weight, the PC-24’s balanced field length at sea level is 3,090 feet, giving what Pilatus calls its "Super Versatile Jet" access to short and unpaved runways. The twinjet now offers a full fuel payload of a single pilot plus 1,315 pounds and a maximum payload capacity of 3,100 pounds.

Improvements to the PC-24 cabin include changes to the standard cabinetry, storage area, and entrance to maximize available space. Ambient noise has been reduced through improvements to passenger service unit ducting and tuned engine accessory air intake ducts, as well as the addition of noise-absorbing panels.

The most visible change to the interior will be an optional side-facing divan. At 6 feet 6 inches in length, customers will be able to convert this into a bed.

Transcripts of ATC tapes reported by the Aviation Safety Network revealed that overlapping radio communications between the tower and aircraft may have contributed to a near collision between a Cessna Citation XLS+ and a Southwest Boeing 737 at San Diego International Airport (KSAN) on August 11.

According to the transcript, the tower controller cleared the Citation to land on Runway 27, which the crew acknowledged. The controller then told the Southwest crew to line up and wait on the same runway, which that crew also acknowledged. With spacing diminishing, the Citation attempted to ask the tower to verify the landing clearance, but at the same time the tower started transmitting to a Beech Baron—on the ground waiting to depart—about an amendment to its clearance.

After that exchange, the controller began a transmission to instruct the Citation to go around at the same moment the Citation was trying to ask the tower to verify that they were still cleared to land. Then, the tower said, “Citation Four Victor Hotel, go around, fly the published missed approach,” which the Citation crew acknowledged—despite the controller using an incorrect callsign.

The tower controller then directed the 737 to exit the runway. During the go-around, the Citation overflew the 737 by about 100 feet. This incident is being investigated by the NTSB.

Airbus Helicopters' FlightLab has tested an electric flight control system as part of a new human-machine interface (HMI) for the Airbus CityAirbus NextGen eVTOL prototype. In a first for the helicopter industry, the system uses a single flight control stick to replace three-axis, conventional helicopter controls (cyclic, pedals, collective) to perform all aircraft maneuvers including takeoff and landing, climb, descent, acceleration, deceleration, turn, and approach.

The single stick takes up less space and offers improved pilot visibility. Combined with a revised HMI using simple displays, it provides information selection specifically tailored to eVTOLs.

Following this flight-test campaign, Airbus Helicopters will finalize system details and then conduct other tests within the Vertex project in partnership with the Airbus UpNext innovation ecosystem to advance autonomy by managing navigation and simplifying mission preparation.

“The advantage of an electric flight control system is enormous, especially when it comes to reducing pilot workload and ultimately enhancing mission safety. It is also a great example of how our demonstrators are used to mature the techno-bricks necessary to prepare the future of vertical flight,” said Tomasz Krysinski, Airbus Helicopters’ head of research and innovation.

Its FlightLab testbed is a modified H130 single-engine helicopter dedicated to maturing new technologies for the company’s current helicopters and future fixed-wing and eVTOL designs. Airbus unveiled the electric CityAirbus NextGen prototype in 2021.

NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, recently completed a six-week wind study aimed at enhancing future air taxi aircraft safety during takeoffs and landings. Included in the research were the Alta-X quadrotor VTOL and Droid 2 light airplane.

The research aims to fill knowledge gaps to resolve wind and weather unknowns at altitudes below 2,000 feet agl that could hinder advanced air mobility flights. Both remotely piloted aircraft flew repeated passes at predetermined altitudes up to 2,000 feet. The Alta-X hovered while mounted sensors obtained data on temperature, pressure, and relative humidity in addition to three-dimensional wind data.

“This multipurpose experiment tests new sensor technologies and makes a detailed study of wind flow around buildings,” said Grady Koch, the project’s principal investigator. “Ground-based support sensors include the ‘virtual tower concept,’ where we have two lidar units that use lasers to measure airflow from the ground level to 2,000 feet.”

Researchers plan to use the wind data to validate and improve modeling techniques. “Computational fluid dynamics is used for determining airflow on small features like wings on airplanes, but for this work, we are using it for a meteorological problem where you have large complex structures,” Koch said.

Findings also will be used to develop onboard processes that allow aircraft to serve as “high-precision wind sensors” and then share that data with other nearby aircraft.

The FAA has published Notice 8900.672, which provides authorized operators with updated and new boundary changes for certain polar areas of magnetic unreliability (AMU). These areas, where magnetic compasses are highly unreliable and unusable, apply to Part 91K and Part 135 operators that hold letters of authorization (LOA) B040 and/or B050.

Guidance for issuing B040 LOA now designates a Northern and Southern AMU. The Northern AMU is the area within 1,000 nm of the Northern magnetic pole, except for airspace over Alaska and its territorial waters. In addition, the FAA designates Canadian northern domestic airspace as part of the Northern AMU. The Southern AMU is the area within 1,000 nm of the southern magnetic pole. Previously, there was no AMU designated for B040 LOA.

The boundary of the B050 LOA South Polar area of operation now begins south of 60 degrees South latitude. Previously, the South Polar area of operation began south of 67 degrees South latitude. This change also affects three areas abutting the South Polar area, which all now end at 60 degrees South latitude—Central and South Pacific Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean, and Indian Ocean. This change also aligns the area with the OpSpec for extended operations, which has been defining the AMU as 60 degrees South.

Baldwin Safety & Compliance has added an integrated mapping system to its safety reporting system. The geolocating feature leverages location-specific data, allowing users to pinpoint and monitor the exact location of safety-related events.

The system—which is based on advanced technology for reporting and analysis—can use data extracted from a wide variety of sources, including safety reports, an Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), the FAA’s Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) system, and a Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) program.

“We are excited to integrate this mapping feature into our reporting functionality to help determine patterns of high risk in specific locations," said Jason Starke, the company’s director of safety. He added that its value lies in the ability for long-term analysis to determine recurring safety hazards and patterns unique to certain areas. “We have been beta testing this with the air medical community due to their high volume of safety reporting, and now it is available to all our subscribers.”

Viasat’s Ka-band satcom system has received FAA approval for installation in the Dassault Falcon 900EX. Dassault-owned service centers are providing installations of the Viasat Global Aero Terminal 5510, which are available immediately for the trijet.

Airborne connectivity using the Viasat 5510 is available in all phases of flight, including taxi, takeoff, cruise, and landing. System speed typically is more than 20 Mbps, although, the company said, “This year Viasat reported a 50 percent increase in typical connectivity speeds delivered previously to its Ka-band business jet customers.” This allows for onboard videoconferencing, video streaming, corporate VPN access, and other bandwidth-intensive services.

“Key to offering incredible connectivity speed and performance to Falcon 900EX-series operators, as with other aircraft types, is our high-capacity, Ka-band satellite network,” said Kai Tang, Viasat's head of business aviation. “We’re focused on delivering even more of a step-change in the pace and scope of future innovation for operators and partners like Dassault Falcon Jet service centers, always with the aim to stay ahead of the speed, flexibility, depth of capacity, coverage, and security that today’s business aviation customers demand.”