Largest-to-date Bizjet Inspection Completed in China

Aircraft maintenance provider ExecuJet Haite Aviation Services China has completed the largest business jet inspection performed to date in that country. The company finished the 96-month inspection on an Embraer Lineage 1000 within its eight-week schedule despite logistical hurdles posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. The work included all defect rectification and service bulletins.

“We were very impressed by ExecuJet Haite’s agility and ability to adjust to a very demanding timeline under the complicated restrictions of the current times,” said Asian Sky Group, which acted as the aircraft owner's project overseer.

The M8 inspection, the largest for the Lineage, included the removal and inspection of 13 auxiliary fuel tanks, full cabin interior removal and replacement, removal and replacement of the rudder and elevators, and the pulling of hundreds of panels for structural inspections, all of which required specialized tools and equipment, and specialized knowledge of the airframe.

“This achievement truly demonstrates our capabilities to complete complex maintenance projects,” said Paul Desgrosseilliers, general manager of the facility, which has been an Embraer authorized service center since 2012, and holds CAAC, FAA, EASA, Cayman, Bermuda, Aruba, Hong Kong, and Macau approvals. The company also provides line and base maintenance for Gulfstream, Bombardier, and Dassault jets, as well as line support for Boeing BBJs.

AIN Announces ‘Top Flight’ Awards

To highlight top performers in the business aviation industry, AIN Publications has launched the Top Flight Awards that aim to honor creativity and innovation in design and technology in this segment, as well as quality and passion in business aviation services and people. For the inaugural 2020 awards, AIN’s editorial team will select the nominees and award winners.

Nominees can qualify for each year’s awards during the time period from the previous October 1 to the current September 30 (for the 2020 awards, Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020). In addition to upcoming online and newsletter announcements of the nominees, AIN’s December issue will include a special report with descriptions of each nominee and what makes them noteworthy. This will be followed by the winners posted in the January 2021 issue of AIN.

Nominees will be listed for the following categories: New Jet; New Turboprop; New Rotorcraft; Technology; New FBO Facility; Training; Charter/Fractional/Jet Card Innovation; Innovator, Designer, or Charitable Hero of the Year; Sustainability; and Contribution to Safety. For more information, see the Top Flight Awards landing page on AINonline.

Third and Fourth King Air 350CER Delivered to Customs

Textron Aviation has delivered another two special-mission Beechcraft King Air 350CERs to U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s air and marine operations (AMO) for a total of 27 of the twin turboprops. “These two Multi-role Enforcement Aircraft (MEA) aircraft will join a fleet of King Air 350 turboprops used to safeguard the United States as part of the coordinated application of AMO’s aviation and maritime law enforcement resources,” said Textron Aviation v-p of special mission sales Bob Gibbs.

“This represents the third and fourth Beechcraft King Air 350CER ordered for AMO in 2020,” Gibbs continued. “We are honored to provide these aircraft in support of AMO’s mission of protecting the United States.”

The airplanes come equipped with active and passive sensors and a communications suite that provides for ground interdiction operations, air-to-air intercepts, and medium-range maritime patrols. Powered by two Pratt & Whitney PT6A-60A or optional PT6A-67A turbine engines and Hartzell four-blade propellers, the King Air 350CER is an extended-range version of the King Air 350i with an optional cargo door.

Jet East Expands AOG Service to Midwest

Trenton, New Jersey-based Jet East Corporate Aviation is pushing its AOG service into the Midwest with the establishment of mobile maintenance bases in Omaha, Nebraska; Minneapolis, Minnesota; and Kansas City, Missouri. That will give the MRO a Midwest coverage area that also includes North Dakota, South Dakota, and Iowa.

Jet East said the expansion is the result of customer demand and evaluation of incoming maintenance requests. “We realize the urgency involved when an owner or operator contacts our team,” said Jet East COO and executive v-p of AOG operations Gary Lee. “And it’s our job to resolve issues efficiently and effectively to get them back into the air with the least amount of disruption to their itineraries.”

Already spanning the Northeast corridor and the Great Lakes region, Jet East’s AOG service comprises 50 team members and recently started up an operation in Arizona. As a whole, it averages more than 300 AOG events per month.

NATA Expands Reach of Human Trafficking Awareness

A little more than a year after NATA began to highlight the issues surrounding human trafficking and associated regulatory requirements for the aviation industry, the organization has teamed up with the U.S. government on its Blue Lightning awareness and training initiative and has now trained several thousand pilots and hundreds of air carriers on preventative measures.

While encouraged with the response to the training, NATA president and CEO Tim Obitts said more needs to be done to reach all carriers and to widen the scope of training to FBOs. Obitts called human trafficking “one of the great scourges of society” and noted that most people are surprised at how widespread it is. This makes it critical that the aviation industry not only be aware of trafficking itself but of the requirements and obligations of the industry to be on the alert for it, he said. 

NATA signed a memorandum of understanding in June with the Departments of Homeland Security and Transportation to help extend the Blue Lightning Initiative's training to general aviation. Since then, the organization has trained more than 500 companies and nearly 5,000 crewmembers. While NATA already has had a wide reach, Obitts worries that there are still many more that are unaware of the requirements and may not be prepared to be alert for such activity. “We’re resolved to push this forward."

Constant Offers Price Cap on Major Legacy Inspections

Under a new program, Constant Aviation is offering Legacy 600 and 650 owners an upfront flat rate for major inspections and a price cap for discrepancies the MRO finds during the inspection, excluding landing gear and corrosion repair. The not-to-exceed pricing program will limit the customer’s out-of-pocket expense for common issues encountered during the inspection.

Constant Aviation’s experience as a 24-year-old Embraer Authorized Service Center and familiarity with the Legacy airframe are the reasons behind offering the program. It has more than 2.2 million hours of overall maintenance experience on the Legacy. It has completed thirty 144-month inspections on the Legacy 600 and 650 and expects high demand in the future for those inspections. More than 25 Legacy aircraft in operation worldwide will be coming due for the 144-month inspection in the next four years, according to Constant Aviation. 

This summer, Constant Aviation successfully performed its first 144-month inspection under the new program. It expects to expand the program to include 48- and 96-month inspections on the Legacy 600 and 650.

Norwood Airport FBO Spat Headed Back to Court

Boston Executive Helicopters (BEH) is again seeking court action in its struggle with the city of Norwood, Massachusetts, the Norwood Airport Commission, and the manager of Norwood Memorial Airport for their alleged campaign over the last 10 years to block BEH from opening an FBO. Presently, the airport is served by a single FBO: FlightLevel Aviation.

In its latest legal move, BEH has filed a motion asking the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts to enforce a July 2019 settlement agreement. According to BEH, this motion is made necessary by the “defendants’ multiple breaches of the settlement agreement, including failing to provide BEH a lease for the promised amount of ramp space, free of encumbrances which would prevent BEH from operating as an FBO.”

Additionally, BEH asks for an order sanctioning the defendants to compensate BEH for its attorneys’ fees and lost revenue caused by the “defendants’ failure to provide space for BEH to operate as an FBO” and costs incurred in defense of a separate lawsuit against FlightLevel Aviation.

An attorney for the town and the airport commission told AIN that the motion is being reviewed and an official response will be filed with the court. FlightLevel has not yet responded to AIN’s inquiries for comment.

Miami-Dade Fire Gets First Leonardo AW139

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (MDFR) has taken delivery of its first Leonardo AW139 intermediate twin helicopter, one of four it ordered in December 2019. The remaining three aircraft are expected to be delivered by year-end.

MDFR’s AW139s will be used for fire suppression, emergency medical services, and search and rescue missions. Each helicopter features a cargo hook, rescue hoist, and Bambi bucket. “As a former firefighter, I’ve been very impressed with this search-and-rescue helicopter,” mayor Carlos Giménez said. “The AW139s are vital additions to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s fleet. They will provide a heightened level of safety and security for our fire rescue workers and those whose lives they work to save.”

MDFR operates 71 fire-rescue stations within unincorporated Miami-Dade County and serves 29 municipalities. Miami-Dade Air Rescue frequently provides mutual aid support to neighboring counties, including Monroe, Collier, Broward, and Lee.

More than 1,000 AW139s have been delivered to 280 operators in some 70 countries within the last 15 years. The helicopters fly a wide variety of missions, including fire suppression, emergency medical service, search and rescue, security/ law enforcement, energy services, and private transport. In the U.S., AW139 customers include the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) and the New Jersey and Maryland state police departments. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) will also soon introduce the AW139-based Boeing MH-139 to replace its Bell UH-1N fleet.

Last Chance: AIN Webinar on Sustainability

Making aviation environmentally sustainable is now a business opportunity, as much as an unavoidable imperative. Social, political, and market pressures are converging to provide fresh impetus for business aviation to reduce its environmental footprint. Our webinar will consider the key paths to cutting carbon emissions, including new fuels, as well as other efficiencies within the industry’s operations. Join us on October 15 at 1:30 p.m. EDT as AIN senior editor Charles Alcock moderates this discussion with Keith R. Sawyer, manager of alternative fuels at Avfuel, and Mark Masluch, director for communications and public affairs, Bombardier Aviation.