Textron Aviation To Sponsor Olympic Ski, Snowboard Team
As part of a multi-year sponsorship of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Textron Aviation unveiled a special-edition interior and exterior design for new Cessna and Beechcraft products at NBAA-BACE. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the special-edition design will go to the organization, which is the Olympic national governing body of ski and snowboard sports in the U.S.
“They are the only team in the Olympics that are not government funded,” Textron Aviation senior v-p of customer experience Christi Tannahill told AIN. “They are privately funded. So this was a great opportunity for us to work with them.”
Inspired by what the company said is the “youthful energy of the U.S. Ski & Snowboard athletes” the design incorporates the colors and textures of medals and winter sports. The cabin interior includes bright, white seating with gold accents on the seats, cabin ledges, interior lights, and rear cabin bulkhead, as well as a gold rendering of the organization’s logo. On the outside, the livery features a mix of white, red, and blue colors and shapes depicting a “sporty and patriotic feel.”
In addition, Textron Aviation’s sponsorship deal includes funding athletes’ interest in pilot training, providing transportation for athletes during training and competition, and supporting the mission of U.S. Ski & Snowboard and its foundation.
Optimistic. Innovative. Inspirational. These are just some of the words I’d use to describe the momentous week that thousands of us enjoyed at the just-concluded NBAA-BACE 2021 in Las Vegas. Following are a few notable highlights.
Advanced air mobility. This is a hot, hot, hot topic. It’s all about emerging technology designed to move people by air. Case in point: BACE attendees could book a $99 seat on a Blade helicopter shuttle to the static display.
Sustainability. The business aviation industry is rallying around its commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Many BACE exhibitors also signed the “Green Pledge.”
Attraction and retention. This topic continues to be front and center, as many companies evidently are finding it difficult to attract the right level of talent needed to make a “cultural add.”
Future leaders. One of the more memorable events was attending the 40 Under 40 awards luncheon. I loved soaking up the energy and contagious enthusiasm from our industry’s young professionals.
Giving back. Always a highlight of BACE is the Fund an Angel reception supporting Corporate Angel Network. This event always makes me so very proud to be part of this industry, and it is amazing that nearly $500,000 was raised.
It was wonderful to be back in person for our industry’s biggest event. It was absolutely what I needed to reconnect with the people that make this industry so special.
NetJets arrived at NBAA-BACE amid record demand that led the company this summer to temporarily “pause” sales of shares and leases for the Embraer Phenom 300 and Cessna Citation XLS light jets and all jet cards, while accelerating its fleet expansion efforts to meet the surge in business. “This year we’re taking more than 50 [new jets] and more than 60 in 2022,” said NetJets president of sales, marketing, and service Patrick Gallagher.
He called the sales halts “proactive measures to protect the service we're known for and our customers expect.” Gallagher further offered no timeframe for ending the sales suspensions.
The new jets, some $2.5 billion worth, will include the Bombardier Global 7500, joining the fleet this year, and the Global 5500 next year. Otherwise, the mix will reflect the ratios of its current fleet of more than 10 Bombardier, Cessna Citation, Embraer, and Gulfstream models, spanning the light to ultra-long-range categories.
Thrilled at the return of NBAA-BACE’s physical gathering format, Gallagher views the 2021 meet-up as the perfect reflection of business aviation’s dramatic post-pandemic recovery. “Everybody in the industry coming together is emblematic of what we've seen post-Covid—a resurgence in demand for both business and leisure travel as people try to reconnect in places that mean the most to them,” he said. “There are few better ways to do that now than through private aviation.”
Jaunt Boosts eVTOL Plans by Merging with Airo Group
Jaunt Air Mobility is to merge its eVTOL aircraft business with the Airo Group in a move expected to lead to an initial public offering (IPO) in 2022. U.S.-based Airo has been building a portfolio of advanced air mobility (AAM) companies in recent years, and this also includes several drone manufacturing and operations ventures, avionics, and robotics capability, and the NeoXcraft eVTOL vehicle being developed by British company VRCO.
The companies today announced a definitive agreement to merge with the intention of raising an unspecified amount of capital to support the development of the all-electric, five-seat eVTOL Jaunt aims to bring into commercial service by 2026. The company is also working with VerdeGo Aero on a hybrid-electric version of the aircraft that would offer a range greater than the 80-mile limit of the initial model.
Several eVTOL aircraft developers, including Joby, Archer, and Lilium, have raised large amounts of capital by going public through mergers with special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs). Airo has opted to proceed straight to an IPO on its own, maintaining that the established revenue and customer base from the existing drone activities of subsidiaries including Airo Drone, Agile Defense, Coastal Defense, Aironet, Sky-Watch, and Airgility, as well as avionics manufacturer Aspen will inspire confidence in investors who might be concerned about the AAM fund-raising bubble bursting.
Gulfstream Offers G280 Cabin and Flight Deck Upgrades
Gulfstream Aerospace this week introduced several features in both the cabin and flight deck of its super-midsize G280. The company said the improvements will enhance the passenger experience, reduce pilot workload, and bring safety benefits.
The G280 cabin will now include a plasma ionization clean air system, which Gulfstream said will complement the aircraft’s existing 100 percent fresh-air environment and has been proven in laboratory tests to neutralize pathogens and allergens.
Included in the new optional features on the flight deck as part of the V3.6.1 avionics upgrade are SiriusXM graphical weather with real-time updates, dual electronic charts to support a paperless flight deck, and a surface management system that provides aural and visual cues to alert pilots to unsafe ground and arrival operations, including runway incursions. The upgrade also gives pilots access to vertical weather and predictive windshear information.
As part of the latest improvements for the G280, Gulfstream has increased the validation intervals for the aircraft’s vertical separation minimum capability from 24 to 96 months. The controller-pilot datalink communication system is now fully FANS-E compliant.
The G280 is certified for steep approaches, allowing access to some of the world’s most challenging airports, and meets the most stringent Stage 5 noise limits.
Dart Tapped for New Firehawk Tank
Dart Aerospace will be partnering with United Rotorcraft, the exclusive completion center for the Sikorsky S-70i Firehawk, for the development and certification of new lightweight fire attack systems. These systems will be developed and manufactured at Dart’s Portland, Oregon facility and include a new 1,000-gallon belly tank made of lightweight materials.
The tank is expected to receive FAA STC approval in the second half of 2022. The contract is a testament to the “trust the firefighting industry has in Dart Aerospace to develop quality, reliable fire attack systems,” said Dart CEO Alain Madore. “We expect long-term demand for tanks to increase for years to come.”
“This new tank technology will further establish the Firehawk as the standard for aerial firefighting in the U.S. and abroad,” said Larry Alexandre, president of Air Methods unit United Rotorcraft.
With more than 1,100 STCs, Dart offers mission equipment and related services, replacement parts, and tools for civil and military operators, completion centers, MRO facilities, and all major rotorcraft OEMs. Dart's key products include aerial firefighting systems, flotation systems, landing gear, interior and exterior accessories, cargo expansion, cable cutters, and filters.
Hartzell Looks to eVTOLS, AAM for Market Expansion
J.J. Frigge sees electric-powered airplanes and eVTOLs as the next frontier for Hartzell Propeller. Frigge, president of the 104-year-old propeller systems manufacturer, told AIN the company is “tracking and communicating” on more than 200 eVTOL and advanced air mobility (AAM) programs and has test hardware flying on about 10 applications in that space.
Electric engine developer MagniX and its sister company, Eviation, developer of the new Alice airplane, are among the companies Hartzell is working with to develop that market. “I think that…we’re going to be able to adapt our product to what the [electric aircraft] market is going to need,” Frigge said.
Operating from four facilities totaling 240,000 sq ft in Piqua, Ohio, Hartzell is on track to deliver 3,500 propellers this year—amounting to 15,000 blades—for aircraft OEMs and the aftermarket. Hartzell provides original equipment propellers for such aircraft as the Pilatus PC-12 turboprop single and PC-21 military trainer; Daher TBM-series turboprop singles; Cirrus SR20, SR22, and SR22T piston singles; Beechcraft King Air twin turboprops; and Diamond DA-40.
In the longer term, eVTOLs are going to require multiple propellers that will likely have to be fixed-pitch, high-quality, safe, made of lightweight carbon fiber, and simple in construction “because you need them to be fairly inexpensive,” he said. “I think that’s where the market demand is going to be in the coming years as these products develop.”
Honda Aircraft Advances Paint Technology and Options
Using a robotic paint sprayer, Honda Aircraft has been advancing paint technologies and options for its HondaJet. The robotic arms are guided by laser projection technology, which tells them exactly where to spray the various layers of paint. Two robots are attached to a gantry inside the paint booth, and the gantry can move forward and backward, while the robot arms dart in, out, and in every direction.
“Our paint process combines modern robot application and laser projection technologies to display, paint, and measure internal schemes and the customer’s exclusive designs down to the smallest detail,” according to the company. “This technology allows us to produce intricate paint designs while remaining within FAA regulations on exterior paint thickness.” Honda Aircraft began painting with the robotic system in 2016 and is believed to be the only business aircraft manufacturer using this technology to paint the entire aircraft.
The various applications of paint effects available on new HondaJets have been on display with recent versions of the new HondaJet Elite S. These include subtle pearl, low-light glass reflectance, and deep-color effects as well as matte finishes. When the Elite S was introduced on May 26, it was painted in a high-tech camouflage-style scheme. Another example includes the distinctively adorned “AlphaTauri” HondaJet, the airplane that is flown by Red Bull Racing and Scuderia AlphaTauri for Formula 1 events.
Back to business at BACE. While attendance was slightly lighter, NBAA-BACE 2021, held this week in Las Vegas, provided a venue for the business aviation community to gather in person once more. The mood at the show was upbeat, with many attendees preparing for a booming bizav market. Photo by AIN photographer Ash Trautvetter.
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