General Dynamics subsidiary Gulfstream Aerospace delivered 35 aircraft (28 large-cabin jets and seven midsize G280s) in the third quarter, up from 31 (25 large-cabins and six G280s) in the same period a year ago. In the first nine months, it handed over 82 aircraft (66 large-cabins and 16 G280s), up from 80 units (68 large-cabins and 12 G280s) a year earlier.
Four G500/600 deliveries in the third quarter were deferrals from the previous quarter as customers waited for a software fix that removed crosswind landing limitations. The FAA approved the software update and all 188 in-service G500/600s have received the upgrade, General Dynamics chairman and CEO Phebe Novakovic said this morning during a quarterly investor call.
To reach its 2022 delivery estimate of 121 jets, the company will need to ship at least 39 aircraft in the fourth quarter. Deliveries are expected to ramp up to 148 next year and reach a record 170 in 2024.
According to Novakovic, these numbers are achievable given the current sales environment and growing backlog—$19.1 billion as of September 30—at its aerospace division, which also includes FBO/MRO company Jet Aviation. Aerospace book-to-bill was 1.2:1 in the quarter and 1.6:1 year-to-date. At Gulfstream, that ratio in the third quarter was 1.3:1, reflecting “strong sales from the U.S., Middle East, and Southeast Asia,” Novakovic said.
MRO provider Jet East is opening a full-service maintenance facility at Statesville Regional Airport (KSVH) in North Carolina using two existing facilities encompassing 115,000 sq ft. This site includes 75,000 sq ft of hangar space, 40,000 sq ft of office and back shop space, and a parcel of adjacent land for future expansion. The Gama Aviation company expects to begin operations at KSVH in the first quarter and create 250 new jobs.
Built in 2004, the main hangar is equipped with LED lighting, fall protection, and a fire-suppression system. The secondary hangar was constructed in 2007 and “provides the same infrastructure,” according to Jet East.
Once launched, the new site will offer maintenance, avionics, interiors, composites, and structures on primarily Cessna Citation, Gulfstream, Bombardier, and Embraer business jets. Jet East also expects to construct a new paint facility at the site. KSVH will be Jet East's eighth maintenance facility.
“The facility at KSVH offers an amazing opportunity for Jet East and allows us to expand our capacity, capabilities, and reach within a key region of the U.S.,” said Jet East president and CEO Stephen Maiden. “The facility is in impeccable condition. The energy for this new endeavor is high and this is truly a milestone moment for the Jet East team and the customers we serve and support.”
An October 19 ruling by New York State Supreme Court justice Paul Baisley prevents the town of East Hampton from temporarily closing its airport (KJPX) then reopening it as a private-use facility with prior permission required, according to NBAA. The ruling comes after a protracted attempt by the city to change the airport’s operational status, NBAA explained, “ostensibly to address community concerns over noise.”
A previous temporary injunction had prevented the town from implementing the changes. The latest ruling, in response to litigation filed by aviation stakeholders, also rejected the town’s motion to dismiss the case.
Baisley’s ruling noted that the town did not analyze the proposed restrictions under New York’s State Environmental Quality Review Act, according to NBAA, nor submit a study in compliance with the federal Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990.
NBAA recommends that pilots “continue to fly neighborly, observe the voluntary curfew, and follow the applicable routes and noise-abatement procedures.” Ed Bolen, NBAA's president and CEO, also emphasized that the association and aviation stakeholders want to keep working with the town on the airport noise issues.
In response, East Hampton said, “The town board is conferring with its outside counsel to assess any effects of the decision, to maintain the town’s continued compliance with all court orders, and to consider the town’s legal options, including appeal.”
D’viation in Malaysia and Mather Aviation in central California have been appointed as GE Honda Aero Engines’ two newest authorized service providers (ASPs), increasing the joint venture’s HF120 service network to 17 locations. The engine powers the HondaJet.
As ASPs, the companies will perform line maintenance and engine removal, as well as support rental engine use. ASPs also promote and facilitate GE Honda’s Engine Maintenance Care (EMC) program for warranty and program services. “We continue not only to expand our network to match the growing fleet, but we are also adjusting our EMC offering to accommodate our customer base and their operation,” said GE Honda executive v-p Shinji Tsukiyama.
The EMC program covers routine maintenance, spare engines, and all parts and labor for HF120 customers. Based in Burlington, North Carolina, the GE Honda joint venture was formed in 2004 to manage the HF120 engine program that was launched in 2006.
Virtual Engine Training Sets FlightSafety Apart
For more than 10 years, FlightSafety and Pratt & Whitney Canada have worked together to develop, improve, and implement technology in maintenance training. The work and innovation have led to immersive and interactive virtual engine training. This revolutionary technology was recognized by AIN as a 2021 Top Flight Award winner in Maintenance Innovation.
A newly-released NTSB investigative update says investigators have identified a possible “safety concern” with the horizontal stabilizer of the float-equipped De Havilland Canada DHC-3 Turbine Otter that plunged nose down into Mutiny Bay, Washington, on September 4. The pilot and nine passengers died in the crash.
Investigators found the elevator actuator trim jack had separated into two pieces, with separation occurring where the clamp nut threads into the barrel section. Threads inside the barrel and those on the clamp nut revealed that the two components separated by unthreading as opposed to being pulled apart in tension. A circular wire lock ring used to prevent the barrel and clamp nut from unthreading was not located in the wreckage.
This issue could “result in a possible loss of airplane control,” the NTSB said. The Otter involved in the fatal accident was said to have taken a sudden nearly-straight dive into the water from about 1,000 feet msl. At present, the NTSB does not know whether the lock ring was installed before the crash or why the lock ring was not present when examining the airplane wreckage.
Meanwhile, the NTSB, in coordination with the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, has asked that the airframe manufacturer draft instructions for an inspection of the actuator to ensure that the lock ring is in place and properly engaged to prevent unthreading.
Rolls‑Royce expanded its business aviation services with the extension of established partnerships and the addition of authorized service centers (ASCs) for its CorporateCare customers. Calling its ASC network an essential element of its service portfolio, the engine-maker added its first such locations in Canada with Skyservice’s facilities in Montreal, Toronto, and Calgary. The Skyservice shops will coordinate with the Rolls-Royce Canada MRO on BR710A1/C4/A2 and Tay 611-8/8C support.
In addition, Rolls-Royce bolstered its presence in the U.S. with the appointment of Western Jet Aviation in Van Nuys, California, to support the BR710A1/C4 and Tay 611-8/8C. The Western Jet and Skyservice facilities are anticipated to be ready to provide that support beginning early next year.
As for its existing partnerships, Rolls‑Royce extended its agreement with Duncan Aviation to service the Rolls-Royce BR710A1/C4/A2, Tay 611-8/8C, and AE 3007A engines at its Lincoln, Nebraska; Battle Creek, Michigan; and Provo, Utah facilities.
“Our collaboration with the world’s most experienced maintenance providers ensures industry-leading service levels for our growing global CorporateCare customer base,” said Andy Robinson, senior v-p of customers and services for Business Aviation. Rolls-Royce has more than 75 ASCs in its network globally.
Since Canadian aviation service provider Skyservice expanded into the U.S. last year, the company has been busy attending to its newly-branded Oregon locations. It just completed construction on a new-build FBO complex at Redmond Municipal Airport-Roberts Field (KRDM), with a grand opening scheduled for this Friday.
The facility includes a 7,000-sq-ft FBO terminal with passenger and pilot lounges, refreshment bar, snooze room, flight-planning area, 16-seat conference room, concierge, hotel shuttle, and on-site car rental. The adjoining 25,000-sq-ft hangar can accommodate aircraft up to a Bombardier Global 7500 and brings the location to 85,000 sq ft of aircraft shelter.
At Bend Municipal Airport, where Skyservice is also the lone service provider, it recently added a 16,000-sq-ft hangar for based aircraft. It complements the location's existing 12,000 sq ft of hangar space, including a 10,000-sq-ft MRO complex.
“Skyservice is committed to delivering world-class business aviation services across all of our business service lines, addressing the growing demand for private aviation travel in North America,” said company president and CEO Benjamin Murray. “We are excited to open our newest fixed-base operations and hangar facilities in Oregon, a popular place for recreation and tourism, and to improve the client experience through excellent service, safety, and amenities.”
ToughGuard Aero’s paint sealant product will be included as an approved product in Dassault Falcon’s maintenance documentation, including the Falcon Interactive Electronic Library.
“ToughGuard has been trusted by individual Falcon owners and managers for decades, and we’re very pleased to be officially approved by Dassault Aviation for use on these aircraft,” said ToughGuard owner Dan Reid. “It’s always reassuring to use products that are mentioned in the maintenance manuals, and we’re honored to be awarded this confidence by Dassault.”
Once a new Falcon is delivered, the aircraft is exposed to environmental factors that can affect its resale value. “Dassault Falcons retain value better than any other business jet. To be more precise, they retain up to 10 percent more than their closest competitors after 10 years, regardless of market conditions. Highly sought-after Falcons means they take less time to resell,” said Gene Clow, owner of Seattle-based broker Great Circle Aircraft. “First impressions are paramount, so the condition of the paint is always a factor in aircraft resale value.”
Beaverton, Oregon-based ToughGuard has been providing paint sealant for the aviation, automotive, and marine industries since 1981.
Model(s): Challenger 600, 601-1A/3A/3R, 604, 605, and 650
Published: October 21, 2022
Effective: November 25, 2022
Requires a one-time inspection of the rudder power control unit load limiters for correct crimping of the end cap and replacing any defective rudder power control unit load limiter. For certain airplanes, this AD would also require repetitive testing of the rudder power control unit load limiter for correct functioning and applicable corrective actions. Prompted by a report that some rudder power control unit load limiters were found in service with the crimping missing from the end cap; therefore, the pilot command from the load limiter might not transmit correctly.
Requires a one-time inspection of the liferaft installations and, depending on findings, replacement of the affected control cables, associated cable pulley covers, and the life rafts, as applicable. Prompted by a report of an uncommanded deployment of the emergency life-raft system (ELS). Subsequent investigation determined incorrect installation of the affected control cable connecting ELS activation handle on pilot/copilot doors to be a potential cause of the occurrence. If not detected and corrected, EASA said this condition could lead to further cases of unintended activation and deployment of the ELS in flight with possible impact on the rotors, resulting in reduced control of the helicopter.
Requires inspecting the bleed air duct and surrounding structure for minimum clearance and damage, and performing any applicable corrective actions. Prompted by reports of insufficient clearance between the surrounding structure/skin of the aircraft and select bleed air ducts that supply the wing ice-protection system in the rear fuselage.
Requires repeated visual inspections of the tail rotor gearbox support assembly external surface, borescope inspecting or visually inspecting the inside of the tail boom for certain conditions, and performing a tactile inspection. Depending on the results of the inspections, this AD requires removing certain rivets from service or repairing gaps in accordance with an approved method. Prompted by reports of failed rivets between the tail boom skin and the tail rotor gearbox support assembly.
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