Gulfstream 3Q Deliveries Find Post-Covid Foothold

Third-quarter aircraft deliveries at Gulfstream Aerospace continued to edge closer to pre-Covid levels, but were still down 15.8 percent from a year ago, parent company General Dynamics announced today. The Savannah, Georgia-based business jet manufacturer handed over 32 aircraft (seven midsize G280s and 25 large-cabin jets) in the quarter versus 38 (nine G280s and 29 large cabins) in the same period a year ago.

In the first nine months, Gulfstream shipped 87 jets (16 G280s and 71 large cabins), compared with 103 (24 G280s and 79 large cabins) last year. General Dynamics chairman and CEO Phebe Novakovic indicated that Gulfstream is expected to deliver 130 aircraft in 2020, which would put fourth-quarter shipments at 43 units—pretty much on par with the 44 handed over in the final quarter a year ago.

Though she noted that business jet demand is a bit weaker in the U.S.—due to the economy, uncertain election outcome, and pandemic-related travel restrictions—book-to-bill in the quarter was 0.92:1 thanks to better demand from international customers. Novakovic said G650 deliveries and sales remain strong, with the model making up the biggest share of large-cabin shipments in the third quarter.

She added that deliveries will be somewhat lower in 2021 due to G550 production ending and fewer expected G280 shipments.

Traxxall Introduces Next-gen Mx Tracking Program

Montreal-based Traxxall rolled out its next-generation maintenance tracking program, Traxxall 360, that it said will streamline workflows with a more intuitive user interface. Traxxall 360 provides an updated interface with drag-and-drop functionality to generate customized dashboards and reports, Traxxall said. In addition, the cloud-based program comes with “smart” tracking to guarantee data accuracy and other enhancements.

“Traxxall 360 is at the forefront of business aircraft maintenance tracking,” said company president Mark Steinbeck. “Our new and easy-to-use interface enriches the user experience, while backend enhancements make it faster, more robust, and more secure.”

Noting some of the improvements stem from customer feedback, Steinbeck said the changes provide customers “greater flexibility and the freedom to use Traxxall in ways best suited to their needs and preferences.”

The Traxxall program is designed to minimize aircraft downtime and improve operational efficiency through its ability to track maintenance data. Traxxall maintenance tracking systems have been adopted by business aircraft operators in 57 countries and is approved by Textron Aviation, Airbus Helicopters, and Piaggio Aerospace.

FAA Developing Broader SMS Mandate for Part 135 and 145

FAA Administrator Steve Dickson hopes the agency will have a proposed rule mandating safety management systems (SMS) for air taxi and air tour operators, repair stations, and PMA parts providers by second-quarter 2022, he said on Tuesday at the FAA's Virtual International Rotorcraft Safety Conference. The agency is also working on a separate rule mandating SMS for airports, he added.

A former airline pilot, Dickson said the agency’s goal is to spread the safety record of Part 121 air carriers, which are required to have an SMS, downstream to the rest of aviation by moving “the ball forward in a collaborative way.” The safety systems employed by Part 121 carriers can be “progressively deployed” and scaled “throughout the aerospace industry,” he said.

Dickson also stressed that a recommitment to safety was essential toward the goal of knocking down the helicopter fatal accident rate. Noting that 90 percent of all helicopter fatalities are caused by blunt-force trauma, he called on operators to voluntarily install crash-resistant seats, structures, and crash-resistant fuel tanks required on new-production helicopters. “Thousands of helicopters in our legacy fleet aren't required to have these features. Why not consider retrofitting these upgrades now?” he asked.

Aircraft Specialities Opens New, Larger Building

Wheel and brake specialist Aircraft Specialties (ASI) has relocated to a larger, newly constructed building that will provide energy savings, greater efficiency, and new equipment. The 42,000-sq-ft facility replaces the Omaha, Nebraska-based company’s previous home for the past 34 years, which is located 15 minutes south of its new building.

“ASI is positioned to continue its growth plans while simultaneously increasing our levels of customer service,” said ASI sales director Gene Portela. “More shop space gives us more opportunities to provide additional support to our clients.”

ASI noted the timing for building a new, larger facility might not have been optimal because of the Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, said president Dave Fochler, the pandemic nearly caused ASI to hit the pause button on the project. But, he added, “Nobody ever accomplishes anything great without having the courage to take risks." Further, the reduced workload caused by the pandemic enabled ASI to take a more strategic view of its operations and incorporate small changes into the new facility.

An FAA Part 145 repair station established in 1985, ASI has expanded its business beyond wheels and brakes to include products and services from aircraft nose to tail.

VistaJet Unveils the Private World

Global business aircraft charter provider VistaJet has unveiled a new collection of private and secure high-end vacation destination partnerships. Known collectively as the Private World portal, it features more than 50 partners and properties.

The program offers the company’s membership groupings of experiences either for business or pleasure, such as VistaJet-to-Suite, offering premier accommodations such as the Peninsula Hotels in the world’s leading business hubs; VistaJet-to-Yacht, providing leasing for some of the most exclusive vessels afloat; VistaJet-to-Slopes, making connections to renowned ski resorts; VistaJet-to-Estate, with worldwide luxury property rentals; and VistaJet-to-Island, for the ultimate in private getaways, making it easy for members to browse through destinations.

A dedicated team manages each request and hands off customers to the welcoming properties, which will tailor everything to customer preferences before they arrive.

According to VistaJet, in this era of Covid restrictions, 79 percent of ultra-high-net-worth individuals are more inclined to book travel by private jet, considering it a safer and more reliable flight solution. It added that this new offering will provide its users with seamless door-to-door service, with no need to check-in, guaranteed privacy, and a slate of personalized services to make their trip as simple as possible.

Ontic Acquires More JT15D Parts Manufacturing from P&WC

The manufacturing rights to a fourth tranche of JT15D engine parts have been acquired by Ontic from Pratt & Whitney Canada, continuing a process begun in 2015. This latest tranche “adds significantly” to Ontic’s engine parts support, the manufacturer of OEM-licensed parts for legacy aircraft announced this week.

More than 6,700 JT15D engines were produced since the 1970s and the engine family powers a variety of business jets, including the Cessna Citation II and V, as well as the Beechjet 400A/400XP and its T1-A Jayhawk military equivalent. “The JT15D engine aligns with Ontic’s commitment to support legacy products,” said Ontic v-p and chief commercial officer Gareth Blackbird. “This continues the logical progression and expansion of our current services to our OEM partners.”

The parts in this latest tranche include sensors, vibration dampers, valve sleeves, and compressor veins, which will be manufactured and sold from Ontic’s Chatsworth, California facility. According to Ontic, these parts will continue to be distributed through Boeing Distribution (formerly Aviall).

Henderson Jet Expands Bizjet Part Search Capability

Henderson Jet Services (HJS) has launched a redesigned website to provide comprehensive company product and services resources for manufacturers, operators, MROs, and resellers of Bombardier Global Express, Challenger 300, and Learjet aircraft and components.

HJS—a certified supplier of Bombardier Business Jet aftermarket components, complex systems, and engines—said the website enables visitors to search aftermarket component options, parts inventory, and other resources. It noted that the site's redesign includes educational content on top-tier aircraft sourcing, tear-down, component testing, and full-cycle customer support.

The website offers more effective aftermarket component content navigation, consistent graphic references, company insight, direct contact access options, and parts search, the Georgetown, Texas, company added.

“HJS is built on a foundation of personalized communications that engage our clients through the entire process of our unique aftermarket component offering,“ said president Charlie Henderson. “Our client discussions always include consistent education and tech support, not just the sale of a part.”

Duncan’s Rapid Engine Response Team Sees Milestone

Duncan Aviation’s mobile engine rapid response team (RRT) program has completed its second decade. Back in 2000, the company formed its first such unit in the Dallas area and soon followed with teams in Chicago, Denver, Phoenix, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, providing troubleshooting and AOG support for Honeywell TFE731 engines. As the service became known, units began fielding calls to handle routine inspections on the powerplants, as well as work on engines from other manufacturers.

Today, the program encompasses 16 bases from Seattle and Long Beach, California, on the U.S. West Coast to New York and Fort Lauderdale on the East Coast. It has 30 factory-trained technicians who annually drive 23 equipped service vehicles more than 500,000 miles and handle approximately 2,000 AOG and field events, supported by the company’s three major MRO locations.

Their capabilities include all Honeywell engines and APUs; Pratt & Whitney JT15D, PW300, and PW500 series engines; GE CF34; Williams FJ44; and Rolls-Royce Spey, Tay, and BR models.

While the RRT team's focus is on engines, if a customer has avionics issues they will coordinate with the company’s nearest avionics satellite shop to resolve it.