Gulfstream Aerospace has increased the ranges of its G500 and G600 by 100 nm at both long-range and high-speed cruise speeds based on real-time operations, the Savannah, Georgia-based airframer announced today. According to Gulfstream, the G500 can now fly 5,300 nm at Mach 0.85 and 4,500 nm at Mach 0.90, while the G600 increases its range to 6,600 nm at long-range and 5,600 nm at high-speed cruise.
“The G500 and G600 have been exceeding expectations since they entered service,” said Gulfstream president Mark Burns. “This latest demonstrated range increase provides further proof of the tremendous efficiency and versatility of these aircraft. The Gulfstream team is always looking for opportunities to improve aircraft capabilities and the customer experience, and we are pleased to deliver another performance enhancement.”
Also getting a performance bump is the G600’s payload capacity with full fuel, which increases to 2,600 pounds thanks to a reduction of 570 pounds in the twinjet’s basic operating weight. “What’s exciting for existing customers is that these improvements already exist on their in-service aircraft with no modifications required,” Burns added.
Both the G500 and G600 exceeded range expectations in their flight-test programs, with the G600 adding 700 nm of high-speed-cruise range before entering service. On Wednesday, Phebe Novakovic—chairman and CEO of Gulfstream parent General Dynamics—said more than 90 G500/600s will be in service by year-end.
AINsight: Travel in the Time of Coronavirus
Well, I did it! I accepted an invitation to visit Dassault Aviation in France, which meant I’d have to book airline travel from the U.S. to Paris. What I first noticed is that there weren’t as many airline options as previously. I ended up booking a flight on Delta Air Lines.
The tricky part was meeting the Covid-related requirements to travel to France. In my case, the French authorities agreed with Dassault that I would be considered an “essential worker” for the visit, so Dassault was able to secure permission from the French ministry of the interior.
Now began the confusing part—I needed a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) Covid test 72 hours before departure. I ultimately went to a local urgent care facility that offered PCR testing with results in 15 minutes, and I had a negative result delivered in just 10 minutes.
At check-in, the Delta agent asked for my Covid test results and the permission letter from the French interior ministry. After the paperwork check, I had my boarding pass.
The big surprise was the lack of detailed scrutiny by passport control in France. The officer stamped my passport, and that was it. I didn’t need any of the papers in my growing sheaf of invitations, permissions, and test results. It was kind of anticlimactic.
Rosen To Introduce Larger, Improved Cabin Displays
Oregon-based visual display specialist Rosen Aviation has signed a new partnership with Japan-OLED which will pave the way for it to begin providing new large-format OLED cabin displays starting next year. Sizes will range from 48 to 65 inches, with the potential for even larger displays as development progresses.
The large-format OLEDs offer superior picture quality to LCD displays, with contrast ratios of 1,000,000:1, HDR True Black, and wide color gamut (WCG), according to Rosen. In addition, it said, the new displays weigh approximately half of comparable LCDs, making a 65-inch OLED similar to the weight of a 32-inch LCD. Such weight savings have the potential for new dynamic IFE applications for business aviation and VIP aircraft, the company noted.
“The availability of large OLED displays creates endless opportunities for Rosen and its customers,” said Lee Clark, the company’s senior v-p of strategy, adding that it is no longer forced to pick and choose based on customer requirements. “Now we can offer a complete OLED solution for any application, saving our customers space and weight, while simultaneously offering their end-users the best picture imaginable.”
Military Programs Drive Bell’s Third Quarter Higher
Bell saw higher revenue and profit in the third quarter despite delivering one fewer commercial helicopter and recording a 10 percent decline in parts and services, the Fort Worth-based Textron subsidiary reported yesterday. For the quarter, the airframer delivered 41 commercial helicopters, compared with 42 in the same period last year. That included fifteen 505s, nineteen 407s, and seven 429s versus seventeen 505s, fifteen 407s, nine 429s, and one 412 in the third quarter of 2019.
Bell’s commercial helicopter business was largely challenged by the effects of Covid-19. “I think that we've certainly seen some softness on the commercial side,” Textron Inc. president and CEO Scott Donnelly told analysts on a conference call yesterday. “And it's largely driven by the fact that…it’s hard to get a lot of face time with customers, it's hard to kind of just get deals done. As you know our Bell commercial business is heavy on foreign customers. A lot of fleet operators, a lot of our bigger aircraft are international, and it's still a challenge to sell and do demos.”
A strong military business helped drive revenue $10 million higher year-over-year, to $793 million, and $119 million in profit, a 15 percent margin. Donnelly attributed the company’s military performance in the quarter to higher aftermarket volume on existing contracts supporting the V-22 tiltrotor and H-1 helicopter programs.
Spirit AeroSystems has closed on its $865 million acquisition of select Bombardier assets that will give it additional work with Airbus and the Canadian airframer. Under the deal, the Wichita-based aircraft supplier gains Bombardier’s aerostructures and aftermarket businesses in Belfast, Northern Ireland (Short Brothers); Casablanca, Morocco; and Dallas.
Long-term contracts from those sites include work on the A220 (formerly C Series) and Bombardier business jets. Combined, the sites employ 3,300 people and encompass 3.4 million sq ft of covered space.
“The acquired sites bring expertise in engineering, innovation, and advanced composites, and also aligns with our strategic priorities,” said Spirit president and CEO Tom Gentile. “With the addition of these sites, Spirit acquires the entire work package for the A220 wing manufacturing processes and technology, which are critical for the future of next-generation aircraft, and doubles our global world-class aftermarket services business.”
Spirit paid $275 million in cash to Bombardier and assumed debt and other obligations. Those obligations will include a $130 million contribution to the Shorts pension plan on the first anniversary of the closing of the sale.
The closing comes just days after the supplier to commercial aircraft OEMs announced it would proceed with the acquisition, which was in doubt because of deep financial losses from the effects of Covid-19 and grounding of the Boeing 737 Max.
CBAA Joins SAF Coalition
The Canadian Business Aviation Association is the newest member of the Business Aviation Sustainable Fuel Coalition (SAF Coalition), joining NBAA, EBAA, IBAC, GAMA, NATA, and the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI).
Founded in 2017, the group has sponsored several high-profile events, including its first virtual industry summit last month, and has recently released the second edition of its SAF educational guidebook, Fueling the Future, which provides a roadmap for accelerating the production, availability, and acceptance of sustainable fuel. The organization has also teamed with other aviation organizations such as ICAO and the Air Transport Action Group to further these goals.
“As the coalition has made clear, SAF is key to the industry’s goal of continued emissions reduction,” said CBAA president and CEO Anthony Norejko. “SAF may sound too good to be true, but it is true: it will dramatically reduce carbon emissions and help the industry go further faster in reducing an already low carbon footprint. We're pleased to be part of a group that is ensuring this vision becomes reality.”
JSX Establishes New Routes, Ends BFI-OAK Service
Public charter provider JSX has added new service markets while it exits another. Starting November 20, it will offer daily, round-trip flights between Dallas Love Field and Houston Hobby Airport using its 30-seat Embraer 145 regional jets in a business-class configuration.
“Texas has been in our sights for a long time and I am thrilled to introduce our unique way of flying to the Lone Star State,” said JSX CEO Alex Wilcox. “Although the pandemic slowed our growth plans, which were on pace to more than double for the fifth consecutive year, we are seeing an upward trend in bookings due to our award-winning service and the crowd-free alternative JSX provides to commercial air travel.”
The addition of Houston Hobby follows the establishment of round-trip service between Hollywood Burbank International Airport and Reno-Tahoe (Nevada) International Airport. JSX is operating daily service on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday on that route.
About two years ago JSX relocated its headquarters from Irvine, California, to Dallas, where it has been offering once-a-week roundtrip flights to McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas since mid-June.
Despite the new routes, JSX has ended service between Boeing Field in Seattle and Oakland International Airport, which it wasn’t able to sustain because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
President Trump’s 1989 Sikorsky S-76B is for sale. The helicopter frequently appeared on camera during much of Trump’s 14-year tenure on the reality television show “The Apprentice” and during his 2016 presidential campaign. It is one of three S-76s operated for the Trump Organization. N76DT, s/n 760351, is listed by Aero Asset with a price of “make offer,” but is believed to have a market value near $800,000 based on current market conditions and equipment.
The average retail price for a 1989 S-76B is $725,000, according to the aircraft valuation service Vref, but the glut of models on the market and parts availability issues are believed to have driven sales prices below this number. N76DT is currently hangared in New Jersey and is listed with a TTAF of 6,259.3. Its twin Pratt & Whitney PT6B-36A engines are enrolled on ESP Gold and are slightly past their 4,000-hour mid-time since their last overhauls.
According to the listing, the helicopter is equipped for single-pilot IFR (SPIFR) operations and features an instrument and communications package with Honeywell dual SPZ-7000 DAFCS, standby self-contained altitude indicator with battery back-up, dual IDC encoding altimeters, ADS-B, weather radar, TCAS, moving map, satcom, and Airshow. The six-place executive passenger compartment is fitted with soundproofing and finished in African mahogany veneer, acru/almond leather, cream ultra suede, and an abundance of gold fittings.
Webinar: Autothrottle Safety and Performance Benefits
Autothrottles greatly simplify the operation of turboprop engines, helping the pilot not only manage power changes automatically during busy flying periods in terminal airspace but also add major safety benefits. For the first time, the Innovative Solutions & Support autothrottle system is now available for PT6-powered airplanes, and webinar attendees can learn about how the system works and all of the benefits it offers. Please join us on November 4 as AIN editor-in-chief Matt Thurber moderates an in-depth discussion with Tom Grunbeck, director of autothrottle products at Innovative Solutions & Support, and Aaron Tobias, FAA consultant DER flight test pilot.
Photo of the Week
A ray of sunshine. Jonathan Saltman, the president and CEO of aircraft detailing products supplier Aero Products, took this gorgeous early-morning photo at the Gulfstream service center in Savannah, Georgia. Thanks for sharing, Jonathan!
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