Flowy Falcon 6X Cabin Wins International Design Award

Dassault Aviation's Falcon 6X has won the International Yacht & Aviation Award for interior design, the French aircraft manufacturer announced yesterday. The in-development 6X, which is expected to fly next year and enter service in 2022, will have the largest cabin cross-section of any purpose-built business jet, Dassault said.

“This award reflects the innovative manner in which our in-house design studio conceived the Falcon 6X cabin, which entailed going well beyond simply improving the aircraft’s interior decoration,” said Dassault Aviation chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “With extensive input from customers, our engineers rethought the entire interior design process, employing a sensory design approach that will completely redefine the passenger flight experience.”

“Sensory design” manages air, light, and sound to maximize health and wellness, according to Dassault. In the Falcon 6X, this approach influenced materials, textures, and finishes as well as furniture layout and furnishings, interior lighting and color schemes, and cabin contours.

The result, said Dassault, is a cabin with “flowing uninterrupted lines, innovative furniture design, flush surfaces, and recessed technology [that] provide a cozy, clutter-free interior designed to enhance the feeling of spaciousness and facilitate productivity and relaxation.”

ASG Sees Bizav Recovery but Mixed Outlook in Asia

Asian Sky Group (ASG) painted a mixed outlook for the industry in the Asia-Pacific region with purchase intentions ticking up and operations recovering, but still down year-over-year. In its third-quarter 2020 edition of Asian Sky Quarterly released today, ASG reported that business aircraft utilization in the region is now down just 9 percent from a year ago, a vast improvement from the plunge in April.

“Call it a V-shaped recovery or a flattening of the curve, we’ll take it as the industry needs aircraft in the air,” said ASG CEO Jeffrey Lowe, citing increases in international travel, along with the recovery in China.

As a result, purchase intentions of preowned business aircraft have ticked up 3 percent, but more aircraft are on the market and are taking longer to sell. This is eroding prices, Lowe said, noting values fell from 15 percent to 20 percent from March through July for medium jets and larger.

According to the report, “The pessimistic mood caused by Covid-19 in Asia-Pacific has eased as an economic rebound was seen in the Greater China market. This has, consequently, stabilized market mood as more respondents in Q3 believed that market demand will bounce back in the first half of 2021.”

Gogo Avance Wi-Fi System OK’d for More Biz Aircraft

Two MRO shops have been awarded more STCs from the FAA for the installation of Gogo Business Aviation’s Avance L5 air-to-ground connectivity system while Swiss airframer Pilatus has selected Gogo’s Avance L3 system as an option for new-production PC-24s. Pilatus also has acquired STCs for the installation of the L3 system on the PC-24 and PC-12 NGX.

“In-flight Wi-Fi has become one of the most important features requested by our customers, and based on the performance our PC-12 operators have enjoyed, it was an easy decision for us to add it as an option from the factory for the PC-24,” said Pilatus marketing v-p Tom Aniello. Avance L3 is a smaller, lighter, and lower-cost version of Gogo’s connectivity system for turboprops and light jets.

For the larger Avance L5, Duncan Aviation’s engineering and certification department has completed an STC for the Cessna Citation X/X+, which is its eighth STC for the system. Duncan said its STCs have been used for more than 183 installations of the Avance L5 system.

Additionally, Flightstar has received STC approval for L5 equipment installation in the Bombardier Learjet 40, 45, 70, and 75. Flightstar’s STC allows for the installation of the LRU and configuration module in the lavatory/baggage area. 

VistaJet Signs SAF Use Agreement

Global private aviation provider VistaJet has signed an agreement with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) provider SkyNRG that will allow its air charter customers the option to cover their flights with the use of SAF. As part of the aircraft operator’s Sustainability in Aviation pledge launched earlier this year, the voluntary program permits VistaJet’s users to specify if they wish to pay for the volume of SAF consumed in their flight, which through a “book-and-claim” mechanism will allow them to receive the environmental credits, while the actual fuel is dispensed into another aircraft’s fuel tanks somewhere where there is a supply of SAF.

Through its partnership with SkyNRG the company said it will be able to offer “the most sustainable, cost-effective, and scalable solution to decarbonize their flights while helping to grow adoption across the entire industry.” According to VistaJet, since it introduced its sustainability initiatives, including a carbon offset purchase program, it has seen an 80 percent acceptance rate among its customers and the offset of nearly 100,000 tons of CO2.

Other aspects of the programs include fuel consumption reduction technology to automate flight optimization and management of its global fleet, which has resulted in an 8 percent improvement in fuel burn per flight. The company is also moving to source the electricity that is supplied to its offices from only renewable sources.

StandardAero Becomes Prizm LED Lighting Dealer

Elliott Technologies has added StandardAero to its U.S. dealer network for Prizm Aircraft Lighting, allowing customers to add the LED lighting system at any StandardAero facility. With the agreement, StandardAero becomes the 13th dealer to join the Prizm network.

“There is a demand for customer-friendly, cost-effective LED cabin lighting solutions and Prizm LED lighting is a great solution to meet the demand,” said Jerry Sanders, StandardAero’s director of avionics program management and business development. The Prizm lighting system offers full-color-spectrum lighting throughout an aircraft cabin and can be controlled through a mobile app or the aircraft’s existing controls.

“[StandardAero has] a lot of experience in large business jets, which is an excellent fit for our products,” said Elliott Technologies product sales manager Tim Lockerby. “Prizm Aircraft Lighting is scalable and can be adapted to just about any size business jet.”

Helo Lessor LCI Partners With Sumitomo Mitsui Finance

Helicopter lessor LCI and Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing (SMFL) have agreed to establish a joint-venture helicopter leasing business. While they are co-investors in the partnership, LCI will act as the manager.

The joint venture was launched with the acquisition of 19 helicopters valued at $230 million that will be used for a variety of missions, including air ambulance, search and rescue, and transport to offshore energy platforms. LCI and SMFL said the aircraft portfolio has “a strong lessee profile, long average lease tenor, and full power-by-the-hour maintenance coverage” and “offers a robust profile for the investors.”

“This partnership promises sustained and exciting growth for LCI’s rotary-wing business, which has already proved highly resilient during the global pandemic,” said George Logothetis, chairman and CEO of LCI parent company Libra Group.

SMFL, which already operates aircraft and engine leasing companies, provides aircraft and engine leases and other asset-backed finance products, including leases, debt, and equity investments in sectors including real estate and energy. LCI’s current aircraft fleet, valued at approximately $1 billion, is deployed across four continents and serves the emergency medical services, offshore wind, search and rescue, maritime pilot transfer, and oil-and-gas transportation markets. The fleet includes medium and super-medium helicopters manufactured by Leonardo, Airbus, and Sikorsky.

Ontic Names AAIC as Authorized Repair Station

Ontic, which has specialized in services and parts to extend the life of legacy aircraft, named Aviation Avionics & Instruments (AAIC) as an exclusive authorized repair station for its barometric product line in the U.S. Ontic selected AAIC for its background and knowledge of the product line, the company said.

“We believe that our partnership with AAIC will add value to our customers,” said Chris Muklevicz, Ontic’s head of sales for North America. “With AAIC’s expertise and knowledge of the product line, I am confident that AAIC will continue Ontic’s high caliber of service.”

Ontic, which has 46 years of aerospace product manufacturing and aftermarket experience, supports legacy products with its manufacturing and MRO facilities in Chatsworth, California; Creedmoor, North Carolina; Plainview, New York; Cheltenham, UK; and Singapore.

Founded in 1987, AAIC services equipment at its new 32,000-sq-ft facility in Freeport, New York, near JFK International Airport.

Flight Simulator Features 10 Cessna, Beech Airplanes

The latest release of Microsoft’s Flight Simulator features 10 Cessna and Beechcraft airplanes that Textron Aviation said are realistic and comparative to the real things. A team of the Wichita airframer’s designers, flight test engineers, and pilots were involved in developing the software.

That realism includes worldwide VFR, real-world weather information, accurate navigational data, real-time air traffic information, and virtual sightseeing. Users can pilot a Cessna 172 Skyhawk or Beechcraft Baron G58 through the Grand Canyon or fly a super-midsize Citation Longitude twinjet to and from 37,000 airports, including Teterboro and London Biggin Hill.

“Microsoft Flight Simulator is at the forefront of the at-home flight simulation experience, and Textron Aviation was thrilled to work directly with Microsoft on the new version of the famous franchise,” said Textron Aviation interior design and customer spec manager Brandi Arroyo. “We’re proud to offer the most versatile general aviation lineup in the world and honored that this program brings our aircraft to life virtually using real-world data. Pairing up Microsoft developers with Cessna and Beechcraft designers and engineers was a natural partnership that provides Flight Sim users with the most realistic experience possible.”

Other Textron Aviation aircraft included in the flight simulation software are the Citation CJ4, Beechcraft King Air 350i, Cessna 208B, Grand Caravan EX, Bonanza G36, Skyhawk 172 (steam gauges or G1000), 152, and 152 Aerobat.

AIN Webinar: Separating Fact from Fiction in Bizav Market

Industry leaders on the front line of business aviation will share their candid insights and opinions on the real state of the market, what we can expect through 2021, and strategies for managing during a crisis while targeting new business opportunities. Please join us on October 6 as AIN editor-in-chief Matt Thurber moderates this discussion with Jay Mesinger, president and CEO of Mesinger Jet Sales; Keith G. Swirsky, Esq., president of GKG Law, P.C., and Dan Drohan, chairman and CEO Solairus Aviation. Register now for this no-cost webinar.