Runaway Success

Orlando in Florida is better known by its sobriquet ‘The Theme Park Capital of the World’ and attracts tourists from all over the world. It is also one of the busiest American cities for conferences and conventions. And this year the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) held the 2014 Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in this ‘City Beautiful’ and the business aviation industry got extremely busy.

“This year’s show was an enormous success, filled with announcements and product introductions,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “The exhibit floor and aircraft displays had lots of activity and excitement. The education sessions were informative and well attended. The event once again showcased the industry’s size, diversity and significance. Perhaps most important, the show provided many reminders that ours is an industry characterised by passion and professionalism.”

NBAA 2014 which took place from October 21 to 23, featured about 1,100 exhibitors. Additionally, over 100 aircraft were displayed in several locations at a sold-out static display at Orlando Executive Airport, at an indoor display inside the convention centre and at various exhibitor booths on the show floor. More than 26,000 people attended the show, which included representatives from 49 US states and 95 countries around the world.

Also at the session, International Jet Aviation Services received NBAA’s 2014 Al Ueltschi Award for Humanitarian Leadership for its work, through Make-A-Wish America, to use business aviation to help kids’ dreams take flight.

A new advocacy initiative announced by Bolen during the convention’s Media Kickoff Breakfast, was unveiled, called “Business Leaders on Business Aviation.” The initiative highlights testimonials from dozens of CEOs on the value of business aviation to their companies and builds on similar testimonials from ten CEOs, introduced at NBAA 2013, called the “Top Ten.” This year’s CEOs were featured prominently at NBAA 2014 signage displayed throughout the event’s exhibit halls, meeting areas and static aircraft displays, as well as in advertisements appearing in the “Show Daily” publications.

A charitable benefit event, co-hosted by NBAA and Corporate Angel Network raised nearly $4,00,000 in support of CAN’s mission to provide life-saving flights to take cancer patients to treatment centres aboard business aircraft. NBAA 2015 in November. “Clearly, in a host of ways, NBAA’s 2014 convention is one for the record books,” Bolen said. “We are thrilled by the enthusiasm that marked each of the show’s three days, and we are already making plans for next year’s convention in Las Vegas, Naveda, from November 17 to 19, 2015.”

Business Aviation Opportunities with Unmanned Aircraft Systems

“Make no doubt about it: unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are coming and they will offer amazing opportunities for flight departments to expand their responsibilities and become more relevant to their companies,” said Brad Hayden, President and CEO of Robotic Skies at the convention.

As covered in a previous education session, commercial use of UAS is currently prohibited in US airspace. As they always have been, model airplanes flown by hobbyists are allowed, but the industry is waiting for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations to permit employment of UAS for business.

That business could be anything, from filmmaking to crop dusting, public safety to rural medical services, but panelists said commercial uses for UAS often fall into “the three Ds”, jobs that human beings would find dull, dangerous or dirty. As their cost comes down, UAS will also be able to undertake tasks more cheaply. “The commercial opportunities are not here today,” said Paul McDuffee, Vice President of Government Relations and Strategy for Insitu, a maker of UAS, “but they are beginning to emerge.”

With the FAA close to issuing a proposed rule for commercial use of small UAS, McDuffee estimated the UAS market would open up in about three to five years. When it does, there will be many opportunities for flight departments and business aviation professionals. Some of those opportunities include outsourcing aircraft and avionics certification, UAS operator training and maintenance for unmanned aircraft. Just as UAS will create new opportunities in the business aviation industry, it will also make it safer.

Career Opportunities in Business Aviation

Careers in aviation can range from pilot or air traffic controller, to aviation attorney or UAS engineer, a room full of high school and college students learned at NBAA’s convention.

“The one central thing is, do what you love to do,” said Steve Brown, Chief Operating Officer of NBAA. “You will probably work about 44 years or about 12,000 days. People in this industry don’t count the days, they have passion for what they do.”

Amelia Rose Earhart, a pilot, former traffic and weather reporter and now head of the Fly With Amelia Foundation, encouraged the students to think big and ask questions of people in the industry. “Don’t be nervous and don’t be shy,” she said. “You have so many opportunities in all facets of aviation.”

Air traffic control is another career track with many opportunities, the students were told by Trish Gilbert, Executive Vice President of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. Although the job can be very stressful and has a rigorous training component, the rewards can be gr eat. “Being an air traffic controller is very challenging and gratifying,” said Gilbert, noting that the FAA plans to hire 1,000 controllers per year for the next ten years.

Demystifying Cabin Connectivity Technology

A cabin technology education session provided an overview of the state of cabin connectivity and offered hope that the capabilities of onboard systems will grow as providers develop more powerful solutions to business passengers’ desires for greater speed and access.

Bethany Davis of Gulfstream Aerospace outlined the connectivity systems typically installed in long-range business jets. The three satellite systems are Honeywell Inmarsat Swift Broadband (L band), Honeywell Inmarsat Jetconnex (Ka band) and ViaSat Yonder (Ku band). The fourth system, Gogo Biz, is an air-to-ground system.

Christopher Kissinger of Boeing Company noted that his company conducts half-day flight attendant training sessions twice a year in which written and functional tests are administered. Davis added that when Gulfstream delivers new airplanes, a cabin specialist demonstrates the connectivity and cabin management systems to customers. Meanwhile, cabin connectivity providers are working on multiple ways to enhance the cabin connectivity experience, including obtaining more satellite capacity to boost coverage and data rates.

Embraer’s Portfolio on Display

Embraer Executive Jets exhibited its full aircraft portfolio at NBAA 2014. This was the first time that the company showcased all seven aircraft on static display, including a prototype of the Legacy 450 mid-light jet, which is expected to be certified in mid-2015. “We are thrilled to bring the Legacy 450 to NBAA alongside the Legacy 500, which was delivered to the first customer last week,” said Marco Túlio Pellegrini, President and CEO, Embraer Executive Jets. “These are revolutionary aircraft, delivering true innovation in their classes.”

Gulfstream Full-Size Cabin Mock-Up of G-600

Gulfstream showcased a full-size cabin and cockpit mock-up of the G-600. The G-600 and the slightly smaller G-500 were announced October 14. A G-500 is due for its first flight early 2015. Gulfstream projects it will receive type certification from the FAA and EASA in 2017 and begin deliveries in 2018. The G-600 flight-test programme is expected to begin approximately 12 to 18 months after the G-500s and entry-into-service is projected to be in 2019.

Flexjet placed a firm order for six G-500s, plus 10 G-450s and six G-650s with options for 28 additional aircraft. Qatar Executive signed a memorandum of understanding covering a 20-aircraft mix of G-500 and G-650. The G-500 can fly 5,000 nm at Mach 0.85 or 3,800 nm at Mach 0.90. The G-600 is capable of travelling 6,200 nm at Mach 0.85 or 4,800 nm at Mach 0.90.

Gulfstream said that the new Savannah production line to be used for the G-500 and G-600 models, will represent a “significant” advance over the G-650 production line. The G-650 line already uses 80 per cent fewer fasteners and 50 per cent fewer parts than the G-450/550.

Dassault Launches New Customer Support Programme

Dassault Falcon Jet launched a new Aircraft on Ground (AOG) response programme at NBAA. The customer-support programme will use two company-owned Falcon 900 as rapid-response aircraft, one based at Teterboro (NJ) Airport and the other at Paris Le Bourget.

The Falcons will be used to transport Dassault Go Teams of technicians, parts and tools and if necessary, carry customers to their destinations while their aircraft is being serviced. Customers would be billed direct operating costs for these flights, which will be operated for the company by an independent operator under Part 135. In addition to the rapid response aircraft, Dassault is embarking on various other service-related improvements, including a new 77,000 sq ft MRO facility in Bordeaux, France; increasing the number of parts for “right-sizing” price reductions; significantly increasing its spare parts inventories and hiring more service personnel.

Dassault currently has a 98.5 per cent parts-availability rate. That is the percentage of the time a customer receives parts on the day they are needed and that in most cases parts pack and ship within 30 minutes to one hour of placement of the order.

Beechcraft Bags Orders from Guardian Flight

Beechcraft Corporation, a subsidiary of Textron Aviation Inc, a Textron Inc company, announced that Guardian Flight has secured six orders for the Hawker 400XPR upgrade package. First deliveries are planned for the first half of 2015.

“As the largest air medevac provider in Alaska, this order demonstrates Guardian Flight’s confidence in the added range performance and operating value provided through the Hawker 400XPR upgrade,” said Brad Thress, Senior Vice President, Customer Service at Textron Aviation.

Guardian Flight’s upgraded Hawker XPR aircraft will feature Genuine Hawker Winglets and the increased power of the Williams International FJ44-4A-32 engines. Combined, these modifications are projected to realise a 33 per cent increase in range along with improvements in runway and hot and high performance.

Beechcraft offers the exclusive factory-approved, engineered and supported upgrade package that significantly improves performance, operating cost and resale value of the Beechjet 400A/Hawker 400XP. In addition to engines and winglets, the XPR can include upgrades to the aircraft’s exterior, cabin and avionics.

Also during NBAA, Beechcraft announced winglet testing is complete and FAA certification. The Williams International FJ44-4A-32 engines will enable the Hawker 400XPR to climb directly to FL450 in only 19 minutes at max takeoff weight. Based on preliminary performance data, the 400XPR will fly 1,970 nautical miles with four passengers departing a 5,000-foot elevation airport at 30°Celsius. Certification of the new engines is pending.

Cessna Aircraft presented its new Citation Latitude, one of four Latitudes currently flying in the company’s flight-test programme. The programme has now logged over 600 flight hours.