General Aviation

ANNAPOLIS, Md., 12 Feb. 2012. Commercial aircraft operators may start using an air traffic management (ATM) communications technology called the FANS 1/A over HFDL (FOH), after officials of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved FOH as a viable means of Air Traffic Service (ATS) communications. This means commercial aircraft may start using the global High Frequency Data Link (HFDL) network to communicate with air traffic controllers.

HOLON, Israel, 8 Feb. 2012. Innocon's MicroFalcon miniature unmanned aerial system (UAS) has completed flight tests in extreme weather conditions, a snowstorm in cold temperatures (-15 degrees Celsius) and 35-knot wind velocity. Innocon's lightest unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) provides intelligence and surveillance information for defense and homeland security applications, including military over-the-hill missions. It features boxed-type wings with a belly-mounted payload, which contributes to high survivability and a fast redeployment time cycle. 

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) applauds the U.S. Senate for passing the FAA Modernization and Reform Act 2012. The bill awaits President Obama’s signature before it becomes law. Once enacted, it starts the clock on a number of deadlines the FAA must meet to safely integrate unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the national airspace system; chief among them is a deadline for full integration by 30 Sept. 2015, says an AUVSI spokesperson.

WOBURN, Mass., 6 Feb. 2012. Concurrent Technologies Inc. in Woburn, Mass., is introducing the PP 81x/x9x single-slot air-cooled 6U CompactPCI single-board computer for high-performance systems upgrades that contain earlier generations of 6U CompactPCI embedded computing boards.

TORRANCE, Calif., 19 Jan 2012. Robinson Helicopter Co. in Torrance, Calif., more than doubled its production of civil helicopters in 2011 over the previous year, building 356 rotorcraft compared with 2010's production of 162, company officials announced. Production in 2011 saw Robinson build 212 Robinson model R44 Raven/Clipper series helicopters, 88 Robinson model R66 Turbine helicopters, and 56 Robinson model R22 Beta II helicopters.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., 16 Jan. 2011. Officials of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in Washington will establish an Air Transportation Center of Excellence (COE) for General Aviation this year to advance general aviation technology, and are asking colleges and universities to submit proposals to become members no later than 5 March. Eligible for membership in the FAA Air Transportation Center of Excellence for General Aviation are accredited institutions of higher education.

LOS ANGELES, 10 Jan. 2012. Private Jet One has completed a whirlwind charter for a major movie star as he promotes his new film worldwide. The company planned routes and provided all private jet transportation for the international superstar and his entourage, to locations that included London, Tokyo, Dubai, New York, and Los Angeles.

FORT WORTH, Texas, 9 Jan. 2012. the Turkish National Police in Ankara, Turkey, needed helicopters for a variety of police work in the Middle Eastern country. They found their solution from Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company (NYSE:TXT), in Fort Worth, Texas. The Turkish police is entering into final negotiations with Bell Helicopter to purchase 15 Bell 429 helicopters with an option for five additional rotorcraft.

STAMFORD, Conn., 4 Jan. 2012. GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), General Electric’s commercial aircraft leasing and financing arm, has placed an order for two additional ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft, and two options. GECAS officials placed the company’s first-ever ATR order in June at the Paris Air Show; this follow-on contract brings the total number of ATRs ordered by GECAS to 17 with 17 options. GECAS will start to take delivery of the new aircraft in late 2012.

BEIJING, China, Nov. 21, 2011. A signing ceremony was held between Sichuan Xilin Fengteng General Aviation Co., Ltd. and Eurocopter China for the order of two helicopters – one EC120 B light single-engine and one EC135 light twin-engine helicopter – to be delivered by mid-2012.

SYDNEY, Australia, 10 Nov. 2011. ExecuJet’s Australasian charter office personnel in Sydney report that the Rugby World Cup led to a strong demand for charter services from Sydney and Melbourne to cities in New Zealand, where the games were held. Travel to New Zealand was booked out many months in advance, so many international fans flew into Sydney and Melbourne and then chartered aircraft to Auckland, New Zealand, returning after the games ended. ExecuJet charter aircraft, ranging from narrow-body to wide-body aircraft, flew many clients to the games. One international company even booked a Falcon 900C for the three-week event for the dual purpose of attending their local offices and flying in and out of New Zealand.

WASHINGTON, DC, Nov. 8, 2011. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) reported that worldwide deliveries of general aviation airplanes in the first nine months of 2011 dropped 9.8 percent as compared to the same period last year, to a total of 1,227 units.  Industry billings fell 10.2 percent, from $13.5 billion to $12.1 billion.

CHICAGO, 8 Nov. 2011. Continental Airlines, a subsidiary of United Continental Holdings (NYSE:UAL), made history with the first U.S. commercial flight powered by advanced biofuels. A Boeing 737-800 equipped with a blend of sustainable, advanced biofuel and traditional petroleum-derived jet fuel departed Houston's Bush Intercontinental Airport at 10:30 a.m. for Chicago O'Hare International Airport. Flight 1403 solidified United as the first U.S. airline to fly passengers using a combination of biofuel and traditional fuel.

PEACHTREE CITY, Ga., 5 Nov. 2011. Officials at World Airways Inc. and North American Airlines Inc., subsidiaries of Global Aviation Holdings Inc. and organizing members of the Alliance Team, have entered into an agreement with American Airlines Inc. and US Airways Inc. The airlines agree to commit eligible aircraft to the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program, in exchange for which the Alliance Team receives entitlement to operate military charters, under the fiscal year 2013 charter airlift services contract from the U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), which also has an expected option year for fiscal 2014.

AVIONICS INTELLIGENCE VIDEO BLOG. 25 Oct. 2011. Executive Editor Courtney Howard in The Avionics Intelligence Report recognizes that business aviation market segment is rebounding. General aviation overall is experiencing rapid growth specifically in the Asia-Pacific region, and manufacturers of business jets and commercial aircraft are setting their sights on China, Korean, and other Asian markets. 

SHOREWOOD, Wis., 23 Oct. 2011. The International Air Transport Association officials revealed their industry outlook for the year, in which they predict the industry to achieve $4 billion in annual profit, carriers to spend $10 billion more on jet fuel this year vs. last year, and the airline industry to have generated $32.5 billion in ancillary revenue. This ancillary revenue has saved the industry from a loss-making position and continues to provide a hedge against runaway fuel bills, says a spokesperson.

LAS VEGAS, 11 Oct. 2011. Boeing Business Jets (BBJ; NYSE:BA) officials, during the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) conference in Las Vegas, unveiled the latest BBJ to enter the Chinese airplane charter market. Deer Jet of Beijing owns and operates the new BBJ, which marks the second of four BBJ aircraft for the airline. The delivery expands Boeing Business Jets’ airplane charter business in Asia, with Korean Airlines, Beijing Airlines, and Metrojet also chartering BBJs.   

GENEVA, 4 Sept. 2011. Worldwide passenger air traffic was up 5.9 percent in July over the same month one year ago, bucking gloomy economic conditions, report analysts at the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in Geneva. Year-over domestic passenger travel throughout the world was up 3.5 percent in July, while international passenger traffic was up by 7.3 percent, IATA officials say. Compared to early 2008 before the global economic recession, international passenger traffic has expanded by 12 percent.

MIDDLETON, Wis., 14 Aug. 2011. Extreme Engineering Solutions Inc. (X-ES) in Middleton, Wis., is introducing the XPand6000 rugged air transport rack (ATR) embedded computing chassis for aircraft and ground vehicles -- especially small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The chassis measures 4.88 by 1.9 by 7.7 inches and weighs less than 4.5 pounds populated, company officials say. The XPand6000 chassis uses three types of industry-standard commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components: rugged COM Express modules, PMC/XMC modules, and solid-state storage.