Another penalty has been assessed against Darby Aviation, one of several operators involved in the crash of a Challenger 600 at New Jersey’s Teterboro Airport on February 2. Doing business as AlphaJet International, the Muscle Shoals, Ala.
Business Aviation
News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.
As Piaggio Aero’s new Avanti II entered production last month, the company also announced it is increasing production to meet growing demand for the turboprop twin, but will it be enough?
FBO Western Aircraft of Boise, Idaho, early last month celebrated delivering its 100th PC-12. The Pilatus Business Aircraft distributor delivered the new turboprop single to Butler Machinery. Boulder, Colo.-based Pilatus Business Aircraft, a subsidiary of Pilatus Aircraft in Switzerland, said the delivery brings the PC-12 worldwide fleet to 583 aircraft since the type entered service in 1994.
Spokane, Wash.-based Rocket Engineering is developing the Turbine P Baron in parallel with the Royal Turbine Duke program. The Baron conversion, which fits two PT6A-21 turboprops and Hartzell four-blade props to the light twin, costs about $700,000 (airframe additional). The company plans to have an STC in 12 to 18 months.
Bombardier announced last month the entry into service by an undisclosed customer of its new flagship business jet, the ultra-long-range Global Express XRS. The OEM has also delivered a second aircraft to European launch customer Transneft, an oil transportation management company. The XRS is an upgraded and longer-range successor to the Global Express.
Civil aviation experienced the highest percentage growth of all sectors of aerospace sales last year, increasing 20 percent to $39 billion. According to the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), overall, aerospace sales increased by $14 billion to reach a record industry-wide level of $170 billion last year. AIA’s outlook for this year is solid, calling for 8.2-percent growth, to $184 billion.
An ongoing “supplier problem” is casting a shadow over Eclipse Aviation’s receipt of its first FAA type inspection authorization earlier last month for the Eclipse 500 very light twinjet. The supplier problem–which outside sources say is related to the avionics system–could delay the March certification target for Eclipse’s very light jet. Eclipse at press time was meeting with the unidentified vendor in hopes of quickly resolving the issue.
Raytheon issued a new safety communiqué to advise Beech 1900 operators of another misleading illustration in the type’s maintenance manuals. The notice represents the latest in a series of manual revisions prompted by the crash of two Beech 1900D airliners that killed 23 people in 2003.
The wing that separated from the Chalk’s Ocean Airways Grumman Turbo Mallard that crashed off Miami Beach last month showed signs of cracking in the main support beam that connected it to the fuselage, according to the NTSB.
Ibis Aerospace’s Ae270 turboprop single completed EASA certification, and FAA certification is expected shortly. However, the current version of the Ae270 has not met performance targets and the Czech manufacturer intends to develop an improved Ae270 to go into production. Ibis said it will receive additional financing this year to fund development through to the point that series production can begin.