Cessna Boosts Textron Revenue

May 01, 2008

Textron, the parent company of Bell Helicopter and Cessna, isn’t feeling the effects of the economic downturn just yet. The company reported an 18.7-percent jump in revenue in the first quarter, largely due to an increase in revenue of $278 million by the Wichita-based OEM. Cessna’s profits increased by $52 million, to $207 million, compared with the same...

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Eclipse 500 nears full avionics functionality

May 01, 2008

Eclipse Aviation is expecting to achieve two major certification goals–flight-into-known-icing and EASA certification–for the EA-500 very light jet by July, according to Mike McConnell, vice president of sales and marketing. Full avionics functionality should follow by year-end, aided by Eclipse’s choice to install dual Garmin GPS 400W WAAS-certified...

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Pre-owned Market Solid for Eclipse 500s

May 01, 2008

While most business jet manufacturers rarely announce how many airplanes they have built before providing quarterly shipment numbers to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Eclipse Aviation announced last month that it had delivered 45 aircraft in the first quarter. (“Delivered” airplanes have a bill of sale, the buyer has paid and signed the...

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Hydraulics Eyed in Citation X Mishap

May 01, 2008

Diagnostics of the airplane’s engine indication and crew alert system (EICAS) indicate that a Cessna Citation X (N750WM) that rolled off the side of a JFK Airport runway April 3 had hydraulic problems, according to the NTSB preliminary report. The WM Aviation-registered jet veered right off Runway 13L and collided with a dirt divider, suffering substantial...

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Nextant Gives New Life to Beechjets

May 01, 2008

Richmond Heights, Ohio-based Nextant Aerospace announced last month its 400NXT Beechjet retrofit and modernization program and Pro Line 21 cockpit upgrade for Beechjets and Hawker 400XPs. The company will replace the Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D engines with Fadec-equipped Williams FJ44-3AP engines, increasing the IFR range from the baseline airplane’s...

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AD for Challenger Cold-Weather Ops

May 01, 2008

The FAA on April 14 issued an Airworthiness Directive for all Bombardier Challengers, as well as the derivative CRJ100 and 440 regional jets, that requires revising the aircraft flight manuals to modify the cold-weather operations limitations and include additional limitations and procedures. The FAA stated that AD 2008-08-06 results from reports of...

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Embraer Set To Tackle Carbon Emissions

May 01, 2008

Embraer is launching a voluntary carbon offset program for its Embraer Executive Care (EEC) customers later this year, according to director of environmental strategies and technologies Graciliano Campos. The EEC program allows customers to purchase coverage for maintenance and parts, and an additional option will allow them to purchase carbon credits from...

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Aero Toy Store To Sell Supersonic Jet

May 01, 2008

Aero Toy Store has been appointed the factory authorized representative of Aerion for the sale of the company’s supersonic business jet. The agreement allows the initial sale of 12 of the new jets, which will cruise at speeds up to Mach 1.6 at altitudes of up to 51,000 feet. It has a range of 4,000 nm. Aero Toy Store has FBOs and sales centers in Fort...

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Deliveries begin for Pilatus PC-12 NG

May 01, 2008

The latest version of the Pilatus PC-12, featuring new avionics and a new engine, received FAA and EASA certification on March 28. The PC-12 Next Generation, formally known as the PC-12/47E, was announced at the 2006 NBAA Convention. The added features include some that operators have been seeking for many years and indicate that the PC-12’s popularity...

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Criteria set for first G650 buyers

May 01, 2008

In a March 13 letter to a prospective buyer, Gulfstream outlined details of the purchase process for the new G650 ultra-long-range jet. Gulfstream began accepting orders for the G650 on April 15, a month after taking the wraps off the program on March 13.According to the letter, the earliest serial numbers available will be 6002 and 6003 in the third...

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CAN Receives $50,000 Donation

May 01, 2008

Hawker Beechcraft has donated $50,000 to the Corporate Angel Network (CAN), the White Plains, N.Y.-based organization that arranges free flights aboard business aircraft for cancer patients. To date, the Wichita-based company has donated more than $200,000. Jim Schuster, CEO of Hawker Beechcraft and a member of the CAN board of directors, said his company...

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Dassault Workers Join the Picket Line

May 01, 2008

Several dozen employees at Dassault Falcon Service (DFS), Dassault’s FBO, maintenance provider and air charter operator at Paris Le Bourget airport, demonstrated in front of Dassault’s headquarters in Saint-Cloud on April 10. On strike since January, the employees are asking for better salaries and have voiced concern about the transfer of activities to the...

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Citation Mustang Orders Surpass 500

May 01, 2008

Cessna announced that the Citation Mustang very light jet has surpassed the 500-order mark. Last April, the Wichita-based airframer delivered its first Mustang and finished the year having handed over 45 of the VLJs. This year the company expects deliveries to total 100 and plans to reach its targeted peak rate of 150 Mustangs annually next year. According...

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Chevron Looks to Disney for Training

May 01, 2008

Chevron Global Aviation has taken an unusual approach to customer service; the Houston-based company is sending its Chevron and Texaco-branded FBO employees to the Disney Institute for customer service and service culture training. The two-day course syllabus includes schooling in customer loyalty, quality service and employee hiring and training. The...

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Embraer 2007 Results Show Record Deliveries

May 01, 2008

Embraer ended calendar year 2007 with a record 169 aircraft deliveries and a record backlog of firm orders worth $18.8 billion. The numbers reflected activity in all aircraft segments, including its Executive Jets division. According to president and CEO Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer took in $5.245 billion in revenue, a substantial increase over the...

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