2011 Newsmaker

Japan Earthquake

3/11-The most severe earthquake in the country's recorded history rocked the main island of Japan on the afternoon of March 11. The temblor set off a gigantic tidal surge that swept away whole communities, killed nearly 30,000 people and inundated the nuclear reactor complex at Fukushima, setting off a nuclear meltdown that nine months later had yet to be fully controlled. The disaster affected flight patterns in the region for several weeks due to fear of radioactive fallout.-C.E.

Gulfstream G650 Crashes During Test Flight, Killing Four

4/2-The four crewmembers of G650 flight-test aircraft S/N 6002 died when the airplane crashed at 9:30 a.m. mountain time in Roswell, N.M. According to the NTSB, the twinjet "was performing a takeoff with a simulated engine failure to determine takeoff distance requirements at minimum flap setting" at the time of the accident.

Following the accident investigation, the development program resumed. Much to the credit of Gulfstream's executive team–especially senior vice president of programs, engineering and test Pres Henne–the G650 program held exactly to its original schedule. Gulfstream's flagship model is also now the fastest certified (albeit provisionally) civil aircraft, with a top speed of Mach 0.925. The company planned to deliver 10 to 12 green G650s to customers by year-end. –C.T.

SJ30 Snatched from Bankruptcy

4/7-The SJ30 light twinjet program was purchased out of bankruptcy for $3.5 million by an investor group affiliated with Utah-based Metalcraft Technologies, builder of the aircraft's fuselage. -M.H.

Avic To Build Legacy 650s in Harbin

4/12-Embraer and Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic) agreed to start producing Legacy 650s at the Brazilian airframer's existing factory at Harbin in northern China, which has already produced ERJ regional airliners. Cessna also has confirmed "exploratory" talks about possible business jet manufacturing in the People's Republic. –C.A.

SJ30 Rebranded as SyberJet

6/15-Emivest's SJ30 program was renamed the SyberJet, to be produced by a company called SyberJet Aircraft. Few details emerged as to when or if the aircraft will be put back into production. –M.H.

Fuel Matters More and More

6/18-Honeywell's corporate G450 landed at Le Bourget Airport on June 18 after making the first transatlantic flight using biofuel. The historic nonstop flight from Morristown, N.J., to the Paris Air Show resulted in a net-equivalent savings of roughly 5.5 metric tons of CO2. The G450's number-one engine burned a 50-50 blend of Honeywell Green Jet Fuel and jet-A; the other engine consumed 100 percent jet-A.

Two days later, a Boeing 747-8 Freighter landed at Paris, completing the first transatlantic flight of a commercial airliner with all engines gulping a mixture of biofuel (15 percent camelina-based) and jet-A kerosene. –K.J.H.

Bizav Back in the Crosshairs

6/27-With bailouts of banks and automakers in the rearview mirror, business aviation was put in the crosshairs by the Occupy Wall Street protesters and the "99 percent." But it was The Wall Street Journal that effectively declared war on business aviation in June by painting a picture of corporate jets as expensive, wasteful, abused perks for the very rich. With President Obama calling for user fees on general aviation, the industry launched a counterattack through GA caucuses in Congress. –P.L.

Cirrus Acquired by Caiga of China

6/28-China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (Caiga) caused a stir when it announced on June 28 that it had acquired Cirrus Aircraft, despite U.S. concerns about technology-transfer issues. The Zhuhai-based group will provide the fresh capital needed to complete certification of the SF50 jet in 2015 and has committed to keeping manufacturing in Duluth, Minn.–C.A.

Sikorsky's X-2 demonstrator makes final flight

7/14-The X2, a high-speed compound helicopter with coaxial rotor, flew for the last time on July 14, after logging 22 hours on 23 flights. It had reached a max speed of 260 knots. The project is now transitioning to its first application, the military S-97 Raider.–T.D.

Air France Crash Spells Changes in Training, Data Systems

7/27-The extraordinary circumstances surrounding the June 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447 will affect aviation for many years. Not only will pilot training – especially high-altitude stalls – be a key focus, but the deep-w available technological solutions for real-time transmission of airborne data. –M.T.

AIN Flies Honeywell's CVS

8/17-Honeywell's combination of synthetic vision and enhanced vision plays on a primary flight display, so pilots will have to look up at the last minute to complete the landing. –M.T.

Third S-76D Joins Delayed Certification Program

9/13-Sikorsky announced the third prototype of the S-76D had made its first flight during the summer and joined the test fleet. Certification was repegged for the first quarter of 2012. –T.D.

Collins Studies Head-up SVS

9/20-Rockwell Collins is investing heavily in synthetic vision on its head-up displays, allowing pilots to keep their eyes looking out of the cockpit. Last year, AIN flew a demonstration of the system.–M.T.

Boeing Delivers First 787, 747-8F

9/26-Several seasons of discontent came to a jubilant end for Boeing this autumn, when after more than three years of delays and billions of dollars in cost overruns, it delivered the first 787 Dreamliner to Japan's All Nippon Airways. Some three weeks later, it delivered the first 747-8F to Cargolux, following roughly two years of delays. Next, it plans to deliver the first 747-8 Intercontinental (FAA certified on December 14) early this year. –G.P.

Minsheng Financial Orders Bizjets

10/10-Confirmation that the big bizav bucks now come from China was apparent when Minsheng Financial Leasing inked deals worth up to $2.6 billion at the NBAA show. Adding to earlier orders placed with Gulfstream, Minsheng will take 13 Embraer Legacy 650s and up to 10 Dassault Falcon 7Xs and Falcon 2000Ss.–C.A.

Richard Gaona Taking Comlux To the Big Leagues

10/10-Richard Gaona, at 53, is on top of his game as chairman and CEO of Comlux The Aviation Group, formed in 2007 when it acquired a small Swiss charter operator. Five years later, the Zurich-based group has 22 airplanes in its Fly Comlux charter operation and a major completion center–Comlux America–in Indianapolis. Currently in the works at Comlux America are a BBJ3, an ACJ319 and a Boeing 757, and the backlog stretches into 2013. –K.J.H.

iPad Gains More Ground

10/10-It's hard to believe that Apple's iPad is not even two years old. The capable Apple tablet computer has spawned legions of competitors, upended the traditional laptop computer market and taken over as the choice FAA-sanctioned cockpit device for displaying charts and documents. If anything, the iPad is showing the way to an app-enabled future, where pilots pick and choose software applications that play on their tablets and cockpit displays. –M.T.

Lawsuit Challenges Availability of Avgas

10/19-The battle over leaded aviation gasoline in California took a turn against a coalition of associations representing avgas users, distributors and producers. On October 19, a U.S. District Court judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by the aviation coalition that attempted to halt legal action by the Center for Environmental Health prohibiting the use of avgas in the state. –K.J.H.

Piper Aircraft Suspends PiperJet Altaire Program

10/24-Piper indefinitely suspended the PiperJet Altaire program less than two weeks after replacing its top management. Interim CEO Simon Caldecott blamed high development costs and a dwindling market, and laid off 150 employees and 55 contract workers.–M.H.

AgustaWestland Takes Tiltrotor

11/29-AgustaWestland took full ownership of the 609 civil tiltrotor program from Bell, ending a joint venture beset by delays and public squabbling. AW will move development to Italy, and is setting up a U.S. office to continue seeking FAA certification, which it hopes to have by 2015 or 2016.–M.H.