Biz Av Hangar

Flight Global Group, publishers of the world-wide aviation magazine, are pleased to announce that they are hosting a blog for the duration of NBAA in 2006. It is hoped to bring you the latest news from the Show as it is announced, plus pictures and lists of participants.

Bringing a little fun flying to the nation's largest business aviation gathering, as a new, fully equipped 2007 Aviat Husky will be the centerpiece of EAA's display at the annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention, being held October 17-19 at Orlando, FL.
The Husky is the grand prize in the 2007 EAA Aircraft Sweepstakes. This long-running sweepstakes offers aviation enthusiasts the chance to win a brand new airplane, and provides valuable support for EAA's education and aircraft preservation missions.
The airplane will be awarded on Sunday, July 29, 2007 -- the final day of EAA AirVenture 2007 at Oshkosh, WI.

Fellow enthusiasts, welcome to the new NBAA Enthusiast Blog, a new venture from Flight Global aiming to capture the latest spotting news direct from this years show in Orlando, Florida.

We hope to bring you images of movements and static display aircraft as well as the latest order news and are keen to receive any news and images direct from NBAA and surrounding airfields.

We have already kick started our Corporate Aviation gallery and would consider any good Corporate Aviation images to add to this collection, both from your existing files and from the show.

The best image will be selected to appear in Flight International magazine.

Please can you ensure that all submitted images are under 1gb. The email address to send your images and news is:

martin.smith@flightglobal.com

There are now over 30 Business Jets in development and flight tests worldwide.
Listed below are all the manufactures and types. How many of these will ever reach the skies?
Can anyone fill in the gaps on the dates of certification?
Adam Aircraft A-700
Aerion SSBJ Certification Due 2010
Airbus A318 Elite Certification Due 2006
Aviation Technology Javelin Certification Due 2008
Boeing BBJ3
Bombardier CL605
Learjet 60XR
Cessna CJ2+ Certified 2005
CJ4 Certification Due 2008
Cessna Citation Mustang Certified 2006
Dassault Falcon 7X Certified 2006
2000DX Certification Due 2008
Diamond D-Jet Certification Due 2008
Eclipse 500 Certification Due 2007
Embraer Phenom 100 Certification Due 2008
Phenom 300 Certification Due 2008
Lineage
Eviation EV-20
Excel Jet Sport Certification Due 2008
Grob Aerospace G180 Certification Due 2007
Gulfstream G150 Certified 2005
Honda Jet Certification Due 2009
Millenium Aerospace Foxjet
Raytheon Hawker 4000 Certified 2005
Sino SJ30 Certified 2005
Spectrum 33 Certification Due 2009
Sukhoi S-21 Certification Due 2015
SAI QSST Certification Due 2013
Tam-AIr Epic Elite Jet

Orlando, Fl 17 Oct 2006 - Sikorsky have announced the first helicopter orders from the NBAA show with the sale of three S-76C++ to two customers.

A contract has been signed to provide a single new S-76C++ helicopter equipped with critical care transport to Aero Med at Spectrum Health at Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Jeanne Connor-Osborn, Sikorsky’s regional sales manager, said “Aero Med’s new S-76C++ aircraft will be state-of-the-art with safety features such as Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning system and Health and Usage Monitoring System. Sikorsky Aircraft is honored to have been chosen by such a leader in the industry."

Two VIP transport S-76C++ are to be provided to Wynn Resorts (Macau) S.A. for operations in the Macau and Hong Kong regions. These will be the first S-76C++ aircraft operating in Hong Kong and Macau with deliveries scheduled for 2007.

"No name in the hotel and gaming industry exemplifies style and luxury quite like that of Steve Wynn. We are absolutely thrilled that Wynn Macau will feature two of our new S-76C++ VIP helicopters as a key element of the resort’s customer service and ambiance," said Steve Estill, Sikorsky vice president and chief marketing officer.

We will endeavour to bring you further orders news for both helicopters and Biz-jets from the NBAA Show, Orlando, Fl.

The Business Aircraft world will be be meeting up in Orlando, FL, from October 17th to 19th for the 59th NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention, known as NBAA2006. Exhibitor records have already been broken, the exhibition floor space at the Orange County Convention Hall has been completely sold out for the first time ever. Over 1500 exhibitors have booked 5,233 booths and filled 9% more space than previously, around one million square feet of space will be filled there. Eleven fixed wing aircraft and 4 helicopters will be on show at the hall.
Over at Orlando Executive Airport the static show of aircraft will feature more than 115 items, they will include demonstrators of the latest Business Aircraft on the market.

More Information can be found at the NBAA site at:
http://www.nbaa.org/

Adam Aircraft have started the NBAA show in a very healthy position. Their A500 centerline piston twin has come to the show on the point of complete certification. It is a roomy six-seater that offers pressurized comfort, long range and a sprightly performance.
The A700 Adamjet is also forging ahead towards certification. There are two of the twin-boom VLJ aircraft test flying, with a third in final assembly. The A700 features Williams FJ-33 engines, state of the art electronics, and 5/6 seats with optional lavatory, in a roomy cabin. Adam's order backlog stands at around 400 aircraft, with a worth of $855 million. The A700 was given a timely boost for the NBAA show by an announcement from Magnum Jet of an order for 101 units. Magnum will use the A700 for its new Very Light Jet Ownership and Management program, and future air limo service.

With two clear days before the official start to this years show, the corporate aviation traffic into Orlando Executive Airport has been increasing nicely. With no rain predicted and a high of 81F (27C) and a light wind from the SE the day was going to be long but busy......

Before I go into the a list of some of Sundays arrivals, Keith mentioned earlier Adam Aircraft and their A500, the 5th of which, N522AA arrived late on Saturday night. It was also nice to see on Sunday Canadian Epic LT C-FJRQ arrive from Dallas.

Another busy day as to be expected at Orlando Executive Airport. Again conditions were perfect and the English autumn seemed very distant. Without further ado here is the list of arrivals...

First day of the show proper and Orlando Executive Airport was buzzing with traffic. The visiting aircraft started early and movements peaked at over 40 an hour at about 6:00 PM. But there was no peace for the wicked and arrivals went on to peak in the early evening.

I could go on, but I know you want to see the arrivals list......

Can you get too much of a good thing? Looking at the list of arrivals at Orlando Executive Airport, the inference is no !

But how would the veteran NBAA spotter rate the amount of movements this year with previous NBAAs? Looking through some old records, the first that came to hand, I see the 1997 NBAA at Dallas - Love Field had over 600 different corporate jets attending over 4 days.

Admittedly, I do not show all the arrivals, but has the rise in fuel costs, increased security, etc put the predominantly American biz operator / owner off from attending NBAA?

The industry thinks not, with the exhibition floor space at the Orange County Convention Hall being completely sold out for the first time ever, everyone is keyed up to make this a succesful NBAA - at least for their business.

Noted today was a growing tendency for demo flights, or at least the same aircraft landing again after the unsurprising fact that they had earlier taken off. Where the spotter is concerned, on the good side, it gives him or her another chance to get the exposure right on that tricky subject, the white biz-jet. On the down side, what is hoped to be a new sighting, is just another one 'dropped'. Anyway, it beats spotting at Luton !!

European spotters will be able to see a fleet of Phenoms by 2009, when a fleet of 24 Phenom 100 jets will start to be delivered to Spanish company Wondair. An order worth over $70 million has been announced today-Thursday. The contract also features 12 options, and some may be converted to the larger Phenom 300 if demand allows.
Wondair are an on-demand operator, based at Valencia, they are connected to the Spanish food group of the same name. By 2011, they hope to have a fleet of more than 45 aircraft, at present they operate a Citation and a King Air.

More information on the Phenom can be found on the Embraer web-site-click here.

An artist's impression of the Phenom 100

Embraer continue to make the running at the NBAA Show, with more orders announced.

Avantair, already known as fractional operators of the Avanti turbo-prop, have today ordered 20 Phenom 100 jets. The order has a value of $57 million, and the first delivery is due in June 2009.
The addition of the Phenom 100 will enable Avantair to widen its range of aircraft on offer, and more choices for fractional ownership. The Phenom will be an excellent step up for Avantair's present owners and users.

Another batch of Phenoms has been ordered by Eagle Creek Aviation Services of the USA. They have purchased 12 Phenom 100s and 4 Phenom 300 jets, with a further 5 options for the family.The first delivery will be in late 2008, when they will join the Eagle Creek fleet which is used for Charters and Management schemes.
Eagle Creek have also been appointed to be one of the major service and maintenance centers for the Phenom family in the United States.

The Phenom is attracting orders because it has been designed with air charter and management programs in mind. It offers very high availability and utilization levels, and a long fatigue life due to its composite components. It is designed to fly up to 2,000 hours per annum, like the Embraer 135 and 145 family, which come from the same stable, most business operators regard 500 hours per year from a business aircraft to be normal.

For more information on the Phenom range, click here.

Don't knock Luton Airport, it's one of the best we've got !

I hadn't intended to upset anyone with yesterdays reference to Luton Airport, but it was soon obvious, I was a wanted man ! Just after midnight infact, Gulfstream IV, N890A, slipped into Orlando Executive Airport from the aforementioned Bedfordshire Airport, via Bangor Intl., Maine. We have all heard of the alleged 'rendition flights', was I too going to be treated to a flight in a Gulfy?

Seriously, this was the last day of this years NBAA and movements reflected it.

As this is my last posting on this years NBAA, I would like to thank all those of you who have taken the trouble to email me with your positive feedback. I would also like to thank FlightAware for revealing to all of us sat here in Britain what has, or hasn't been appearing at the show venue. As a colleague asked me earlier today, "Where have all the bigger jets flown into?". Well, if I was in Florida, I may well have come up with an answer, but can you answer this one for him?