LIFE SAVER
Circor Aerospace/Aerodyne Controls (booth 2978) is exhibiting a water-activated inflation system-based automatic life-saving device. The liferaft can be vacuum-packed and dropped into the water, triggering Circor's water-activated mechanism to inflate the system.
"This innovative design will improve the ability to deliver rescue equipment on target," says Circor Aerospace/Aerodyne Controls general manager Daniel Godin.
IN THE SHADE
InspecTech Aero Service (booth 3706) has unveiled its Smart Cabin Automated Dimming System (SCADS) for its I-Shades - a light-control window shading system for aircraft and helicopters. In addition to light, heat and glare control provided by I-Shades, SCADS enables the system to be integrated into airframe systems and interface with cabin in-flight entertainment systems.
LIGHT MOVE
Lou Martin & Associates (booth 4989) has unveiled its newest window shade system: the E³ Shade. This "smart" shade integrates the company's electromechanical pleated shade with two new electronic switchable films. It incorporates a variable film that can be precisely "tuned" to allow any level of light to enter the cabin. A switchable opaquing film technology can instantly provide complete privacy.
KING TAKES LIBERTY
Aircraft services provider King Aerospace Commercial has signed up Liberty Partners to provide aerospace engineering services. "Liberty Partners will provide a value added engineering service as we expand our business aircraft capabilities at our Ardmore, Oklahoma facility," says Jerry King-Echevarria, chairman and founder of King Aerospace. "Their vast experience in providing a full range of aerospace engineering support will increase our capabilities and allow us to complete virtually any aircraft service and modification." Okmulgee, Oklahoma-based Liberty Partners provides engineering, certification and manufacturing support to business jet operators, modification facilities, and manufacturers.
MORE SIMULATORS
SimCom Training Centers (booth 3408) has added Dassault Falcon 20 and Israel Aerospace Industries Westwind training programs to its portfolio of services. The company has acquired two Level C, full-flight simulators from CAE. Both simulators will be at SimCom's Parksouth facility in Orlando, Florida and will be operational by 1 December. SimCom has meanwhile built and installed a King Air 350 Pro Line 21 Flight Training Device at its Orlando center.
ATLANTIC HISTORY
Atlantic Aviation (booth 5115), which was founded in 1927 and is the oldest fixed base operator in the USA, is exhibiting an historic aircraft registry at this year's convention. The registry dates to 1929 and was signed by Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindbergh and Admiral William Halsey, among other notable pioneer aviators. Charles Lindbergh landed at Atlantic's Wilmington, Delaware facility on 21 October 1927, on his way from Atlantic City, New Jersey to Philadelphia.
PLANNING UPDATE
Universal Weather and Aviation (booth 5717) has enhanced the weight and balance feature of its UVflightplanner.com to support zoned aircraft. UVflightplanner.com is Universal's online flight planning software for business aviation operators. "With this new enhancement, UVflightplanner.com can now meet the weight and balance needs for larger turbine-powered business aircraft," says Randy Stephens, senior director, Universal Specialty Products. "This enhancement was developed in close co-ordination with Aircraft Performance Group, which is known in the industry as the leading provider of runway analysis and weight and balance," he adds.
EMISSIONS HELP
ETS Aviation's (booth 1648) Aviation Footprinter software has been selected by flight planning company Flightworx Aviation as the emissions-reporting tool for its new Air Bridge service, which encompasses the whole flight planning package at a saving of up to 45%. ETS Aviation offers low-cost solutions to aircraft operators facing new CO2 emissions regulations. It has been formed by David Carlisle, previously TAG Aviation's director of flight operations and NetJets' director of external affairs, to address the requirements placed on aviation operators by the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme.
IPHONE HELP
Atlantic Aviation (booth 5115) plans to launch an application for the Apple iPhone that will allow pilots to access information about Atlantic's fixed-base operations, including fuel prices, promotions, announcements and key contacts for Atlantic's facilities in the USA. "This is the first phase of a digital transformation that will give our pilots all the information they need at their fingertips," says Rob Davis, Atlantic's director of information technology. "We want to make it as easy as possible for our customers to connect with us and find needed information either on the ground or in the air. With this iPhone app we've done that," he adds.
KING AIR TRAINING
FlightSafety International (booth 2678-2682) says its Learning Center at New York LaGuardia airport will offer training for Beechcraft King Air 200s from December. "We look forward to serving owners and operators of the large fleet of King Air 200 aircraft in the mid-Atlantic and north-east regions of the USA and in Canada," says Ralph Lintelman, manager, FlightSafety LaGuardia Learning Center.
BLOCK CHARTER CARD
Jet Aviation has launched a block charter card for US business jet travel customers. With the PT card, members make no upfront capital investment, there are no multi-year contracts to sign and no residual aircraft-value concerns. Aircraft availability is guaranteed, and clients receive one-call personal service. Prices start at $51,500 for 10h in a light jet. "One of the most attractive benefits of the PT card is that on certain round trip flights, clients can see a discount of 40% in their travel costs," says Robert Seidel, senior vice-president and general manager of Jet Aviation's aircraft charter and management division in North & South America.
FALCON WINGLETS
St Louis-based Midcoast Aviation has been selected by Aviation Partners to install winglets on Dassault Falcon 2000 and 2000EX business jets. The installation of API's winglets can add up to 260nm (480km) in range, reduce emissions and enable a faster climb to cruising altitude.
MOBILE MIDCOAST
ViaSat has appointed Midcoast Aviation and Savannah Air Center as resellers for its airborne mobile broadband terminals for business and commercial aircraft. Midcoast Aviation is an aircraft maintenance, modification, and completions provider based in St Louis. Savannah Air Center, located at Savannah/Hilton Head International airport, is a full-service aviation center and offers corporate aircraft operators maintenance, avionics installations and repairs, interior completions, and refurbishment. "We're introducing our new VMT-1500 terminal designed for large business jets such as the Gulfstream G550 and the Global XRS," says Don Buchman, ViaSat director of mobile broadband. "Both Midcoast Aviation and the Savannah Air Center have earned a reputation for quality of installation and service that we look for in naming our reseller partners."
MASTER MOVE
Aero Seating Technologies (booth 2610) is displaying its new 16g-certificated Master Class VIP aircraft seat. Fore, aft and lateral translation - including 360° swivel - is standard on all AST 9g and 16g Master Class VIP seats. The pivot point placement of the integrated seat pan lifter and articulating seat bottom allows the seat to move from full upright position to lie-flat sleep mode at the touch of a single lever. AST is also showing its new power-assist ultralight VIP seat designed for light jets. The mechanical controls are augmented by a 28V DC solenoid motor and the fully upholstered seat weighs less than 95lb (43kg).
SMOKE DETECTION
EVASWorldwide (booth 4882) and ALB/The Jet Alliance Group, have signed a sales representation agreement for the Federal Aviation Administration-recommended and approved EVAS cockpit smoke displacement system aboard corporate aircraft operating in Austria, Russia, Kazakhstan, Slovenia and Ukraine. The system, which protects aircraft from the threat of dense and continuous cockpit smoke, is installed on more than 3,500 aircraft, including 100 in Europe. The EVAS system can be seen and "flown" in a cockpit smoke simulator at the company's booth.
GREEN PLANNER
Cessna Aircraft has announced the introduction of GreenTrak Flight Planning software, a new flight planning program for current production Citation operators that optimises a flight profile not only for time and cost, but also for the lowest carbon footprint. Cessna plans to release GreenTrak as an upgrade option to its CESNAV program in 2010 for all current production Citations. "Finally, we have a simple, easy-to-use program to optimise the performance of a Citation, taking into account direct operating costs, to reduce emissions and lower fuel costs anywhere from 8-16%, depending on the specific aircraft and mission," says Mark Paolucci, Cessna senior vice-president, customer service.
CESSNA MAINTENANCE
Cessna Aircraft is partnering Williams International to offer customers fixed hourly rates for engine maintenance on most Citation CJ business jets. As part of Cessna's ProAdvantage maintenance programmes, TAP Advantage provides Citation CJ owners and operators more predictable engine maintenance costs including parts, labour and life cycle components. The programme allows coverage for hot section and overhaul as well as unscheduled maintenance.
SIGNATURE HIRES
Signature Flight Support has appointed David Best as chief commercial officer, Steve Lee as chief operating officer and Mark Johnstone as chief financial officer. All three roles are new executive level positions at Signature and reflect the global responsibilities of Signature's worldwide network of fixed-base operators. Michael Scheeringa, president of Signature Flight Support, says: "Making these promotions recognises their contributions to Signature's past, their ability to move the organisation forward, as well as bring focus on the global nature of our business."
JETBROKERS IN EUROPE
JetBrokers of St Louis, Missouri is launching a European subsidiary with bases in the UK and Switzerland. JetBrokers Europe is headed by John Merry, the company's chairman and key investor, based in Switzerland and Tim Barber, managing director, based in the UK. They will offer a portfolio of pre-owned private jets, business turboprops and helicopters, so becoming one of a select few brokers with transatlantic coverage, affording clients marketing and sales potential on both continents.
"We have discussions under way in the UK, Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany, Scandinavia and throughout the CIS. Interest is ranging from entry-level jets and business turboprops all the way up to a Dassault Falcon 900EX. We're talking to a good number of buyers as well as to sellers," says Barber.
LACY HANGAR
Clay Lacy Aviation has completed a new 40,000ft2 (3,720m2) hangar facility with adjoining office space at its Boeing Field facility in Seattle. Designed to house a combination of managed and tenant aircraft, the expansion includes 7,500ft2 of office space and 7,500ft2 of shop area.
QUIET RAISBECK
The Federal Aviation Administration has certificated Raisbeck's Hartzell four-blade Quiet Turbofan Performance Propellers for King Air B200GT and C90GTi aircraft, the Seattle-based company says. The propellers are for aircraft equipped with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 and are available for immediate delivery as part of an EPIC package bringing increased performance to the B200GT and C90GTi, including increased gross weight - to 10,500lb (4,765kg) for the C90GTi - improved take-off, climb, cruise and landing performance for both models.
MEDICAL MILESTONE
Gulfstream was the first manufacturer to offer medical solutions on board aircraft and at NBAA this week, the Savannah OEM and international SOS company MedAire (booth 755) celebrate 20 years of partnership. "Gulfstream was very innovative with its focus on passenger medical safety," says MedAire founder Joan Sullivan Garrett. "While it was known that medical events occurred on board, it was quite different to put a solution in place to address the issues." Gulfstream owners now get MedAire systems and support with every aircraft bought.
LEARN ABOUT PBN
A free performance-based navigation information session for business operators will be held on 21 October from 10:00-12:00 in the Nona room at the Westin Imagine Hotel (adjacent to the Orange County Convention Center). The session is run by Naveris.
SAVANNAH STYLE
Savannah Air Center has opened its new completions delivery center providing clients with what it describes as a focused and relaxing customer experience during the delivery phase of their aircraft. Located in the company's original hangar, the newly renovated 2,400ft2 (220m2) delivery center features a comfortable lounge furnished with satellite TV and beverage service, as well as spacious customer offices, a pilot briefing room and private restrooms with shower.
"Our focus on green completions deliveries for Global 5000, Global XRS, and Challenger 850 aircraft led us to search for ways we could enhance customer experience overall," says Stephen Taylor, director of customer service and standards.
DUBAI ANSWERS SOS
International SOS company MedAire (booth 755) announced at NBAA today that it has won approval from the United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority to provide first aid training to aviation crewmembers in Dubai. The GCAA approval will allow MedAire to conduct its Management of In-flight Illness and Injury program in Dubai.
CLAY LACY RECORD
Clay Lacy Aviation says that is has had the highest growth in its managed aircraft fleet since it launched in 1968 as the first jet charter company on the West Coast. In the first nine months of 2009, it added 14 business jets to its managed aircraft fleet.
Source: Flight Daily News
