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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 0790.PDF
BUSINESS AVIATION SIMULATION SimCom airs first MU-2 SimCom has introduced the first simulator under its exclusive agreement with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries America to provide training for the MU-2 twin-turbo prop. The SimCom-built Level 5 flight training device for the Marquise/Solitaire will be fol lowed in the third quarter by a second device for the MU-2J/K and subsequent models. SimCom signed a 10-year agreement in 2001 to take over from FlightSafety International as the factory-authorised training provider for MU-2 operators worldwide, except Japan. The company began training in April 2002 at its Orlando, Florida, cen tre, using two simulators acquired from FlightSafety. There are 415 MU-2s active in North America and Europe, most with owner-operators required by their insurance underwriters to do recurrent training once a year. CERTIFICATION GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC Trouble on the Horizon as slump hits Raytheon Programme schedule slips as company warns that a $900m order could now be at risk Certification of Raytheon's Hawker Horizon super mid-size business jet is likely to slip into early 2004, and the company has warned that a $900 million order - believed to be from fractional-ownership com pany Netjets - could be restruc tured or cancelled "due to market conditions and development and certification delays". Another $850 million in business aircraft orders, mainly for Beech jet 400As and Hawker 800XPs, will be removed from Raytheon's backlog when the company takes control of fractional-ownership joint venture Flight Options Flight International, 18-24 March). The orders, resulting from Flight Options' merger with Raytheon Travel Air last year, will remain in place, but financial regu lations will prevent the manufac turer including them in its backlog. Last month, after Cessna parent company Textron revealed Netjets was cutting orders for Citation busi ness jets, Raytheon said it was in talks with the fractional company. In 1999 Netjets placed an order for 50 Horizons, with options for 50 more, in a deal valued at $2 billion. As of March, the company listed orders and options for 84 Horizons. Including the Netjets aircraft, Raytheon has orders and options for 130 Horizons. When it was launched in 1996, the super mid size business jet was scheduled for certification in 2001. Last year, cer tification was rescheduled for late 2003, but Raytheon now suggests approval could slip into 2004, although customer deliveries may not be affected. Raytheon, meanwhile, says nego tiations to increase its 49.9% stake in Flight Options continue. The company is offering to convert debt owed by Flight Options into equity and provide additional funds for the fractional, which has been unprof itable since it started in 1998 and which is not generating enough cashflow to finance its operations. Raytheon warns that Flight Options' more than 2,000 owners can, "in certain circumstances", require the company to buy back their shares, resulting in a potential $530 million obligation. You want to fly... not to fix? r f srMxsr m •• • We're on it. m Our LED Navigation Lights, which fully comply with lighting regulations, are virtually maintenance free. Coupled with the lower power consumption you save money while enhancing the reliability of your aircraft. LED lights have inherent NVIS compat ibility and our LED Navigation lights have the capability to produce Flash Pattern, which can be used for a radio free tactical communication. When searching for leading edge tech nology in aircraft lighting equipment, whether exterior, interior, cockpit light ing or with a proven system integration competence, you will want to contact the inventor of the NVIS LED measure ment technology at ———===:——Z^ GOODRICH Goodrich Hella Aerospace Lighting Systems GmbH www.goQdrich-hella www.fliqhtinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 8-14 APRIL 2003 23
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