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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 2070.PDF
NBAA SHOW REPORT The National Business Aviation Association annual con vention was in Las Vegas for the first time since 1998 and smashed that show's attendance record of 31,665. After some lean years, the industry's fortunes are riding high, with deliveries exceeding expectations, used inventories tumbling and a feeling of con fidence sweeping the sector. No major new programmes were unveiled, but significant upgrades and orders were announced and the most exciting news was the launch of two supersonic busi ness jet projects. The event also saw the debut of the first-ever show evening newspaper, Flight Evening News. Murdo Morrison, Guy Norris, Kate Sarsfield, Graham Warwick and Justin Wastnage report SHOW REPORT NBAA STRATEGY Boost for TBM 700 EADS Socata is seeking to widen the market for its TBM 700 single- engined turboprop to bolster sales of the seven-seat high-perfor mance aircraft in the face of grow ing competition from light jets. Sales of the TBM are flat, with 35 aircraft expected to be deliv ered this year, one more than in 2003. Although the French manu facturer received long-awaited European certification of the high-gross-weight TBM 700C2 three months ago, it suggests this will have little impact on sales. "We have already sold around half a dozen C2s in Europe," says Stephane Bernard, Socata's vice- president sales and marketing, "but owners simply placed their aircraft on the US N register, where the version was approved around 18 months ago." The company expects demand to be "fairly high" for retrofit of Cls. "We are looking at new markets, where we believe the TBM will fit and where we can exploit the knowledge and expertise of other EADS group members, particularly Eurocopter," Bernard adds. The multimission market, notably air ambulance, where Eurocopter has become prominent, is of immedi ate interest. Medevac interiors spe cialist Lifeport has designed a sys tem for the TBM, called AeroSled Plus, which it says allows users to obtain maximum use from the cabin space with enough room for one patient, two crew and two medical staff to travel comfortably. Socata also plans to install a glass cockpit, believed to be the, Honeywell Apex system, within the next 12 months. TRADING Industry chiefs say downturn is over Manufacturers and suppliers call 2004 a 'turning point' Industry leaders queued in Las Vegas to declare the downturn offi cially over, with aircraft manufactur ers, equipment suppliers and trade associations at their most buoyant since the boom of the late 1990s. Clay Jones, chairman of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, said 2004 had been a "turning point" and that, despite Charles Edelstenne, chief execu tive of Dassault Aviation, said the previous 12 months had "wit nessed a complete turnaround". The completions market was "fully recovered" and new aircraft sales were "ahead of forecast", he said. The comments back up the upbeat findings of the influential annual Honeywell business avia tion outlook, pub lished during the show (Flight International, 12-18 z October). | They came as the I business aviation com- | munity received | another shot in the | arm, with Congress | approving a move to | extend bonus depreci- | ation for business air- I craft for 12 months from its 31 December Bolen: warns of airport access challenges ,,. r. deadline. It now awaits the rising oil price and the still- approval from the US president. fragile US economy, the recovery in the industry was "very robust". Gulfstream president Bryan Moss - who just over a year ago claimed the industry was in a worse state than at any time he could recall - said there was an "improved level of confidence" with deliveries of new aircraft ahead of expectations and a decline in used aircraft stocks firm ing residual values. But Ed Bolen, new president of the National Business Aviation Association, warned that the strengthening sector faces major challenges from "forces out there impeding our access to airports" on the grounds of security or capacity concerns. Scheduled airlines want to drive up the cost of business avi ation and are demanding the busi ness aviation sector pays for itself through higher user fees, he says. APPROVAL Bombardier wins US FAA certification for Global 5000 The Bombardier Global 5000, a shortened version of the Global Express ultra-long- range business jet, has received US Federal Aviation Administration approval. The Global 5000 has been given a common type rating with the Global Express, which allows a pilot qualified on either to fly the other without extensive transition training. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 19-25 OCTOBER 2004 21
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