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New & More Capable ARINCDirect Introduced by Rockwell Collins

October 22, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Rockwell Collins' ARINCDirect Bundles to Further Enhance Connectivity

Rockwell Collins acquired ARINC Inc last year in its largest purchase in its history at $1.4 billion. In the last 10 months, Rockwell Collins have folded ARINC into an information management services organisation with the former Air Routing International – now Ascend Flight Information Solutions and Computing Technologies for Aviation (CTA) businesses. Combined and branded as ARINCDirect, the marketplace is presented with a robust suite of flight planning and international-trip software with communications technology for enhanced aircraft and ground communications solutions.

Combining Ascend and ARINCDirect online, with an integration of mobile applications and consolidated customer billing was the first job for the aligned sales teams and progress was measured in subscriptions to the newly-bundled offerings.

“When we started out here, our objective was to look at where are the Ascend customers that might have different connectivity than Arinc, where are the Arinc customers that might use different international trip planning—and synch those customers up so that we can provide a combined value proposition,” Jeff Standerski, senior vice president of information management services, said. “We’ve been able to do that on 60-plus tails already within a nine-month period.”

As one of the biggest names and forefront players in the business aviation sector, Rockwell Collins’ ARINCDirect promises further advancement in the industry with ‘bundled’ features and integration with leading avionics systems, such as Pro Line Fusion suites and the improved iPad planning application.

Business Aviation & Evolving Connectivity

October 18, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Providers of Inflight Connectivity Systems for Business AviationWith the onboard Wi-Fi revolution firmly underway and becoming increasingly standard on today’s business aircraft, maintenance personnel and connectivity providers are finding that their workloads are becoming more complex. According to NBAA Maintenance Committee Chairman, Jim Sparks, nowhere is this more of an issue than in the business aviation community, with technicians having a different ‘need to know’ than their counterparts in general aviation.

“In business aviation, technicians have a somewhat different ‘need to know,'” said Sparks. “In our case when you talk about an [Airframe and/or Powerplant] A&P you speak of an all-purpose technician — meaning you have to service tires or diagnose slow Internet access. … You get into the world of the airlines [and] yes, in many cases they have the technology and they have the specialists who deal with it. They’re not necessarily A&Ps, they’re more network specialists because they don’t have to have the return to service authority that an A&P technician does.”

Inflight connectivity in the modern business jet has evolved at an astonishing pace. Business passengers are able to operate at 45,000 feet as effectively as they can in their ground-based offices. It is becoming clear, according to Mr Sparks, that training standards have not been as fast to evolve and demand is growing for skilled technicians in the industry.

“The current requirement for the need to know of A&P technicians was established by the FAA and is pretty much based on technology from the 1960s or earlier; it just has not evolved over the years,” said Sparks. “There are some A&P schools, some affiliated with colleges or universities that have stepped it up where they provide more knowledge than is required. But the basic requirements for an A&P, they have not changed. If you go to an A&P school to get an A&P license that’s all you’re going to get, and you’ll have a basic understanding of ‘60s and ‘70s technology equipment.”

The NBAA and the FAA are beginning to work towards to evolution of training standards for A&P technicians. Nextech for NextGen is a program that includes formal development called ‘Project Bootstrap’, providing guidance to the FAA in the revision of basic requirements.

The phases of the program will address the need for filling the gaps in these areas and also for the physical installation and maintenance of advanced IFE systems.

Parts Manufacturing for eRouter Gets FAA Approval

October 17, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Parts Manufacturing Aprroval Granted by FAASupplemental Type Certificate (STC) has been received from the FAA for ICG and Chicago Jet Group to develop and install ICG’s latest eRouter aircraft data management system on the Dassault Falcon 900 business jet. Hailed as the ‘best in class’, the eRouter promises to deliver enhanced cabin connectivity and high-speed data transfer.

ICG has also been granted Parts Manufacturing Authority (PMA) for the ERT-120.

The router is the lightest and smallest certified product in its class and is capable of multiple connections to networks such as Inmarsat SwiftBroadband and Iridium.

“We designed the eRouter with a modular architecture that makes it easy to expand its capabilities and adapt to varied systems and advancing technologies,” said ICG’s Executive Vice President, Brad Smith.

With provision of airborne connectivity to Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs) the eRouter can deliver efficiencies on the flight deck with the addition of cabin connectivity for passengers and cabin crew for use of tablet PCs and Smartphone technology at speeds comparable with those on the ground.

“The eRouter’s modular architecture also reduces costs by offering operators only those services they might currently require, yet providing a forward upgrade path for future and emerging requirements,” Smith continued. “It has a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that allows operators to install updates in the field and permits many configuration options and flexibility to tailor the functionality to an operator’s specific needs.”

Nextant Remanufactured Business Jets in UK for the First Time

October 14, 2014
Business Aviation News
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First UK Remanufactured Business Aircraft DeliveredThe world’s only remanufactured business jet, the Nextant 400XTi is being delivered to the UK, the maker, Nextant Aerospace has announced this week. The aircraft will be operated by SaxonAir, Norwich-based business jet operators and exclusive UK sales representatives for Nextant.

Although six other 400XTi’s have been delivered to Europe, this is the first to come to the UK and it is hoped that the UK charter market will benefit from the addition as the aircraft can fly non-stop from London to any European city faster than any other in its class. The greater part of the European fleet operated in excess of 80-90 monthly hour and is a strong revenue generator.

Chris Mace, Group Commercial Director for SaxonAir Group said, “The 400XTi’s range allows our customers direct travel anywhere in Europe for considerably less than any other light jet and without sacrificing performance or comfort. The aircraft allows us to offer the productivity benefits of business aviation to whole new customer segments.”

Remanufacturing is growing stronger in Europe as operators focus on financial aspects. Other benefits include reduced environmental impact of remanufacture, compared to the manufacture of new products. In the U.S. the remanufacturing industry is worth around $50 billion, with yearly growth expectations of around 15%.

“There has been a lot of talk in Parliament and in the press about the benefits of remanufacturing,” continued Mr. Mace. “The 400XTi is proof of concept. The 400XTi performs like a new-build aircraft by every meaningful metric but costs a fraction as much to own and operate. That delivers value both to our business and our customer’s bottom line.”

At half the purchase price of a new production aircraft, Nextant is pioneering the concept of remanufacture for business aviation.

4G Internet for Business Jets

October 11, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Other Providers of Business Aircraft Passenger ConnectivitySmartSky are ready to announce the launch of their new 4G Internet service for business jets, after developing in secret for three years.

Ryan Stone, president of SmartSky Networks is pleased to finally share the news with the aviation world and will conduct an official ‘airing’ of his new product at this month’s NBAA exhibition.

High-speed internet access on business jets is not a brand new concept, with many other communications solutions on the market, such as the end-to-end solutions delivered by industry-leader, ARINC Direct, but SmartSky 4G is being launched as ‘the nation’s first airborne 4G LTE-based technology’ and promises speeds up to 10 times faster than current systems.

Utilising air-to-ground datalink, the network will access 60MHz of spectrum, which compares with 4MHz in most in-flight internet provision.

“This is going to be really, really important,” said Stone. “We’ve been developing this in stealth mode for three years. It feels good to finally be able to share.”

SmartSky is currently selecting test clients to begin its beta testing program next year, with a view to general release to the business aviation sector in 2016 on a subscription basis. Ultimately, Mr Stone wants to see his system in commercial airliners in the future.

NBAA Provides Debut Opportunity for Vertis Aviation

October 9, 2014
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Vertis Aviation, basedBusiness Jet Exhibition in Switzerland and part of the 28 East Group, an independently-owned aviation company, will make their exhibition debut appearance at the National Business Aviation Association show (NBAA) in Orlando later this month.

Vertis Aviation are now in their fifth year and market seven long-range, large cabin aircraft for luxury charter:

  • Airbus ACJ319
  • Bombardier Global XRS
  • Bombardier Global Express
  • Bombardier Global 6000
  • Gulfstream G650
  • Airbus Corporate Jet
  • Dassault Falcon 7X

Vertis COO, Neil Turnbull notes that the highest demand are for the Bombardier Global XRS and the Airbus ACJ319 with its award-winning interior by Tim Callies, both based in Moscow at the Vnukovo Airport and both making regular trans-Atlantic routes.

Also being heavily promoted at the NBAA will be the Gulfstream G650, which is a relatively new addition to their portfolio. Vertis were the first European company to market the desirable aircraft and have watched its popularity rise, particularly during the recent World Cup tournament.

Sabreliner Aviation Plans BizAv MRO Expansion

October 4, 2014
Business Aviation News
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BizAv Expansion Plans for SabrelinerSabreliner Services president, Greg Fedele, speaking from the company’s headquarters in Perryville, Mo., this week, has outlined plans for a reinvention of the company following its purchase by Innovative Capital Holdings in January.

Plans include the expansion of business aviation MRO services, bringing military experience into civilian, business jet work. Fedele said, “The extent and breadth of the capabilities appealed to the new owners. There isn’t anything we can’t do to an airplane; we have an interior, paint, avionics and engine shop, and we do metalwork, composites, structural, engineering, all right here.”

Starting with shopping MRO work on King Air, Learjet 35 and PC-12, with plan for expansion of their experience with 500-series Cessna Citations, the company will be seeking FAA approval to work on business jets for the civilian market.

There are also plans to ‘acquire, upgrade and ‘flip’ older Sabreliners, with particular interest in the Sabreliner 65 for sale to private clients.

While Fedele recognizes that it is not simply a case of competing in the civilian world, he feels confident that the team can achieve its goals. He said, “The new owners and I are bullish on the future of this business. We really want to grow and put Sabreliner back on the map.”

In 200,000sq ft. premises at Perryville Municipal Airport, Fedele realises there is room for expansion.

Saudi Jet Aviation Approved by FAA for Gulfstream Repair Station

September 17, 2014
Business Aviation News
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FAA Approve Saudi Repair Station for Gulfstream Jets

It has been announced that the FAA has granted approval for Jet Aviation Saudi Arabia to operate as an official Repair Station for Gulfstream aircraft.

This is good news for the company, who can now support its customers in Riyadh and Jeddah, improving their ability to meet the maintenance requirements of Gulfstream GII, GIII, GIV and GV aircraft. They will perform light scheduled maintenance (A Checks).

Alain Champonnois, vice president and general manager of Jet Aviation Saudi Arabia said, “Large aircraft are preferred by many of our clients flying in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This service expansion directly improves our ability to meet the maintenance requirements, while providing assurance of the highest business aviation standards.”

Bombardier Deliver High-Speed Connectivity Hardware

September 17, 2014
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Providers of In-Flight Connectivity & Business Aviation ServicesBombardier’s business jet aircraft will be the first to deliver Honeywell’s JetWave Ka-Band satellite connectivity system, exclusively supporting Inmarsat’s JetConneX service which is set to go live in 2015. The system will bring business passengers global in-flight connectivity at high speeds and will allow for video-conferencing, large file exchange and content streaming capabilities.

Inmarsat and Honeywell signed an agreement two years ago which gave Honeywell the exclusive provision of hardware for the Ka-band GX Aviation service, branded as JetConneX for business aviation customers. The service promises connectivity in the air as seamlessly reliable and fast as that of ground-based offices and thus appealing to the business aviation market for executive aircraft.

“With JetWave securing the backing of a leading business jet manufacturer in Bombardier, we celebrate a major milestone in the evolution of business aircraft connectivity,” said Brian Sill, president, Business and General Aviation, Honeywell Aerospace. “The industry is showing a clear desire for high speed, global, consistent in-flight connectivity and is turning to Honeywell and Inmarsat to deliver it.”

“Our customers want to be online everywhere they go. They will now experience the same level of connectivity in the air that they have come to expect on the ground without a drop in connectivity performance once they leave their homes or offices,” said Eric Martel, president, Bombardier Business Aircraft. “The introduction of this technology allows us to further strengthen the industry-leading cabin experience that we are offering to our customers.”

Honeywell is also the prime distributor of airtime for the business aviation sector, working with ARINC Direct, Satcom Direct, Satcom1, Aircell and OnAir.

FANS 1/A+ Upgrade for Challenger 604 Aircraft

September 12, 2014
Business Aviation News
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Other Providers of Flight Deck Communications Solutions for Business JetsBombardier and Marshall Aerospace Group have signed a conditional letter of agreement to develop a Future Air Navigation System (FANS) 1/A+ avionics upgrade for the Bombardier Challenger 604 business jet. The upgrade will be aimed at the enhancement of pilot to air traffic communications to enable access to the North Atlantic Tracks, which offer shorter, faster routes.

The ICAO developed FANS 1/A+ as a part of the NextGen Air Traffic Management program, with a view to providing better management of high-volume airspace. FANS-equipped aircraft stand a greater chance of maximising operational productivity and profitability.

Vice-president of Bombardier Business Aircraft said. “We are pleased to be working with Marshall on this project.”