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Bombardier Pauses Its Learjet 85 Program
Canadian airframer Bombardier announced that it is putting the Learjet 85 program on pause for now and prioritize their focus on its other market-ready clean sheet designs/programs. The pause in work according to Bombardier is due to weak demand for the Learjet 85 aircraft. It follows a downward revision of Bombardier’s business aircraft market forecast. This reflects the continued weakness of the Light aircraft category since the economic downturn...
New Engine Powerplant For Cessna Citation Latitude Approved
The powerplant for the brand new Cessna Citation Latitude has been approved by Canadian authorities. Transport Canada gave the green light to Pratt & Whitney Canada for the use of the PW306D1 turbofan on the new Citation Latitude mid size business jet. FAA validation for the same engine powerplant is expected in March. The same powerplant series is onboard the new Citation Sovereign+ as well. The engines are rated at approximately 5,760 lbs of thrust each powering the new $16 million dollar business jet...
Nextant Aerospace Readies First G90XT For First Flight
Nextant Aerospace is preparing the first G90XT for its first flight. The G90XT should have already had its first flight but bad weather hampered those efforts. They are also hoping to gain U.S FAA Certification during the first half of 2015 for this particular aircraft. The G90XT is essentially a remanufactured King Air C90. According to Nextant's President Sean McGeough, "the aircraft is ready to fly, we are just waiting for the right conditions." The newly remanufactured aircraft has a number of upgrades from the version under Hawker Beechcraft. For one, the interior is totally brand new and reimagined...
Boeing Business Jets, Comlux Announce Order for Two BBJ MAX 8 Aircraft
More business continues to roll in for the business jet arm of Boeing, BBJ (Boeing Business Jets). This time it is for two VIP versions of the MAX 8 Boeing 737. The customer is Swiss-based VIP charter operator Comlux and represents their first BBJ order package. "The two BBJ MAX 8s are a great addition to the Comlux fleet because they give our customers the flexibility to fly farther and more comfortably thanks to the lower cabin altitude," said Richard Gaona, President and CEO, Comlux, The Aviation Group...
Final Conforming Cirrus Vision SF50 Test Jet Takes To The Skies
American manufacturer Cirrus Aircraft announces that the final conforming Vision SF50 test jet has made its first flight. Just a month ago in November, the second test bed of the type made its first flight and now just before the end of 2014, test aircraft C-Two (C-2) leaves the ground and securely propels the SF50 program towards certification. C2’s first flight took place on Saturday afternoon, 20 December at approximately 14:00 from Duluth International Airport (KDLH)...
The Sport Jet II Personal Business Jet
Back in 2012 JF looked at a small personal business jet called the Sport Jet II. It was still in its infancy then but alot has been done since then. The jet is now a reality from the standpoint of it being built. It is a swift personal jet that can rocket from the runway to altitude at 3,000 fpm in no time! Safer and easier to fly than a piston, feel the acceleration as the jet smoothly levitates off the ground- within 4 mins you are passing through 10,000 ft at over 300 kts. The SportJet is probably the most fuel efficient single engine jet aircraft...
Bombardier Secures Order For As Many As Nine LearJet 75 Business Jets
Canadian airframer Bombardier just announced a new order for as many as nine LearJet 75 business jets. To break it down, the order is actually firm for six of the type while options for another three are available, totaling nine. For the six firm orders, the value is said to be in the region of 83-million U.S dollars. If the options for three LearJet 75 business jets are converted to firm then the total package is expected to be worth 124-million U.S dollars. The aircraft have been sold to an undisclosed customer...
Gulfstream Offers ADS-B OUT For G150 Aircraft
American airframer Gulfstream announced that they will be offering ADS-B Out - Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast Out-. The company recently has been granted approval by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to install the avionics component on G150 business jets. The new ground-based surveillance technology, which has safety and operational benefits, is required to operate aircraft in portions of airspace above Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. ADS-B Out will be required to fly in U.S. and European airspace by January and June 2020, respectively...
Dassault Falcon Rolls Out First Falcon 8X Business Jet
French airframer Dassault Falcon has celebrated the roll out of the first fully built Falcon 8X flagship business jet. The ultra long-range business jet was rolled out at Dassault’s Bordeaux-Merignac facility before an audience of customers, operators, industrial partners and representatives of certification authorities. “Dassault’s tradition of innovation and excellence helps explain the success of the Falcon 7X. More than 250 aircraft have been built in the seven years since service introduction, and demand remains strong...
Second Cirrus Test Jet Takes To The Skies
Duluth based airframer Cirrus Aircraft recently celebrated the first flight of their second conforming Cirrus SF50 Jet. The first flight now allows the second jet dubbed C-1 to join the first conforming Test aircraft C-Zero. The first flight for C-1 took place at the end of November 2014 (25th November) with the aircraft taking off from Duluth International Airport. The flight lasted for approximately 45 minutes while the test pilots checked to ensure everything was functioning as expected...
Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) Sales Soar in 2014
The outlook for the Business Jet arm of airframer Boeing -Boeing Business Jets- has not been doing too badly in 2014, at least compared to 2008. The market shrunk significantly and commanded great concern, however, 2014 has been promising so far. According to the company president Steve Taylor, BBJ has seen double-digit sales increase in 2014 and this has been the first time since 2008. They are being cautiously optimistic that more firm sales and MoU's materialize by the start of the Show in Dubai in December, Middle East Business Association (MEBA)...
Embraer Delivers 15 business Jets in Third Quarter 2014
Brazilian business jet manufacturer Embraer has announced performance statistics for the third quarter of 2014. All business aircraft the South American airframer completed and handed over to clients in this third quarter period were in the light jet category. No large jets from their portfolio were delivered. According to Embraer Executive they handed over fifteen business jets to owners in the period almost all of them being Phenom 300s. Only one delivery was represented by a Phenom 100 for the stipulated period...
Gulfstream Delivers 100th G650 Business Aircraft
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has announced that it has completed the 100th Gulfstream G650. The new milestone ultra-long-range business jet was delivered to a customer on Nov. 14, 2014. “The production of the 100th G650 is a testament to the demand for this amazing aircraft,” said Larry Flynn, president, Gulfstream. “It truly set a new world standard for performance, range, speed, safety and comfort when it entered into service in December 2012...
Airbus Corportate Jet (ACJ) Highlights Trend Towards Larger Cabins
Airbus' business jet division Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) is seeing trends leaning towards larger cabins in the business aviation industry. All of the business jet variants launched in recent years feature larger cabins than their predecessors, highlighting the market’s trending towards more cabin space. Airbus has highlighted its leadership of this trend by displaying an Airbus ACJ319, with the widest and tallest cabin of any business jet, at the past 2014 NBAA show. The Airbus ACJ319 that was on display at NBAA is operated by Tyrolean Jet Services and is offered for VVIP charter...
2014 NBAA Jet Aviation Static Display
Fueling the Need for Efficiency
Fueling the Need for Efficiency
Showalter Flying Services hosted the 2014 NBAA for the 9th time since 1996. This year, nearly 100 jets decorated the tarmac ranging from transcontinental heavy metal to back country puddle jumpers. The diversity of both new and pre-landed jets is like binge-watching Wings. Tickets to this Jet-A event aren't cheap at $400, but if you're reading this on JetForums, you're on the A-list! On the subject of Jet-A, with fuel prices soaring, jet aircraft manufacturers have put more emphasis on efficiency and range...
2014 NBAA Jet Aviation Show
Flying Faster & Further Each Year
Flying Faster & Further Each Year
In October 2014, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) celebrated their 60th anniversary in Orlando, FL with their annual exhibition of turbines and technology. If you were slave to a stator, handling a hot section or on layover in Liberia (aka quarantine), join us for a phototorial walk thru the Orange County Convention Center, then a stroll through the Showalter static display at Orlando Executive. JetForums publisher Carl Camper along with photographer Tom Serio focused on the planes and people that make up the NBAA, jet aviation's celebration of life approaching Mach...
Production Workforce Increases by More Than 300
At Honda Aircraft Company’s world headquarters in Greensboro, North Carolina, production is ramping up and the final assembly line is full with 11 aircraft. The second production HondaJet is nearing build completion. Honda Aircraft anticipates its first flight in the next few months. The company has also hired and trained more than 300 assembly technicians in the last 14 months to support aircraft production and its continued ramp-up. Honda Aircraft anticipates adding an additional 150 production jobs prior to entry into service...
Airbus and Aerion to Build Supersonic Business Jet
Airbus Group and Aerion Corporation have agreed to collaborate on technologies associated with the future of high-performance flight. To further their mutual objectives, both companies will exchange knowledge and capabilities in design, manufacturing and certification. For Aerion, this means collaboration to advance the development and commercialization of the Aerion AS2 supersonic business jet. Under the agreement, Airbus Group, through its Defense and Space Division, will provide technical and certification support, which will include the assignment of senior engineering staff to Aerion’s expanding development organization...
Embraer Legacy 500 Given Green-Light by FAA to Fly in U.S
The Embraer Legacy 500 business jet received Brazilian certification just two months ago and the first unit has been delivered to the Brazilian client. Continuing the Legacy, it has now achieved another milestone by being granted FAA approval to operate over the United States...
Cessna Citation X+ Sets Coast-to-Coast Speed Record
Demonstrating its rank as the maker of the fastest civil aircraft in the world, Cessna Aircraft Company announced today at the annual National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Convention & Exhibition that the recently certified Citation X+ has set several city-to-city speed records for its weight class including Seattle to Miami, making the 2,375 nautical mile trip in 4 hours, 52 minutes. Cessna is a subsidiary of Textron Aviation, Inc., a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company. “Today’s news provides yet another example of how the Citation X+ meets customers’ need for speed,” says Scott Ernest, president and CEO of Textron Aviation...
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