Business Aviation

Jet Wave high-speed satellite Wi-Fi enables passengers to stream seamlessly worldwide Los Angeles—December 8, 2020 Clay Lacy Aviation, an authorized Honeywell Dealer, has installed a Honeywell JetWave Ka-band connectivity hardware system on a Bombardier Global 6000 ultra-long-range jet. The advanced, multi-component JetWave system is the only solution that enables business jets to connect to Inmarsat’s Global Xpress Ka-band network for fast, seamless internet service at any altitude, almost everywhere in the world. International private jet travelers can enjoy high-speed streaming internet speeds on all their devices, participating easily in video conferences, watching movies, sharing video on social media, or sending and receiving large work files. The upgrade was installed at Clay Lacy’s Van Nuys Airport Part 145 Repair Station. “Clay Lacy performed this complex JetWave upgrade on schedule and on budget thanks to their Honeywell and Bombardier expertise,” said Renan Bayar, Captain of the Bombardier Global 6000. Honeywell JetWave for Bombardier Global, Challenger and Dassault Falcon Jets The factory-trained Honeywell experts at Clay Lacy can install the multi-component JetWave hardware system on select Dassault Falcon, Bombardier Global and Bombardier Challenger business jet aircraft. Typical downtime is 30 to 35 days.

Longueuil, Quebec Pratt & Whitney announced that the 50,000th PT6 turboprop engine has rolled off the production line achieving an exceptional milestone in General Aviation. With the new PT6 E-Series engine now in full production, powering the Pilatus PC-12 NGX, the numbers continue to grow. “From the first application more than 50 years ago, the now iconic PT6 engine turns possibilities into realities for our customers around the world on more than 130 different applications today,” said Irene Makris, vice president, sales and marketing at Pratt & Whitney. “With each new model of engine developed and designed for a mission, platform, and customer in mind, our employees continue to build a more efficient, smarter engine with a shrinking environmental footprint– and they continue to rise to the challenge every day.” The PT6 turboprop engine is the proven choice for demanding, high-cycle/high-power applications in single- and twin-engine aircraft for all kinds of missions and applications. The engine fleet’s current flying population is more than 25,000 units and it has accumulated more than 410 million flight hours and counting–that’s more flying time than anyone else in this segment. Makris sees the 50,000-engine marker as the opportunity to pause and thank customers and employees for this remarkable accomplishment. It is a testament to the ongoing success of the engine and the innovation behind its ongoing evolution. The most recent example of this being the launch of the PT6 E-Series™ engine, the first the first turbine engine in the general aviation market to offer a dual-channel integrated electronic propeller and engine control. “This production milestone is unmatched in the industry. It offers us another opportunity to celebrate the engine’s ongoing success as we continue exploring new horizons for even more flying possibilities,” Makris said. “The achievement sits as the collective cornerstone of Pratt & Whitney in General Aviation. With the PT6 E-Series™ engine now at the forefront, we remain committed to pushing innovation as we’ve been doing since the very beginning.”

London, United Kingdom The British Business General Aviation Association (BBGA) has welcomed the UK Government’s revised quarantine rules for bona fide business travellers flying in to do business with the UK. Effective 5 December, eligible business travelers, along with people working in entertainment, news and sports sectors will be exempt from the 14-day COVID-19 quarantine requirements. Senior executives who will generate ‘significant economic benefit’ to the UK through work that ‘has a greater than 50% chance of creating or preserving at least 50 UK-based jobs to an existing UK business with at least 50 employees or to a new UK business within one year of their arrival,’ qualify.   So do those flying in to buy goods/services from a UK business with a minimum 50 employees, through a £100 million upwards contract or one that would create or preserve 50 or more jobs. Sean Raftery, BBGA Board Member and Managing Director of Universal Aviation UK said: “This will help restore confidence for many business travellers looking to do business in the UK and buoys the UK economy as we ready to Brexit.  Since March we saw the enthusiasm for travel among our clients change.  Back then they weren’t as comfortable travelling and the quarantine was business prohibitive. Now they feel much safer in the knowledge that attention and investment has been made disinfecting our FBOs and aircraft and with PCR Covid-19 testing becoming more wildly available at our airports and FBOs.” Our sector is synonymous with resilience and agility. These new exemptions are welcomed as we take steps back to normality,” he added.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) announced the addition of Mustang Aviation and Seattle Aviation Solutions as Members, and NUAIR and Texas UASWERX as Associate Members EPIC. Mustang Aviation is based out of Pierre, South Dakota, and was originally founded in 1990. They provide fixed based operator, charter, maintenance and repair services; flight instruction; and freight and cargo support. Seattle Aviation Services is based out of Redmond, Washington, and was founded in 2017. They are a nose-to-tail material supplier for all business jet applications, including airframe, engines, landing gears, auxiliary power units and avionics. They also provide distribution and management of parts, and repair and overhaul services. NUAIR (Northeast UAS Airspace Integration Research Alliance, Inc.) manages operations of the New York UAS Test Site in Rome, New York, one of seven FAA-designated unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test sites in the United States. NUAIR is responsible for the continued advancement of New York’s Advanced Air Mobility Proving Grounds and 50-mile UAS corridor, which facilitates beyond visual line of sight testing, commercial operations, electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft – including vertiport automation, and the safe integration of UAS into the national airspace. Texas UASWERX is a not for profit aeronautical and engineering firm based out of Dallas, Texas. They provide expertise in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Integration, Systems Engineering and Configuration Management to manufacturers, technology providers and authorities. They operate the nation’s only purpose-built 5G enabled, eVTOL and UAM Proving Ground and Flight Test Facility, which also includes and a Subsonic Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel.