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Bombardier Learjet Obtains FTV1 Flight Test Permit for Learjet 85 Aircraft​

Bombardier Aerospace announced today that Learjet has obtained the first flight test permit from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the Learjet 85 aircraft Flight Test Vehicle 1 (FTV1). In addition, engine run testing and low-speed taxi testing have been successfully completed on the flight test vehicle. During the final testing stage in preparation for first flight, the Learjet 85 aircraft program team will finalize the configuration of the aircraft and conduct further engine runs and high-speed taxi tests...

Cessna Citation Latitude Prototype Makes Successful First Flight​

Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, is celebrating the successful first prototype flight of its highly-anticipated Citation Latitude midsize business jet. The first flight of the Citation Latitude tested flaps, landing gear, pressurization systems, anti-ice capabilities, stability and control. The test flight reached an altitude of 28,000 feet and attained speeds of 230 mph (Mach 0.6). Cessna flight engineers said all systems are performing as expected...

Dassault’s Falcon 2000S Flies into Brazilian Market​

Dassault Falcon Jet recently delivered its first Falcon 2000S in Brazil following certification by ANAC, Brazil’s aviation regulatory authority, late last year. “The Falcon 2000S is a terrific option for customers in Brazil and elsewhere in South America,” said John Rosanvallon, President and CEO of Dassault Falcon Jet...

Super Mid-Size G280 Aircraft Connects Savannah-Anchorage-Tokyo-Singapore In Record Time ​

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.’s G280 once again demonstrated its ability when it set three potential city-pair records en route to its 2014 Singapore Airshow debut. The super mid-size aircraft linked Savannah to Singapore in just three legs, bringing its record tally to 39. The G280 flew 3,206 nautical miles/5,938 kilometers from the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport to the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport at an average speed of Mach 0.80 for a total flight time of 7 hours and 41 minutes...

Cessna Wins First Japanese Deal for CJ4 business jets​

Cessna Aircraft Company, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) company, is to deliver three Citation CJ4 business jets to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Civil Aviation Bureau (JCAB) through their special mission affiliate Kanematsu Corporation of Japan. This deal represents the first ever CJ4 deliveries to Japan. Bill Harris, Cessna vice president of Sales for Asia and Asia Pacific, says: “The CJ4 is a popular choice with operators worldwide, earning a well-deserved reputation as a very capable and high-performing aircraft – a versatile business tool able to tackle many different missions...

Gulfstream Delivers 100th Jet Equipped With Company-Designed Cabin Management System ​

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. recently delivered the 100th Gulfstream aircraft equipped with the company’s state-of-the-art cabin management system. The Gulfstream-controlled and -designed equipment, known as the Gulfstream Cabin Management System (GCMS), is standard on Gulfstream G650 and G280 aircraft and is part of the Elite Interior option for the G550 and G450. The 100th customer delivery was a G650. GCMS works in conjunction with the Gulfstream Cabin Control app to provide seamless digital control of the aircraft cabin’s systems...

Embraer Executive Jets signs contract with Hawker Pacific for Legacy 500 and Legacy 450 support in Asia Pacific​

Embraer Executive Jets has signed a contract with Hawker Pacific to provide full maintenance support to Legacy 500 and Legacy 450 customers in the Asia Pacific region. This agreement comes ahead of the Legacy 500 midsize jet’s entry into service in the first half of 2014. The Legacy 450 mid-light jet’s certification is expected a year later...

Gulfstream G650 Claims Speed Record Between Hawaii And Singapore​

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.’s G650 aircraft arrived for the 2014 Singapore Airshow with a potential city-pair record on its resume, this one between Hawaii and Singapore. The flagship Gulfstream aircraft now has 39 such records. “I can think of no better way for the G650 to make its Singapore Airshow debut than to land after setting a speed record that demonstrates its flexibility and capability for our customers around the world, particularly Asia,” said Scott Neal, senior vice president, Worldwide Sales and Marketing, Gulfstream...

Beechcraft posts strong finish to 2013​

Beechcraft Corporation today announced its fourth-quarter and year-end 2013 delivery data. In the fourth quarter, Beechcraft delivered 72 commercial Beechcraft products compared to 48 Beechcraft airplanes in the same period the previous year. Throughout the entire year, the company saw a 64 percent increase in deliveries with 205 commercial Beechcraft products delivered during 2013 compared to 125 in 2012.

Deliveries of King Air series aircraft rose from 89 in 2012, to 135 in 2013 – a 52 percent increase year over year...

Eclipse 550 Auto Throttle, Anti-Skid Brakes Receive FAA STC​

Eclipse Aerospace, Inc. (EAI) is proud to announce receipt of Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for both the Auto Throttle and Anti-Skid Brake (ASB) systems for the Eclipse 550 twin-engine jet. The Auto Throttle, developed in partnership with Innovative Solutions & Support, is a first for FAR Part 23 aircraft. The lightweight ASB system is the only ASB in general aviation that does not require a complex aircraft hydraulic system, thereby reducing maintenance and allowing for simple operation with very few components...

Bombardier Aerospace to Showcase its Industry-Leading Aircraft at the 2014 Singapore Airshow​

To underline its ongoing commitment to the Asia-Pacific region, Greater China and India, Bombardier Aerospace will present a strong line-up of its industry-leading business and commercial aircraft at the 2014 Singapore Airshow. Visitors will also have the opportunity to tour the CSeries aircraft demonstrators that will be on display at Bombardier’s CSeries pavilion. With the demand for commercial and business aircraft forecasted to gain momentum in the region, Bombardier will arrive at Singapore with a selection of its industry-leading aircraft and superior customer support services...

Beechcraft Inducts Three Aircraft into Hawker 400XPR Upgrade Program​

Beechcraft Corporation announced that its Hawker 400XPR upgrade program has taken a significant step toward first deliveries, with the first three aircraft now undergoing final airframe modifications. The first customer aircraft had a Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics system installed in 2013 as part of the upgrade program and re-entered into service. It recently returned to Beechcraft for additional modifications, including the installation of genuine Hawker winglets and Williams International FJ44-4A-32 engines...

Comlux America nets contract to complete ACJ320​

Luxury completions company Comlux America received contract to complete an ACJ320 to VIP standards. The ACJ320 is the business/private jet version of Airbus' very successful A320. Once the aircraft arrives at the newly expanded hangar at the Indianapolis-based facility work will commence to transform the interior into a top-notch and high-end asset. The plan for this particular aircraft is very extensive and even though the design work is still being finalized, the main spaces onboard are already worked out...

Dassault Falcon to showcase Falcon 5X mockup; provide service center support during SuperBowl Weekend​

Dassault Falcon Jet has mobilized its customer service resources to provide support for Falcon operators traveling to Super Bowl XLVIII. About 1,200 business jets are expected to visit the New York metropolitan area for the week—600 of them through Teterboro Airport. The Dassault Falcon Jet headquarters – and the company’s largest Falcon spares depot – are located at Teterboro, the main business aviation gateway to the Super Bowl...

Embraer Meets Aircraft Delivery Guidance for 2013, 119 business jets delivered​

Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer S.A. (NYSE: ERJ; BM&FBOVESPA: EMBR3) ended 2013 relatively strong in terms of completions and deliveries. The South America-located company delivered 32 commercial and 53 business jets during the fourth quarter of 2013 (4Q13), thus closing out the year with 90 airplanes delivered to the airline market and 119 to executive aviation, that is, 90 light and 29 large jets.

Phenom 100 and 300s continue to do well for the manufacturer but there is still some kick for the larger cabin aircraft in their portfolio offering...

Cessna 2013 business aviation performance​

For some manufacturers, business jet deliveries and orders have been sluggish yet some have been holding their own in 2013. Gulfstream performed decently last year posting profits. Gulfstream raked in revenues around $8.118 billion, with profits that climbed some 65-percent to approximately $1.416 billion. On the other hand, Cessna didn't perform as well but still was commended by its parent company Textron.

Overall deliveries for Cessna were down from 181 aircraft in 2012 to a disappointing 139 in 2013...

Beechcraft Celebrates 50th Anniversary of King Air’s First Flight​

Beechcraft Corporation has recognized the 50th anniversary of the first flight of the King Air Model 90 with several three-ship passes of the company’s current production King Air models over its home airfield, Beech Field, in Wichita, Kan., as employees and guests watched.

Jan. 20, 2014 – three current production King Airs

Jan. 20, 1964 – maiden flight of King Air Model 90 prototype

The King Air is the best-selling business aircraft family in the world with nearly 7,200 King Airs delivered and a worldwide fleet having surpassed 60 million flight hours...

Bombardier Aerospace Delivers 238 Aircraft and Receives Orders for 388 Aircraft in 2013​

Bombardier Aerospace announced today that it delivered 238 aircraft during 2013, compared to 233 aircraft deliveries in the previous calendar year ended December 31, 2012. The company also received orders for 388 aircraft, net of cancellations, compared to 481 orders, net of cancellations, for the previous year. “The global economy has remained persistently sluggish, and with its recovery taking longer than originally anticipated, 2013 continued to be a challenging year for aviation,” said Guy Hachey, President and Chief Operating Officer, Bombardier Aerospace...

Bombardier Aerospace Confirms Change to its CSeries Aircraft’s Entry-into-Service​

Bombardier Aerospace confirmed today that the CSeries aircraft program is making solid progress and initial performance results are in line with the company’s expectations. However, based on the thorough review of the CSeries program after the first flight of the CS100 on September 16, 2013, the flight test phase will require more time than originally anticipated to ensure, amongst other things, that the aircraft has the overall system maturity to support a successful entry-into-service...

Gulfstream Luton approved to work on G650, G280​

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.’s service center at London Luton Airport in the United Kingdom recently earned approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to perform comprehensive maintenance services on the Gulfstream G280. The facility earned EASA approval to work on the Gulfstream G650 in 2013. The super mid-size G280 and ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range G650 are Gulfstream’s newest aircraft. They entered service in November and December 2012, respectively...