From the editors of Aviation International News

June 11, 2013

This issue is sponsored by Jet Aviation, Universal Avionics, Dassault Falcon Jet, Metrojet and Greenwich AeroGroup.

Eurocopter X³ Sets Unofficial Helicopter Speed Record
Eurocopter announced today that its X³ compound helicopter demonstrator flew at 255 knots in level flight on Friday near Istres in southeast France. Also part of the unofficial speed record was a descent at 263 knots. These speeds are just a few knots higher than those the Sikorsky X2 semi-compound demonstrator attained in 2010. “The X³ performed exactly as it has so far throughout its flight envelope, exhibiting outstanding stability and providing a low vibration level without any anti-vibration system,” test pilot Hervé Jammayrac said. During the high-speed run, it was flying at about 10,000 feet with landing-gear doors, which it did not have previously, and a new fairing on the rotor hub. The rotor-hub fairing might also provide benefits to other Eurocopter models, according to flight-test engineer Dominique Fournier. To date, the X³ has flown 140 hours since its 2010 introduction. Based on the AS365 Dauphin airframe, it features a single main rotor and stub wings that each carry a propeller. While helicopters usually fly at 140 to 150 knots in cruise, the concept is aimed at proving that 220 knots is a sweet spot where speed is economically profitable.

Eclipse Doubles Life Limit of Its Very Light Jets
Eclipse Aerospace announced late last week that it received FAA approval to double the life limit on existing Eclipse 500s and new-build Eclipse 550s to 20,000 hours/20,000 cycles. Cary Winter, senior vice president of engineering for the Albuquerque, N.M.-based company, said the extension “validated the strength and superiority of” the friction stir welding process used to assemble the aircraft’s fuselage and wings. Friction stir welding bonds aluminum without rivets or conventional welding techniques, offering what its originators say is increased component strength and durability. Despite those claimed benefits, Eclipse 500s initially left the factory saddled with a 10-year/10,000-cycle limit that critics said ran contrary to the aircraft’s intended use as a high-cycle airframe suitable for air-taxi operations. The extended life limit provides more than 50 years of flight operations at normal usage rates, the company said. Eclipse also announced the installation of a new full-motion flight simulator at SimCom’s training center in Orlando, Fla. The level-D simulator, equipped with the Avio integrated flight management system (IFMS) avionics suite installed in “Total Eclipse” upgraded Eclipse 500s and new Eclipse 550s, offers full simulator-based training toward an Eclipse type rating, as well as recurrent training. The aircraft manufacturer plans to start delivering new Eclipse 550s this summer.

Economist Sees Clouds Clearing in 2015
According to economist Brian Beaulieu, 2015 will be the start of a strong economic rebound in the U.S. Speaking last week at the third annual JetNet IQ Summit in New York, Beaulieu, CEO of financial data analyst ITR, added, however, that he expects another fiscal slowdown next year before the start of the upswing cycle. At the conference, JetNet IQ director Rolland Vincent released some findings from the company’s most recent operator survey, which found that operator predictions of increased flying over the next 12 months eroded slightly from the previous year, reflecting continued uncertainty in the industry. The just-completed second-quarter survey also showed some growing pessimism among respondents: 42 percent said they believe the current business aviation market conditions are past the low point, compared with 47 percent in the first quarter. Meanwhile, the percentage of respondents who indicated the industry has not yet reached the low point rose from 21 percent to 24 percent in the second quarter. Vincent said he expects business jet deliveries to show a slight increase this year, with billings boosted by a larger proportion of large-cabin jets such as the Gulfstream G650. Among its more than 500 survey respondents worldwide, JetNet found that more than 12 percent said they have a strong (61 to 100 percent) probability of buying a new turbine aircraft in the next 12 months.

Avantair Fleet Sidelined Again
After weathering a three-week voluntary grounding stemming from a maintenance issue late last year, operations at Piaggio Avanti fractional provider Avantair have been pretty much normal. That is until last Thursday, when an anonymous call to the Clearwater, Fla.-based company’s whistleblower hotline initiated the grounding of its fleet again. During last year’s grounding, Avantair committed to implement “industry-leading safety and maintenance programs” similar to those at major airlines. This includes self audits, one of which is a continual audit of time-controlled parts that must be inspected and/or replaced after a certain number of hours in service. Avantair was actively engaged in such an audit when it received the hotline call questioning the adequacy of its system for monitoring these time-controlled parts. “Though we did not give credence to this call, our substantial internal operating procedures mandated that we take immediate action to fully investigate the concern,” Avantair CEO Steven Santo told AIN. “Since more than 100 parts on each of our aircraft are time-controlled, the only way to do this in a timely manner was to perform inspections and check our entire fleet. We are now in the midst of doing so.” Santo said the company’s focus on safety “is unending and unwavering.” Despite past challenges, he said, “We will not be deterred in our efforts to operate Avantair as the safest carrier in the industry. Our owners and cardholders have demonstrated considerable patience and support for our safety programs.” Avantair anticipates that it will begin release of aircraft back into service on a continual basis this week, following the completion of these inspections. One of Avantair’s airplanes, N140SL, was already airborne at press time.

Chicago Vertiport Slated To Open Next Year
Work is scheduled to begin this summer on a $13 million Chicago vertiport, more than 20 years after it was first proposed. The near west side, 10-acre site at 14th & Wood is owned by the Illinois Medical District Commission (IMD) and will be financed privately and developed by Nighthawk Services. Nighthawk president Mike Conklin told AIN that he expects final approvals within weeks and groundbreaking in “late July or early August.” Construction will take approximately 12 months. The vertiport will be capable of accommodating VTOL aircraft such as the under-development AgustaWestland AW609 and the military Bell/Boeing V-22 Osprey. Plans call for the vertiport to have its own FBO with a 15,000-sq-ft terminal, a 4.5-acre tarmac ramp with space for 60 helicopters and a 30,000-sq-ft hangar. The vertiport’s location is eight blocks south of the University of Illinois Chicago main campus, and 2.5 miles due west of the lakefront location of the former Meigs Field, which the city illegally demolished in 2003. Real estate developer Paul Beitler first proposed a Chicago vertiport in 1993. The FAA began funding vertiport studies in 1988.