Yearly Archives: 2016

Indianapolis-based Comlux America has completed an expansion of its VIP hangar. The hangar now has the capability to house wide-body and narrow-body aircraft simultaneously. Comlux America’s first wide body completion, an ACJ330 aircraft, was inside the hangar for an event that celebrated construction of the hangar. During the event, the hangar also housed two BBJs (one in completion and one in maintenance) and one SBJ in completion. The new hangar expansion increased the total size of the hangar from 128,000 square feet to 157,000 square feet. Also read: One-on-one with Scott Meyer “This is a major milestone in the development of Comlux America and the Comlux Group,” says Comlux America CEO Scott Meyer. “This event is a testament of our continued growing list of capabilities, and it further demonstrates our ability to adapt for future market opportunities.” The celebration of the facility expansion took place on April 27th, 2016, one year from the ground breaking ceremony. Guests flew in from all around the world to celebrate the unveiling, including customers, OEMs, authorities, designers, suppliers, business partners, and local political and airport officials.   Source: Fly Corporate

A Dassault Falcon 2000LXS has become the first business jet to fly an instrument approach with a published localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) minima of 200ft (LPV200), using the European geostationary navigation overlay service. The trial took place at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport on 3 May, with an ATR 42-600 twin-turboprop and an Airbus A350 widebody airliner also taking part. Dassault Aviation LPV permits aircraft-guided approaches, operationally equivalent to a Category 1 instrument landing system, but without the need for ground-based navigation aid infrastructure. The system is reliant on global positioning system and space based augmentation capabilities like EGNOS and the USA’s wide area augmentation system. France was the first European country to publish approach procedures permitting EGNOS LPV200, says Dassault. Austria’s Vienna Internationalwill be the next airport to receive an LPV200 approach capability, although a trial date has not been disclosed. Dassault Aviation “The accuracy and stability of LPV guidance is really amazing; much better than with ILS,” says Dassault test pilot Jean-Louis Dumas, who was at the controls, alongside fellow crew member Olivier Perriaud. “Lowering the minima to 200ft will be a great boon for European business aviation operations.” Source: Flight Global

The first production Cirrus Vision SF50 recently completed its inaugural flight in Duluth, Minn. The flight moves the single-engine jet one step closer to FAA certification. Coined P1, the aircraft had a large and captive audience for the big moment. “Pilot feedback on P1 is simple,” says test pilot Terry LeSage. “The aircraft handled just great. It was unnoticeably different from C2 (the third of our conforming test-article jets), with handling qualities matching those of its predecessors and all systems working as intended.” Also read: GAMA report shows Q1 deliveries down Cirrus first welcomed the cabin of P1 to Duluth last April, fresh off the truck from the company’s Grand Forks facility. Since then, the aircraft has been trimmed, drilled, assembled and bonded, as well as received hardware and systems installation. The aircraft was built in tandem with the certification testing process. The structural components led the way, enduring a long and rigorous testing process before P1’s structures could be built out. Next, the plane moved into testing of the lamination and bonding processes, then systems testing with subsequent installation and addition of components within that area. The first flight of P1 signifies a shift of focus from engineering and production over to flight testing. The aircraft is currently fulfilling approximately 10 days of flying before heading into the paint booth. After that it will return to flight test for another week before its final interior and exterior detailing is completed.   Source: Fly-Corporate