Monthly Archives: February 2017

The Bird Aerosystems Aeroshield missile-defense pod for civil aircraft incorporates sensors and can dispense flares. Photo: Bird Aerosystems. This simulation shows a laser fired from under the aircraft intercepting an incoming missile. (Image source: YouTube) Israel-based Bird Aerosystems has announced the availability of its latest anti-missile defense pod for Private Jet, designed for airliners and bizliners, the latter including the Airbus ACJ320 and Boeing BBJ. To help counter what it said is a growing threat of man-portable air defense systems (manpads), the company’s Aeroshield pod incorporates five sensors that detect when an air-to-air or surface-to-air missile has been launched. It also has one sensor that can detect when a missile is approaching, as well as two-to-four flare dispensers (to divert heat-seeking missiles) and an inertial measurement unit. Bird Aerospace claims that its Aeroshield is the only Private Jet Anti-missile Protection Pod available that both supports flare protection and complies with EASA and FAA civil aviation regulations. The company said several of the Private Jet Anti-missile Protection Pods are already in service with unidentified customers. The company also noted that the small-footprint Private Jet Anti-missile Protection Pod is easily installed, can be readily transferred from aircraft to aircraft and provides effective protection “with minimal interference to the aircraft.” Besides airborne missile protection systems, Bird Aerosystems also specializes in airborne surveillance, information and observation equipment.  Israel has successfully completed a series of tests of an anti-missile defense system for passenger jets, the system’s manufacturer and Israel’s Defense Ministry announced.Elbit System’s C-Music system – whose Hebrew name translates to “Sky Shield” – is designed to protect commercial airliners against shoulder-fired missiles. Israel’s Army Radio reported that several Israeli passenger planes have already been outfitted with the

The New Bombardier Global 7000 Logs 100 Hours; FTV2 To Fly Soon The first Bombardier Global 7000 flight test vehicle, FTV1, has now amassed more than 100 hours of flying. FTV2 will soon join the flight-test fleet as the program moves toward certification and entry into service in the second half of 2018. (Photo: Bombardier Aerospace)  Bombardier Aerospace’s Global 7000 program is “progressing” solidly, with the sole flight-test vehicle, FTV1, having completed more than 100 hours of flight testing to date, the Canadian aircraft manufacturer announced today. FTV2 is also now complete and has been moved to its dedicated pre-flight bay ahead of its first flight, which is expected “shortly.” for the Global 7000. Global 7000FTV1 “is showing a high level of maturity, demonstrating that we have captured the lessons learned from the C Series [airliner] program,” Alain Bellemare, president and CEO of parent company Bombardier, said this morning during a financial earnings conference call. Both the C Series and the Global 7000, as well as its Global 8000 sibling, employ fly-by-wire control systems. Meanwhile, Bellemare said that the production wing for the Global 7000 is now in final design and expected to be flying on a production-conforming airplane later this year. Bombardier cited issues related to the Global 7000 wing as a factor in its decision for a two-year program delay, and in late December, wing supplier Triumph filed suit against Bombardier over wing development costs. The Global 7000 remains on track for entry into service in the second half of next year, Bellemare noted. A company spokeswoman told AIN that the follow-on Global 8000 “continues to be part of our development program,” adding that its schedule will be released “later on” in the Global

Private Jet Security Experts Offer Three Considerations for International Ground Transportation Ensuring the safety of passengers and crew doesn’t end when an aircraft reaches its destination. All parties must then be delivered securely to their final stop – a task that can be more challenging when traveling outside of the United States for Private Jets. Matt Burdette, chief of intelligence with UnitedHealthcare Global Risk, identified the main factors to consider when selecting ground transportation for Private Jets options: Private Jets Consideration 1: Location Matters for Private Jets Operators should assess if there are threat-pattern trends at their destination. Security that’s appropriate in certain international destinations may vary drastically from the requirements in more volatile locations. “A trip in London is one thing, as opposed to Mexico City, in determining what transportation you choose,” said Burdette. In locations with prominent levels of risk for Private Jets, Burdette recommended scaling the security capability to deal with potential threats. “You may consider using a driver with security operations training including escape and evasion, offensive and defensive driving and knowing how to handle a vehicle under extreme situations,” he said.   Consideration 2: Arrange Transportation with a Trusted Provider of Private Jets Burdette said there is one central question operators need to ask when procuring transportation: is it a known, trusted provider? “Is it a provider whom you’ve retained access through a trustworthy source for Private Jets or vetted yourself?” he said. “You’re looking for somebody who provides that level of service that you’re after, which more than anything else is safety and security, and secondly is timeliness and reliability.” Sarah Wolf, NBAA’s senior manager for security and facilitation, recommended procuring the same level of security for both crew