Pilatus Aircraft’s PC-24 business jet has entered the final stages of its certification programme, following the maiden sortie of its third and final test aircraft – the first in a production-standard configuration – on 6 March. P03 – registration HB-VSA – took off from Stans at 09:45 local time for a 2h 5min flight across Switzerland. Pilatus describes the debut flight as “another important milestone” in the PC-24’s development. It comes 22 months after the arrival of the first prototype kick-started the validation programme. Aircraft P02 joined the campaign in November 2015, and the pair have since logged more than 1,350 flying hours, the airframer says. PC-24 Pilatus chairman Oscar Schwenk calls the results of the flight-test campaign “very encouraging” and says the data collected so far indicates that the jet – the company's first – “exceeds published performance figures”. These include a maximum cruise speed of 425kt (790km/h), a maximum range with six passengers of 1,800nm (3,330km), and a maximum take-off weight of 8,050kg (17,650lb). The PC-24 is branded a “super-versatile jet” by Pilatus, based on its large cargo door and its ability to take off and land on very short runways and unpaved strips. The aircraft is scheduled for certification and service entry in the fourth quarter. US fractional ownership company PlaneSense is launch customer for the Williams International FJ44-4A-powered twin, with an order for six aircraft. The company is a long-standing Pilatus customer and the largest commercial operator of its PC-12NG single-engined turboprop with a fleet of 35. Pilatus has secured 84 orders for the PC-24 – equivalent to three years of production – and is planning to reopen the orderbook following certification. P03 will make its public debut in

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

Iraq Air Charter Now Iraqi Government forces are steadily pushing back against Daesh insurgents with the extremists now holding around 15% of the country, roughly one-third of the territory they did two years ago. Behind the military headlines, reports Alan Dron, young air operators, such as Iraq Gate, are seeking to maintain vital transport using Iraq Air Charter services in the country. With large swathes of the country still in the grip of civil war, it may not seem the ideal time to think about setting up a scheduled airline service in Iraq. However, Iraq Gate believes that the country’s business fundamentals could be sufficiently sound to make the venture worthwhile of Iraq Air Charter. Iraq Gate was set up in 2013 as the first executive charter company in the troubled nation. Created by executive aircraft operator Arab Wings Iraq Air Charter, from neighbouring Jordan, as a joint venture, it operates under an Iraqi air operator’s certificate (AOC) and now has six aircraft on the Iraqi register – three Bombardier CRJ200s, two Hawker 800XP mid-size executive jets and a Beechcraft King Air 200 turboprop. Arab Wings Iraq Air Charter has seconded some staff to Iraq Gate to get the young operation off the ground and has appointed others within the country. But why did Arab Wings Iraq Air Charter, a well-established business jet operator, aircraft management and handling company, decide at the height of unrest in the country that it was a good time to set up shop in Baghdad? Iraq Air Charter “Although the [security] situation is not as we would like it to be, there is a demand for charter and business aircraft operations there,” explained Sameer Hdairis, Arab Wings Iraq Air Charter’ business development manager of

IT TAKES VISION TO RISE ABOVE with the new Citation Hemisphere Cessna Citation Hemisphere. The Cessna Citation Hemisphere is a 4,500 nautical miles (8,300 km) range business jet project by Cessna, expected to fly in 2019 and announced at the 2015 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) conference with the widest cabin in its class. It will have a maximum speed of Mach 0.9. For the past 20 years, there have been no new innovative, clean-sheet designs in this category. The wait is over. The Citation Hemisphere is the first new design, and it comes from the company most committed to the industry. Time-saving speed. Ambitious range. Low cabin altitude. Modern additive manufacturing techniques. A world-class cabin that is configurable for your mission and the quietest in the class. All this for the lowest total ownership cost in its class. No other aircraft can compete with this level of performance and comfort. It’s not just a flight anymore. It’s a whole new experience. Introducing the Citation Hemisphere — a jet to rule the skies with a cutting-edge, clean-sheet design optimized for best-in-class performance. Whether your mission requires a corporate shuttle or worldwide transportation, the new Citation Hemisphere with its a three-zone cabin provides the most generous space in its class for business and increased productivity. Combined with the world’s most capable service network, the Citation Hemisphere is destined to redefine the large-cabin aircraft space. The spacious third zone is your own private area to relax so you arrive feeling rested. With options for couches or the class’s largest seats, you can configure the aircraft to best meet your mission needs. Lavatories in both the front and back of the cabin ensure that you are not interrupted

Gulfstream Aerospace continues to pursue technologies that would enable building a supersonic business jet (SSBJ). The company has logged two new patents for sonic-boom mitigation technologies in the past two months alone. Queried about the new patents, a company spokeswoman told AIN, “Gulfstream has a small team committed to researching sonic-boom mitigation. We also continue to work to remove the ban on flying supersonically over land.” The Savannah, Georgia-based aircraft manufacturer’s most prominent research in this field is its Quiet Spike, a telescoping nose meant to greatly reduce or possibly eliminate the sonic boom. It has previously tested the Quiet Spike on a NASA F-15. Gulfstream Aerospace hosted a NASA F-15 in Savannah, Ga., on February 14 for an aerial demonstration of its Quite Spike telescopic nose spike installation. If Gulfstream were ever to decide to launch a supersonic business jet, it would have to employ some means of suppressing the sonic boom while flying over land. Instead of building an airplane that could exceed Mach 1 only away from land, Gulfstream envisions a design with a retractable spike on the nose that extends to change the shape of the nose and alter the impact of the sonic boom. Lab testing has shown that the spike can reduce the sound of the boom, resulting in a boom that is quieter than that of the Concorde supersonic airliner by a factor of 10,000. The spike testing on the F-15 was done to verify the structural integrity of the system, not its sonic boom suppression capability. There was some testing of the shock wave created by the spike, said a Gulfstream spokesman, but the F-15 installation won’t have much of an effect on its sonic boom. Funds

Bombardier’s flagship Global 7000 felt the wind beneath its wings for the first time on November 4, completing a two-hour, 27-minute maiden flight from the company’s facility in Toronto. Under the control of captain Ed Grabman, copilot Jeff Karnes and flight-test engineer Jason Nickel, the aircraft departed at 10:25 a.m. local time on November 4, climbed to 20,000 feet and reached the planned test speed of 240 knots. During the flight the crew tested basic system functionality and assessed the handling and flying qualities. The first Global 7000 flight nearly coincided with the 20th anniversary of the first flight of the original Global Express on Oct. 13, 1996. Michel Ouellette, senior v-p of the Global 7000/8000 program, called that anniversary “a huge milestone” that reflects on the successful path the original Global program established. “We’re walking into the next success with the Global 7000 and 8000,” he added. “The first Global 7000 flight is the culmination of an incredible amount of knowledge and experience from our dedicated employees, partners and suppliers,” said Bombardier Business Aircraft president David Coleal. “This is a proud moment for Bombardier and confirms the Global 7000 aircraft program development is on schedule.” Global 7000 The Global 7000/8000 program is to become the crown jewel of the manufacturer’s business aircraft fleets. Bombardier has been taking an “all hands on deck” approach to getting the Global 7000, the first of the program, to market by the second half of 2018. Unveiled in 2010, the Global 7000 has suffered delays as Bombardier struggled to manage cash flow among several research and development programs in recent years. The 8000, meanwhile, is waiting in the wings while Bombardier works to get the Global 7000

Royal Jet, the Abu Dhabi-headquartered, award-winning international luxury flight service provider, has taken delivery of a striking new BBJ 34 seat Boeing Business Jet – the world's first BBJ equipped with KA-band satellite broadband Internet technology. The fully-customised, VVIP aircraft will be followed by a sister corporate airliner due to arrive in Abu Dhabi in a month. The new BBJ, which boasts a front-end bedroom, eight VIP, eight business class and 18 standard seats, arrives in the UAE capital as Royal Jet announced a leadership shake-up with its first managing director appointment going to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan. He will join forces with recently-appointed President and CEO Rob DiCastri who says the award-winning carrier is entering a “new era” where “change is in the air.” With bespoke interiors by noted New York designer Edese Doret and fitted out by Lufthansa Technik, the new BBJ also features Enhanced Vision System cockpit technology. Royal Jet is the first UAE charter operator to receive GCAA regulatory approval to use the thermal imaging camera capability that helps pilots better navigate poor weather conditions. DiCastri says Royal Jet management is now reviewing the company’s strategic fleet plan announced two years ago to bring it up to date with today’s commercial realities. “We are actively looking at the overall size and mix of our fleet and are constantly consulting with our wide range of customers to ensure we have a product and a service which satisfies their diverse needs,” he said.