ANN's Annual Review Of The Year That Was: Business Aviation In 2009  

Final Compilations by ANN News Editor, Tom Patton

To perhaps as great an extent as the airlines, business aviation felt the pinch of the faltering economy in 2009. After getting a bad rap from members of the Congress, the President, and much of the mainstream media, sales of business aircraft plummeted. While much of the news was down for business aviation in 2009, there were a number of bright spots as well. Here's a sampling of the stories we brought you through the year in business aviation.

January

• In comments made to TSA officials, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen articulated industry concerns about the agency's proposed Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) and offered a process for improving the final rule on the proposal...
• US Bankruptcy Court Judge Mary Walrath "verbally approved" the sale of the assets of Eclipse Aviation to EclipseJet Aviation International, a subsidiary of ETIRC Aviation. Walrath reportedly approved EclipseJet's bid of $28 million in cash, plus promissory notes and equity for the assets of Eclipse Aviation...
• The National Business Aviation Association announced programming and other elements from the inaugural 2009 Light Business Airplane Conference (LBA2009) will now be incorporated into the Association's 62nd Annual Meeting & Convention in Orlando, FL...
• National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen reiterated the potentially ruinous effect the group asserts the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA's) proposed Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) could have, not only on small and mid-size businesses that rely on their aircraft to weather the current unforgiving economic storm, but on the general aviation (GA) community as a whole...
• The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) warned that businesses trying to recover in the current, unforgiving economic climate would be severely impacted by language in a bill to reform the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP), first passed by Congress last year...
• Seattle-based coffee conglomerate Starbucks Corp. became the latest company to forgo one of its company aircraft. There's a quirk, however: the company took delivery of the $45 million Gulfstream G550 just last month...
• Embraer announced it received the Type Certificate (TC) and the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its Lineage 1000 executive jet. The STC is for the jet's interior, which was designed, manufactured and installed by PATS Aircraft Completions, a subsidiary of DeCrane Aerospace, located in the United States...  

• Embraer made their first delivery of a Phenom 100 jet, on Christmas Eve, in São José dos Campos. The aircraft, which landed on New year's Eve in the U.S. after successfully completing its ferry flight, was recently certified by Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and by the FAA...
• Gaylord Entertainment Company -- owner of the upscale Gaylord Hotels, the Grand Ole Opry, and other entertainment properties -- has drawn sharp criticism from TRT Holdings Chairman Robert Rowling for poor performance, excessive overhead, and corporate waste... the latter, alas, in the form of alleged excessive personal use of the company's corporate jet...
• The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) announced that NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen received the Aviation Industry Leader of the Year Award...

February

• Despite the efforts of many people at EclipseJet Aviation and ETIRC to obtain necessary funding to close the purchase of the assets of Eclipse Aviation, the closing of the sale transaction stalled and the company ran  out of time and money...
• Hawker Beechcraft CEO Jim Schuster told employees the Wichita-based planemaker will eliminate 2,300 positions, with many of those cuts coming at the end of this week...
• Gulfstream Aerospace celebrated the fuselage joining for the first Gulfstream G250, the company's newest mid-cabin jet. The G250 forward, center and aft fuselage sections were joined utilizing the most advanced assembly process...
• Brazilian planemaker Embraer is the latest aircraft manufacturer to announce massive layoffs, blaming a likely reduction in orders and production during what looks to be a very difficult year...
• National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) President and CEO Ed Bolen met with Congressional lawmakers to discuss the concerns of the general aviation community over the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA's) proposed Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP)...
• In an inadvertent illustration of the practical advantages of non-airline flight -- the very method of corporate travel now condemned by the White House and many lawmakers, it's worth pointing out -- a US senator was provided with the use of a government plane by the Obama administration to commute between Washington, DC and his home in Ohio...
• Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation announced it recently completed the first flight of its S-76D helicopter, the latest version of the S-76 line. Company test pilots maneuvered the prototype aircraft through taxi, hover, hover turns, and forward flight to 40 knots in a test flight that lasted approximately 30 minutes...  

March

• General Dynamics announced its Gulfstream Aerospace subsidiary will cut production of large-cabin aircraft and green-plane deliveries this year, due to the "deterioration" of its order backlog...
• Garmin has scored yet another big "get" for its increasingly ubiquitous G1000 avionics suite. The avionics manufacturer announced the Federal Aviation Administration granted supplemental type certification (STC) for the G1000 in the King Air 200 and B200...
• During the company's annual financial analysts meeting, Dassault Aviation Chairman and CEO Charles Edelstenne announced sales results for 2008. Dassault received a net total of 115 firm orders worldwide for Falcon business jets in 2008...
• Owners of Eclipse 500 jets -- essentially orphaned since the manufacturer entered Chapter 7 bankruptcy --- united to explore the acquisition of the assets of Eclipse Aviation...
• As the threat of a worldwide grounding of all S-92 helicopters loomed, Sikorsky Aircraft noted the majority of the global S-92 helicopter fleet already has complied with the company's notice to retrofit the aircraft's gearbox oil bowl with steel mounting studs...
• A top Cessna exec predicted the downturn in demand for business jets is nearing its bottom. Roger Whyte, Cessna's senior VP for sales and marketing, told the Wichita Eagle Monday, "We continue to take orders; people are continuing to buy airplanes; we continue to deliver airplanes." ...
• The Transportation Safety Board of Canada's investigation of the downing of a Sikorsky S-92 helicopter prompted the Canadian agency to call for the grounding of all S-92s worldwide until an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) has been complied with...
• Cessna announced it would further cut back production of its highest-dollar aircraft, as the US economy continues through a "difficult and tenuous time."...
• In its annual shareholders proxy statement filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Times revealed that its corporate bizjet has been put on the market for sale...
• The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) announced the start of the television and newspaper advertising initiatives for the two associations' "No Plane No Gain" initiative...

• An unprecedented array of airline, business, travel, and tourism industry leaders joined the Port Authority in New York City urging full funding for NextGen initiatives to overhaul the country's air traffic control system and finally put an end to delays that plague the nation's air travelers...

April

• At least eight bodies have been recovered following the ditching of a Eurocopter EC225 Super Puma off the northeast coast of Scotland. Search crews are working to find the other eight persons reported onboard the helicopter...
• Textron blamed credit markets which remained challenging for additional production cuts at its Cessna Aircraft unit. The company now says the already adjusted projection for deliveries of 375 jets in 2009 will be trimmed further...

• Georgia Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle proposed the sale of an under-utilized, 1984 Cessna Citation to raise a million-plus dollars toward his state's budget gap...
• David Green, Chairman of the Steering Committee for the Eclipse Owners Group (EOG) announced that the EOG has signed a nonbinding Letter of Intent with Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC)...
• Three air traffic controllers working Miami Center were heralded for their quick-thinking in helping a passenger land a Beech King Air 200, after the plane's pilot died shortly after takeoff...
• Hawker Beechcraft's new company CEO William Boisture Jr. said in memo sent to workers that further 'work force reductions' will be announced in coming weeks, affecting all pay grades...

May

• Honda Aircraft updated their HondaJet aviation program in light of the effect economic conditions have had on the industry. Due to 'delays' in delivering some critical components to Honda for conforming aircraft production, the company revised the first flight target for a conforming aircraft to January 2010...

• Dassault Falcon's newest Falcon family member has its wings. The Falcon 2000LX received certification from both the FAA and EASA...
• The defense attorney for an Air Ambulance company reported that the NTSB, on April 22, 2009, denied an appeal by the FAA and affirmed the initial decision of Administrative Law Judge William A. Pope, II, modifying an emergency order. The FAA sought revocation of the air carrier certificate held by Air Trek, Inc., an air ambulance operator based in Punta Gorda, Florida...
• Gulfstream promoted Neil Vernon to director, Demonstration and Corporate Flight Operations. In his new role, he coordinates demonstration flights, showcasing the capabilities of Gulfstream aircraft to potential customers around the world...
• A controversial and much-unloved NPRM was withdrawn by the FAA in a rare victory for common sense and the power of a collective industry response to objectionable rulemaking. All the hub-bub concerned a proposed rule published on December 1, 2006 (71 FR 70254). The FAA stated that it is "withdrawing a previously published NPRM that proposed to revise the system of ratings and require repair stations to  establish a quality program...
• The NTSB said that the probable cause of a midair collision between two emergency medical service (EMS) helicopters last year was that both pilots' failed to see and avoid the other helicopter on approach to the helipad...
• According to a study by Frost & Sullivan, following unprecedented growth in the last 5 years, Business Aviation faced harsh market conditions with aftermarket suppliers holding back investment until recovery.

June

• Brian Foley Associates, a New Jersey-based firm which assists investors on due dilligence in the business aviation segment, said there are signs the business aviation slump is hitting bottom...
• Embraer delivered the 1,100th aircraft of the ERJ 145 jet family in São José dos Campos, Brazil. The airplane is a Legacy 600 executive jet, a model which has reached over 160 deliveries to 25 countries, since entering service in 2002...
• TCCA advised the Aircraft Electronics Association that the minister of transport, the Honorable John Baird, has decided TCCA should pursue further consultation with the industry on the 406 MHz ELT regulation.  He said the new rules did not include specific alternatives to 406 ELTs, although it included language that indicated an alternative method of compliance was possible...
• NBAA welcomwd the passage of a Congressional proposal to allow the aviation industry to review and provide input toward TSA proposals, while bringing consistency to the use of "security directives" in TSA regulation...
• Rolls-Royce formally opened its new North American headquarters for On-Wing Care. It is the latest facility to open in a global Rolls-Royce network of aviation repair and overhaul service centers...
• Local 218 of The United Auto Workers, the union representing manufacturing workers at Bell Helicopter in Hurst, Texas, rejected the company's last, best offer for a three-year contract and went on strike at midnight Sunday...
• In a direct May 2008 to May 2009 comparison, Aviation Research Group/US reports that business aircraft activity, measuring all IFR flights in the United States (including Alaska and Hawaii) grew in May of this year, but still lags behind May of last year...
• Diamond Aircraft Industries received EASA certification for the DA42 MNG. Christian Dries, CEO of Diamond Aircraft was handed the EASA certification by Frédéric Copigneaux, Deputy Director Certification...

• The economic downturn hit the aviation industry particularly hard, and workers at Cessna Aircraft in Wichita began really feeling the pinch when the company told most of its remaining workers to take a 4 week unpaid furlough, largely shuttering the facility for a month...

July

• Bell Helicopter has confirmed Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA) certification of its newest light twin engine helicopter, the Bell 429. Bell has also completed the requisite FAA certification requirements...
• Bell Helicopter filed a counter suit against rival Eurocopter in patent infringement battle over the sleigh-type landing gear on its model 429 aircraft. Eurocopter said Bell is infringing on a 1999 patent for the skids...
• The Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation X2 Technology demonstrator made another two test flights, one of which included full engagement of the distinctive propeller for the first time...

• The UAW Local 218 strike against Bell Helicopter continued, and with both sides apparently far apart, the company started Monday hiring replacement workers to keep its production lines moving...
• In its proprietary forecast of worldwide deliveries of new business jets, market analysts Brian Foley Associates said it did not anticipate the industry topping 2008 levels within their 10 year forecast horizon...
• Dassault Falcon celebrated a major milestone in the history of the Falcon aircraft family with the delivery of its 2000th Falcon at the Bordeaux-Mérignac facility...
• While Textron had been saying since April that it would be cancelling the Citation "Columbus" wide-body program at Cessna, Cessna officials were confident it would be back in some form, and that it was "just a matter of time." But Textron filed paperwork with the SEC driving the proverbial stake through the heart of the project...
• The NBAA welcomed reauthorization legislation introduced in the United States Senate for funding the FAA and building upon the work already done to develop a Next Generation Air Traffic Control System, or NextGen...
• Bombardier Aerospace continued to move forward with its Learjet 85 program. Several product development milestones, including the completion of the second proof of concept fuselage and the successful completion of all wind tunnel testing have been achieved as the program forges ahead for entry into service in 2013...

August

• The FAA changed its certification standards for transport category airplanes to require either the automatic activation of ice protection systems or a method to tell pilots when they should be activated...
• Bombardier’s Global Vision cockpit successfully completed its first Bombardier test flight on a Global Express XRS aircraft. Dedicated to testing basic system functionality, the flight marks another significant milestone for the program...
• NetJets Inc. announced that Richard T. Santulli will be leaving the company he created. “After 25 years of working with the most talented group of people I could ever have imagined, who helped build the premiere aviation company in the world, I have decided to step down as Chairman and CEO of NetJets immediately, in order to spend some more time with my young family and pursue other interests,”...
• The 2010 House Defense Appropriations bill included nearly $200 million for the Air Force to buy three new Gulfstream 550 jets, which the military calls C-37's, for transportation of VIP's...
• According to information released by the NTSB, if a commercial pilot is diagnosed with OSA, the FAA 2006 Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners states that an aviation medical examiner (AME) must submit all pertinent medical information and current status report and include sleep study with a polysomnogram, use of medications and titration study [in which the optimal pressure for CPAP is identified] results...
• Embraer’s Phenom 100 entry level executive jet received its type certificate from Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA)...

• Eclipse Aerospace agreed to pay $40 million for the assets of Eclipse Aviation, the makers of Very Light Jets based in Albuquerque, NM which closed down earlier this year and went into Chapter 7 liquidation. The bidding closed August 4th, and no other company came forward with an offer...
• The Bell Production Engineering Association, which represents nearly 175 engineers at Bell Helicopter, reached a three-year contract with the helicopter manufacturer by a three-to-one margin...
• After learning of the departure of three top-level executives, employees at Hawker Beechcraft were told the company is ceasing its 401(k) contributions to employee accounts, and that a workforce reduction would be announced...

September

• Cessna Aircraft Company has rolled out its latest variant of the Citation X. Cessna announced the delivery of the first Cessna Citation X to be fitted with Elliptical Winglets...
• Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) made significant progress on the Beechcraft Premier II program, with the first successful test flight of the aircraft’s new engines on a modified Premier IA, and the entry of the first Premier II fuselage on the assembly line...
• The NBAA announced that aviation legends John and Martha King will be recognized with the Association's American Spirit Award for representing business aviation before Congress and TSA...
• The NTSB issued 19 recommendations regarding Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS)...
• Gulfstream's long-awaited new G650 finally saw the light of day and was readied for a first flight. The G650 was rolled outside last night, fired up the APU and did their first engine runs...
• The NTSB determined that pilot error was the cause of a 2007 incident in which two people were killed when a Cessna 500 skidded off a wet runway during landing, hit a house adjacent to the airport, and exploded on impact...
• Cessna has received Russian type certification for the Citation Mustang from Russia’s MAK (Interstate Aviation Committee, Aviation Register). The Citation Mustang is now certified in 60 countries including the United States...
• Machinists union president Tom Buffenbarger said he planned to invite President Barack Obama to come to Wichita and see first hand what business aviation contributes to the U.S. economy...
• Gulfstream Aerospace rolled out its new flagship business jet, the all-new Gulfstream G650, at company headquarters in Savannah...

October

• Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. announced the appointment of Carey Bond as president of the company's Sikorsky Global Helicopters business. Bond also retains his previous position as Chief Marketing Officer and reports to Sikorsky President Jeffrey P. Pino...
• The NBAA welcomed the White House nomination of Dr. Mark R. Rosekind to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The White House announced the nomination on September 30...
• Congressman John Mica (R-FL) introduced H.R. 3678 in the U.S. House Of Representatives to strengthen industry input on proposed regulations from TSA, and bring consistency to their process for issuing security directives...
• Vector Aerospace Helicopter Services-North America (Vector) received FAA certification for the development of an STC for an Integrated Cockpit Display System (ICDS) for the Bell 407 helicopter...
• Gulfstream Aerospace and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) rolled out the all-new, super mid-size Gulfstream G250 at Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel...

• Stratos Aircraft has received the first deposits for its new Stratos 714 Very Light Personal Jet (VLPJ). The announcement comes just as they send off the full-scale cabin mock up to Orlando, Florida to be on display for the first time at this year's NBAA Meeting & Convention...
• The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and the NBAA announced plans to coordinate NATA's 2010 FBO Leadership Conference, taking place in January...
• Sikorsky's said that its X2 Technology demonstrator achieved a significant milestone in a flight test, reaching a maximum speed of 106 knots. The test was conducted at the Sikorsky Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Florida...

November

• Forward Vision Systems and One Sky Aviation announced the completion and award of an STC for installation of the company's "Enhanced Vision System" EVS 100/600 on the R44 Model Robinson Helicopter...
• The NBAA welcomed a recent decision from the FAA denying a proposed ban on nighttime operations at Bob Hope Airport (BUR) in Burbank, California...
• The NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP) Executive Board received notice of NetJets Aviation, Inc.'s, intent to furlough up to 495 pilots; the effective furlough date is anticipated for mid January 2010...
• Laura Wang-Woodford, a U.S. citizen who served as a director of Monarch Aviation Pte Ltd., a Singapore company that imported and exported military and commercial aircraft components for more than 20 years, was sentenced in federal court in Brooklyn to 46 months in prison for conspiring to violate the U.S. trade embargo by exporting controlled aircraft components to Iran...
• Sikorsky and Tata Advanced Systems Limited announced the signing of an agreement creating a joint venture that will manufacture aerospace components for Sikorsky in India...
• During the certification process for the Sikorsky S-92A, documents show that the aircraft failed a crucial test in which all the oil is drained from the main gearbox to simulate a loss of oil during flight. The test aircraft gearbox failed after about 10 minutes, which is 20 minutes short of the FAA standard...
• Gulfstream confirmed the first flight of its newest business jet and the flagship of its fleet, the ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650...

• The NTSB issued a set of recommendations for the FAA and Public Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Operators, following a 2008 fatal accident in Prince Georges County, Maryland in which three people were killed and another sustained serious injuries...
• The FAA issued a Safety Alert For Operators (SAFO) outlining training procedures for pilots of Learjet 60 aircraft. The SAFO is designed to ensure that Learjet 60 Training curriculums properly address the best practices on recognizing thrust reverser(s) stowage while commanding deployment during takeoff and landing phases of flight...

December

• A floatplane with eight people, one of them an infant, on board went down apparently just after takeoff from Saturna Island in British Columbia between the mainland and Vancouver Island. Two people, one of them the pilot, survived the crash...
• Cessna delivered the 300th Citation X to its authorized sales representative, Jetalliance, based in Vienna, Austria...
• Embraer received the type and production certificates for its Phenom 300 executive jet on from Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Authority (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil – ANAC) in a ceremony held at Company headquarters, in São José dos Campos, Brazil...
• Former Navy Blue Angels commander George “Elwood” Dom, and former Air Force Thunderbirds commander Ron “Maxi” Mumm, will address NBAA’s 18th Annual Leadership Conference in February...
• The FAA has proposed a $4 million civil penalty for Spitfire Aviation Services, LLC, of Fayetteville, Ark., for numerous violations of the FARs...
• Gulfstream providing new details about the G650's successful completion of its first series of flight tests. During a 1-hour and 45-minute flight, G650 project pilot Jake Howard and senior experimental test pilot Tom Horne, along with flight engineer Bill Osborne, tested the aircraft’s handling qualities, engine operability and flap operation...
• Sikorsky and AVIC celebrated completion of the first S-76C++ civil helicopter airframe produced in China...
• Embraer’s Phenom 300 light executive jet was certified by the FAA, which granted its Type Certificate following the same action by Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil – ANAC)...

• Hawker Beechcraft announced the fractional jet company NetJets has cancelled 90 percent of its outstanding order.
• The S-76D helicopter program is entering production, signifying the latest major milestone in the program that is manufacturing the next generation model of the popular S-76 helicopter...
• Bell Helicopter announced that Scott's Helicopter of Le Sueur, MN has assumed ownership of the Model 47 type certificate...

 FMI: There You Have It -- ANN's 2009 Year In Business Aviation: What Did YOU Think Of It ALL?