Gulfstream Aerospace issued a maintenance and operations letter on Monday to all Gulfstream operators stressing that the “freedom of flight control movement is the ultimate indicator the gust lock is fully released for all Gulfstream models.” The letter, MOL-14-0024, is a follow-on to another sent on June 13 in the wake of the May 31 Gulfstream GIV-SP accident near Boston, reminding “operators of the importance of adhering to Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) procedures to confirm flight control integrity and freedom of movement…
Business Aviation’s Second Quarter Comeback, Cessna’s CitationAir to cease operations, Gulfstream flight controls + MORE Aug 27th
Posted on May 29th, 2019
Business Aviation’s Second Quarter Comeback
Following a period of lower activity in the first quarter of 2014, business aviation made a strong comeback in the second quarter of the year, according to a report published by Jet Support Services Incorporated (JSSI). According to JSSI’s Business Aviation Index, second quarter 2014 global business aviation activity grew by 8 percent quarter-over-quarter and by 3 percent year-over-year. A provider of maintenance and financial services to the business aviation industry, JSSI tracks the number of hours that business aircraft have flown according to region, industry and aircraft type.
Some followers of business aviation may think they’ve seen every service offering available, but they would be wrong if they were unfamiliar with a relatively new provider called Wheels Up.
The membership-based private aviation company is a year old this month, and its presence already is being felt in a marketplace that has no shortage of hard-charging competitors. It has 575 members, most of who were accustomed to utilizing light jets. By the end of the year, Wheels Up expects the roster to climb to 1,200. “We have quite a few large corporations who recognize the value of what we’re offering,” says Kenny Dichter, who created and is leading the new venture. He’s also the founder of Marquis Jet and the originator of the 25-hour fractional jet card.
Cessna’s CitationAir to cease operations
CitationAir – Cessna’s business jet charter and management arm – plans to cease flight operations 31 October around two years after it stopped selling fractional shares in new aircraft and jet cards.
“After diligently evaluating options for the future of CitationAir, we have made the decision to wind down our operations and exit the business,” says CitationAir parent company Textron Aviation.
The reasons behind its decision to shut down have not been disclosed by Textron, but low demand in the US for light and midsize cabin business jets – which are the backbone of the CitationAir offering – are believed to have played a role in its demise.
It is also unclear whether CiationAir was considered core to the business stretegy of the recently formed Textron Aviation unit, which is focused on manufacturing and developing the Cessna and Beechcraft family of business jets, turboprops and piston-engined aircraft.
Tags: CitationAir, JSSI, cesssna, gulfstream, business aviation
