BIGGEST FASTEST GULFSTREAM -- THE G650 TARGETS 2012
Gulfstream's largest and most advanced aircraft will offer the longest range and fastest speed in the Gulfstream fleet, a full flight envelope protection fly-by-wire system and a host of industry "firsts." The 11- to 18-passenger G650 can fly 7,000 nautical miles at .85 Mach (or 5,000 nm at .9 Mach). Its maximum operating speed powered by two new Rolls-Royce BR725 engines will push it to .925 Mach and crown it "the fastest civil aircraft flying," according to Gulfstream. Its construction includes bonded skin panels and assembly techniques that reduce assembly time and parts count. The flight system features a quadruple-redundant flight-control computer system, plus a separate dedicated back-up flight-control computer. The cockpit will include four 14-inch displays, PlaneView II technology, three standard PlaneBook computer tablets, a fully automatic, three-dimensional scanning weather radar with an integral terrain database and more. Enhanced Vision System (EVSII), Synthetic Vision-Primary Flight Display (SV-PFD), and Head-Up Display (HUD II) complement the situational awareness suite, "to give operators a visual edge." Back in the cabin, occupants will enjoy cabin altitudes of 4,850 feet at FL510 and 2,800 feet at FL410 ... and 28-by-20.5-inch windows that Gulfstream says are "the largest in the industry." Gulfstream expects to deliver the G650 in 2012. More...

SUPERSONIC BUSINESS JET DEALER NAMED
The Aero Toy Store has been named “Factory Authorized Representative” for Aerion’s supersonic business jet. The company, which has sales offices and FBOs for high-end business jets in Fort Lauderdale and Montreal and a sales center in Las Vegas, said in a news release that it already has 12 orders for the Mach 1.6 aircraft, which won’t be available for at least six years. Aero Toy Store CEO Morris Shirazi said he thinks the SSBJ is the next big thing for business aviation. “Interest from our customers in this new generation private jet already has been extremely strong and we’ve only just begun to introduce this revolutionary aircraft to a fragment of the market,” said Shirazi. “It is my belief the Supersonic Business Jet is poised to become the new standard for corporate executive and private individual travel across the global arena.” More...

D-JET GETS POWER BOOST
Diamond has announced that the D-Jet, which is undergoing certification in Canada, is getting a bigger engine, delaying first deliveries until the second quarter of 2009. The five-place personal jet was rolled out with a Williams FJ33 rated at 1,564 pounds of thrust but the new engine, the FJ33-19, will push 1,900 pounds. Diamond CEO Peter Maurer said that in the interests of conformity and future resale value it was decided that all D-Jets would get the bigger engine, rather than introducing it after production begins. “The FJ33-19 engine is the perfect match for the D-Jet, offering the latest technology and a potential performance and utility upgrade path for delivered aircraft that the current engine just doesn’t allow,” Maurer said. More...

AIRCELL TO LAUNCH AIRBORNE BROADBAND INTERNET
Aircell has installed 92 cell sites across the country to bring 3.1 megabit per second internet access to aircraft. The company's system uses onboard technology to amplify the signal and split it into separate Wi-Fi streams to offer passengers internet access via the wireless device of their choosing (subject to air carrier, or pilot, approval). Aircell says the connection speed should mimic that of a home DSL connection and the company plans to roll out the service, dubbed GoGo, on American Airlines flights this spring. Pricing plans are expected to chime in under $15 for a coast-to-coast flight and may include on-demand TV shows and movies for an additional charge. The hardware can be retrofitted to aircraft overnight adding a total weight, including servers and antennas, of less than 50 pounds while enabling everything from laptops to iPhones. Aircell expects other airlines to quickly follow American and has already announced that Virgin American will follow, this summer. More...

CIRRUS INCLUDES MAINTENANCE PACKAGE
While business jet demand continues to exceed supply, piston manufacturers have noticed a significant softening of the market this year. Cirrus Design’s new Chief Operating Officer Brent Wouters told AVweb in a podcast interview that the current economic downturn and declines on financial markets have hit his sector noticeably. “People are feeling less rich,” he said. Rather than simply discount prices, Cirrus has taken an automotive industry approach and launched an ambitious incentive program that covers scheduled maintenance for two years or 600 hours, whichever comes first. Wouters said Cirrus has been planning the maintenance program for some time as part of the company’s ongoing effort to change the way people think about owning airplanes. More...

TOP TEN PRIVATE JET DESTINATIONS
One of the sales pitches often heard in support of private aircraft travel, whether it’s about user fees, the environment or the state of the airlines, is that business aircraft can use most of the 5,000 public-use airports outside the main hubs, thus lessening pressure on the system. Well if Flight Options has done its homework properly (and we suspect it has) then the average business-jet mission is more likely to include stacking up with the big iron than shooting a GPS approach in the heartland. The company recently released its top ten business destinations for private jet travel and it reads like an atlas of the country’s most congested airspace. More...

PERRIS LEADS STANDARD AERO'S PT6 STC PROGRAM
Standard Aero has appointed Kevin Perris as STC Program Director for the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A Business Unit. Perris has been with the Winnipeg, Manitoba company since 1995.
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LAMPERT BECOMES NETJETS VP OF OPERATIONS
Eric Lampert has been named Vice President and Director of Operations for the Flight Operations Department at NetJets Aviation. Lampert most recently served as the Assistant Director of Operations for Flight Operations at NetJets He started in 1994 as a line pilot in the Citation SII.
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BIANCHI LEADS NETJETS MAINTENANCE

Mark Bianchi

NetJets Aviation today announced that Mark Bianchi has been named Executive Vice President of Aircraft Maintenance. Bianchi previously served as Senior Vice President of Aircraft Maintenance for NetJets and will oversee the maintenance and operation of more than 400 aircraft in the NetJets fleet. More...

WHO'S WHERE? YOU TELL US
Get a promotion or a new job? Your colleagues want to know about it, and AVwebBiz can get the word out. Drop us a line about the staff appointment, with a nice recent photo, and we'll do our best to include it in our new section, "Who's Where." The items will be permanently archived on AVweb for future reference, too. More...

CIRRUS COO BRENT WOUTERS ON THE COMPANY'S NEW MAINTENANCE PLAN
Cirrus Design has always said it's trying to change the way people think about owning airplanes, and its latest announcement will undoubtedly raise the stakes in the high-end piston market. AVweb's Russ Niles spoke with Cirrus's new Chief Operating Officer Brent Wouters about the company's new maintenance coverage plan and some other developments in Duluth. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: DASSAULT FALCON 7X FLY-BY-WIRE BUSINESS JET
Dassault has introduced a jet that changes the playing field for business jet manufacturers, operators and pilots. That jet is the $40 million Falcon 7X. In this exclusive video, AVweb video editor Glenn Pew takes us inside the Falcon 7X. (Click through to watch.) More...

AVWEB'S NEWSTIPS ADDRESS ...
Our best stories start with you. If you've heard something 200,000 pilots might want to know about, tell us. Submit news tips via email to newstips@avweb.com. What have you heard? More...

MEET THE AVWEBBIZ TEAM

AVwebBiz is a weekly summary of the latest business aviation news, articles, products, features, and events featured on AVweb, the internet's aviation magazine and news service.

The AVwebBiz team is:

Publisher
Timothy Cole

Editorial Director, Aviation Publications
Paul Bertorelli

Editor-in-Chief
Russ Niles

Contributing Editors
Mary Grady
Glenn Pew

Features Editor
Kevin Lane-Cummings

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