GE HONDA CONTINUES ENGINE TESTS
GE Honda says it's aiming for 2009 certification of its redesigned HF120 turbofan engine. The powerplant, a variation of the HF118 prototype now flying in the HondaJet prototype, delivers more thrust (2,095 pounds) and incorporates technology to improve efficiency, durability and noise. According to GE Honda, the engine is currently undergoing hot-section core tests and a full test will be run later this year. Certification testing is expected in 2008. The company, a cooperative arrangement between the two industry giants, is predicting the engine will burn substantially less fuel than engines of comparable size, but that's only part of the economic picture. GE Honda says the use of advanced materials and manufacturing techniques will push the TBO of the engines to 5,000 hours without the normal half-time hot-section inspection. More...

ECLIPSE GOES SOLO WITH CONCEPT JET
On Monday morning at EAA AirVenture, Eclipse Aviation President and CEO Vern Raburn stunned the press corps when he taxied up to the company's exhibit in the V-tail, single-engine Eclipse Concept Jet (ECJ) prototype just minutes after the airplane project itself was announced by COO Peg Bilson. The four-set very light jet single, which shares about 60-percent commonality with its larger Eclipse 500 sibling, was built in complete secrecy at the NASA Wallops Island facility in Virginia by contractors Swift Engineering and Basis. It features a V-tail and pod-mounted Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F, along with the Avio NG integrated avionics suite. According to the company, the all-aluminum ECJ prototype has logged about 30 hours since its first flight on July 2, and the airplane has reached speeds of 250 knots and altitudes up to 25,000 feet. Ultimately, the small jet is expected to attain 345 knots and FL410 during testing; NBAA IFR range is predicted to be 1,250 nm. Preliminary weights include a 4,800-pound mtow, 2,480-pound empty weight, 2,000-pound useful load and 1,261-pound fuel capacity. Eclipse stresses, however, that the airplane is only a concept model and is not a product launch. More...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: ECLIPSE CONCEPT JET AT AIRVENTURE OSHKOSH 2007
A first look at the Eclipse Concept Jet unveiled Monday at AirVenture. Hear Eclipse president and CEO Vern Rayburn's comments and have a close look at the jet -- inside and out. (Click through to watch.) More...

AVWEB'S AIRVENTURE 2007 PODCAST #2: BEHIND THE SCENES OF ECLIPSE'S CONCEPT SURPRISE, WITH VERN RABURN
Eclipse CEO Vern Raburn talks with AVweb's Mary Grady about the new Eclipse single-engine "concept jet," which made its surprise debut on Monday at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh. He talks about his opinions regarding composite versus aluminum; the advantages of a "go-home button" versus a parachute; his take on the safety of flying at 41,000 or 25,000 feet; and more. More...

NBAA MEMBER TESTIFIES ON USER FEES
According to NBAA member and Manitoba Recycling CEO Richard Shine, the user fee plans advocated by airlines and the FAA would be devastating to small and medium-sized companies nationwide. In testimony last Thursday before the Senate aviation subcommittee on energy, natural resources and infrastructure, he said, "I represent a small business that operates a turboprop airplane to help my company survive, and my story is not unique. The general aviation community … supports modernization of our aviation system, and is willing to help pay for it. But we want to pay at the pump - not through user fees or new taxes. The fuel tax is a simple, proven and efficient way to measure and pay for system use for operators like me." Shine said an airplane, in his case a turbine-powered Mitsubishi MU-2, "has been the secret to our success. You don't often hear about companies like mine in discussions of business aviation." More...

ARG/US ADDS SAFETY TRAINING
Aviation Research Group/U.S. (ARG/US) now offers aviation safety training in addition to its existing aviation safety services. The initial offering includes safety manager training, on-scene accident investigation and aviation auditing courses conducted at the company's offices in Denver. "ARG/US has extensive experience with Safety Management Systems (SMS), with corporate and business aviation as well as with air carriers," said ARG/US President Joe Moeggenberg. "We often receive requests from clients for aviation safety training … [and] these new safety training courses was a perfect solution to satisfy customer needs." The three-day ARG/US safety manager training is a formal short course on how to effectively run and manage a high-quality SMS. ARG/US said its on-scene investigation course is a three-day program focuses on the basics of accident investigation and what an operator’s representative must know to be allowed to participate with NTSB personnel. It also includes blood borne pathogen training certification. The aviation auditing course teaches techniques and skills that allow students to conduct an internal evaluation program for their own flight department or other operations. More...

EMBRAER CONSTRUCTING SECOND BIZJET SERVICE CENTER
Embraer on Monday broke ground for its second executive jet service center in the U.S. at Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Conn. The event comes just three weeks after a groundbreaking ceremony at Williams Gateway Airport in Mesa, Ariz., for a similar facility. The 45,000-square-foot Windsor Locks center is scheduled for completion in mid-2008 and will be dedicated to after-sales service for Embraer’s Phenom 100, Phenom 300 and Legacy 600 executive jets. "Today's ground breaking marks another chapter in Embraer's commitment to provide first-class service and product support to our increasing customer base," said Embraer President and CEO Frederico Fleury Curado. Ground-breaking on a third purpose-built, factory owned-and-operated service center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will take place next month. More...

FLIGHT OPTIONS OFFERING AIRCRAFT MANAGEMENT OPTION
Cleveland, Ohio-based fractional aircraft provider Flight Options late last week announced that it is now offering whole aircraft management services in addition to Fractional First share-aircraft ownership and JetPASS jet-card membership. "Flight Options is proud to introduce yet another product to the aviation marketplace by offering increased access to services we have been providing for 10 years as a fractional operator,” said company CEO S. Michael Scheeringa. "Our unparalleled experience in managing and maintaining one of the world’s largest private jet fleets makes Flight Options the perfect match for owners looking for an aircraft management partner." Flight Options said it is offering a variety of unique aircraft management program options that can be specialized to fit the aircraft owner’s needs, while offering guaranteed revenue based upon owner flexibility, location and aircraft type. Aircraft entered in the management program will be operated and maintained by Flight Options. More...

THE KING IS BACK
Honeywell's Bendix/King division on Sunday unveiled two new glass-panel avionics -- the KSN 770 MFD/GPS WAAS/navcom unit and KFD 840 primary flight display -- in an attempt to leapfrog competitors. The KSN 770 borrows its easy-to-use graphical interface, which is called INAV GA, from Honeywell's higher-end integrated avionics systems for business aircraft. Not lacking any features, the 5.7-inch-diagonal LCD unit will be localizer performance with vertical guidance (LPV) and WAAS capable and will display a range of safety systems, including onboard weather radar, terrain awareness and warning system, datalink weather, traffic, charts and maps. It features multiple control inputs, such as traditional hard keys, line-select keys, display-based dedicated keys and a cursor control device. Bendix/King plans to certify the KSN 770 in late 2008; pricing has not been set, but "will be competitively priced" with similar WAAS receivers. "We believe the KSN 770 is revolutionary in that it pushes the boundary of performance for retrofit avionics," said Dan Barks, business director of GA operators and dealers. "This unit is a significant step forward in performance and ease of use over existing multifunctional WAAS displays. Pilots will see that this unit has some of the same look and feel as other Honeywell avionics on larger aircraft." More...

DAVIS FLIGHT FUELS AVFUEL'S GROWING NETWORK
Davis Flight Support at Yolo County (Calif.) Airport has become the most recent Avfuel-branded dealer. The FBO is a new full-service aviation provider serving the regions of Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, and Vacaville in Northern California. As an Avfuel-branded dealer, Davis honors the Avfuel Contract Fuel program for transient aircraft to save money on jet-A, in addition to the AVTRIP incentive program for pilots. Amenities at Davis include multiple snooze rooms, showers and luxury crew cars such as Jaguars and Range Rovers. More...

ELECTRONIC CHARTS NOW APPROVED FOR PART 91
Jeppesen spokesman Todd Krawczyk told media at EAA AirVenture that the FAA has formally recognized electronic charts for use in Part 91 operations and cleared up all the ambiguity that has been his industry's biggest marketing impediment. The FAA issued Advisory Circular 91-78 on Monday that gives specific guidance to Part 91 operators on the use of electronic charts. "This just completely clears things up," Krawczyk told AVweb. In a nutshell, electronic charts in Class 1 and Class 2 electronic flightbags can be legally used in all phases of flight in lieu of paper documentation. The AC suggests (but doesn't require) back up, but it says that back up can be another source of electronic charts and doesn't have to be paper, although it's pretty easy to print out the electronic charts. More...

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