Cessna to Unveil Citation CJ4 at NBAA

Cessna Aircraft Company, a unit of Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT), will introduce the CJ4, the newest member of the CJ family of Citation business jets, at the annual National Business Aviation Association convention in October.

“The market success of the CJ1+, CJ2+ and CJ3 proves that Cessna’s basic philosophy for the family is right on target,” said Roger Whyte, senior vice president of Sales/Marketing for Cessna. “While the CJ4 shares many of the features of the smaller CJs such as the Collins ProLine 21 avionics suite, we’ve made some cabin and airframe changes, such as a new wing, to optimize its performance for this market segment.”

The main cabin features seating for seven to eight passengers, depending on layout, a large forward door, private lavatory, and large baggage compartment. Powered by two, electronically controlled (FADEC) Williams FJ44-4A engines, the CJ4 will be certified for operations up to 45,000 feet (13,700 meters). First flight of the CJ4 is scheduled for the first half of 2008 and entry into service is set for 2010.

“Cessna is known for using the latest technology in producing high quality, reliable aircraft, and for offering customers a product range that fits just about every market requirement,” Whyte said. “The CJ4 is simply the latest manifestation of our philosophy, filling a market niche within our range of aircraft that we think will be very popular.”

Whyte said Cessna will be taking orders for the CJ4 prior to the unveiling at NBAA, and promises other new announcements at the show.

Miracle Mid-Air Between NetJets Hawker and Glider

On Monday the Reno Gazette Journal reported a story about a Hawker 800 mid-air colission.

Today the Reno Gazette Journal reported the following story:

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating Monday's collision between a corporate jet and a glider south of Carson City.

No one was seriously injured in the impact at about 16,000 feet between the Hawker XP800 jet and the Schleicher glider. The glider pilot, Akihiro Hirao, address unknown, parachuted to safety in the Pine Nut Mountains, authorities said.

Hawker pilot Annette Saunders, 38, with aircraft controls knocked into her lap from the force of the impact, circled the plane around Washoe Lake and made an emergency landing at the Carson City Airport, landing the aircraft on its belly with no wheels.

Carson Sheriff Kenneth Furlong said the cockpit looked like a hand grenade had detonated in it and praised the crew's efforts in landing the jet. Saunders suffered minor injuries, but the co-pilot and three passengers were not injured.

The jet was leased from NetJets, a company owned by Warren Buffet's Berkshire-Hathaway.

NetJets released a statement acknowledging the crash and praising the efforts of the crew to land the jet safely at 3:18 p.m.

"NetJets wishes to praise the quick and professional actions of the pilots of 879QS," the company said in a statement. "The pilots exhibited outstanding airmanship under extraordinary circumstances enabling them to land safely."

The flight originated at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, Calif., north of San Diego and was headed for Reno.

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060829/NEWS18/608290393&oaso=news.rgj.com/breakingnews

Sierra Stallion Receives FAA Approval

With the June 14th first flight only nine weeks old, Sierra has received its Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the Stallion. A Cessna Citation 500 / 501SP with the more powerful Williams FJ44-2A engines, the Stallion is the latest in Sierra’s Citation product improvement program. Preceded by innovations such as the Eagle II, the Eagle 400 and Eagle SP, the Stallion enjoys the added power of the FJ44 engine, but retains the thinner, classic wing of the Citation I.

Mark Huffstutler, CEO of Sierra says, “The Stallion offers the exhilarating performance that comes with a substantial power increase and provides owners with choice when it is time to overhaul engines. We climb the Stallion straight to FL430 at any weight or temperature and cruise 380 knots on 620 pounds per hour for more than 1400 miles. Where else can you get this combination of performance for the price?”

“Another very notable feature of this program is that the electronic engine controls virtually eliminate any engine management issues. These controls automatically determine the proper power setting from the conditions present and set the maximum power for that condition – push the throttles to the stop for takeoff and never touch them again until descent. There is also a considerable difference in the sound and vibration of the Williams engines which is apparent once you start the engines. They are extremely smooth and in flight the engine noise and vibration are noticeably less making for a much quieter and more comfortable cabin”, said Huffstutler.

Like the Eagle II, the Stallion climbs directly to 43,000 ft and accelerates to a high Mach number. With the enhanced fuel specifics, the Stallion is the perfect aircraft for intermediate-length trips carrying a crew and six passengers to and from airports that demand high performance.

Sierra can convert a customer’s Citation 500 or 501SP to a Stallion with a lower investment in time and money than an Eagle II, and still retain the capability of returning at a later date for the Eagle II if more range is desired.

Sierra Stallion Receives FAA Approval

With the June 14th first flight only nine weeks old, Sierra has received its Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the Stallion. A Cessna Citation 500 / 501SP with the more powerful Williams FJ44-2A engines, the Stallion is the latest in Sierra’s Citation product improvement program. Preceded by innovations such as the Eagle II, the Eagle 400 and Eagle SP, the Stallion enjoys the added power of the FJ44 engine, but retains the thinner, classic wing of the Citation I.

Mark Huffstutler, CEO of Sierra says, “The Stallion offers the exhilarating performance that comes with a substantial power increase and provides owners with choice when it is time to overhaul engines. We climb the Stallion straight to FL430 at any weight or temperature and cruise 380 knots on 620 pounds per hour for more than 1400 miles. Where else can you get this combination of performance for the price?”

“Another very notable feature of this program is that the electronic engine controls virtually eliminate any engine management issues. These controls automatically determine the proper power setting from the conditions present and set the maximum power for that condition – push the throttles to the stop for takeoff and never touch them again until descent. There is also a considerable difference in the sound and vibration of the Williams engines which is apparent once you start the engines. They are extremely smooth and in flight the engine noise and vibration are noticeably less making for a much quieter and more comfortable cabin”, said Huffstutler.

Like the Eagle II, the Stallion climbs directly to 43,000 ft and accelerates to a high Mach number. With the enhanced fuel specifics, the Stallion is the perfect aircraft for intermediate-length trips carrying a crew and six passengers to and from airports that demand high performance.

Sierra can convert a customer’s Citation 500 or 501SP to a Stallion with a lower investment in time and money than an Eagle II, and still retain the capability of returning at a later date for the Eagle II if more range is desired.

Sierra Stallion Receives FAA Approval

With the June 14th first flight only nine weeks old, Sierra has received its Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the Stallion. A Cessna Citation 500 / 501SP with the more powerful Williams FJ44-2A engines, the Stallion is the latest in Sierra’s Citation product improvement program. Preceded by innovations such as the Eagle II, the Eagle 400 and Eagle SP, the Stallion enjoys the added power of the FJ44 engine, but retains the thinner, classic wing of the Citation I.

Mark Huffstutler, CEO of Sierra says, “The Stallion offers the exhilarating performance that comes with a substantial power increase and provides owners with choice when it is time to overhaul engines. We climb the Stallion straight to FL430 at any weight or temperature and cruise 380 knots on 620 pounds per hour for more than 1400 miles. Where else can you get this combination of performance for the price?”

“Another very notable feature of this program is that the electronic engine controls virtually eliminate any engine management issues. These controls automatically determine the proper power setting from the conditions present and set the maximum power for that condition – push the throttles to the stop for takeoff and never touch them again until descent. There is also a considerable difference in the sound and vibration of the Williams engines which is apparent once you start the engines. They are extremely smooth and in flight the engine noise and vibration are noticeably less making for a much quieter and more comfortable cabin”, said Huffstutler.

Like the Eagle II, the Stallion climbs directly to 43,000 ft and accelerates to a high Mach number. With the enhanced fuel specifics, the Stallion is the perfect aircraft for intermediate-length trips carrying a crew and six passengers to and from airports that demand high performance.

Sierra can convert a customer’s Citation 500 or 501SP to a Stallion with a lower investment in time and money than an Eagle II, and still retain the capability of returning at a later date for the Eagle II if more range is desired.

Hawker 4000 Deliveries to Commence in Q4

Hawker's "Air Superiority" Aircraft Reaches Historic Milestone.

Reports are filtering in that Raytheon will begin delivering the Hawker 4000 to customers in the 4th quarter of 2006 after receiving exemptions with conditions after the aircraft reached the FAA’s five-year time limit for certification of the Hawker 4000 under Part 25 amendments that existed at the time of the type certificate (TC) application.

Operators that take delivery of Hawker 4000s during the exemption period face a mandatory retrofit if any design changes are necessary. If design changes are required to show compliance with the ignition or hydraulics rules, they must be incorporated on aircraft delivered before Sept. 1, 2008, or they cannot operate after Sept. 1, 2009.

Hawker took a fresh perspective when creating the Hawker 4000 super-midsize jet. With its advanced composite fuselage, supercritical wing, advanced Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308A FADEC-controlled engines (The PW300 family of engines are in operation in 46 countries with more than 400 operators. To
date, the PW300 family has accumulated over 4.8 million operating hours), and Honeywell Primus EPIC avionics, the Hawker 4000 is truly the newest, most advanced jet in its class.

With comfortable seating for eight and a 3,400-mile range, the Hawker 4000 is also the consummate business transportation solution. The Hawker put together the elements of comfort, speed, range, and efficiency to deliver a great aircraft in the Hawker 4000.

Hawker/Beechcraft also has one of the best online stores for merchandise and makes a very rugged and stylish ball cap. I picked up a Premier IA hat at the NBAA and have not been disappointed at all. No word on whether new Hawker 4000 hats will follow certification.

New Citation Mustang Images

Recently Cessna sent us a press release about the Citation Mustang (there is wonderful feature in this month's Flying Magazine) that we enjoyed. The press release included a link to a recent picture. After doing a little sleuth work we were able to uncover some additional Citation Mustang images that haven't been released yet (to the best of our limited knowledge). So here they are for you to see.

The Mustang looks a little wider than it's Citation bretheren, and I really like the oval windows. I know from sitting in the Mustang at the NBAA in Orlando last year that the cabin feels very roomy and once you are seated it is very spacious. The biggest thing Cessna needs to work on is a nice baseball cap for the Mustang. I ordered one (for our future column on the gift shop/company store feature of manufacturer's websites) and recieved it very soon after my order, but I wouldn't wear the thing out in public.

The Mustang will definitely be a hit with consumers - now we just need to wait on certification.

COMPENSATION RESULTS AVAILABLE FOR THE 2006 NBAA COMPENSATION

COMPENSATION RESULTS AVAILABLE FOR THE 2006 NBAA COMPENSATION & BENCHMARK SURVEY

Compiled compensation data now is available for the 2006 NBAA Compensation & Benchmark Survey. Compiled operational benchmark data will be released at a later date. The results are based upon survey responses from 904 aviation departments that provided compensation data
for 3,571 employees.

Online access to the compiled results of the survey is available at no cost to survey participants. Participants may purchase hard copies of the survey results for $75. NBAA Member
Representatives who did not participate in the survey may purchase online access to survey results for $75 and hard copies for $150. Survey results are not available to non-Members.

For more information, visit: http://www.nbaa.org/surveys/cbs

The Future Belongs To . . .

http://www.gapingvoid.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/1885

Love these from Hugh at Gaping Void. The future does belong to the geeks - whether they are web 2.0 geeks, venture capital geeks, or business jet geeks. All one needs to do is believe, because to believe is to be able. For instance, BusinessJet.com is trying to take on the current royalty of online advertising for business jets. Why should it cost so much to advertise an aircraft for sale? It's an advertisement not an engine overhaul!

I suppose some people will pay more for a brand name, but I would rather spend the same amount for a bespoke suit from Saville Road as a suit "custom-made" by someone with a designer label. Of course, with BusinessJet.com it's like you've also got a 50% off coupon at the custom-made tailor.

But why not tackle this? Why not go for it? Why not make these guys nervous? Why not make them lower their price or lose market share to a geek with a dream? Alright, I'm beginning to sound like a mad scientist - but at least there is some passion where it counts.

Can't get the pics to post - seem to be having some trouble with the server. Will get them up later tonight.

Nothing to Blog About?

What do you blog about when there is nothing to blog about?

Well - here is what has me going through the dog days of August.

Gapingvoid.com continues to impress me. Hugh has a great outlook on web 2.0 and guerilla/viral/buzz/whatever today's buzzword for cheap marketing is.

F3 Software - can't wait until Robbie Jones rolls this out. I think it will be a huge hit and "revolutianize" the way "big-ticket" salesmen do their business.

Peter King with Sports Illustrated's Monday Morning Quarterback has been getting me excited about football season. I'm more of a college football fan than the NFL but I always am on the lookout for Mr. King's articles.

Podcasts - I've been listening to quite a few podcasts lately and learn quite a bit about VC, Web 2.0, and whatever new technology issues I can find. There are not a lot of podcasts related to aviation. Perhaps that is an opportunity for us to start the BusinessJetPodcast - we could provide the same information as the blog does but also include interviews with industry stalwarts and the like.

Adios Amigos

GULFSTREAM CELEBRATES ENTRY INTO SERVICE OF G150

Entry-Into-Service Ceremony Held at Gulfstream Dallas Facility

SAVANNAH, Ga., Aug 14, 2006 – Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), held an entry-into-service ceremony today at its Dallas facility in celebration of the newest addition to its fleet – the wide-cabin, high-speed G150 business jet.

As Gulfstream’s first true mid-size business jet, the G150 has tangible advantages when compared to competitors in this market segment.

“We’ve increased both the jet’s comfort and performance,” said Bryan Moss, president, Gulfstream Aerospace. “The G150 also has a more spacious cabin than that of any other aircraft in its class.”

Gulfstream introduced the G150 in September 2002. On May 3, 2005 , the G150 completed its first flight, which lasted 4 hours, 13 minutes. The G150 received its certification from both the Civil Aviation Administration of Israel (CAAI) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Nov. 7, 2005 , 10 weeks ahead of schedule. This marked the first time that two civil aviation agencies certified the same aircraft on the same day.

Following extensive flight testing, Gulfstream determined the G150’s maximum range had proven better than originally projected. Drag reduction efforts resulted in an additional 250 nautical miles and a new maximum range of 2,950 nautical miles with two flight crew members and four passengers onboard.

Additionally, the G150’s required balanced field length was also better than first projected. The G150’s actual balanced field length is 5,000 feet, 830 feet shorter than the original estimate, which enables the G150 to take off from shorter runways.

Most recently, Gulfstream verified the outfitted weight of the G150 came in lower than originally estimated as a result of engineering design, material selection and manufacturing techniques, thus providing additional payload flexibility for its operators.

The unique oval cabin cross-section of the G150 offers more seated headroom than any of its competitors. With a choice of three cabin configurations, the G150 accommodates six to nine passengers and features ample aisle space and generous legroom and headroom when seated. G150 owners can choose from a variety of fine leathers, upholstery fabrics, wood finishes and floor coverings.

Powered by two Honeywell TFE731-40AR engines, the G150 can reach speeds of up to Mach .85 and altitudes of 45,000 feet, well above commercial traffic and weather. At a long-range cruise speed of Mach .75, the G150 can fly four passengers nonstop up to 2,950 nautical miles – longer than any other aircraft in its class. The G150 easily connects cities such as New York to Los Angeles , London to Moscow , or Rio de Janeiro to Santiago .

The fully-equipped G150 flight deck features Collins Pro Line 21 Avionics. Also included is Gulfstream’s signature Cursor Control Device (CCD), which is standard equipment on all of Gulfstream’s large-cabin aircraft – the G550, G500, G450 and G350. Just as with every Gulfstream business jet model, the new G150 is backed by Gulfstream’s award-winning product support.

G150 aircraft are designed and built in collaboration with Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) in Tel Aviv, Israel . Initial manufacturing is completed in Tel Aviv, then the aircraft are flown to Gulfstream’s Dallas facility for the final phase of manufacturing.

A Bit Old But, Terrosrists Target Business Jets

Just read a forum regarding terrorists targeting bizjets on Airliners.net. Apparently the warning is about 6 months old, but nonetheless it is wise to stay abreast of security procedures for business aircraft operating outsied of the United States.

I'll highlight some security thoughts later on this evening.

Rubin to pay to use Citigroup aircraft

CitiFlight Aircraft (Falcon 900 EX, Sikorsky S-76, Global Express, and a Gulfstream G-IV) are pictured as found on a "citiflight" keyword search on Airliners.net.

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Former Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, who chairs Citigroup Inc.'s executive committee, has decided to pay for his personal use of the largest U.S. bank's corporate aircraft.

In a Friday regulatory filing, the bank said Rubin entered a "time sharing agreement" with its Citiflight Inc. unit that covers flights he takes for reasons other than Citigroup (Charts) business.

"Mr. Rubin's employment agreement provides him the use of corporate aircraft for all travel, business and personal," spokesman Michael Hanretta said. "He believes it is appropriate to reimburse the company for his personal travel at the maximum amount permitted under applicable regulations."

The maximum sums that Rubin can pay are set by the Federal Aviation Administration, New York-based Citigroup said.

Charles Prince, the bank's chairman and chief executive, is required by Citigroup's board of directors to use company aircraft for all air travel, Hanretta said.

Rubin's agreement is dated Thursday. It runs for one year and is renewable annually unless he or Citigroup ends it, or he leaves the company.

Rubin is also a member of Citigroup's office of the chairman. He joined the bank in 1999, after serving more than four years as President Bill Clinton's Treasury Secretary.

Reuters Reports Airlines Facing Margin Pressure

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Airlines, already lowering fares in response to softening demand this fall, face additional pressure on margins from tighter security measures after this week's foiled bomb threat, experts said.

New restrictions on carry-on baggage, including banning liquids ranging from toothpaste to bottled water, are creating a variety of profit-sapping headaches for airlines, including the need to stock more drinks on board and handle additional baggage.

Read The Whole Article Here.

BusinessJet.com
The Boeing Business Jet Marketplace

Business Jet Demand Rises with Terror Plots

CNN MONEY ARTICLE

Terror plot sparks growing demand of private jets

Longer security queues could increase business jets sales to busy executives and wealthy travelers.

August 11 2006: 12:15 PM EDT

LONDON (Reuters) -- Heightened security in the United States and Britain could boost demand for executive jets, a sector expanding with more models, greater range, and cheaper seats on planes once the preserve of the super-rich.

Analysts say a suspected plot to blow up transatlantic airliners flying from Britain to the United States which sparked travel chaos Thursday underscored the appeal of such jets, which typically seat fewer than 20 passengers.

Executive jets offer an alternative for busy executives or wealthy travelers who want to bypass crowded airport terminals by using quiet, smaller airports.

Read the full article here.

BusinessJet.com will explore the increase in demand for business jets and executive travel further as they are related to these and other terror plots.

Citation Mustang Heading Towards Certification

Cessna Aircraft Company, a unit of Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT), began function and reliability (F&R) flight testing on the Citation Mustang Saturday, the last step before gaining type certification (TC) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

“We have essentially completed the majority of our certification issues and expect to wrap things up with the F&R program, keeping us on schedule for TC as predicted four years ago when we launched the program. Not only will we meet FAR Part 23 requirements, we’ll also meet a number of the Part 25 commuter aircraft requirements regarding takeoff and landing performance,” said Jon Carr, Citation Mustang project engineer. “We have more than 1,600 hours in the air and hit some 2,200 test points, meeting or exceeding all our program performance goals including range and speed.”

Carr said TC will include approval for single-pilot operation, day/night operations, visual and instrument flight rules (VFR/IFR), and operations in reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) airspace. The Citation Mustang will be certified to operate using the GPS Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). The Garmin G1000 avionics suite includes a new feature called SafeTaxiTM which gives a graphical representation of the aircraft on the ground in the airport environment.

The Citation Mustang will be one of the first new aircraft certified with the Garmin SafeTaxi feature. Using the 15-inch multifunction display (MFD) of the G1000, SafeTaxi provides a pilot with a graphical picture of more than 680 airports in the U.S., showing the aircraft’s exact position in relation to labeled taxiways, runways, and buildings during taxi. The G1000 also uses the XM satellite system to provide the pilot with weather information overlaid on the MFD’s moving map, giving the pilot unprecedented situational awareness.

Meanwhile, Cessna’s new Citation Mustang production facilities in Independence, Kan., and Columbus, Ga., are essentially complete, with some 19 aircraft already in production. The Columbus facility produces a number of assemblies including flight control surfaces and the empennage. Final assembly is in Independence. Cessna has completed a new paint building and delivery center for the Mustang, as well as for Cessna’s single-engine piston aircraft, also produced in Independence.

The six-person Citation Mustang, Cessna’s new entry-level Citation business jet, was launched at the National Business Aviation Association annual convention in 2002. It has a top speed of 340 ktas, a range of 1,150 nautical miles (1323 statute miles/2130 km – NBAA IFR Reserves) and a service ceiling of 41,000 feet (12,500m) – well suited for getting above weather and commercial traffic for more efficient operations.

Same Old Templates

I'm getting a little tired of the same old templates for blogs, and I'm as guilt as the rest for just throwing up a template that looks decent and praying it works and looks okay. Over the next week I will be trying to find/develop a blog template that looks good yet is functional and practical.

If you have any ideas or suggestions, let me know.

Follow Up Software

I just finished trading a few e-mails with Robbie Jones of Follow Up Software based in Arkansas. He has really developed an incredible product. It will revolutianize the way sales people for big ticket items make their sales.

Robbie always puts out a quality product. I'm sure this one will be no different. I'll post more details as they become available, and I'll hope that he lets me have one of the first copies to hit the market!

BusinessJet.com is Making Some Progress

BusinessJet.com is definitely on the move again. One of the major problems that I have encountered during the early stages of the company is that it is so easy to get sidetracked on important projects or ideas that don't impact the dynamics of the business on a daily basis. They impact the business - perhaps in the long-run but they don't help it grow today. Sometimes it is hard to focus on making some more sales calls when it feels like the layout of a certain section needs some work. I have spent countless hours on technical issues and sometimes those would have been better spent on sales calls. Of course, if the site isn't up to snuff, it's hard to make a sale.

However, Sales should be a much less strenuous task because I am bringing a new salesperson on board over the course of the next few weeks (more detials will follow). But, that frees me up (a little) to focus on the site and the strategy and still making some sales calls and talking with clients and customers.

BusinessJetBlog: What is a Domain Name Worth?

A domain by any other name is not the same

Markman on Aerospace & Defense Stocks

Jon D. Markman, editor of the independent investment newsletters Strategic Advantage and Trader's Advantage, provided some commentary about investing in Aerospace and Defense stocks today in his regular MSN Money column. This is a great investing column and I urge investors to take a look at what he has to say on a weekly basis.

Mr. Markman looks at Lockheed Martin (LMT), Northrop Grumman (NOC), General Dynamics (GD), Boeing (BA), and Raytheon (RTN). Mr. Markman believes that Lockheed is the class of the field while Northrop Grumman follows closely behind. General Dynamics, Boeing, and Raytheon all have a fair bit of exposure to commercial markets and therefore warrant more skepticism.

Read the full article at MSN Money.
View Mr. Markman's MSN Money home page I will also post links to Mr. Markman's webpages on BusinessJet.com in the FAQ/Links section.

Retro Ads

The ads that used to be found in aviation magazines were much better than the ones now. I just like the old retro look. Some of the manufacturers are trying to do a good job, I think Cessna leads the field in this regard, especially for their light jets.

I just like the feel of the older ads, they provided you with a little information and actually made a business case for purchasing the aircraft. They were more than the glossy pictures and flashy one sentence slogans that we have today.