August 17, 2017 - No. 065 In This Issue Winglet Technology Rolls Out Sovereign Retrofit A Towbarless Remote Controlled Electric Aircraft Tug System Capable of Towing Very Large Business Jets FAA to 'Transform' Flight Ops Oversight Pensacola's National Flight Academy celebrates 10,000th student Rockwell Collins Showcases Cabin Technology Schiphol Group to operate all airports on sustainable energy Firms Invest in Drone Maintenance Network, Anticipating Market Growth JSSI Is Open To All for Spares Winglet Technology Rolls Out Sovereign Retrofit With a supplemental type certificate (STC) secured, Winglet Technology is rolling out its new "transitional" winglets for the Cessna Citation Sovereign to the market and already has begun eying the next application for the technology-the Sovereign+. Winglet Technology obtained the STC on June 20, the culmination of a four-year development and certification program. The result is "almost the equivalent of a new model," said Robert "Bob" Kiser, president and managing member of Winglet Technology. "We've taken an airplane that has spectacular takeoff and landing performance for its class and made it an entirely different airplane at altitude. The airplane will climb to higher altitudes at heavier weights and be faster than the legacy Sovereign. We've made the airplane much more operationally diverse in what it can do." The retrofit of the transitional winglet dramatically cuts the time-to-climb to FL450, offers up to 35 knots additional speed at FL450, increases range by up to 340 nm and/or allows up to 914 pounds' payload capability at equivalent range. As for time to climb, the winglets enable the aircraft fly direct to FL450 in 28 minutes, rather than the step climb required on the non-winglet model that takes about 73 minutes. In addition, the retrofit offers a gross weight increase that will bring the Sovereign in line with the Sovereign+, with an additional 475 pounds of maximum takeoff weight and 200 pounds of maximum zero fuel weight. The net effect of the weight increase, Kiser said, is extra useful load that "you can spend any way you want-by filling the tank up or adding more passengers." Final results exceeded original targets of a 26-knot speed improvement at FL450, 305-nm range improvement and 350-pound gross-weight increase. Winglet Technology opted for a higher weight to ensure it matched that of the Sovereign+ and conducted a structural load analysis with the higher weights. The company also verified the improved performance through Textron Aviation's aircraft performance data. Kiser said the improved aerodynamics is a result of a design that provides a gradual transition from a horizontal wing surface to a vertical wing surface. "The flow coming across a gentle transition has a tendency to perform better than an abrupt vertical design," he said, noting a more abrupt change in surface direction results in the flow to "shock and separate at the transition. With the transitional winglet, we are trying to keep the flow attached over a broader range." This provides a wing that "is very robust and handles a wide range of operating conditions" at higher altitudes and heavier weight, he said. The flight-test program involved 170 flying hours, as well as full-scale static testing on a wing. The Wichita-based company initially worked early on the installation with Duncan Aviation and early proof-of-concept flight-testing with Cessna. But the bulk of the flight-testing was done from Wichita Eisenhower Airport with the use of a customer aircraft that had the interior removed and was instrumented for the program. Cessna supplied a wing. "Once we got our hands on a wing to support full-scale static testing and secured an airplane, it went pretty quickly," Kiser noted. Winglet Technology already has received significant interest from operators, Kiser said, noting that there are nearly 350 in-service legacy Sovereigns. The winglets will be offered through Textron Aviation's service center network, as well as Duncan Aviation, with a list kit price (not including installation) of $415,000. Duncan is offering an installed price of $495,000. Winglet Technology is moving its design engineering team on to the next project, he said, which is anticipated to involve the Sovereign+. In addition to engine and avionics upgrades, the Sovereign+ is equipped with a wing extension that lengthens the span by about nine feet. The Winglet Technology project would involve removing that extension and adding the winglets. While the swap would shorten the span by three feet, Kiser said the result is anticipated to provide the high- altitude benefits, while preserving the short-field performance of the aircraft. He expects the Sovereign+ program to take less time, with an estimated nine-month to one-year program, once an aircraft is secured. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-08-16/winglet- technology-rolls-out-sovereign-retrofit Back to Top A Towbarless Remote Controlled Electric Aircraft Tug System Capable of Towing Very Large Business Jets in Challenging Conditions St. Augustine, FL, August 15, 2017 --(PR.com)-- TNA Aviation Technologies, the company built on innovating the way aircraft are moved on the ground, announced the North and South American release of the TowFLEXX 5-Series HD "Heavy Duty," the industry's most advanced and versatile remote controlled electrical towbarless aircraft tug in it's class. This product combines the best in flexibility, adaptability, practical features, tow capacity and capability. This is the heavy-duty configuration of the proven 5-Series tug rated for a towing power of up to 165,000 lbs. (75t) MTOW. Its strong prime movers have a tractive motor power up to 176,000 lbs. (80t). This model is especially designed and configured for significant stress and can handle aircraft on steep slopes / inclines or other unusual harsh conditions, incl. challenging inclined positions on aircraft carriers and offshore helicopter platforms. The launch date coincides with the arrival of the improved standard 5-Series configuration with many 2018 model year updates. Since the North America launch of the first TowFLEXX products in 2015 through the end of the second quarter of 2017, the 5-Series has become a serious contender in the American ground support equipment market. "Customers have been asking for an affordable and compact tug system, especially in the heavy-duty weight range of 100,000 to 150,000 lbs. MTOW, and we've responded by introducing a smart and powerful electrical aircraft tow vehicle, making it much easier to overcome slopes and inclines and operating under tough environmental conditions," said Michael Turwitt, Managing Partner of TNA Aviation Technologies. "The TowFLEXX HD features a special transmission and gear drive combined with many features that deliver unique functionality normally not even found in bigger and more expensive conventional tow tugs," he added. Benefiting from years of research and development in this area of remote controlled aircraft tugs, all TowFLEXX products share similar unique advantages. Customers can significantly improve their hangar space utilization, increase safety and become much more efficient. About TNA Aviation Technologies TNA Aviation Technologies, a division of Turwitt, Nielen & Associates, P.A., is the exclusive American distributor and factory outlet for German designed TowFLEXX® aircraft ground handling systems, known in Europe under the brand TugMAXXE®. These advanced electric towbarless aircraft tow tugs are easy to operate and offer limitless flexibility. The company provides modern solutions to all aircraft moving and ground support needs for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters between 2,000 lbs. (910 kg) up to 220,000 lbs. (100 tons) MTOW. The company offers best-in-class products that meet the needs of a diverse aviation marketplace, from private aircraft owners, FBO's, MRO's, charter and corporate flight operators, airlines, military and law enforcement. TNA Aviation Technologies is a member of the NBAA. http://www.pr.com/press-release/726725 Back to Top FAA to 'Transform' Flight Ops Oversight Look for the U.S. FAA to detail plans Aug. 20 to reorganize oversight of flight operations, airmen certification, aircraft maintenance and training as part of its "transformation" of aviation safety functions. Reorganization of the agency's Flight Standards Service follows by about a month its overhaul of civil aircraft and aviation products through a complete reorganization of its Aircraft Certification Service. For three decades, the FAA has relied on a decentralized organization model that pushed the development and application of safety oversight policy and measures down to eight regional offices and more than 100 local ones. "The rationale was [that] by locating decision-making closest to where the actual work was being performed, the quality of the actions would be enhanced by the proximity to the facts," wrote Joseph Del Balzo, former FAA acting administrator who now runs the Washington, D.C.-area consultancy JDA Aviation Technology Solutions. His comments appeared on that firm's website. Over those 30 years, the FAA's staffing and resources have not kept pace with the growth of the U.S, aviation industry or with technological advances. That disparity prompted FAA officials to move toward risk-based decision-making to make the agency "an agile, effective and consistent organization that operates with greater accountability, for the use of resources and change readiness," according to "The Future of Flight Standards," an FAA document on the changes in that service. As with the Aircraft Certification Service, those changes are intended to transform Flight Standards from a geographic-based organization to a functional-based one. According to FAA documents, Flight Standards' eight regional offices and 100 or so local ones will be replaced by offices organized under four divisions. The divisions will be the Air Carrier Safety Assurance Office, the General Aviation Safety Assurance Office, the Safety Standards Office and the Foundational Business Office. Those divisions will be led by directors, who will report to the executive director of the Flight Standards Service. Each division will have two deputy directors. Twenty-eight divisional offices will be divided among the four divisions. The Air Carrier Safety Assurance Office, its six division and its field offices will oversee all Federal Aviation Regulations Part 121 airlines and their operations. The responsibilities of the General Aviation Safety Assurance Office, its eight divisions and its field offices will include oversight of general aviation and Part 135 air carriers, including helicopter air ambulance operations. Policy and regulatory functions will fall under the Safety Standards Office and its eight divisions, which will include ones responsible for aircraft evaluation groups, flight technologies, aircraft maintenance and safety analysis, as well as international programs. The Foundational Business Office's six divisions will include the FAA's Aircraft Registry, as well as a safety risk management sub-office and human resource and other "back office" functions. http://www.rotorandwing.com/2017/08/16/faa-transform-flight-ops-oversight/ Back to Top Pensacola's National Flight Academy celebrates 10,000th student The National Flight Academy at Pensacola's National Naval Aviation Museum celebrated its 10,000th student on Wednesday. The academy, a mock aircraft carrier where students learn math and science skills by solving aviation-related problems, opened in 2012. Retired Marine Lt. Gen. Duane Thiessen, president of the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, said the academy has set the standard for science, technology, engineering and math education. Students live on the mock aircraft carrier during the weekly camps. They work in teams and use flight simulators and other technology to solve aviation-related problems from flight instructors. The academy's 2012 opening was attended by astronauts Neil Armstrong, Gene Cernan, Mark Kelly and many other dignitaries. Since that time, 10,123 students from all of the U.S. states and territories and seven foreign countries have attended the academy, Thiessen said. The academy also hosts corporate retreats and training events and recently debuted a new cybersecurity camp. U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, said the son of House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, attended the academy this summer. Gatez and others credited Vice Adm. John Fetterman, the former head of the museum foundation who died in 2006, with having the vision to create the academy. Gaetz thanked Fetterman's widow, Nancy. "Northwest Florida can never repay you and Jack for all that you have done as civic leaders," he said. Wednesday's event included VIP tours of the academy and a special viewing of the Blue Angels practice session. http://www.pnj.com/story/news/military/2017/08/16/pensacolas-national-flight- academy-celebrates-10-000th-student/573099001/ Back to Top Rockwell Collins Showcases Cabin Technology Rockwell Collins is a well-recognized name in the fields of flight deck avionics, cabin electronics, cabin interiors, information management, mission communications and simulation and training. The company has developed a wide portfolio of products and systems that are used widely throughout the aerospace world, from defense applications to private aviation. At this week's LABACE the company is highlighting some solutions that are aimed primarily at the business aviation sector, covering areas such as flight deck systems, aircraft connectivity, cabin systems and service plans. "This year we are showcasing even more of our business portfolio at LABACE to meet the needs of our customers in the region," said Fernando DosSantos, director of sales and marketing, Americas for Rockwell Collins. "We are committed to increasing our footprint here in Brazil with broader avionics, cabin, service and connectivity offerings." Among the products on show is the Venue cabin management system, which is now installed in more than 1,000 business aircraft cabins. Venue includes high-clarity touchscreen displays that provide intuitive control of a range of systems. Venue runs on a fiber-optic backbone that allows content to be streamed around the cabin, supporting all major high-definition standards, and wireless connectivity that allows personal devices to integrate seamlessly for both information and communications. The system is fully integrated with broadband airborne connectivity systems. Partnering on Venue is Stage, a subscription-based service that gives passengers access to the latest movies, TV shows, music and magazines, via wireless access points to their preferred mobile devices. Additional add-ons include news and stock market feeds, sports news and weather forecasts. Rockwell Collins is also displaying its ADS-B OUT-compliant solutions. As part of airspace modernization processes the capability to continuously broadcast GPS aircraft position, heading and velocity information to air traffic control ground stations is becoming mandatory across the globe. The company has a number of solutions to ensure that aircraft meet the new regulations, which begin in 2020 in the U.S. and Europe. Brazilian operators planning to fly to many countries with ADS-B plans should note that the new rules will require this equipment, in order to fly in airspace where ADS-B OUT is mandated. Around 85 percent of the global business aircraft fleet includes Rockwell Collins equipment. As well as providing the systems, Rockwell Collins also offers cost-effective service plans through its Corporate Aircraft Service Program (CASP), which guarantees high aircraft availability through the maintenance, repair and replacement of the company's products, allowing for predictable service budgeting based on the number of hours flown. Three levels of coverage are available, the standard CASP covering the majority of business jets, with pricing based on expected annual operating hours. CASP Essential is tailored for low-hour utilization of turboprops and light business jets, while CASP Elite is a single-source, high-level care program. Rockwell Collins has more than 2,000 customers signed up to its CASP and reports a renewal rate of approximately 90 percent. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-08-15/rockwell-collins- showcases-cabin-technology Back to Top Schiphol Group to operate all airports on sustainable energy Dutch aviation company Royal Schiphol Group has entered an agreement with electricity company Eneco to run its airport network entirely on wind power from 2018. From 1 January, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Eindhoven Airport and Lelystad Airport will be powered by Eneco's new wind farms in the country. Under the terms of the deal, Eneco will supply electricity to the airports for 15 years. With the new agreement in place, the aviation company supports the development of sustainable electricity generation in the Netherlands. Royal Schiphol Group president and CEO Jos Nijhuis said: "For our new energy contract, we wanted nothing but sustainable power generated in the Netherlands. "After all, one thing is certain: aviation can and must be made more sustainable. We feel that the most important elements of this collaboration with Eneco are that all the Schiphol Group airports are involved and that additional sustainable energy sources will be developed in the Netherlands. "This will allow our airports to increase their sustainability and offer economic benefits." The wind power projects will supply a total of approximately 200GWh of renewable energy, which is equivalent to the electricity requirements of 60,000 households in the country. To be operational from January 2018, Vianen wind farm is the first Dutch facility that will supply electricity to Royal Schiphol Group. From 1 January 2020, the entire power supply to all of the Schiphol Group airports is slated to be obtained from newly-built wind farms. Till then, the renewable energy will be generated from existing sustainable energy sources in the country. http://www.airport-technology.com/news/newsschiphol-group-to-operate-all-airports-on- sustainable-energy-5901079 Back to Top Firms Invest in Drone Maintenance Network, Anticipating Market Growth Unmanned aircraft system (UAS) maintenance network Robotic Skies is set to expand, the company said. With a round of venture capital financing raised, Robotic Skies is preparing to meet anticipated growth in the drone market. The investment round was led by Kickstart Seed Fund of Salt Lake City, Utah, and included participation by Sun Mountain Capital of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Robotic Skies said. "Brad Hayden has a lifetime of experience in the aviation sector and understands the changing landscape and the opportunity that lies ahead in the global UAS market," said Lee Rand, partner at Sun Mountain Capital. Hayden, Robotic Skies President and CEO, has been sharing his perspective on the UAS market with the rotorcraft industry for several years, in cooperation with organizations including Helicopter Association International (HAI) and National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). He will be answering questions about technologies hurdles to drone market development at R&WI's Rotorcraft Business and Technology Summit in Fort Worth, Texas, in September, on a panel with two other UAS experts. "As we've said all along, the UAS market is not an entirely new industry, but rather a nascent and rapidly expanding market segment of aerospace," Hayden told R&WI. "The same safety-based paradigms that form the basis for existing manned airborne missions are now being recognized as critical in unmanned operations. "As unmanned mission complexities increase to beyond-line-of-sight and flights over people - and as the airframes themselves grow larger in size - the importance of verified airworthiness will become even more critical," he continued. "Fortunately, our industry has an aviation ecosystem for safety and efficiency already in place to support these unmanned airframes, and Robotic Skies is uniting these services under a single product offering for this new market." http://www.rotorandwing.com/2017/08/16/drone-maintenance-network-raises-venture- capital-finances-prepares-market-growth/ Back to Top JSSI Is Open To All for Spares JSSI (Jet Support Services, Inc.) launched its JSSI Parts business in 2015 to expand its offering in the aviation MRO market and last year began acquiring whole aircraft to provide a source of hard-to-find spares, particularly for older types. The company is well known for its hourly cost maintenance programs for aircraft, engines and APUs, but also offers services to customers that have not signed up for hourly programs, including parts supply. Intended mainly for customers that have their own maintenance facilities and teams, and also those having difficulty locating spares for particular types, this open-to-all service leverages the purchasing power of the company as a whole to source parts at competitive prices. The JSSI team has access to both new and reconditioned parts and selects the most cost-effective solution, with stringent inspections of reconditioned components. JSSI Parts can source spares for 196 aircraft types, 119 engine models and 60 types of APU, and quickly dispatch them worldwide. The company also offers whole supply chain and logistics management. Advisory services that draw on the JSSI's experience in the marketplace are also available to customers that are not part of a maintenance program. JSSI can plan, manage and oversee one-off maintenance events. Additionally, JSSI offers an asset-inspection service, aimed mainly at lending institutions that wish to monitor the health of the assets against which they have issued loans. The company also offers valuation appraisals accredited to the standards of the American Society of Appraisers. JSSI is looking to expand this business in Latin America, where it has an office in São Paulo. http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aerospace/2017-08-16/jssi-open-all-spares Curt Lewis