NBAA 2014

The biggest names in business aviation migrated to Orlando, Fla., for the National Business Aviation Association’s annual conference, held Oct. 21-23.

Always the industry’s landmark event, NBAA 2014 didn’t disappoint. Eleven hundred exhibitors, including Skies Magazine, packed into the Orange County Convention Center to showcase the latest in business aviation products and services. More than 100 modern, cutting edge business aircraft were on display; most packed the ramp at Orlando Executive Airport, with some inside the convention centre. In total, the show drew 26,000 business aviation stakeholders and industry members—all of whom were in search of the next big thing.  

On the last day of the show, the Skies team spoke to several exhibitors to get feedback about their NBAA experience. Overall, there was a positive feeling on the show floor, with attendees reporting a successful show and forecasting a bright future for business aviation.

Among the optimistic attendees was Rudy Toering, president and CEO of the Canadian Business Aviation Association, the NBAA’s Canadian counterpart. This year, the Ottawa-based association took a different approach to exhibiting. A Canadian pavilion enabled several smaller CBAA member companies to attend NBAA 2014, affording them an experience that would have otherwise been out of reach.

Toering told Skies that the CBAA is committed to working with all business aviation proponents. The highlight of the show for him was a roundtable meeting he had with Bombardier representatives and other industry association leaders. “It was fabulous; a wonderful chance to really connect with industry,” he said.

Over at the Vector Aerospace booth, Colin MacDonald, manager of marketing and communications with Vector Aerospace Engine Services – Atlantic (ES-A), reported a great show. “We had five exciting new contract announcements we brought to the show this year,” he said. “It was a busy time for us. We’re very excited about opening a new facility in Singapore as well, on a new engine type for us, the PW-150A.

“Overall, the show was successful,” he continued. “We had quality meetings, and lots of people coming by the booth. We developed new relationships with potential customers as well.”

One of the biggest product announcements at the show was actually released six days before NBAA opened. Gulfstream revealed it will be launching two new clean-sheet wide-cabin jets, the G500 and G600. It rolled the first G500 out under its own power at the Gulfstream plant in Savannah, Ga., on Oct. 14. The OEM is expecting certification for the G500 in 2017, with the G600 following about a year later.

The two new jets will be powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada’s (P&WC) new PW800 engine, which was unveiled by the manufacturer in a special ceremony at NBAA 2014. In a press briefing, P&WC representatives said the PW800—which is optimized for the long-range business jet market—will set a new standard by incorporating the latest technology in design and manufacturing, offering “double digit improvements over previous engines.”

The announcement was also significant because it represents Gulfstream’s departure from Rolls-Royce, which has previously dominated the long-range business jet engine market.

Dassault Aviation was another OEM with a big presence at NBAA 2014. This year, the French manufacturer was highlighting two of its newest programs: the Falcon 8X (a derivative of the popular 7X but with increased range and a longer cabin), and the brand new Falcon 5X (featuring the most spacious cabin in Dassault’s portfolio and a range of 5,200 nautical miles).

Jacques Chauvet, senior VP of worldwide Falcon customer service, told Skies that the company has had very positive feedback about the 5X and 8X. “Dassault has a strong military heritage, so we take advantage of that knowledge and apply it to the Falcon,” he explained. “This is a very important advantage when compared to the competition. Also, Falcons are very flexible aircraft and can operate into challenging airports.”

Since it is a derivative of the Falcon 7X, certification of the 8X is expected to be achieved fairly quickly. Dassault calls the 8X its “flagship” and reports it has completed ground testing, with first flight targeted for early 2015. Meanwhile, ground testing continues on the new 5X, with Dassault anticipating certification by the end of 2016.

 

Another French OEM, Daher-Socata, was also out in full force at NBAA 2014. On display was the company’s TBM 900, which is billed as the world’s fastest single-engine turboprop.

 

Ken Dono of Columbia Aircraft Sales in Connecticut is an authorized distributor of the TBM 900. “One of the advantages of this aircraft is that it is a very owner-flown fleet. In many cases, the person who signs the purchase agreement is also the person who flies it,” commented Dono.

“The aircraft was certified in March of this year and Daher-Socata is sold out for 2014,” he added. “We’ve been very busy at the NBAA show, and the reception has been very positive. We’ve met many new prospective owners as well as seen some familiar faces.”

 

Over at Pilatus Aircraft, Stan Kuliavas, vice president of sales at Pilatus Centre Canada, provided an update on the PC-24 twinjet program. “We had a fantastic roll-out on Aug. 1, 2014, with the introduction of the PC-24 to the public. Since then, prototype number 1 has been in ground testing, and number 2 is being built at the factory in Stans, Switzerland,” he said. “Now, we have an opportunity to go from the blueprint design stage to an actual working model aircraft that engineers can evaluate to see what may need tweaking. This is an aircraft that is unique in that nothing in its category can perform like it does. It can access 100 per cent more runways; it has that big cargo door that makes the PC-12 so versatile. It’s also a single-pilot aircraft that can get in and out of unimproved runways.”

 

Kuliavas added that he expects some initial PC-24 operators to be PC-12 owners who are looking for a jet upgrade. “The PC-24 is going to be equally capable as an executive transport, a cargo hauler or a medevac aircraft. There have been 84 firm orders taken on the PC-24 so far; we’re excited because we already know we have PC-24s coming to new owners in Canada.”

 

The PC-24 is undergoing concurrent FAA and EASA certification, with first deliveries projected for 2017. Transport Canada certification will follow, with Kuliavas estimating that PC-24s will be flying the Canadian skies by 2018.

 

A trip out to the static display netted a tour of Bombardier’s new Challenger 650 mock-up, where the Skies team sat down for a chat with Brad Nolen, the Canadian OEM’s director of product planning and strategy for business aircraft.

 

“We’re super excited about our launch of the Challenger 650 aircraft with brand new engines, updated interior, and new avionics suite. For us, this has been a great show,” he reported.

 

The Challenger 650 will replace the popular 605 (the world 605 fleet totals more than 900 aircraft). Bombardier is taking the same evolutionary approach it followed with the Challenger 305 earlier this year, when it introduced the $26.5 million Challenger 350. Both new versions offer significant improvements over their predecessors.

“The Challenger 650 is a completely new airplane,” said Nolen. “In front, we have the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Advanced avionics suite, and a luxurious cockpit experience borrowed from the Global 5000 and 6000. In the back, we’re building on very strong bones. This aircraft is wider than the competitors’ airplanes; that allows us to have up to 12 passengers in the aircraft. We’ve added brand new seats, a beautiful new side ledge, new passenger service units—it’s a very comfortable airplane for our passengers.” Nolen said the 650 will have a very strong offering of baseline features. The new Challenger will sell for $32.3 million, which is about $500,000 more than the 605.

 

The NBAA static line also included Textron Aviation’s Cessna Citation Latitude, which was making its public debut at the event. Kriya Shortt, Textron’s senior vice president, sales and marketing, was enthusiastic about the new aircraft. “I couldn’t be more excited to be here with the Latitude,” she said. “It was announced just three years ago at NBAA. To be standing here today with an aircraft that has full production paint and interior is nothing short of amazing.”

 

The mid-size Latitude’s list of features includes a six-foot, flat floor cabin, a clean and contemporary interior, and a Garmin G5000 avionics suite with auto throttles. “Safety and reliability are paramount, so we’re pleased to be the first OEM out there to have a certified side-facing seat that employs airbag technology,” added Shortt. With a high-speed cruise range of 2,650 nautical miles, the Latitude is on time and on schedule, with certification expected in early 2015.

 

One of the busiest attractions at both the trade show and the static line was the HondaJet. In the final phases of certification, Honda Aircraft Company touts the clean sheet aircraft as being the fastest-in-class, with the highest operating ceiling and superior fuel efficiency.

 

Michimasa Fujino, Honda Aircraft Company president and CEO, told Skies that the program is progressing very well. “I am confident we offer the best product in the market,” he said. “We have started customer demonstration flights as well, and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. We are targeting first quarter 2015 for certification, and will begin delivering aircraft immediately afterwards.”

 

He said the company’s Greensboro, N.C., campus is gearing up for full production, having hired more than 300 technicians in the last 14 months, with 150 more to come. 

Skyservice is the Canadian dealer for HondaJet. Fujino said the company was selected based on its “very good foundation in Canada.” He said Canadian customers were introduced to the jet in October, when it toured Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto, providing demo flights to current and prospective buyers.

 

Marshall Myles, president and CEO of Skyservice, was one of the lucky passengers on that first tour. “It is smooth, quiet, and fast, with a very quick climb, and it’s incredibly comfortable,” he said. “We’re excited about the HondaJet coming to market because it is a wonderfully designed jet that is technologically advanced and very good on fuel. We think we will be selling several HondaJets per year for the next several years in Canada.” 

Canadian entry into service could be as early as the end of 2016. “We are counting on the HondaJet being at all major Canadian industry events in 2015, including CBAA,” added Myles.

In related news, the fixed-base operator (FBO) arm of Skyservice was involved in another major announcement at the NBAA show. Signature Flight Support signed a licensing agreement for Skyservice’s three FBOs in Toronto, Calgary and Montreal. Myles said Skyservice will continue to operate its aircraft management, maintenance and charter services under its own brand.

 

“We are very excited about the partnership we’ve entered into with Signature,” he commented. “We’ve been talking and meeting with Signature for a long time. We think this will be a great addition for our customers, who can pick up benefits as they travel between Signature locations. As a company, we will become a better operation; their standards are high and their training is high. There is a lot of excitement about this opportunity.” He added that the transition should take about six months.

Aircraft completions are big business, and several companies were on hand at NBAA to highlight their services in this industry segment.

 

Peterborough, Ont.-based Flying Colours Corp., which specializes in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), aircraft completions and refurbishments, released big news at NBAA 2014.

 

“We’re here promoting all our different services, but at this particular show we’re announcing our joint venture with a Chinese company called Sparkle Roll Technik Co., and firming up eight conversions in our CRJ program,” said Sean Gillespie, executive VP, sales and marketing.

The new venture will see the companies collaborate on private jet cabin modification and aircraft maintenance. The first project, set to begin shortly, will involve the VIP completion of eight B-registered CRJ-200 aircraft, procured by Sparkle Roll. When complete, the aircraft will mirror the Challenger 850. 

Initial conversions will be done in Peterborough, with later jobs completed in China using North American-made interior components. Each conversion is expected to take about eight months.

“Overall, the show has been really good,” commented Gillespie. “Traffic was solid. I was at the static yesterday, and it seemed busy out there as well.” 

Over at Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group, 17 staff members were on hand to promote the company’s full line of services. “We do refurbs, we do completions, sales, and aircraft management,” said Rob Brooks, VP and general manager. “There’s no aspect within corporate aviation that we don’t do,” he explained, adding that the company considered NBAA 2014 a success. “Traffic at the show has been consistent. We’re pleased.”

A Quebec aerospace delegation was also on the show floor. Skies spoke to Yoann Turquetil, trade attaché at the Quebec trade office in Atlanta, Ga., who echoed the general consensus about the show’s value.

 

“This year, we have a group of 13 companies—four exhibitors here in the booth with us; the rest are visiting the show,” he said. “We set up B2B meetings for them. The main goal is to help them break through with new customers at NBAA. It’s been a really, really good show.”

The annual NBAA show is always a good place to launch new technology. Ramco Systems Limited was on hand with its custom-designed Ramco Aviation Suite Version 5.7—a fleet management software program that leverages hands-free computing via Google Glass-type equipment.

 

“Our product caters to four sectors: fixed-wing, rotary-wing, MRO, and most recently, business aviation,” said Amrith Ganesh, head of aviation marketing. “I would say this has been the best event for us in 2014. People have not seen this gamut of capability built into any software programs before.”

The software integrates people and technology, allowing operators to manage small and large fleets, and is priced on a per-user basis.

 

There were many stories to tell from this year’s NBAA show, and this article merely scratches the surface. With business aviation representatives on hand from 49 U.S. states and 95 countries, NBAA 2014 was definitely a place where deals got done.