Aviation Sourcing Solutions Blog

Panasonic Avionics has taken the initiative to choose Ericsson to be the next generation brand that is going to take over the aviation and multiple markets when it comes to connectivity services and networking. In the past few years airlines have been slowly enabling Wi-Fi connectivity available on board for crew members and passengers. This has been slowly becoming available to some airplanes but not all. Eventually all airplanes will have either 2G, 3G, LTE or Wi-Fi connectivity. Internet connection is becoming a necessity in today’s world, what a thousand men couldn’t do a hundred years ago one man can do today and this because of how technologically advanced we have become. Aviation connectivity services is definitely on the rise today and we can already see it some of the new cars that have these services available. Soon not only airplanes will have internet connection but every car or vehicle that is moving will have some type of internet connection.

The Machinists union from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has recently approved of a new contract which will keep the mile long assembly line for the stealth F-35 joint strike fighter uninterrupted for the next six years.

Garmin has announced that they are now offering a system upgrade to the GTN 650/750 touchscreen navigators. These GTN updates are installed on certain helicopters only but will offer safety upgrades as well as cockpit resource management enhancements that are specifically geared towards single-pilot operations. The update applies to all GTN navigators with the v6.11 software and can be installed on the Bell 206/407 series as well as the MD Helicopters MD 369 E/F/FF and Eurocopter AS350 B2/B3, EC130 B4, EC 130 T2.

Finmeccanica, one of the main global players in defense, aerospace, and security, has recently come to an agreement with a Chinese company in order to provide more than two dozen helicopters. This purchase agreement was signed on April 12^th in Shanghai at the Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition. The Chinese operator and distributor, Sino-U.S. Intercontinental Helicopter Investment, will be receiving from Finmeccanica twenty-five AW119Kx light single-engine helicopters. Deliveries are anticipated to start in June, as Sino-U.S. Intercontinental Helicopter Investment has ordered these helicopters in an emergency medical configuration. This purchase agreement is part of a larger framework agreement for the purchasing of sixty AW119Kx helicopters all the way through to 2017.

Honda recently announced that it has begun deliveries of the HondaJet, the worlds most advanced lightweight jet. Honda Aircraft Company made a ceremonial delivery of its first aircraft at its world headquarters in Greensboro, NC. This milestone comes after a December announcement that the company was awarded a type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration for the HondaJet an aircraft which Honda claims is that fastest (at 483mph) and most fuel efficient in its class. The company credits the HondaJet's performance and efficiency to its configuration, with engines mounted over natural-laminar flow wings and fuselage made from lightweight composite materials. The jet also includes an “Over The Wing" Engine Mount design that has enabled it to achieve high speeds, superior fuel efficiency, and a more spacious cabin over conventional aircraft in its class.

Announced in March of 2015, the Russian Air Force (Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily Rossii) will begin production of the PAK-FA T-50 fighter jet, designed by aerospace and defense company Sukhoi. The T-50 is Russia’s answer to the United States’ F-22 Raptor as a fifth generation fighter jet aircraft.

Headquartered in Sandpoint, Iowa, Quest Aircraft is an American aircraft manufacturing company that designs and provides aircraft for both domestic and international humanitarian applications. They are known for manufacturing the Kodiak, a 10-place single engine turboprop airplane designed for short takeoff landing (STOL) use and float capability.

Japan Airlines announced that they have ordered Mitsubishi Aircraft Corporation to deliver a fleet of thirty-two Mitsubishi Regional Jet aircraft. Originally signed with a letter of intent on August 28, 2014, the agreement was more recently finalized to move forward on January 28, 2015. The Mitsubishi Regional Jet is a family of next-generation aircraft designed to provide seating for 70 – 90 passengers. Deliveries of the aircraft are expected to begin in 2021.

The Robert J. Collier Trophy is a yearly contest sponsored by the National Aeronautic Association for achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in the United States. The awards have covered everything from the crews of Apollo 11 and Apollo 8 to the Boeing 747, the Cessna Citation, and the F-22. The Selection Committee for this prestigious award includes representatives from the world’s leading aerospace companies including Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Bombardier Aerospace. For 2014, a total of seven products, programs, and people were nominated for the Collier Trophy.

Headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, Cessna Aircraft Company is an American general aviation aircraft manufacturer best known for its small, piston-powered aircrafts. Cessna is a subsidiary of the United States conglomerate Textron. In March of 2014, it became a brand of Textron Aviation.