US Customs orders two additional King Air 350CER aircraft

Textron Aviation announced Tuesday it was awarded a contract for the 26th and 27th Beechcraft King Air 350CER turboprop aircraft for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (AMO).

The Beechcraft King Air 350CER is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc.

“These two Multi-role Enforcement Aircraft will join a fleet of King Air 350 turboprops used to safeguard the United States as part of the coordinated application of AMO’s aviation and maritime law enforcement resources,” said Bob Gibbs, vice president, Special Mission Sales. “This represents the third and fourth Beechcraft King Air 350CER ordered for AMO in 2020.”

The agency’s aircraft are equipped with a sophisticated array of technology that can be deployed for ground interdiction operations, air-to-air intercept operations and medium-range maritime patrols, including active and passive sensors and an optimized communications suite.

The Beechcraft King Air 350CER aircraft is an extended range version of the King Air 350i twin-engine turboprop aircraft. Two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-60A or optional factory installed PT6A-67A turboprop engines with Hartzell four blade propellers power the King Air 350CER aircraft.

Nearly 7,600 Beechcraft King Air turboprops have been delivered to customers around the world since 1964.

Most popular posts for September 2020

1.) Vintage warbirds plan flyover of Washington, DC, later this month - On Sept. 26, some 70 vintage aircraft will take to the skies over Washington, D.C. to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. [Full story]

2.) Third and final test aircraft joins Cessna SkyCourier program - The Cessna SkyCourier turboprop development program has achieved another significant milestone as the third and final flight test aircraft (P2) successfully completed its first flight on Monday. [Full story]

3.) Palm Springs Air Museum adds F-117 Nighthawk to collection - On Oct. 3, a Stealth Fighter F-117 arrives at Palm Springs Air Museum, where it will be welcomed into the permanent collection. [Full story]

4.) DARPA and Air Force ready to launch hypersonic air-breathing weapon this year - The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency and the U.S. Air Force announced Tuesday successful completion of captive carry tests of two variants of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept and are ready to proceed to first free-flight testing within the calendar year. [Full story]

Nonstop service between San Francisco and Shanghai resumes for United Airlines

United Airlines announced Monday it will start nonstop service to China four-times weekly between San Francisco and Shanghai's Pudong International Airport. Beginning Oct. 21, United will operate four weekly nonstop flights with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft from San Francisco to Shanghai on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Customers traveling from Shanghai will return to San Francisco on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

United will no longer be required to stop in Seoul. United offered more service to China than any other U.S. carrier prior to suspending service in February due to COVID-19. In 2019, United operated five daily flights between Shanghai and its hubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York/Newark.

WestJet 787 Dreamliner now operating five-times weekly between Vancouver and Toronto

Canada-based WestJet and Vancouver International Airport announced Monday the airline's newest aircraft, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, is now operating five-times weekly between Vancouver and Toronto. Vancouver joins Calgary and Toronto as another domestic destination served by the airline's award-winning aircraft.

"We are proud our signature aircraft is now flying non-stop service between two of Canada's major cities and two of our hub airports,” said John Weatherill, WestJet Vice-President Network Planning and Revenue.

WestJet is also operating Boeing 737 aircraft on three other non-stop daily flights between Vancouver and Toronto for a total of four daily flights, with the exception of Saturdays. On Nov. 5, the WestJet Dreamliner increases operations between Vancouver and Toronto to daily service.

The WestJet Dreamliner features 320 seats in three cabins: Business, Premium and Economy.

US Customs will use a helicopter to replace solar equipment on Mohawk Mountain

The battery bank that supplies power to the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) owned Tactical Communication site at Mohawk Mountain in Mohawk, Ariz., is beginning to show signs of failure. To avoid a complete site failure, CBP’s Office of Information Technology along with other agencies working with CBP are planning to replace the solar equipment.

Mohawk Mountain is in a remote location that requires helicopter transport for access by personnel and delivery of all materials, supplies, tools and equipment. Given the nature of the allowable work space and approved location for installations, the site has no additional staging area to support concurrent delivery of removals and installations. All deliveries are anticipated to be completed by single point lifts using a single hook up and single set down as no release or drop lifts are anticipated.

CBP is looking for a contractor to supply a helicopter to lift tools, equipment, and personnel up to the remote site that is located at Mohawk Mountain (Latitude 32.5900, Longitude - 113.6479). All lifts will be from a predetermined staging area or forward operating base (FOB) that will be used as the meet up location for transportation to and from the remote site and as the hook up location for all loads. The FOB is anticipated to be located at the following location: Marker Beacon 35 (Latitude: 32.605222, Longitude: ---113.773417). The FOB is accessed via a dirt road from Interstate 8. The contractor’s fuel truck is expected to park daily at FOB for refueling. Should the FOB change, it is anticipated that the location will not vary more than five miles away from the predetermined location. Local air restrictions may apply and will be the responsibility of the contractor to become familiar with local air restrictions and potential no fly zones/times. The contractor should note the site is mountainous where topography and winds can be highly variable an may impact approach vectors.

CBP will coordinate pre-clearance through the Barry M. Goldwater Range restricted airspace R-2301 and will inform contractor of any special transit procedures.

Multiple airlifts, of different payloads, will be required throughout the duration of the project to transport removals and installations to the remote site. The anticipated flight schedule is presumed to be four personnel flights (i.e. two in and two out) plus three to five flights for tools and equipment per day during Site Prep Activities and Site Clean Up activities.

The Period of Performance under the contract is anticipated to be a total of 32 days to complete all required meetings and performance objectives for helicopter lift services. The anticipated start date of helicopter lift services is Oct. 28.

Third and final test aircraft joins Cessna SkyCourier program

The Cessna SkyCourier turboprop development program has achieved another significant milestone as the third and final flight test aircraft (P2) successfully completed its first flight on Monday. This maiden flight for the high-wing, large utility aircraft comes on the heels of the second test article (P1) completing its initial flight in August. The P2 aircraft is the second airframe configured in the passenger variant, and it will join two other aircraft in the flight test certification program, which to date have already accumulated 150 flight hours.

The Cessna SkyCourier aircraft is designed and manufactured by Textron Aviation Inc.

The first flight of P2, piloted by Todd Dafton and Caleb Quick, lasted 90 minutes, reaching a speed of 210 knots true airspeed (ktas) and an altitude of 15,000 feet. The aircraft will primarily be used to focus on avionics testing, flammable fluids testing, and the cold and hot weather testing in the climatic chamber at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

“We will soon be starting line production in Wichita as we move closer to getting the Cessna SkyCourier into the hands of our customers,” said Chris Hearne, senior vice president, Engineering & Programs.

The P2 and prototype aircraft both have the passenger configuration, including windows and escape hatches, while the P1 aircraft is configured in the freighter configuration.

The Cessna SkyCourier aircraft will be offered in various configurations including a 6,000-pound payload capable freighter and a 19-seat passenger version.

The aircraft feature the popular Garmin G1000 NXi avionics suite and a maximum range of 900 nautical miles.

Palm Springs Air Museum adds F-117 Nighthawk to collection

On Oct. 3, a Stealth Fighter F-117 arrives at Palm Springs Air Museum, where it will be welcomed into the permanent collection. The museum is organizing a Stealth Fighter F-117 Exclusive Arrival Party to welcome the aircraft. Limited availability tickets are $117 each that includes boxed appetizers, beverage, meet and greet with a F-117 pilot, and commemorative t-shirts. The F-117 will be welcomed with a formal military retirement ceremony, including water arch. This will be the only chance to see this aircraft for many months. It goes into restoration and will not be seen for at least a year.

The Palm Springs Air Museum contains over 60 vintage aircraft from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War contained in 86,000 square feet of open hangars and on the tarmac.