Centennial airport, Colorado-based engineering and certification firm Peregrine, and Wichita, Kansas-based composites manufacturer Lee Aerospace, Kansas, have joined forces to deliver Aviation Clean Air (ACA) system installation data and STCs for the Citation 560XL. The ACA pathogen disinfection technology eradicates the COVID-19 virus. Peregrine-developed STCs for the ACA system are also available for aftermarket installation in the Gulfstream G-IV and GIV-SP models, Falcon 50 and 900, in addition to the Bombardier CL600 series family. Peregrine expects to announce additional air certification agency validations for these STCs to support greater accessibility to this technology.

“After developing STCs for other aircraft with Peregrine, we are pleased to incorporate this all important health protection ACA system in our own company's aircraft,” says Jim Lee, founder and president of Lee Aerospace, who provided the 560XL STC aircraft. “This system implements a layered defence for protecting aircraft passengers and crew by supplementing cleaning procedures with an active, always-on system that provides continuous, effective neutralisation of harmful pathogens. This installation demonstrates the availability of the ACA system to users and operators of most sizes of business aircraft.”

The Aviation Clean Air units offer a proactive air and surface purification system for aircraft, providing immediate clean, safe and healthy interior air. In addition to removing odours and allergens, their patented and proven, needle point bipolar ionisation system installed in the aircraft environmental control system, kills pathogens throughout the cockpit, cabin and pressurised cargo areas. The system eliminates pathogens including, but not limited to COVID-19, bacteria associated with SARS, Bird flu (H5N1), Swine flu (H1N1), Staph, mould spores, MRSA, E.coli, tuberculosis, C.diff and pneumonia. Testing at an independent laboratory showed that the ACA system was 99 per cent effective in eliminating SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).

Peregrine has also completed a US FAA STC for installation of the Gogo Avance L3 airborne connectivity solution for the Pilatus PC-12. The Avance L3 system provides full internet connectivity allowing passengers to stay connected to email, send text messages and make voice calls with Gogo Text & Talk, cockpit app data, and comes equipped with Gogo Vision for inflight entertainment.

Gogo also recently announced that the L3 platform provides connectivity at 3,000 feet above ground level (AGL), lowered from the previous 10,000 feet AGL, better matching the operational profile of PC-12 operations. Peregrine has provided this STC to Western Aircraft in Boise, Idaho, and use and installation of this Avance L3 STC for the PC-12 is available exclusively through Western Aircraft.

“We are pleased to work with Western Aircraft and Gogo to bring affordable airborne connectivity to this popular aircraft,” says David Rankin, president of Peregrine. “Inflight access to vital communications reduces downtime and further illustrates the value of business aviation.”