Kerry Lynch stepped into the role of editor of the&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;monthly magazine in May 2022 after serving with&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;for eight years. She joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in December 2014 as a senior editor covering Washington and business aviation news. She has also served on Convention News teams, including as editor of&nbsp;HAI Convention News. Lynch previously spent 25 years with Aviation Week. During her time there, she reported for and later steered&nbsp;The Weekly of Business Aviation, oversaw business aviation content on the&nbsp;Aviation Week Intelligence Network, served on the&nbsp;Show News&nbsp;staff, and held roles as the Washington columnist for&nbsp;Business &amp; Commercial Aviation&nbsp;and&nbsp;Overhaul &amp; Maintenance&nbsp;monthly magazines. In 2021 she was honored with the National Business Aviation Association Platinum Wing Award for lifetime achievement in journalism and was the 2004 recipient of the National Air Transportation Association’s Aviation Journalism Excellence Award. She also has been a recipient of an Aerospace Media Award for business aviation (2022) and NBAA Gold Wing Award (2003, 2024). Lynch graduated from The Ohio State University with a bachelor of arts in journalism.

Editor, AIN monthly magazine

Kerry Lynch

Bird Aerosystems has received Civil Aviation Authority of Israel&nbsp;supplemental type certificate (STC) approval for a special-mission variant of the Cessna Citation CJ3. The STC for the CJ3 Airborne Surveillance, Intelligence, and Observation (ASIO) platform enables dual use for special missions and VIP operations, the Israel-based company said.&nbsp;Under the STC, the cabin configurations could be changed without the need to dismantle ASIO sensors and systems.

 


Bird Aerosystems said the STC is the first of its kind for a Cessna Citation and followed the modification of the CJ3 into a special-mission configuration, including all structural and electrical changes supporting the installation of airborne surveillance sensors, communication equipment, operator workstations, and a pilot display.

 


The STC program involved installation design, analysis, and modifications conducted by Bird Aerosystems’ engineering department, as well as by its MRO in Cyprus. Plans call for seeking FAA and EASA approvals next year and offering the platform for multiple operations.

 


“Work invested by our internal platform engineering department and our MRO in Cyprus, together with our partners at the CAAI, enabled us to complete this STC certification successfully and fulfill our mission of delivering turnkey programs to our customers,” said Bird Aerosystems co-CEO and founder Ronen Factor. “We can now offer our customers a fully certified, maritime and ground surveillance aircraft solution that is cost-effective and can be delivered under short schedules."

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

Bird Aerosystems Gets Israeli STC for Surveillance CJ3

The Israel CAAI has approved Bird Aerosystems' special-mission ASIO configuration of a Cessna CJ3, marking a first for the Citation family.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Austria, the Netherlands, and Sweden are the latest export customers for the multi-role aircraft

Fokker To Modify C-390s for NATO Special Missions

Matt Thurber

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

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