* First Sports Team to Purchase Blended Winglets
* First Blended Winglet Equipped 757-200 Available for Worldwide Charter
The owner of the Dallas Mavericks Boeing 757-200 and Aviation Partners Inc. jointly announced, during NBAA, the team owner’s purchase of 1-shipset of Aviation Partners Inc. patented* Blended Winglets. Performance Enhancing Blended Winglets will be installed on the team airplane in February 2006.
“Blended Winglet Technology allows the Mavericks 757 to achieve maximum range possible,” says Aviation Partners Inc.’s Vice President Gary Dunn. “With winglets, the Mavericks 757 will be a true 9-hour capable airplane and will be able to avoid many of the technical fuel stops which it had to make previously when flying long-range charters off-season. ”The modification is being done in addition to the 180 Minute ETOPS modifications that will be completed in the spring of 2006 to make this a truly one-of-a-kind charter aircraft.
The Mavericks 757 typically flies 600 hours per year with average stage lengths of 2.5 hours. The aircraft operates into several shorter airports such as Pontiac, Michigan and Cleveland Burke Lakefront, which have 6200 foot runways. The winglets will enhance the short field performance for these type of operations. When the sports team is not commuting between games, this ultimate charter 757 runs around-the-world expedition trips and will often land in truly out-of-the-way locations. Recently, the Mavericks airplane was the first Boeing 757 ever to land at Svalbard (Longyear) Norway, the farthest north commercial airport in the world at 78 degrees latitude.
“Blended Winglets will give us important performance benefits including lower power requirements on takeoff, slower approach speeds and better overall performance margins for shorter fields,” says Neil Sparkman, Maintenance Manager for the Mavericks 757. “We’re looking forward to fuel savings of between 5% and 7% and we’re certain we’ll recover our entire Blended Winglet investment on resale of the aircraft.”
A modern, high-tech, image is an important side-benefit of Blended Winglets. Sparkman said that “the owner is excited about the new ‘sports car look’ of our 757 and we plan to paint logos on the Blended Winglets which will be visible from inside the cabin.”
For more information on Blended Winglet Technology for your corporate Boeing 757, Boeing 737, Gulfstream II or Hawker 800/800XP, talk with Aviation Partners Inc. Vice President of Sales Gary Dunn during NBAA. For a charter quote on the Mavericks Blended Winglet Enhanced 757 see www.N801DM.com.
*Patent# 5348253
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