Instructors Zach McCarley and David Culbertson understand the key factors in recognizing an aircraft’s flight condition in the high-altitude/high-Mach environment.
Baker Aviation, Addison, Texas, appointed Willard Kelley chief inspector/quality manager. Most recently Kelley was regional maintenance manager for Eaglemed, LLC, an FAR Part 135 air medical transport company operating rotorcraft and fixed-wing aircraft at 30 locations. Bell Helicopter, Fort Worth, Texas, named Ron Orndoff regional sales manager for North America responsible for overseeing marketing and sales activities.
Looking for help enabling electronic signatures? The FAA has an Advisory Circular to point you in the right direction. “AC 120-78 — Acceptance and Use of Electronic Signatures, Electronic Record-keeping Systems and Electronic Manuals “ is the place to look. The main idea is to ensure that only the person doing the work and returning the aircraft to service is making the entry. This can be done in a number of ways, and this guidance will help you choose.
Purdue is expanding its propulsion laboratory for research directed at reducing fuel consumption and emissions for the next generation of jet engines. Expansion will include test cells to support laser-based measurements in a building to be constructed next to its high-pressure lab. The high-pressure lab was developed in 1964 as part of NASA’s Apollo program and is sponsored by aerospace companies, NASA, the Air Force and other agencies. The lab specializes in rockets and gas-turbine engines.
FlightSafety International says it plans to increase its fleet of advanced helicopter simulators by more than 40%.It aims to add Level D qualified simulators to its Learning Centers in Dallas, as well as at new facilities in Denver and Singapore, and at a location yet to be determined. The Denver facility is scheduled to open in 2016.
The Helicopter Association International’s (HAI) annual HELI-EXPO, held March 2-5 in Orlando, Florida, drew 18,272 registered attendees, hosted 735 exhibitors, including 57 aircraft on the convention hall floor. An upbeat Matt Zuccaro, HAI President and CEO, said at the time that “a lot of business is being done on the show floor.” And a lot of newsworthy announcements were forthcoming as well.
The Aerospace Industries Association is searching for a new president as Marion Blakey, the longtime face and voice of U.S. aerospace and defense industry concerns in Washington, will be taking a job as the president and CEO of Rolls-Royce’s North American Operations. The unit’s current president, CEO and chairman, James Guyette, is retiring May 31. In Blakey, RRNA is getting an executive who knows Washington and the industry.
Piaggio Aerospace completed the first flight of its first fully configured P.1HH HammerHead unmanned aerial vehicle in December. The HammerHead — an unmanned version of the P.180 Avanti executive turboprop — made its first flight on Dec. 22 from Trapani air base in Sicily.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will begin a large-scale runway construction and rehabilitation project beginning in March. The construction will take place in five stages and is expected to be completed in 2017. Phase one includes the closure of Runway 25L-07R for 33 days, from March 6 to April 7. Departure delays are likely during peak times because of reduced departure rates. At times, the airport will be down to a three-runway operation.
XOJet, an on-demand private jet charter company, exceeded its profit targets and added a record number of new clients last year, it said. The San Francisco-based company recorded a 56% increase in new program sales last year, with a 19% improvement in retail charter sales. That included flights operated by XOJet and its partner operators. It experienced growth across North America and especially in the Northeast. Flights beginning or ending in the New York tri-state metro area were up significantly.
Flight evaluations of Safe Flight Instrument Corp.’s new Icing Conditions Detector (ICD) by a jet and a piston aircraft manufacturer are expected to conclude soon and production begin. “We have a contract to deliver starting this year,” said Safe Flight Executive Vice President Matt Greene.
Three Textron Aviation service centers have gained certification to repair and service King Air aircraft, the company said. Its company-owned service centers in Sacramento, California, Mesa, Arizona, and Paris have gained certification for Beechcraft King Air 90-, 200- and 300-series aircraft. The certification expands King Air operators’ access to its global customer service, the company said. The Sacramento and Mesa facilities are the first Citation service centers in North American to gain FAA authorization for Beechcraft King Air Service.
A national program called “ExporTech” will be offered in Kansas for the first time through the Mid-American Manufacturing Technology Center, or MAMTC. The program will help up to eight South Central Kansas companies with an eye on foreign export markets in three group sessions, organizers say. Companies will be selected in the coming weeks. They will be assessed a $2,000 fee and allowed to bring up to three executives to the sessions. The end result will be a completed export plan and action items to grow exports.
Bell Helicopter has delivered its first Bell 429WLG in North America. The aircraft was delivered to Kenny Habul, a professional Nascar driver and founder of CEO of SunEnergy1, a solar energy performance certificate company in Moorseville, North Carolina, specializing in utility-scale, ground-mount projects. The Bell 429 Wheeled Landing Gear, or WLG, will be used for corporate and VIP travel. “The Bell 429WLG is the perfect fit for our corporate and transportation needs,” Habul said.
Becker Avionics, based in Miramar, Florida, has introduced a new ADS-B tracking and surveillance system for flight and ground operations. The system is called ATLASS, for ADS-B Traffic Localization and Surveillance System, a traffic monitoring system that provides air and ground situational awareness. The concept will be on display at the Heli-Expo convention March 3-5.
Ali Ahmed Al Naqbi is retiring retiring from his position with Presidential Flight of Abu Dhabi to focus on growing the Middle East and North Africa Business Aviation Association, or MEBAA, which he founded. Al Naqbi, one of Presidential Flight’s founding members, served as vice president of finance and administration of the company, where he spent nearly 25 years. Presidential began business as Private Flight and changed names to Amiri Flight before adopting the Presidential name.
American Aero FTW, an FBO at Meacham International Airport in Fort Worth, has purchased 64,000 sq. ft. of additional hangar space and 2.3 acres of land at the airport as part of an effort to expand its presence and enhance its ability to offer services to business aviation customers. The company is building three hangars and a two-story office complex, which is expected to be completed later this year.
According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Gulfstream Aerospace and Spirit AeroSystems have settled a case in which the latter alleged it had sustained damages for incomplete payments for G650 wings it manufactured for Gulfstream. Jefferies aerospace analyst Howard Rubel noted that by the end of last year, Gulfstream had retained $135.1 million in payments for work completed. Meanwhile, Spirit had liabilities tied to the program of $65.1 million. Rubel estimates Spirit received a net payment of $70 million in the settlement.
A New Delhi fixed base operator is the first to be certified under the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling, or IS-BAH. SRC Aviation was the first FBO to become certified to the new standard, a voluntary, performance-based program for ground handlers based on practices to ensure quality, manage risk, avoid ground mishaps and protect people on the ramp, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) said. Several FBOs around the world are in the process of adopting the standard, according to the NBAA.
Gulfstream’s done it again. Winning the Collier Trophy, that is. On March 12, the National Aeronautic Association announced Gulfstream will be awarded the 2014 Robert J.
Cirrus Aircraft announced a Special Edition SR22T for use in the Australian market, called the Australis. The aircraft was designed and tailored to the climate, condition and remote area flight operations that Australian pilots frequently experience, the company said. The Australis features a custom interior and exterior design with a two-tone paint exterior and an array of color options, bolstered leather seats, carbon fiber accents on the instrument panel and polished lights and vents throughout the cabin.
HAITEC Aircraft Maintenance GmbH, based in Germany, was granted Repair Station Approval by the FAA, which will allow it to offer maintenance, repair and overhaul services to operators of N-registered aircraft worldwide and grow its customer base, it said. HAITEC said it will mean growth at maintenance facilities at Hahn Airport and its VIP aircraft maintenance facility in Erfurt in Germany.
Landmark Aviation has acquired Ellington Partners and Southwest Airport Services at Ellington Airport in Houston, the company said. It is Landmark’s second fixed base operator in the Houston area. It also operates an FBO at George Bush International/Houston Airport. “We are happy to expand our footprint in Houston, and we look forward to being a part of Ellington Airport and its surrounding communities,” said Dan Bucaro, Landmark Aviation president and CEO.
