Sierra Industries has earned Canadian approval for two more of its reengined Cessna Citations. The Uvalde, Texas-based modification specialist recently received an amended STC from Transport Canada that adds the Citation 550 and S550 models to the list of previously approved Williams International FJ44 engine upgrades of the Cessna Citation 500 and 501. Sierra’s reengined and modified Citations now are approved in 33 countries.
Mike O’Rourke (Herndon, VA ), Former NTSB Investigator and Air Traffic Controller (FAA and USAF) (Herndon, VA )
Regarding “The Trouble With Bubbletown,” it would seem from a review of FAA pay grades that quite a few individuals at the worker-bee level exceed the $100K level, including frontline ATC types at many of the nation’s airports as well maintenance techs, flight inspection pilots, and certain AVN personnel.
David Sheehan, a business aviation veteran with thousands of hours of flight experience, a former NBAA board member and a regional representative for the association, died on Jan. 4. Sheehan worked in the Mobil Oil Corp. flight department for 31 years, ultimately attaining the position of general manager of Corporate Aviation before retiring in 1996 to pursue other business interests in Asia. He served on NBAA board of directors from 1989 to 1996. Sheehan joined the U.S.
The first Challenger 850 to come out of Flying Colours Corp.’s completion facility in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada, has been delivered to Moscow, Russia, where the jet will be managed by Chartright Air Group. Flying Colours is working on three additional Challenger 850s and has two more completions scheduled for this year. The 850 work is performed at both Peterborough and at JetCorp Technical Services, Flying Colours’ facility located near St. Louis.
Proposed Rules Hawker Beechcraft King Air B300 and B300C airplanes — Inspect the terminal board on the circuit-card rack assembly to determine if the correct bus bar is installed. Also, replace the bus bar, if necessary, and check the left and right pitot-heat annunciators for proper operation. Honeywell LTS101-600A, -600A-1A, -700A-1A and 700D-2 engines — Remove certain power turbine blades from service. Piaggio P-180 airplanes — Conduct a dye-penetrant inspection of the “0” pressure bulkhead and reinforce it by installing doublers.
Alaska Airlines introduced RNP approaches at two more regional airports in Alaska, reports Aviation Week’s Aviation Daily. The carrier debuted an RNP approach in Adak, Jan.14, and will add another at Ketchikan in March. An RNP RNAV pioneer, Alaska has introduced similar procedures at 45 percent of the airports it serves in Alaska since 1996, as well as in Washington, D.C.; Portland, Ore.; and Palm Springs, Calif.
The TSA in January distributed airport threat vulnerability assessment survey forms to 3,000 general aviation airports nationwide with a 2,000-foot runway, or longer, and those near major metropolitan or prohibited areas, AOPA reports. The TSA admits the survey is not based on any “specific, credible information to suggest an imminent threat to the homeland or general aviation.” Airport managers must complete the survey within 60 days of receiving the forms, and the results will be made available to participating airports about 30 days after the survey’s closing period.
Cessna restarted the Citation Sovereign line that was shut down early last summer. The company recalled 180 workers during January. “All of our assembly lines are back up and running,” a Cessna spokesman said, but added, “albeit, in greatly reduced rates.” Cessna originally had planned to deliver 535 jets in 2009, but the freefalling general aviation market pushed that number down to 275. Cessna expects to build even fewer jets this year, but further layoffs are not expected.
Delta AirElite had added a Bombardier Learjet 45XR and Cessna Citation XLS to its fleet. The 2007 Learjet 45XR is based in Jacksonville, Fla., and the 2007 Citation XLS is at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport.
David C. Hook (San Antonio, TX ), President (San Antonio, TX ), Planehook Aviation Services, LLC (San Antonio, TX )
“Aircraft Repair Station Security” (Point of Law, January 2010, page 64) was a balanced and fair presentation of the TSA’s proposed program. I offer a point to consider: existing bilateral agreements. There are some 27 countries around the world where the United States has in effect authorized that nation’s aviation authority to conduct Part 145 inspections and approve aircraft repair stations in that country on behalf of the FAA. The authority to grant these powers comes as the result of diplomatic agreement between nations — a function of the U.S.
ICAO amended its rules to now require commercial operators to carry a standardized certified true copy of their Air Operator Certificate (AOC) on board when operating internationally as of Jan. 1. Operators planning to operate overseas have to get yhe document from the FAA, through their POIs. The agency has issued a new “Information for Operators” advisory, InFO 09019, to help obtain these required documents. It contains a template of the required ICAO-format AOC.
Horse Sense Meacham Field may be an airport to you, but to Janine Iannarelli, it’s the name she gave her horse. She’s not confused at all, just affirming that she lives in one world populated with aircraft and another filled with the delights of the equestrian life. She’s had Meacham for two years since acquiring him from an owner in Germany, and the big, gray Holsteiner has served her well. “He’s just coming into his prime,” she says. “He’s competitive and smart.”
Probably the most significant tool for the marketing of empty legs has been the Internet, where several Web sites have emerged to list one-way trips for consumers, operators and charter brokers. Here are snapshots of four featured in this report:
The FAA, in January, expanded its list of oxygen concentrators approved for inflight use aboard charter, corporate and airline aircraft, from four to 11. Oxygen concentrators separate oxygen from ambient air and deliver it to users at greater than 90-percent concentration. The units contain no compressed or liquid oxygen, which are classified as hazardous material. Airlines are also required to let passengers use them to move about the cabin, when the seat belt sign is off. Approved concentrators must be resistant to physical damage and be underseat stowable.
Cessna Aircraft just released the final performance numbers on the $8.75 million Citation CJ4 and the results are turning heads in São José dos Campos, Brazil, as well as back home in Wichita. Compared to Cessna’s original projections, the aircraft weighs less when empty, has more thrust, needs less runway, cruises faster and flies farther.
The FAA may have trouble attracting and keeping workers due to low morale and ineffective diversity efforts, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office. With 38 percent of “critical” employees eligible for retirement by 2013, the agency must do more to fix morale problems, the report suggested. In a 2009 survey of the best places to work in the federal government, the FAA ranked 214th out of 216 agencies.
Bombardier said in its third-quarter 2009 financial report that it received 26 orders for business jets in the three-month period and 24 cancellations — the first time in a year that it had more orders than cancellations. Bombardier remains in the black, though profits are substantially down compared to the same period last year.
The increase in aircraft utilization is helping bolster the aviation services business, said Jay Johnson, president and chief executive of General Dynamics. GD’s services business, including Jet Aviation and General Dynamics Aviation Services, saw business erode as flight hours plunged 17 percent through the first three quarters, Johnson said. While customers continued with “must-do” maintenance, discretionary maintenance tended to get deferred. Some of this maintenance is the more high-margin work, Johnson noted.
Bob Hope Airport officials expect to lay the groundwork this year for a new Part 150 study to grapple with noise issues. The study is one step local officials are planning to take since FAA rejected the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority’s request for a nighttime ban at the Burbank, Calif.-based airport in November. The airport authority had hoped to become the first organization to successfully impose noise restrictions on Stage III and quieter aircraft under the Part 161 process.
During a November meeting in Paris the European Business Aviation Association formed a new Airports, Handling and Ground Operations Committee to promote fair, equitable and secure access to airports; assure safety and best practices standards at airports and in handling companies; promote environmentally friendly operations to the benefit of local communities; and “fight for fair competition” to benefit all stakeholders to meet the needs of aircraft operators, their passengers and crews. Michel de Ronne of Aéroport de Paris is the committee’s first chairman.
FlightSafety International announced that FlightSafety Academy has entered into an agreement with CABAIR and its affiliate, Orlando Flight Training, to jointly offer JAA pilot training. FlightSafety Academy students wishing to qualify for a European license will be able to complete their FAA qualification in Vero Beach before moving to Orlando Flight Training in Kissimmee, Fla., for the JAA ATPL ground school/CPL course and then to CABAIR in the United Kingdom to obtain a JAA Instrument Rating.
By mid-December 2009, Twin Commander Aircraft’s move from Washington state to Creedmoor, N.C., was expected to be complete. Earlier, the FAA had granted Twin Commander Aircraft a production certificate to begin producing aircraft parts in its new North Carolina facility, and the company began fulfilling orders from there on Nov. 16, according to President Matt Isley.
Air BP has added seven new dealers to its network, four of which are participating in the Bravo Rewards Program: Emblem Aviation of Pinedale, Wyo. (PNA) Honeycutt Aviation of Olivehurst, Calif. (MYV) Delta AirElite Jet Center of Erlanger, Ky. (CVG) Jet West of Salinas, Calif. (SNS) The remaining three dealers are: City of New Braunfels in New Braunfels, Texas (BAZ) Elite Aviation Services of Hopkinsville, Ky. (HVC) Avbase of San Jose, Calif. (SJC)
