ExecuJet Aviation Group, Zurich, Switzerland, appointed Mark Abbott as ExecuJet Group FBO director based at the Cape Town facility. Graham Stephenson, the company’s head of FBOs, has retired after an aviation career spanning almost 50 years — 21 years in commercial aviation and 23 years in business aviation.
A new mobile Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) from 3M provides charter companies, general aviation operators and FBOs — including trip support and corporate flight handling operators — an accurate, fast, portable and flexible way to collect, store, validate and transmit APIS data for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) passenger screening with forwarding to TSA for vetting. The DHS require submission of electronic notices of arrival and departure of international flights for private and general aviation and electronic passenger and crew manifests.
There has been some confusion among international operators lately concerning slot restrictions at Beijing Capital International Airport (ZBAA). Matt Pahl, assistant manager of operations for Air Routing International at Houston, cleared it up. “Earlier this year, [the CAAC] told the business aviation community that they could not support continuous operations through the day. Consequently, they have no general aviation slots available between 1100 and 1700 local, and you can obtain only one slot between 0800 and 1100, and 1700 and 2200.
Aviation activity has contributed $5.4 billion to Iowa’s economy and supports an estimated 47,304 jobs with a payroll of $2.7 billion, according to a new report from the state DOT. The report said, “From analysis completed in this study, it is estimated that roughly 12 percent of the state’s jobs, annual payroll and gross state products are in some way linked to aviation.” Air transportation plays a crucial role in Iowa’s tourism, emergency services, agriculture and public safety, the report said.
Aerospace Filtration Systems, Inc. and Metro Aviation have partnered on the development of a Eurocopter EC135 Inlet Barrier Filter system. The IBF system features multiple long-life filter assemblies that are internally mounted to the existing EC135 cowlings, resulting in no drag penalties and no potential for environmental harm associated with mounted designs. The STCed product is scheduled for certification in time for Heli-Expo 2010.
The doors reopened at the Eclipse Aviation headquarters and assembly site in Albuquerque Sept. 1, some six months after they were closed — many thought permanently. Eclipse Aerospace, Inc., a new entity founded by Eclipse 500 owners Mason Holland and Mike Press, purchased the bankrupt Eclipse Aviation’s assets at auction in August in a deal involving $20 million in cash and an equal amount in new notes to old Eclipse Aviation noteholders. The original company spent more than $1 billion to design, certify, and deliver the EA 500 very light jet before failing.
Eight airlines have struck a multiyear agreement with Rentech, Inc. and Aircraft Service International Group to receive up to 1.5 million gallons of synthetic diesel (RenDiesel) for ground service equipment operations at Los Angeles International Airport. The agreement followed shortly after ASTM International approved the use of a synthetic fuel that Rentech develops for commercial airline use. The fuel will be delivered beginning in late 2012. Rentech will supply its fuel produced from green waste at a planned Renewable Energy Center in Rialto, Calif.
Conklin & de Decker’s latest Aircraft Performance Comparator is now available. According to the company it is the most comprehensive and easy to use performance comparison tool and now includes some of the latest aircraft that are still in development. The Aircraft Performance Comparator allows the user to overlay and compare aircraft interiors and exteriors with critical performance data that comes directly from the manufacturer’s approved flight and performance manuals. Price (CD only): Jets, $695; Turboprops, $595; Helicopters, $595; Pistons, $450
TWC Aviation, Inc. celebrated the one-year anniversary of its move to California’s Van Nuys Airport (VNY) after outgrowing its previous headquarters at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. Since the August 2008 move, TWC (www.twcaviation.com) has added nine aircraft to its FAA Air Carrier Certificate, including a Gulfstream G550.
The FAA has awarded Piper Aircraft Type Certificate Organization Designation Authorization (TC-ODA), authorizing Piper to act on behalf of the FAA in approving airplane designs and certifying that they conform to FAA airworthiness standards. TC-ODA is similar to the previous FAA standard, Delegation Option Authorization (DOA) that Piper held.
As an aging pilot, I was extremely interested in your article, “Staying Sharp with Age” (September, page 41). But the main cause of memory lapses was omitted. What the researchers overlook is why the brain tends to go on vacation at just the wrong time. This is a major cause of pilot error, but few are addressing it. I have given many FAA Wings lectures to pilots on this very subject — electrolyte deficiency. Drinking water is not enough anymore as most of it is processed, filtered and otherwise depleted of electrolytes, which are the charge for our brain’s battery.
The helicopter EMS industry has questions about several of the NTSB’s 19 proposed safety recommendations aimed at minimizing the risks of HEMS operations issued at a Sept. 1 Safety Board meeting in Washington, D.C. While helicopter industry leaders found few surprises in the recommendations regarding civil medevac operations, they questioned the time frames of many of them. Some were taken aback by one directed to federal Medicare and Medicaid services’ payment practices.
Embraer, São Jose dos Campos, Brazil, announced that Carlos Eduardo Camargo is the company’s new external communications director and Andre Gaia will become the head of investor relations, a post that was formerly held by Camargo.
Cessna has set up a new Internet site to guide operators of Citations with a takeoff weight of more than 12,566 pounds (5,700 kg) who plan to regularly fly in the European Union through the process of registering their aircraft with the EU’s aviation Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). The scheme requires emission reporting in 2010 and mandatory use in 2012 of carbon allocations for all flights in EU airspace.
Are executive/VIP-configured turboprop transports a trend? ATR announced that the Royal Thai Air Force took delivery of its first VIP-configured ATR turboprop transport yesterday (Sept. 9), ATR announced. The ATR 72-500 is the first of four VIP ATR’s ordered in 2007 with a VIP cabin interior and optional front passenger door. The RTAF VIP fleet mission is to transport the Thai royal family and government and military officials.
“Our latest data show evidence of stabilization in the bizjet market, but no improvement,” said the business jet industry analysts at financial services company JP Morgan in the August edition of their Business Jet Monthly report. “In the used market, inventories remain at record highs, but have not gotten much worse, staying in the 14.4- to 14.5-percent range for the fifth consecutive month, and prices continue a steady downward march toward supply/demand equilibrium.”
Comtran International has won EASA certification for a Dornier 328-300 JET conversion. The approval enables the Texas-based aviation company, known best for its MD-80 hush kits and head-of-state aircraft completions, to sell the 12-passenger executive twinjet to European customers. Comtran, which earlier received FAA certification for the retrofit, calls the Revolution Series 328 VIP aircraft a low-cost alternative to expensive, large-cabin business aircraft.
