Jet Aviation, Zurich, Switzerland, named Frank Kusserow as the new director and head of FBO services for EMEA and Asia. He will continue in his role as director of the Jet Aviation FBO in Dusseldorf, Germany.
IS-BAO has received official recognition as an industry standard for business aircraft operations in Europe. The approval, announced Aug. 25 by the European Union’s standard body, should facilitate recognition of IS-BAO in the upcoming EASA Implementing Rules. IS-BAO, the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations, was developed and is overseen by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) in Montreal, Canada.
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.
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 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.
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.
Operating in the PRC is expensive, as there are fees for everything. First, entering China with the intention to land triggers the “China Compensation Fee” assessed to non-mainland-registered aircraft (which means Hong Kong operators must pay it, too) of $3,000. Charter operators get hit even harder with “reimbursement fees” for equivalent air fares that can run as high as $6,000 for Gulfstream-class aircraft.
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.
Rotor-Lift Aviation of Tasmania, Australia, has purchased two helicopter flight simulators from Carlsbad, Calif.-based FLYIT Simulators. They will be installed in a mobile self-contained trailer/classroom. One is a FLYIT Professional Helicopter Simulator with six flight model capability. The other is a custom model AS355 Twin Star (also Twin Squirrel) with a full-function autopilot and dual Garmin 430Ws.
When Richard Santulli invented the concept of fractional ownership in 1986, he created the company we know today as NetJets. Member-owners hold title to part of an airplane, one-eighth, say, entitling them to use an airplane that’s shared with seven other people. Santulli has since stepped down as CEO of the company, but the concept of expanded utilization of resources is firmly established.
The advisory commission for Scottsdale Airport has recommended that the facility adjust its business plan to increase the aircraft weight limit from 75,000 pounds to 100,000 pounds to support its long-term growth.
The NTSB Bar Association in Washington, D.C., has established the Joseph T. Nall Award to recognize individuals who make significant contributions to aviation and transportation safety. The first award will be presented at the group’s annual meeting in Washington, Nov. 12. The award is named after Joseph Nall, a member of the NTSB from 1986 through 1989 when he died in an aircraft accident in Caracas on official NTSB business. See NTSBbar.org.
The third quarter edition of Vref’s Market Leader newsletter, which noted that sales activity is up marginally in nearly every segment of the pre-owned aircraft market, asked, “Can the worst recession in history be fading in less than a year?”
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
Since nearly all civil airports exist to support airline service, only a handful have FBOs, Hong Kong Aviation Group’s Buchholz reminded readers. “Accordingly, make arrangements with your handler for ground transportation and CIQ,” he said. “Understand that you may have to queue up with the airline passengers for immigration clearance. The Chinese are getting used to business aviation, but they do not have many FBOs. Pilots will therefore be busier and should be able to think on their feet to deal with last-minute changes. Security is generally good.”
European private jet operator Jet Republic abruptly closed down Aug. 19, according to communication director Lysbeth Fox, who was contacted by phone. The next day, Bombardier issued a terse news release stating, “Bombardier Aerospace has terminated its firm and conditional order purchase agreement with Jet Republic in respect of all aircraft. The order for 110 Learjet 60 XR aircraft, consisting of 25 firm orders and 85 conditional orders, to Jet Republic was originally announced on June 20, 2008.
Embraer and Fokker celebrated significant anniversaries this summer. Fokker observed its 90th anniversary on July 21, and Embraer marked 40 years in business on Aug. 19. Nine decades after Anthony Fokker, the father of Dutch aviation, formed his company to build pioneering transport aircraft, some 3,700 employees of the Fokker companies (which now are part of the Stork group) produce electrical systems and aerostructures and offer aircraft maintenance and services while continuing to support 800 Fokker aircraft worldwide.
An FAA review is underway of an Aviation Rulemaking Committee’s recommendations on improving flight and duty time regulations. The ARC recommendations seem to be been limited to Part 121 and scheduled Part 135 operations. The on-demand Part 135 community had urged FAA to limit the scope of the ARC to scheduled service, and hopes the FAA will give consideration to recommendations offered by the Part 135/125 ARC for on-demand flight and duty time requirements. FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt has stressed his intent to fast-track new flight and duty time rulemaking.
The Bombardier Learjet 40/40XR, the two-foot shorter version of the Learjet 45, hasn’t been the firm’s all-time best seller. Only 126 units have been built since the model first entered service in early 2004. Yet, it can fly six passengers 1,600 nm in less time than any other light jet, so most East and West Coast U.S. city pairs are less than six hours apart, including a refueling stop. Operators say they flight plan for 450-knot cruise speeds on shorter trips, dispatch reliability has been excellent and Bombardier’s support has been good.
Almost all business aircraft in China, however, are corporate owned but managed by third-party charter companies or affiliated with airlines. “Right now you can’t have a private operation in China due to regulatory issues, so you have to have an AOC [air operations certificate] or be allied with an airline or charter provider,” explained Pat Dunn, an American who is employed as aviation manager for the Genting Group in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “They are welcoming foreign operations under those conditions.”
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.
