A “perfect storm” of challenges to business aircraft ownership — whether whole or fractional — is brewing in Washington, D.C., and beyond with potential far-reaching impact not only on aircraft ownership but the managed-aircraft charter business model.
The University of Dayton Research Institute’s Patrick Haines and James Luers have been vocal advocates for exploring the effects of heavy rain on aircraft performance and have applied forensic engineering methods to several accidents. Their methodology, which was published in the Journal of Aircraft, suggests that the previously calculated effects of wind shear were in error, and that heavy rain likely contributed to the loss of performance in many mishaps.
Embraer has selected Starlink Aviation to be its first authorized service center in Canada for its Phenom executive jets. The company is headquartered at Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport, in Quebec, offering Phenom owners aircraft maintenance and FBO services, as well as aircraft charter management.
Proposed Rules Bombardier CL-601, CL-601-3A, CL-601-3R and CL-604 airplanes — Revise the “Airworthiness Limitations” section of the “Instructions for Continued Airworthiness” to incorporate new repetitive functional tests of the engine throttle control gearbox. Learjet 60 airplanes — Revise the “Tires Servicing” and “Tires Limitation” sections of the airplane flight manual to incorporate revised procedures for servicing tires and checking for proper tire inflation.
Especially in today’s volatile market, Rick Engles believes it is critical that aircraft brokers clearly communicate to prospective airplane sellers what the true value of their aircraft is.
Looking for help with your foggy or scratched windows? Check out the NBAA’s Products and Services Directory to locate outfits that specialize in aircraft window repair and replacement. First, access the Web site at http://data.nbaa.org/prodsvcs/directory/search.cfm, and then from the pull-down Categories menu select Window/Windscreen Repair.
The White House in June nominated Christopher A. Hart for a second term on the NTSB. According to the NTSB roster of former members, he previously served on the Safety Board from 1990-1993. Since then he has held a senior safety oversight role at the FAA. Hart is a pilot with commercial, multiengine and instrument ratings. He is an attorney and has earned engineering degrees.
Your article on making the flight department’s case by engaging company management and staff (“Enhancing Flight Department Relevance,” July, page 49) makes sense and $.
Hawker Beechcraft Services announced that a Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) Localizer Performance with Vertical Guidance (LPV) solution will be available this summer for all Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21-equipped Hawker 800XP aircraft. The upgrade is a cooperative effort between Rockwell Collins and Hawker Beechcraft Corp. (HBC). HBC’s factory-owned aircraft service centers are now taking pre-orders and pre-scheduling aircraft for the installation.
Hawker Beechcraft has appointed Aeronautics Limited as a sales representative for England, Scotland and Wales. Aeronautics Limited will market and sell both new and used current-production Hawker and Beechcraft airplanes. Based at Kemble Airport in the United Kingdom, Aeronautics Limited specializes in corporate aircraft sales, acquisition, brokerage, management and operations.
Gulfstream Aerospace recently received Type Certificate Validation from Transport Canada for the Gulfstream G550, G500, G450, G350 and GV, the company announced July 13. These aircraft join seven other Gulfstream models already certified for Canadian registration — the G200, G150, G100, GIV, GIII, GIIB and GII. The new certifications mean operators can now register any in-production Gulfstream aircraft in Canada.
In the United States, depreciation is a method of tax deferral allowed by the Internal Revenue Service to enable businesses to accelerate deductions when purchasing high-priced capital assets, such as production machinery, highway vehicles, ships or aircraft used in business contexts. Its overriding intention is to encourage — or at least facilitate — the purchase of capital equipment, as this is seen as a stimulus to the larger economy.
The AOPA’s Aviation eBrief says both Democrats and Republicans in the Senate are backing an FAA reauthorization bill introduced in mid-July that would accelerate NextGen implementation. The bill would require satellite-based ATC at the 35 busiest U.S. airports by 2014, with the rest of the country coming online by 2018 with $40 billion in funding through 2011 but with out-year system funding unspecified, postponing the tough decisions until 2011, AOPA states as we go to press.
International Communications Group (ICG) developed an interface between its NxtMail Server and Cobham’s SDU-7300 Swift 65 and SDU-320 Swift Broadband Satcom systems, which will enable up to eight on-board Wi-Fi devices to simultaneously access on-board services provided by the Inmarsat high-speed data channel. ICG said the integration of its NxtMail Service with the Cobham SDUs expands the platforms for ICG products, since NxtMail now can be configured to connect to both Inmarsat and Iridium systems.
The two areas of expenses shown here are based on national average annual costs reported by flight departments compiled and analyzed by ARG/US. The figures shown in each cost area are broken down by the six aircraft categories and will be the same for all aircraft of a particular category.
Precision Aviation Group, Atlanta, announced that Phillip Fienen has joined PAG as the new regional sales manager. Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings, Andover, Kan., appointed James W. Havers-Strong sales manager.
AircraftLogs has released upgrades that automate the calculations for tax reporting for companies with an internal flight department. The upgraded “Tax Manager” feature works with existing flight records and passenger data that are held in the AircraftLogs system. It updates aircraft tax compliance information immediately after each flight and will calculate fringe benefit income as required, following the use of the aircraft by executives, according to AircraftLogs. This feature allows tax personnel to monitor compliance on a real-time basis.
Jet Advisors, Broomfield, Colo., announced that former Flight Options vice president of sales and marketing James Dauterman has joined the company as a technical consultant focusing on the contractual aspects of private jet ownership and operation.
Dassault Falcon hosted the 23rd annual awards ceremony June 3, for the Teterboro Airport Community Benefit Fund that has provided more than $124,000 in scholarship awards to nearly 150 individual students since 1986. This year, nine scholarships of $1,500 each were awarded to students representing 14 towns in the surrounding area. Dassault Falcon has hosted the Teterboro Airport Community Benefit Fund awards ceremony for three consecutive years and has been a major contributor since 2001.
The fight over user fees to fund the aviation system may just be a “smoke screen,” according to one industry executive, who warned that even bigger worries may lay ahead. Speaking during the National Air Transportation Association Air Charter Summit, Jet Aviation Senior Vice President Dick Van Gemert warned, “It can get very easy to focus on the wrong battle.” While the battle over user fees is important, Washington leaders are beginning to look for other sources of revenues to pay for the growing expenditures.
Germany’s Air Alliance, one of the leading Cessna Service Centers in Europe, has been named an authorized Blackhawk Modifications distributor and installation center and has agreed to purchase three new Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-42A engines to re-engine Cessna Grand Caravans.
Think that Washington lawmakers and the Obama administration are the only folks taking a close look today at corporations’ use of business aircraft? Increased scrutiny of corporate aviation has long preceded the Big Three automakers’ now-infamous appearance on Capitol Hill in November 2008.
L-3 Avionics Systems, Grand Rapids, Mich., announced that Jan LaFoy has been appointed president of the company, which is part of L-3 Communications’ Aviation Products business area. He reports to Kris Ganase, president of L-3 Aviation Products.
SimCom has begun operating a TBM 850 FTD at its Orlando training center. The FTD, equipped with a high-resolution visual system, is configured with the TBM 850’s Garmin G1000 avionics suite. The SimCom facility provides a central location within the largest geographic market for the TBM 850 spanning the Southeast. The center also will support TBM customers from Latin and Central America.
Sales have slowed. Warehouses have filled. Profits are down. Analysts are tsk-tsking, reporters are snooping and stockholders are angry. It’s crunch time, that anxious period when every asset, every department undergoes excruciating cost/benefit scrutiny. The worry increases with each business unit’s distance from the company’s core activity — that is, producing, selling or supporting its main products or services.
