— A Hughes 369A helicopter (N104BN) impacted ocean water and sank following a loss of control on takeoff from a fishing vessel in the Pacific Ocean’s Solomon Sea, about 350 miles west of Honiara, Solomon Islands. The pilot, a Philippine national, was not found and is presumed dead, and the passenger, a Chinese national, sustained serious injuries. The helicopter, which was registered to Oceanside Helicopters Inc. of Port Vila, Vanuatu, was not recovered and is presumed destroyed. It was VFR and no flight plan was filed.
There is no doubt that we are in tough economic times, and many flight departments are feeling the pain. For many maintenance managers, the current situation is a rapidly changing environment where maximum flexibility and capability are essential. A sudden increase or decrease in operations tempo can shift focus from supporting more flight ops to taking advantage of reduced hours to complete major inspections or modifications. However, a seeming permanent decrease can mean there’s not enough work to justify the current roster of technicians.
The TSA’s controversial Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) proposal came under fire as incomplete and a “waste of time” at the first two of five public meetings that packed rooms and drew some 100 speakers who unanimously testified in opposition. General aviation industry executives were pleased by the attendance and comments at the hearings, but cautioned that LASP opponents must continue to express their concerns at the remaining hearings, and e-mail or mail written comments for inclusion in the NPRM docket by the Feb. 27 comment deadline.
Your reference to my flying BCA editors during the 1958 NBAA convention (“Business Aviation 50 Years Ago,” October 2008, page 38) took me back. It was during that time that I had my most exciting flying experience and by then I’d had my share. I flew torpedo bombers for the Marines in World War II, and fighters in Korea. After that, I worked as a test pilot — for General Motors.
JetDirect Aviation Holdings is restructuring its operations with the sale of its Sunset Aviation and Presidential Jets as well as three FBOs at Chester County Airport (KMQS) in Coatesville, Pa.; Dallas — Love Field (KDAL); and Spirit of St. Louis Airport (KSUS). The Berwyn, Pa., aviation services provider said the reorganization would allow JetDirect to focus on its national aircraft management and charter business. JetDirect is selling California-based Sunset and Florida-based Presidential Jets back to the original ownership groups.
AOPA Airport Support Network volunteer John F. Betsill Jr. testified at the Jan 8 LASP meeting in Atlanta. According to the TSA, the LASP would initially affect 270 FAA-designated reliever airports and another 42 airports that serve general aviation aircraft with MTOWs of 12,500 pounds or greater.
The NBAA has given Sharon Forbes of DuPont Aviation the first Schedulers & Dispatchers Outstanding Achievement & Leadership Award. Created in 2008, this award recognizes individuals who have shared their outstanding business aviation industry expertise, provided extraordinary service, exhibited leadership and made significant contributions to the scheduling and dispatching function. Forbes is the supervisor of scheduling operations and facility manager of DuPont’s flight department headquartered in Wilmington, Del.
Brent Wouters becomes CEO of Cirrus Design Corp. in addition to president and chief operating officer effective Feb. 1. Alan Klapmeier, who founded the company in Duluth, Minn. in 1984 with his brother Dae, will continue as chairman of the board of directors with Dale as vice chairman. Wouters joined Cirrus in early 2002 as executive vice president and chief financial officer, and was promoted to president and COO in March 2008.
On Jan. 12, Cirrus announced new features, upgrades and option packages for its aircraft lineup including “Known Ice Protection” on SR22 and Turbo models; an all-new “X-Edition” premium interior; paint upgrades across the model line; and CMX, a branded “assurance by the 100-hour” pre-purchased maintenance and service program. Cirrus Chairman Alan Klapmeier said the line now ranges from an SR20 S starting at $269,900 to a Turbo GTS with known ice protection for $598,500.
Dallas Airmotive, BBA Aviation engine repair and overhaul subsidiary, has relocated its Phoenix area Regional Turbine Center from Scottsdale Airpark to a new, larger facility adjacent to Deer Valley Airport in North Phoenix. At 7,500 square feet, the new facility has twice the space of the old one. The Phoenix facility performs OEM-authorized repairs including hot section inspections on Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A and JT15D turbines and repairs and overhauls on Rolls-Royce Model 250 turboshaft engines.
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced a bill to exempt airport bonds and other private activity bonds from the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) penalty, a move the airport industry has long supported. The bill, S. 139, is co-sponsored by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.). The bill would repeal the AMT from interest earned on more than 60 percent of airport bonds.
General Electric’s acquisition of Smiths Aerospace in May 2007 marked an expansion from engine building into aircraft systems. No sooner than the ink had dried on the purchase contract, the Cincinnati-based OEM was busy developing a strategy integrating cyber-based aircraft systems with its engine products.
Meanwhile, in a letter to Hawker Beechcraft employees, Chairman and CEO Jim Shuster wrote that the general aviation market has slowed and new orders have fallen off “considerably.” “As we enter 2009, we see the economy continuing to erode and find ourselves facing a highly uncertain and unpredictable business climate,” he continued. “As a result, we are forced to substantially decrease our 2009 production levels and take the painful step of reducing our workforce accordingly.” Shuster took pains to reassure that the company is “extremely healthy” with a solid future.
Who would have believed it? Embraer’s then-president Maurício Botelho convened a press conference at the Corcoran Museum of Art in May 2005 in Washington, D.C., He introduced Luís Carlos Affonso, whom he said would direct the design, development, manufacture and certification of a VLJ and a light jet, the Phenom 100 and 300 — and bring the Phenom 100 into service in 2008. Most of the reporters in the room were taken aback since Embraer was then primarily a builder of airliners.
Thrane & Thrane has received Inmarsat type approval for its Aero-SB Lite system. This approval will enable Aero-SB to take full advantage of the Inmarsat SwiftBroadband service allowing Thrane & Thrane to start the first installation and certification on U.S.-registered aircraft. The system is a total cabin solution that exceeds the ongoing requirement to provide a true office in the sky by harnessing the Internet, VPN, e-mail, fax and telephone in one compact and lightweight package, according to the manufacturer.
Embraer’s Phenom 100, Brazil’s first purpose-built business jet, won certification Dec. 9 from Brazil’s ANAC and U.S. FAA certification on Dec. 12. FAA published special certification conditions in the Federal Register Nov. 28 but is not holding up certification waiting for comments. Those special conditions, according to the FAA, resulted from the fact that the entry-level jet had some “novel or unusual design features” not envisioned in Part 23.
At a Dec. 5 online press conference, Cirrus Design CEO Alan Klapmeier and senior executives gave an update on the status of the Cirrus Vision single-engine personal jet program, announcing that the company will begin the process of applying for an FAA Type Certificate for the aircraft. Notably, the company will not apply for European certification until the FAA and EASA reach an accommodation acceptable to Cirrus on the imposition and amount of certification and operator user fees. The production Vision will weigh in the vicinity of 6,000 pounds.
Thank you for your two excellent articles on pilot medical certification issues (“The Doctor Is In” and “Disability and the Corporate Pilot,” November 2008). Both highlight one of the top fears of a professional pilot: loss of license due to medical factors. The first article noted that FAR Part 67 lists 15 disqualifying diagnoses, yet FAA policy and the Guide to Aviation Medical Examiners lists several hundred other disqualifying conditions for pilots.
Sandel Avionics prevailed for the third and final round in Delaware Federal Court, responding to allegations of infringing on TAWS patents by Honeywell International. The weeklong trial concluded Dec. 5, when a jury ruled in favor of Sandel. Gerry Block, president and CEO of Sandel, said his company “has paid a great price with respect to these repeated, baseless lawsuits by Honeywell, who has been trying to preclude legitimate competition over aircraft terrain warning systems.
