— At around 1900 PDT, a Cessna P206 (N2570X) was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near the Valley View Airport, Estacada, Ore. It was night VFR and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Lexington Airport (9S9), Lexington, Ore., about 1745. According to a witness located at Valley View Airport, the pilot called him using a cell phone about 1845 stating that the airplane had lost all electrical power. The pilot asked the witness to turn on the runway lights so he could locate the airport and land.
— At around 1900 PDT, a Cessna P206 (N2570X) was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain while maneuvering near the Valley View Airport, Estacada, Ore. It was night VFR and no flight plan was filed. The flight originated from the Lexington Airport (9S9), Lexington, Ore., about 1745. According to a witness located at Valley View Airport, the pilot called him using a cell phone about 1845 stating that the airplane had lost all electrical power. The pilot asked the witness to turn on the runway lights so he could locate the airport and land.
PrivateSky Aviation Services, Inc. , Fort Myers, Fla., has promoted Tony Singleton to general manager, and Shelley Porter is now responsible for aircraft dispatching as well as supervising the PrivateSky Customer Service representatives.
While an overhaul facility like Stevens or Yingling may do the math when marketing its upgrades, Rockwell Collins applies a calculus to the determination of whether to proceed with an STC for Pro Line 21 packages. Because the company develops and holds ownership to all STCs in order to ensure performance of its products, this is no trivial exercise. John Peterson, the company’s manager of aftermarket marketing for business and regional systems, describes it this way:
AvFuel added Million Air of San Antonio (SAT) to its network of FBO-branded dealers. Million Air SAT completed a renovation of the facility in 2007 to expand amenities and services offered.
Mooney Airplane Co. , Kerrville, Texas, appointed Jennifer Mitchell regional sales director for California. Stan “Skip” Feher is the regional sales director for the Pacific Northwest.
A recent posting by a niece on the family blog informed all that she and her brother were planning a doozy of a trip next summer and wanted to know if we had any friends who might welcome them along the way. The ports of call include the Galapagos Islands, Macchu Pichu, Rio, Cape Town, Dubai and a romp through Europe.
The National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA) has scheduled a training session titled “The How To’s of an Aircraft Transaction — Buying or Selling.” The seminar — which will be held from noon Wednesday, Dec. 3 to noon Thursday, Dec. 4 at the Hyatt Regency on Dallas Fort Worth Airport — is based on the content of the recently released NARA Aircraft Sales Guide.
DeCrane Aerospace , Georgetown, Del., named John A. Martin to vice president and general manager for PATS Aircraft Completions, a division of DeCrane.
It’s an axiom in aviation that like old soldiers, good business aircraft never die — they just get reengined and keep right on flying. It’s the not-so-good ones that fade away.
The FAA has a Web site dedicated to PMA parts at www.faa.gov/aircraft/air_cert/design_approvals/pma. The site has a link to the FAA-PMA Parts Database, which lists approved replacement parts. While there, download FAA Order 8110.42C, as well as Order 8120.2E.
Just one week after it reported strong financial performance for its FY2008, Rockwell Collins announced Nov. 10 a cost reduction plan that includes laying off 300 full-time employees and 100 contract personnel — about 1.5 percent of its workforce. “We’re dealing with significant challenges in meeting our business objectives. These challenges include air travel declines resulting from the weaker global economy, delays and cancellations in several government programs, and the prolonged Boeing strike,” said Rockwell Collins Chairman, President and CEO Clay Jones.
Duncan Aviation is planning a new full-service business jet facility near the West Coast. Duncan operates two full-service maintenance facilities in Lincoln, Neb., and Battle Creek, Mich., and more than 20 satellite avionics and seven satellite engine locations throughout the United States. The new facility, to be built in Provo, Utah, is slated to open by August 2010. The Provo operation will offer airframe, engine, completion, paint and avionics installation services.
Proposed Rules Embraer EMB-135BJ airplanes — Revise the “Airworthiness Limitations” section of the “Instructions for Continued Airworthiness” to incorporate new maintenance inspections of the aircraft’s fuel tank system.
At a meeting held in Orlando on Oct. 4, the National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA) elected the board members and officers who will serve the association in 2009.
IntelliJet International , Jacksonville, Fla., announced that Van Smith has joined the company as aircraft sales director and will be assisted by Laurie Rasberry-Jenkins.
The FAA signed agreements worth $9 million with Honeywell and Aviation Communications & Surveillance Systems (a joint venture of L-3 and Thales) in November to accelerate the testing and installation of ADS-B technology to alert pilots to potential airport surface hazards. The move by the FAA is intended to encourage operators to install the NextGen avionics early and receive benefits sooner than required. “Safety in the air starts with safety on the ground,” said acting FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell. “This technology is a real jump for aviation.
Green Flight International has completed the first U.S. cross-country flight with a jet-powered aircraft fueled predominantly with biofuel. The flights used a first-generation biodiesel, and the team is now planning flights using algae-based bio-jet fuel. The Aero L-29 jet trainer was flown 2,486 miles from Reno, Nev., to Leesburg, Fla. Of that distance, 1,776 miles were flown on 100-percent biofuel and 710 miles on a blend of 50-percent biofuel and 50-percent standard jet fuel.
Michael K. Moore, Jet Direct Aviation’s senior vice president of business development and aircraft brokerage, detected a change in the market for previously owned turbine-powered business aircraft earlier this year. “It was clearly going to lead to larger inventories and, eventually, lower prices on most airplanes. That process has moved ahead with a lot greater definition in the last three months.”
It might be a while before Barack Obama announces nominees for key transportation posts since dealing with the nation’s myriad financial problems will be his No. 1 priority. There is little in Obama’s brief Senate record to provide much insight about his aviation views — the committees on which he served simply were not involved in aviation matters.
