AgustaWestland hopes to formally launch the so-called XX9 before year-end, according to company CEO Giuseppe Orsi. The XX9 is a light twin-engine, four-metric-ton rotorcraft, but other details are closely guarded. The product expansion plans come as the company is in the midst of a significant production rate increase, with the goal of reaching an output of 260 helicopters in 2010, up from 128 in 2005. The Finmeccanica company also is further growing its global footprint, signing an agreement with Russia's Oboronprom Corp.
Jet Professionals is the largest firm of its kind, providing staffing for corporate aviation operations worldwide. Raymond Stebler, director of staffing solutions, says applications are coming in at a brisk rate while placement opportunities for pilots and flight attendants are waning in a slow economy. "Especially among large corporate operators," he says. "They're being much more careful about hiring."
Business continues at a record-setting pace, according to GAMA, which reported $12.1 billion in billings in the first half of the year, a 24.1-percent increase from the same period in 2007. Total shipments were up 1.6 percent to 1,919 aircraft. GAMA President Pete Bunce said that expanding world markets are having a positive effect on the turbine segment. Business jet shipments totaled 663 units in the first six months, a 39.3-percent increase. Turboprop deliveries increased to 222 from 186 units. Piston shipments, however, were down 15.7 percent, to 1,034 units.
Piaggio Aero Industries has undertaken a development program for a flight inspection version of the P180 Avanti turboprop. Under an Italian Air Force contract, Piaggio will upgrade and modernize four Air Force-owned P180 aircraft as well as integrate the UNIFIS 3000 flight Inspection system made by Norway's NSM (Norwegian Special Mission). The contract includes a training program and a long-term service and maintenance agreement, along with spares and support equipment. The upgraded aircraft are expected to return to service in 2010.
Hawker Beechcraft Corp. is now offering the new Garmin FlightLevel Extended Warranty coverage as an aftermarket option for the G1000 avionics-equipped Beechcraft Baron G58 and Bonanza G36 aircraft. The extended warranty coverage offers complete system-wide maintenance protection for everything from cockpit displays to remote line replaceable units, and is designed to give owners comprehensive protection against unexpected product failures when their standard two-year factory warranty expires.
Icon Aircraft flew the prototype of its A5, a Rotax 912-powered, two-place amphibious light-sport aircraft, for the first time on July 9 from a lake in California. With a base price of $139,000, the all-composite A5 is scheduled to enter production in late 2010. Icon is a California-based startup company comprised mostly of former Scaled Composites engineers. The 100-hp pusher runs on both automotive and aviation gasoline. The predicted top speed is 120 mph. The prototype made its public debut at the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture show in Oshkosh.
-Agusta A109E and A119 helicopters - Inspect for interference between the hydraulic lines and the tail-rotor control rod assembly. If interference is found, replace the hydraulic lines with ones of new design. -Agusta AB 139 and AW 139 helicopters - Conduct repetitive inspections for cracks in the fuselage frame 5700 middle section. If cracks are found, repair them before further flight.
Fractional operator Executive AirShare (EAS) picked up 18 Phenom 100 delivery positions from AvantAir in July, bringing its total firm orders for that Embraer aircraft to 28, with deliveries beginning in summer 2009. It holds 12 additional options. Executive also has four firm orders and four options for Phenom 300s. Executive AirShare is based in Kansas City, Mo., and also operates out of Wichita, Tulsa, Dallas and Fort Worth.
Following its acquisition of Czechoslovakia's Walter Engines, GE Aviation is launching the M601H-80, a new turboprop derivative engine with a new-technology hot section, and targeted for the utility, agriculture and retrofit aircraft segments. GE Aviation was taking orders for the engine in July at the Experimental Aircraft Association's AirVenture.
Comtran International has been awarded an STC for a 12-passenger executive version of the Dornier 328 JET. Models of the regional twinjet are being converted at the company's facility in Horseshoe Bay, Texas. The first modified aircraft, dubbed the Revolution Series 328, was completed and delivered to a European customer in July.
At 1439 PDT, a Cessna 172N (N75558) was substantially damaged when it hit trees while flying near McMurray, Wash. The commercial pilot and her two passengers were killed. The airplane was registered to Crest Airpark Inc., Kent, Wash., and operated by the pilot. It was VFR and no flight plan was filed for the personal flight. The cross-country flight originated from the Roche Harbor Airport (WA09), Roche Harbor, Wash., at about 1402 with an intended destination of Auburn, Wash.
Amsterdam-based training company FSC has acquired a simulator training facility in Dallas/Fort Worth from Higher Power Aviation. FSC is the exclusive authorized training provider for the Eclipse 500 in Europe and North America. The DFW training center has four simulator bays and is expandable to house 18 full flight simulators. Higher Power, which acquired the center from CAE in 2006, will continue its training content development operations in the facility.
- President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Federal Aviation Act, but had yet to name the new aviation agency's administrator. - A CAA-certificated Beech MS-760 arrived in New York by ship and was taken to Teterboro Airport for assembly. - A Lockheed JetStar boxed the country in a 5,860-nm demo tour, logging 14 hours, 50 minutes in the doing. The twin-engine jet was equipped with 640-gallon "glove" tanks.
Think you're ready for any inflight emergency after your latest sim session? Many flight crews believe that checking all the boxes during recurrent simulator training fulfills all their training needs. That's false confidence, according to some experienced pilots.
Aerion Corp., Reno, Nev., has elected James Stewart to the company's board of directors. John Holding was named as special advisor to the company and will lead the next stage of development for the Aerion supersonic jet.
Jet Works Air Center, Denton, Texas, announced that Gary Freeman and Chris Hicks have joined the company as regional sales managers responsible for maintenance, avionics, paint and interior services.
UK VIP charter specialist Titan Airways has added an all-business-class Boeing 737-300QC to its London-Stansted-based fleet. The airplane has been refurbished with 44 seats, upholstered in yellow and black leather. There are two club-four seat arrangements, each with a coffee table that can convert to a full working/dining table, separated by a fixed divider from the forward cabin, which offers 36 forward-facing, 62-inch-pitch seats. Titan says the new $1 million interior affords plenty of personal space and leg room.
From liftoff at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to touchdown at Downtown Manhattan Heliport (JRB) takes about 10 minutes. In one fluid motion, a US Helicopter Sikorsky S-76B sweeps its eight passengers across New York Harbor like a flying carpet.
Raisbeck Engineering, Seattle, has added Davud Kasparov as a design engineer and Aaron Jo-Nes as technical support manager. Anne Lockemy has been promoted to advertising and public relations manager.
(Wichita) - Drew McEwen has been appointed vice president of domestic executive Beechcraft sales, which will handle marketing of the King Air C90GTi, Baron G58 and Bonanza G36. Brad Stancil, the former vice president of domestic Beechcraft sales, now serves as vice president of domestic corporate Beechcraft sales and will deal with the Premier II, Premier IA, King Air 350 and King Air B200GT.
Pratt & Whitney Canada created the PT6A-67P using its well-proven, parts-bin engineering philosophy. The powerplant uses the -67A's core, including its high-temperature-tolerant single-crystal turbine blades, to boost maximum takeoff ITT to 850°C, a 30°C increase. Maximum continuous ITT is increased to 820°C, a 60°C improvement. This enables the engine to produce 1,200 shp continuously, or 200 shp more than the -67B that powered older PC-12 models. The -67P also has a special pad on the accessory gearbox that accommodates the second 300-amp generator.
