For the first half of 2008, Embraer delivered a record 97 jets, and the Brazilian airframe manufacturer's order backlog swelled to an all-time high of $20.7 billion. The 97 airplanes shipped in the first six months of 2008 represent a 59-percent increase over the 61 airplanes delivered during the first half of 2007. During the second quarter, Embraer delivered 52 jets, 43 to airline customers and nine Legacy 600s to corporate operators. In the first quarter, Embraer delivered 38 airline jets and seven Legacy 600s.
Agusta/Westland Global Support Plan (GSP) -- Designed to provide comprehensive cost control measures, the GSP covers parts and labor for both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, repair and replacement of components, overhaul, life-limited parts and pilot refresher training. Parts and labor for mandatory Service Bulletins are included. Avionics are also included. Engine services are provided by engine OEMs. The contract is transferable.
NATA is holding to the position that it is discriminatory for the FAA to take enforcement against an operator when the action in question was known to and approved by the operator's local FAA inspector. If the FAA intends to continue to state that their inspector workforce acts with the authority of the Administrator, the association maintains that an inspector's approval must then be respected and relied upon as a defense by an operator.
*Le Castellet International Airport, Le Castellet, France, announced that Philippe Gurdjian is stepping down from his position as president and general manager. At press time, a successor had not been named.
I want to thank you for dredging up the 30-year-old photos just to remind me of what the 70s were like. Nice shot of Bob Stangarone, too. And then you show a contemporary photo of yourself instead of the real Bill Garvey that we know must be lurking somewhere from the 70s. I thought you did a good job with the anniversary issue.
Congratulations on a grand tribute to the all-star team that made BCA the unique jewel of business aviation. The staff photo review is so appropriate in this very special industry (aka elite club) of aviation zealots. It is a glowing trip down memory lane. It has been an honor to serve with all of you and I am sure Dave is smiling proudly up there. BCA proves it is not lonely at the top.
I love your July issue with the "centerfold" time-lining the 50-year advance of business aviation. Will you be offering this as a poster for sale? We would love to get our hands on it! By the way, the rich history of business left out General Dynamics' purchase of Gulfstream in 1999.
Hypoxia is a silent killer and pilots often are unaware of their condition because lack of oxygen affects their judgment. Technicians who fly regularly or who participate in pressurization system maintenance flights need to be prepared as well for this invisible, tasteless danger. To help increase awareness of hypoxia's threat, the military exposes pilots to high-altitude pressure simulators.
*Agusta A109E, A109S and A119 helicopters -- Inspect the pilot and copilot doors' emergency release system. If any interference is found between the lower hinges of the doors and the housing on the helicopter structure, rework the housing slot of the lower hinge. *Cessna Caravan 208 and 208B airplanes -- Inspect the left and right wing wire bundles and repair or replace damaged wire.
I can report with some certainty that it was not the thermostat, the fan belt clutch or the water pump. I'm next focusing (i.e. replacing) the radiator (as I did with the thermostat, etc.). As for the gauge, it seems to be providing valid information in general, but remains suspect. And it, too, can be replaced.
As the world's first all-digital air carrier, DayJet, the Boca Raton, Fla.-based startup, has relied on breakthroughs in both emerging aviation and computer technologies, offering a new and unique travel option. The concept of "Per Seat, On Demand" jet service offers the efficiency and convenience of corporate jet travel with the affordability and availability of traveling with scheduled airlines. But you won't hear the word "scheduled" bantered among the DayJet faithful. Instead, they insist, "DayJet sells time."
"Think Before Speaking, Please" (July, page 102) was a great article -- right on the money! Shut up and fly!!! Leave the talking to the radio stations.
EADS Socata has named Ken Dono, TBM sales manager at Columbia Air Services in Groton, Conn., as the "2008 Most Valuable Player of EADS Socata's Worldwide Sales Network," which acknowledges the best sales performance during the last 12 months.
A Skyship 600 blimp is patrolling the Florida Straits for the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy as part of a six-week joint evaluation of the airship's effectiveness in the patrol mission. The lighter-than-air (LTA) craft and its crew of three pilots, two mechanics and 15 ground crew members began operating from Boca Chica Naval Air Station on June 30. The airship, which is owned and operated by Airship Management Services (AMS) Inc., Greenwich, Conn., is leased to the government. The contract, including mission equipment, is valued at approximately $1 million.
*Gulfstream Aerospace, Savannah, Ga., announced that Mark Burns has become president of Gulfstream Product Support and General Dynamics Aviation Services, replacing Larry Flynn, who's moving on to take over sales and marketing.
"The much anticipated change in the marketplace has arrived," declared Fletcher Aldredge in the second-quarter edition of Vref's Market Leader newsletter. "With the exception of a handful of late-model, long-range jets, the used aircraft market is loading up, and all eight Vref Market Indices are down." However, Aldredge was quick to add, "This downturn does not appear to be as severe as many expected . . . so far."
The epoxy tape application process developed by Airwolf Aerospace LLC to help prevent debonding of the stainless steel rotor blades on Robinson Helicopter R22 and R44 models has been purchased by some 300 Robinson operators, officials say. They believe that number is likely to increase in the wake of an FAA AD early this year and a series of safety recommendations by the NTSB in June. The stainless steel blades on both Robinson models have a stated service life of 2,200 hours.
Boeing has teamed with a Canadian company to develop a commercial heavy-lift aircraft that combines helicopter rotor systems with a neutrally buoyant airship. Calgary, Alberta-based SkyHook International has contracted Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems Rotorcraft Division outside Philadelphia to design the JHL-40 and build two production prototypes for certification in Canada and the United States. The aircraft is expected to fly in 2012.
MJET -- providers of integrated engineering, completion, customization and maintenance services for commercial and business aircraft -- has begun its first corporate conversion of a Bombardier CRJ200 regional jet at the company's facility at Trudeau International Airport in Montreal. The reconfigured aircraft, which will be operated by Corpac Canada Ltd. of Calgary, Alberta, is scheduled for delivery in January 2009.
ONE OF THE MANY "assurances" that airports give in order to receive federal funds is that the facility will be available for public use on "reasonable conditions" and without "unjust discrimination." In other words, an airport can set conditions for users and even discriminate against some users, as long as the discrimination is "just."
In the May issue of your magazine I read with great interest John Wiley's "ASAP's Getting Zapped" (page 64). I would like to congratulate him on a superb article. Well done!
