*Beechcraft King Air C90A, B200, B200C, B300 and B300C airplanes -- Inspect the flight controls for improper assembly or damage. If any improperly assembled or damaged flight controls are found, take corrective action. *Cessna Citation 500, 501, 550, S550, 551, 560, 560XL and 750 airplanes --Install identification sleeves on the wires for the positive and negative terminal studs of the engine and/or auxiliary power unit fire-extinguishing bottles, as applicable, and re-connect the wires to the correct terminal studs.
It will be at least 18 months before the TSA considers issuing federal biometric ID cards to airport workers, TSA chief Kip Hawley told the Senate Commerce Committee recently. It will that long before the agency completes testing and distributing the Transport Worker Identification Credential to some 750,000 port and maritime workers around the United States. TWIC cards, valid for five years, will cost users $137.25. TSA has spent nearly $100 million since 2001 developing and testing the machine-readable cards.
Cessna announced at the Sun 'n Fun Fly-In in April that the Cessna Caravan fleet has accumulated more than 10 million flight hours and that the Citation fleet has surpassed the 20 million flight hour milestone. Some 1,650 Caravans have been delivered in its more than 20-plus year production history. Cessna designed the unpressurized turboprop for use as an outback utility aircraft in the early 1980s and delivered the first Caravan in 1985.
Embraer reported in April that the first Phenom 100 VLJ fuselage and wing had been completed at the company's Botucatu plant, in outstate São Paulo, and transferred to the São José dos Campos facility for wing-fuselage mating and final assembly. The two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617 engines were to be installed in April. Embraer is upgrading two plants for the Phenom programs. The Botucatu facilities are being expanded by 95,800 square feet (8,900 square meters) and reconfigured to incorporate Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 subassembly lines.
Silver State Helicopters, Las Vegas, Nev., has purchased Central Washington Helicopter LLC. Founded in 1999, Silver State operates from more than 30 locations in 14 states and overseas. It has both flight and air traffic control academies. The acquisition of Central Washington Helicopter, primarily engaged in aerial application missions, will allow Silver State to expand into crop spraying, drying, pest control and fertilization.
Ballistic Recovery Systems, a manufacturer of whole-airplane parachute recovery systems for general aviation and recreational aircraft, reports that a pilot flying a Cirrus SR22 became the 200th documented life saved by a BRS product. Shortly thereafter, the company also learned that a German ultralight pilot had used a BRS system, which brought the total lives saved to 201. Save 200 occurred when a U.S. pilot departed Tucson on an IFR flight to Colorado. During the flight he encountered an in-flight emergency.
Aruba Airport Authority and Universal Aviation Aruba, a subsidiary of Universal Weather and Aviation, Inc., welcomed corporate executives, local officials and media representatives as it celebrated the grand opening of Aruba's new 1,500 square-meter General Aviation Terminal April 20. The stand-alone facility is operated by Universal Aviation under an agreement with the Aruba Airport Authority and is located at the Queen Beatrix International Airport in Oranjestad, Aruba. The grand opening honored Universal's founder, Thomas G.
"Now is a good time to be an aircraft broker," declared John Didier of Sacramento Aviation, a California company that deals mostly with previously owned business turboprops and light jets. "Business is good. The late-model, low-time market has been pretty good for the last couple of years. Now the average older airplane is gaining attention."
Edwards & Associates, The Tennessee-based subsidiary of Bell Helicopter, has installed the CMC Electronics SureSight M-Series Enhanced Vision System (EVS) sensor on an Agusta Westland AW-139 helicopter for a corporate customer.
PremiAir, the U.K.'s largest helicopter charter operator, has been acquired by the von Essen Group, a British-owned luxury hotel chain, from Sir Robert McAlpine. The acquisition follows a successful relationship between the two companies with PremiAir managing von Essen's fleet of business helicopters and jets, and operating the London Heliport for it since earlier this year.
*April 2 -- A Piper PA-28 owned by L&J Sanders Properties LLC collided with trees while cruising near New Tazewell, Tenn. Witnesses reported that the airplane came down out of the "clouds" and then climbed back up. When it came down a second time, it was on its side and went out of sight. The witnesses heard a loud crash and called 911. The NTSB examination found the airplane in a densely wooded area. It was IFR at altitude, but no flight plan was filed. The private pilot was fatally injured.
For the past half century, our sibling, Aviation Week & Space Technology, has been presenting Laureate awards annually to individuals and groups whom the AW&ST editors select for having distinguished themselves in advancing the aerospace industry.
Elliott Aviation has received EASA certification for its Elite Series cockpit upgrade, becoming the first company in the world to receive European approval for the installation of Universal Avionics' EFI-890R large-format flat-panel display system and Vision-1 synthetic vision system. Elliott installed the equipment in a French-registered 1982 Dassault Falcon 100 at its completion center at Quad Cities International Airport (MLI) in Moline, Ill. The facility also is an EASA-certified repair station.
Lufthansa has extended its deal with NetJets Europe for another five years to supply VIP passenger uplift for its Lufthansa Private Jet (LPJ) program. Launched two years ago, LPJ books around 10 aircraft per day, Lufthansa reports. Aircraft operated by NetJets Europe for LPJ include the Citation XLS, Hawker 800XP and Falcon 2000.
The DOT released the final requirements for Washington, D.C.-area businesses to seek reimbursement for lost income stemming from the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. DOT, which proposed the requirements in October, agreed to provide more time for businesses to submit an application and made other changes to the application process at the request of aviation groups. The final rule, published in the April 9 Federal Register, provides businesses 60 days from the rule's May 9, 2007 effective date to submit their application for reparations.
Motocross is a fusion of "motorcycle" and "cross country" and is usually referred to by aficionados simply as "MX." An outgrowth of scrambling and other off-road activities, the sport matches all the obstacles nature can provide against riders garbed in lightweight fiberglass armor riding lightweight, powerful bikes with suspensions capable of extreme excursions. Tracks where riders compete for prizes have man-made jumps and berms, but not asphalt. This is dirt biking - no pavement, please.
The NBAA recently released a new interactive 90-minute training aid designed to improve safety during approach and landing. Developed in partnership with the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), the NBAA Approach-and-Landing Accident Reduction (ALAR) training aid tailors the FSF ALAR Tool Kit for business aircraft operators. The NBAA ALAR incorporates publications and presentations from the FSF Tool Kit and adds new visual aids and a discussion leader's guide.
In "Will Climate Change Challenge BizAv?" (February, page 40) Mal Gormley obviously has spent too much time listening to Al Gore. The idea that human activity is causing Earth to warm up is most definitely disputed by many scientists, as well as the fact that we can do anything about it. The current rate of climate change is well within the cycle of normal climate changes that have occurred in the past, such as when the Vikings farmed in Greenland and an ice sheet over a mile thick covered the Midwest.
This month, Executive Beechcraft, the Midwestern aircraft service company, expects to receive an STC for its installation of the Garmin G1000 integrated avionics suite in the Beechcraft King Air C90.
Accidents involving U.S. business turbine aircraft were up slightly in the first quarter of 2007, but the number of fatalities decreased, according to data compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla. There were 19 accidents in the first three months, including five which resulted in 11 fatalities. During the same period in 2006, there were 16 accidents involving business turbine operators, with five of them claiming 15 lives.
Brian Humphries, the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) CEO, who took on the job in a part-time capacity, is to step down after holding the position for three years and become its part-time president. The Brussels-based association, which has become a major influence in European business aviation policy-making and is the co-sponsor of the annual EBACE convention, is looking for a high-profile, full-time successor to be based in Brussels, Belgium. Humphries will continue to serve as CEO until the post is filled.
UQM Technologies, a developer of alternative energy technologies, recently announced that one of its propulsion systems will drive a single-seat demonstrator airplane powered by a fuel cell and lightweight batteries as part of planned experimental flight tests this year by Boeing Research and Technology -- Europe (BR&TE) and industry partners. Flight tests will take place in Spain to demonstrate for the first time that a manned airplane can maintain straight and level flight with fuel cells as the only power source. The demonstrator aircraft is a Dimona motor glider.
Viking Air Limited confirmed April 9 that it would restart production of the 19-passenger DHC-6 Twin Otter. The company met its goals of sufficient firm orders; further investment by its majority shareholder, Westerkirk Capital; board approval; and the existence of a federal program that could provide repayable financial assistance for R&D to update the aircraft for operation in the 21st century.
Embraer has delivered its 100th Legacy corporate jet. It goes to ABS Jets of Prague, Czech Republic, the third acquired by ABS and the fourth on the Czech civil aircraft register. Luis Carlos Affonso, Embraer's executive vice president Executive Jets, says the Legacy now accounts for 13.6 percent of the super-midsize market, a figure achieved in five years. So far the Legacy has been sold to 19 countries with 27 orders in 2006. Embraer's projected sales for 2007 and 2008 are in the region of 25 to 30 aircraft per year.
