Russell Chew, who just stepped down after three-plus years as chief operating officer of the FAA's Air Traffic Organization, is going to be COO of JetBlue Airways. Chew had accepted the top operations job at Hawaiian Airlines, but changed his mind when the New York-based low-cost carrier stepped forward with its $300,000-per-year proposal. Chew's new employer urgently needs to restore at least some of its near-mythical reputation as the passengers' friend.
Embraer also continues to progress on the Phenom 300 program, completing a round of full model wind-tunnel tests at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute in Russia. Embraer said it was satisfied that the results verified projections for range, maximum speed and field performance. Further wind-tunnel tests will involve a partial wing model for evaluating of aileron control. Those tests will take place in Brazil.
Children regularly travel aboard business aircraft and in an actual emergency, a delay caused by a parent waiting for someone to take his or her child could very well mean that other passengers still in the airplane may not survive. In a May 10, 2001, accident involving a Spanair McDonnell Douglas MD-83 on a runway at Liverpool, England, the evacuation was delayed because of uncertainty as to the best method for evacuating small children and infants (U.K. Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB), Accident Report 4/2003 (EW/C2001/5/1) 2003) .
Alpha Aviation, Hamilton, New Zealand, has appointed Gretchen Jahn as the new general manager, replacing Richard Sealy, who is the new deputy group managing director for Gregory Australia Ltd. Jahn was formerly CEO of both the Mooney Airplane Co. and the Mooney Aerospace Group in the United States.
East Alton, Ill.-based Premier Aircraft, LLC, has been issued an STC for its Falcon 50-4 performance upgrade, which is designed to improve the range, payload, speed and time-to-climb of the three-engine Dassault business jet. The upgrade includes the conversion of the aircraft's original Honeywell TFE731-3/3D engines to the TFE731-4-1C standard, installation of new exhaust nozzles, and minor modifications to the Falcon 50's nacelles and engine instruments.
Cessna has announced that it will increase production of its Citation X business jet over the next five years. "Orders for the Citation X have been increasing and, as a result, we will be increasing production more than 65 percent from 2006 to 2010 to meet the growing demand for this popular aircraft," said Roger Whyte, senior vice president of sales and marketing. More than 260 Citation Xs have been delivered to customers and the backlog for the aircraft extends well into 2008. The fleet has amassed almost one million flight hours over its 10-year history.
Meanwhile, Embraer is investing more than $100 million in customer support initiatives, including building three new service centers in the United States and a fourth at Le Bourget airport in Paris. Embraer expects the customer support network to comprise seven wholly owned and 38 authorized service centers worldwide by the middle of 2008. The company also has signed an agreement with CAE for pilot and ground crew training.
How many urban general aviation airports can make this claim? "We have room to grow, as a result of a property acquisition that was done in the late 1980s and early 1990s."
Dubai will host its first Aircraft Interiors Middle East (AIME) exhibition at Airport Expo Dubai from June 16-18, 2008. The event will focus on aircraft interiors, airline cabin systems and inflight entertainment systems. The Middle East is now acknowledged as one of the world's fastest-growing aviation regions, with new airlines emerging and existing carriers expanding their fleets. The scenario is just as bullish for the business aviation segment, with the region's 300-strong business aircraft fleet forecast to double within the next five years.
More than 500 exhibitors showcased their products and services at the recent Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2007 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. Thirty-five helicopters were displayed throughout the showroom floor. HAI committee meetings and educational seminars were well attended, exceeding 500 registrants participating in this year's Professional Education Series. A Job Fair allowed jobseekers to meet with potential employers and discuss opportunities in the international helicopter community.
Elliott Aviation has begun a $2.5 million renovation of its FBO and maintenance facility at Eppley Airfield (OMA), Omaha. Headquartered in Moline, Ill., Elliott has offered aircraft sales and service, general aviation line services, airline fuel, charter services and aircraft management, maintenance, avionics, parts and hangar facilities at OMA since 1982. The renovation involved overhauling 7,000 square feet with 2,000 additional square feet being added to the lobby area.
William K. Dane, 61, senior aircraft analyst for Forecast International, died on Feb. 16 after a long battle with cancer. Dane spent nearly three decades at Forecast where he was co-author of Aircraft Forecast, Civil Aircraft Forecast, Military Aircraft Forecast and Rotocraft Forecast, among others. He developed the World Aerospace and Defense Intelligence newsletter. He was also a major contributor to Aviation Week & Space Technology's Aerospace Source Books.
Multiflight of Leeds Bradford Airport has opened a new FBO to meet corporate demand in northeastern England. Leeds has fast become England's second-largest financial center, and is seeing strong growth in business aviation. The FBO is the latest in Multiflight's capital investment of around $17 million over the last five years and includes the construction of two 3,000-square-meter (32,292-square-foot) hangars and a huge increase in ramp space. Visiting aircraft movements topped 6,000 in 2006 and nearly 50 business aircraft are currently based under Multiflight's care.
HAI Chairman Ed Newton and HAI President Matt Zuccaro announced the newly elected board members for the association. Patrick Corr was elected to fill the Regular Member-Commercial seat and Tony Burson and Bill Force were elected to fill two Regular Member-Corporate-Private seats. In addition, Chairman Newton passed the gavel to newly elected Chairman Michael Suldo, who will officially begin his term in July.
Eclipse Aviation is building a new facility on its 150-acre tract at Double Eagle II Airport in Albuquerque to house training, flight support and administrative support functions. The 41,585-square-foot, two-story building will be the first Eclipse aviation facility at the airport, where the emerging airplane manufacturer hopes to eventually consolidate all of its operations. The new building will house about 100 employees, more than half of whom will be new hires. Eclipse currently employs 1,000 people in Albuquerque.
EMTEQ, a systems integrator and certification consultant, purchased Flight Components AG of Bachenbülach, Switzerland. Each company will maintain its name, operating locations and product line. EMTEQ has a line of LED interior lighting products and systems, while Flight Components has a full line of exterior lighting components. Each will now offer a complete line of interior and exterior lighting products to their respective marketplaces. Flight Components holds EASA certifications as a production and maintenance facility as well as ISO 9001:2000 certification.
MY FIRST MEETING WITH Al Ueltschi, the founder of FlightSafety International, occurred at a Gulfstream operators' dinner in Savannah. After the hello handshake, he began to speak animatedly not about simulators or learning centers or ab initio training, but rather about a new project with which he was involved. It all centered on a derelict airplane.
The British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA) has launched a voluntary carbon trading scheme for its business aircraft operators to offer to customers. The Carbon Balancing Scheme means customers will pay the operator an extra 1.5p (2.94 cents) per liter of Jet-A1 consumed to help balance CO 2 emissions. The money generated is to be passed on to the World Land Trust (WLT), a charity that invests in environmentally worthy programs in developing countries.
Britain's Meggitt plc, in a move that would further expand its presence in the U.S. aerospace market, has struck a tentative agreement to acquire aircraft wheels and brakes supplier K&F Industries for $1.8 billion. The deal, which includes $1.1 billion in cash and the assumption of $700 million in debt, represents a premium of about 10 percent above K&F's stock closing price on March 5.
A Beech 95, registered to Northwest Jersey Airways, Inc., experienced an inflight loss of control and collided with the ground during takeoff from Spruce Creek Airport in Port Orange, Fla. The pilot called the UNICOM to announce that he was departing from Runway 23. A witness reported that the airplane became airborne and "yawed" to the left." It climbed out slowly with the landing gear extended, then the "left wing dropped and it went straight down." He did not hear any loud engine noises or power changes.
Von Essen Hotels has bought the freehold of the London Heliport and terminal building, together with an adjacent development site for a seven-story 70-room boutique hotel, for around $97 million. PremiAir, part of the Sir Robert McAlpine Group and England's leading business helicopter operator, will manage the Battersea Thames-side heliport in partnership with von Essen.
Fletcher Aldredge, publisher of the Vref Aircraft Value Reference and its companion Market Leader newsletter, said in the most recent edition of the latter publication that the final three months of 2006 "was another strong quarter for turboprops. Eclipses have started to deliver, and we do not detect any negative impact in the turboprop market at this time."
Raytheon Aircraft Co. is moving its international sales headquarters from Geneva, Switzerland, to its production and service facility in Chester, England -- the birthplace of the Hawker series. The Chester facility serves as the center for Hawker service and support in Europe, and is a major heavy-maintenance service facility for NetJets Europe. Meanwhile, the sale of Raytheon Aircraft to Goldman Sachs and Canada's Inex Corp. moved a step closer in March as European Union regulators gave it their blessing.
