Soloy received an order for its first Allstar AS350 helicopter conversion from Brazilian distributor Global Air Strategy of So Paulo, Brazil. The conversion replaces the Turbomeca powerplant with the Rolls-Royce 250C30 engine. Working through Global Air Strategy, Soloy received Brazilian approval for the AS350/Rolls-Royce modification.
Eclipse Aviation has just completed a $335,000 contract with Canada's National Research Council Institute for Aerospace Research (NRC Aerospace) to conduct engine nacelle icing tests on its Eclipse 500 jet. The test program, which included icing tunnel-based nacelle and engine/nacelle combinations required for certification purposes, took place during March and April at NRC facilities in Ottawa.
The chatter level about more centralized decision-making at DHS in the national press is up after the series of personnel changes (departures) at the TSA. Steve Alterman, president of the Cargo Airline Assn., said when his members call to ask what it all means, he's unsure what to tell them. ``I'm not sure what the TSA is going to become. I don't know if the TSA will remain in its present state with a different leader, or become a screening agency with its policy functions absorbed into DHS,'' he said.
Air Security International has established a Homeland Security Division to provide a portfolio of counter-terrorism services for its clients' facilities and personnel on their home turf. The new division's services enable clients to put in place plans ultimately indeed to save lives, protect property, prevent imminent incidents and mitigate damage and impact from terrorism on individuals, companies and their communities.
Jet Aviation formed a new unit in its charter services department dedicated exclusively to carrying executives of companies engaged in ``road show'' presentations leading to initial public offerings (IPO) of stock. The charter aircraft provider said its Road Show desk will ``assist IPO road show planners to keep within their company's budgetary travel guidelines, ensure specific aircraft are available and secure stringent time schedules.'' The company said IPO road shows are different than normal charter flights.
Brazilian airframer Embraer announced that it would consolidate everything pertaining to corporate aviation in a single management structure, appointing 22-year company veteran Lus Carlos Affonso to a new position -- senior vice president for the corporate aviation market. Affonso will be responsible for business and product strategies, as well as marketing, sales and customer support for the corporate market segment. Affonso was previously senior vice president of engineering and new product development, where he headed the EMB 170/190 program since its inception.
New economic optimism from western investors is being matched by an explosion in business aviation activity across Eastern Europe, through Moscow and beyond. The farther east you go the busier it gets. It's ``gold rush time'' say some, but it is the infrastructure problems in these countries that have caused many people and companies to use the classic tool of business aviation for the first time. ``It's the only way to cover the area in a short space of time,'' say many investors.
Industry sources at April's Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, Germany, say that Jet Aviation and Airbus are about to announce the first sale of an Airbus A380 superjumbo to an undisclosed Middle Eastern head of state. The interior design of the aircraft reportedly has been handled by Jet Aviation in Switzerland, which will also handle the completion.
After applying for a certification, a major OEM received a letter from the Wichita Aircraft Certification Office recently saying, ``It would be unfair to accept your project without informing you that we may not be able to support the timelines you desire.'' The letter notified the OEM, ``As we have done in the past, we plan to sequence the flow of projects to stay within our available resources.
Building on the success of the Glass Box Project, Duncan Aviation and Honeywell Aerospace have teamed to certify the Honeywell EPIC CDS/R in the Dassault Falcon 900. The new large-format displays enable current Falcon 900 operators to access emerging technologies just now being delivered on new aircraft as well as graphical weather, en route maps and approach charts. ``This is a major enhancement to Honeywell's existing Primus Epic CDS/R product line,'' said Mark Ferrari, Honeywell's director of Aftermarket Sales for Operators and Dealers.
A year ago, most brokers and dealers of previously owned turbine-powered business aircraft were afraid to declare that the market decline was over, even though prices were firming and interest among prospective buyers was increasing. Today, it's hard to find a naysayer among industry veterans, as values for most late-model airplanes continue to climb, demand for certain types outstrips supply, and the rising economic thermals promise to lift all but the oldest aircraft.
Embraer is reported to be seriously considering developing a light jet. The Brazilian manufacturer announced that 2004 was the most profitable year in its 35-year history. Two sources in recent weeks told our sister publication The Weekly of Business Aviation that Embraer is exploring the launch of a new light jet program -- possibly in conjunction with a partner -- to compete against aircraft such as the Eclipse 500 and the Adam Aircraft A700. At LABACE B&CA could elicit only a cryptic ``Stay tuned,'' from Embraer's Affonso.
Manufacturer, Model In some cases, the airplane manufacturer's name is abbreviated, but the company's full name and address can be found in the ``Airframe Suppliers Directory'' on page 176. The model name also is included in this group. B&CA Equipped Price Price estimates are first quarter, current year dollars for the next available delivery. Some aircraft have long lead times, thus the actual price will be higher than our published price. Note well, manufacturers may adjust prices without notification.
Kvand Aircraft Interiors of Belarus is busy converting Russian-made regional jets into VIP transports. The company, which operates from bases at Minsk, Belarus, and in Moscow, has completed 13 TU-134s and four Yak-42Ds in its six-year history and is working on another two Yak-42Ds and a TU-134. The most recent TU-134, completed in January, was sold to S Air Company, a specialist business aviation charter operator based in Moscow.
In 2004, there was a strong recovery in new and used general aviation aircraft sales, a trend that started in third quarter 2003. New aircraft billings increased nearly 20 percent and shipments jumped more than 10 percent, according to GAMA. Turboprops, the workhorses of the business aviation fleet, were especially popular, with new deliveries increasing to 321 units, an 18 percent boost. The business jet segment fared well, too, with 591 shipments, a 14-plus percent increase. Deliveries of new piston-engine aircraft increased 8 percent.
Jeppesen's Icing Forecast Map and Turbulence Forecast Map will help pilots and dispatchers plan flights that avoid areas of potentially hazardous weather. Both maps use color scales to indicate forecast areas of light, moderate and severe activity. For the U.S. maps, customers can view data for current conditions and forecast data for three-, six-, 12-, 18- and 24-hour intervals. Data for outside the United States can be in 12-, 18- or 24-hour intervals.
On April 7, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) released the final rule, ``Electronic Transmission of Passenger and Crew Manifests for Vessels and Aircraft,'' amending existing regulations for transmission of crew and passenger information through the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS).
Bombardier Aerospace announced April 4 that SkyWest Airlines of St. George, Utah, has placed a firm order for 20 additional Bombardier CRJ700 regional jets to increase its CRJ700 fleet to 52 aircraft. The firm order is valued at approximately $637 million (U.S.).
Jet Aviation Engineering Services, which holds multiple FAA STCs for installation of the Bendix/King Integrated Hazard Avoidance System (IHAS 8000) in Cessna Citation 500, 550, S550 and 560 series aircraft, is offering the STC for purchase. As an option, Jet Aviation is offering a complete turnkey installation at one of its maintenance facilities.
With all due respect to the esteemed 19th-century author, poet and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson, the world will not necessarily beat a path to your door if you build a better mousetrap. Case in point: Piaggio. The Italian company, which has been involved in aviation for nearly 90 years, has produced numerous novel and innovative aircraft designs.
AvData, Inc. of Utica, N.Y., has published the 2005 edition of its Jet & Propjet corporate directory. The 500-plus page guide lists over 27,000 aircraft, representing over 300 different models and 46 manufacturers. Data include aircraft registration marks, models and variants, owner identification, aircraft manufacturer, previous registration.
Tim Kennon, a maintenance technician with Midcoast Aviation, was awarded TechnAthlete of the Year honors in the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) Maintenance Olympics individual competition. Second place was awarded to Michael Zina of Bombardier Aerospace. Tom McGinnis of Federal Mogul Corp. took third place. Additionally, Midcoast Aviation won the maintenance gold medal for the second consecutive year at the competition, which was held during PAMA's Annual Symposium and the Aviation Industry Week show in Las Vegas in March.
Infosat Communications, a satellite telecommunications system specialist, was awarded a contract from the Alaska Department of the Interior to develop an automatic tracking system for aircraft using the Iridium satellite network for air-to-ground data link. Infosat is providing satellite data terminals compatible with the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior's Web-based tracking. The terminals, which will be installed on 28 aircraft, will provide automatic inflight tracking of the aircraft through Iridium's short-burst data service.
