The TBM Owners and Pilot Association’s (TBMOPA) recent annual convention in Hot Springs, Va., drew more than 200 participants and 61 TBM aircraft, Daher-Socata says. The aircraft landed at Ingalls Field, a mountaintop airport near the TBMOPA convention site at the Homestead Resort. The convention offered technical sessions and safety seminars, along with vendor displays. Attendees included owners from across the U.S. and Canada, as well as overseas destinations including Australia and Belgium. The fleet of 530 TBM 850s and 700s has accrued more than 800,000 flight hr.
The Air Charter Safety Foundation has added former longtime FAA official James Ballough to its Board of Governors. Ballough, former director of the Flight Standards Service, has 40 years of aviation and aeronautical experience both in government and industry. A graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he spent 24 years with FAA. He is currently president of JBallough Global Aviation Solutions, LLC.
An Embraer Lineage 1000 recently flew a ground distance of 4,015 nm. on a trip from Mumbai, India to London Luton Airport, marking the farthest trip ever flown by an Embraer aircraft, the Brazilian plane maker says. The demonstrator aircraft made the trip in 9 hr. and 15 min. and was accomplished in compliance with Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation fuel-reserve requirements. The aircraft carried three crew members and four passengers. Embraer also recently delivered a Lineage to the Al Habtoor Group of Dubai.
The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) has increased its reach in the European region with the addition of five new affiliate national associations representing the local interests of business aircraft operators in the region. The Russian United Business Aviation Association, Spanish Executive Aviation Association, EBAA Belgium, Malta Business Aviation Association and the Austrian Business Aviation Association have joined forces with EBAA and the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC).
Cessna Aircraft has become one of the initial aviation companies to participate in the Transportation Security Administration’s Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) for parts shipments, the Wichita plane maker says.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE Galaxy and G200 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-0555; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-053-AD; Amendment 39-16438; AD 2010-20-04] – Revise the “Limitations” section of the Airplane Flight Manual to prohibit deploying the air brakes above 360 KIAS/0.79 mi. This AD, which resulted from an MCAI originated by an aviation authority of another country, is intended to prevent high-cycle fatigue failure of the airbrake in-board hinge, which can result in loss of the airbrake and reduced controllability of the airplane.
MICHAEL KUHN was named CEO and head of operations for Germany’s DC Aviation. Kuhn previously was the company’s chief financial officer. Before coming to DC Aviation, he held management positions at the Goodyear Corporate group. Prior to that, he was a sales and marketing manager in the automobile industry.
AARON KEMPHAUS was named sales manager for StandardAero’s Component Services business unit. Kemphaus will manage sales and support efforts with the broker community. He has spent 10 years with StandardAero, holding a variety of customer service and operations positions within the company.
40 Years Ago Sept. 28, 1970 — National Business Aircraft Association and National Aviation Trades Association study the feasibility of merger. 30 Years Ago Sept. 29, 1980 — Gulfstream American Corp. receives FAA certification for its $9 million Gulfstream III jet. 20 Years Ago Sept. 17, 1990 — Industry is alarmed by talk at a White House/congressional summit of a 10% luxury tax on certain items, including furs, boats and private aircraft.
Honeywell-CAE Training Alliance has expanded its course offerings for technicians in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The alliance provides technical training at the Honeywell Aerospace Academy in Phoenix, CAE’s training facilities worldwide, at selected partner locations and at customer facilities. New offerings cover engine, flight management systems and weather.
Gulfstream Aerospace last week celebrated the 25th anniversary of the first flight of the venerable Gulfstream IV large-cabin, long-range business jet. The aircraft took off Sept. 19, 1985, three months ahead of schedule and eight days after it rolled out from Gulfstream’s facilities in Savannah, Ga. Lee Johnson and Ted Mendenhall were the pilot and co-pilot, respectively, for the one-hr. flight.
General aviation advocates welcomed House approval of a resolution that recognizes the importance of backcountry airstrips, saying the measure is a key endorsement for helping preserve their use. The measure, H.Res.473, passed the House Sept. 15 by voice vote. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) introduced the measure and gathered 10 co-sponsors, many of whom are members of the House General Aviation Caucus.
Eclipse Aerospace Inc. (EAI) has developed a new windshield application and is completing engineering requirements for an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that would enable the Eclipse 500 very light jet aircraft to return to operations at 41,000 ft. The windshield application and AD requirements were among the last of the original upgrades the company originally promised when it acquired the assets of the now defunct Eclipse Aviation. Those upgrades had been left undone by the former company.
TURBOMECA Arriel 1 engines [Docket No. FAA-2010-0710; Directorate Identifier 2010-NE-26-AD; Amendment 39-16434; AD 2010-19-06] – Remove from service certain gas generator second-stage turbine discs from engines installed on Eurocopter AS350, AS365 and SA365; and Sikorsky S-76A and S-76C helicopters. This AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, was prompted by the discovery of metallurgical non-conformities in gas generator second-stage turbine discs.
Sept. 28-30—Fatigue Concepts Course: “Fatigue, Fracture Mechanics and Damage Tolerance of Aging and Modern Aircraft Structures,” Holiday Inn Express & Suites. El Dorado Hills, Calif., (916) 933-5000, http://fatcon.com/ffmdt.html Oct. 19–21—National Business Aviation Association 63rd Annual Meeting & Convention, Atlanta, (202) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org
Aerospace Industries Association has reached a record regular membership of 133 with the addition of 31 new members this year, the association says. The association’s total membership tops 300 companies when counting the 175 associate members. “The impressive gains we are seeing in membership are underscored by the fact that we have retained every company this year despite the economic strain facing the nation,” says AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey.
A Honeywell service agreement with Vector Aerospace will enable the U.K. company to service ALF 502 and LF 507 engines. The accord includes a Honeywell parts supply arrangement and a license to provide engine overhaul and repair services. Honeywell’s ALF 502 and LF 507 engines are installed on BAE Systems 146, RJ100 and RJ85 aircraft. More than 200 aircraft are currently in service worldwide with more than 60 operators.
CitationAir by Cessna is redesigning and expanding its Referral Reward program, which offers Jet Card and Jet Share customers incentives and rewards for referring new clients. With the changes to the program, customers are able to select from a list of rewards, including free flight hours and getaways, among others. “A large number of new customers are referred to us from existing customers,” says CitationAir CEO Steve O’Neill, adding the company wanted to provide a reward program that could be personalized.
ERICKSON AIR-CRANE/SIKORSKY S-64F helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2010-0909; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-026-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to conduct periodic inspections of the rotating swashplate assembly for cracks. If any cracks were found, operators would need to replace the swashplate with an airworthy swashplate before further flight. This proposal is prompted by a report of a swashplate cracking during fatigue testing.
With Cessna’s contract negotiations with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) concluded, attention is now turning to Hawker Beechcraft, which has promised a final contract offer to the IAM for a membership vote by Oct. 9. Unlike at Cessna, Hawker Beechcraft workers will face a yes-or-no vote without the option to strike. If the contract is voted down, the existing one remains in place.
JetAviva has sold and delivered the first Embraer Phenom 100 to a customer in Australia. The Phenom flew 13,142 nm., stopping in Canada, Alaska, Russia, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia before arriving in Australia. JetAviva also sold the first Phenom 100 certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency to a client in Ireland. The company has planned additional deliveries to Australia and Asia later this year.
Embraer’s emergence in the business jet market is putting pressure on pricing for all of the manufacturers, notes Edwin Wiest, vice president-senior analyst for Moody’s Investors service. Wiest, who authored a report “Not Just in Kansas Anymore: Hawker Beechcraft Seeks New Union Deal and Considers a Move Out of Wichita,” notes this is particularly true for Hawker Beechcraft.
Sandel Avionics has delivered its first HeliTAWS helicopter terrain safety system to Shreveport, La.-based Metro Aviation, which will install the system on a Eurocopter AS350 helicopter. HeliTAWS incorporates Sandel’s TrueAlert nuisance-alert elimination technology, off-airport landing capability and high-resolution three-dimensional terrain display capabilities to its Class A helicopter terrain awareness and warning system.
A vibration monitoring system for the Bell 212 has received a supplemental type certificate from the FAA. Aeronautical Accessories Inc., an affiliate company of Bell, developed the Bell Helicopter Vibration Monitoring System (BHVM), which provides drive train health and engine monitoring to improve aircraft serviceability and maintainability between regularly scheduled inspections and overhauls.
Women in Aviation, International (WAI) is hosting a regional conference Nov. 5-6 at the Brooklands Museum in Surrey, just outside London. The regional conference is being held in partnership with WAI’s two British chapters. WAI calls the conference location “the home of British aviation,” since several aircraft companies were based there, including Bleriot, Hawker, Sopwith, Martinsyde and Vickers. Hilda Beatrice Hewlett, the first woman to earn a pilot’s license in Britain, obtained her license in Brooklands.
