Cairo, Egypt-based ZAS Aviation Services has unveiled its new Jet Club, a by-the-hour charter flight program. “We have seen tremendous growth within many business sectors in the local and regional markets,” says Raffi Alexanian, director of flight and maintenance operations. “Private travel will definitely see an increase in demand. We have always been on the lookout to launch our jet operations, and now is the right time.”
In a move reflecting the challenging market confronting its membership of aircraft brokers and dealers, the National Aircraft Resale Association is shuttering its headquarters office at Reagan Washington National Airport, and parting with longtime president Susan Sheets. “A lot of it is driven by cost,” NARA Chairman Steve Gade says. He says NARA headquarters was officially transferring to Grapevine, Texas, which “is logical” since it is home to the organization’s meeting planner, Devri Surpless.
The Office of Management and Budget has completed its 90-day review of a final rule designed to address widespread fatigue damage in certain transport category aircraft. The review clears FAA to issue the final rule. Proposed in 2006, the rule is expected to require manufacturers and other design approval holders to establish “limits of validity” (LOV) for aircraft and determine what maintenance actions would be required to prevent widespread fatigue damage before the aircraft reaches those operational limits.
Aircell has rebranded its High Speed Internet service for the business aviation market as Gogo Biz Inflight Internet. The move is designed to more closely align the company’s service in the business aviation and commercial markets, increasing brand familiarity, the company says. Gogo Biz provides high-speed Internet with small and light equipment designed to fit any business jet, while Gogo is designed for inflight Internet on commercial airlines.
In an unusual move, Hawker Beechcraft Thursday began official negotiations with the International Association of Machinists (IAM) on a new contract, a year before the existing contract was set to expire. The Wichita plane maker had been pushing the union to make an early return to the bargaining table, citing a challenging economic environment and the possible need to move most work out of Wichita to save costs (BA, July 19/2).
Pet Airways in Delray Beach, Fla., finalized a deal to become a publicly traded company, providing more financial fuel for its expansion plans. The carrier began service in July 2009 and transports primarily dogs and cats, sans owners, in a fully lit, climate-controlled and pressurized main cabin of a specially equipped Beechcraft 1900 that has had the seats and overhead bins removed. The animals, transported in individual carriers, are monitored in flight by trained pet attendants on aircraft operated by Omaha-based Suburban Air Freight.
JEFFREY SCHLOESSER has joined AAR Corp. as president of the Aviation Worldwide Services business unit. Schloesser will be responsible for strategic planning and growth of the unit, which provides airlift services and specialized aircraft modifications. He formerly spent 34 years with the U.S. Army, retiring as a major general. He has 20 years of senior leadership and operations experience, including leading a $6 billion modernization plan for a fleet of 4,000 aircraft.
Embraer has secured Brazilian Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil, U.S. FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency approvals for use of the Garmin Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT) on the Phenom 100. The SVT recreates a visual topographic landscape using modeling and a terrain-alerting database to simulate a broad daylight view. The SVT helps increase situational awareness in fog, rain, haze, darkness or other “heavy” instrument flight conditions. The display provides a three-dimensional depiction of ground, water, obstacles, airports and traffic.
The Southeast Corporate Aviation Management Association (SECAMA) will hold its first annual Training, Standardization and Compliance Conference (TSCC 2010) Tuesday in Concord, N.C. The day-long gathering will bring together regulators, vendors, flight managers, training staff and administrators to meet, learn and share their knowledge. The event is being co-hosted by the aviation departments of SECAMA members Joe Gibbs Racing, Michael Waltrip Racing and Hendrick Motorsports.
PATTI ANN SULLIVAN was named vice president, corporate aviation finance for Key Equipment Foundation. Sullivan will be responsible for corporate aviation originations in the eastern U.S. She has 28 years of corporate aviation sales and business development experience, most recently as director of business development, structured aviation finance for Aviation Resource Group International. She also has held positions with Daimler Chrysler Capital Services, Textron Financial Corp., Aircraft Finance Group Inc. and Key Financial Services.
Hawker Beechcraft, buoyed by growing interest in Latin America, this month launched a second tour of its product lines in Central and South America. The Wichita plane maker, which earlier this year completed a tour of its Hawker 900XP in Central and South America, used this month’s Latin America Business Aircraft Convention and Exhibition in Sao Paulo, Brazil as a starting point for the sales and marketing tour of several of its aircraft.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has classified as serious an incident that occurred earlier this month in which a small commercial aircraft entered the runway at Newcastle Airport as two Boeing F/A 18s were taking off. “The aircraft entered the runway without clearance, resulting in a breakdown of runway separation standards with two F/A 18s departing in formation,” says the ATSB. An investigation has been launched into the Aug. 5 incident, which has been classified as “serious,” the safety bureau says.
While last week’s reopening of contract negotiations between Hawker Beechcraft and the International Association of Machinists (IAM) has gained considerable attention (BA, Aug. 16/1), the IAM also last week kicked off formal negotiations with Cessna Aircraft. The current contract with Cessna expires Sept. 19, and the IAM Local Lodge 774 representing Cessna workers voted by a 99% margin on July 17 for a strike sanction, which is a legal and procedural action that lays the groundwork for the union in the negotiations (BA, July 26/1).
PILATUS PC-12/47E airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-0583 Directorate Identifier 2010-CE-028-AD; Amendment 39-16401; AD 2010-17-09] – Inspect the power control lever (PCL) reverse-thrust latch handle for free movement, per the instructions of Pilatus Aircraft Service Bulletin No: 76-002 (dated Oct. 15, 2009). If the reverse thrust latch sticks, or the idle detent is not present, modify the engine control console assembly.
RON GUNNARSON was named vice president of marketing and communications for Hawker Beechcraft. Gunnarson is responsible for global marketing and branding for the company’s commercial, government and special-mission aircraft. He also will oversee corporate communications and marketing efforts for the global customer support organization and international dealer network. Gunnarson has served with the company for more than 20 years, most recently as director of marketing.
Aug. 16-20—Terrapinn’s Aviation Outlook Africa, BMW Pavilion Convention Center, Cape Town, South Africa, +27 (11) 463-6001, www.terrapinn.com/2010/aviationza Aug. 17-18—NATA Commercial Operators Tax Seminar, Indianapolis, www.nata.aero/Event.aspx?page=1354§ionid=553 Aug. 24-27—Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International’s Unmanned Systems North America, Colorado Convention Center, www.auvsi.org Aug. 27-28—FltOps.com Global Pilot Career Conference & Job Fair, Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway, www.fltops.com/jobs
The general aviation community paid tribute to Sen. Ted Steven’s (R - Alaska) strong support of the industry after a de Havilland DCH-3T crashed Aug. 9 near Dillingham, Alaska, claiming his life and four others. The 1957 aircraft, Registration Number N455A, crashed at about 8 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time during a VFR flight between two lodges. The pilot and four passengers died, while four others, including former NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe, survived.
Honeywell’s new HTF7500E engine continues toward a 2011 certification, completing the “First Engine To Test” (FETT) and achieving full-rated thrust in static and flight testing. Based on the HTF7000 that powers the Bombardier Challenger 300, the HTF7500E is under development for Embraer’s Legacy 450 and 500.
The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) has scheduled its first EBAA Emergency Response Planning (ERP) Workshop Sept. 9-10 in Brussels. The workshop will provide operators with guidance on what is required in the aftermath of a major incident or accident. The workshop is part of an effort by EBAA to help prepare members for appropriate emergency response. That effort was spurred by research revealing that nearly one-third of operators do not have emergency response plans (BA, April 26/5).
Sikorsky Aircraft’s X2 technology demonstrator recently achieved the maximum speed of 225 kt. in tests at the Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. The speed represents an unofficial record. The previous record for a 3,500-kg. class of rotorcraft was 216 kt., set by a Westland Lynx in the mid-1980s. The demonstrator incorporated a new tail configuration to decrease pilot workload as aircraft speed increases and improve aircraft handling qualities.
XOJet is planning to expand operations in New York City and Los Angeles, citing steady growth and increased demand for its services. “We’ve always flown out of these two markets, but our steady growth, including the addition of new employees, and the overall increase in demand for our services has created the need to establish business offices in each market,” says XOJet CEO Blair LaCorte. XOJet has built a fleet to include “super midrange planes” that are suited for transcontinental flying between Los Angeles and New York, LaCorte says.
Despite its initial concerns about receiving little benefit from opening negotiations with Hawker Beechcraft, the International Association of Machinists (IAM) is returning to the bargaining table (BA, July 19/1). “We have decided the consequences of inaction would be grim, drastically affecting the employment levels and the future of the Wichita operations,” IAM officials told members Friday. The union noted the company’s request for cost savings, flexibility and a longer-term agreement.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE AS350B3 and EC130 B4 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2010-0779; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-84-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to conduct a functional check of contactors 53Ka and 53Kb by rotating the pilot and co-pilot throttle twist grip controls between the “IDLE” and “FLIGHT” position. If the throttle twist grip controls are not functioning properly, repair the controls, per the instructions of Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin No. 05.00.61 for AS350B3 helicopters or ASB No. 05A009 for EC130 B4 helicopters (both dated Nov. 16, 2009).
