Business turbine aircraft activity in January was up 5.3 percent overall year-over-year, with the Part 91 market segment having the strongest increase at 8.6 percent, according to Aviation Research Group/US’s latest TRAQPak activity level report released last week. This word came as General Aviation Manufacturers Association Chairman Rob Wilson, in his state of the industry address in Washington, reported that flight activity overall for 2009 was down 20-30 percent from 2008.
JOHN ELLIOTT was named senior manager, factory service center for Mooney Airplane Co. Elliott, formerly director of manufacturing support, is responsible for maintenance, retrofit and repair work of the service center based at the factory. Before joining Mooney, he was director of manufacturing for M7 Aerospace and also has served with Parker Hannifin and Teledyne Ryan.
RICHARD BRIFFORD was named director of business development for mobile network operators for Geneva-based OnAir. He will head up mobile OnAir advanced inflight applications as well as the development and implementation of strategic partnerships with mobile network operators worldwide – a new area of focus within the company. Before joining OnAir, Brifford spent more than 10 years as a strategy consultant and marketing executive in the technology, telecommunication and media industry, working for Monitor Company and Oliver Wyman.
Piaggio Aero Industries promoted John Bingham to lead the Italian airframer’s U.S. operation, Piaggio America, Inc., as president and chief executive. Tom Appleton, who had been serving as Piaggio America president and CEO on an interim basis since late 2008 (BA, Dec. 22, 2008/289), will return to retirement, but also has agreed to continue to provide consulting services. Appleton initially retired from Piaggio in 2006, but stepped in as the interim chief after Eric Hinson took a position with FlightSafety International last year (BA, Dec. 15, 2008/271).
ROLLS-ROYCE AE 3007A series turbofan engines [Docket No. FAA-2009-0811; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-41-AD] – Proposes to require removing or performing initial and repetitive eddy current inspections (ECIs) or surface wave ultrasonic testing (SWUT) inspections on high-pressure turbine (HPT) Stage 2 wheels for cracks. This proposed AD also reduces the approved life limits of certain HPT Stage 2 wheels. This proposed AD results from reports of cracked HPT Stage 2 wheels.
The ATLANTA AERO CLUB scheduled Karen Gebhart, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Foundation, as its featured guest speaker for the regular bimonthly meeting on March 2. Gebhart will discuss challenges facing general aviation and the importance of individual participation in supporting the industry. She has served with AOPA since 1994. AOPA created the foundation to help raise money to address community airport preservation, pilot education, pilot population growth and public education on the benefits of GA.
CESSNA has established a Citation Mobile Service Unit (MSU) to provide light jet maintenance at South Florida airports. The newest unit, part of Cessna’s ServiceDirect maintenance delivery group, debuted earlier this month at Sheltair Aviation on Hollywood/Ft. Lauderdale International Airport. Cessna officials say that South Florida was a natural location for Cessna’s fifth MSU, not only because of the high concentration of Citations in the region, but because of the large number of aircraft that regularly visit the area.
GA LEADERS are increasingly encouraged about the prospects for a long-term reauthorization bill, with commitments by key senators – including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) – to set aside floor time before the end of March to debate the Senate reauthorization bill. The Senate Finance Committee may bypass a committee vote on the taxes portion of FAA reauthorization and instead bring its recommendations straight to the floor. The committee is expected to propose fuel tax increases that match those approved by the House.
GAMA PRESIDENT AND CEO PETE BUNCE last week credited the efforts of programs such as No Plane/No Gain and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s GA Serves America for helping reverse the negative tide of public opinion about the general aviation industry. Vermont on Thursday became the fourth state to issue a proclamation recognizing the importance of general aviation to the local economy. That followed similar proclamations in West Virginia, Georgia and Kansas. In addition, 45 counties and local municipalities have made similar proclamations.
BUSINESS JET flight activity was up year-over-year for the second consecutive month in January, according to reports released last week. Analyst JP Morgan, citing FAA takeoff and landing data, reported that business jet activity was up 10 percent, with Cessna and Gulfstream aircraft showing the biggest gains. In addition, JP Morgan noted gains in business aircraft activity reported by French airport operator ADP, which owns Le Bourget.
FLYING COLOURS CORP. is completing three green Challenger 850s at its Peterborough, Ontario, Canada completions and maintenance facility, and three additional 850s at the company’s U.S. subsidiary, St. Louis-based JetCorp Technical Services. “We are delighted with the continued growth of our green Challenger 850 program and are in discussions with Bombardier and our clients for additional green completions,” said Sean Gillespie, Flying Colours’ director of sales and marketing.
PHILIP ANDERSON was named senior vice president and chief financial officer for Spirit AeroSystems. Anderson, who has served as interim CFO since October of 2009, previously was treasurer and vice president of investor relations for the company. He has more than 20 years of aerospace and finance experience, joining Spirit in 2006. Before that, he spent nearly 17 years with Boeing, most recently as director of corporate finance and banking.
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD is continuing its investigation of the Jan. 21 fatal crash of a Beech 1900C, N112ZX, in Sand Point Alaska. Both crewmembers aboard the Part 135 cargo flight, which was operated by Alaska Central Express, died in the accident. The aircraft crashed into the ocean following a loss of control shortly after takeoff from Runway 31 at Sand Point Airport. Dark night, visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time, and witnesses estimated winds between 50 and 60 knots.
Dallas-based Flexjet is expanding its international service options for its customers through a new alliance with Salzburg, Austria-based operator VistaJet. Under the partnership, customers of Jet Solutions, which runs the Flexjet 25 Jet Card, will be guaranteed travel across Europe and on an “as available” basis in the Middle East and Asia through the VistaJet fleet of Bombardier aircraft. In turn, VistaJet customers will have access to Flexjet’s closed fleet of Bombardier aircraft in the U.S.
DASSAULT Falcon 900EX airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0994; Directorate Identifier 2009-NM-108-AD; Amendment 39-16194; AD 2010-04-01] – Inspect the oxygen lines for signs of interference or chafing damage, replace any damaged lines and modify their support assembly before further flight, per the instructions of Dassault Mandatory Service Bulletin F900EX-347, Rev. 1 (dated May 18, 2009).
Iraq is a high-demand region for private jet services, particularly from corporations seeking to invest in the country, executives of Abu Dhabi-based flight services company Royal Jet say. Many companies from the United Arab Emirates – including banks, oil conglomerates, construction firms and government contractors – are investing in the country and need access into Iraq, Royal Jet said. In addition, international companies have based their headquarters in the UAE, which service satellite offices, Royal Jet spokeswoman Sarah Walker-Kerr said.
Two recent helicopter accidents – one involving an emergency medical services practice run in Texas and a second carrying corporate executives in Arizona – claimed the lives of all eight people aboard, including the chairman of one of the nation’s largest food services distributors, Services Group of America.
February 24-25 – National Business Aviation Association 18th Annual Leadership Conference, San Diego, Calif., (202) 783-9000 or visit www.nbaa.org February 25-27 – Women In Aviation International 21st Annual Conference, Coronado Springs Resort, Orlando, Fla., (937) 839-4647 or visit www.wai.org March 2-3 – 2010 Air Charter Safety Foundation Symposium, Marriott Westfields, Chantilly, Va., www.acfs.aero
SWISS AVIATIONTRAINING received approval from Swiss regulatory authorities to provide maintenance type training for the Bombardier CRJ 100/200 and CRJ 700/900 series. Switzerland’s Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) confirmed the European Aviation Safety Agency’s Part 147 approval of Swiss AviationTraining. In addition to the Bombardier training, Swiss AviationTraining offers B1, B2, combined B1+B2, C, A and Level 2 technical training courses and practical training for the Avro 146/RJ, the Embraer ERJ 135/145/Legacy, the EMB 170/190/Lineage and the Saab 2000.
Mayo Aviation is expanding its charter fleet and its reach into the Northeast U.S. with the acquisition of Portland, Maine, operator CharterOps, Inc. The acquisition increases the Mayo fleet to 18 aircraft, Mayo said.
ABOUT 1.6 BILLION GALLONS of Jet A were used by business jets in 2009, reflecting the drop in flying hours caused by economic factors, according to a new report from Sparta, N.J.-based Brian Foley Associates. He forecasts 21 billion gallons will be consumed through the coming decade, with some fluctuation, but with the annual average reaching 2.5 billion gallons in 2019 – a 57 percent increase. Foley derived the forecast estimates from empirical data that takes into account aircraft populations, utilization rates, fleet modernization and other factors.
General aviation leaders, wary of past restrictions placed on small aircraft operators in the name of security, last week cautioned against hasty responses to the apparent suicide crash of a small Piper Aircraft into a seven-story federal building that housed the Internal Revenue Service in Austin, Texas.
Television ads during the Winter Olympics are part of an ongoing effort by New York-based jet card company Marquis Jet to position itself as the business aviation industry begins its recovery, Chief Marketing Officer Randy Brandoff told BA last week.
