KANSAS Gov. Mark Parkinson is the scheduled speaker for the Wichita Aero Club monthly luncheon Wednesday (Feb.10) at the Wichita Airport Hilton in Kansas. Parkinson is expected to address issues including the economy in Kansas, as well as funding for programs such as the National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University and the new National Center for Aviation Training.
Hawker Beechcraft continued to install its new senior leadership with the appointment of Richard Emery as president, the Americas jet sales. Emery is the second new regional sales president to be named in recent weeks as part of a reorganization of the marketing team (BA, Feb. 1/51). The company earlier named Justin Firestone president, Asia-Pacific sales. A third president for sales in Europe/Middle East/Africa is still expected to be named shortly. The new presidents each report to Executive Vice President Shawn Vick.
FOKKER F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0793; Directorate Identifier 2009-NM-051-AD; Amendment 39-16183; AD 2010-02-12] – Replace the existing airstair door actuators with improved actuators. This AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, was prompted by several reports of passenger door actuators detaching from the passenger door, which caused the door to drop to the platform in an uncontrolled manner. This condition, if not corrected, could injure persons on the ground and damage the aircraft.
GULFSTREAM’S G150 was granted steep approach certification by FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The approval clears the way for the G150 to fly into airports with an approach angle of up to 6 degrees. Most airports have approach angles of 3.5 degrees or less. But a number of airports require steep approach certification for landing because they are surrounded by mountains or other obstacles or are subject to certain noise ordinances.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT held a ceremony last week during the Singapore Air Show to celebrate the delivery of five more Grand Caravans to Indonesia’s Susi Air. Susi Air has 30 of the single-turboprop aircraft on order, and plans call for Cessna to deliver 11 to the company of the aircraft this year. Susi Air provides scheduled and charter passenger and cargo service throughout Indonesia, as well as humanitarian support for the region.
EUROCOPTER SE3160, SA315B, SA316B, SA316C and SA319B helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2010-0047; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-28-AD; Amendment 39-16177; AD 2010-02-07] – Repetitively inspect certain rotor blades to determine if they are cracked, disbonded or are suffering from other defects. If any defects are found, replace the blades before further flight. Replacement of the affected blades would be the terminating action for the repetitive inspections.
February 16-18 – Air Africa 2010, Gallagher Convention Center, Midrand, South Africa, +27(11) 788-9562 or visit ww.airafricaexpo.com/ February 17-18 – Third Annual Allegiant Air Airport Conference, Las Vegas, Nev., e-mail: [email protected] February 20-23 – Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo, Houston, Texas, www.heliexpo.com February 24-25 – National Business Aviation Association 18th Annual Leadership Conference, San Diego, Calif., (202) 783-9000 or visit www.nbaa.org
The threat of aviation user fees seems to be dead “at least for this term of Congress,” and National Business Aviation Association President Ed Bolen is hopeful that FAA’s reauthorization bill could advance within the next “four to eight weeks.” That the Obama Administration’s 2011 budget proposal contained no mention of user fees to help fund the FAA was a “milestone” event, Bolen said.
THE CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE (CAAS) unveiled plans to drive the development and growth of the aviation industry in Singapore, including the creation of a $100 million Aviation Development Fund (ADF) to fund incentive aviation-related programs over the next five years. Two ADF programs of $25 million each – the Aviation Partnership Program and the Aviation Innovation Program – will be launched in April to assist companies in developing new capabilities and encourage innovation.
RYAN KAHL was appointed to the newly created position of international sales manager for ARGUS. Kahl joins ARGUS with experience at several ARGUS-rated charter operators. He has served as a chief pilot, flight instructor and director of operations, and also has a background in FAA regulatory and certification policy and airport management.
February 16-18 – Air Africa 2010, Gallagher Convention Center, Midrand, South Africa, +27(11) 788-9562 or visit ww.airafricaexpo.com/ February 17-18 – Third Annual Allegiant Air Airport Conference, Las Vegas, Nev., e-mail: [email protected] February 20-23 – Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo, Houston, Texas, www.heliexpo.com February 24-25 – National Business Aviation Association 18th Annual Leadership Conference, San Diego, Calif., (202) 783-9000 or visit www.nbaa.org
MARK SACCO joined the U.S. aviation underwriting team of XL Insurance. Sacco will be based in XL Insurance’s newly opened aviation branch in San Francisco. Sacco previously spent three years as a vice president in the aviation group of Marsh. He also served as a general aviation underwriter for nine years with United States Aircraft Insurance Group in Denver and San Francisco.
DICK JOHNSON was named vice president, chief scientist for Gulfstream Aerospace. Johnson has served with Gulfstream for 29 years, most recently as vice president, engineering. He has participated in the design and certification of Gulfstream III, IV and V aircraft, and most recently was responsible for the technical development of the G550 and G500 jets.
KARL JORDA was appointed assistant vice president, class underwriter for the aviation branch of XL Insurance. Jorda is based in New York. He has 20 years of aviation insurance experience, most recently serving as chief underwriting officer – aviation for Britt Paulk. He also has held underwriting management positions with AXA and United States Aircraft Insurance Group (USAIG).
Duncan Aviation is offering an upgrade option to Securaplane’s existing 450 or 500 PreFlite security system. The PreFlite upgrade uses the existing security configuration to monitor an aircraft’s security from any telephone, via the international GSM mobile network, said Steve Elofson, an avionics installations sales manager. “This system provides real-time alerts, interrogation and monitoring in clear digitized speech or text,” he added.
CAE FLIGHTSCAPE received a contract to provide a flight recorder playback and analysis laboratory for the Saudi Arabia General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA). The laboratory will use CAE Flightscape’s Insight software, which is used by most air safety investigators at aircraft manufacturers and investigation authorities.
GENERAL DYNAMICS sees great potential in a rebounding Asia-Pacific market for Gulfstream business jets. The company says the order backlog from the region grew by 13 percent last year to comprise 23 percent of the total Gulfstream backlog. “We are seeing more activity in this market and are confident it will grow despite the airspace constraints [in the region],” CEO Jay Johnson told analysts last week. See article on Page 50.
LEADER AVIATION SERVICES PTY has partnered with Able Engineering & Component Services, Inc. to distribute component repairs, overhauls, PMA’s and exchanges for rotor-wing and fixed-wing aircraft. Able Engineering has developed more than 7,000 FAA-approved repairs and PMA parts. Leader Aviation will offer the repairs and parts in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
BATTELLE, the Columbus, Ohio research organization, has developed a new technology to prevent ice from forming in flight. The technology is part of decade-long research that Battelle scientists have conducted on prevention of ice buildup. The technology uses a carbon nanotube coating to critical flight surfaces and then “energizes the coating” using the onboard electrical system. The nanotubes heat up and prevent ice formation. Battelle called the technology “radically different” from other ice prevention systems such as bleed air, mechanical boot and weeping wing.
The turbulent market for business jets and aftermarket services led General Dynamics Aerospace group, which includes Gulfstream and Jet Aviation, to a 23 percent decline in revenues and a 36.7 percent drop in profits for the fourth quarter, General Dynamics reported last week. Revenues for the fourth quarter slid to $1.18 billion, compared with $1.53 billion in fourth quarter 2008. Profits dropped to $167 million, down from $264 million in fourth quarter 2008.
SIKORSKY S-92A helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2010-0060; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-06-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to replace the existing main gearbox (MGB) filter bowl assembly with a two-piece MGB filter bowl assembly, per the instructions of Sikorsky Alert Service Bulletin No. 92-63-022A (dated Dec. 18, 2009). Also, operators would need to replace the existing mounting studs.
SICMA AERO SEAT CO. Series 90 and 92 passenger seats [Docket No. FAA-2007-27346; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-205-AD; Amendment 39-16176; AD 2010-02-06] – Conduct repetitive visual inspections for cracking of the central spreaders, replace the central spreaders if cracking is found and eventually install doublers.
Cessna Aircraft is expecting to produce 225 Citation jets in 2010, down from the 289 produced in 2009 and 407 in 2008. But that number is better than estimates executives had considered six months ago, Scott Donnelly, president and chief executive of Cessna parent Textron, reported last week.
