December 1-8 – FAA International Runway Safety Summit, Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C., 703-824-0504 ext. 150, [email protected]. December 8-10 – AVIATION WEEK MRO Asia Conference & Exhibition, Asia World-Expo, Hong Kong, www.aviationweek.com/conferences January 25-26, 2010 – National Air Transportation Association FBO Leadership Conference, San Antonio, Texas, (800) 808-6282 or visit www.nata.aero/fbolc
A total of 11,277 business jets, worth an estimated $197 billion, will be produced in the 10-year period from 2009 through 2018, according to a new study from Connecticut-based Forecast International. The forecast tracks closely with the Embraer forecast for 11,880 business jets valued at $204 billion through 2018. Both are slightly more optimistic than Honeywell’s forecast for 11,000 business jet deliveries through 2019.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION is offering a 10-percent discount on the Complete Aeromedical Services Program (CASP) offered by Virtual Flight Surgeons, Inc.
General aviation advocates last week urged lawmakers to avoid user fees and legislation that could further damage an industry struggling to stay afloat during the economic downturn. The GA advocates joined representatives from a cross-section of industry to participate in a congressional roundtable on the state of aviation in the current economy. Led by Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the congressional panel comprised about a dozen Republicans.
CHRIS ERICKSON was elected president of the Aeronautical Repair Station Association. Erickson, who has a 40-year aviation career, is chief repair station officer and compliance officer at Erickson Air-Crane. He previously held a two-year term as senior vice president for the association.
GREG ARNOLD, president and chief executive of Truman Arnold Companies, was inducted into the Arkansas Aviation Hall of Fame. Arnold heads the firm his father started in 1964. Truman Arnold entered the fixed-base operation business in 1986 as Road Runner Aviation, and now operates 13 FBOs as TAC Air.
SAAB 340A/SF340A and 340B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0134; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-162-AD; Amendment 39-16079; AD 2009-23-07] – Replace certain hydraulic accumulators with modified hydraulic accumulators, per the instructions of Saab Service Bulletin 340-29-023 Rev. 01 or 340-29-024 Rev. 01 (both dated April 3, 2009). This AD, which resulted from an MCAI originated by the European Aviation Safety Agency, is intended to prevent main hydraulic accumulator failures caused by corrosion.
TURBOMECA Arriel 2B and 2B1 engines [Docket No. FAA-2009-0889; Directorate Identifier 2009-NE-35-AD] – This proposal would require operators to check the transmissible torque between the low-pressure (LP) pump impeller and the high-pressure (HP) pump shaft of the HP/LP pump metering unit (HMU), per the instructions of Turbomeca Alert Service Bulletin No. A292 73 2830, Ver. B (dated July 10, 2009). If the system passes the check, apply the nominal tightening torque to the screw of the LP pump impeller.
AircraftLogs.com and Aviation Financial Consulting have teamed to offer a new service called Aircraft Compliance Solutions, which provides simplified reporting solutions to help companies operating business jets and corporate flight departments comply with FAA and IRS requirements.
HUNDREDS of business jet operations were delayed Nov. 19 after a glitch in a relatively new telecommunications system disrupted air traffic management services. The glitch caused wide-scale airline delays and flight cancellations, and also delayed a substantial number of business pilots attempting to file IFR flight plans. The problems occurred at about 5 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, just when “things are starting to spool up” for business jet operations, said Bob Lamond, director of air traffic services for the National Business Aviation Association.
VIKING AIR LIMITED named R.W. Martin Inc. of Murrieta, Calif., as its second factory-endorsed service center. R.W. Martin will provide maintenance, warranty and modifications for Viking’s Twin Otter and Dash 7 products. A subsidiary of IKHANA Group, R.W. Martin has a background in Twin Otter support. Viking previously had named Altenrhein Aviation in Switzerland as an endorsed service center.
Private jet charter operator InJet has unveiled plans to launch a card membership program offering flight time in blocks of 10, 25, 50 or 100 hours. The company hopes that the 10-hour card – Touch 10 – will give potential customers entry-level jet membership without a large capital outlay.
JET AVIATION signed an agreement with Jet Support Services, Inc. to become a preferred provider of scheduled and unscheduled maintenance for JSSI and its clients. The agreement covers Jet Aviation’s operations in Basel, Geneva and Zurich, Switzerland; Dusseldorf, Germany; London Biggin Hill, U.K.; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Singapore. JSSI clients will receive priority slots for maintenance and repair services. In addition, the agreement calls for Jet Aviation to supply spare parts.
FAA last week released a proposal to place restrictions on aviation certificate holders who contract or hire an FAA inspector within two years of leaving the agency. The proposal stems from a recommendation by the Transportation Department Inspector General and demands of Congress following the controversy surrounding the Southwest Airlines airworthiness directive compliance violations.
328 SUPPORT SERVICES GMBH has been awarded FAA repair station status for the Dornier 328JET and 328 turboprop. The company currently is completing its first VIP jet for U.S. customer Aviando Services.
Abu Dhabi plans to build a business jet by 2018 to mark the emergence of the Middle East as a major player in the global aerospace industry. The first steps were celebrated Nov. 14 as the Mubadala Development investment arm of the Abu Dhabi government and Western partners viewed progress in building the Strata Manufacturing composites facility that will begin supplying parts for Airbus, ATR and other airliners in the second half of next year. Strata will open with initial contracts worth more than $2 billion.
Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton criticized the European Trading Scheme (ETS) for causing “widespread confusion” and said imposing it upon non-EU aviation puts “at risk” the concept of addressing environmental measures on a global scale.
PREMIER AIRCRAFT earned European Aviation Safety Agency approval for its Falcon 50 upgrade program that converts TFE 731-3 engines to TFE731-4-1C engines. Premier also appointed Duncan Aviation as distributors for the Dash4 Performance Upgrade program. Duncan and Jet Aviation join Midcoast Aviation and Premier Aircraft co-founder West Star Aviation as a distributor.
SPENCER POWER was promoted to assistant manager of FlightSafety International’s Fort Worth, Texas Learning Center, which trains pilots who operate Bell helicopters. Power joined FlightSafety Fort Worth in February 2007 as manager, product marketing. Before that, he held sales and marketing positions with Spencer Power Photography, SAFFE Property & Casualty Insurance and Honda Financial Services. He also worked at the Oklahoma State University aircraft maintenance department while a student.
SOCATA TBM 700 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0557; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-031-AD; Amendment 39-16086; AD 2009-23-12] – Before further flight, insert Page 3.13.5 of Temporary Revision No. 3 (dated March 2009) into the “Emergency Procedures” section and the “Limitations” section of the Pilot Operating Handbook in order to clarify procedures for releasing onboard oxygen.
BOMBARDIER last week began construction of a new aircraft wing manufacturing and assembly facility for the Bombardier CSeries aircraft program in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The new 600,000-square-foot factory is being built in two phases and will incorporate an existing production building.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. and TATA Advanced Systems Limited have firmed up an agreement to establish a joint venture that would manufacture components in India. The agreement builds on a memorandum of understanding the two companies signed in February to explore joint venture possibilities in India. Sikorsky and TATA since have begun construction in Hyderabad, where TATA will assemble Sikorsky S-92 helicopter cabins beginning next year.
AIRCELL has appointed ExecuJet as its first authorized dealer in the Middle East. ExecuJet established its base at Dubai International Airport in the United Arab Emirates in 1999, becoming one of the first independent companies to offer business aviation services in the region.
While sales have remained sluggish in the North American market, business aviation companies are finding some success in a rapidly growing Middle East market. Several of the major original equipment manufacturers and service providers used last week’s Dubai Airshow as a platform to announce multiple aircraft deals and service expansions.
FLYING CLOUD AIRPORT in Eden Prairie, Minn. recently reopened its south parallel runway, Runway 10R/28L, whose length has been extended to 5,000 feet. The runway extension was part of a $17 million airport improvement project that began in August 2008. At the time, the airport’s longest runway was 3,900 feet. The airport has since added 301 feet to Runway 10L/28R, extending it to 3,900 feet, and 1,100 feet to Runway 10R/28L to 5,000 feet. The longer 10R/28L runway also was widened to 100 feet, and the taxiway system was extended.
