STANDARDAERO hired Scott Taylor as senior vice president for business aviation. Taylor, a 20-year veteran in the industry, has been charged with building upon the company’s airframe, avionics, modifications and interior refurbishment businesses, as well as expanding engine programs, both domestically and in the international markets. Taylor most recently was general manager of business and regional aviation marketing for GE Aviation. He also spent 18 years with Honeywell Aerospace in sales, marketing and business leadership positions.
DUNCAN AVIATION is opening a new European sales and support office in 2010 at a location that has not yet been disclosed. The office will provide ongoing relationship and sales support for business aircraft operators based throughout Europe, the Middle East and India. Tony Gilbert, vice president of international business, will move to Europe in January 2010 to locate an office site and hire staff.
MICHELIN NORTH AMERICA teamed with Hawker Beechcraft to develop a New Bias Technology (NBT) tire with improved landing performance for Hawker aircraft. The new tire will increase durability and shoulder wear, which in turn improves landing performance and reduces per-landing cost, HBC said. HBC is offering the tires through its parts and distribution organization, RAPID. Hawker Beechcraft Services was awarded a supplemental type certificate for installation of the tires.
BOMBARDIER CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701 and 702), CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705) and CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0399; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-226-AD; Amendment 39-16060; AD 2009-22-09] – Determine the fuse-block date code on certain Auxiliary Power Unit Start Contactor Assembly (ASCA) box assemblies, as specified by Bombardier Service Bulletin 670BA-49-012, Rev. A (dated Aug. 28, 2008). Before further flight, replace all fuse blocks that have a certain date code.
JODIE DEL BENE was appointed sales manager for Signature Flight Support. Del Bene previously was manager of client relations and regional sales for Jet Aviation Palm Beach. In her new role, Del Bene will be based in Palm Beach and be responsible for large fleet, Part 91 and tenant sales on the East Coast.
November 4-5 – Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance Workshop, Las Vegas, Nev., Grey Owl Aviation Consultants, Inc. (204) 848-7353 or visit www.greyowl.com November 4-6 – Annual Regional & Business Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference, Intercontinental Montelucia Resort & Spa, Paradise Valley, Ariz., or visit www.speednews.com November 5-7– Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Aviation Summit, Tampa, Fla., (800) 872-2672 or visit www.aopa.org
The European Commission is putting forward a legislative proposal to strengthen aircraft accident investigation processes in Europe and give the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) a role in investigations.
NEW LEARJET 60XR CABIN DESIGNS are being offered by Bombardier. The six-passenger Signature Series Red and Signature Series Black configurations feature soft color schemes, dark wood veneers, redesigned cabin seats and a larger galley. New cabin options for the midsize jet include an espresso machine and a SwiftBroadband capability that supports simultaneous Wi-Fi connectivity for laptops and personal electronic devices and a satcom cabin phone.
Larry Edeal, chief operating officer of Y2K Aviation, and Donald Hitch, president of Flight Partners Group, have formed a strategic partnership between the companies enabling Flight Partners Group to offer clients FAR Part 135 charter and management services under Y2K Aviation LLC’s air carrier certificate. Flight Partners Group in turn will assist Y2K Aviation with aircraft marketing and charter sales.
LISA SCHMITT was named outside sales director for FirstFlight, the Elmira/Corning, N.Y.-based charter and management company. Schmitt has a background in aviation customer service, sales and marketing. She most recently was with ServiceElement, where she managed customer service training, coaching and consulting for Fortune 100 companies, aviation businesses and flight departments. Before that, she held numerous positions with FlightSafety International.
FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW organizers plan to bring back and expand hard-stand space at the business aircraft park for the next event, to be held July 19-25, 2010. The expansion will provide exhibitors with more opportunities for static displays and demonstration flights, organizers said.
CAE last month began maintenance training using its Simfinity-equipped classroom at the Honeywell Aerospace Academy in Phoenix, Ariz. The initial course covers ATA Level III line maintenance for the Honeywell Primus Epic integrated avionics system, including operations theory, LRU interface, flight modes, troubleshooting, and testing of Primus Epic systems using high-fidelity, simulation-based multiscreen displays. Simfinity technology will be used to support technical training for a range of Honeywell-equipped business aircraft platforms as the program expands.
ROBERT J. LAMOND was named vice president of AerSale, Inc. in Coral Gables, Fla. Lamond most recently was senior sales director – commercial engines for Kellstrom. He also has served with AeroTurbine.
DASSAULT Falcon 900EX airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0994; Directorate Identifier 2009-NM-108-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators of airplanes equipped with a 115 cubic-foot oxygen cylinder in right-hand mid-cabin to inspect the crew and passenger right-hand oxygen lines to determine if they interfere with Frame 8 of the airplane structure.
JIM ZARVOS joined Dassault Aircraft Services as vice president of sales and marketing in the Western Hemisphere. Zarvos will be responsible for marketing the range of Dassault Aircraft Services’ capabilities to operators. He formerly was senior vice president with Midcoast Aviation, where he managed satellite facilities in Illinois, Georgia, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Florida.
Washington and industry officials have committed to taking necessary steps to implement the next generation air traffic management system (NextGen), but those officials warn that a number of issues, such as providing operators incentives to equip their aircraft, must be addressed before progress can be made.
WILLIAMS INTERNATIONAL and Cessna Aircraft have created a program that provides fixed hourly rates for engine maintenance on most of the Citation CJ business jets. The TAP Advantage program is now a part of Cessna’s ProAdvantage maintenance program, which offers aircraft owners more predictable engine maintenance costs, including parts, labor and life cycle components.
PANASONIC AVIONICS is offering a new inflight broadband service through its Global Communications Suite. The package is a three-module system that includes the eXConnect broadband service, the eXPhone GSM service and the Panasonic airborne television service. Panasonic is offering the global Ku-band service at $2 per MB, which the company notes is much lower than other similar services. The first Boeing BBJ should be flown with the new system shortly.
ALSO picking up in recent months is business at service centers, said General Dynamics President and CEO Jay Johnson. But Johnson added that challenges still exist. “Although aircraft service volumes steadied in the third quarter, competitive pricing and the deferral of larger, more profitable maintenance jobs continued,” he said. “I am cautiously optimistic about the outlook of the service business, where current demand has returned our service centers to full work weeks.” See article on Page 203.
FAA has completed or closed action on roughly 55 percent of the recommendations produced by the Part 125/135 Aviation Rulemaking Committee, agency officials told operators during the NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention in Orlando, Fla. Forty-five percent remain open, although agency officials could not say when they would be addressed, because the FAA is focusing on revamping a variety of Part 121 regulations in the wake of the crash of a Continental Express Bombardier Q400 in Buffalo, N.Y. earlier this year.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL reports that more than 200 business aviation pilots and maintenance technicians have applied and been qualified to receive training from FlightSafety at no charge through the company’s Proficiency Protection Program since its introduction in June 2009. The Proficiency Protection Program provides business aircraft pilots who were training under a FlightSafety Full Service contract at the time of involuntary job loss with an opportunity to receive a recurrent training course at no charge.
SATSair President and CEO Stephan Hanvey believes that although the company ceased flying operations late on Oct. 23, it has not shut down. “We know our business model works,” Hanvey insisted. Although he declined to go into the reasons for the apparent temporary halt in the company’s “air cab” operations, he acknowledged that the decline in the U.S. national economy has undoubtedly played a role. The timing of the announcement suggested that the decision was based on an eleventh-hour development.
MD HELICOPTERS MD-900 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2009-0953; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-45-AD] – This proposed AD would supersede an existing directive (AD 99-16-13) that currently requires applying serial numbers to certain parts, increasing the life limit for various parts, maintaining a previously established life limit for a certain vertical stabilizer control system bellcrank assembly and bellcrank arm, and correcting the part number for the bellcrank arm.
