NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION President and CEO Ed Bolen is encouraged that preregistrations for next week’s NBAA Annual Meeting and Convention in Orlando, Fla. remain strong despite the turbulent year. He noted the convention is coming off record years in terms of attendance, and said, “I don’t think anyone would expect us to set records [this year].” But he told BA that early registrations have been positive.
The Department of Transportation last week released a safety advisory warning of the potential dangers involved with lithium batteries onboard commercial passenger and cargo aircraft. The advisory, issued by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), in coordination with FAA, discusses recent incidents involving lithium batteries on aircraft and regulatory requirements for their transport in commercial and cargo service.
GLASER-DIRKS FLUGZEUGBAU DG-100 gliders [Docket No. FAA-2009-0881; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-050-AD; Amendment 39-16027; AD 2009-20-04] – Before further flight, inspect the bearing stand RU19, per the instructions of DG Flugzeugbau Technical note No. 301/26, Rev. 1 (dated Aug. 4, 2009). If any cracks, delamination or other discrepancies are found, replace the bearing stand with a reinforced version of the bearing stand. This directive, which resulted from an MCAI issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, is designed to prevent loss of elevator control.
Soloy’s Cessna 206H Mark II engine upgrade program has won European Aviation Safety Agency approval. The Soloy Cessna 206H Mark II, powered by a Rolls-Royce 250-B17F turbine engine, features an increase of 110-horsepower over the Cessna 206, improving the aircraft’s ability to carry more weight, fly faster, and operate in high and hot conditions. The power boost, paired with the aircraft’s Hartzell three-bladed prop with full beta reverse features, also improves the aircraft’s short takeoff and landing performance, especially in its amphibious configuration.
CUTTER AVIATION has expanded its on-demand charter operations to the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, market through its new base at Collin County Regional Airport in McKinney, Texas. The company offers on-demand charter on a Hawker Beechcraft 400XP from the McKinney location. In addition to the Dallas/Fort Worth base, Cutter offers charter from locations in Phoenix and Albuquerque, N.M.
ROCKWELL COLLINS was selected by the U.S. Air Force for the Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) phase of the KC-135 Block 45 cockpit upgrade program. Rockwell Collins received a contract to modernize the KC-135 refueling tankers flight deck with the latest generation autopilot, flight director, radar altimeter and electronic engine instrument display. Two prototype aircraft will be modified during the EMD phase. This will establish the production baseline for 415 additional KC-135 aircraft expected to receive the Block 45 upgrade.
YINGLING AVIATION has added Hartzel Propeller props to its portfolio of maintenance and service offerings. Yingling, a McCauley Propeller Authorized Service Center, acquired tooling and underwent training to add Hartzell services. Yingling last year also completed a $1.5 million expansion of its propeller shop. The services cover Hartzell fixed pitch, constant speed, full-feathering and constant speed full-feathering, and reversing propellers.
TWO INDUSTRY ANALYSTS agreed that the used business aircraft market continued its recovery in September. The number of jets for sale decreased to 13.6 percent of the active fleet in September, “the largest decrease in 33 months, with inventories moving below 14 percent for the first time since January,” JPMorgan said in its latest Business Jet Monthly update. The inventory for light and heavy jets fell more dramatically than medium jets. Asking prices, however, continued to fall as well.
STEPHANIE FRASER was named vice president of advanced research and aviation for air traffic flow management specialist Metron Aviation. Fraser, who has more than 23 years of aviation experience, most recently was vice president for the Flatiron Solutions government business unit, which provides engineering, architecture and analytic work for FAA. She also led an IBM team that supported FAA in aviation system performance measuring and modeling.
PILATUS PC-7 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0938; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-052-AD] – This proposal would require operators to check the main landing gear support struts to see if they have rounded clevis lugs and perform a nondestructive inspection procedure on the struts if they have chamfered clevis lugs. Operators would need to replace any cracked struts with parts of improved design, in accordance with the instructions of Pilatus PC-7 Service Bulletins No. 32-024, Rev. No. 1 and No. 32-025, Rev. No. 1 (both dated Nov. 17, 2008).
TRANS-EXEC PRIVATE JETS has installed global in-flight high-speed, wireless Internet service into its fleet of six Gulfstream jets. The company chose Satcom Direct as its provider because it operates worldwide over land or water, said CEO David Bilson. Customers have said this will be the next big leap in keeping them productive and entertained during a flight, said Bilson. “Airborne telephones have been around for decades. This is the first major change in the way people fly since then,” he said.
The slump in commercial aircraft deliveries continued into the third quarter for Embraer, although an improved production rate on the manufacturer’s Phenom very light jet line helped the airframer post a year-over-year growth in the number of aircraft delivered in the three-month period.
THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION is believed to be vetting former U.S. Transportation Department official Michael Huerta to be the next FAA deputy administrator. FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt said a candidate was being vetted, but he did not reveal the name. Sources told BA affiliate Aviation Daily that Huerta is the choice. Huerta was a member of the Obama transition team responsible for the DOT. He was chief of staff to Secretary Rodney Slater and associate deputy secretary under Federico Pena.
SENTIENT JET, the Weymouth, Mass.-based private membership and charter provider, has opened new corporate offices in New York City. Sentient’s operations and command center will remain in Weymouth. The Weymouth and New York City offices will be supported by Sentient’s network of regional bases in Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Pittsburgh, and Providence, along with three in California (San Francisco, Los Angeles and Orange County). Sentient said the addition comes as its membership and charter programs continue to grow.
The number of U.S. business jet and turboprop accidents dropped by nearly 50 percent through the first nine months of this year, according to accident data released last week by Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla.
AOIFE O’SULLIVAN of the law firm Gates and Partners urged attendees at the recent annual European VLJ conference to “forget the term [very light jet],” and suggested the description is not well received by banks and insurance companies. The demise of original VLJ OEM Eclipse and maiden VLJ operator Dayjet were lessons to learn from while consolidation, the global economic downturn and a touch of realism now dominate the sector, he added.
CitationShares, launched in 2000 as a fractional aircraft ownership provider, has rebranded the business as CitationAir by Cessna to reflect a new approach that integrates its various lines of businesses and ties them closer to parent company Cessna Aircraft, the company announced last week. During a press conference Friday in New York, CitationAir CEO Steve O’Neill unveiled the new branding and said the company is planning to launch a major advertising campaign beginning Tuesday to promote the new business model.
TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL MOTORS O-470, IO-470, TSIO-470, IO-520, TSIO-520, IO-550, and IOF-550 series engines [Docket No. FAA-2009-0367; Directorate Identifier 2009-NE-10-AD; Amendment 39-16023; AD 2009-19-07] – FAA is correcting AD 2009-19-06, which was published in the Sept. 22 edition of the Federal Register. Two references to the AD number in the original AD were incorrect. The revised document corrects those references. In all other respects, the original document remains the same.
Scottsdale, Ariz., residents are in favor of a proposed aircraft weight limit increase from 75,000 pounds to 100,000 pounds at Scottsdale Airport, according to a new online survey conducted by Phoenix-based Summit Consulting Group. The results are similar to those found under four options for the airport’s future offered in a report done by the city of Scottsdale (BA, Aug. 24/88).
As the Office of Management and Budget begins to form its plans for the fiscal 2011 budget, two key House members have begun a lobbying effort against potential aviation user fee proposals for fiscal 2011. House aviation subcommittee chairman Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) and ranking Republican Thomas Petri (R-Wis.) circulated a letter within the House asking President Obama to keep potential general aviation user fees out of the fiscal 2011 budget. Both lawmakers offered their support instead to continuation of the aviation excise taxes.
Flight Options is hoping to jump-start its used aircraft sales with a new program that would offer low monthly lease payments on used aircraft. Lease rates would start as low as $985 a month for a Hawker 400XP. Residual value concerns are eliminated, credit availability issues are solved and financing for the lease is managed internally, eliminating the need for third-party interaction and assuring complete confidentiality, Flight Options said.
AMERICAN AVIATION in Brooksville, Fla., was one of the latest fixed-base operations to become an Avfuel dealer. American Aviation will participate in the AVTRIP rewards and Avfuel Contract Fuel card programs. American Aviation is located at Hernando County Airport (BKV), which has 7,000-foot and 5,000-foot runways and ILS and GPS approaches. The FBO includes a new 32,000-square-foot hangar and provides a range of services, including maintenance, completions, aircraft sales and flight instruction.
WHILE QUESTIONS still remain about the success of the air taxi business, Blink CEO Peter Leiman offered his example of how applying the low-cost airline business model can support sustainability: homogenous fleets (Cessna Citation Mustangs for Blink) and high utilization of 600 hours a year per aircraft on confined networks. Transparent pricing and strong direct relations with clients is also important, he told attendees at the European VLJ conference.
BOLEN also has been pleased by the growing number of positive stories and increasingly positive attitude in Washington that has been directed toward business and general aviation. He noted last week’s proclamation by Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue declaring October “Aviation Appreciation Month,” and said, “I think there is growing awareness and appreciation of business aviation. I think we’re moving away from some unrepresented caricatures.” See article on Page 164.
