RON ALDRICH was appointed general manager for Gulfstream Aerospace’s center in Brunswick, Ga. He will oversee the completions center and service center for large-cabin Gulfstream aircraft.
PILATUS AIRCRAFT PC-12/47E airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0347; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-022-AD; Amendment 39-15883; AD 2009-08-10] – This new AD, which supersedes an existing directive (AD 2009-04-14), requires operators to incorporate Pilatus Aircraft Temporary Revision No. 11 (Report No. 02277, dated March 18, 2009) into the Pilot’s Operating Handbook.
THE TOLL OF layoffs within the general aviation manufacturing segment continues to increase. In the past eight months, GA manufacturers have announced plans to cut close to 12,400 jobs in the U.S. alone and up to 7,000 more worldwide, according to figures tracked by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. These numbers do not include the 850 workers at Eclipse who have lost their jobs. The numbers likely will continue to swell in the next few weeks as Cessna Aircraft and Hawker Beechcraft provide specifics on their newest reductions.
THE INTERNATIONAL HELICOPTER SAFETY TEAM (IHST) is working with government and industry to cut the helicopter accident rate – both civil accidents and noncombat military mishaps – by 80 percent by 2016. In order to pursue that goal, IHST has adopted and adapted a process originally developed by the U.S. Commercial Aviation Safety Team, which is designed to significantly increase public safety by adopting an integrated, data driven methodology based on a review of occurrence data, and by developing safety enhancements and action plans.
FAA last week made the entire bird strike database available on a public Web site and said it would withdraw a proposal to protect the data. The agency last month proposed protecting the data from public disclosure, fearing the release of the information would discourage voluntary reporting of bird strikes and other wildlife encounters.
The pilot of a Cessna 421B twin-piston, N1935G, was killed April 17 when his aircraft lost engine power shortly after takeoff and crashed into a home in Oakland Park, Fla. The aircraft departed Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) at about 11:15 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on a Part 91 flight to Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport (55J) near Jacksonville, Fla. The pilot had planned to sell the Cessna to a buyer in the Jacksonville area, the National Transportation Safety Board noted.
CITATION MUSTANGS can be equipped with Garmin’s Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT) following FAA certification of the system aboard the light jet. SVT is now a FAA-certified option for the Mustang, as well as for all Garmin G1000-equipped Cessna 172 Skyhawks, 182 Skylanes, 206 Stationairs and Caravans. Separately, Cessna plans to deliver the 200th Mustang next month to Maritime Air Charters of Honolulu, Hawaii.
Portland-based aircraft charter, sales and maintenance company Maine Aviation Corp. credits its proprietary process converting Bombardier’s 50-seat CRJ200 regional jet into a private jet with helping to boost international sales.
TURBOMECA Arriel 1B, 1D, 1D1, 2B and 2B1 engines [Docket No. FAA-2009-0302; Directorate Identifier 2009-NE-09-AD; Amendment 39-15881; AD 2009-08-08] – Remove from service certain power turbine blades for engines installed on Eurocopter EC 130B4 and AS 350B, BA, B1, B2 and B3 helicopters. This AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, was prompted by the discovery of geometric nonconformances on blade fir tree roots of power turbine wheels.
ELLIOTT AVIATION installed a Garmin G1000 avionics package on a Beechcraft King Air B200, becoming the first authorized center to complete such a retrofit on the B200/200 series. Elliott’s facility at Quad Cities International Airport completed the installation on a 1995 King Air. The aircraft also will receive a new interior and fresh paint. Garmin secured a supplemental type certificate for the G1000 cockpit in the King Air B200/200 in March and is seeking European Aviation Safety Agency certification.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT received single-engine fleet orders from the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) and the University of North Dakota (UND). CAP, the nonprofit volunteer auxiliary to the U.S. Air Force, ordered 19 more 182T Skylanes. CAP has more than 500 Cessna aircraft in its fleet for use in disaster relief, cadet programs, aerospace education and search and rescue operations. UND confirmed orders for 13 additional 172S Skyhawks. The John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences will use the aircraft in its flight training fleet.
WEST COAST AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE, LLC has been designated by Hawker Beechcraft as its authorized service center for Southern California. The Long Beach, Calif.-based Part 145 repair station will focus on supporting Bonanzas, Barons and King Airs, while providing limited Premier support. West Coast Aircraft Maintenance, a subsidiary of Santa Ana, Calif.-based West Coast Charters, has more than 30,000 square feet of hangar space at Daugherty Field (LGB) and 17,000 square feet of space at John Wayne Airport (SNA).
SATCOM DIRECT was named a distribution partner for Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband aeronautical voice and high-speed data service for corporate, government, and military aviation operators. Satcom Direct will work with end users, providing service and troubleshooting. Satcom Direct also will distribute SwiftBroadband through its reseller network.
Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies last week reported first-quarter earnings per share of 78 cents on revenues of $12.25 billion. Both numbers were down year on year from $1.03 and $13.96 billion, respectively, for the quarter ending March 31.
LOS ANGELES-based jet charter operator TWC Aviation, Inc. has added a 13-seat Embraer Legacy 600 to its charter fleet. The aircraft has a dual DVD entertainment system and a SATCOM phone, and passengers can have meals from the warming and microwave ovens.
Business jet flights fell 30 percent in March, slightly worse than February’s 28 percent leap-year adjusted decline, according to a new report from UBS. Flights also were down 30 percent in the first quarter and 18 percent in the past year. “While flight activity declined in all three range classes, short-range aircraft again saw the largest decline in March, 31 percent lower from the prior year, with medium- and long-range aircraft activity 29 percent lower and 25 percent lower, respectively,” wrote analyst David Strauss.
MT PROPELLER ENTWICKLUNG GmbH of Atting, Germany, has received European Aviation Safety Agency supplemental type certification for installation of its MTV-27-1 five-blade, scimitar-airfoil, composite-construction prop on all models of the Pilatus PC-12. The firm claims that the modification reduces airport flyover noise by nearly four dB(A) and cabin sound levels by three to four dB(A). The MT five-blade prop has a 102.4-inch maximum diameter, compared with the 105-inch diameter of the standard four-blade aluminum Hartzell propeller.
FAA’s Chicago Aircraft Certification Office has issued final approval for the newly designed Known Ice Protection system for Cirrus Aircraft’s SR22 and Turbo models. The system, developed with Ice Protection Ltd., has CAV’s fully integrated TKS “weeping wing” technology in laser-drilled panels on the leading edges of wings, horizontal and vertical tail surfaces and elevators. New high-intensity LED ice lights on both sides of the airplane illuminate wing leading edges and tail surfaces through a unique prism lens.
SHANNON AIRPORT in Ireland is making preparations to become the first U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) preclearance site in Europe beginning in July for commercial passengers and in September for general aviation. Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff in November signed an agreement with the Irish Minister of Transport to expand cooperation between the two countries, including full preclearance in Shannon and Dublin (BA, Nov. 24/237). Prescreening operations are expected to begin in Dublin in 2010.
JEREMY SOBOLIK was named line service manager for Fargo Jet Center, which provides all aircraft fueling for private aircraft and commercial airlines at Hector International Airport in Fargo, N.D. Sobolik joined Fargo Jet Center in 1999 as a line service technician and most recently was a supervisor.
A slow ramp up of the Phenom program led Embraer’s first quarter business jet shipments to fall short, according to analyst JPMorgan. Embraer last week reported that it delivered eight business jets in the first quarter – two Legacy 600s and six Phenom 100 very light jets – in the first three months of 2009.
MD HELICOPTERS Model MD900 and MD902 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2008-0772; Directorate Identifier 2008-SW-30-AD; Amendment 39-15872; AD 2009-07-13] – Reduce the gross weight limit to 5,400 pounds and insert a copy of this AD into the “Limitations” section of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM). Optional terminating actions for the weight reduction are to determine if a NOTAR fan felt seal is installed. If the seal is not installed, install an airworthy one before further flight.
GARMIN’S G950 and G600 were selected as optional avionics for TECNAM Aircraft’s twin-engine P2006T and single-engine P2002 JF/JR models, respectively. The G600 package, available on both the fixed-gear P2002JF and retractable P2002JR, will include a primary flight display and multifunction display and combine primary flight data with navigation, weather terrain and traffic data. The G600 can integrate with Garmin WAAS and GPS products.
WEST STAR AVIATION earned FAA approvals for installation of WAAS/LPV on the Cessna Citation 550 Bravo Series and Citation V 560 Series. The supplemental type certificates cover the installation of Universal Avionics’ UNS-1Lw FMS system with an LPV monitor. West Star’s facilities in East Alton, Ill., Grand Junction, Colo. and Dallas can perform the installations. The Grand Junction facility also is working on WAAS/LPV packages for the 560 Ultra and Encore and 650 Citation III series.
HONEYWELL has added XM weather products, an air traffic interface, obstacles and other functions to its Bendix/King AV8OR handheld navigation units. The newest features are available as a free software download at Honeywell’s Wingman Services Web site or at www.bendixking.com/AV8OR. The AV8OR Software Version 1.04 expands AV8OR’s weather display capability and provides additional “GoFly” airborne map features along with vertical displays of obstacles.
