SOLOY AVIATION SOLUTIONS earned FAA supplemental type certification for a Cessna 206 Observer seat kit. The observer seat is designed with a swiveling installation to use with the Soloy Observer window in law enforcement operations. The seat uses the existing center row seat but rotates to enable observers to face forward during takeoff and landing and swivel right, left and aft while in flight by releasing a locking pin. The installation takes about eight hours, Soloy said.
Financially beleaguered JetDirect Aviation, Inc. finally came under new ownership after the investment group JDA Acquisition Corp. (JDAAC) late last week completed the purchase of the charter and management specialist. JDAAC, led by Brantley Partners, had signed an initial agreement to purchase JetDirect in February, but a series of delays, including an employee lawsuit (BA, April 13/ 171), held off the completion of the deal until Friday. In the interim, Sovereign Bank foreclosed on JetDirect.
Los Angeles-based SkyBridge Private Air believes a simple business model has led to a 50 percent-plus increase in business over the past 15 months in spite of the disintegrating market.
OLIVER MASEFIELD, former vice president of engineering at Eclipse Aviation, will return to Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. in Stans, Switzerland, June 1 as engineering manager of the firm’s advanced projects office. When Masefield last worked for Pilatus as vice president of research and development, he helped create the PC-12 single-engine turboprop, as well as managed the PC-7 and PC-9 military trainer programs. He also is credited with creating the PC-21 high-performance military trainer.
NTSB acting Chairman Mark Rosenker last week expressed his sympathy over the “black eye” given to corporate aviation in the press, public and Congress. “Everyone in this room knows the benefits of business aviation, but many outside this room don’t get it,” Rosenker told the Wichita Aero Club Tuesday. “I would advise that you increase your ‘outreach’ to the public, and Washington, D.C., to heal that black eye.”
The U.S. will lead the recovery of the troubled business aviation market, says a new report from Sparta, N.J.-based consultancy Brian Foley Associates. “This is good news since this region has always been the industry’s biggest market, accounting for 64 percent of the active worldwide business jet fleet,” President Brian Foley said. The industry should begin its recovery in mid-2010, he added.
FAA has proposed special conditions for certification of the Cessna Citation CJ4. The agency says the applicable FAR Part 23 airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for the novel design features of the Model 525C’s single-point refuel/defuel system, equipment that more commonly is found on Part 25 aircraft. The proposed special conditions contain the additional safety standards that the FAA Administrator considers necessary to establish a level of safety equivalent to that established by the existing airworthiness standards.
Spectrum Aeronautical, LLC took a step forward in the development of its Model Freedom S-40 airplane with the release last week of special conditions for flight performance, flight characteristics and operating limitations for the aircraft. FAA said the aircraft has unusual design features involving engine location as well as certain performance and flight characteristics. The conditions are designed to provide appropriate safety standards for the aircraft that would be the equivalent level of existing airworthiness standards.
FAA is considering whether to ground the Zodiac CH-601XL light sport aircraft after the National Transportation Safety Board urged the agency to take such action to prevent further in-flight break ups. NTSB made that recommendation following six structural breakups of the Zodiac. NTSB also is seeking additional standards for all light sport aircraft. FAA already had been engaged in a design review of the Zodiac with a team of experts that includes British and Dutch investigators. See article on Page 184.
Hawker Beechcraft last week posted a $41.2 million operating loss for the first quarter as new Chairman and CEO Bill Boisture prepared company employees for another round of layoffs. The company blamed the growing losses – which increased from a $1.5 million loss in the first quarter of 2008 – in part on declining shipments of its business and general aviation aircraft. Business and general aviation deliveries dropped from 72 in the first quarter of 2008 to 57 in the most recent quarter.
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT delivered the first of 23 special mission extended-range King Air 350s on order to the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force in November awarded the $171 million contract for the King Air 350ERs, which have the military designation MC-12W. The King Air 350ER is fitted with additional nacelle fuel tanks, has increased gross weight from 15,000 pounds to 16,500 pounds and incorporates heavy-weight landing gear. The modification enables the aircraft to carry military-required equipment for use as an airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance platform.
AMSAFE AVIATION introduced airbags to the general aviation market four years ago and, within two years, was selected to provide the equipment for about 80 percent of all new piston aircraft, noted AmSafe President Bill Hagan. AmSafe’s products already had been well-known in the commercial arena, Hagan said, adding that the company has sold to nearly every commercial airline currently operating. But the one market niche that AmSafe has not yet infiltrated to any great extent is the business jet segment.
DAVID GLASS was promoted to manager of FlightSafety International’s Detroit Metro/Toledo Learning Center. Glass joined FlightSafety in 2004 as an instructor and training center examiner at the Airline Learning Center in St. Louis, Mo. He most recently was assistant manager of FlightSafety’s Learning Center in Houston, Texas. He also spent 12 years on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corp and 10 more in the Reserve, and flew for Trans World Airlines and American Airlines.
BELL HELICOPTER Model 206A, 206B, 206L, 206L-1, 206L-3, 206L-4, 222, 222B, 222U, 230, 407, 427 and 430 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2009-0301; Directorate Identifier 2008-SW-69-AD; Amendment 39-15876; AD 2009-08-03] – Before further flight, unless already accomplished, replace certain rotor blades with an airworthy blade. This AD, which supersedes an existing directive (AD 2007-19-52), was prompted by an MCAI issued by Transport Canada following three reports of blade tip weights departing from the blade during flight.
ROB WATERHOUSE joined Satcom Direct as director of sales. Waterhouse will oversee sales of the entire portfolio of Satcom Direct service. He has 12 years of experience selling VHF satellite communications, network services and flight support services to commercial airlines and the business aviation industry. He formerly was with ARINC.
Kurt Sutterer, the president of Midcoast Aviation who also is head of Jet Aviation’s MRO and completions lines of business in North America, is retiring next month after serving with the company for 29 years. Jet Aviation named aviation veteran Don Petersen to succeed Sutterer.
FAA is praising two TRACON controllers and a Danbury, Conn., pilot for teaming up to help a low-time pilot passenger safely land a King Air B200 April 12 after the pilot died in the cockpit.
LESLIE RIEGLE was named director of regulatory affairs for the American Association of Airport Executives, where she will focus on airport environmental and general aviation issues as well as support airport operations and safety-related work. Riegle formerly was a legislative and public policy advisor at the law firm Arnold & Porter LLP, handling aviation, energy and the environment. Before that, she worked with the Department of Transportation Inspector General and also has been a senior consultant for Eclat Consulting.
HONEYWELL ALF502 and LF507 engines [Docket No. FAA-2007-0096; Directorate Identifier 2007-NE-39-AD] – This proposed AD would supersede an existing directive (AD 97-11-05) but retain the requirement for initial and repetitive on-wing eddy-current or in-shop fluorescent-penetrant inspections of certain fuel manifold assemblies for cracks. Any cracked fuel manifolds would need to be replaced with serviceable manifolds. A new requirement would be to check for leaks in certain additional fuel manifolds.
The House is expected to begin debate in the next few weeks on a sweeping new energy bill that would call for new aircraft emissions and fuel standards. The debate will come as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Friday made a proposed declaration that climate change is a risk to public health and welfare. The proposed declaration must undergo a notice and comment period, but is considered a key step to clear the way for regulation of greenhouse gases (GHGs).
Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association was pleased that the Nevada Senate Energy, Infrastructure and Transportation Committee this month thwarted an attempt to give the Clark County Department of Aviation the authority to ban “high-risk” general aviation flight activity at North Las Vegas Airport.
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT BH.125 Series 600A and HS.125 Series 700A airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-1240; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-098-AD; Amendment 39-15877; AD 2009-08-04] – Compare the wiring diagrams for the cockpit blowers with the current airplane configuration, reworking the wiring, if necessary, in accordance with the instructions of Hawker Beechcraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 24-3850 (dated January 2008). This AD resulted from a report indicating that a blower motor of the cockpit ventilation and avionics cooling system seized up and emitted smoke.
EMBRAER EMB-135BJ, -135ER, -135KE, -135KL, -135LR, -145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP and -145EP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-0083; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-266-AD] – This revised proposal would require operators to determine the part number of the engine anti-icing system valves, conduct repetitive inspections of certain valves and tubes to detect damage, and replace any damaged valves.
Cessna parent Textron is facing the potential loss of two board members after institutional investor advisory company Risk Metrics Group (RMG) recommended shareholders remove directors Lawrence K. Fish and Joe T. Ford in part for advocating use of company jets. RMG expressed concern over what it called “ongoing excessive personal use of company aircraft,” along with what it calls “excessive executive” compensation.
