DANIEL GORMLEY was appointed project manager for the Architecture and Building Engineering team of Mead & Hunt, an architectural, engineering and planning consulting firm. Gormley has done aviation, military and other public sector work across the U.S. and internationally, managing multidisciplinary teams of engineers and architects.
THE NATIONAL AERONAUTIC ASSOCIATION selected the Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) as the recipient of the 2008 Robert J. Collier Trophy, “for achieving an unprecedented safety level in U.S. commercial airline operations by reducing the risk of a fatal airline accident by 83 percent, resulting in two consecutive years of no commercial scheduled airline fatalities,” the association said. The Collier Trophy will be formally awarded to CAST at the annual Collier Dinner on May 28 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Va.
JAPAN’S AGUSTAWESTLAND DISTRIBUTOR, Mitsui Bussan Aerospace, recently took delivery of the first of two AW139s destined for use by All Nippon Helicopter, which operates electronic news gathering helicopters exclusively for Japanese public-service broadcaster Nippon Housou Kyoukai. The medium twin helicopter, which is to be delivered to ANH in mid-2009, will be the first AW139 to be used by a Japanese civil helicopter operator and also the first to be used in an electronic newsgathering role anywhere in the world.
CAV AEROSPACE in Salina, Kan., installed the 100th TKS ice protection system on the Cessna 400 Corvalis TT and its predecessor aircraft. The aircraft is owned by Chris Leevers, who flies the aircraft primarily to reach Leevers Supermarkets in Denver, Dallas and Casper, Wyo. CAV provides ice protection systems for retrofit as well as for installation on new aircraft. The systems are factory-installed features on Cessna, Cirrus, Command, Diamond, Hawker Beechcraft, Mooney, Piper, Quest and Socata aircraft.
ZACHARY PUCHACZ was named an airport planner for the Mead & Hunt Aviation team. Puchacz will be responsible for aviation, environmental and land-use planning documents for the architectural, engineering and planning consulting firm. He formerly served with the Capitol Regional Airport Authority in Lansing, Mich.; AvPorts – Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, N.J.; and Kalamazoo – Battle Creek International Airport in Kalamazoo, Mich.
EMBRAER ERJ 170 and ERJ 190 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0831; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-051-AD; Amendment 39-15853; AD 2009-06-16] – Determine the part number and serial number of the ram air turbine (RAT) and re-identify or replace the RAT, if necessary, in accordance with the instructions of EMBRAER Service Bulletin 170-24-0041, Rev. 01 (dated Aug. 28, 2007) or 190-24-0012, Rev. 01 (dated Aug. 21, 2007), as applicable. This AD, which resulted from an MCAI originated by an aviation authority of another country, was prompted by RAT generator bearing failures.
ROCKWELL COLLINS is updating its Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) transponder offerings for business aircraft. TDR-94D-409, an upgrade for the TDR-94/94 D transponders that are used on more than 15,000 aircraft, is being offered primarily as a retrofit to comply with the new ADS-B mandate in Australia and the pending 2009 restrictions in Hudson Bay.
JDA Acquisition Corp. (JDAAC), the new entity created to buy charter and management specialist JetDirect Aviation Inc., is still awaiting completion of the sale, but one of the lead investors, Robert Pinkas, last week said he is optimistic that the final hurdles have been cleared and the sale can close within the next few weeks. JDAAC signed the agreement to complete the sale last month in the hope that the closing would be within the next several days. That agreement firmed up a preliminary accord in February.
Lower production schedules led Cessna Aircraft and Bombardier Aerospace to cut more jobs last week. Cessna also will have a two-week furlough in July. “Most of the company’s commercial markets continue to soften in the current economic environment, and credit markets at Textron Financial Corporation remain challenging,” Cessna parent Textron said.
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-2008-0522; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-041-AD; Amendment 39-15855; AD 2009-06-18] – Determine the serial number of the installed air-driven generators (ADGs) and, for certain generators, modify the wiring in accordance with the instructions of Bombardier Service Bulletin 670BA-24-015, Rev. A (dated Dec. 18, 2006).
MICHAEL WITIW joined the Aviation team of Mead & Hunt as a project manager. Witiw will be responsible for aviation projects, from planning through civil design and construction administration.
DORNIER 228-100, -101, -200, -201, -202 and -212 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0261; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-017-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to repetitively inspect the guide pins of the power and condition levers in accordance with the instructions of RUAG Aerospace Dornier 228 Alert Service Bulletin ASB-228-279 (dated Dec. 19, 2008). This proposal, which resulted from an MCAI originated by the European Aviation Safety Agency, was prompted by the discovery of excessive wear on a guide pin of a power lever during an inspection.
Cirrus Aircraft will remain with the Cirrus Perspective by Garmin avionics suite for the company’s first turbine aircraft, the Vision SF50 single-jet. Cirrus teamed with Garmin to develop the Cirrus Perspective by Garmin platform for its SR-series of piston aircraft.
New Hawker Beechcraft Corp. (HBC) Chairman and CEO Bill Boisture is encouraged by the traction gained with the company’s current advertising campaign, according to a senior executive. The company in February launched two ads: one promoting the benefits of the King Air 350 and one using Hawker jets to appeal to companies caught in the spotlight over business jet use.
CITATIONSHARES developed a new “Supplemental Lift” program for corporate flight departments. CitationShares said the program is designed to help reduce costs and overhead. Under the program, the Greenwich, Conn., fractional aircraft ownership provider will furnish access to the CitationShares fleet to supplement a corporate flight department’s in-house capability without requiring the purchase of aircraft shares or minimum hourly use investment. The program will provide 365-day availability and allow simultaneous usage of multiple aircraft.
HELICOPTER EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES will continue to come under scrutiny on Capitol Hill. The House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee scheduled an April 22 hearing on the subject. The Association of Air-Medical Services recently held a number of meetings on Capitol Hill to urge passage of air-medical safety legislation. The association also is trying to encourage the formation of a congressional air-medical caucus.
AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION’S Airport Support Network (ASN) has reached the 2,000-member mark. Launched in 1997, the ASN is a nationwide network of volunteers who act as the “eyes and ears” of AOPA to promote and protect community airports. ASN volunteers alert AOPA to many local airport issues, enabling AOPA to take action before it is too late. “AOPA has a great team working on airport advocacy issues,” AOPA President Craig Fuller said.
PRATT & WHITNEY selected Sullivan Higdon & Sink (SHS) to serve as the engine-maker’s integrated brand agency of record. SHS will work on a series of branding efforts for Pratt & Whitney, including the company’s space propulsion, commercial engine, military engine and power generation businesses. SHS provides branding and marketing services from its offices in Wichita, Kan., Kansas City, Mo., and Washington, D.C.
The crash of Cessna’s second Model 162 SkyCatcher shared common issues with the first SkyCatcher crash in September – both occurred while the aircraft were undergoing “aggressive” spin testing and both revealed problems with the BRS parachute (BA, March 23/131).
Cleveland-based fractional aircraft ownership provider Flight Options restructured its ownership with a new investment from the private equity firm Resilience Capital Partners as well as from members of the Flight Options management team and Directional Capital, an investment firm led by Flight Options Chairman Kenn Ricci, the company announced last week. Flight Options did not provide specifics of the latest investment, but said H.I.G. Capital, which acquired Flight Options from Raytheon Company in late 2007, remains an investor.
BOMBARDIER DHC-8-102, -103, -106 -200, -300 and -400 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-1361; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-140-AD; Amendment 39-15858; AD 2009-06-21] – Inspect the fuselage spoiler cable disconnect sensing device and, if necessary, inspect components for wear and damage, replacing worn or damaged components. Then correctly reassemble the sensing device in accordance with the instructions of either Bombardier Service Bulletin 8-27-107 (dated Oct. 16, 2007) or 84-27-34 (dated Oct. 3, 2007), as applicable.
DORNIER 328-100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-1043; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-036-AD; Amendment 39-15845; AD 2009-06-09] – Modify the main landing gear main body and trailing arm bushings in accordance with the instructions of Dornier Service Bulletin SB-328-32-245, Rev. 2 (dated Nov. 21, 2007) and Messier-Dowty Service Bulletin 800-32-014, Rev. 1 (dated July 19, 1999).
SHELTAIR AVIATION SERVICES held a “soft-opening” for its full-service fixed-base operation at the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia. Construction began on the facility in mid-2008, and initial occupancy of a 7,000-square-foot executive terminal is planned for early second quarter 2009. The company currently is offering services from the office space attached to the rear of the hangar while work is completed on the executive terminal. The terminal will have the same floor plan as SheltAir’s facility FBO in Daytona Beach, Fla.
JOANNE WALKER was appointed general manager of EMS SATCOM. Walker has served with EMS’s Ottawa division for nearly two decades, most recently as corporate vice president of business operations.
