Daher-Socata is entering the fractional ownership business to boost sales of its TBM 850 single turboprop. The French plane-maker last week unveiled the “Fly and Share Your TBM” (F.A.S.T.) program designed for up to three shareholders that could own one-third increments in a TBM 850.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has called on its members to share their general aviation stories in an effort to show the benefits of GA to key policy people and decision makers. The stories are a part of a new AOPA advocacy campaign – General Aviation Serves America.
The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority (BGPAA) in California agreed to furnish a few more operational details to FAA, but welcomed the agency’s finding that the Part 161 application for nighttime restrictions at Bob Hope Airport was nearly complete. The BGPAA in February formally submitted the Part 161 study, which is required by federal law before noise and access restrictions on Stage 3 aircraft can be imposed.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION elected Kurt Sutterer, president, Midcoast Aviation, Inc., as the new chairman, replacing Dennis Keith, president, Jet Solutions, LLC. James Miller, executive vice president from Flight Options, was elected as vice chairman. NATA also added three new board members: Todd Duncan, chairman, Duncan Aviation; Kenneth Forester, chief executive of Meridian Air Charter; and Mark Willey, chief executive of Bridgeford Flying Services.
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.
THE STATE OF MARYLAND could be forced to hold off on plans to buy new medevac helicopters under a bill approved by the Senate Finance Committee. Under the bill, the Maryland Health Care Commission, working with the Maryland Institute of Emergency Medical Systems Services, would be required to study the state’s helicopter emergency medical services before moving with any helicopter purchase.
ATR handed over the first of two ATR 72-500s to national flag carrier Air Botswana. The carrier signed a contract valued at $37 million for the 68-seat regional turboprops. The carrier already operates three ATR 42-500s. The second ATR 72-500 is scheduled for delivery in May.
A 2001 Pilatus PC-12, S/N 403, registered to an Oregon holding company controlled by Irving Feldkamp, DDS of San Bernardino, Calif., crashed 500 feet short of the Bert Mooney Airport at Butte, Mont., on March 22 at about 2:36 p.m. MDT, killing all 14 aboard, including seven children. The aircraft left Oroville, Calif. at 11:10 a.m. PDT, bound for Bozeman, Mont., a trip of about 596 nautical miles. However, the pilot diverted to Butte, about 57 nm west-northwest of Bozeman.
BOMBARDIER CL-600, -601, -601-3A, -601-3R and -604 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-1216; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-111-AD; Amendment 39-15841; AD 2009-06-05] – Revise the “Normal Procedures” and “Abnormal Procedures” sections of the Airplane Flight Manual and review airplane maintenance records to determine if certain anti-ice piccolo ducts or complete leading-edge sections have been installed since August 2000. If certain serial numbered parts were installed, replace the piccolo duct with a serviceable piccolo duct before further flight.
ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND BR700-715A1-30, -715B1-30, and -715C1-30 engines [Docket No. FAA-2008-0224; Directorate Identifier 2007-NE-44-AD; Amendment 39-15860; AD 2009-07-01] – Decrease the life limits of the high-pressure turbine Stage 1 and Stage 2 rotor discs for all flight missions. This emergency AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, was issued to prevent rotating parts that may have exceeded their low-cycle fatigue life limits from failing, which could result in uncontained engine failure and damage to the airplane.
EMBRAER ERJ 190 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0668; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-088-AD; Amendment 39-15847; AD 2009-06-11] – Spot-face the lower wing stringers between Ribs 7 and 10, conduct a dye-penetrant inspection of the reworked stringers and shot-peen or flap-peen the stringers if no cracks are found. If cracks are found, repair them and report the results to FAA.
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA Model 427 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2009-0227; Directorate Identifier 2007-SW-65-AD] – This proposal would require operators to remove the vertical fin and visually inspect its inboard and outboard surfaces where it attaches to the tail-rotor gearbox support. Operators would need to look for cracks, elongated bolt holes, fretting, distortion and corrosion. Also, operators would have to visually inspect the tail-rotor gearbox support attachment legs for cracks, fretting and corrosion.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL President and CEO Bruce Whitman was selected to serve as honorary chairman for the 21st Annual Greater Washington Aviation Open (GWAO), scheduled for May 4 at the Lansdowne Resort in Virginia. GWAO raises funds for the Corporate Angel Network (CAN) through sponsorships, tournaments fees and a live auction. The 2008 event raised $140,000 for CAN, covering about 20 percent of the organization’s annual operating costs. CAN provides free travel aboard corporate jets for cancer patients seeking treatment.
The White House Friday drew praise from business aviation leaders for the nomination of aviation veteran J. Randolph Babbitt to a five-year term as FAA administrator. Friday’s announcement of Babbitt’s selection was widely expected, with one industry insider calling the nomination a “slam dunk” more than a month ago. But the nomination process was held up for weeks by the vetting process.
ROCKWELL COLLINS won European Aviation Safety Agency Part 147 maintenance training certification. Rockwell Collins will offer courses at the company’s Reading, England location for select Rockwell Collins Pro Line avionics equipped aircraft. The first course is a Hawker Beechcraft King Air 300 series Pro Line 21 class.
GKN AEROSPACE teamed with German laser technology specialist SLRC Lasertechnik GmbH to develop new automated laser technology to improve, lower the cost and speed up composite structure repairs. GKN expects the new partnership would be able to begin delivery of the first generation of repair equipment in two years. The companies are working on an automated laser process to replace the time-consuming manual grinding of the composite surface currently required to prepare for repair bonding.
MICHAEL FRANCE joined the National Air Transportation Association as manager, regulatory affairs. France will handle environmental matters as well as issues that affect the association’s fixed-base operation and general aviation airport members. He previously was a quality control and training coordinator for Volo Aviation in Manassas, Va., where he was responsible for regulatory compliance issues and the development of operations manuals. He also has served as lead line service technician/quality control inspector for Next Flight Aviation, also in Manassas.
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.
MARYLAND’s House of Delegates has given preliminary approval to H.B 265, which would add a police helicopter pilot and a member of the public to the state’s 11-person emergency medical services oversight board. The bill also creates a legislative oversight committee made up of members from both chambers to oversee the state police’s procurement of new medevac helicopters and safety improvements to the state’s emergency medical system.
A LEARJET 55, Canadian Registry C-GCIL, was substantially damaged March 17 during an aborted takeoff at the Natrona County International Airport in Casper, Wyo., the National Transportation Safety Board reported. The two crew members and two passengers were not injured. The aircraft, registered to Sunwest Aviation of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, was operating on a Part 91 flight to Lafayette, La. It was beginning to take off from Runway 3 when the tower controller notified the captain that he saw smoke from the left engine.
DUNCAN AVIATION expanded its service center agreement with Honeywell Aerospace to include mechanical components. The newest agreement authorizes Duncan to provide services for Honeywell mechanical programs on Hawker, Learjet, Challenger, Astra/Westwind, Falcon, Citation and King Air aircraft. Duncan also can offer flat-rate labor pricing and exchange units.
AGUSTA A109E, A109S, A119 and AW119MKII helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2009-0226; Directorate Identifier 2007-SW-35-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to visually inspect the cargo hook lever for cracks before each cargo hook operation. Operators would need to use a 10-power or higher magnifying glass for the inspections and follow the instructions of Agusta Alert Bulletins No. 109EP-78, 109S-12 or 119-21 (all dated June 6, 2007), as applicable.
The current recession means the jury is still out on whether the vaunted air taxi business model will ever come to fruition, especially in Europe, said Patrick Margetson-Rushmore, chief executive of charter operator London Executive Aviation (LEA). Margetson-Rushmore, who spoke before the Royal Aeronautical Society in London last week, praised Cessna’s Citation Mustang for making a positive contribution to conventional air chartering. “[It] offers low-cost travel that ensures the industry remains relevant despite the weak economy,” he said.
GULFSTREAM received FAA approval to use Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Contract (ADS-C) for oceanic and remote waypoint reporting. Part of the Future Air Navigation System (FANS) data link application, ADS-C allows controllers to track an aircraft’s position from the ground using information sent at specific intervals from the aircraft’s onboard sensors. ADS-C also will include Controller-Pilot Data Link Communication (CPDLC). Gulfstream last year completed a full FANS flight across the Atlantic using CPDLC with ADS-C.
