President Barack Obama took a rhetorical swipe at business jets in his address to a joint session of Congress on Tuesday night, piling more pain on an industry whose image has been battered by high-profile criticism. ABC News followed later in the week with another negative story linking corporate use to corporate excess.
JOE ANDOLINO was appointed vice president, business development for Goodrich Corp. Andolino joined Goodrich in 1999 when the company acquired Coltec Industries. He also spent 12 years as director of tax for AlliedSignal. Most recently Andolino served as vice president, business development and tax.
FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION last week was troubled by reports of prosecutorial interference with the investigation of the Feb. 7 crash of a Cessna 650 Citation III outside Rome, as well as the Nov. 27 accident involving an Air New Zealand Airbus A320 off the coast of France. “Unless there is evidence of sabotage, law enforcement and judicial authorities need to step aside, allow accident investigators immediate access to the wreckage and to surviving crew and passengers, and let safety professionals do their job,” said FSF President and CEO William R. Voss.
HELICOPTER ASSOCIATION INTERNATIONAL was able to buck the sagging economy with a record-breaking Heli-Expo 2009. Last week’s convention in Anaheim, Calif. attracted 17,995 attendees, up from the 17,373 who participated in the 2008 event. The three-day expo also included 585 exhibitors who covered 259,400 square feet of exhibit space. Some 65 helicopters were displayed on the show floor. HAI has scheduled the next Heli-Expo for Feb. 21-23, 2010, in Houston, Texas.
TSA’S PROPOSED Large Aircraft Security Proposal (LASP) underwent another round of criticism Friday as the comment deadline closed. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association called LASP unreasonably expansive and a threat to American citizens’ rights of privacy and freedom of travel. National Business Aviation Association said LASP attempts to “overlay a security regime for the big airlines onto tens of thousands of businesses” while the General Aviation Manufacturers Association appealed for a more “common-sense approach” with industry input.
Europe’s fleet of business aircraft has grown strongly in the last two years to around 3,000 airframes, with nearly 70 percent more European-registered business jets than two years ago, according to a new report from Eurocontrol. “Business aviation fills a gap in scheduled services: two-thirds of business flights in 2007 were between cities not served by daily scheduled flights,” the report said. “Scheduled aviation in Europe has around 700 operators; it’s difficult to get precise numbers for business aviation, but the number of operators is at least 700.”
THE FIRST PRODUCTION Mooney Acclaim Type S piston aircraft set a world speed record on a flight that spanned the entire length of the Mississippi River, from Minneapolis to New Orleans, Mooney said. The aircraft, owned and piloted by Dr. Dave Craddock, flew at an average speed of 333 knots, with a maximum ground speed of 357 knots, to complete the 904 nautical miles in 2 hours and 43 minutes. The flight was submitted to the National Aeronautics Association for review and certification in the C-1.c category (aircraft weighing between 1,000 kg to 1,750 kg).
BOMBARDIER CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 and 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0130; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-225-AD; Amendment 39-15817; AD 2009-04-11] – Periodically inspect the in-rush current to verify the heating capability of the angle of attack (AOA) transducer heating elements and replace any inaccurately calibrated AOA transducers, following the instructions of Bombardier service bulletin 601R-27-153, Rev. A (dated Dec. 16, 2008).
KARL KLEIDERER was promoted to vice president, acquisitions and divestures for Goodrich Corp. Kleiderer, who joined Goodrich in 2005, formerly was director, business development. He spent eight years in investment banking with Morgan Stanley and William Blair and Company. He also spent six years as a flight officer in the U.S. Navy.
LAST WEEK’S Heli-Expo show confirmed that commercial helicopter demand is facing a down cycle, but analyst J.P. Morgan predicts the market appears stronger for helicopters than for business jets. “Unlike the bizjet market, manufacturers on the helo side are not seeing massive demand destruction (yet).” J.P. Morgan credited market diversity with oil/gas, EMS, law and utility niches holding steady. But it also warned of “red flags. Our conversations clearly suggest to us that we could see a multiyear down cycle,” the analyst said.
DIAMOND AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES DA 40 and DA 40F airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0125; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-002-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to measure the voids in the adhesive joint between the main spar caps and the upper wing skin. If excessive voids are found, operators would need to repair them, as specified in Diamond Aircraft mandatory service bulletins MSB-40-060 and MSB-F4-016 (dated Oct. 20, 2008).
DASSAULT AVIATION secured approval for the Falcon 7X to operate into London City Airport. Dassault President and CEO John Rosanvallon called the ability to fly into London City “a goal from the early development of the Falcon 7X program.” To obtain approval, the aircraft had to meet certain approach and takeoff capabilities, as well as the airport’s environmental standards. The approval process began in April 2008 when Dassault received steep approach certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency.
DUNCAN AVIATION completed the first upgrade of a Pro Line 4-equipped Falcon 50EX to the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite. First announced in November 2007, the retrofit program uses existing Pro Line 4 equipment along with Pro Line 21 equipment to upgrade the cockpit. Pro Line 21 displays interface with Pro Line 4 sensors, radios and autopilots.
JAKE CARTWRIGHT, the former president of JetDirect Aviation, joined Petaluma, Calif.-based charter operator Sunset Aviation. JetDirect is spinning off Sunset Aviation back to its original ownership group. Cartwright resigned from JetDirect in January. “I am absolutely thrilled at Jake’s decision to come onboard with Sunset,” said Dan Drohan, CEO of Sunset Aviation, LLC. “I couldn’t ask for a better mentor and guide for our organization as we continue on our path to building a great aviation company.”
PILATUS AIRCRAFT PC-12/47E airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0146; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-009-AD; Amendment 39-15820; AD 2009-04-14] – Revise several operational procedures in the Pilot’s Operating Handbook. This AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, was prompted by reports that during takeoffs in light turbulence or after rapid roll or heading attitude changes soon after takeoff, it is possible that both primary flight displays indicate a roll attitude offset of up to 10 degrees in the same direction.
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA CORP. PW305A and PW305B engines [Docket No. FAA-2009-0046; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-05-AD] – This proposal would require operators to inspect for cracks in certain drum-rotor assemblies installed on engines that power Bombardier Learjet 60 and Hawker Beechcraft 1000 airplanes.
TURBOMECA Arriel 1E2, 1S and 1S1 engines [Docket No. FAA-2008-0681; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-13-AD; Amendment 39-15805; AD 2009-03-04] – Perform a one-time inspection to ensure that the correct plug is installed on the fuel control unit three-way union and verify that its torque is set in accordance with Turbomeca Mandatory Service Bulletin 292 73 0817, Version C (dated March 13, 2008).
March 3 – AVIATION WEEK Laureate Awards, Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, Washington, D.C., www.aviationweek.com/conferences March 3-4 – NATA Air Charter Safety Foundation Symposium, NTSB Academy, Chantilly, Va. For more information, call (703) 845-9000 March 17 – Wichita Aero Club luncheon featuring Pete Bunce, President of General Aviation Manufacturers Association, Airport Hilton Hotel, Wichita, Kan.; (316) 641-5962; [email protected]
EMBRAER EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP and -145EP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0271; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-267-AD; Amendment 39-15784; AD 2009-01-05] – Revise the “Airworthiness Limitations,” “Structural Inspection Requirements” and “Corrosion Prevention and Control Program” sections of the “Instructions for Continued Airworthiness” to incorporate new structural-inspection requirements.
Bucking the gloom gripping business aviation, Bombardier is pouring more resources into development of its new Learjet 85 midsize jet. Part of the increase was planned, as the aircraft advances toward detail design. Part was unplanned, a response to the insolvency of Grob, Bombardier’s original partner on the all-composite airframe.
PAUL CAPPIELLO was promoted to vice president, tax for Goodrich Corp. Cappiello has served in the Goodrich tax organization for more than 10 years, most recently as director of tax. He will be responsible for implementing global tax strategies, as well as tax compliance and reporting. He joined Goodrich in 1999 as part of its acquisition of Coltec Industries. Before that he was tax manager at Coopers and Lybrand.
A private aircraft operator in the Northeast is filing a legal challenge to the Transportation Safety Administration’s plan to impose new security procedures involving Part 91 aircraft weighing 12,500 lbs and more.
DAHER-SOCATA appointed National Airways Corporation (NAC) as the exclusive distributor for the TBM 850 for Southern Africa. NAC, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, provides aircraft sales, maintenance, avionics, parts sales, charter, international operations and pilot training. NAC operates a network of facilities in Cape Town, Durban, and Pretoria, South Africa, as well as in Botswana, Angola, Kenya and Nigeria.
