TEXAS SPORT AIRCRAFT COMPANY, Sulphur Springs, Texas, delivered the first Cub kit for an international customer. The aircraft – which is similar to the venerable J-3, PA-11 and PA-18 Piper Cubs but incorporates modern features of today’s Legend Cub – was delivered to an amateur aircraft builder in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The Texas Sport Cub has an electric starter and can be equipped with electrically powered instruments, avionics and lighting.
LEARJET Model 55, 55B and 55C airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0054; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-222-AD; Amendment 39-15802; AD 2009-03-01] – Requires inspecting the installation of the forward light assembly in the aft lavatory to determine the location of the terminal connector.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association and National Business Aviation Association last week formally kicked off a new “No Plane No Gain” advocacy program designed to combat the continuing waves of negative publicity that have crashed down on business aviation in recent months.
Bankrupt Eclipse Aviation furloughed 800 of its 850 employees last week as a result of a longer-than-expected sale of its assets to EclipseJet Aviation International, a subsidiary of Luxembourg-based ETIRC Aviation. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court District of Delaware last month approved the sale, but Mike McConnell, president and GM of Eclipse Aviation’s customer division, said the deal “is taking a lot longer than anyone expected.”
The city of Provo, Utah, will spend $115,000 to help Duncan Aviation with construction site preparation for a new aircraft refurbishing facility despite an announcement that the project has been delayed. The Lincoln, Neb.-based company announced last October it would build its third full-service business jet facility in Provo, with plans to open by August 2010 (BA, Oct. 20, 2008/186). But since then, Duncan Aviation has put those plans on hold.
Strong business jet backlogs carried the general aviation industry to another record year of billings in 2008, but the volatile market was still felt as the number of GA aircraft delivered fell for the first time in five years, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported last week. GAMA Chairman Mark Van Tine, who is president and CEO of Jeppesen, called the deteriorating economy “a giant thunderstorm that has altered our flight path.”
February 26-28 – Women in Aviation, International 20th Anniversary Conference, Atlanta Hyatt Regency. For more information, call (937) 839-4647, fax (937) 839-4645, www.wai.org 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
INNOTECH AVIATION has renewed its agreement to serve as an authorized service center for Bombardier Challenger 600, 800 and Global series aircraft. Based in Montreal, Innotech has supported the Challenger fleet since the first Challenger 600 delivery in 1981.
PATRICIA DEIMER was named manager of the International Aerobatic Club, a division of the Experimental Aircraft Association that focuses on aerobatic flight and competition. Deimer formerly was program manager for the National Association of Flight Instructors. She first joined EAA in 2001, working in the EAA AirVenture Museum and with the EAA Young Eagles.
RAISBECK ENGINEERING reports that sales increased nearly 14 percent in 2008 and that the outlook for 2009 continues “to look promising.” The Seattle-based maker of aircraft performance enhancement upgrades says sales in February are keeping pace with those of 2008. Raisbeck enjoyed a record-setting December and fourth quarter. In early 2008, the company stepped up its international marketing efforts after receiving certification of King Air and Learjet performance enhancements in several foreign countries.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION President and CEO Ed Bolen late last week was pleased with the “terrific” response from the association’s members in support of the new “No Plane No Gain” program. The program is striking a chord with members, Bolen said, because “We’re in one of the worst economic cycles that we’ve ever had, and there’s a lot of pressure on the industry.” No Plane No Gain is only part of the industry’s efforts. Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft separately launched their own advertising campaigns (BA, Feb.
SAAB 340A and 340B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0035; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-096-AD] – This proposal would require operators to inspect for cracking, deformation or wear damage of the frame and closing angle on the forward engine cowl door. If any damage is found, operators would need to perform, before further flight, all applicable corrective actions in accordance with the instructions of Saab Service Bulletin 340-71-060 (dated Feb. 8, 2008).
THE IMPLEMENTATION DEADLINE for a Transportation Security Administration airport badging security directive is “rapidly approaching,” but industry executives are still hoping for a delay. TSA drew fire late last year for the release of the SD without first going through the rulemaking process (BA, Dec. 22/281). Several industry associations have expressed to TSA their opposition to the expansion of the airport badging requirements, and the agency indicated that it was considering a notice of proposed rulemaking to supplant the SD (BA, Feb. 2/45).
Cessna Aircraft has introduced a “No Worries” program for prospective purchasers of used Citations in an effort to assure them that their investment in a used light jet will be solid. The program, which applies to U.S. and international retail customers who purchase eligible used Citations from Cessna through July 2, will have an option that provides a guaranteed repurchase or trade-in price.
EUROPEAN regulators last week held a series of meetings with U.S. government and industry officials to discuss the next steps in moving forward on bilateral agreements. The U.S. and Europe last summer signed a bilateral agreement covering certification and maintenance issues, but that agreement has not yet been implemented. A key sticking point to the implementation is efforts on Capitol Hill to require drug and alcohol testing of workers at foreign repair stations and to require FAA inspectors to conduct biannual inspections of foreign repair stations.
EADS SOCATA TBM 700 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0124; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-004-AD] – This proposed rule would require operators to inspect the electrical wiring harness at Frame C14 and between Frames C16 and C17 for wire chafing and incorrect routing. If any chafing or incorrect routing is found, repair and reroute the electrical harness before further flight, following the instructions contained in EADS SOCATA Service Bulletin SB 70-163 (dated November 2008).
THE NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION (NRC) has issued a final rule requiring applicants for approval of new reactors to assess the ability of their design to “avoid or mitigate the effects of a large commercial aircraft impact.” No new reactor has been licensed in the U.S. since the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, but the NRC is now processing applications for 26 new sites. The final rule requires new designs to maintain the containment and cooling of both the reactor core and spent-fuel pool following an aircraft impact. The rule does not apply to the 104 existing U.S.
CESSNA Model 401, 401A, 401B, 402, 402A and 402B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0118; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-073-AD; Amendment 39-15810; AD 2009-04-04] – Requires looking for cracks in the auxiliary wing spar near where the main landing gear trunnion is mounted, following the instructions outlined in Cessna Service Bulletin MEB08-8 (dated Dec. 23, 2008).
HONEYWELL is offering $1.5 billion worth of debt, the proceeds of which will be used to repay outstanding indebtedness, including commercial paper, and for general corporate purposes. The public offering from the Morris Township, N.J.-based company includes $600 million of 3.875 percent senior notes due in 2014 and $900 million of 5.000 percent senior notes due in 2019.
A CRIMINAL INQUIRY into the Feb. 7 crash of a Cessna 650 Citation III outside Rome is impeding the Italian aircraft investigative agency ANSV, which last week outlined its frustrations in a news release. Italian law authorizes criminal prosecutors to take precedence in the accident investigation, and they have seized the flight data and cockpit voice recorders. The ANSV said it fears that continuing delays in its investigation would have serious repercussions on aviation safety efforts both on a national and international level. The U.S.
EMBRAER EMB-135BJ, -135ER, -135KE, -135KL, -135LR, -145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP and -145EP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0132; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-081-AD] – This proposed rule would require operators to revise the “Airworthiness Limitations” section of the “Instructions for Continued Airworthiness” to incorporate new structural inspection requirements.
GOODRICH CORPORATION has declared a quarterly dividend of 25 cents a share on its common stock, payable April 1 to shareholders of record as of March 2. The Charlotte, N.C.-based company provides a variety of systems and services to aviation, aerospace, defense and homeland security customers worldwide.
Field Aviation sold avionics specialist Navair as part of a reorganization that will enable the Toronto, Canada-based company to focus on its aircraft modification and parts business, the company said. General Manager Mike Espeut, who has been general manager of the avionics unit, and his business partner, John Raposo, are assuming control of Navair through an asset purchase agreement.
PILATUS PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0126; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-003-AD] – This proposed rule would require operators to install a flange and scoop in the aircraft skin to vent overboard the hot air from the deice pressure regulator, per Pilatus PC-12 Service Bulletin No. 30-011 (dated July 9, 2008).
