DUNCAN AVIATION signed a collaborative agreement with Prestige Technique, the maintenance division of Prestige Jet Group, under which the two companies will join forces to provide a range of airframe and engine maintenance services in the Middle East. The agreement marks Duncan Aviation’s first business venture in the Middle East market, the company said. Duncan Aviation will provide completions, avionics installations and airframe and engine maintenance. Prestige Jet was formed in early 2007 to provide charter service in the Middle East region.
Responsible for performance of Mechanical Engineering Department, Interior Installation Business Units and Flightline. Fundamental role is to insure all department activity properly supports the timely delivery of the aircraft. Must have 15 years experience in aircraft production industry with a minimum of 5 years at the senior management level. Fax resume to 501-210-0469 or email to [email protected]
HARTZELL PROPELLER, INC. said its propellers have been used on the winning aircraft in the Sport Class at the National Championship Air Races in Reno, Nev. for 10 straight years following a victory last month by the Nemesis NXT airplane. Flown by Jon Sharp, the aircraft used a specially designed three-blade propeller system. The aircraft reached a speed of 409 miles per hour during qualifying flights and 392 mph during the race itself.
INDUSTRY GROUPS not only will be starting fresh with a new Administration and a number of new faces on Capitol Hill next year, but also will be working with a different Federal Aviation Administration. Two longtime agency officials – Nick Sabatini, the associate administrator for aviation safety, and Ruth Leverenz, the acting deputy administrator – announced their decisions last week to retire from the agency at the end of the year.
General aviation groups are appealing to Transportation Security Administration officials to hold a series of public hearings and extend the comment period on a sweeping proposal that would impose potentially game-changing new security requirements on private operators for the first time (BA, Oct. 13/167). The Office of Management and Budget in early October cleared the proposal, but it has not yet been published in the Federal Register.
CORPORATE ANGEL NETWORK arranged for the flight of its 30,000th cancer patient on a corporate jet this month. Liberty Mutual, a CAN supporter since 1991, flew Jennifer Aja-Thresher, 54, a lung cancer patient from Atlanta, to Houston’s M.D. Anderson Cancer Center so she can participate in a clinical trial. CAN, headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., has been arranging free transportation on corporate aircraft for 26 years for cancer patients traveling to and from treatment centers.
THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION served notice Friday that it plans to appeal a National Transportation Safety Board law judge’s order that overturned FAA’s earlier emergency revocation of the operating certificate of Air Trek, Inc. The case began in May when FAA officials issued an emergency order indefinitely suspending Air Trek’s Part 135 operating certificate. Air Trek retained legal counsel to contest the suspension order, but FAA subsequently issued an emergency order of revocation of Air Trek’s certificate.
BOMBARDIER CL-600, CL-601, CL-601-3A, CL-601-3R, CL-604, CL-605 and CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-1096; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-158-AD; Amendment 39-15693; AD 2008-21-09] – This new AD supersedes an existing directive (AD 2008-08-06) that requires revising the Airplane Flight Manual to include new cold-weather operations limitations and procedures.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, the Transportation Department and Transportation Security Administration officials will hold a public hearing Nov. 8 to discuss Chicago Midway International Airport’s application to participate in the Airport Privatization Pilot Program (BA, Oct. 13/168). FAA will accept comments on the application during the hearing as well as written comments through Dec. 22. The hearing will be held 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 8 at the Marriott Chicago Midway Hotel in Bedford Park, Ill. Individuals who want to participate should sign in before 9:30 a.m.
The Swedish government is trying to add VIP transport airlift capacity to its fleet quickly in advance of taking on the rolling European Union presidency next year.
October 27-30 – Flight Safety Foundation 61st International Air Safety Seminar, Sheraton Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii. For more information call (703) 739-6700, www.flightsafety.org November 2-5 – Air Traffic Control Association 53rd Annual Conference and Exposition, Marriott Wardman Park, Washington, D.C. For more information call (703) 299-2430, www.atca.org November 6-8 – Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, AOPA Expo 2008, San Jose, Calif. Contact Lori Wolking at 421 Aviation Way, Frederick, Md. 21701 or call (301) 695-2052
JETDIRECT AVIATION established an aircraft acquisition and brokerage team under the direction of Mike Moore, senior vice president of business development and aircraft brokerage. He will oversee an experienced team of sales veterans who collectively have been involved in more than $1 billion in aircraft sales transactions. Team members include: Matthew Betty, Central U.S., based in Dallas; Michael Brazil, Northeast, based in New York; Eugene Clow, Northwest, based in Seattle; and Gordon Wishart, covering both the Southwest and Southeast U.S. from his base in Tucson.
The Federal Aviation Administration published an updated policy regarding civil supersonic airplane noise type certification standards and operating rules last week, a move that the agency said “is intended to provide guidance on noise limits to manufacturers that are considering designs for supersonic aircraft.”
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT this month broke ground on a $14 million project to expand the Hawker Beechcraft Services maintenance and service facility at the Indianapolis, Ind. International Airport. The expansion will include a new 6,500-square-foot terminal and 40,000-square-foot service hangar with 20,000 square feet of back shops and administrative offices. The new terminal will be equipped with customer amenities such as computer, Wi-Fi access, printers, phones and conference rooms that have a view of the shop floor.
DER delegation in Avionics Systems and Equipment. At least 8 years experience in direct contact with FAA Aircraft Certification Offices working specific FAA projects. At least 15 years experience with increasing responsibility in engineering tasks related to avionics systems and equipment. Thorough working knowledge of DAS/ODA procedures. For a complete job description and to apply online, go to www.falconjet.com
JOSHUA LORENZ was named a regional sales director for Flight Options. Lorenz, who previously was a sales representative for another fractional aircraft provider, will be responsible for sales in the South Central U.S. and will be based in Dallas, Texas. Lorenz is a graduate of DePauw University and holds a commercial pilots license. He previously was involved in the brokerage, acquisition and resale of business jets.
PHIL BOYER, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association for the past 18 years, will be honored today (Oct. 27) by the Aero Club of Washington with the Donald D. Engen Aero Club Trophy for Aviation Excellence. The Engen Trophy is named after the former Navy admiral, NTSB member, FAA administrator and director of the National Air and Space Museum. It is presented to an individual, team or organization for a lifetime of achievement in aviation, or for a single event or series of events, which reaffirm the Wright Brothers’ standard of excellence in aviation.
“I DON’T SEE IT BEING OVER,” Chabraja responded. “I don’t have Russians rushing up to cancel [Gulfstream business jet orders]. You’ve made up your minds that everybody in that group is broke. I don’t think it’s true. I mean, they’re pulling back their horns, but I think they’re honoring their commitments, at least to us. We’ve delivered planes to these people and they write checks, they make their payments like everybody else,” Chabraja said, adding that he is more worried about the U.S. economy than those of emerging nations.
DOWTY PROPELLERS R408 series propellers [Docket No. FAA-2008-1088; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-15-AD; Amendment 39-15691; AD 2008-21-07] – Within the next 50 flight hours or within one month after the effective date, this AD requires inspections of all propeller blade assemblies for which the bonded metallic leading-edge guard has accumulated 1,200 or fewer flight hours since being installed, per the instructions of Dowty Propellers Alert Service Bulletin D8400-61-A69, Rev. 1 (dated Sept. 18, 2007).
EUROCOPTER signed a contract to provide two EC145 helicopters to the Ukraine’s Ministry of Emergencies. The aircraft, to be delivered next year and based in Kiev, will be used for rescue, emergency medical evacuation and firefighting missions. The contract marks the first time the Ukraine government has issued a tender offer to Western helicopter manufacturers. The EC145 can carry two pilots and up to nine passengers.
WHILE NOT YET PUBLISHED in the Federal Register, the Transportation Security Administration’s proposal to impose a new security regimen on all “large” aircraft operators, including those flying under the provisions of Part 91 of the FARs, already has generated more member input that any other issue this year, according to a senior General Aviation Manufacturers Association official.
ED CHEVRESTT was appointed vice president and general manager of Executive Beechcraft, which is owned by BBA Aviation. In his new capacity, Chevrestt will be responsible for the oversight of Executive Beechcraft’s full range of FBO services and aircraft sales, maintenance, charter and related support operations at the company’s four facilities: Kansas City Downtown Airport (MKC); Kansas City International Airport (MCI); New Century Air Center (IXD); and Spirit of St. Louis Airport (SUS).
JEPPESEN is partnering with Dassault to develop new performance software and services that will be incorporated in Electronic Flight Bags in Falcon business jets. The software will facilitate takeoff and landing calculations and run on Windows operating systems. Dassault will furnish updated performance data and computation modules and Jeppesen will provide and update information on airports, runways and obstacles.
EMBRAER EMB-135BJ airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-1080; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-118-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to revise the “Airworthiness Limitations” section of the “Instructions for Continued Airworthiness” to incorporate new maintenance inspections of the aircraft’s fuel tank system. This proposal, which resulted from an MCAI originated by the aviation authority of Brazil, is designed to prevent ignition sources inside the fuel tanks. The FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 41 aircraft on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S.
The Regional Airline Association and the Air Transport Association are protesting a U.S. Transportation Department rule on drug and alcohol testing that they say “borders on harrassment.” A new DOT rule that goes into effect on November 1 requires employees to be directly observed when submitting urine samples for drug and alcohol tests. Due to protests, DOT delayed final implementation of the rule. But the two associations want the rule permanently withdrawn or restricted to situations in which the risk of specimen tampering is high.
