At the urging of a federal mediator, representatives of Hawker Beechcraft Corp. and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers agreed last week to resume talks on a new contract. The union struck Aug. 2 and there were no discussions for nearly three weeks. The new round of negotiations was expected to begin late last week. The IAM represents about 4,700 salaried workers at HBC in Wichita and another 500 in Salina, Kan.
MICHELE NIERENBERG was named director, systems integration engineering for Gulfstream Aerospace. Nierenberg is responsible for integration of “human-centric” aircraft system designs. She has served with Gulfstream for six years, most recently as manager of systems integration engineering. She also oversaw the Gulfstream G450 powerplant and environmental control system. Before joining Gulfstream Nierenberg served with Sikorsky Aircraft as the integrated product team lead for subsystems engineering and as the senior engineer for the S-92 helicopter.
STANDARDAERO received FAA supplemental type certification to replace Pratt & Whitney PT6A-41 series engines with PT6A-42 engines on Beechcraft King Air 200 aircraft. StandardAero said the engine upgrade is priced slightly higher than the cost of overhauling the aging -41 engines. “PT6A-41 engines have been in service for more than 35 years, many of which are approaching their third and fourth overhaul,” said Manny Atwal, general manager of StandardAero’s PT6A business unit.
Grob Aerospace, which has been engaged in a major expansion program as it prepared to bring its new G180 SPn business jet to market, unexpectedly filed for insolvency Monday. “This unfortunate situation has arisen fairly rapidly off the back of recent delays in the SPn program, resulting in commensurately increased cash requirement to see the aircraft through to certification,” said Niall Olver, Grob’s chief executive officer, in a letter distributed Tuesday.
ACM AVIATION, San Jose, Calif., is adding a Dassault Falcon 2000 to its fleet. The 2000 joins ACM’s fleet of five other Falcons – three 900s and two 2000s. The latest addition will be delivered in the first week in October and offered for charter.
Aerospace Industries Association chief executive Marion Blakey says a State Department action finalizing a proposed rule will make it clear to U.S. companies what export licenses, if any, are required to sell civil aircraft items overseas and whether they can be used in civil aviation. State issued the final rule Aug. 14 on implementation of section 17(c) of the Export Administration Act.
SULLIVAN HIGDON & SINK (SHS) was selected by West Star Aviation to serve as its agency of record. SHS, headquartered in Wichita, Kan., will work with West Star to strengthen the company’s brand recognition. West Star provides maintenance, modification and fueling services at facilities in East Alton, Ill., Dallas, Texas and Grand Junction, Colo. The company also has an avionics surplus sales team in Hiawatha, Iowa.
GOODRICH signed a letter of intent with Rolls-Royce to form a joint venture company that will develop and supply engine controls for Rolls-Royce engines. The company would combine Goodrich’s United Kingdom-based engine controls design and manufacturing business with Rolls-Royce expertise in integration of the engine controls. Each of the companies will own 50 percent of the joint venture. Goodrich, however, will retain the aftermarket products and services business associated with products from the joint venture.
Connie L. Penne, the vice president of membership marketing for the National Business Aviation Association for nearly three years, died unexpectedly last week. “We at NBAA are shocked and saddened over the news of Connie’s passing and our prayers are with her family,” said association President Ed Bolen.
PATRICIA MOORES was promoted to co-leader of the aviation practice of Integro Insurance Brokers. Moores joined the aviation practice as a principal in July 2006 as a specialized claims advocate. She also spent 17 years in aviation law and product liability defense litigation.
Lack of consistency at the Federal Aviation Administration is costing aviation businesses hundreds of millions of dollars, the National Air Transportation Association told key legislators, and urged that the Senate request a Government Accountability Office study on FAA standardization.
DAE Engineering made a change at the top of its StandardAero subsidiary Thursday, with Paul Soubry stepping down and Rob Mionis taking on new responsibilities. Soubry had been serving as president and CEO of StandardAero, the $1.4 billion aircraft maintenance, repair, overhaul and completion business. A company statement said he will now become “a strategic advisor to the new organization.” Mionis is currently CEO of DAE Engineering, a business unit of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise.
JOHN SCHILDROTH was named vice president of maintenance, repair and overhaul sales and services for M7 Aerospace. Schildroth formerly was president of Leading Edge Aviation Services, an MRO facility in Orange, Calif. He also has served as vice president and chief operating officer for EADS Airframe Services (AirBus) in Lake Charles, La.
EADS SOCATA TBM 700 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0627; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-033-AD; Amendment 39-15647; AD 2008-17-09] – Like an earlier directive (AD 2008-0063-E), this rule requires that operators check the pulley drive assembly for leakage and, as an interim action, remove the compressor drive belt from the assembly and adopt a new operational procedure to keep the air-conditioning system deactivated.
September 10 – National Business Aviation Association, Regional Forum, Hanscom Field (BED), Bedford, Mass. For more information, contact NBAA at (202) 783-9000 September 10-11 – Technology Training Corporation’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Conference, Holiday Inn, Arlington, Va., (310) 563-1223 September 15-18 – Arinc’s Flight Simulator Engineering and Maintenance Conference, Hilton Salt Lake (Utah) Center. For more information call (410) 266-2008 or see www.arinc.com
DIAMOND AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES GMBH Model DA 42 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0685 Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-037-AD; Amendment 39-15638; AD 2008-16-20] – Requires operators to replace the aileron bellcrank with an improved part and replace any bent rod ends with straight rod ends, per the instructions of Diamond Aircraft Industries Mandatory Service Bulletin No. MSB-42-043/1 (dated April 3, 2008).
VIKING AIR LIMITED DHC-6 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0891; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-046-AD] – This proposal would require operators to incorporate de Havilland Modification 6/1676, which ensures downward deflection of the elevators when the control locks are engaged. Also, operators would need to perform de Havilland Modification 6/1726, which adds to the control lock a warning flag that masks essential flight instruments on the pilot’s instrument panel. These mods would need to be accomplished in accordance with Boeing Canada de Havilland Div.
NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) is calling on the next Congress and presidential administration to make quick decisions about the leadership of NASA when they take office next year. “The ASAP continues to offer its counsel to NASA, but at this significant point in national affairs, the panel will also seek to convey several views to the incoming Presidential administration and Congress,” the group says in its 2007 annual report.
Eclipse Aviation last week began laying off 38 percent of its work force to reduce costs and conserve cash as the process by which the company’s EA-500 Very Light Jet won FAA certification a couple of years ago is coming under increasing scrutiny from federal regulators and a key congressional committee. Friday’s decision to cut 650 workers is “a result of its operational excellence strategy introduced by CEO Roel Pieper at AirVenture in Oshkosh,” the company said in a statement.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-400 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0864; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-120-AD; Amendment 39-15644; AD 2008-17-06] – This new rule, which supersedes an existing directive (AD 2007-12-03), requires operators to revise the Airplane Flight Manual to include additional procedures for ensuring that the “PTU CNTRL” switch is normal, the “PTU CNTRL ON” advisory light is out, and the “HYD PWR XFER” circuit breaker is pulled in the event of the illumination of the “2 HYD ISO VALVE” caution light.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week reduced the number of hourly slots available for unscheduled flight operations at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) from six to three, saying the move will guard against an increase in unscheduled operations that would otherwise occur with new operational restrictions at Newark and Kennedy airports.
The National Transportation Safety Board expressed concern that poor pilot training, lack of weather information and inadequate oversight is hampering the safety of air tour operations in Southeast Alaska. Ketchikan and Southeast Alaska have become popular destinations for cruise ships – some 900,000 cruise ship passengers visited Ketchikan in 2007, the safety board noted, saying this volume of travelers who may take air tour flights increases the urgency for FAA to take steps to improve safety.
BOMBARDIER CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0888; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-084-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to modify the fuel tank bonding jumpers inside the wing and center fuel tanks in accordance with the instructions of Bombardier Service Bulletin 601R-28-055, Rev. E (dated March 17, 2008).
EMBRAER EMB-135, -145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP and -145EP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0642; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-039-AD; Amendment 39-15643; AD 2008-17-05] – This AD, which supersedes an existing directive (AD 2007-12-17), expands the applicability of the earlier rule, which required replacement of the metallic tubes enclosing the vent and pilot valve wires in the left- and right-hand wing fuel tanks with non-conductive hoses.
