DORNIER 328-100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0297; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-330-AD; Amendment 39-15586; AD 2008-13-23] – Requires installation of a drain hole in the lower skin of the left and right-hand elevator horns, per the instructions of Avcraft Dornier Service Bulletin SB-328-55-450, Rev. 1 (dated Nov. 19, 2003).
RUTH MORGAN was appointed to the newly created position of director of dispatch/charter services for FirstFlight. Morgan will oversee the company’s charter scheduling and dispatch departments in Elmira, N.Y. She has more than 20 years of industry experience beginning with Executive Air Fleet, which was subsequently acquired by Jet Aviation. During her tenure she served as customer service representative, charter sales manager and vice president of charter sales.
JAY RANDALL joined Dallas Airmotive as a regional sales manager for the Northeast U.S., specializing in working with customers who operate aircraft powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A, JT15D and PW500 engines. Randall has more than 15 years of engine and aircraft maintenance experience. He most recently was maintenance manager for aircraft sales and acquisitions for fractional provider Flight Options. He also has worked for FBO service centers and flight departments. He is a licensed A&P mechanic and a graduate of the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics.
LANDMARK AVIATION acquired the Jimsair Aviation Services fixed-base operation at the San Diego, Calif. International Airport/Lindbergh Field (SAN), bringing to 42 the number of FBOs that Landmark operates in the U.S., Canada and Western Europe. Landmark is owned by GTCR Golden Rauner and Platform Partners, LLC.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week extended the duration of first- and third-class medical certificates for individuals under the age of 40. FAA proposed the extension in April 2007 (BA, April 16, 2007/177), and generally drew a positive reaction from the pilot community.
The new owners of the former Adam Aircraft publicly announced their plans to build the A700 last week during a press conference in Moscow after receiving State Department clearance this month for the acquisition. Russia-based Industrial Investors acquired the assets of the former Adam Aircraft with a $10 million winning bid in April, but needed State Department foreign ownership approval before discussing its plans (BA, April 21/183).
MOONEY AIRPLANE COMPANY promoted Chad Nelson to vice president of operations, responsible for activities at the plane-maker’s Kerrville, Texas facilities. Nelson joined Mooney in July 2004 and most recently was director of manufacturing. He also has served as receiving inspector, second-shift manager and lean implementation manager.
SENTIENT FLIGHT GROUP officials told employees Friday that the majority of a new round of investor financing was put in place last week. Sentient Chairman Greg Campbell took over as CEO earlier this month after the company encountered cash flow problems that resulted in late payments to some vendors (BA, July 14/13). Campbell said then that new financing was expected to be in place shortly. Announcement of a structural reorganization designed to further improve customer service also is anticipated in the near future.
The House of Representatives last week unanimously passed a bill requiring changes in Federal Aviation Administration oversight, signaling that Capitol Hill will not let up until legislators are satisfied that their concerns about FAA’s safety efforts have been fully addressed. The Senate, meanwhile, sent its own warnings about FAA oversight in strongly worded language in the fiscal 2009 transportation appropriations bill that was cleared by the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this month.
TURBOMECA S.A. Arrius 2F turboshaft engines [Docket No. FAA-2007-28053; Directorate Identifier 2007-NE-18-AD; Amendment 39-15590; AD 2008-13-27] – Following the instructions of Turbomeca Mandatory Service Bulletin No. 319 72 4012, Update No. 1 (dated Sept. 19, 2006), replace engine module 02 with a module that incorporates Turbomeca Modification Tf 12A, which includes a new gas generator front bearing without lubrication slots on the separator cage.
EXECUTIVE AIRSHARE, a regional fractional aircraft ownership operation based in Kansas City, Mo., secured FAA Part 145 repair station certification for its facility at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. Executive AirShare employs five technicians at the Wichita facility who are authorized to perform maintenance and repair on the company’s Hawker Beechcraft aircraft. The company also will begin maintenance training on Embraer Phenom 100 aircraft.
AGUSTA S.P.A. A109E and A119 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2008-0327; Directorate Identifier 2007-SW-21-AD; Amendment 39-15600; AD 2008-14-05] – Requires operators to inspect for interference between the hydraulic lines and the tail-rotor control rod assembly, per the instructions of Agusta Bulletin Technical 109EP-73 (dated Dec. 4, 2006) or 119-22 (dated July 11, 2007), which apply to Model A109 and A119 helicopters, respectively. If interference is found, replace the hydraulic lines with ones of new design.
Hamilton Standard acquired the remaining 49 percent interest in French auxiliary power unit (APU) maintenance provider REVIMA APU from EADS Sogerma. EADS and Hamilton Standard had formed a joint venture in 2004. REVIMA APU is now a wholly-owned Hamilton Standard overhaul and repair facility, which will service aircraft APU systems and accessories for customers worldwide. Located in Caudebec-en-Caux, near Rouen, France, REVIMA APU employs 230 people and has been provide turbine engine repair for 35 years.
ABOUT 100 STAKEHOLDERS in the Emergency Medical Service helicopter community were meeting Friday in Dallas to “brainstorm” about short- and long-term ways to improve safety of EMS flight operations. The meeting, organized by the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS), was triggered by the fatal midair collision June 29 of two EMS helicopters en route to a Flagstaff, Ariz. hospital helipad (BA, July 7/3).
DORNIER 328-100 and -300 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0362; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-308-AD; Amendment 39-15611; AD 2008-14-16] – This AD requires operators to install warning placards on the aircraft doors, and replace the hinge supports and support struts of the passenger doors with new, improved hinge supports and support struts. This directive was prompted by an incident in which the passenger door of a Dornier 328 opened immediately after takeoff.
Federal investigators are trying to track the chain of events that led a Learjet and an American Eagle Embraer ERJ-145 to get too close to one another last week at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
BLAKE-MILLER COMMUNICATIONS, a Dallas-based public relations firm, joined the recently formed Leading Edge Communications.aero (LEC) aviation public relations alliance. The LEC alliance was established this year by three international aviation public relations consultancies: Emerald Media, led by Alison Chambers in Europe and Kelly Murphy in the U.S.; Australasian company Asia Pacific Public Relations, led by Tony Harrington; and Singapore-based Euro Asia Communications, led by Anthony Phillips.
New World Jet Corp., the Part 135 certificate holder for Jet Aviation’s U.S. charter operations, is being acquired by FirstFlight, Inc., the rapidly expanding charter operation headquartered in Elmira/Corning, N.Y. FirstFlight, which recently announced the launch of a West Coast Division based in Van Nuys, Calif. (BA, July 21/36), said Wednesday it signed a definitive agreement to acquire charter operator New World Jet from Gold Jets.
CHELTON secured an FAA supplemental type certificate for its software Version 6.0B and air data and attitude heading reference system (ADAHRS) for the Eurocopter EC120B helicopter. The software and ADAHRS will provide use of either Class A or B Helicopter Terrain Awareness and Warning System, will support WSI Weather Radar, expand hover vector coverage, support ADS-B datalink functions and enhance the terrain database.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT has begun offering its labor coverage program ProTech to CJ3 customers. First offered to owners of Citation Mustangs, the program provides customers the option to pay a monthly fee to cover all labor costs for regular maintenance. Customers select one of three operational tiers based on aircraft use. Part of Cessna’s ProAdvantage family of programs, ProTech was designed to complement parts and engine maintenance programs.
NASA is working to improve cooperation with the Defense Dept. on aeronautics research and has made good progress on increasing collaboration with the U.S. Air Force, a senior official says. “We have not been a very good partner with DOD in some areas,” says Jaiwon Shin, NASA associate administrator for the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate. “We would work with DOD for two to three years, hold coordination meetings and draw up roadmaps and wiring diagrams, then it would fizzle out.”
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT completed the sale of its wholly owned fuel and line operations at seven U.S. airports to BBA Aviation, the parent company of Signature Flight Support, the world’s largest operator of FBOs. To clear the way for the transaction to close, Signature had to agree to sell one of the two FBOs at Indianapolis, Ind. International Airport (IND) because of antitrust concerns raised by the Department of Justice (BA, July 14/16). It is expected that Signature will keep its current facility at IND and resell the former Hawker Beechcraft facility there.
Early market acceptance of Gulfstream Aerospace’s new G650 business jet, which has resulted in firm orders for about 100 of the $60 million aircraft in just three months, sharply boosted the aircraft manufacturer’s firm backlog during the second quarter, according to parent company General Dynamics. Gulfstream got an overwhelming response to its G650 program launch announcement in mid-March, receiving Letters of Intent (LOI) for some 500 aircraft when the manufacturer began accepting deposits in April (BA, April 28/189).
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE’S EFFORTS to turn Letters of Intent for the new G650 business jet into firm orders got off to a roaring start in the second quarter, resulting in a book-to-bill ratio of 5.8:1 for the period, parent company General Dynamics said last week. A JPMorgan analysis described the April-June period as “a huge order quarter for Gulfstream” as total backlog jumped 50 percent. In addition to the influx of G650 orders, JPMorgan said the backlog increase “may also have included a recent $1.9 billion NetJets order.” See article below.
