KURTINA POLLEN was promoted to communications manager, product support for Gulfstream Aerospace. Pollen will oversee communications with Gulfstream customers through various media outlets, including newsletters, forums, conferences and the customer support Web site. Pollen has served with Gulfstream since 1997, including as an information services representative, an IT business partner supporting the engineering department, a senior desktop system analyst and a help desk analyst.
FAA ACTING ADMINISTRATOR Robert Sturgell is renewing warnings of potential furloughs should Congress fail to extend FAA’s authorization past the June 30 expiration date (BA, Feb. 4/45). FAA continues to operate under a temporary authorization as the long-term FAA reauthorization remains stalled in the Senate. Legislators have been discussing another temporary extension, possibly for 15 months, since the Senate failed to bring the bill to a vote last month (BA, May 12/211).
Aircraft management firm Key Air has acquired the former Fort Pierce, Fla. Jet Center at St. Lucie County International Airport (FPR) and plans to break ground this summer on a major expansion of the fixed-base operation and the services provided there.
THRANE & THRANE began taking orders for its new Aero-SB Lit Inmarsat SwiftBroadband cabin communications system. Announced last fall during the National Business Aviation Association annual meeting and convention, the system is expected to be available by the end of 2008. Aero-SB Lite will enable high-speed Internet and voice use. The system has built-in Wi-Fi capability and VOiP technology. It can stand alone or integrate with the Aircell Iridium-based Axxess system.
Very Light Jet air taxi startup DayJet plans to concentrate on operating efficiencies in an attempt to inch toward profitability after scaling back aggressive growth plans that hinged on investment from the capital markets. DayJet announced last month that it would curb expansion plans and cut almost 40 percent of its work force after the air taxi was unable to raise the necessary capital to fund the growth (BA, May 12/213).
A RECENT STUDY conducted for the European Aviation Safety Agency concluded that “there was no need for a ‘blanket’ prohibition on night or IMC flights” involving commercial single-engine turbine operations. The U.S. already permits commercial single-engine instrument flights, and European regulators had considered allowing similar operations. But since the rulemaking had been in the works for years under the Joint Aviation Authority, EASA put a hold on the rule and called for a review of the work done so far, along with an independent, objective risk assessment.
FOKKER Model F.28 Mark 0070 and Mark 0100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0231; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-218-AD; Amendment 39-15534; AD 2008-11-12] – Requires installation of autopilot disconnect units and associated wiring changes in accordance with Fokker Service Bulletin SBF100-22-050 (dated April 25, 2006). This AD was prompted by at least 10 incidents in which flight crews manually overpowered the autopilot instead of disengaging it.
THE PRICE INCREASE for the Eclipse 500 announced a week ago will not apply to most of the airplanes scheduled for delivery the remainder of this year, but will affect most deliveries in 2009 and beyond. The price boost, from $1.595 million to $2.15 million, will not apply to customers who have given Eclipse 60 percent of the total purchase price in deposits – a mark generally reached six months before aircraft delivery is scheduled.
EMBRAER secured approval from Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee to operate the ERJ 145 family of regional jets, including the 37-seat ERJ 135, the 44-seat ERJ 140 and the 50-seat ERJ 145. The approval clears the jets to operate throughout the CIS, including Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan along with Russia. Embraer said it sees a strong market potential in Russia because the average age of the Russian fleet is 23 years, with more than half of those aircraft older than 20 years.
MIDCOAST AVIATION was named an authorized distributor for Premier Aircraft’s Falcon 50Dash4 performance upgrades. Premier Aircraft, a joint venture between West Star Aviation and Yankee Pacific Aerospace, converts the Falcon 50 from the TFE731-3/3D configuration to TFE731-4-1 engines. The conversion increases range by between 300 nautical miles and 600 nm, and improves payload, time to climb, cruise altitudes and runway requirements.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s proposal to update the aircraft registration process drew strong opposition from several segments of the aviation industry who fear the requirements would put too much of a burden on all aircraft owners to fix the problems caused by a few.
CHARLES (CHUCK) PINEO was promoted to executive director and chief operating officer for The UND Aerospace Foundation, the not-for-profit business arm of the Odegard School at the University of North Dakota. Pineo will oversee the foundation’s day-to-day operations and contracts related to professional flight education, air traffic control training, customer software development, unmanned aircraft and helicopter flight training. All foundation employees except those in the factory training program and the flight training centers will report to Pineo.
KIMBERLY KENVILLE , an associate professor of aerospace sciences at the University of North Dakota, was named graduate program director for the school’s Department of Aviation. In her new role, Kenville will be responsible for curriculum development, maintaining and establishing corporate partnerships and development of research opportunities.
A Sikorsky S-76A helicopter was destroyed late last month when the aircraft, which was being used to conduct a Part 135 check ride with an FAA inspector aboard, struck a tower while attempting to take off from a hospital heliport in Michigan.
JET AVIATION is adding a Falcon 900EX and Gulfstream G550 to its EMEA and Asia management and charter fleet. The aircraft will join the Skylliance program, the Jet Aviation-founded alliance of European charter companies that agree to meet certain standards. The 13-passenger Dassault Falcon 900EX will be based in Zurich, Switzerland, and the 14-passenger Gulfstream G550 will be based in Zurich and Tokyo, Japan.
SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION Model S-76A, S-76B and S-76C helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2008-0609; Directorate Identifier 2008-SW-24-AD] – This proposed rule would require inspections of the tail-rotor vertical stabilizer aft-spar assembly for cracks, loose or working fasteners and corrosion. If any of those defects were found, the vertical stabilizer forward spar assembly also would need to be inspected. Any defective components in those two assemblies would need to be repaired or replaced before further flight.
GLOBAL IMPLICATIONS of the next generation air traffic control system will be the focus of a joint Air Traffic Control Association/FAA/NASA Technical Symposium to be held this week in Atlantic City, N.J. Technical symposium discussion will examine infrastructure, aircraft, airports, the environment and airspace technologies will be part of the evolution.
CIRRUS DESIGN CORPORATION Model SR20 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0284; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-006-AD; Amendment 39-15541] – Following the instructions of Cirrus Service Bulletin SB 2X-78-07 R1, Rev. 1 (dated Dec. 18, 2007), operators must conduct a pressurization check of the heat exchanger and replace it if needed. The FAA issued this AD in order to detect and prevent leaks in the exhaust system, which could result in carbon monoxide entering the cabin through the cabin heating system and incapacitating the pilot.
STEMME GMBH & CO. KG Model S10-VT powered sailplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0598; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-031-AD; Amendment 39-15543; AD 2008-11-20] – Following the instructions of STEMME Service Bulletin A31-10-083 (dated Feb. 26, 2008), operators must inspect the fuel system for possible leakage. If any leaks are found, repair the leak and replace all single-ear clamps in the fuel system with new single-ear clamps. This AD, which supersedes an existing directive (AD 2007-0315-E), resulted from an MCAI issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency.
AIR TRACTOR, INC. AT-200, AT-300, AT-400, AT-500, AT-600 and AT-800 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0247; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-003-AD; Amendment 39-15540] – This AD, which supersedes an earlier directive (AD 2002-25-09), requires installation of a modified skid-plate kit or modification of skid-plate kits already installed. The new AD was issued to prevent the front and rear connections of the overturn skid plate from breaking, which could enable foreign debris to enter the cockpit during an airplane overturn.
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT is planning a new $14 million aircraft maintenance and service facility at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Ariz. The facility will provide support to customers in the Southwest U.S. Hawker Beechcraft is leasing 5.1 acres at the airport and retained an option to expand the leasehold to 10.7 acres. Hawker Beechcraft also acquired a newly built 26,000-square-foot hangar and plans to add a 20,000-square-foot hangar and 22,000-square-foot administrative building.
June 9-11 – Florida Aviation Trades Association, 62nd Annual Meeting & Trade Show, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Contact Paula Raeburn at (407) 383-8619 June 9-14 – International Council of Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations, 24th World Assembly, Athens, Greece. Contact IAOPA at (301) 695-2200 June 16-19 – Canadian Business Aviation Association, 47th Annual Convention, Trade Show & Static Display, Toronto, Ontario. Contact Janet Maslin at CBAA, (613) 236-5611
