RUSS MEYER, JR., chairman emeritus of Cessna Aircraft, was named chairman of the AOPA Air Safety Foundation Board of Visitors. “Russ’s selection will bring new opportunities to expand visibility of the Air Safety Foundation to the industry and general aviation pilots,” said Bruce Landsberg, executive director of the foundation. The board serves in an advisory capacity for the AOPA Air Safety Foundation, which generates safety education and outreach materials for general aviation pilots.
MCCAULEY PROPELLER SYSTEMS Models B5JFR36C1101/114GCA-0, C5JFR36C1102/L114GCA-0, B5JFR36C1103/114HCA-0, and C5JFR36C1104/L114HCA-0 [Docket No. FAA-2006-25173; Directorate Identifier 2006-NE-24-AD; Amendment 39-15453; AD 2008-08-01] – Requires operators to conduct fluorescent-penetrant and eddy-current inspections of propeller blades for cracks. If any cracks are found, remove the blades from service.
THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION is slowly making progress on a notice of proposed rulemaking that would establish operational regulations for use of Very Light Jets in air taxi operations. The NPRM stems from the recommendations of the Part 135/125 Aviation Rulemaking Committee and is expected to cover crew, equipment, training and dispatch requirements. FAA began working on the project more than two years ago and originally had hoped to have an NPRM ready for Department of Transportation review by the end of 2006.
ALLAN KRAMER was promoted to chief executive of Shadin Avionics. Formerly executive director of operations for the St. Louis Park, Minn. avionics manufacturer, Kramer has more than 40 years of general management, engineering and marketing experience. Before joining Shadin Avionics, Kramer held positions as general manager for Raytheon Aircraft Services – Van Nuys (Calif.), regional general manager for Mercury Air Centers, and vice president and general manager for Jet Aviation. He also has held management positions at Tracor Aerospace and Garrett/AiResearch.
THE 20TH ANNUAL Greater Washington Aviation Open, held last week at the Landsdowne Resort in Virginia, raised $140,000 for the Corporate Angel Network. The May 5 annual golf and tennis tournament attracted representatives of more than 90 aviation associations, airlines, manufacturers, federal agencies and Capitol Hill offices. Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton was the honorary chairman for this year’s event.
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT CORPORATION Model 390 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0492; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-023-AD] – This proposed AD would require removal of the current pre-formed packing, elbow fitting and jam nut from the left and right hydraulic pump pressure output port and replacement of those components with new parts. This proposal also would require installation of a hydraulic pump case drain check valve.
CAE was named the authorized training provider for Learjet 40/40 XR and 45/45 XR aircraft in Europe. The authorization builds upon an agreement announced in June 2007 that designated CAE as Bombardier’s authorized pilot and technical training provider for Global Express, Global 5000, Global Express XRS, and Challenger 300 aircraft. CAE will build and install a new Learjet 40/40 XR and Learjet 45/45 XR aircraft full-flight simulator at its Burgess Hill Training Center in the United Kingdom. CAE also plans to add a Challenger 300 simulator in Europe in the fall of 2009.
JOE PONTE, former vice president of membership and marketing for the National Business Aviation Association, is joining FAA’s Office of Runway Safety this week. Ponte will be part of a program to reach out to the business and general aviation community to help reduce the number of runway incursions. Ponte held a number of communications and marketing posts with Piper Aircraft in Vero Beach, Fla. earlier in his career. He joined NBAA in 1994. During his decade-long tenure, the organization grew from 3,300 member companies to more than 8,000.
GENERAL ELECTRIC is developing an all-new 3,000-shaft-horsepower-class helicopter turboshaft, the GE3000, under the U.S. Army’s Advanced Affordable Turbine Engine (AATE) program. The GE3000 will compete with the Honeywell/Pratt&Whitney HPW3000 to power the Army’s Boeing AH-64 Apache and Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters later next decade.
Macquarie Infrastructure Company (MIC), whose holdings include the largest chain of fixed-base operations in the U.S., posted a first-quarter loss despite significant revenue increases for the period.
The piston aircraft market reflected the general economic downturn with a 28 percent drop in deliveries, but healthy backlogs and a strong international demand for business jets led general aviation manufacturers to a record $5.3 billion in billings in the first quarter of 2008. Billings in the first quarter were up 16.1 percent from the $4.6 billion in 2007, and were an all-time first quarter high. GA shipments overall, however, were down 7.5 percent to 781 in the first quarter, compared with 844 units shipped in the same period in 2007.
Jay L. Johnson, 61, a former Chief of Naval Operations for the U.S. Navy and a member of the General Dynamics board of directors since 2003, was named last week to succeed Nicholas Chabraja as CEO of the company next year.
Iowa’s commercial airports generate $1.3 billion each year in total economic activity, create 14,209 jobs supported by airport activities and produce $514 million in annual payroll, according to a new report commissioned by the state Department of Transportation. The study, written by Wilbur Smith Associates, covered airports in Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque, Fort Dodge, Mason City, Sioux City and Waterloo. It also looked at the impact of the bordering airports in Omaha, Neb., and Moline, Ill.
SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT CORPORATION S-61A, D, E, L, N, NM, R and V helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2008-0442, Directorate Identifier 2007-SW-24-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to determine new retirement lives for each main-rotor shaft. The retirement lives for shafts used on aircraft not utilized in repetitive external-lift operations would be reduced and would only be based on hours of time in service. This proposal also would require operators to remove from service any main-rotor shaft with oversized dowel pin bores.
The International Civil Aviation Organization told India in an audit 18 months ago that it was below world averages on primary aviation legislation, safety oversight of airlines and the qualifications and training of its technical personnel. India responded with initial legislation to expand the powers of the country’s aviation regulatory authority – the office of the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
BOMBARDIER SERVICES CORPORATION (BSC) signed maintenance contracts to perform C checks and other heavy maintenance and modification on the SkyWest Airlines and Atlantic Southeast Airlines fleets of CRJ regional jets. The 10-year Skywest contract covers CRJ200, CRJ700 and CRJ900 aircraft. SkyWest operates 222 CRJs. ASA operates 110 CRJ200 regional jets. BSC will perform the SkyWest maintenance at the Bombardier Aviation Services facility in Tucson, Ariz. The ASA maintenance will be performed at the Bombardier Aviation Services facility in Bridgeport, W.Va.
MERCURY AIR GROUP has initiated operations at the new Royal Terminal, Kuwait, which is billed as “the largest private aviation terminal in the Middle East” and owned by Royal Aviation Kuwait. The $42 million terminal/FBO was designed by the Mott MacDonald Group of London, England and Gulf Consult of Saudi Arabia. The terminal encompasses more than 100,000 square feet.
Triumph Group, Inc. of Wayne, Pa., which provides a wide range of components and structures for commercial and business aircraft, reported sharply higher results for the fiscal year ended March 31. Sales for the year jumped 23 percent to $1.15 billion, while net income soared 43 percent to $67.3 million. And the backlog rose 13 percent over a year ago to a record $1.3 billion.
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DAVE SALZER was named to manage the new supply chain department for Aero Precision Industries. Salzer will focus on relationships with original equipment manufacturers in his new role. He is a retired Naval officer and has 10 years of large corporation experience.
RTI INTERNATIONAL METALS, INC. moved into the company’s new global headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pa. last month. The firm, formerly headquartered in Niles, Ohio, said part of the reason for the move was to provide easier access to international travel needed to serve its global customer and investor base. RTI, a major provider of titanium mill products and fabricated metal components, has 18 locations in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia.
MD HELICOPTERS, INC. Model MD900 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2006-25983; Directorate Identifier 2006-SW-11-AD; Amendment 39-15463; AD 2008-08-11] – Following the instructions of MD Helicopters Service Bulletin SB900-100 (dated April 5, 2006), operators must modify the pilot and co-pilot dual-control directional pedal assemblies or the pilot single-control directional pedal assembly. This AD was prompted by an accident that was attributed to loss of directional control due to failure of the welds in the directional control pedal assembly.
BBA AVIATION plans to complete the acquisition of Hawker Beechcraft’s line service operation by midyear, the company said in its Interim Management Statement. The company earlier this year announced plans to buy fuel and line operations at seven U.S. airports from Hawker Beechcraft Corp. for $128.5 million in cash (BA, Feb. 25/83).
PLANESMART! AVIATION, the firm that sells fractional shares of Cirrus SR22 aircraft, named Michael Brosler as president and chief executive, succeeding Jeffrey Cullen, who stepped down to “pursue other long-term strategic aviation opportunities,” the company announced Friday afternoon. The company earlier had said that Cullen would become vice president of strategic development working with the company’s venture capital partner Neo Ventures to pursue other strategic opportunities. Brosler takes over at PlaneSmart!
THE USED BUSINESS JET MARKET is showing signs of softening, JPMorgan reported Friday. JPMorgan said it has been expecting the market to weaken in both the U.S. and Europe, and “the data is beginning to bear this out.” Used aircraft inventory increased to 7.2 percent of the active fleet in April, up from 6.8 percent in the previous month. In particular, the number of medium and light jets available for sale increased.
