General aviation and Part 135 flight operations were involved in more accidents in 2007, but the number of GA fatalities hit historic lows, according to National Transportation Safety Board preliminary aviation accident statistics for 2007. “The U.S. aviation industry has produced an admirable safety record in recent years,” said NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker. “However, we must not become complacent. We must continue to take the lessons learned from our investigations.”
SAAB/SAAB-FAIRCHILD SF340A and 340B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-29331; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-136-AD; Amendment 39-15459; AD 2008-08-07] – Requires conducting repetitive ultrasonic inspections to detect cracking in the axle adaptor, replacing the axle adaptor, if necessary. Eventually, the AD also mandates inspecting and modifying the main landing gear shock strut and axle adaptors. This AD was prompted by a crack in an axle adaptor that was discovered during fatigue testing.
ROBBIN L. (ROB) HIGBY joined Avidyne Corp. of Lincoln, Mass. as vice president of sales and marketing. He will oversee the growth of the company’s global sales and marketing operations and will be responsible for expanding Avidyne’s relationships with core OEM partners, as well as its network of distributors and dealers. Higby previously worked for EqualLogic, where he served as director of product marketing and then headed that company’s Channel Sales organization.
FOKKER F.28 Mark 0070, 0100, 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-29030; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-284-AD; Amendment 39-15432; AD 2008-06-20] – Requires revising the “Airworthiness Limitations” section of the “Instructions for Continued Airworthiness” for certain airplanes and amending the FAA-approved maintenance program for other airplanes to incorporate new limitations for fuel tank systems. The FAA estimates that this AD will affect 18 aircraft on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S. operators a total of $1,440, or $80 per airplane.
Ross Aviation acquired the majority interest in Bradley Pacific Aviation, a chain of five fixed-base operations in Hawaii. The newly acquired FBOs – located at Honolulu International Airport, Kahului International Airport, Lihue Airport, Keahole-Kona International and Hilo International Airport – will continue to operate under the Bradley Pacific Aviation name.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION is proposing to cut in half the number of unscheduled operations at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in part, the agency said, to prevent general aviation operators from opting for LGA when the agency releases new caps on unscheduled operations at John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty International Airport. The agency made the move as general aviation and airlines move to fight congestion pricing as another mechanism to discourage operations at busier airports. See article on Page 179.
SHIP IT AOG was named a factory-authorized distributor for Unitron’s new aircraft ground power units (GPUs). Ship it AOG has worked with Unitron to sell and lease used GPUs since 2002. The latest agreement calls for Ship it AOG to market and warehouse Unitron’s 400 Hz GPUs and PwrKart frequency converters. Addison, Texas-based Ship it AOG provides marketing, warehouse space and distribution of business aircraft parts, ground-support equipment, and specialized tooling. The company also provides technical services and maintains technical documentation.
KEYSTONE HELICOPTER CORP., Coatsville, Pa., won Organization Designation Approval from FAA after demonstrating to the agency that Keystone has the expertise, facilities, experience and qualified employees to issue Supplemental Type Certificates for work on aircraft certified under Parts 23, 27 and 29 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. The ODA covers a range of work including cockpit instrument modifications and installation of exterior features such as searchlights. It excludes work on major spinning components such as engines and rotors.
BOMBARDIER CL-600, -601, -601-3A, -601-3R, -604, -605 and RJ100 and 440 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0408; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-068-AD; Amendment 39-15458; AD 2008-08-06] – Requires a revision of the Airplane Flight Manual to modify the cold-weather operations limitation and include additional limitations and procedures.
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Providence, R.I.-based Textron Inc., parent company of Bell Helicopter and Cessna, reported strong first-quarter results, with a 19.2-percent increase in earnings per share from continuing operations on a revenue increase of 18.7 percent. During the first three months of the year, the company’s Cessna unit booked new orders for 235 business jets, as Textron’s aircraft and defense backlog swelled to a record $22 billion, up from $18.8 billion at the end of 2007.
AIRCRAFT KITS previously determined to be eligible for certification as amateur-built aircraft won’t be reevaluated by the FAA unless a safety problem is identified. FAA had announced in February its intent to temporarily suspend amateur-built aircraft kit evaluations.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT completed the initial round of a human factors training program tailored for its nearly 1,400 Citation Service Center employees in the U.S. The training was designed to help employees identify and ward off errors. The curriculum includes initial and recurrent training for airframe and powerplant mechanics, avionics technicians, inspectors and administrative personnel.
HIRING SENIOR EXECUTIVES with backgrounds in the automotive industry is becoming the new “in thing” within the business aviation industry as original equipment manufacturers attempt to boost production rates to meet customer demand for new business jets. Bombardier joined the parade Friday, naming a former General Motors executive as president and chief operating officer of Bombardier Aerospace. Hawker Beechcraft Corp.
The Department of Transportation’s proposal to allow certain airports to impose congestion pricing during peak hours drew strong opposition from operators, but large airports endorsed the concept as an alternative solution to congestion in cases where airport expansion is not possible.
JET PROFESSIONALS added technical staff recruitment services to its portfolio of offerings from its newly established office in Dallas. Jet Professionals previously recruited technical personnel, but said technical staffing recruitment efforts now will be formally defined and more focused. Jet Professionals will concentrate on business aviation requirements, including avionics installers, A&P technicians and EASA B1 and B2 license holders.
NETJETS, which rolled out a major multifaceted “green” initiative in September (BA, Sept. 24/129), has moved ahead with a carbon offset program that allows aircraft shareholders to voluntarily participate in a program to offset emissions from their flights. The program tailors participation fees to correspond with class of aircraft and share size. NetJets is working with 3Degrees in the U.S. and Eco-Securities in Europe to contribute to projects that include reducing methane emissions at coal mines and dairy farms and expanding wind farm use, among others.
Guy C. Hachey, a veteran of three decades in the automotive industry, was named president and chief operating officer of Bombardier Aerospace Friday, as the Canadian manufacturer announced a series of changes in the top echelon of its aircraft business. Hachey will assume his new duties May 12. In November, Bombardier’s board of directors approved the appointment of Pierre Beaudoin as president and chief executive. The younger Beaudoin (his father, Laurent Beaudoin, continues as chairman) has headed the Aerospace unit for the past six years.
BOMBARDIER RJ100 and 440 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0047; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-295-AD; Amendment 39-15461; AD 2008-08-09] – Requires revising the “Airworthiness Limitations” section of the “Instructions for Continued Airworthiness” in the Aircraft Maintenance Manual by incorporating revised procedures for repetitive functional tests of the pilot input lever of the pitch feel simulator (PFS) units. The AD also requires conducting new repetitive functional tests of the pilot input lever and taking corrective actions, if necessary.
Jet Aviation and China’s Deer Air signed a joint-venture agreement last week to operate an FBO and line-maintenance facility at Beijing’s Capital International Airport (PEK), with the goal of offering aircraft handling and limited line-maintenance services by the time the Olympic Games begin on August 8.
A TEAM of JetBlue Airways’ founding executives is expected to unveil a new charter operation today that will feature an extensive fleet of new Embraer Phenom aircraft. Initial service is targeted to begin early next year from bases in Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
AAI ACQUISITION Tuesday completed the acquisition of the assets of the former Adam Aircraft. AAI Acquisition was the winning bidder for the Adam Aircraft assets with a $10 million minimum bid (BA, April 14/163). “We have returned to the factory to go about the business of restoring order,” said Jan D’Angelo, a former director of international and fleet sales for Adam who helped spearhead the formation of AAI Acquisition. AAI executives expect to announce more information about the new company’s plans in the next month.
