Sentient Flight Group completed its acquisition of TAG Aviation USA and named former TAG executive J.W.P. (Jake) Cartwright to head a newly formed Sentient Aircraft Management Division. In addition to Cartwright, Sentient said the former TAG USA management team also is transferring to the new aircraft management division.
LINDSEY MCFARREN, who was tapped last summer to serve as the director of the National Air Transportation Association's Air Charter Safety Foundation (BA, July 23/35), is leaving that post this month to join the Transportation Security Administration's general aviation branch. McFarren will help implement general aviation initiatives and work with industry stakeholders. McFarren joined NATA in September 2005 as manager, research and special projects, and subsequently became manager of regulatory affairs, responsible for charter and flight training issues.
Jet Aviation Group of Switzerland completed the acquisition of Savannah Air Center (SAC) of Savannah, Ga., an independent aircraft maintenance and completion center that specializes in doing work on large business jets. The firms said they would not provide further details about the transaction.
AMERICAN LEGEND AIRCRAFT COMPANY expanded the selection of options available for the Legend Cub two-place recreational aircraft, including the ability to install skis. American Legend also is offering floats for the Legend. Other options include autopilot, dual wing-mounted pulse landing light system, AmSafe airbag seatbelt system and a choice of either 121.5 MHz or 406 MHz emergency locator transmitters. Legend Cubs further are offered with options of Garmin avionics, choice of paint and upgraded interior.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT completed the wing mate on the first Citation CJ4 in preparation for first flight later this year. Cessna expects the latest addition to the CJ line to enter service in the first half of 2010.
March 10-11 - Federal Aviation Administration, 33rd Annual Aviation Forecast Conference, Washington, D.C. Contact Linda Baranovics at (202) 267-5370; or e-mail [email protected] March 10-12 - Flight Safety Foundation 20th European Aviation Safety Seminar - EASS, Bucharest, Romania; Contact FSF at (703) 739-6700 March 13-15 - Aeronautical Repair Station Association, Annual Repair Symposium, Washington, D.C.; Contact ARSA at (703) 739-9543
Was named president of Limco Airepair Inc., a subsidiary of Limco-Piedmont, Inc. Koch has more than 20 years of experience in management, engineering, business development, quality control, operations, supply chain management and customer support, having spent most of that time with the Lori Heat Transfer operations of Honeywell Aerospace and its predecessor company. For the past three years Koch was with NORDAM, where he served as director of quality and most recently as senior director of support services.
NAVAERO AB, a Sundsvall, Sweden-based provider of electronic flight bag computer and display systems, received an equity capital investment through a private placement of stock with the Saab Group. Details of the private placement were not disclosed. "This is more than just an investment. It is a relationship", said Håkan Rosen, head of Saab Ventures.
MIDCOAST AVIATION was selected to serve as an authorized repair center in North and South America for structures on the Falcon 7X manufactured by Stork Fokker. Stork Fokker awarded the exclusive agreement, covering warranty and non-warranty repairs for the wing movables on the Falcon 7X. The wing movables include the ailerons, flaps, spoilers and related fairings on the Falcon 7X. Midcoast, an affiliate of the Jet Aviation Group of Companies based at St. Louis Downtown Airport near St.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week released the long-anticipated Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) that establishes more stringent training, experience and operating requirements for flying MU-2B twin turboprop aircraft. The final SFAR 108 largely incorporates training and operating procedures first proposed nearly 16 months ago, but does ease some of the requirements and extends the compliance date at the request of industry.
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD dispatched a team of four investigators to North Carolina late Friday afternoon to begin their analysis of the crash of a Beechcraft King Air C90A earlier in the day while on a business flight. NTSB said all six persons aboard the twin-turboprop were fatally injured when it went down in a residential area in Mount Airy, N.C. No one on the ground was injured. The aircraft, N57WR, is registered to Blue Sky Airways, Inc. of Dallas, Ga.
ECLIPSE AVIATION's training provider, Higher Power Aviation (HPA), won Federal Aviation Administration approval to conduct Eclipse 500 type training under the company's Part 142 training certificate. The authorization clears HPA to type rate customers using its Level D full motion simulator. Eclipse called the certification a milestone that "marks the FAA's final approval of Eclipse Aviation's training program." The Part 142 certification was awarded two weeks after the first Eclipse flight simulator received Level D approval.
Eurocontrol has established a European VLJs Integration Platform (VIP) to help facilitate an anticipated 10 percent annual increase in the Very Light Jet fleet population in Europe. The panel will develop recommendations to ensure that the increase in VLJs over the next 10 years is handled safely and efficiently. Some 440 VLJs have been ordered by European operators, 230 of which are slated for delivery by the end of 2010. The majority are expected to be used in air-taxi operations.
Maguire Aviation, which already runs two fixed-base operations at the Van Nuys, Calif. Airport (VNY), is buying competitor Skytrails Aviation. Maguire currently operates the former Petersen Aviation facility, which it acquired in September 2006, and the former Million Air FBO. Once the Skytrails deal closes, the only non-Maguire facilities on the airport will be Clay Lacy Aviation and the Hawker Beechcraft Corp. (HBC) location. HBC announced in November that it planned to sell its aircraft fueling operations at seven airports, including VNY (BA, Nov. 5/204).
THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE scheduled a hearing Thursday to delve into the Bush Administration's proposed fiscal 2009 budget for FAA. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is scheduled to unveil the administration's budget proposal during a press conference today (Feb. 4) at DOT.
WHILE THE AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION has been at odds with general aviation groups over aviation user fees and general aviation's contribution to the air transportation system, ATA is getting support from two GA groups to combat a new Department of Transportation proposal to allow congestion pricing at certain airports (BA, Jan. 28/38). ATA, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association and the National Business Aviation Association last week sent letters urging an extension in the comment deadline on the DOT proposal.
C-212 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-0372; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-164-AD] - For aircraft used in maritime patrol or other similar low-altitude operations, inspect for cracks and loose rivets in the center wing lower skin. If any cracks or loose rivets are detected, repair the damaged sections before further flight, following the instructions of EADS-CASA All Operator Letter 212-018, Revision 2 (dated March 20, 2007).
Model 750XL airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0034; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-097-AD] - To prevent fretting damage to the wiring loom that may lead to arcing in proximity to the fuel vent lines and the possibility of fire, inspect the main wiring loom on the right-hand side of the aircraft to ensure that two pieces of protective sleeving fit correctly, per the instructions of Pacific Aerospace Corporation Limited Mandatory Service Bulletin PACSB/XL/009, issue 2 (revised July 23, 2004).
EADS SOCATA handed over the first two 2008 TBM 850s upgraded with an integrated all-glass flight deck. John LaBonte, chief executive of Big Bike Parts, took delivery of the first upgraded TBM 850 aircraft during a ceremony at Orlando Executive Airport in Florida. The upgraded aircraft are equipped with a Garmin G1000 avionics package that replaces traditional instruments with liquid crystal display screens. The system integrates primary flight, navigation, weather, traffic, ground proximity and technical information on the aircraft.
NATIONAIR AVIATION INSURANCE is offering a new Claims Advisors service for clients. The service is designed to provide a resource for clients trying to deal with complex, delayed or unusual claims. Claims Advisor will represent the client's interest to the underwriter's claims department and facilitate communications with the client. Based in Chicago, the brokerage firm represents a spectrum of clients including private aircraft owners, regional airlines and product manufacturers.
Was named to the board of directors of Aerosonic Corp., Clearwater, Fla. Robinson has more than 30 years of operational and management experience. He was CEO of Seattle, Wash.-based Aviation Technologies, Inc. from 2003 until his retirement in 2007. Previously he was president of ELDEC Corp., and chief operating officer of the Crane Aerospace Group of companies after Crane's acquisition of ELDEC.
Gulfstream Aerospace is now offering a synthetic vision system on the four largest aircraft models in its product line, a system that relies on technology developed by Honeywell Aerospace.
Eclipse Aviation and Hampson Aerospace, Inc. announced settlement of all claims and disputes between the Albuquerque, N.M. Very Light Jet manufacturer and the Grand Prairie, Texas firm that is supplying the empennage assembly for the Eclipse 500.
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA AND ROCKWELL COLLINS are expected to be named as suppliers of the engines and avionics for Cessna Aircraft's new Large Cabin Concept business jet. See articles below.
Three executives, including an existing company executive, have purchased Pittsburgh, Pa.-based Integrated Deicing Services (IDS). Salvatore Calvino, who is owner of Quantem Aviation Services (QAS), IDS founder Larry Hopkins, and Kevin Worley, purchased the five existing operations of IDS. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Calvino will serve as the company's chief executive, Worley as president and Hopkins as chief operating officer.
