LACK OF FUNDS has sharply decelerated development of the Javelin fighter-look-alike two-seat aircraft. Developer ATG laid off most of its employees while it continues to seek additional financing and says certification will not come until at least three years after funding is in hand. Former Cessna President Charlie Johnson, who had been serving as president of ATG, recently stepped down "to pursue retirement," the company said in a notice posted on its Web site. ATG officials did not return telephone calls last week.
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR AVIATION RESEARCH (NIAR) at Wichita State University this month plans to open a new facility that will provide 14,000-square-feet of additional research space. The facility will house environmental testing equipment including an anechoic chamber, a reverberation chamber, two fluid susceptibility chambers, a temperature/humidity/altitude chamber, a rate of heat release chamber, an aircraft insulation tester and two shaker tables.
Cessna Aircraft added two new models to its single-engine line and found a Chinese partner to build Cessna's Light Sport Aircraft last week, as officials wrapped up two deals that promise to pay dividends for years to come.
FORMER FAA ADMINISTRATOR Jane Garvey quietly accepted seats on the boards of directors of a couple of prominent aviation companies in recent months. Garvey's "day job" is at the Washington, D.C. office of global communication consultancy APCO Worldwide, where she's a member of the International Advisory Council and executive vice president and chairman of the firm's transportation practice. She recently accepted a seat on the board of directors of Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier, Inc.
SANTA MONICA CITY COUNCIL members are hoping to get help from Congress in their pursuit of business aircraft restrictions at Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO) in California. City officials are traveling to Washington, D.C. for a Dec. 5 meeting with Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Jane Harman (D-Calif.), both of whom have expressed support for the city's efforts. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar (D-Minn.), ranking member John Mica (R-Fla.) and FAA officials are expected to attend as well.
JET AVIATION signed an agreement with Vnukovo Invest to provide maintenance services at Moscow Vnukovo International Airport, which company officials said makes Jet Aviation the first international business aviation maintenance company to provide services for business jets in Russia. Vnukovo handles 70 percent of all business aviation traffic in Russia. Jet Aviation will provide line maintenance and AOG services at a hangar located next to the Vnukovo 3 FBO building.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week issued a stern warning to Santa Monica city officials that a proposed ordinance to ban larger business jets at Santa Monica, Calif. Municipal Airport (SMO) would violate federal laws and result in enforcement proceedings against the city. The City Council last week agreed to a "first reading" of a proposed ordinance that would ban Category C and D aircraft - those with approach speeds faster than 121 knots - from using the airport.
THE ORDERBOOK for Embraer's Phenom 300 got $1 billion bigger last week with an order for 100 of the new light jets, plus options for 50 more, from fractional aircraft operator Flight Options. See article on Page 253.
Was named executive vice president and chief financial officer of McKechnie Aerospace, which comprises 11 systems and component manufacturers serving aerospace OEMs and operators. Charles will be responsible for all financial aspects of the company. He formerly served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of K&F Industries, a manufacturer of aviation wheels, brakes, fuel tanks and brake control systems that was recently acquired by Meggitt-USA. Charles spent 17 years with K&F. He also served with Arthur Andersen during the mid-1980s.
AIRPORTS CONSULTANTS COUNCIL selected James Bennett, president and chief executive of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, as the recipient of the 2007 ACC Aviation Award of Excellence. The award recognizes the contributions of an individual or group "that are visionary and innovative, have advanced the airport and aviation industry, and have served the public in the process." Bennett has served as president and CEO of MWAA since 2003, leading Washington Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
Honda Aero Wednesday held a ground-breaking ceremony for the company's corporate headquarters and jet engine plant in Burlington, N.C. The $27 million 102,400-square-foot facility will include 36,000 square feet of office space, a 58,400-square foot production plant, and an 8,000-square foot engine test cell. Honda Aero, a joint venture between Honda and GE Aviation, expects the plant will produce 200 GE Honda engines within one year of production startup.
Model 525B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-0198; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-085-AD; Amendment 39-15262; AD 2007-23-16] - Incorporate an electrical-power relay circuit-protection kit (Part Number SB525B-24-02) in accordance with the instructions of Cessna Citation Service Bulletin SB525B-24-02, Revision 1 (dated October 4, 2007).
Model 206A, 206B, 206L, 206L-1, 206L-3, 206L-4, 222, 222B, 222U, 230, 407, 427 and 430 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2007-0179; Directorate Identifier 2007-SW-36-AD; Amendment 39-15264; AD 2007-19-52] - Before further flight, replace certain rotor blades serviced by Rotor Blades, Inc. with airworthy ones. This directive was prompted by three incidents in which blade-tip weights were slung from blades during flight, causing significant vibration.
Joined the American Association of Airport Executives as vice president for regulatory affairs. Sabatine replaces Thomas Zoeller, who left AAAE to become president of the National Air Carrier Association. Sabatine, a Pennsylvania native, previously served on the congressional staffs of former Rep. Robert Walker (R-Pa.) and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.). She also served as deputy staff director/communications director of the President's Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry, which Walker headed beginning in 2001.
Model DA 42 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-28955 Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-067-AD; Amendment 39-15260; AD 2007-23-14] - Requires installation of additional engine control unit (ECU) backup batteries to supply electrical power to the ECU, thus preventing high transient-power drains from causing a short-term voltage drop when insufficient power from the main battery might exist. The AD also requires incorporation of Diamond Aircraft Temporary Revision AMM-TR-OM-42-129 (dated July 11, 2007) into the FAA-approved Airplane Maintenance Manual and Airplane Flight Manual.
SF340A and 340B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-0212; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-237-AD] - This proposed AD, which resulted from an MCAI originated by the European Aviation Safety Agency, would require operators to re-route the existing wires to the Fuel Quantity Indication System (FQIS), attach new shielded wires to the FQIS, and conduct operational and functional tests of the system.
Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y., presented its 13th annual "Spirit of Noise Abatement Awards" to based corporate operators that had achieved 100 percent compliance with the airport's voluntary noise-abatement programs during 2006. HPN has a voluntary nighttime curfew in effect from midnight until 6:30 a.m., as well as a high-range noise event limit of 93 dBA. A total of 26 aircraft operators in three different categories - helicopter, turboprop and jet - were honored Thursday by Westchester County, which owns the field.
Model EA500 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-0247; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-083-AD; Amendment 39-15278; AD 2007-24-12] - Inspect the fuel-filler adapters for primer or paint in the surround and, if present, remove the primer or paint using procedures outlined in Eclipse's Alert Service Bulletin SB 500-57-007, Rev A (dated October 12, 2007) and Alert Service Bulletin SB 500-57-007, Rev B (dated October 23, 2007). This AD resulted from an observation during a factory walk-around that the fuel-filler surround was primed instead of being bare metal.
BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-29337; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-150-AD] - This notice reopens the comment period on an FAA proposal that would require operators to conduct repetitive detailed visual inspections for corrosion, pitted fasteners or pillowing of the auxiliary power unit (APU) heat shield and surrounding aircraft skin. If applicable, the proposed directive also would require removal and repair of the APU heat shield.
