LIBERTY AEROSPACE appointed First Flight Aviation, LLC in Fort Smith, Ark. as its first dealer in the U.S. First Flight took delivery of its first two XL2 single-piston aircraft and plans to add two more before yearend. The XL2, which is IFR certified, is designed with a carbon fiber fuselage and with a full authority digital engine control.
ERA CORPORATION of Reston, Va., working in partnership with Holland Institute of Traffic Technology B.V., was selected by Luchtverkeersleiding Nederland, the Dutch air navigation service provider, to provide Wide Area Multilateration for the Netherlands North Sea area. Era will place MSS sensors on platforms in the North Sea and on-shore to provide optimal surveillance coverage over the Dutch portion of the North Sea. The MSS system combines multilateration and ADS-B to provide surveillance coverage at a range of altitudes and in poor weather.
LANDMARK AVIATION was named a Westwind product support facility by aftermarket service specialist Worthington Aviation. Worthington earlier this year took over the product service and support for the Westwind business jet line - business jets designed and manufactured by Israel Aircraft Industries - from General Dynamics Aviation Services. The Landmark authorization includes repair and overhaul services. Landmark will perform the work at its MRO centers in Augusta, Ga., Houston and Los Angeles.
World Fuel Services Corp. will significantly expand its share of the business jet fuel card market with the planned acquisition of AVCARD, a deal that is expected to close next month.
David A. Baldini, president and CEO of Aerosonic Corp., stepped down last week, part of a previously announced consolidation and management transition by the Clearwater, Fla.-based manufacturer. P. Mark Perkins, executive vice president and a member of the board of directors, was named interim president and CEO until Baldini's successor is appointed. Perkins has been a member of the board since 1997 and has more than 18 years of experience in various segments of the aviation industry.
PLANESMART!, which operates a fractional ownership club with a fleet of Cirrus SR22 aircraft, has begun offering rental and training services using the Cirrus SR20-G2. PlaneSmart! will provide transition training along with a biennial flight review and IFR proficiency training. The rental program will use fully loaded SR20-G2s equipped with electronic charts, XM satellite radio, real-time weather, and the Skywatch traffic alert system.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT last week unveiled a centrally managed inventory system to increase parts inventory availability at Cessna-owned Citation Service Centers. Cessna installed a new inventory and warehouse management software system that allows each Citation center to access inventory available at any Cessna facility. Citation centers previously managed their own inventories. Cessna also conducted a two-year study of repeat orders to establish inventory requirements for common parts.
EMBRAER shipped the first Lineage 1000 business jet to PATS Aircraft Completions - a subsidiary of DeCrane Aerospace - in Georgetown, Del. for completion work. PATS will outfit the interior with DeCrane Aerospace seating, furniture, veneer, cabin management and other systems. "DeCrane's integration strategies and single-source accountability, combined with Embraer's unique modular approach to the interior, translates to improved efficiencies and faster turnaround time for the Lineage 1000," said PATS President Bill Weaver.
DUBAI AEROSPACE officials are believed to be getting close to selecting the winning bidder for the Landmark Aviation chain of 33 fixed-base operations. BBA Aviation/Signature Flight Support had been in the hunt for the Landmark FBOs, but a senior Signature official told BA last week that he does not believe his company will be selected. Signature was definitely interested in the Landmark locations, but was determined not to overpay because of concern about lease terms at some FBOs and possible antitrust issues if it had won the competition.
Model 560 (Citation V) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-0190; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-234-AD; Amendment 39-15259; AD 2007-23-13] - Requires installation of new minimum-airspeed placards to notify the pilots of the proper airspeeds for operating in both normal and icing conditions. This directive also requires revising the Airplane Flight Manual to provide limitations and procedures for operating in icing conditions, for operating with anti-ice systems selected "on" independent of icing conditions, and for recognizing and recovering from an inadvertent stall.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT could lay claim to a new family of single-engine aircraft this week if its bid for Columbia Aircraft in federal bankruptcy court is successful, and the Wichita airplane manufacturer's chances improved last week when Cirrus Design Corp. decided not to bid. Cirrus officials had indicated earlier they would make a run at buying Columbia - which filed for bankruptcy two months ago (BA, Oct. 1/143) - but ultimately decided to focus on developing their own aircraft models and not get into a bidding war with Cessna, which is owned by Textron.
MILLENNIUM CONCEPTS, based in Wichita, Kan., was retained by Gore Design Completions to provide engineering, design and fabrication services for a Boeing Business Jet VIP interior. The project is the second aircraft completion collaboration between Millennium Concepts and Gore. Millennium Concepts has provided engineering and designs for VIP interiors on aircraft that range from Cessna Caravans to Boeing 747s.
Signature Flight Support added two more fixed-base operations to its chain with the acquisition of Regent Aviation. Regent operates facilities at St. Paul Downtown Airport (STP) in St. Paul, Minn. and Rochester International Airport (RST) in Rochester, Minn. The latest acquisition increases the Signature FBO network to 49 bases in the U.S. and 85 worldwide, not including the Executive Beech and ASIG-branded facilities also owned by Signature parent BBA.
ATR Model ATR 42 and ATR 72 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-29332; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-172-AD] - FAA has determined that the public was not provided adequate opportunity to submit comments on a proposed rule that would revise the "Airworthiness Limitations" section of the "Instructions for Continued Airworthiness" to incorporate new limitations on fuel tank systems. Therefore, the agency has decided to reopen the comment period for 30 days to receive additional comments.
Named to the additional post of senior vice president of Business and General Aviation for Jeppesen, the Englewood, Colo. provider of charts, maps and related products and services. Bowlin, who also serves as senior vice president of Rail, Logistics and Terminals for Jeppesen, replaces Kevin Collins, a 22-year veteran of the company, in the aviation post. Collins has left Jeppesen.
November 28 - FAA 4th Annual International Aviation Safety Forum, Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Va. (202) 267-3883. December 10 - American Association of Airport Executives, Seventh Annual Aviation Security Summit, Arlington, Va., Contact Carter Morris at (703) 824-0500 or e-mail [email protected] December 10-13 - National Agricultural Aviation Association, Annual Conference and Expo, Reno, Nev., Contact NAAA at (202) 546-5722
Model DHC-6 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27192; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-008-AD] - This proposed AD would require operators to incorporate into their aircraft's maintenance program the inspections, modifications or component retirement schedules specified in Bombardier Inc. (formerly de Havilland) DHC-6 Twin Otter Product Support Manual 1-6-11, Revision 6 (dated March 28, 2007).
Model 222, 222B and 222U helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2007-0178; Directorate Identifier 2007-SW-20-AD] - This proposed AD would require operators to adjust the rigging of the tail-rotor pitch-change mechanism in accordance with the instructions of either Bell Helicopter Textron Alert Service Bulletin 222-07-104 or 222U-07-75 (both dated January 9, 2007).
THE NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION warned the Federal Aviation Administration that a possible requirement for a certified mechanic to clear every Extended Operations (ETOPS) flight would prevent most Part 135 operators from flying the longer routes. NATA and other GA groups appealed to FAA to provide more time and make changes before implementing ETOPS requirements. See article below.
Responding to requests by a variety of aviation associations, the FAA has decided to extend by 60 days the comment period for its proposed rule regarding the performance requirements for Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) avionics. Groups requesting extension of the deadline to March 3 ranged from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) to various air carrier organizations, including the Regional Airline Association (RAA) and the Air Transport Association (ATA).
DASSAULT this month handed over the 400th Falcon 900 - a Falcon 900DX - to CITIC, China's largest state-owned financial services holding company. The aircraft was delivered Nov. 12 in Beijing. The Falcon 900 was unveiled during the Paris Air Show in 1983 and the first aircraft flew in September 1984. The three-engine Model 900 aircraft was designed to provide transatlantic range and a larger cabin than most business jets then offered for the business traveler.
Named senior vice president and chief operating officer of Jeppesen, where he will have overall responsibility for operating Jeppesen's service units, including those charged with developing and delivering navigational data, technology, human resources, quality and business operations and training services. Thomann had been serving both as senior vice president of training for Jeppesen and chief operating officer for Alteon, which like Jeppesen is a subsidiary of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services.
