ERA CORP. of Reston, Va. said it was selected by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA) to install a new Noise & Flight Track Monitoring System at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport.
Joined Petters Aviation as vice president. Geitzenauer will be responsible for steering the operational divisions of the Minnetonka, Minn.-based corporate aviation services company. She has 13 years of commercial aviation experience, managing and closing more than 400 commercial aircraft sales, lease and financing transactions. Most recently she was with the commercial aviation practice of the Eden Prairie, Minn. law firm of Fafinski Mark & Johnson. Before that she was a contract manager for International Lease Finance Corp.
FLEXJET took delivery of the first Learjet 60 XR aircraft it has on order with Bombardier. The Bombardier-owned fractional aircraft provider expects to take delivery of 22 of the newest Learjet model over the next five years. The 60 XR includes a number of enhancements over the Learjet 60, including new avionics, a reconfigured cabin and new passenger amenities. The seven-passenger Learjet 60 XR has a stand-up cabin with a seating configuration that provides a nearly six-foot wide cabin. The cabin has a wider aisle and more legroom than the Model 60.
BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman are seeking to win a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) contract to test their laser-jamming technologies' ability to protect passenger aircraft from shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missile attacks, company officials confirmed last week. Both BAE and Northrop Grumman have been testing cargo aircraft on the feasibility of equipping scheduled commercial flights with protection against small missiles known as man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS).
JETSCAPE SERVICES has partnered with the Frost Group, LLC, a Miami, Fla.-based private investment firm, to expand the fixed-base operation at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL). The partnership also includes future expansion and brand development of Jetscape Services, including possible FBO acquisitions in domestic and international markets, the company said. Jetscape recently celebrated its fifth anniversary of operation at FLL.
SENATE FINANCE and House Ways and Means Committees apparently are still hoping to take action this week on the taxes portion of an FAA reauthorization bill. Finance Committee members were said to be vetting various tax proposals and were leaning toward a fuel tax increase rather than user fees, according to sources who have been tracking deliberations. But observers warn that Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.) are still pushing for their $25 per-flight user fee on turbine aircraft that was narrowly approved by the Senate Commerce Committee.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE is developing a Bombardier Enhanced Vision System (BEVS) package for the new Challenger 605 jet. Certification of the BEVS on the 605 is expected to be completed in the third quarter of fiscal 2009. BEVS is designed to improve situational awareness and the ability to see the runway environment in difficult operating conditions, such as low visibility and/or darkness. BEVS also helps identify runway incursions. Bombardier is working with Rockwell Collins, which is providing its Head-Up Guidance System and acting as system integrator on BEVS.
Operators of Bombardier Q400 turboprops were forced to cancel hundreds of flights and conduct landing gear inspections of their aircraft after two instances of landing gear failure that occurred three days apart. Both accidents involved aircraft operated by SAS. The first happened Sept. 9 after an SAS Q400 touched down at Aalborg, Denmark and the landing gear collapsed, resulting in injuries to five of the 73 people onboard. A similar event happened Sept.
DUNCAN AVIATION was selected by Honeywell to repair and overhaul KFC-400 autopilots, making the Lincoln, Neb. firm the only facility outside of Honeywell authorized to do such work. Duncan said it will "offer some of the fastest turntimes available for these units," which are installed in a number of aircraft including a large population of Learjets.
Transport Canada issued an "Urgent" airworthiness directive Thursday calling for inspections of tail rotor components on various Bell Helicopter Textron models. The safety agency said that there have been three reports of "balance weights departing from the tail rotor blades during flight. The cause has been narrowed down to missing weight screws. This failure can happen at any time," Transport Canada said.
A number of federal agencies have collaborated on a new program to track volcanic ash and report the risks to the aviation community. "This plan will help us detect, track and forecast hazardous ash clouds and adequately warn the aviation community on the present and future location of the cloud," said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad Lautenbacher, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Coordinating these activities should significantly reduce danger," he added.
Appointed vice president, aircraft management sales for Executive Jet Management. Hughes will be responsible for EJM's aircraft management sales in the Midwest. He has served with the company for eight years, most recently as vice president, client relations.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey bluntly told the airlines last week they need to do something about their scheduling practices to help reduce air traffic congestion at the nation's busiest airports.
RUSS CHEW, the former chief operating officer of FAA's Air Traffic Organization, was named president of New York-based carrier JetBlue last week. Chew joined JetBlue in March, just about a month after its highly publicized operational meltdown last winter when passengers were stranded for hours on parked flights, and the carrier was forced to cancel hundreds of flights after snow and ice storms raked the Northeast (BA, March 12/123).
Roger Wolfe, who served as chief executive of Landmark Aviation until its recent sale to Dubai Aerospace, was named CEO of DeCrane Aerospace last week. Wolfe will succeed Richard (Dick) Kaplan, who has been associated with DeCrane in one role or another since it was formed in 1989. Kaplan took over as CEO of the Columbus, Ohio-based company in early 2006 following the death of his friend and business associate Jack DeCrane (BA, Jan. 16, 2006/19).
Model 2000 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-29171; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-154-AD] - This proposal would require revision of the "Airworthiness Limitations Section" of the "Instructions for Continued Airworthiness" to incorporate new limitations for fuel tank systems. This proposed AD, which resulted from an MCAI originated by the European Aviation Safety Agency, is designed to reduce possible ignition sources inside fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in fuel tank explosions and consequent loss of the airplane.
The National Transportation Safety Board called on FAA Thursday to require Cessna Aircraft to modify hundreds of Model 525 CitationJets to alert pilots more quickly in the event a runaway trim situation occurs in flight.
FAA DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR Bobby Sturgell is scheduled to begin his first full week as acting administrator of the agency attending a meeting of the General Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal.
AUSTRALIAN carrier MacAir Airlines began operating the ATR 42-500 in revenue service, marking the first time the aircraft has entered regional aviation service in Australia. MacAir, based in Queensland, operated the aircraft on a flight from the coastal city of Townsville to the regional mining center of Cloncurry. The aircraft will be used to support services to remote mining communities in outback Queensland.
A STUDENT PILOT was fatally injured this month when his Cessna 172M, N1502V, crashed "following a loss of control while maneuvering around a relative's residence in Union Star, Mo.," the National Transportation Safety Board reported. The flight had originated at St. Joseph, Mo. and was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan.
ROCKWELL COLLINS has begun offering a Pro Line 21 avionics retrofit package for corporate operators of the King Air 300. The company secured the supplemental type certificate for the retrofit on FAA's fleet of 18 Beech King Air 300 navaid inspection aircraft (BA, Aug. 20/74). Rockwell Collins said the Pro Line 21 retrofit will reduce weight and power requirements and extend the life of the aircraft.
Is the new managing director for Aon Corporation's national aviation practice. A veteran of 15 years in the insurance business, Toro was previously responsible for the general aviation product line at Marsh's Aviation Practice. In her new role, Toro will specialize in the development of the general aviation line of insurance products for Aon.
Joining Raytheon Technical Services (RTS) in Reston, Va. next week as senior manager of corporate communications. RTS provides logistical, technical and professional engineering services for the defense industry, U.S. government agencies and commercial customers. Most recently, Sullivan was senior manager of corporate communications for Rolls-Royce North America, Inc. in Chantilly, Va.
Falcon 10 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27983; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-192-AD; Amendment 39-15188; AD 2007-18-08] - Requires revising the "Limitations" section of the Airplane Flight Manual and installing a placard on the flight deck prohibiting flights into known or forecasted icing conditions. Also mandates inspections for delamination of the flexible hoses in the wing slat anti-icing system and corrective actions, if necessary.
Eclipse Aviation Thursday formally opened a Customer Training Center at Double Eagle II Airport (KAEG) in Albuquerque, N.M. The 41,500-square-foot, two-story facility will allow Eclipse to transition from in-aircraft customer training to simulator training. The facility will accommodate four simulators, four classrooms and eight briefing rooms. Eclipse has installed the first flight training device and is expected to add a full motion simulator in the next few months. Eclipse plans to have four full motion simulators in operation by the end of 2008.
