LIBERTY AEROSPACE was granted instrument flight rules certification for the Liberty XL2 single-piston aircraft from the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC). The approval allows Liberty owners to register their XL2 aircraft on the Chinese B-registration. The CAAC also approved use of Chinese grade fuel in the XL2.
ROCKWELL COLLINS was selected to provide its Head-up Guidance System (HGS) for installation on Lynx Aviation's Bombardier Q400 fleet and for Nav Canada's two flight inspection aircraft. Installation on the first Lynx aircraft is slated to be completed by July. Lynx, a wholly owned subsidiary of Frontier Holdings, selected the HGS-4100. The system displays flight symbology on a glass combiner in the pilot's forward field of view.
Fractional aircraft operator NetJets, already Hawker Beechcraft's (HBC) largest business jet customer, now accounts for an even larger share of the Wichita aircraft manufacturer's orderbook after agreeing to purchase 32 Hawker 4000 aircraft for the NetJets Europe fleet. Hawker Beechcraft said the deal, which includes a maintenance agreement, is valued at more than $700 million. Deliveries are slated to begin in 2008 and continue through 2016.
CAE and Embraer will establish a training base for the Phenom 100 Very Light Jet and Phenom 300 light jet at CAE's training center in Burgess Hill, near London's Gatwick airport. Training at Burgess Hill is expected to begin in early 2009, when the first Phenom 100 is delivered in Europe. Embraer signed an agreement with CAE in October 2006 to jointly develop a global training venture for Phenom pilots and ground crew. The initial training program will be offered at CAE SimuFlite in Dallas in 2008, when the Phenom 100 goes into service.
BOOMING DEMAND for new business jets is causing a capacity crunch at completion centers, particularly those that cater to larger aircraft. The growing backlog of orders at original equipment manufacturers has resulted in a wave of expansion projects at both OEM-affiliated and independent completion providers.
FIELD AVIATION based in Toronto won a contract to supply the Icelandic Coast Guard with a maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA) using the Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 platform. The aircraft will replace an aging maritime surveillance Fokker F-27. The Dash 8 MSA will be designed to accommodate a number of missions, including patrol, interdiction, search and rescue, medical transportation and other first-response activities.
KEVIN BEITZEL was promoted to vice president of maintenance for Avantair. Beitzel joined the company in 2005 and previously was director of maintenance. In his new position, he will be responsible for quality assurance, quality control, maintenance operations, the Reliability Department, third-party maintenance and maintenance baseline operations. He formerly served as director of vendor maintenance for US Airways.
EASTERN EUROPE continues to be a hot market for business jet sales. Eclipse and Cessna announced orders and options last week for more than 200 aircraft from their distributors serving that region.
A BRAZILIAN PROSECUTOR said he planned to seek indictments Friday against the pilots of an ExcelAire Legacy aircraft that was involved in a collision with a Gol Airlines 737 last fall. Pilot organizations and aviation safety groups have been highly critical of Brazilian authorities for filing criminal charges against the pilots, particularly since the accident investigation is not complete and there are strong indications that serious problems are rampant in Brazil's air traffic control system, which is run by that country's military (BA, May 14/2007).
Model DA 40 and DA 40F airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27974; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-040-AD] - Requires repetitively inspecting the nose landing gear leg for cracks and replacing the nose landing gear leg if cracks are found. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the aviation authority for Austria. The MCAI stems from a report that a nose landing gear leg failed in the area of the nose gear leg pivot axle. This airplane was mostly operated on grass runways and training operations.
Hawker Beechcraft is upgrading the Beechcraft King Air C90 to include the Pro Line 21 avionics system. The new King Air C90GTi, which will replace the current King C90GT, will incorporate the same systems found on the King Air B200 and Hawker 900XP.
Dassault Aviation last week unveiled the newest member of the Falcon 2000 line, the 2000LX, which will sport winglets designed through a collaboration with Aviation Partners, Inc. (API). The 2000LX will have a range of 4,000 nautical miles at Mach .80 and climb to 41,000 feet in 18 minutes. The new wing aerodynamics will reduce drag by up to 5 percent, Dassault said. The aircraft will be powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW308C engines, which also power the 2000EX and 2000EX EASy, and will have the same interior as the 2000EX.
AN UPDATED Airworthiness Directive on Cessna C-208 Caravan aircraft requires a number of steps to prevent ice buildup when the single-engine turboprops encounter icing conditions. FAA estimates implementing the AD will cost $8,200 per aircraft, but Cessna is offering credit for parts and labor when the work is performed at an authorized service facility. See AD on Page 245.
ARINC was awarded a wide-area network contract to support NASA's Ames Distributed National Flight Operational Quality Assurance (FOQA) and Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) Archive Program. ARINC's Network Solution Division is working with Battelle, the primary contractor on the program. The program archives, stores and retrieves selected FOQA data from commercial flights along with ASAP reports submitted by pilots, air traffic controllers and other aviation practitioners who are involved in or become aware of particular safety incidents or problems.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), is calling for FAA to install carbon monoxide detectors in air traffic control towers. The move followed evacuations at the Washington Dulles control tower and New York terminal radar approach control center this month due to carbon monoxide leaks that debilitated several controllers on duty. Central carbon monoxide alarm systems are not installed at the 29 TRACON or 314 FAA tower facilities, and coverage by individual detectors is "spotty and undocumented," according to the National Air Traffic Controllers Association.
AUSTIN SHONTZ was appointed vice president of Savannah, Ga. operations and final phase engineering for Gulfstream Aerospace. He will manage initial phase manufacturing, final phase manufacturing and final phase engineering at Gulfstream's Savannah facilities. He joined Gulfstream in 1997 as director of manufacturing operations at the Savannah facility, and in 1999 was named director of completions operations for the company's Long Beach, Calif. base.
The National Business Aviation Association recognized the contributions of four key staff members with promotions. Mike Nichols was promoted to vice president, operations, education and economics. Nichols formerly was director, tax, economics and operational services for the association. In his new role, he will direct NBAA programs, policy positions and educational efforts related to tax, regulation, finance and risk management.
EMORY (BUCK) KILGOREwas named vice president of aerostructures for M7 Aerospace. Gilgore has 35 years of aircraft manufacturing experience, having spent most of his career with Kaman Aerospace. At Kaman, he held positions of increasing responsibility in industrial engineering, program management, business development and manufacturing. Most recently he was director of Kaman's Jacksonville, Fla. fabrication and assembly facility.
DAN WATTS was appointed director of final phase operations at Gulfstream Aerospace's Long Beach, Calif. completions and service facility. Watts will manage all work performed during the final phase, including paint hangar operations and delivery. He has more than 20 years of aviation experience, and most recently was senior Lean Manufacturing manager at Gulfstream's Long beach site. He joined the company in 1998 as an industrial engineering group head.
Models 208 and 208B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26498; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-83-AD; Amendment 39-15056; AD 2007-10-15] - Supersedes AD 2006-06-06, which requires incorporating information into the applicable section of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) and Pilot's Operating Handbook (POH) and requires installing placards. Since FAA issued AD 2006-06-06, Cessna issued new S1 Known Icing Equipment AFM supplements and developed a low airspeed awareness system.
JOSEPH DRAKE joined Gulfstream Aerospace as director of real estate. Drake will be responsible for the manufacturer's commercial real estate development and leasing activities. He has 26 years of real estate experience and has been involved in the development, design, construction and management of commercial office buildings, mixed-use office parks and residential dwellings. His clients have included America Online, AT&T, Boeing, Booz-Allen, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., George Mason University and Prince William Hospital.
(Type Certificate No. 1A16 formerly held by Schweizer Aircraft Corp.) G-164 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27860; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-034-AD] - Proposes to supersede Airworthiness Directive (AD) 82-07-04, which requires modification of the fuel shut-off valve control by installation of a new stop-plate. Since issuing AD 82-07-04, FAA determined the need to add airplane models and serial numbers that were not previously included in the applicability.
AIRPORT and air carrier groups plan to work with the Transportation Security Administration over the next 60 days to revise standards and specifications for employee screening. The heads of nine associations wrote members of Congress detailing their efforts to address airport worker screening, which include behavioral recognition, employee training, targeted physical inspection, enhanced access control, increased employee vetting and technology deployment. The letter comes as members of Congress continue to evaluate potential bills mandating increased aviation security.
