Garmin achieved record results during the company's first quarter, which ended on March 31. The total revenue of $492 million represented a 53 percent increase from the $322 million posted during the first quarter of 2006. The company's automotive/mobile segment led the revenue surge by increasing 110 percent, but the aviation segment also grew a healthy 26 percent during the first three months of this year.
Chevron Global Aviation signed a long-term contract with ServiceElements for strategy and culture enhancement workshops and seminars for employees of Chevron and Texaco branded fixed-base operations. The ServiceElements program will be offered to more than 750 FBOs as part of a multifaceted initiative to improve customer service. ServiceElements will customize a cultural enhancement program that directly relates to the FBO's day-to-day interactions and help the FBO develop higher service delivery goals.
A Gulfstream G150 set new speed records during the last two legs of a 17-stop, round-the-world tour. The new marks, for which official certification is pending, were established when the business jet flew between Farnborough, U.K., and Gander, Newfoundland, and from Gander to Savannah, Ga. The trans-Atlantic flight took four hours and 24 minutes to complete, while the final 1,600-nautical-mile leg back to Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport was accomplished in three hours and 42 minutes.
Adam Aircraft is continuing to move ahead with development of the A700 with the first of four conforming test aircraft (S/N003) flying in April and the flight test program - including three prototypes - accumulating 1,200 hours in the air. Next year, the company plans to begin acquiring improved production tooling that will enable high-volume production of the VLJ following certification of the twin-engine, $2.25 million (U.S.) aircraft. The A700 order book exceeds 375 units, with fleet orders for more than 250 aircraft from Magnum Jet, Nexus Jets and Ameritec.
Appointed general manager of Dallas Airmotive's component repair facility in Lafayette, La. Avicola will oversee day-to-day operations of the facility, which repairs components on Rolls-Royce 250, Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 and JT15D engines. He formerly was with the company's Premier Turbines division, where he has served as shift supervisor, supervisor of the Rolls-Royce 250/J85/J69/CJ610 engine line, supervisor of the TFE731 production line, and most recently production supervisor for all engine lines. He also had a 21-year career with the U.S. Army.
Columbia Aircraft secured Transport Canada approval for Garmin G1000-equipped Columbia 350 and 400 aircraft. Transport Canada previously certified the Columbia 350 and 400 with Avidyne Entegra avionics in 2003. The Columbia 350 is a normally aspirated, four-place single-piston aircraft that cruises at 191 knots. The 400 series is an intercooled, four-place aircraft that is certified up to Flight Level 250 and has a cruise speed of 235 knots.
Arriel 2B turboshaft engines [Docket No. FAA-2005-21624; Directorate Identifier 2005-NE-17-AD; Amendment 39-15028; AD 2005-13-25R1] - Revises an existing AD that currently requires initial and repetitive inspections, cleaning, lubrication, and checks for proper operation of the HMU acceleration controller axle. This AD requires the same actions, but removes engines incorporating TU132 from the applicability and adds an optional terminating action for the repetitive actions required in AD 2005-13-25.
Cessna Aircraft selected The Law Company of Wichita, Kan., a veteran general contractor with significant experience in building large airport structures, as the general contractor for Cessna's new Citation Service Center near Phoenix, Ariz.
Safe Flight scheduled demonstrations of its Powerline Detection System during the EBACE show later this month in Geneva, Switzerland. Trans Helicopter Service of Paris, France, recently received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification of the unit, which weighs less than a pound and provides both aural and visual alerts. The Safe Flight system was certificated on a Eurocopter AS355, and EASA approval of the unit for use on Eurocopter AS350s is expected during the second quarter.
Strong sales of Embraer's line of business jets helped boost the company's Executive Aviation revenues by 38.6 percent in the first quarter and increased the Phenom orderbook to nearly 400 firm orders, the company said last week. Embraer delivered five of its Legacy business jets in the first quarter ended March 31, and business jet revenues reached $119.4 million, up from $86.1 million in the first quarter of 2006. Embraer reported that sales were strong across all models of its business jet lines including the Phenoms and Lineage 1000.
GA LEADERS have spent considerable time on Capitol Hill trying to convince House and Senate decision-makers to drop the user fee concept. Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association President Phil Boyer appealed to members of the Senate Commerce Committee to drop the $25 fee. In a May 10 letter, Boyer reiterated AOPA's opposition to any user fee regardless of whether piston aircraft are included.
FLIGHTCRAFT was awarded authorization to service the Cessna Citation Mustang. Flightcraft, the first Citation Authorized Service Center to win approval to work on the Mustang, provides inspections, routine maintenance and warranty service on Citation series business jets. Based in Portland, Ore., Flightcraft said it invested in tooling and technicians were factory trained on airframe and powerplant to be recognized as a service center.
Models Navion (L-17A), Navion A (L-17B), (L-17C), Navion B, Navion D, Navion E, Navion F, Navion G, and Navion H airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27611; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-024-AD] - Proposes to require a one-time inspection of the entire fuel system and repetitive inspections of certain fuel selector valves. This proposed AD results from reports of airplane accidents associated with leaking or improperly operating fuel selector valves.
Model EMB-145XR airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27981; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-021-AD] - Proposes to require installation of a bonding jumper between the pilot valve line tube and the pressure refueling system tube. The proposal stems from MCAI from the aviation authority of Brazil. The MCAI cites a report that the refueling line inside the ventral fuel tank on the Embraer EMB-145XR aircraft model is not protected in accordance with SFAR-88 (Special Federal Aviation Regulation 88) requirements.
BOTH OCCUPANTS of a Robinson R44 II helicopter were killed last month when the aircraft crashed into a lake near the pilot's home in Bass Lake, Ind. Night visual meteorological conditions prevailed for the Part 91 flight, which occurred about 2031 CDT, less than 10 minutes after the helicopter took off from the Starke County Airport in Knox, Ind. after refueling.
Joined AirCell as OEM sales manager. Aguirre has 20 years of industry experience, holding sales, completions and program management posts for companies including Gulfstream, Airshow and Securaplane. He also was an airframe repair specialist in the U.S. Air Force.
AVIATION INDUSTRY EXPO 2008, which is designed for participants involved in aircraft maintenance, ground support equipment, safety and FBO services, will be held March 18-20 at the Dallas, Texas Convention Center. The 2007 event drew more than 5,000 aviation professionals from more than 35 countries. For more information about next year's event, contact: www.AviationIndustryExpo.com.
Dermot Desmond, the Irish investor, entrepreneur and former owner of the London City Airport, has purchased a majority stake in ExecuJet, the business aviation services company headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.
CHARTERX/WYVERN unveiled a new PASS service that provides pre-trip checks for commercial air charter. PASS, rolled out during last week's Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar in Tucson, Ariz., is the company's first new product since CharterX Corp. merged with Wyvern Consulting last year. Through PASS, charter passengers, brokers and operators can verify that each flight meets safety standards and is up-to-date in compliance with regulations.
ONE AVIATION FIRM with some good news on the environmental front is Aviation Partners, Inc. (API) of Seattle, Wash., which designs blended winglets for a variety of business jets and airliners, including the Hawker 800 Series, the Gulfstream II and the Boeing 737. API says installation of its winglets reduce an aircraft's fuel usage by approximately seven percent.
DA 42 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27610; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-023-AD] - Proposes to require an exchange of the wing stub safety walks. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) from the airworthiness authority of Austria. The MCAI cites a report that the surface roughness of the wing stub safety walks Series 300, gray color (equals sandpaper grid 40), installed during production on some airplane serial numbers, adversely affects the aircraft single engine climb performance.
Falcon 10 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27983; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-192-AD] - Proposes to supersede an existing AD that requires revising the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) and installing a placard in the flight deck to prohibit flight into known or forecast icing conditions. In lieu of the AFM revision and placard installation, that AD allows identifying the part number of each flexible hose in the wing (slat) anti-icing system, performing repetitive inspections of each hose for delamination, and performing corrective actions if necessary.
A veteran aviation marketing executive, now has expanded duties with BBA Aviation's Engine Repair and Overhaul (ERO) organization. Pratt joined the organization, which includes Dallas Airmotive, Premier Turbines and H+S Aviation, in 2003 as director of marketing. In that role he has been involved in advertising, direct marketing, public relations, research and trade show activities.
UNISON INDUSTRIES was selected as the Tier 1 supplier of electrical systems on the new HF120 turbofan engine produced by GE Honda Aero Engines. The engine will power the HondaJet business jet that the Japanese manufacturer plans to build in Greensboro, N.C. (BA, Feb. 12/71). Under the 10-year contract Unison will provide electrical sets with an estimated value of $44.8 million. Unison will supply the exciters, ignition leads and plugs, speed, temperature and pressure sensors, a chip detector sensor and harnesses.
