YET ANOTHER INDICATOR of the continuing strength of the business jet market: Gulfstream Aerospace received nearly twice as many orders for new aircraft in the first quarter as it produced, according to Nicholas Chabraja, chairman of General Dynamics, the parent company of Gulfstream.
BRAZILIAN AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER EMBRAER said Frederico Fleury Curado took over as president and chief executive officer last week. He replaces Mauricio Botelho, who will stay on as chairman of the company's board of directors. Curado, 45, was born in Rio de Janeiro and received his undergraduate degree in mechanical-aeronautical engineering from Brazil's Aeronautics Technological Institute.
Model DA 42 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27708; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-027-AD] - Proposes to require a check for proper operation of the auxiliary fuel tank venting system and for damage in the fuel tank structure. The AD also would require installation of ventilation holes in the filler caps' fitting and introduction of a temporary revision into the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM). This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) from European Aviation Safety Agency.
Model DA 42 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27533; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-022-AD] - Proposes to require installation of a steel bracket in accordance to following Diamond Aircraft Industries GmbH Mandatory Service Bulletin No. MSB-42-024/3, dated Sept. 19, 2006. This proposal results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) from the European Aviation Safety Agency.
Jet Source of Carlsbad, Calif. added a Challenger 300 business jet to its fleet. The company, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, also announced plans to open a second facility in Henderson, Nev. The new location will include two new 35,000-square-foot hangars and an executive terminal.
Promoted to manager of dispatch for Axis Jet, the Sacramento, Calif.-based aircraft charter, sales and management company. Villalobos, who joined Axis Jet a year ago, "helped develop and refine a customer service dispatch system that has been instrumental in our success," said Matt Bosco, a co-founder of the company. "Clients and pilots alike have frequently commented on her skills and professionalism," he added. Villalobos, a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, will manage day-to-day operations of the company's dispatch center in Sacramento.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week warned owners of certain V-tail Beech Bonanza single-engine aircraft to check them for possible use of unapproved parts in the carburetor.
P-180 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27532; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-021-AD] - Proposes to require repetitive inspection of the fuselage drain holes and the passenger evaporator drain line, and repair if necessary. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) from the European Aviation Safety Agency. The MCAI cites a report that a P-180 aircraft experienced a jamming of its longitudinal flight control cables. Investigations revealed that its fuselage drain holes were plugged, and water was trapped in the lower fuselage.
Flight Display Systems received Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) from FAA for the company's 20-inch LCD monitor. The FD201CV-LP has a list price of $8,200 and is targeted for use in Bombardier and Gulfstream business jets.
Operators of Brantly International Inc. B-2B helicopters were warned last week to inspect their aircraft on a daily basis for possible cracks in the main rotor blades.
Promoted to director of learning and organizational development for The NORDAM Group. He formerly was manager, training and leadership development, in NORDAM's human resources department. Dougherty has 12 years of executive coaching and leadership development experience.
Another article, published by the political insider newspaper The Hill, disputed FAA figures used to make the case that major airlines are supporting the system and that business aviation is not paying its fair share. FAA in recent months has emphasized the need for equity in its push for creating user fees and tripling the taxes on general aviation. The Hill cited FAA statements that major U.S.
The newly formed Hawker Beechcraft Corporation last week held one of its first celebrations to honor the 75-year heritage of its predecessor companies. Walter and Olive Ann Beech founded Beech Aircraft Corp. April 19, 1932 in Wichita, Kan. The company, which occupied the Travel Air manufacturing facilities, first produced the Model 17 Staggerwing, which was designed for business travelers. Beechcraft and its successor companies have since produced more than 45,000 airplanes, 36,000 of which are still in service.
Airports would use six key tools - including behavioral recognition, targeted physical inspection and biometrics - as part of a new, risk-based approach to screen employees with access to secure areas under a measure unveiled by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), in partnership with industry associations.
David W. Ewald, the longtime publisher, founding spirit and energy source of Business & Commercial Aviation (B/CA) magazine for nearly four decades, died April 19 at his home in Greenwich, Conn. Ewald, 80, had been in declining health since undergoing cancer surgery in late November.
Named senior vice president and general manager of Jet Aviation Basel. Marx joined Jet Aviation Basel in July 2006 as vice president of completions and modifications and deputy general manager. Before that, he was president and chief executive of Lufthansa Technik Tulsa in Tulsa, Okla. He has nearly 30 years aviation experience with a background in VIP completions, aircraft overhaul and modifications and component maintenance. He has held various management positions with Lufthansa Technik in Germany and Ameco Beijing in China.
MESA AIR GROUP signed a 12-year agreement with Delta Airlines Technical Operations division (TechOps) under which TechOps will manage Mesa's entire CF34 engine fleet. TechOps will provide on-site program management at Mesa's headquarters in Phoenix, Ariz. The agreement, which is valued at about $300 million, covers engine maintenance, on-wing planning, engineering, reliability and engine shop planning. Delta TechOps generated more than $300 million in revenue in 2006.
Gary Richards, the founder and president of Ameriflight, Inc., has reacquired all of the company's outstanding stock. As a result, the company's name is changing slightly, to Ameriflight LLC. "This is a change in business entity and ownership only," Richards said. "We will continue operating with the same team of people, the same aircraft, policies, procedures, etc. I think it's an exciting move forward for all of us." Ameriflight is one of the nation's largest Part 135 small-package and financial instrument carriers.
The Nordam Group opened a new 120,000-square-foot cabinetry manufacturing plant in Wichita, Kan. The new facility almost triples NORDAM's existing space in Wichita and provides room to accommodate the company's new contract with Cessna to provide cabinetry for the CJ4. The contract will bring an estimated $100 million in business to NORDAM over the next 10 to 15 years. Cessna already has orders for 110 of the aircraft.
Macquarie Infrastructure moved forward with a deal valued at $427 million to buy the Mercury Air Centers group of fixed-base operations from Allied Capital Corporation in a move that will increase the Macquarie's FBO network to more than 60 facilities (BA, March 26/143). Macquarie, the parent company of Dallas-based Atlantic Aviation, "has been an active consolidator in the highly fragmented FBO industry," said Harris Williams & Co., which is advising Mercury Air Centers in the deal.
Robert N. Buck, a pilot who flew for more than 70 years and helped teach generations of pilots how to cope with challenging weather conditions through his writings, died recently in Vermont, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association said last week. Buck was 93. AOPA's Air Safety Foundation said Buck "laid the groundwork for much of what GA pilots know today about severe weather," pioneering research in the 1940s by flying through thunderstorms and severe icing conditions in B-17s and a modified P-61 Black Widow.
Standard Aero, a long-time independent provider of Honeywell auxiliary power unit services, signed a service center agreement with the manufacturer, the companies said Wednesday. The deal designates Standard Aero as an official repair and overhaul provider for Honeywell GTCP36-100/150s and RE220s. As part of the agreement, Winnipeg-based Standard Aero will stop using Parts Manufacturer Approval parts in the APU models covered and will share its reliability data with Honeywell in a joint effort to boost the APUs' performance.
Pilatus delivered its 700th PC-12 to David Fountain, a private investor who bought his first PC-12 in April 2001. Pilatus celebrated the milestone during a delivery ceremony at V. Kelner Pilatus Center in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Fountain has ordered a third PC-12, which is slated for delivery in 2010.
Piper Aircraft has not announced an avionics provider for its PiperJet, but Garmin's chances are looking better (BA, April 2/153). Piper announced last week that Garmin International's G1000 avionics suite is now available as an option on the Saratoga II TC and Piper 6X models.
