The Elling Halvorson family, which has been involved in the air tour industry in the Southwest and Hawaii for decades, further consolidated its holdings with the recent acquisition of Scenic Airlines by Grand Canyon Airlines.
Garmin subsidiary Digital Cyclone developed a new Pilot My-Cast cell phone service that provides personalized flight planning and weather information. The service allows pilots to file a flight plan from the cell phone without talking to a flight service station. Pilots will input required flight plan data, such as name, aircraft identification, departure point, cruising altitude, fuel on board, route, and estimated time en route. Pilots then transmit the information to the DUATS provider.
Comp Air Aviation, the manufacturer of kit-built aircraft, said company owner Ron Lueck made a successful April 14 first flight of the Comp Air 12, a single-engine turboprop powered by a nose-mounted Honeywell TPE331-14GR.
Cessna Aircraft won an order from the Gestair Group for 11 172 Skyhawks. Gestair operates 23 Skyhawks at its headquarters in Madrid and another 21 in Cascais, Portugal.
May 8-10 - 52nd Annual Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar, Tucson, Ariz. Contact FSF, (703) 739-6700, fax: (703) 739-6708. May 9 - Coping With Crisis 101-Managing an Aviation Disaster, Hilton Garden Inn, Chicago Midway Airport. Register at www.thecommunicationsworkshop.com May 15-17 - Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association Spring Conference, Scottsdale Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort, Scottsdale, Ariz. Registration and conference information available at www.raccaonline.org
EADS SOCATA'S TBM 850 won approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of Australia for commercial passenger and freight operations in all conditions under Approved Single-Engine Turbine-Powered Aircraft (ASETPA) rules. The TBM 850 predecessor, the TBM 700C2, won similar approval two years earlier. The TBM 850 is a speedier variant of its predecessor with a maximum cruising speed of 320 knots true airspeed at Flight Level 260. Priced at $2.6 million, the aircraft is equipped with a Garmin GMX 200 multifunction display.
JetDirect Aviation, LLC and Sentient Jet, Inc. announced plans to merge last week, saying the combined company will "offer the ultimate in product flexibility and choice for customers who fly privately, offering a compelling alternative to the fractional ownership model."
Model EMB-135BJ airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26685; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-200-AD; Amendment 39-15015; AD 2007-07-14] - Requires modifying the forward and aft auxiliary fuel tanks. This AD results from a fuel system reassessment according to SFAR 88 criteria, which revealed the possibility of sparks due to chafing between the harnesses of the forward and aft auxiliary fuel tanks, between certain harnesses attached to the aircraft structure, or between certain harnesses attached to certain mechanical components.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week proposed lengthening the duration for first- and third-class medical certificates for pilots under the age of 40. The proposal would extend a third-class medical for pilots under age 40 to 60 months instead of the current 36 calendar months. A first-class medical would be valid for 12 months for air transport-rated pilots under age 40 instead of six months. These new durations would be consistent with standards the International Civil Aviation Organization set in November 2005.
Model ERJ 170 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-25419; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-055-AD; Amendment 39-15007; AD 2007-07-10] - Requires replacing the mini-latches on certain lavatory waste compartment doors with new, stronger latches, and other specified actions. This AD results from reports of certain lavatory waste compartment doors opening during flight due to movement of the waste compartment during takeoff, because the mini-latches installed on the doors of those compartments lose their strength over time.
CAE increased its CAE Global Academy training network with the addition of three new flight training organizations. The latest additions are SAA Flight Training in San Diego, Calif.; Hub'Air in Brussels, Belgium; and Moncton Flight College in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada. The organizations partner with CAE's ab-initio training efforts. Students receive ab-initio training at CAE Global Academy locations and then receive type ratings through the global network.
Accidents involving U.S. business turbine aircraft were up slightly in the first quarter of 2007, but the number of fatalities decreased, according to data compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla. There were 19 accidents in the first three months, including five fatal accidents which resulted in 11 fatalities. During the same period in 2006, there were 16 accidents involving business turbine operators, five fatal accidents and 15 fatalities.
SHADIN AVIONICS received an order from EADS Socata for 800 Shadin 8800-T altitude encoders. The encoder is designed to provide gray code directly through the aircraft transponder and onboard Garmin or Trimble Global Positioning Systems through the RS-232 serial data port.
DALLAS AIRMOTIVE said its Portsmouth, England Regional Turbine Center is now performing hot section inspections and repairs on the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW500 series of engines that power a number of Cessna Citation business jets, including the Bravo, Encore, Excel and XLS. Situated to provide service to customers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, the Portsmouth facility also will do gearbox repair and modification, fan repair, borescope inspection and related services on PW500 series turbofans.
Model Gulfstream 200 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27737; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-029-AD; Amendment 39-15008; AD 2007-07-11] - Requires replacement of certain wiring, according to Gulfstream Alert Service Bulletin 200-28A-315, dated Feb. 5, 2007, inspection for overheating damage and replacement of damaged components. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information from the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel.
MARATHON FLIGHT SERVICES is celebrating its 40th year at the Kissimmee, Fla. Gateway Airport (ISM), and is owned by the family of the founder, Capt. Ernie Pretsch, who started Marathon Flight School in 1967 after 32 years as a pilot with Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA). The $2.6 million facility features a 7,000-square-foot aircraft canopy. Marathon Flight Services opened a new 16,500-foot corporate hangar last year, and plans call for the addition of an 8,000-square-foot hangar and an upgraded fuel farm.
NAVERUS of Seattle, Wash. was selected by the Federal Aviation Administration as an authorized RNP (Required Navigation Performance) Procedure Developer. Under the authorization, Naverus will provide airlines, other aircraft operators and airports with a design for RNP procedures as well as integration, quality assurance, flight validation and maintenance services. Naverus also was recently qualified as an RNP operations approval consultant.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION released a new interactive 90-minute training aid designed to improve safety during approach and landing. Developed in partnership with the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), the NBAA Approach-and-Landing Accident Reduction (ALAR) training aid tailors the FSF ALAR Tool Kit for business aircraft operators. The NBAA ALAR incorporates publications and presentations from the FSF Tool Kit and adds new visual aids and a discussion leader's guide.
Business jet manufacturer Gulfstream Aerospace, which just installed its former chief operating officer as president, named three other men to new positions with the company this month. Joseph T. Lombardo, who had been chief operating officer since 2001, officially took over as president last week (BA, April 9/170).
Model DHC-8-400 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27755; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-289-AD] - Proposes to require revising the Limitations section of the Airplane Flight Manual to include procedures for pulling the HYD PWR XFER'' circuit breaker in the event of the loss of all hydraulic fluid in the No. 1 or No. 2 hydraulic system. This proposed AD results from reports of fluid loss in the No. 2 hydraulic system, causing the power transfer unit to overspeed, increasing the fluid flow within the No. 1 hydraulic system.
Joined Clifford Development as FJ44 engine retrofit sales manager. Formed in August 2006 to engineer new engine technologies for existing corporate jets, Clifford Development is certifying the Williams FJ44-3 engines for the Cessna Citation II. Andre formerly was a sales manager for Sierra Industries and also has served as the Citation modifications sales manager for Landmark Aviation organizations and U.S. sales manager for Innotech-Execaire.
All U.S. airport workers would be screened under a bill being prepared by Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). Unlike H.R. 1413, introduced by Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), the Schumer bill would require all airports to create and implement a screening plan by 2010. Lowey's bill only calls for a pilot program for a few airports around the country, said Schumer spokeswoman Risa Heller. "As shown in Orlando, this is a gaping hole in aviation security that can and must be filled," said Heller. A bill will be introduced "in the next few weeks," she added.
