RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT COMPANY has begun offering electronic dimmable window shade systems for retrofit on King Air aircraft in service. The window shades permit passengers and flight crew to control the darkness of cabin windows by varying the tint. The shades come with a five-year warranty. RAC worked with InspecTech Aero Service on the certification. The companies are working on similar approval for other RAC aircraft, including the Beechjet, Premier and Hawker lines. RAC hopes to offer the shades on those models later this year.
Model AT-602 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26775; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-01-AD] - Proposes to require installing access holes to allow repetitive detailed visual inspections for cracks in the horizontal stabilizer brace tube assembly. If any cracks are found as a result of a visual inspection, the AD requires replacing the horizontal stabilizer brace tube assembly with a new design horizontal stabilizer brace tube assembly.
Was named chief executive officer of Eos Airlines, the all-premium class carrier whose corporate offices are in Purchase, N.Y. Williams assumes the CEO title from David Pottruck, who will continue as chairman of Eos. David Spurlock, the carrier's founder and chief strategic officer, also will maintain his current responsibilities. Williams has spent more than 30 years in the travel business working for American Airlines and Royal Caribbean Cruises.
Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26046; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-172-AD; Amendment 39-14922; AD 2007-03-11] - Requires inspecting for discrepancies of the activation mechanism of certain chemical oxygen generators, and corrective action if necessary.
Arriel 2B1 turboshaft engines [Docket No. FAA-2007-27009; Directorate Identifier 2007-NE-02-AD; Amendment 39-14925; AD 2007-03-14] - Requires replacing the hydro-mechanical metering unit (HMU) with a serviceable HMU before the HMU accumulates 2,000 hours-since-new, since-last-overhaul, or since-incorporation of Turbomeca Service Bulletin (SB) No. 292 73 2105.
(Type Certificate No. A48EU previously held by APEX Aircraft and AVIONS PIERRE ROBIN) Model R2160 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26494; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-79-AD] - Proposes to require inspecting the visible parts of the spar web, the front face of the spar, and the upper and lower boom angle for corrosion and repair, if necessary. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the aviation authority of New Zealand. The proposed AD affects an estimated 10 aircraft on the U.S. Registry.
THE AIR GROUP added a Gulfstream G550, a Legacy 600 and Falcon 50 to its charter and managed fleet. The Gulfstream and Legacy are based at The Air Group's headquarters in Van Nuys, Calif. and the Falcon 50 is based in Reno, Nev. The latest aircraft follow a Challenger and Citation SII that joined The Air Group's fleet late last year.
FAA ADMINISTRATOR Marion Blakey will address The Royal Aeronautical Society Capital Branch Feb. 20 in Arlington, Va. The event will be held in the auditorium of The Boeing Company, 1200 Wilson Blvd., beginning with a reception at 6 p.m. and Blakey's speech at 7 p.m. For more information, contact Stuart Matthews, (703) 739-6700, Ext. 108 or Alan Hickling, (703) 693-1678.
Model 208 and 208B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26498; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-83-AD] - Proposes to supersede 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 installation of placards. Since FAA issued AD 2006-06-06, Cessna issued further revisions to the AFM Supplement S1 Known Icing Equipment'' and developed a low airspeed awareness system.
CHARTER BROKER OneSky Jets of Manchester, N.H. acquired Charter Jet Broker, LLC of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. David Lovely, founder of the Florida firm, was named vice president, marketing and business development, for OneSky, according to Greg Johnson, CEO and co-founder of OneSky. The acquiring company will maintain the Ft. Lauderdale offices of Charter Jet Broker as its Florida location. Lovely previously founded Performance Media Group, which operated ModernAgent.com, a large travel agent website.
Adam Aircraft selected industry veteran Duncan B. Koerbel as its new president as the Englewood, Colo. manufacturer attempts to wrap up certification of the A700 business jet. Koerbel will take over the duties of former President Joe Walker, who is stepping down to deal with a family illness (BA, Feb. 12/77).
PIPER AIRCRAFT has received orders for approximately 180 of its new single-engine PiperJet aircraft, a figure that includes both end customers and dealer commitments. Piper drew a lot of attention at last fall's NBAA convention in Orlando with a mockup of the new airplane, which will be powered by a single Williams turbofan engine mounted in the vertical tail structure. Officials are lining up vendors for the program and are still working their way toward selection of a principal avionics supplier. The announced price for the PiperJet is $2.199 million (BA, Oct.
Dassault Aviation received 158 firm orders for Falcon business jets in 2006, a record for the French plane-maker that boosted backlog to more than 300 aircraft. The sales included a $1.1 billion order from NetJets Europe for 24 Falcon 7X jets. To keep up with the expanding order book, Dassault plans to deliver 80 aircraft this year, compared with 61 in 2006, and said delivery rates will increase further in 2008 Dassault Aviation 2006 sales totaled 3.3 billion Euros, of which the Falcon business jet family accounted for 62 percent.
FAA ADMINISTRATOR Marion Blakey finally laid out the details of her long-anticipated financing plan for the agency last week, a collection of huge hikes in fuel taxes and a dizzying collection of user charges. The FAA plan is an attempt to shift more of the burden of supporting FAA programs from airline passengers to business and general aviation operators. See article below and on Page 87.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION plans to hire 1,300-1,400 air traffic controllers in the fiscal year that ends Sept. 30, about 200 more than the number of expected controller retirements, according to Russ Chew, who is stepping down as chief operating officer of FAA's Air Traffic Organization (BA, Feb. 12/74).
KANSAS CITY AVIATION CENTER achieved record revenues and profits for the third consecutive year in 2006, and the company said revenues and profits had more than doubled during that three-year period. The fixed-base operation, which is located at Johnson County Executive Airport in Olathe, Kan., has been in business for more than 40 years. The FBO is a wholly owned subsidiary of Peterson Manufacturing Company of Grandview, Mo.
Was hired as vice president of aircraft sales and acquisitions by PrivatAir. Working out of the company's U.S. corporate offices in Stratford, Conn., Ashton will be responsible for development of new aircraft sales and acquisition opportunities throughout the U.S. Ashton is a commercial pilot who holds master's degrees in business administration and engineering. His aviation background includes previous jobs with General Electric Capital, Goodrich Corp. and Pogo, the startup Very Light Jet air taxi company.
LANDMARK AVIATION's facility in Springfield, Ill., completed installation of a Honeywell Primus Epic CDS/R (Control Display System/Retrofit) avionics system on a Gulfstream III. The retrofit includes the Honeywell Mark VII Class A TAWS (terrain awareness and warning system) with RAAS (Runway Awareness and Advisory System). The new system displays flight data on three flat-panel liquid crystal displays that consolidate primary flight data, weather, traffic collision avoidance system and TAWS functions.
The Federal Aviation Administration's plan to more than triple aviation fuel taxes and adopt a series of user fees received a rocky reception last week with two key House members essentially calling the proposal "dead on arrival" and the general aviation community accusing FAA of using the upcoming reauthorization debate as a platform to shift costs from the airlines to GA.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT officials remain enthusiastic about the market prospects for its Light Sport Aircraft and are continuing their efforts to build a strong business case for going forward with the program. Because the LSA would be priced well below current-production single-engine piston aircraft, keeping manufacturing costs low is a paramount concern. To that end, Cessna dispatched a small team to the Czech Republic last week to investigate manufacturing capabilities in that country.
March 1-3 - Helicopter Association International, Heli-Expo 2007 Conference & Exhibition, Orlando, Fla. Contact Marilyn McKinnis at (703) 683-4646, fax: (703) 683-0341. March 7 - Coping With Crisis 101-Managing an Aviation Disaster, Hilton Garden Inn, Nashville Metro Airport, Nashville, Tenn. Register at www.thecommunicationsworkshop.com March 8 - Greater Washington Business Aviation Association, Safety Stand Down. Details and registration information available at www.gwbaa.com.
Model Gulfstream 100 airplanes, and Model Astra SPX and 1125 Westwind Astra airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27077; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-286-AD; Amendment 39-14916; AD 2007-03-05] - Requires a revision to the Airplane Flight Manual to ensure proper latching of the cabin door. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the aviation authority of Israel. Incomplete closure of the main entry door may result in the door opening in flight, causing damage to the wing, fuselage, engine, and/or tail. Effective date is Feb.
A growing international business jet market helped propel the general aviation industry to an $18.8 billion banner year, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported last week. Billings in 2006 were up 24.1 percent over the $15.1 billion reported in 2005 and represented an all-time high for general aviation plane-makers. Shipments topped 4,000 for the first time since 1982, when U.S. manufacturers alone delivered 4,266 airplanes. The 2006 total of 4,042 deliveries marked a 12.9 percent improvement over the 3,580 airplanes delivered in 2005.
