JETDIRECT AVIATION LLC acquired Presidential Aviation, a charter, management, and maintenance company with bases in Fort Lauderdale, New York and Los Angeles. The acquisition increases the JetDirect charter fleet to 81 aircraft that range from light jets to long-range heavy jets. In addition to the Presidential bases, JetDirect has operations at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, N.Y., Chester County Airport near Philadelphia, Love Field in Dallas, Texas, Spirit of St. Louis Airport in Chesterfield, Mo., and Van Nuys Airport in California.
RTCA has scheduled a symposium March 13-14 on "Operational Evolution Partnership - The Bridge to the NextGen." The symposium, which will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C., will assemble representatives of government, industry and the international aviation community to discuss the next generational air traffic control system and the progress of the Joint Planning and Development Office. The symposium will cover operational concepts and requirements, policies, and procedures.
The Federal Aviation Administration Friday issued an emergency airworthiness directive requiring inspections of certain fan disks on General Electric CF34 engines because of concerns those disks may have cracks that could result in an uncontained engine failure.
PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26371 Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-70-AD; Amendment 39-14917; AD 2007-03-06] - Requires an inspection of the pedestal legs and the serial number of the executive seats, and inspection and replacement of certain pedestal legs and executive seats. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the aviation authority of Switzerland. The AD will affect an estimated 394 aircraft on the U.S.
AC-U-KWIK is adding fuel pricing information to its acukwik.com web site. The site will permit fixed-base operators to post and update current fuel prices, and that information can be accessed on the airport results page.
John Uczekaj, a veteran aerospace executive, was named president and chief executive officer of Aspen Avionics, Inc., of Albuquerque, N.M. Uczekaj will replace company co-founder and former CEO Peter Lyons, who will remain with Aspen along with co-founder Jeff Bethel. Both will report to Uczekaj and "continue to play key roles in the development of the company," Aspen said in a statement.
Was appointed regional manager of the Cessna Pilot Centers' (CPC) western territory. Currently the chief flight instructor for the Westwind School of Aeronautics in Phoenix, Pittman will assume his new duties Feb. 26 and will remain based in Phoenix, reporting to Brumley Smith, manager of the CPC program for Cessna. Pittman has more than 3,200 total hours, of which 2,700 were logged providing training for student pilots. He is ATP rated, is a master flight instructor and was named 2006 Arizona Flight Instructor of the year.
Was named chief information officer (CIO) for the National Transportation Safety Board by Chairman Mark Rosenker. Scherer was most recently deputy CIO at the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and before that he spent 16 years with the U.S. Secret Service in various supervisory capacities in the agency's Information Resources Management Division.
Eclipse Aviation, which delivered the first of its Eclipse 500 Very Light Jets more than six weeks ago, is still trying to work through a series of conformity issues with FAA so it can deliver more airplanes to its customers. Raburn, who was in Washington, D.C. last week to attend the General Aviation Manufacturers Association meetings, told BA Monday he was hoping that the second and third aircraft would be delivered last week, although that had not happened by late Fridy. Raburn anticipates delivering another half dozen airplanes next month.
SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT dedicated its CH-53K program's new Heavy Lift Development center Feb. 12 in Stratford, Conn. The 106,000-square-foot office building will house about 500 members of the CH-53K program and engineering staff, including Sikorsky, Naval Air Systems Command, Defense Contracting Management Agency personnel and subcontractors. The new offices are located about five miles from Sikorsky's main plant in Stratford. The company was awarded a $3 billion system development and demonstration contract for the Marine Corps CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter in April 2006.
The Federal Aviation Administration has reiterated its policy regarding operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in the national airspace system, reminding commercial operators of these vehicles that their aircraft may not be flown using guidelines developed for remotely controlled model aircraft (Advisory Circular AC 91-57).
PC-6 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-25929 Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-54-AD; Amendment 39-14919; AD 2007-03-08] - Requires repetitive inspections for corrosion in the fittings installed on the bottom skin of the wing and repair if necessary. The AD also provides a terminating action for the repetitive inspections. The AD stems from mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the aviation authority of Switzerland. If not corrected, undetected corrosion in this area could lead to failure of the fitting and subsequent loss of control of the airplane.
Has joined RTI International Metals, Inc. as vice president and general counsel of the Niles, Ohio titanium fabricator. Since 1999, Whalen has been an attorney with the Pittsburgh, Pa. law firm of Buchanen Ingersoll & Rooney PC. He is a graduate of Grove City College and received his law degree from the Dickinson School of Law at Penn State. Whalen's appointment comes as a number of RTI executives are being promoted as part of a long-term succession strategy (BA, Feb. 12/73).
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY has partnered with the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB), in Barcelona, Spain, to jointly develop and offer a master's degree in aeronautical management to address the expanding aviation and aerospace industry in Spain and rest of Europe. The curriculum will be based on Embry-Riddle's existing master of aeronautical science degree. The universities plan to submit the curriculum to the Catalan government by September 2007 for approval and expect to offer degree work beginning in September 2008.
DEL. ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON (D-D.C.) last week appealed to FAA Administrator Marion Blakey to assemble key decision makers to discuss how to "normalize service to the nation's capital" through Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Norton, speaking during a House aviation subcommittee hearing Wednesday on the FAA budget, complained that the security procedures in place at DCA remain a road block to increasing general aviation activity at the airport.
THE NUMBER of Gulfstream business jets operating in the Asia-Pacific region since 2001 has increased by 268 percent, the manufacturer said. Currently 59 Gulfstream business jets are operating in the region, accounting for about one-third of the late-model business jet fleet in the area and nearly half of the very long-range models. Gulfstream appointed two new regional vice presidents to serve the area last month. Herman Chai and Peter Hoi will both be based in Hong Kong.
MERCURY AIR GROUP, INC. signed a letter of intent with Kuwait's United Projects Company to manage a new private terminal fixed-base operation at Kuwait International Airport (KWI). The new terminal is expected to become operational in the last quarter of the year. According to Mercury officials, it will incorporate "many amenities found in world-class hotels" including concierge services, conference and meeting rooms, customer and pilot lounges, fine dining and a wide array of technical and logistical support for aircraft, pilots and passengers.
The long-term funding proposal unveiled by FAA Administrator Marion Blakey Wednesday attempts to get business and general aviation to shoulder billions of dollars of FAA's costs that are now covered primarily through the 7.5 percent airline passenger ticket tax.
Field Aviation Company of Toronto won a contract to convert three Bombardier de Havilland Dash 8-300 turboprop aircraft into Maritime Patrol/Search and Rescue aircraft for the Japan Coast Guard, the latest in a series of Dash 8 conversion projects the Canadian modification firm has won over the past decade. Sojitz Corp.
Rockwell Collins was selected by Boeing to provide the entire suite of displays, autopilot, communication, navigation, surveillance, maintenance, emergency and data management systems for the new Boeing 747-8 airplane family, which is scheduled to enter service in late 2009. A key feature of the avionics package is the WXR-2100 MultiScan Hazard Detection System, which Rockwell Collins said is "the first and only radar that analyzes and determines actual weather hazards, not simply atmospheric moisture content."
Helicopter Association International honored two of its senior executives - former President Roy Resavage and Elizabeth (Libby) Meade, current executive vice president/corporate secretary - with a Lifetime Honorary Membership award. The award recognizes individuals for their efforts for the advancement and improvement of the international helicopter industry. Resavage served as HAI president from March 1998 through October 2005. Before that, he spent 27 years in the U.S. Navy, retiring as a captain.
Model DHC-8-100, -200, and -300 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-25904; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-077-AD; Amendment 39-14883; AD 2007-01-11] - Supersedes an existing AD that currently requires modification of the flight compartment door; repetitive inspections for wear of the flight compartment door hinges following modification; and repair or replacement of the hinges with new hinges if necessary. This new AD requires using revised procedures for modifying and inspecting the flight compartment door and reduces the applicability of the existing AD.
