FLORIDA'S Kissimmee Gateway Airport (ISM) reported a record number of corporate-jet visits (4,421) in 2006, a 21 percent jump from the 3,514 jets that used the airport in 2005. Total aircraft operations at ISM were up slightly more than two percent last year to 153,992. Fuel sales were up nine percent to 2.3 million gallons. Airport officials attributed the rises in traffic and fuel sales to increased numbers of convention and business visitors coming to southwest Florida and Osceola County.
Grand Prairie Accessory Services, LLC of Grand Prairie, Texas, which provides engine and airframe overhaul for a variety of powerplants, was acquired by Triumph Group. The Texas firm, which has 90 employees, will be renamed Triumph Accessory Services - Grand Prairie and will operate as part of the Triumph Aftermarket Services Group. Triumph, headquartered in Wayne, Pa., said it believes the acquisition will add about $7 million in revenue during the last three months of Triumph's fiscal year "with revenue growth in excess of 15 percent expected for fiscal 2008."
Models M.S. 760, M.S. 760 A, and M.S. 760 B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26489; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-74-AD] -- Proposes to require, prior to the next flight after the effective date of this AD, inserting a copy of this AD into the Limitations Section of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) to incorporate the following: (i) Takeoff with frost, ice, snow, or slush on the wing, control surfaces, horizontal tail, and air intakes, and flight into icing conditions are prohibited.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders last week organized the committee's structure, naming Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) chairman of the aviation subcommittee. Rep. Thomas Petri (R-Wis.) is the ranking Republican on the committee. The aviation subcommittee, which will be crafting a major FAA reauthorization bill in the next several months, is the largest of the T&I subcommittees with 48 members. Costello, an 11-term congressman, formerly served as the ranking Democrat on the committee and was expected to take the chairmanship.
BOMBARDIER'S Bob Agostino will be the opening speaker at the Greater Washington Business Aviation Association's Safety Standdown March 8 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Agostino has been the driving force behind the successful safety standdown hosted each year by Bombardier/Learjet in Wichita, Kan. The DCA event also will feature presentations by government and industry experts on fatigue training, flight attendant training, accident prevention and security regulations. For more information, contact GWBAA President Bob Blouin at [email protected].
BOMBARDIER continued to expand its service capabilities with the addition of Mather Aviation LLC in Sacramento, Calif. as an authorized line maintenance facility for Learjet aircraft. Mather is the second California facility appointed in the past year. Bombardier named Landmark Aviation an authorized center in February 2006. More than 1,500 Learjets are based in the U.S., including more than 90 in California, Bombardier said. Mather also is the seventh authorized service center Bombardier has named worldwide in the past 12 months.
The Transportation Security Administration is working on a "more robust" plan to ensure increased security for large general aviation aircraft, TSA Director Kip Hawley told Congress last week. Appearing before the Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday during a hearing on the 9/11 Commission recommendations, Hawley said that general aviation security "is something we take very seriously," and that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff "made it an unmistakable priority for me and my colleagues at other [Department of Homeland Security] entities.
Models M.S. 760, M.S. 760 A, and M.S. 760 B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26489; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-74-AD] -- Proposes to require, prior to the next flight after the effective date of this AD, inserting a copy of this AD into the Limitations Section of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) to incorporate the following: (i) Takeoff with frost, ice, snow, or slush on the wing, control surfaces, horizontal tail, and air intakes, and flight into icing conditions are prohibited.
BOMBARDIER continued to expand its service capabilities with the addition of Mather Aviation LLC in Sacramento, Calif. as an authorized line maintenance facility for Learjet aircraft. Mather is the second California facility appointed in the past year. Bombardier named Landmark Aviation an authorized center in February 2006. More than 1,500 Learjets are based in the U.S., including more than 90 in California, Bombardier said. Mather also is the seventh authorized service center Bombardier has named worldwide in the past 12 months.
TAT Technologies Ltd. of Gedera, Israel and the Dutch company Stork N.V. said they were unable to reach a final agreement with respect to the previously proposed joint venture in which Stork had planned to acquire substantial stakes in two U.S. aviation repair and maintenance firms.
COLUMBIA AIRCRAFT said it managed to deliver a record number of new aircraft last year despite obstacles presented by certification delays and Mother Nature. "No doubt we endured more than our fair share of challenges in the first half of 2006," said Randy Bolinger, vice president of marketing and business development, noting delays early in 2006 in getting the Garmin G1000 glass panel avionics suites certificated and then a freak hailstorm that damaged 60 aircraft parked outside the Bend, Ore. factory, making it necessary to refinish them (BA, June 26/285).
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION officials were slated to meet with National Air Transportation Association officials late Friday to discuss lingering concerns about the new Operations Specification, OpSpec A008, on Part 135 operational control. The OpSpec generally has been well received within industry, but the final document raised a handful of issues, including those dealing with pilot compensation and employment (BA, Jan. 15/23).
THE SENATE late Thursday passed an ethics bill that includes changes to the rules regarding compensation for private aircraft travel (BA, Jan. 15/25). Senators formerly could pay roughly the cost of a first-class plane ticket for travel on a private plane, but new rules require them to pay the equivalent of the cost of a charter. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) originally objected to the measure because he believed it would hamper the ability of senators from rural states to travel, particularly with tight travel budgets.
Model S-61L, N, R, and NM Helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2006-25824; Directorate Identifier 2004-SW-23-AD; Amendment 39-14876; AD 2007-01-05] -- Requires, within a specified time, creating a component history card or equivalent record. The AD also requires recording the hours time-in-service (TIS) and the external lift cycles for each main gearbox input left and right freewheel unit (IFWU) assembly. Also, the AD requires calculating a moving average of lift cycles per hour TIS at specified intervals on each IFWU assembly.
Model ERJ 170 and ERJ 190 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-26797; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-195-AD; Amendment 39-14878; AD 2006-20-14] - Publishes an amendment adopting an AD sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of certain Model ERJ 170 and ERJ 190 airplanes by individual notices. This AD requires modification of certain flight deck door electronic equipment. This AD is prompted by a report indicating that this equipment is defective. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent failure of this equipment, which could jeopardize flight safety.
The Transportation Security Administration is working on a "more robust" plan to ensure increased security for large general aviation aircraft, TSA Director Kip Hawley told Congress last week. Appearing before the Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday during a hearing on the 9/11 Commission recommendations, Hawley said that general aviation security "is something we take very seriously," and that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff "made it an unmistakable priority for me and my colleagues at other [Department of Homeland Security] entities.
ANNABELLE VULTEE was appointed regional sales manager for South Florida for AirShares Elite. Vultee will be responsible for AirShares Elite's Cirrus shared ownership program in South Florida. She has a background of professional sales, marketing entrepreneurial experience, most recently as founder of Vultee Universal Investments, a hospitality industry consultancy. She also was product marketing manager at Burger King Brands and held a number of sales and marketing positions at the Coca Cola Company.
Model 206A, B, L, L-1, L-3, and L-4 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2005-22696; Directorate Identifier 2005-SW-22-AD; Amendment 39-14877; AD 2007-01-06] - Supersedes an existing AD that currently requires certain inspections and checks of the tail rotor blade for a deformation, a crack, and a bent or deformed tail rotor weight. Also, that AD requires, before further flight, replacing each blade with an airworthy blade if a deformation, a crack, or a bent or deformed weight is found.
TIM WILLIAMS was appointed vice president for Textron Six Sigma at Cessna Aircraft. Williams will be responsible for the acceleration of the continuous process improvement within Cessna using Textron Six Sigma and Lean Methodology. He joined the company in 2004 after spending nine years with General Electric in inventory/delivery management, Six Sigma and engineering. He also has worked for a first-tier supplier and manufacturer in the automotive industry.
HILLSBORO AVIATION delivered a retrofitted Bell 206L-4 helicopter to the City of Chicago. The helicopter was acquired from the Chicago Fire Department and will be operated as part of the Chicago Police Department/Cook County Sheriff's Department joint Helicopter Task Force. Hillsboro equipped the helicopter with an Avalex Moving Map, two 12.1-inch LCD monitors, a digital video recorder and FLIR pointing system in combination with a FLIR Ultra 8500XR thermal imager/camera.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders last week organized the committee's structure, naming Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) chairman of the aviation subcommittee. Rep. Thomas Petri (R-Wis.) is the ranking Republican on the committee. The aviation subcommittee, which will be crafting a major FAA reauthorization bill in the next several months, is the largest of the T&I subcommittees with 48 members. Costello, an 11-term congressman, formerly served as the ranking Democrat on the committee and was expected to take the chairmanship.
ELLIOTT AVIATION was selected by Garmin International to perform aftermarket installations of the G1000 integrated avionics suite in King Air C90 aircraft. The retrofit package is expected to win certification on the C90 in the second half of 2007. The G1000 system uses 10-inch primary flight displays, a 15-inch multi-function display and dual integrated radio modules that provide IFR-approved WAAS GPS, VHF navigation with ILS and VHF communication.
