The Department of Transportation is considering whether to move forward with proposed regulations to require that certain information be given to Part 135 aircraft charter customers at the time of contract, including the name of the company with operational control, the name of the aircraft owner, any "doing business as" names, and the name of any broker involved. DOT Friday released an advance notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comments on possible new charter transparency regulations.
February 6-7 - NBAA: Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE) 2007, Hong Kong. Contact Linda Peters at (202) 783-9000, email: [email protected], www.abace.aero. February 15-17 - Women in Aviation International Conference, Orlando, Fla. Contact Connie Lawrence, WAI, (937) 839-4647. March 1-3 - Helicopter Association International, Heli-Expo 2007 Conference & Exhibition, Orlando, Fla. Contact Marilyn McKinnis at (703) 683-4646, fax: (703) 683-0341.
Named senior vice president, strategy and business development, for AirCell. Based in Itasca, Ill., Salem will be responsible for strategic partnerships, alliance building and business strategy. He formerly was senior vice president of business development of Nomadix, Inc., a Wi-Fi access and Web-content service provider. He also has served as vice president of sales and marketing for CPDI, a telecom and wireless data services provider.
ATR opened a new spare parts distribution center in Auckland, New Zealand to serve operators in the Pacific area. DHL Solutions, a logistics company, is managing the spare parts center under a global contract signed with ATR. The center follows the opening of an ATR sales office in November. Thirty ATR aircraft are flown in the South Pacific by operators including Air Calédonie, Air Tahiti, Mount Cook Airlines, Airlink of Papua New Guinea, Air Vanuatu, Air Pacific and the government of French Polynesia. ATR expects next to open a distribution center in Delhi, India.
U.S.Army acquisition chief Claude Bolton said he hopes to relaunch the Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) program by February 2008, when the fiscal 2009 budget will be submitted to Congress.
Alcoa plans to boost its production of aluminum products for aerospace by 50 percent at four locations while also expanding its footprint in China. Strong demand for aerospace products contributed to the company's record results in 2006, and aerospace demand is expected to remain strong through 2007 despite delays in the Airbus A380 program, according to Chuck McLane, vice president and chief financial officer. McLane and other Alcoa leaders spoke to financial analysts on Jan. 9.
NETJETS AVIATION is looking forward to smooth sailing with its labor unions after the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents aircraft maintenance personnel, signed a new five-year agreement last Tuesday with the fractional operator. The new pact, amendable in January 2012, provides improved pay and benefits, increases the maintenance work force at NetJets' operational headquarters in Columbus, Ohio and "details a mutual commitment to a labor partnership that will support NetJets' service commitment to owners," the company said.
ASA HUTCHINSON, the former congressman from Arkansas who served as the first under secretary for Border and Transportation Security at the Department of Homeland Security, has rejoined the Washington law firm of Venable LLP.
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."
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.
Cessna Aircraft will build a new Citation business jet service center at the Williams Gateway Airport in Mesa, Ariz. The new facility will replace Cessna's existing Citation service center in Long Beach, Calif.
DAN FRAHM was named vice president of sales and marketing for Elliott Aviation. Frahm has served with Elliott for 26 years, beginning as a chief bench service technician in 1980. Most recently, he was director of business development. In his new role, Frahm will manage all sales and marketing for the business aviation services company.
NETJETS AVIATION is looking forward to smooth sailing with its labor unions after the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents aircraft maintenance personnel, signed a new five-year agreement last Tuesday with the fractional operator. The new pact, amendable in January 2012, provides improved pay and benefits, increases the maintenance work force at NetJets' operational headquarters in Columbus, Ohio and "details a mutual commitment to a labor partnership that will support NetJets' service commitment to owners," the company said.
ARINC, based in Annapolis, Md., secured a patent for a process to improve access to operational data from electronic systems on aircraft, including selective monitoring, display of parameters in near real-time, data collection and storage and transmission of the data to the ground. The ARINC process connects three growing technologies - Electronic Flight Bags (EFBs), Quick Access Recorders (QARs) and integrated communications capabilities.
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.
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.
KEITH MARKLEY was promoted to chief operating officer of Liberty Aerospace, with responsibility for most of the Melbourne, Fla. light aircraft manufacturer's domestic operations. Markley joined Liberty Aerospace in September 2005 as vice president of sales and marketing. Anthony Tiarks, CEO, said Markley "has a tremendous track record with both sales and production." Markley previously held senior executive posts with communications firms and also served two terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.
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).
BRAZILIAN AUTHORITIES continue to adopt contingency measures to keep the nation's troubled air traffic control system together. The government plans to recycle emergency ATC plans implemented over the Christmas and New Year's holidays to avoid cancellations and flight delays during the Carnival holiday next month. Carnival Week, Feb. 15-20, traditionally generates the heaviest air traffic of the year in Brazil.
Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22559; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-076-AD; Amendment 39-14879; AD 2007-01-07] - Supersedes an existing AD that currently requires repetitive inspections for cracks, sealant damage, and corrosion of the main fittings of the main landing gear (MLG), and corrective actions if necessary. This new AD reduces the compliance times for inspecting certain low-utilization airplanes, and provides a terminating action for the repetitive inspections.
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.
ASA HUTCHINSON, the former congressman from Arkansas who served as the first under secretary for Border and Transportation Security at the Department of Homeland Security, has rejoined the Washington law firm of Venable LLP.
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.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT delivered the 500th Hawker 400XP/Beechjet 400A to Slam Lavori Aerei S.r.l., an Italian charter operator. Based in Naples, Slam Lavori Aerei owns two Beechjet 400As and a Diamond. More than 800 Diamond/Beechjet/Hawker 400XPs have been produced. Operating in 29 countries, the models collectively have amassed 3 million flight hours.
