Gales Industries, Inc., a Bay Shore, N.Y. holding company that is assembling a portfolio of providers to the aerospace and defense industry, signed an agreement to buy Sigma Metals, Inc., a metals distributor based in Deer Park, Long Island, N.Y. Gales agreed to pay about $5 million for Sigma, plus an amount equal to Sigma's earnings from Jan. 1 until the deal closes. Gales also is assuming about $1.2 million of Sigma's debt.
Model TBM 700 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26231; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-61-AD] - Requires, (1) Within the next 100 hours time-in-service (TIS) after the effective date of this AD, inspecting all flap inboard carriage roller pins for proper torque values and correcting as necessary before further flight. (2) Repeating these inspections thereafter at intervals not to exceed 100 hours TIS and correcting as necessary before further flight after any inspection in which a discrepancy is found.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION continued to expand its Professional Development Program, approving 12 new courses offered by three different providers. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is offering 10 of the new courses, covering corporate aviation analysis, finance, communications, professional development, human factors, recordkeeping and regulatory compliance, employee training, maintenance management, customer service and aviation safety programs and emergency preparedness.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION named D. Kirk Shaffer associate administrator for airports, succeeding Woodie Woodward, who retired last year. Shaffer formerly was special counsel to the managing director of the Federal Communications Commission. He also has served as executive assistant to the president and general counsel for the Metropolitan Nashville, Tenn. Airport Authority.
Eclipse Aviation delivered its first customer Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet at the end of December, and the second customer aircraft is expected to be handed over this week, but CEO Vern Raburn told BA Friday that production will ramp up slowly during the first half of the year.
Was named chief operating officer for MD Helicopters. Gee formerly was vice president-operational excellence/lean promotion officer for Ingersoll Rand, Inc. He also was president and general manager of Pulte Home Sciences and spent nine years with Harley-Davidson Motor Company. In his new role, Gee will be responsible for operations of MD Helicopters, Heritage Aviation and MD Monterrey.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week proposed to clarify a proposed Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) that would mandate specific training and operating experience requirements for MU-2B pilots. FAA proposed the SFAR in September after conducting another in-depth analysis on the safety of the airplane (BA, Oct. 2/148). The agency said it received comments in response to the proposed SFAR seeking clarification of the agency's expectations for operating experience and requalification training.
The National Business Aviation Association, which has taken the lead in organizing business aviation conferences and exhibitions in Europe, South America and Asia, will now take a secondary role in the Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (LABACE).
CJ SYSTEMS AVIATION GROUP acquired Pikeville, Ky.-based MedFlight of East Kentucky. CJ Systems already provides the pilots and maintenance staff for the air ambulance component of MedFlight. With the acquisition, CJ Systems will also provide the medical crews and billing operations for MedFlight, which operates one helicopter and a fleet of ambulances. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., CJ Systems operates a fleet of about 120 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft from more than 85 bases throughout the U.S.
Model EMB-135BJ airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26685; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-200-AD] - Proposes to require modifying the forward and aft auxiliary fuel tanks. This proposed AD results from a report 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.
Was appointed general manager for Landmark Aviation's fixed-base operation in Wichita Falls, Texas. Trosper has more than 25 years of experience, most recently as line service manager at Kerrville Aviation. He also was sales and marketing manager at Fjord Aviation Fueling Products and served as technical sales leader/product line manager at Hammonds Fuel Additives. Trosper is a member of the Houston Aviation Advisory Council and the Kerrville Chamber of Commerce Aviation and Transportation Committee.
Joined MD Helicopters as director of manufacturing. He formerly was plant manager for Pulte Home Sciences in Manassas, Va. He also held manufacturing, supply chain and logistics leadership positions with Harley-Davidson. He was a logistics professional for the U.S. Navy Supply Corps.
REGULATION of charter activity has intensified recently - last month the agency released a new Operation Specification governing operational control (see article below) as well as another notice requiring FAA headquarters approval before a Part 135 operator may add an airplane to its certificate. The notice, which revised an earlier action (BA, Dec. 18/272), exempts new aircraft, but requires headquarters clearance for all other turbine-powered or air ambulance aircraft that are added to a Part 135 certificate.
FAA this week also is expected to release a rule governing extended operations (ETOPS) of multi-engine airplanes. FAA in November 2003 proposed to require that Part 121 and Part 135 flights remain within 180 minutes of an acceptable airport unless the operators comply with certain equipment and training standards (BA, Nov. 17, 2003/217). That proposal was based on recommendations developed by the industry-based Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee, which began deliberating ETOPS standards in 2000.
Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26647; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-194-AD] - Proposes to require repetitive inspections of the bolts that attach the exhaust nozzle to the aft engine flange to determine if any bolts are missing or fractured, and replacement of the existing bolts with new, improved bolts. This proposed AD results from reports of the engine exhaust nozzle and fairing departing from the airplane in flight due to missing attachment bolts.
CESSNA won contracts from four flight schools in Europe for new Cessna 172 Skyhawks. Cessna sold four 172s to the Romanian Aviation Academy in Bucharest, which will double the school's Skyhawk fleet. Aeroclub Milano in Italy also is doubling its fleet of 172s, with a contract for two G1000-equipped aircraft. In addition, Cessna secured a contract from Euro Flyers in Spain for 14 aircraft to be delivered this year. The aircraft will replace an existing fleet that is used for initial and instrument training.
AIRNET SYSTEMS of Columbus, Ohio announced the resignation of Joel E. Biggerstaff, the company's president, chief executive and chairman. Biggerstaff, who will serve as a consultant to the company through 2007, joined AirNet in 1999. He was promoted to CEO in 2001 and became chairman following the retirement of Jerry Mercer, AirNet's founder. Bruce D. Parker, 59, an AirNet director since 2002, has assumed the role of CEO and board chairman.
Sikorsky Aircraft says it has selected General Electric Aviation to provide the new CH-53K heavy lift helicopter's main engines, representing at least the second major subsystem supplier selected by Sikorsky for the huge, newly built helo. The GE38-1B engine planned for the U.S. Marine Corps CH-53K is a derivative of the CFE738 commercial turbofan engine and the U.S. Navy T407 turboprop engine, Sikorsky said Dec. 22.
BOMBARDIER received an order from Securite Civile of France for another Bombardier 415 amphibious firefighting aircraft. The order will boost the French fleet to 12 Bombardier 415 aircraft. France, which took delivery of its first CL-215 amphibian aircraft in 1969, was the launch customer for the Bombardier 415 in 1994. Bombardier has since delivered 65 Model 415s to firefighting agencies in Croatia, Greece, Italy, Canada (Ontario and Quebec), Spain and France.
A veteran of administrative posts on Capitol Hill, joined the General Aviation Manufacturers Association as the organization's executive assistant and scheduler. Most recently, Kohler served as executive assistant to Rep. Ben Chandler (D-Ky.), where she served as liaison to the staff of foreign embassies as well as to various House committees. Those duties included monitoring transportation and infrastructure work within the House aviation subcommittee. Kohler previously worked for Rep. Tom Barrett (D-Wis.) and at the law offices of John T. O'Rourke.
The Transportation Security Administration added two key airports - Dulles International (IAD) in the Washington, D.C. area and Bradley International (BDL) in Windsor Locks, Conn. - to the list of approved "gateway airports" for direct access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). TSA requires that all general aviation flights depart from a gateway airport before they fly into DCA. The gateway airport is one of several general aviation requirements included in the DCA Access Security Program (DASSP), which the agency established in July 2005.
GERMAN air traffic controllers were expected to delay a planned strike that was originally set to begin during the weekend. The Gewerkschaft der Flugsicherung (GdF) union was studying a pay proposal from German air traffic control provider Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS). The initial DFS proposal called for a three percent wage hike for controllers, plus a one-time payment of about US$2,200.
FIRSTFLIGHT added a Gulfstream G200 to its charter fleet. The aircraft will be based at Stewart/Newburgh Airport in New York. The aircraft replaces a Learjet 55 that was under management by FirstFlight in New York. The Learjet, sold to a new owner, will continue to be managed by FirstFlight, but based in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pa. The Learjet also is expected to be available for charter frequently in the Chicago area.
