SENTIENT JET named CAE Simuflite the exclusive supplier of pilot and maintenance training for the company's Preferred Operator Network. Sentient, which sells private jet memberships, developed the Preferred Operator Network to meet the demand of its growing customer base. Network members receive guaranteed flight volume and other economic incentives. Sentient also provides training and support services. Sentient plans to increase the network to include 30 operators and 25 aircraft next year.
Most House transportation leaders appear safe going into Tuesday's election, but the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is slated for key leadership changes regardless of the outcome.
John Uczekaj, who was promoted to president and chief operating officer of Nordam a year ago, stepped down after the board of directors asked Ken Lackey to continue as chairman and chief executive officer through 2008, the company announced last week. Lackey was appointed chairman and CEO, and Uczekaj president and COO, shortly after long-time Nordam owner Ray Siegfried died a year ago, (BA, Oct. 10, 2005/162).
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT late last month celebrated the delivery of the 800th Hawker 125-800 series aircraft. The aircraft, a Hawker 850XP, was handed over to Jewelry Television in a ceremony at RAC's Little Rock, Ark. facility. Jewelry Television, a home shopping network, will use the airplane for both domestic and international transportation. The Model 125 business jet, designed by de Havilland Aircraft Company, first flew in 1962 powered by Rolls-Royce Viper 520 turbojet engines.
Joined Million Air Charter as executive vice president. Reid formerly served with Executive Jet Management as vice president of subcontracting operations and vice president of vendor relations. He also spent two years as program manager/business development initiatives leader for GE Aircraft Engines. A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate, Reid spent seven years in the service, where he held leadership positions including airlift operations officer and contract negotiator for information technology/research and development.
THE COMMUNICATIONS WORKSHOP, LLC is planning a 16-city North American tour next year for its Coping With Crisis 101 - Managing an Aviation Disaster training course. The full-day course covers prevention, preparation, response and recovery and provides information on crisis management plans. The course will discuss how to work with the National Transportation Safety Board, how to serve as a party to an investigation, how to counter negative attacks and how to handle the media covering a disaster.
National Business Aviation Association's annual meeting and convention earlier this month proved lucrative for both Raytheon Aircraft Co. (RAC) and Cessna, which together booked orders for well over 200 aircraft valued at $2 billion, the companies said. "Results from this year's NBAA show are nothing short of impressive," said Textron Chairman, President and CEO Lewis Campbell.
The battle between business and general aviation leaders and the proponents of imposing user fees on business aviation escalated recently following a business magazine's publication of an editorial extolling the benefits of aviation system user fees.
Bombardier's warnings of a potential slowdown are now reality, with the airframer cutting production of its larger CRJ-700/900 planes from a build rate of one plane per three days to one aircraft per five. During the company's last quarterly earnings call, executives said Bombardier's goal was to sustain a 75 plane-per-year build rate, but admitted hitting that target would be a challenge (BA, Sept. 4/105), even if new orders did materialize. Earlier this month, Northwest ordered 36 CRJ-900s.
TRADEWIND AVIATION, a construction and development company based in Sarasota, Fla., is developing a 20-acre tract at Newnan-Coweta Airport in Newnan, Ga. The development project will include 178,000 square feet of hangar space and 36,000 square feet of office space. Tradewind hopes to attract new corporate and industry clients.
FlightSafety International is expanding its training facilities in Orlando, Fla. and at Le Bourget Airport in Paris. The Orlando project will increase the center by almost 40 percent to 85,000 square feet with 14 simulator bays. FSI also will equip 10 classrooms with the MATRIX integrated training system, which uses software code in the flight simulator and incorporates graphical flight simulators, interactive desktop training and SimVu pilot debriefing systems.
FAA'S KATHERINE PERFETTI was honored with the National Business Aviation Association's Silk Scarf Award, which is given to individuals in recognition of special contributions to the business aviation community. Perfetti is recognized as a responsive consensus builder in dealing with the aviation industry. She headed the intensive government/industry collaboration a few years ago that resulted in the Subpart K rulemaking, which set standards for operation of fractional aircraft programs.
German Federal President Horst Koehler last week stopped the privatization of air traffic control provider DFS by refusing to sign a parliamentary bill that would have approved the selloff planned later this year. Koehler stated that the plan was unconstitutional, but he pointed out that parliament was free to make the necessary changes to the constitution.
AIRBUS signed an order for the first Airbus A318 Elite to be based in the U.S. Petters Group Worldwide, which is headquartered in Minnetonka, Minn., plans to use the A318 for private corporate flights in the U.S. and overseas. The airplane will be managed by a subsidiary, Petters Aviation.
General Dynamics Chairman Nicholas Chabraja said Gulfstream Aerospace executives are striving to find ways to efficiently boost business jet production to help meet growing worldwide demand for the company's line of aircraft.
BUSINESS AVIATION groups are reacting to the latest air traffic control privatization appeal from the Reason Foundation's Robert Poole, which appeared in Chief Executive magazine. In the article, Poole appealed to the magazine's CEO readers to get involved in the debate. "Don't let your chauffeurs -- the corporate flight department -- speak for you," Poole admonished. See article on Page 201.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE plans to begin working on a prototype of a new generation aircraft in late 2008, according to Nicholas Chabraja, chairman and CEO of General Dynamics, Gulfstream's parent company. In a teleconference with financial analysts this month, Chabraja said that one result of an ongoing expansion program at Gulfstream's Savannah, Ga. headquarters will be the completion of a new facility there in 2008.
Production workers at Bombardier's Learjet plant in Wichita, Kan. were returning to work last week following narrow approval of a new contract by members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, ending a strike that began in early October.
Turbo IV A and IV C series turboshaft engines [Docket No. FAA-2006-25730; Directorate Identifier 2006-NE-31-AD; Amendment 39-14796; AD 2006-21-11] - Requires identifying, inspecting and replacing flexible lubrication pipes manufactured after April 1, 2003. If both engines on the same helicopter each have an affected pipe, then this AD requires replacing one of the affected pipes before further flight.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE said Monday its Quiet Spike sonic boom mitigation device successfully accomplished its first supersonic flight Oct. 20. Gulfstream, working with NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, has been testing the structural integrity of the Quiet Spike since July. Mounted on the nose of a NASA F-15B, the device was flown to Mach 1.2. It fully extended to its maximum length of 24 feet and performed as expected during its 65-minute flight, which reached an altitude of 45,000 feet, Gulfstream said.
Was promoted to senior director of sales for Dallas Airmotive. Blasingame most recently was director of sales of Honeywell programs. In his new position, he will be responsible for all North American sales of Honeywell TFE731 and auxiliary power unit, Rolls-Royce Spey/Tay and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW300 engine services. He joined Dallas Airmotive in 1984 at a former Airwork facility in Millville, N.J.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL earned FAA Level D qualification for its Piaggio P180 Avanti flight simulator. The simulator will be based at FSI's learning center in West Palm Beach, Fla. FSI also is building a new simulator to provide training on the Avanti II, and will decide later where the trainer will be stationed.
FAA originally targeted the end of August for release of A008 and has pushed back the release date a few times since (BA, Aug. 21/79). Earlier this month, FAA officials told attendees at the NBAA annual Meeting and Convention that the document would be out at the end of October.
Was appointed regional engine manager for Dallas Airmotive. McLandsborough will be responsible for sales of Pratt & Whitney Canada engine repair and overhaul services in the North Central U.S. He has 30 years of industry experience as an aircraft mechanic and authorized inspector and in technical support. Most recently, he was manager of maintenance coordination for Jet Linx Aviation.
The International Civil Aviation Organization next month will introduce its new pilot license standard specifically for co-pilots, but pilot unions say they are concerned the new license will degrade safety. The multi-crew pilot license (MPL) will be recognized by ICAO from Nov. 23, and must also be recognized by ICAO member states even if they choose not to adopt the MPL themselves. The license "provides the aviation community with an opportunity to train pilots directly for co-pilot duties," according to ICAO.
