Was named vice president of operations for Innotech Aviation's interior completions center in Montreal. St. Germain will be responsible for the company's completions, maintenance and contracts business and oversee a staff of more than 150. He has more than 25 years of custom completions experience, including assisting in the delivery of the first Canadair Challenger interior completion in 1981.
General aviation plane-makers are on pace for another record year in billings, bringing in $13.2 billion through the first nine months, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported Friday. The billings are up 28.6 percent from the $10.3 billion reported in the first three quarters of 2005, and are $1.9 billion shy of billings for all of 2005.
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD will hold a hearing tomorrow (Oct. 31) to discuss its findings in the Challenger CL-600 overrun accident at the Teterboro, N.J. Airport (TEB) in February 2005 (BA, Feb. 7, 2005/61). The accident touched off a storm of complaints from politicians and nearby residents about the high traffic levels at the airport and led airport users to agree to a voluntary ban on Stage 2 aircraft and a nighttime curfew (BA, Oct. 9/162).
Was named chief financial officer for Ship it AOG, the Addison, Texas firm that distributes aircraft parts for the business aviation sector. Winterrowd has been with the company since its inception in 2000. She spent the first 20 years of her career in the banking industry, before moving to aviation in 1996, working for Arnoni Aviation in Houston, Texas and Garrett Aviation in Phoenix, Ariz. "Karen has been instrumental in the growth of our company," said George Miller, president of Ship it AOG. Winterrowd holds a bachelor's degree in business administration.
HONEYWELL said its Primus Epic Control Display System/Retrofit (CDS/R) has won FAA certification for installation on Dassault Falcon 50, Falcon 900B and Raytheon Hawker 800A business jets.
JET AVIATION signed a number of agreements in the past few months that will add 22 aircraft to its charter and management fleet, including two Boeing Business Jets. One of the BBJs is the first Jet Aviation will manage in North America. Other recent additions to Jet Aviation's fleet include Falcons, Citations, Gulfstreams, Challengers, Hawkers, a Global Express and a Boeing 727-100. The increase in aircraft comes as Jet Aviation's charter business remains strong.
KENNETH E. GAZZOLA, former executive vice president and publisher of Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine, joined simulator training provider FlightSafety International. The company said Gazzola will be based in Washington, D.C. where he will support marketing efforts and will "work closely with FlightSafety's senior management to identify and explore business opportunities and to serve the company's customers worldwide."
ANDRE WALL was appointed chief operating officer for Jet Aviation for EMEA, Asia and South America. Wall succeeds Heinz Kohli, who is focusing on his role as chief executive for the Jet Aviation Group. Wall is joining Jet Aviation from MTU Maintenance in Berlin, Germany, where he was president and chief executive. He also spent eight years with Rolls-Royce AeroEngines in Germany and the United Kingdom.
DALLAS AIRMOTIVE signed an agreement with Rolls-Royce to provide repair and overhaul services for operators of Tay-powered aircraft enrolled in the CorporateCare program. Roll-Royce offers the CorporateCare engine management program for the AE 3007, Tay and BR710 engines. Dallas Airmotive said the agreement "maximizes operator coverage and global support spanning both on-wing servicing and complete engine MRO." Dallas Airmotive has supported Rolls-Royce engines since 1959, beginning with the Dart and then the Spey. The company began servicing Tay engines in 1986.
DESPITE A BACKLOG of orders for some 2,500 Eclipse 500 Very Light Jets, Eclipse President Vern Raburn said the aircraft continues to draw new customers and orders. Raburn said Eclipse has logged new orders for nearly 100 aircraft just since the Experimental Aircraft Association convention in Oshkosh, Wis. at the end of July.
Model DHC-8-400 Series Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26050; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-078-AD] - Proposes to supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD) that applies to certain Bombardier Model DHC-8-400 series airplanes. The existing AD currently requires revising the airplane flight manual (AFM) to advise the flight crew of appropriate procedures to follow in the event that a main landing gear (MLG) fails to extend following a gear-down selection.
LANDMARK AVIATION acquired Executive Aircraft Ltd. at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) in British Columbia, Canada. Landmark was already operating an FBO at the airport and now offers aircraft operators 190,000 square feet of hangar, office and terminal space, where it provides around the clock fueling and related services. A ramp expansion to adjoin the two properties is planned.
ROBERT SMITH was promoted to senior vice president of operations for Dassault Falcon Jet's completion center in Little Rock, Ark. Smith will be responsible for industrial operations, engineering and material control for the center. Before that, he was vice president, industrial operations for the center.
MATTHEW DESCH was named chairman and chief executive of Iridium Satellite LLC. Desch replaces Dan Colussy, who became chairman of Iridium Satellite's parent, Iridium Holdings. Desch joins Iridium with more than 26 years of wireless and telecom experience. Most recently he was chief executive of Telcordia Technologies, a New Jersey-based telecommunications software and services company. He also spent 13 years at Nortel Networks, where he filled senior management roles, including president, Global Services Providers, and president of the Wireless Networks division.
PIAGGIO AERO officials said the production rate for the P.180 pusher-prop Avanti II is now up to 2.5 aircraft per month. The manufacturer claims a backlog valued at more than $600 million and expects to deliver 32 Avantis in 2007.
CESSNA OFFICIALS did not specify a price for the LCC since the project is in the preliminary stages and a long way from being delivered. But one official familiar with the program suggested the price would probably be in the $27 million to $30 million range, adding that the new aircraft might not be available until 2013.
LANDMARK AVIATION entered into a collaborative agreement with Magnum UK to provide TPE331 turboprop maintenance and repairs at a new 12,000-square-foot center in New Delhi, India. Landmark and Magnum will jointly staff and operate the facility, which will offer hot-section inspections, overhauls and TPE331-10 conversions. The facility is slated to open in 2007. Landmark will train the technicians at its facilities in Los Angeles and Augusta, Ga.
FAA ADMINISTRATOR Marion Blakey renewed her call last week to overhaul the FAA funding system, reiterating that "we need a stable, cost-based stream of revenue" during her remarks at the opening session of last week's NBAA convention. Blakey has long been among those arguing for a new system of user fees on business aviation.
POTENTIAL BUYERS for Raytheon Aircraft Company are performing due diligence reviews of the Wichita-based aircraft manufacturer, but it is not clear whether the process will result in actual bids for the company. One senior executive for another original equipment manufacturer said he heard Raytheon was seeking $3 billion initially, but suggested bids around $2 billion or slightly lower would be more likely.
AIRCELL was selected to provide its AirCell ST3100 Satcom system as standard equipment aboard the Hawker 4000 super-midsize business jet. The ST3100 uses the Iridium Satellite System to provide worldwide coverage. The system is standard or optional on nearly two dozen aircraft programs and is offered on the Hawker 850XP and 400XP as well as the Beechcraft Premier IA, King Air 350 and King Air B200. The ST3100 handsets include a full color display with graphical menus, noise reduction for sound clarity, integrated headset, internal phone book and custom settings.
Model F.28 Mark 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26044; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-098-AD] - Proposes to require a one-time inspection of the left- and right-hand main landing gear (MLG) downlock actuators or a review of the airplane maintenance records to determine the part number of each downlock actuator installed, and replacement of identified MLG downlock actuators with modified MLG downlock actuators. This proposed AD results from a report of a failed downlock actuator, which resulted in the left MLG collapsing during taxi after landing.
ELLIOTT AVIATION won European Aviation Safety Agency approval to maintain and modify European-registered aircraft. The company is seeking European certification to install Elementary and Enhanced Mode-S Surveillance and Digital Flight Data Recorders on Proline 21-equipped Beechcraft King Air 350 and B200 aircraft. The Mode-S units are required on all European aircraft.
Piper Aircraft officials went public last week with their plans to bring a single-engine jet to the market in 2010, an aircraft with a base price of $2.199 million that will have a range of 1,300 nautical miles with IFR reserves. Piper, which currently builds the single-engine, piston-powered Malibu and the single-turboprop Meridian, displayed a mockup of an aircraft with a tail-mounted engine in a configuration very reminiscent of the No. 2 engine in a McDonnell Douglas DC-10.
