RNZ-850( )/-851( ) Integrated Navigation Units [Docket No. FAA-2005-20080; Directorate Identifier 2003-NM-193-AD; Amendment 39-14802; AD 2006-22-05] - Supersedes an existing airworthiness directive (AD), which applies to various aircraft equipped with certain Honeywell Primus II RNZ-850( )/-851( ) integrated navigation units (INUs). That AD, as one alternative for compliance, provides for a one-time inspection to determine whether a certain modification has been installed on the Honeywell Primus II NV-850 navigation receiver module (NRM), which is part of the INU.
SHIP IT AOG, an Addison, Texas-based business aviation parts supplier that was formed in 2000, is doubling its product offerings with an expanded inventory. The company recently moved into a 7,000-square-foot facility five times as large as its previous headquarters. The new facility provided space for a 25 percent boost in the sales force and a 150 percent increase in on-site inventory. AOG supplies a range of accessories such as hydraulic components, fuel boost pumps and motors from manufacturers including Goodrich, Lear-Romec, Sundstrand, ABS and Honeywell.
IRIDIUM was selected to provide its mobile satellite communications system for the Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet. Eclipse will develop a digital datalink system that incorporates the Iridium Satellite 9522A L-Band transceiver. The system will transmit operational data through the Iridium network of low-earth orbiting satellites. The data will provide "Out of Gate, Off Airport, On Airport, In Airport" times and engine trending information.
AirCell last week formally secured an exclusive air-to-ground broadband license from the Federal Communications Commission. AirCell, the winning bidder earlier this year in a spectrum reallocation auction (BA, June 12/265), will begin offering wireless broadband services to business aircraft and airlines in early 2008. AirCell President and CEO Jack Blumenstein called the award of the license "a historic event in the airborne telecommunications industry.
Was appointed director of marketing services and development for Dassault Falcon. Pointer previously was director of service engineering for the company. In his new role, he will be responsible for marketing administration and serve as the technical interface for Dassault Falcon with Dassault Aviation. Before joining Dassault Falcon in 1997, he was an aerospace project manager and research engineer for Physical Acoustics Corp. in Princeton, N.J.
VELOCITY GROUP believes too many manufacturers have jumped into the VLJ market, and not all will survive. The consultancy pointed to the regional turboprop market in the early 1980s, which attracted six OEMs. Now only two remain in production (ATR and Bombardier). Velocity Group also believes air taxi opportunities will be concentrated in the Southeast and Northeast, with few states west of the Mississippi having enough population centers to support VLJ-type air taxi service.
JET CHARTER BROKERS will be under scrutiny by the National Transportation Safety Board, part of the fallout from NTSB's investigation of the Feb. 2, 2005 Platinum Jet Management Challenger overrun accident at the Teterboro, N.J. Airport (TEB). The board issued its final report on that accident last week. During the discussion, Member Kathryn Higgins expressed concern about the role of Blue Star Jets, the charter broker that had arranged the charter flight for the client.
LANDMARK AVIATION received a five-year agreement to maintain Avantair's fleet of Avanti P.180 aircraft. The agreement, valued at $5 million, covers the carrier's fleet of Avanti P.180 aircraft and 36 Avanti II P.180 aircraft on order. The contract value could increase if more aircraft are added to the deal. The agreement covers a range of services, including heavy maintenance inspections.
I'd like to speak as a Board Member who made a living for the last 30 years by flying airplanes. Mr. Chairman, you commented earlier that you were somewhat incredulous that a professional crew would conduct this behavior. Mr. Chairman, I would submit to you that this was not a professional flight crew. The behavior exhibited by this crew was not at all indicative of a professional flight crew. Just because someone gets paid to fly airplanes does not mean that they are professional.
JET-CARE INTERNATIONAL added Pratt & Whitney and Williams engines to its portfolio of engine-trend monitoring programs. Jet-Care already provided engine trend monitoring for GE CF34 and Honeywell TFE731 and HTF7000 customers, but said multi-engine type operators asked for additional services. Based in Hampshire, United Kingdom and Cedar Knolls, N.J., Jet-Care has monitored the health of more than 14,000 engines in more than 80 countries.
Model CL-600-2B16 (CL-604) airplanes and Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26118; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-226-AD; Amendment 39-14803; AD 2006-22-06] - Supersedes an existing AD that requires revising the Emergency Procedures section of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) to advise the flightcrew of additional procedures to follow in the event of stabilizer trim runaway.
Has rejoined Midcoast Aviation as vice president, satellite MRO operations. Zarvos, who has 33 years of industry experience, formerly was director of Midcoast custom products. Most recently he was with Dallas Airmotive.
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.
