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.
HONDAJET plans to establish five regional sales groups in the U.S. to market and sell the company's new business jet, which has an initial price of $3.65 million. The sales organizations will be located in the East, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest and Northwest.
AEROSPACE PRODUCTS INTERNATIONAL is consolidating warehouse operations in a new 172,000-square-foot facility in Southaven, Miss. near Memphis International Airport. The Southaven facility will house operations spread out among four of API's warehouses. API's headquarters will remain at the current Memphis location.
Cessna Aircraft Company began flight tests of its new Light Sport Aircraft this month, the latest step in a process to decide whether to proceed with development of a new line of small aircraft priced well below the company's traditional single-engine models.
CESSNA CITATION CUSTOMERS have been asking for an aircraft like the Large Cabin Concept mockup unveiled last week for at least 15 years, according to one veteran Cessna jet salesman. But the LCC project would represent a departure from the company's successful template of curbing development costs by evolving new models from aircraft already in the product line. The LCC would appear to be an entirely new aircraft, which would drive up development expenses.
Fractional ownership provider NetJets continues to expand its fleet options by signing a deal valued at more than $500 million for 48 of Raytheon Aircraft Company's (RAC) newest Hawkers, the Hawker 750 and the Hawker 900XP, NetJets and RAC announced last week. RAC is moving forward with the two new Hawkers after a market analysis and an examination of the Hawker line demonstrated that "an opportunity was not being satisfied in the light-midsize jet market," the company said.
GOLFER ARNOLD PALMER, a decades-long pilot and business aviation user, took exception to Blakey's views when he followed her to the microphone. He questioned the wisdom behind attempts to eliminate the current excise tax system, adding, "Anyone who thinks user fees work hasn't flown much in Europe." Palmer noted airline support for user fees commenting, "It's unfortunate that the airlines have taken such a radical and polarizing position."
PILATUS AIRCRAFT signed an agreement with The Trend Group to provide trend monitoring for the PC-12 single-turboprop aircraft. Under the agreement Pilatus will include one year of Trend Group monitoring and analysis services with the sale of each new PC-12. The aircraft is equipped with an Engine Instrument System that records engine data during flight. The Trend Group will analyze the data and alert operators to changes in engine performance. Pilatus said this will enable operators to correct minor problems before they become major problems.
DONALD JAY was named chief operating officer for Elliott Aviation. Jay formerly served as vice president of branch and flight operations where he was responsible for Elliott's facilities at Flying Cloud Regional Airport in Eden Prairie, Minn., Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Neb., Des Moines International Airport and Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Ill. He joined Elliott in 1989 as director of customer service and was named vice president and general manager in 1991. He has more than 30 years of general aviation experience and 7,000 flight hours.
DAVID C. HURLEY, a veteran business aviation executive, was unanimously elected chairman of the National Air and Space Museum (NASM) board of directors. The board oversees the operation of the flagship aviation museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., along with the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center adjacent to Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va. Hurley is the former chief executive and current vice chairman of PrivatAir.
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, which is in the midst of developing a full line of business jets, announced details last week of a wide-ranging series of agreements and plans for a comprehensive network of support programs for that family of aircraft.
-- 33,088: Attendance at last week's National Business Aviation Association 59th Annual Meeting and Convention in Orlando, Fla. set a record for the annual gathering. Attendance was up 14 percent from the 2005 event, which also was held in Orlando. The previous record was 31,665, set at the 1998 convention in Las Vegas, Nev. This year's convention also attracted 1,140 exhibitors, who bought 5,235 10-by-10-foot booth spaces. The exhibit floor sold out more than a month before the event. The static display at Orlando Executive Airport drew 117 aircraft.
Model EMB-135BJ and EMB-145XR Airplanes [Docket No. 2004-NM-36-AD; Amendment 39-14788; AD 2006-21-04] - Requires, for all airplanes, installation of an additional indication device to the clear-ice indication system. For certain airplanes, this AD requires replacing the existing clear-ice indication lamp with a new, improved lamp. For certain other airplanes, this AD also requires modifying certain electrical connections to add an indication device to the clear-ice indication system, removing a certain placard, and re-activating the clear-ice additional indicator lamp.
Cessna Aircraft, looking to expand its portfolio beyond its stable of light to midsize jets, unveiled a "Large Cabin Concept" aircraft as one of three new products on display at last week's National Business Aviation Association annual meeting and convention in Orlando, Fla. Cessna also formally announced the CJ4 (BA, Sept. 4/105) and detailed plans to upgrade its best-selling airplane, the Citation XLS+.
ROGER N. McMULLIN, president and CEO of TAG Aviation Holdings in Geneva, Switzerland, plans to retire at the end of the year and will relocate to the U.S. where he will serve as chairman of the board and be based in the San Francisco area. McMullin, who was associated with Aviation Methods for many years, later was one of the founding partners of TAG Aviation USA.
A prestigious group of four safety advocacy, standards-setting and air traffic control organizations issued a joint resolution last week calling on governments to focus aviation accident investigations on finding the causes of accidents and preventing similar ones rather than attempting to place blame and bringing criminal charges against those involved.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL has developed a new simulator-based training course designed to ease the anxiety of business aircraft travelers. The Confident Flight course was developed to provide passengers with a better understanding of a business aircraft and the flight crew. The course, which covers basic flying characteristics, weather issues and the air traffic control system, also explains the training regimen for pilots.
Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26046; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-172-AD] - Proposes to require inspecting for discrepancies of the activation mechanism of certain chemical oxygen generators, and corrective action if necessary. This proposed AD results from several incidents, on certain airplane models, of incorrect installation of the release pin into the safety pin hole of the activation mechanism of the chemical oxygen generator; this resulted in failure to activate the chemical oxygen generator when required.
Models SR20 and SR22 Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-24010; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-14-AD; Amendment 39-14787; AD 2006-21-03] - Requires checking the maintenance records to determine whether the brake caliper piston O-ring seals were replaced at the last annual or 100-hour inspection. If the O-rings were not replaced, this AD requires replacing the O-ring seals with new seals or replacing brake calipers.
