Fractional aircraft operator NetJets named company veteran John Colucci executive vice president-sales. Colucci joined NetJets in 1993 in the early days of the fractional aircraft program. In mid-1993, the company had 25 Cessna Citation business jets and 111 customers. Today the company is operating more than 645 airplanes in its worldwide fleet for more than 3,400 fractional-share customers.
SAFE FLIGHT INSTRUMENT CORPORATION last week celebrated the company's 60th anniversary. Leonard Greene, who in the spring of 1944 witnessed an airplane crash involving a friend, founded Safe Flight in October 1946 to develop lift instrumentation that would warn a pilot that he is nearing a stall. Greene patented the wing-mounted lift detector, which became the first stall warning device. Since then, manufacturers have installed some form of stall warning on every aircraft produced.
(Beech) Model 400, 400A, and 400T series airplanes; and Raytheon (Mitsubishi) Model MU-300 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26004; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-212-AD; Amendment 39-14785; AD 2006-21-02] - Requires revising the Airplane Flight Manual to modify the Operating Limitations, Abnormal Procedures, and Normal Procedures, as applicable, for flight in icing conditions. This AD results from multiple reports of high-altitude, dual-engine flameouts on airplanes operating in certain meteorological conditions (BA, Aug. 28/91).
Viking Air Ltd. began accepting deposits from customers last month for new production models of an updated Twin Otter utility aircraft - an airplane company officials hope to be delivering within a little more than two years (BA, July 17/23).
JET SOURCE CHARTER added a King Air 350 to its fleet of managed and charter aircraft. The aircraft, which will be available for charter by the end of the month, will be based at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, Calif.
New World Jet Corp. (NWJC) signed a new long-term strategic operations agreement with Jet Aviation, NWJC said last week. "Since 1996, New World Jet has maintained an excellent strategic relationship with Jet Aviation," said Bruce McNeely, CEO of NWJC. The company changed hands about a year ago when Gold Jets LLC bought NWJC (BA, Feb. 20/79). NWJC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gold Jets and is a Part 135 air carrier with a fleet of more than 30 aircraft.
CHC Helicopter Corp. founder Craig L. Dobbin, died Oct. 7, but it appears the company will continue to be controlled by the Dobbin family and operations will continue as normal under the details of a carefully scripted succession plan (BA, Oct. 9/167).
The number of fatal accidents involving U.S. business jet and turboprop operators was up in the first nine months of 2006, but the total number of accidents declined slightly.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION selected Cessna Aircraft Company as the first recipient of the association's Albert Ueltschi Humanitarian Award. Cessna will be recognized for its "leadership and spirit of service demonstrated by the Cessna Citation Special Olympics Airlift." The airlift provides roundtrip transportation for about 1,500 Special Olympics athletes and their coaches when the event is held every four years. Operators of 235 Cessna Citation aircraft participated in the 2006 airlift this summer in Des Moines, Iowa.
LINDA TARDIF recently joined simulator training provider CAE as senior manager of marketing communications, simulation products and military training and services. Tardif had been a long-time public affairs official at Pratt & Whitney Canada. Based at CAE headquarter in St. Laurent, Quebec, she is responsible for managing trade media relations, including both advertising and editorial.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT hopes to boost sales of its Beechcraft Baron G58 and Bonanza G36 models by offering a five-year extended warranty for aircraft sold this year. The warranty comes in addition to a 1-2-3 promotion that includes 5.99 percent financing for one year, two years of free fuel and three free training options. The warranty covers Beechcraft parts as well as supplier systems and components. The warranty on paint, interiors, avionics and engines remains the same.
Jet Aviation is expanding its use of the Midcoast brand and is selling its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business in Dallas as part of a restructuring of the Swiss-based company's U.S. operations. Jet Aviation, which acquired Midcoast Aviation from Sabreliner Corp. earlier this year (BA, March 27/141), is rebranding its MRO divisions in Bedford, Mass., Palm Beach, Fla., Teterboro, N.J. and Chicago to the Midcoast name. Jet Aviation also is shifting heavy maintenance from the Palm Beach facility to the original Midcoast base in St. Louis.
AIR CRUISERS COMPANY won Canadian supplemental type certification for installation of its emergency flotation system on Eurocopter AS350 and 355 helicopters. The pneumatically activated system also is FAA-approved for the AS350B, B1, B2, BA and B3 models and AS355F1, F2 and N models. Air Cruisers estimates installation time at six to eight hours, noting that the system does not require cable adjustments or electrical connections. The system inflates in less than 2.5 seconds and can deploy in flight at speeds up to 135 knots and altitudes up to 6,600 feet.
TIMKEN is adding a new $12 million technology center in Mesa, Ariz., that will more than double the company's aftermarket operations in the region. Timken will vacate the Gilbert, Ariz. facility over the next several months as it settles into the new 85,000-square-foot manufacturing and technology center. The new facility will enable Timken to integrate its specialized engineering, manufacturing, reconditioning and service functions. The center will provide parts overhaul and repair, parts distribution and sales, and customer service.
RAY GORMAN was named to manage accounts in the western U.S. and Canada for VISTAGY, a Waltham, Mass. developer of specialized engineering software for the aerospace and automotive industries. Gorman joined VISTAGY in 2002, and before that held sales and product development positions with SolidWorks, Spatial Technology and AT&T.
Model EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-23145; Directorate Identifier 2000-NM-215-AD; Amendment 39-14777; AD 2006-20-08] - Supersedes an existing AD that currently requires repetitive inspections to detect cracking or failure of the rod ends of the aileron power control actuator (PCA), and corrective actions if necessary.
FOUR PEOPLE were killed Tuesday when a chartered BAe 146-200 ran off the end of a runway at Norway's Stord Airport and caught fire. The aircraft was being operated by Atlantic Airways of the Faeroe Islands and was carrying three crewmembers and 13 passengers. The aircraft had been chartered by a construction firm to carry workers who were building a marine terminal.
ART MANNI joined Downing Aviation Associates, a Phoenix, Ariz. consulting firm, as a senior associate. Manni most recently was vice president and general manager of the Defense division of AmSafe. He also has served as vice president of sales and business development at EaglePicher Technologies and has filled business development and management roles at both Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney Canada.
AVJET CORPORATION is adding a 54,000-square-foot hangar at the Burbank, Calif. Airport. Located across the airport from its current headquarters, the new building will be able to accommodate two Boeing Business Jets and a Gulfstream V. The new hangar is scheduled for completion in December 2007. Avjet currently operates four hangars that house more than 30 managed aircraft in the Avjet fleet.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION is working with other government officials and industry "to review current guidelines for general aviation and temporary flight restrictions," the agency said in a statement released late Thursday, one day after a Cirrus SR20 crashed into a high-rise condominium building near the East River in Manhattan, killing New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and a flight instructor.
