Dassault Aviation named TAG Aviation Farnborough an authorized service center. The authorization covers scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, transient service, troubleshooting, AOG support, basic inspections and A checks for the Falcon 50, 900 and 2000 aircraft families. TAG also provides line service, maintenance and inspections, including C checks, on Falcon 20s. Dassault also recently signed on Skyservice's Toronto maintenance facility as a Falcon line maintenance service center.
Bombardier boosted its aircraft support capabilities in the United Kingdom with the appointment of TAG Farnborough Engineering Ltd. and Gold Air International Ltd. as aircraft-on-ground/line maintenance facilities. The appointments increase the number of Bombardier business aircraft service facilities in Europe to 11. "The agreements with TAG Farnborough and Gold Air are another building block in the steady expansion of Bombardier's service footprint in Europe and elsewhere," said James Hoblyn, vice president, Bombardier Business Aircraft.
Rockwell Collins celebrated its fifth anniversary as an independent company this month by introducing a new logo, which was unveiled at the New York Stock Exchange July 11 when Rockwell Collins Chairman, President and CEO Clay Jones rang the exchange's closing bell. Five years ago, Rockwell Collins was separated from its former parent corporation, Rockwell International. The avionics manufacturer - which traces its roots back to the early 1930s, when the Collins Radio Company was established in Cedar Rapids, Iowa - recently won a $28 million U.S.
Model MU-2B series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-23644; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-03-AD; Amendment 39-14679; AD 2006-14-08] - Requires verifying that the current flight idle blade angles are set at 12 degrees. If not already set at that angle, set the flight idle blade angles to 12 degrees. This AD results from a recent safety evaluation that used a data-driven approach to analyze the design, operation, and maintenance of the MU-2B series airplanes to determine their safety and define what steps, if any, are necessary for their safe operation.
Cessna's smallest Citation, the Mustang very light jet, is progressing toward certification later this year, the company said last week, noting that three Mustangs in the development program have accumulated more than 1,400 flight hours and more than 850 flights. Cessna hopes to win European Aviation Safety Agency approval by mid-2007.
ACASS Canada selected KuBase Aviation Pvt. Ltd. as its sales representative in India for all corporate, private and commercial crew support services. The agreement is part of ACASS' strategy to expand its services globally through key local partners. "The Indian subcontinent is an emerging market with incredible potential," said David Dorrance, vice president of crew support and pilot placement at ACASS.
Joined Landmark Aviation as regional sales manager for Nevada, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and British Columbia. Thibault previously served as business director, maintenance operations, for The Air Group in Van Nuys, Calif. He also was director of quality control for both the Ameriflight and Saudi ARAMCO fleet of aircraft and has held technical operations positions with Gulfstream Aerospace and Raytheon.
Senate appropriators are holding the line on FAA funding next year, recommending a $14.257 billion budget in fiscal 2007. That is down slightly from the fiscal 2006 appropriation of $14.31 billion and almost $1 billion short of the House-passed figure. The Senate number is still higher than the $13.75 billion FAA requested. Under the Senate bill, FAA operations would get a slight increase, while airports and equipment funding would remain close to current levels. Sen.
The Senate Commerce Committee last week approved a bill that would authorize a $164 million budget for the National Transportation Safety Board over the next two years, about $15 million shy of the agency's original request. The NTSB Reauthorization Act calls for a $79.6 million budget in fiscal 2007, which would keep staffing nearly level at 399 full-time employees. The act also would authorize $84.4 million in fiscal 2008, below the safety board's request of $99.974 million.
Bombardier Aerospace has seen sales for its business jet product line pick up in Europe with orders from VistaJet for three Bombardier Challenger 605 business jets and from two operators for its new Learjet 60 XR midsize jet.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey and European Transport Commissioner Jacques Barrot agreed to coordinate their respective programs for the modernization of navigation - the U.S.'s Next Generation Air Transport System (NGATS) and Europe's Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR).
Named modifications sales manager for Landmark Aviation. Zegarski will oversee sales for Landmark in the western U.S. He has more than 30 years of aviation experience, including 11 years in the modifications business as a regional sales manager, and as completions sales and customer account manager at Bombardier Aerospace in Tucson. He oversaw Global Express and Challenger completions and refurbishments and also had widebody MRO sales responsibility for 105 Bombardier aircraft based in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern California and Hawaii.
Aerion, the Reno, Nev.-based start-up company concentrating on development of a supersonic business jet, is expecting to conduct high-speed testing on its supersonic laminar flow wing next month, using a rocket sled to reach the Mach 1.5 test speed (BA, June 12/261). The company also continues to refine its business case and recently hired a new chief financial officer, James Stewart, to present that case to potential partners.
Airbus sold 13 corporate versions of its airliner family to customers in the first half, the company said last week. The sales comprised eight ACJs (A319s), four A318 Elites and an A330-200 Prestige. The manufacturer said buyers included the government of the Czech Republic, two ACJs; JETALLIANCE of Austria, one A318 and one A319; the Stumpf Group of Austria, one A319; and two A318s for National Aviation Services of Saudi Arabia. The customers for the other six airplanes sold in the first six months were not disclosed.
AOPA ESTIMATES nearly 6 million Americans saw a TV segment on learning to fly last Thursday morning when NBC's popular "Today Show" aired a feature on the association's Project Pilot.
Model EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-23739; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-240-AD] - Withdraws an NPRM that would have required modifying the routing of wire harness W407 near the fire extinguishing tube in the area of each engine, and installing new supports for related wiring. Since the proposed AD was issued, FAA has received new data indicating that the identified unsafe condition does not exist. Accordingly, the proposed AD is withdrawn.
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION officials got an earful Wednesday at a "listening session" with industry representatives in Los Angeles to discuss the agency's proposed revisions to its Twelve-Five Standard Security Program (TFSSP) and associated screening procedures for passenger and cargo aircraft with maximum takeoff weights of more than 12,500 pounds up to slightly more than 100,000 pounds.
THE NUMBER of high-yield passengers using the scheduled airlines is decreasing, with significant levels of customers migrating to business aviation, according to an aviation consulting group. See article on Page 23.
Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701, and 702) Airplanes, Model CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705) Airplanes, and Model CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-24074; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-213-AD; Amendment 39-14676; AD 2006-14-05] - Supersedes an existing AD, which applies to certain Bombardier Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700 and 701) and CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) series airplanes.
Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-25232; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-106-AD] - Proposes to require repetitive inspections of the wing top skin under the Rib 0 joint strap, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD results from a report of a significant crack in the wing top skin under the Rib 0 joint strap. FAA is proposing this AD to detect and correct corrosion and cracking in that area, which could result in reduced structural integrity of the wing.
TPE331 series turboprop, and TSE331-3U model turboshaft engines [Docket No. FAA-2006-23704; Directorate Identifier 2006-NE-02-AD; Amendment 39-14674; AD 2006-14-03] - Requires implementing a new flight cycle counting method for first, second, and third-stage turbine rotors used in aircraft that make multiple takeoffs and landings without an engine shutdown, and removing turbine rotors from service that have reached or exceeded their cycle life limits. This new flight cycle counting method requires determining total equivalent cycles accrued.
FIXED-BASE OPERATOR Tampa International Jet Center has entered a "long-term strategic relationship" with ExecuJet Charter Services, which was formerly located in Clearwater, Fla. ExecuJet now bases six turbine-powered aircraft at TIJC. The two companies say they plan to "develop and grow the aircraft charter/management market in the Tampa/St. Pete area in order to expand their respective levels of traffic." Phil Botana is general manager of TIJC and Peter Cunzolo is president and owner of ExecuJet.
