State Department officials told the flight training community last week that they would prefer the Department of Homeland Security handle the J-1 Visa Program for flight training since DHS already has the infrastructure to deal with other, shorter-term flight training programs involving foreign students. Department of State earlier this year released a proposal that would, among other things, limit the time a student could train in the U.S., which many flight training officials believe would undercut the purpose of the program.
The National Air Transportation Association urged Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta to carefully examine attempts by airports to use federal grant dollars for public-run ground-handling services that compete with the private sector. Some airports have applied for funds through DOT's Small Community Air Service Development grant program to provide ground-handling services.
Betting that the seeds of brand loyalty can be planted with airplanes priced below the $209,750 Model 172R, Cessna plans to unveil a proof-of-concept Light Sport Aircraft at next month's Experimental Aircraft Association gathering in Oshkosh, Wis. See article below.
National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen urged members to continue to voice their opposition to user fees to Congress. Too often, this issue is considered a Washington issue that doesn't affect the rest of the country, Bolen noted. But, he added, "This is clearly getting outside Washington, D.C. There's a real fire. Our community is very much under attack." He cited recent articles in Business Week and the Wall Street Journal.
Airborne communications specialist AirCell was the high bidder in the Federal Communications Commission's recent spectrum auction for air-to-ground broadband frequencies. In the coming months AirCell will obtain an exclusive license to provide wireless broadband services to business aircraft and airlines in the U.S. The company also is restructuring with a cash infusion from the investment firm Ripplewood Holdings in preparation for its new phase of business.
The White House said last week President Bush plans to nominate Robert L. Sumwalt III, a former airline pilot and current head of a corporate flight department, for a seat on the National Transportation Safety Board. Sumwalt will be nominated for the remainder of a five-year term expiring at the end of 2006, and for an additional five-year term expiring at the end of 2011. Once Sumwalt is confirmed by the Senate, Bush plans to designate him as the vice chairman of the safety board.
The State Department's proposed changes to the J-1 Visa Program for flight training are so onerous, that it could end the program altogether, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association warned. As a part of a more comprehensive rulemaking on the Exchange Visitor Program - Training and Internship Programs, the Department of State proposed in April to limit the time a foreign student could remain in the U.S. for flight training under a J-1 visa.
Named vice president and controller for M7 Aerospace, where he will be responsible for the company's financial accounting and informational technology, including all aspects of accounting, audits, internal controls and financial reporting. He has more than 20 years of financial management experience. Before joining M7 he was chief financial officer and senior vice president of finance for MDI, Inc., of San Antonio, a global supplier of network security systems.
Vigorous business growth over the past couple of years has forced TAG Aviation USA to relocate its Eastern Support Center from Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y. to larger facilities in nearby Rye Brook, N.Y.
Frank Lanza, 74, the chief executive officer of L-3 Communications, died unexpectedly June 6. No cause of death was immediately identified. In what would prove to be his final interview, Lanza told BA affiliate Aviation Week & Space Technology June 1 that the company has had a "succession plan in the works for about two years." The full interview appears in the June 12 issue.
Raytheon Aircraft appointed Canadian services company Skyservice as an authorized service center for Bonanza, Baron and King Air aircraft. The authorization covers Skyservice's facilities in Montreal and Toronto. Raytheon Aircraft also named General Dynamics Aviation Services in Westfield, Mass. as a Hawker 800-series authorized service center.
Embraer cut the first metal for its Phenom 100 Very Light Jet, slightly more than a year since the program was announced (BA, May 9, 2005/207). The first part is a fuselage component that connects to an engine pylon. It was milled from a block of aluminum alloy. Embraer says the Phenom 100, priced at $2.85 million in 2005 dollars, will enter service in mid-2008.
United Technologies entered into an agreement with the Department of Defense to pay $283 million in settlement of a contract dispute. The agreement ends litigation over Pratt & Whitney's cost accounting for engine parts on commercial engine collaboration programs from 1984-2000.
Dassault doubled the spares warranty duration on all Dassault Falcon replacement parts to 24 months from time of installation or 30 months from time of purchase. The new warranty takes effect this month and will cover warranty claims on parts purchased from Dassault Falcon since June 1, 2004. Dassault announced the new warranties to some 1,300 Falcon operators attending the company's Worldwide M&O in Boca Raton, Fla.
Bombardier Aerospace said the Challenger 300 business jet fleet - which now includes 80 aircraft - is achieving a dispatch reliability of 99.5 percent. The Challenger 300 is powered by Honeywell HTF 7000 engines.
British Columbia-based General Hydrogen Corp. has been tapped by the Canadian government for a project to test using fuel cell power packs in aircraft tugs that tow baggage for Air Canada at Vancouver Airport.
The House Appropriations Committee last week approved a $15.2 billion budget for FAA in fiscal 2006, $1.4 billion more than the agency's 2006 level and $2.4 billion more than the Administration request (BA (June 5/255). The bill called for full airport funding of $3.7 billion, despite the Administration's request for nearly $1 billion less. The House appropriators also called for a $3.5 billion general fund contribution to FAA.
Promoted to senior vice president of finance and corporate development for M7 Aerospace of San Antonio, Texas. Brown, who had been vice president of corporate development, is now responsible for all of M7's corporate finance organization. He is a magna cum laude graduate of Texas Tech University with bachelor's degrees in finance and economics.
A bill aimed at sending FAA and controllers back to the bargaining table was defeated by a thin margin on the House floor Wednesday night, but the controllers union said the congressional battle over its new contract will continue.
A construction project at Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil has forced the National Business Aviation Association and the Associação Brasileira de Aviação Geral (ABAG) to shelve the 2006 Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (LABACE2006). The event, jointly sponsored by the two organizations, originally was scheduled for Aug. 10-12 at Congonhas Airport.
Landmark Aviation completed a $2.6 million interior renovation and ramp expansion at its Los Angeles International Airport fixed-base operation, including 35,000-square-feet of additional ramp space and a new lobby, pilot lounge, conference room and VIP area.
