Two engine makers last week were bullish in their predictions for the civil helicopter market over the next decade, forecasting deliveries of up to 6,000 helicopters through 2016. Honeywell, which primarily focused on the next five years, predicted civil helicopter sales to be at least 15 percent greater between 2006 and 2010 than they were between 2001 and 2005. Nearly 6,000 new civil helicopters will be sold in the 11 years between 2006 and 2016, Honeywell predicted.
Model GIV-X and GV-SP series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-23966; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-024-AD; Amendment 39-14495; AD 2006-04-13] - requires revising the Limitations section of the Airplane Flight Manual by incorporating new procedures to follow in the event that the cockpit displays go blank or malfunction. This AD results from a report that all four of the cockpit flight panel display units simultaneously went blank during flight.
Boeing unit Alteon Training broke ground on a new $61.2 million (U.S.) regional training center in Singapore. Located near Changi Airport, the 7,000-square-meter center will be large enough to train 6,000 pilots and flight attendants annually.
Safe Flight Instrument Corporation is working with Trans Helicopter Service (THS) of Paris, France to obtain European Aviation Safety Agency certification for the Powerline Detection System (PDS) aboard a Eurocopter AS 355. THS will market and distribute the PDS following certification, and Safe Flight is negotiating with two European insurance companies for insurance discounts as well as with Eurocopter of France for installation and support. The system already is distributed in the U.S., Scandinavia, South Africa and Brazil.
The Air Transport Association this week is scheduled to unveil its own proposal for financing the FAA, a package that for the first time will have the endorsement of all ATA airlines - not just the legacy carriers. Southwest Chairman Herb Kelleher told an audience at the FAA Forecast Conference last week that the airlines have all agreed to support an ATA proposal for implementing user fees. Kelleher said the proposal will have a "straightforward funding mechanism" that will not be anti-competitive.
Flight Explorer released the latest version of its Professional Edition flight management decision support software. Version 6.0 includes upgrades in the routing, weather prediction, and air traffic and airport congestion awareness capabilities. Flight Explorer Professional 6.0 enables users to import and display company and preferred routes with current and predicted weather and air traffic overlays. The software also provides access to predicted graphical weather scenarios six hours ahead and forecasts anticipated traffic at an airport.
Adam Aircraft signed a letter of intent to form a strategic partnership with Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd. ST Aerospace will provide engineering, logistics, maintenance, repair and overhaul support for both Adam's A500 twin-piston and A700 twin jet. The agreement also includes options for ST Aerospace to invest up to $50 million in the startup aircraft maker, which is headquartered at Centennial Airport (APA) in Englewood, Colo. The option is exercisable within seven years.
Reciprocating engine cylinder assemblies [Docket No. FAA-2005-22358; Directorate Identifier 2005-NE-20-AD] - proposes to supersede an existing AD for Lycoming Engines Models 320, 360, and 540 series, "Parallel Valve'' reciprocating engines, with ECi cylinder assemblies, Part Number (P/N) AEL65102 series "Classic Cast,'' installed. That AD currently requires replacing these ECi cylinder assemblies. This proposed AD would require the same actions, but would replace the "Engine Models'' Table 1 and "Engines Installed On, But Not Limited To'' Table 2 with corrected tables.
General Aviation lobbyists are hoping Congress will suspend implementation of a new tax law that requires aviation jet fuel vendors to pay the higher diesel fuel tax rate and then apply for a refund for the difference between the highway fuel tax and aviation fuel tax. IRS started enforcing the rules early this year, and some vendors have found the agency was threatening to audit companies seeking refunds. Other vendors say IRS officials are demanding that vendors post a bond before refund requests are processed - in case the IRS wants to reclaim the refund later.
Gulfstream Aerospace, whose aircraft manufacturing plant has been "bursting at the seams" for several years, will announce a major, multi-year expansion program during ceremonies in Savannah, Ga. today (March 6). Over the years, Gulfstream has moved some operations, such as aircraft painting and completions, to new facilities as aircraft production rates have climbed, but the actual amount of manufacturing space at company headquarters in Savannah has remained relatively unchanged since the late 1960s.
Delivery of a new generation of Very Light Jets (VLJs), the first of which will be delivered to owners later this year, will drive up general aviation flight hours and help double the size of the turbine-powered U.S. fleet over the next 12 years, according to FAA's latest assessment, which was unveiled at the 31st Annual FAA Aviation Forecast Conference last week in Washington, D.C.
March 20-23 - National Business Aviation Association International Operators Conference, Tampa, Fla., (202) 783-9000 March 22-23 - Federal Aviation Administration General Aviation Summit, Doubletree Hotel, Overland Park, Kan., (816) 329-4117 March 23-25 - 17th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference, Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tenn., (937) 839-4647
Named western region vice president, management and charter sales for Executive Jet Management (EJM). Pedicino will oversee EJM's San Jose, Calif. office and be responsible for charter sales in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington. He joined EJM as vice president, business development for the West Coast in 2000. Before that, Pedicino was vice president of Lenicom Network Consulting in Los Angeles. He also has worked for Peterson Aviation and Clay Lacy Aviation.
Raytheon Aircraft was awarded FAA certification for its newest Hawker, the 850XP, an upgraded Hawker 800XPi with Raytheon-designed winglets. The winglets boost range by 100 nautical miles and decrease the aircraft's climb time by eight percent. The winglets incorporate LED position lights that have a 5,000-hour mean time between failures. Raytheon Aircraft also is offering improved scheduled maintenance intervals with only a detailed walk-around inspection required at 300 hours and scheduled maintenance at 600 hours.
Joined Schubach Aviation as chief pilot. Standish is responsible for managing the pilot staff and training. Standish has 16 years of aviation experience, most recently as an instructor and check pilot for Hawker jets at CAE Simuflite in Dallas, Texas. She also spent 13 years as a chief pilot at Crow Executive Air in Toledo, Ohio and as a staff sergeant in the Ohio Air National Guard.
BBA Aviation Services Group acquired Ontic Engineering & Manufacturing Inc., a worldwide provider of aircraft parts and services, in a transaction announced Tuesday.
Joined Wingspeed Corp. as vice president of customer service. Kyslowsky will oversee customer relations and develop Wingspeed's customer service organization that supports the company's XLLink system product line. He has 25 years of management experience in the software and telecommunications industries, formerly serving as vice president of customer service for OuterLink. He also has served with Lotus, Mathsoft, Beyond and Octocom.
IV A and IV C series turboshaft engines [Docket No. 99-NE-12-AD] - proposes to supersede an existing AD for Turbomeca Turmo IV A and IV C series turboshaft engines that currently requires borescope and eddy current inspections or ultrasonic inspections of centrifugal compressor intake wheel blades for cracks and evidence of corrosion pitting, and replacement with serviceable parts. This proposed AD would require the same actions, but would require borescope inspections at more frequent intervals for certain engines.
Federal Aviation Administration named Stan Sieg deputy director of the agency's Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. Sieg succeeds Richard Rodine, who retired Jan. 3. A retired Air Force general, Sieg has served with the agency for four years, most recently as program director for the Aeronautical Center's FAA Logistics Center. He has more than 30 years experience in acquisition, supply chain management, information technology, program management, financial management, and maintenance.
Thales won two contracts from Italian air navigation services provider ENAV for a number of air navigation systems. The contracts include 11 ILS 420 instrument landing systems, 22 distant measuring equipment units, four non-directional beacons and three direction finders. The systems will be installed this year at airports throughout Italy.
Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701, & 702), CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705), and CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22632; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-158-AD; Amendment 39-14486; AD 2006-04-05] - requires repetitive inspections for cracking or fracturing of the output links of the power control unit (PCU) for the ailerons, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This AD results from reports of fractured output links of the aileron PCU.
Roberto Kobeh Gonzalez of Mexico was elected president of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization Thursday, effective Aug. 1. Gonzalez will succeed Assad Kotaite of Lebanon, who has been involved with ICAO's activities since 1953, when he joined the organization's Legal Committee. Kotaite has served as president of the ICAO Council since Aug. 1, 1976, having been elected 11 consecutive times. He announced two years ago that he would step down at the end of his current three-year term.
