Safe Flight Instrument Corp. signed a non-exclusive distribution agreement with Scandinavian Avionics (SA Group) covering the sale and installation of Safe Flight's Powerline Detection System in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Greece, the Czech Republic and Malaysia. Founded in 1978, the SA Group is supported by a central logistics center in Billund, Denmark. Other international distributors for Safe Flight products include Helicentro Morumbi of Brazil, Trans Helicopter Services of France and Airborne Solutions of South Africa.
Aircraft buyers and sellers will have to adjust to new aircraft registration procedures beginning this week as the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and the Aircraft Protocol become effective March 1. The convention applies to aircraft certificated for at least eight seats (including the crew), including a fractional interest in such aircraft, helicopters certificated for at least five seats (including the crew), and engines rated at 550 horsepower or more.
Sukhoi claims to be negotiating a contract for 50 Russian Regional Jets (RRJs) with the Russian state transportation company, the manufacturer said at the Singapore Air Show last week. Sukhoi officials also said they anticipate reaching sales agreements for RRJs with several Indonesian airlines. The manufacturer forecasts sales of 832 RRJs in the 60- to 120-seat category over the next 20 years in the Asia/Pacific region. The first flight of the RRJ is expected in 2007.
Three candidates are seeking the post of secretary general of the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal, and sources said last week that William Voss, a former FAA air traffic controller, is still in the running as the election approaches. Voss has been director of ICAO's Air Navigation Bureau in Montreal for the past two years and has developed a reputation of being able to get things accomplished (BA, Feb. 13/70).
Heico Corporation's HEICO Parts Group signed a joint cooperation agreement with China Aviation Import and Export Group Corp. (CASGC) for the promotion of HEICO FAA-approved aircraft and engine replacement products in China. The agreement "is the first of its kind in the aviation industry and is expected to greatly open the China aviation market" for HEICO products and services, HEICO said.
Tag Aviation Asia named Jolie Howard director of business development and said she will head the company's new office in Hong Kong. The new office will expand and support TAG Aviation services in Asia. TAG just added its first managed aircraft in the area, a Falcon 2000. The company offers aircraft management, charter and brokerage services. The new venture "extends our concept of central support and local service to the dynamic Asian economy," said David L. Weil, managing director of TAG Aviation Asia.
The pilot of a Swearingen SA-226TC was killed early this month after the aircraft went into a high-speed, nose-down descent after the pilot told air traffic controllers he was experiencing an asymmetric fuel situation. The aircraft, N629KE, crashed about 1210 on Feb. 8 near Paris, Tenn. while on a flight from Dayton, Ohio to Harlingen, Texas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed and the flight was operating under an IFR flight plan.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model HS 748 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-23799; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-141-AD; Amendment 39-14475; AD 2006-03-11] - requires installing a baulking actuator system for the elevator gust lock; doing a functional test and an inspection of any previously installed baulking actuator system for wiring errors; doing repetitive inspections of the gust lock baulk lever for correct operation; and corrective action, if necessary.
Adam Aircraft hopes to secure within the next few weeks FAA night and instrument flight rules approval for its A500 twin-piston, centerline-thrust aircraft, checking off a few of the final items necessary to complete full certification of the new aircraft. Along with those approvals, Adam will expand the ceiling for the aircraft from the current 12,500-foot limitation to the design ceiling of 25,000 feet. The last major item still awaiting FAA certification - deicing - likely will not come before the fall.
Landmark Aviation's fixed-base operation at Dallas Love Field (DAL) signed an agreement to provide into-plane fueling for American Airlines when the carrier begins serving DAL March 2. Landmark will service a combination of MD80 and ERJ 145 aircraft that will make a total of 16 daily weekday departures and 18 more on the weekends. The airline service at DAL "is a logical expansion of our business base," said Jim Hopkins, vice president of large fleet and government contracts for Landmark.
CESSNA Model 500, 550, S550, 560, 560XL, and 750 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22558; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-107-AD; Amendment 39-14491; AD 2006-04-10] - requires installing identification sleeves on the wires for the positive and negative terminal studs of the engine and/or auxiliary power unit (APU) fire extinguishing bottles, as applicable, and re-connecting the wires to the correct terminal studs. This AD results from a report of mis-wired fire extinguishing bottles.
Signature Flight Support bought the former Million Air fixed-base operation at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport (TRM) in Thermal, Calif., giving the Signature FBO network a second location in the Palm Springs, Calif. area. Signature previously acquired an FBO at the Palm Springs International Airport (PSP). The TRM acquisition also represents Signature's third acquisition in the California market in the last four months.
JOHN MARINO was named vice president of Defense Training Systems for FlightSafety International. Marino, who most recently served as vice president of government relations for FlightSafety, will continue to support the company's government and military customers. He also will serve as president of FlightSafety Services Corporation, which has operations at 32 U.S. military bases and provides military crew training and training support. Marino joined FlightSafety in 1979 after serving as a U.S. Army officer and aviator for 10 years.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-102, -103, and -106 airplanes; and Model DHC-8-200 and -300 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-23820; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-249-AD] - proposes to revise an existing AD that requires performing a one-time inspection to detect chafing of electrical wires in the cable trough below the cabin floor; repairing, if necessary; installing additional tie-mounts and tie-wraps; applying sealant to rivet heads; and modifying electrical wires in certain sections.
February 26-28 - Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2006 Annual Convention and Exposition, Dallas, Texas, (703) 683-4646 Feb. 28-March 1 - Federal Aviation Administration, 31st Annual Aviation Forecast Conference, "Survival and Growth in Today's World," Washington, D.C. Convention Center, (202) 267-7924 March 20-23 - National Business Aviation Association International Operators Conference, Tampa, Fla., (202) 783-9000
Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. signed an exclusive five-year agreement with ATR to maintain the engines on Air Deccan's fleet of ATR 42 and ATR 72 turboprop aircraft. The contract includes Air Deccan's 2005 order for 30 ATR 72-500s, some of which already have been delivered. The engine manufacturer plans to establish a Hot Section Inspection (HSI) facility in India by the end of 2006 to support Air Deccan's fleet and the growing number of commercial and corporate operators in that country.
Bombardier named Landmark Aviation's Los Angeles, Calif. facility as an authorized service facility for maintenance of Learjet and Challenger business jets. The agreement expands Landmark's existing authorization for service on Bombardier Global Express business jets to include Learjet and Challenger 600 Series airplanes in production, under warranty and under the Bombardier SmartParts extended warranty program. Landmark's Los Angeles facility has served the aviation community for more than 50 years.
Franco-Italian plane-maker ATR received a follow-on order from Indian carrier Kingfisher Airlines for 15 ATR 72-500 regional turboprops. The order represents a conversion of options that Kingfisher placed in November along with firm orders for 20 ATR 72-500s. ATR valued the latest contract at $270 million. Along with the new orders, Kingfisher added options for 20 more aircraft.
International sales accounted for nearly twice as much of Raytheon Aircraft Company's business in 2005 as in the previous year, the company said. RAC's international sales jumped from 16 percent of total worldwide sales in 2004 to 29 percent of total sales last year. Beechcraft and Hawker products "command a 51 percent share of the total business turbine market in Asia, with increasing market share in countries like China, India, Japan, the Philippines and Thailand," and boast a market share of about 40 percent in Australia, RAC said.
FOKKER Model F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22748; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-127-AD; Amendment 39-14471; AD 2006-03-07] - requires modifying the passenger door and installing new placards. This AD results from reports of the airstairs-type passenger door opening during flight. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent rapid decompression of the airplane, or ejection of a passenger or crew member out the door during flight. FAA estimates the AD would affect two aircraft on the U.S. Registry at a cost of between $3,750 and $3,815 per aircraft.
