TAG Aviation SA opened a new facility in Madrid, its fourth TAG Aviation operation in Europe. The Spanish base, TAG Espana, received commercial aircraft operation, airport handling and dispatch licenses from Spain's DGAC. The new facility offers aircraft management, charter, flight planning and airport handling. TAG Aviation's Switzerland and United Kingdom companies will support TAG Espana's aircraft charter and management services.
Five FAA officials and representatives of several other agencies listened last week as airport operators, business owners and pilots urged them to drop a proposal to make the Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) permanent. Nearly 200 people attended a Thursday afternoon session and nearly as many attended the evening session of the first of two public hearings on the ADIZ proposal.
A NetJets Cessna 560, N391QS, was damaged when its right wing hit the runway while the crew was landing at 0800 CST Jan. 5 at the Lakeland Airport/Noble F. Lee Memorial Field near Minocqua-Woodruff, Wis. The aircraft's right wing touched Runway 36, and the aircraft ran off the runway and into a snow bank. The pilot, co-pilot and five passengers were not injured, but the aircraft was substantially damaged. The flight was en route from Palwaukee Municipal Airport outside Chicago, Ill.
Julie Goodridge was promoted to manager of FlightSafety International's West Palm Beach, Fla. learning center. Goodridge joined FlightSafety in 2001 as a product marketing manager at the Greater Philadelphia/Wilmington center and was promoted to assistant manager of the West Palm Beach facility in 2004. Goodridge also has served as alumni director at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
Greeley-Weld County Airport (GXY) in Greeley, Colo. has been registered as an Aviation Development Zone by the state's Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The airport applied for development zone status as a result of the Colorado legislature's passage last year of the Aviation Development Zone Act, which permits aircraft manufacturing companies located within Aviation Development Zones to seek eligibility for state income tax credit for new employees.
Trade associations aren't necessarily known for job stability in the top executive ranks, but Phil Boyer marked his 15th anniversary at the helm of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association at the beginning of 2006.
International Communications Group (ICG) appointed Dallas Avionics a distributor for ICG's Iridium aviation satellite communication products. Founded in 1973, Dallas Avionics distributes avionics to more than 4,000 customers in 115 countries. Newport News, Va.-based ICG develops communications integration, automation and management systems for the aerospace, military, and maritime industries.
Professional Aviation Maintenance Association is lobbying members of Congress to create a "National Aviation Maintenance Technicians Day" to honor Charles Taylor, who worked with the Wright Brothers, and all maintenance technicians. For more information, contact PAMA President Brian Finnegan at [email protected].
Sikorsky Aircraft handed over the first two S-76C++ helicopters following FAA certification of the latest variant of the twin-engine helicopter. Petroleum Helicopters Inc. took delivery of the first S-76C++ models for its offshore oil support and employee transfer missions.
Directors of DeCrane Aircraft Holdings met Friday to discuss new leadership for the company following the death last month of R. Jack DeCrane, the company's founder and president. See article below.
Federal Aviation Administration recently issued an emergency airworthiness directive to operators of the Pacific Aerospace Corporation PAC 750XL, warning that the aircraft's wings might not meet load requirements for a maximum takeoff weight of 7,500 pounds. The company discovered the problem during an ultimate load test of a production wing. The airframer, based in New Zealand, is dropping MTOW to 7,125 pounds until it develops a modification to raise MTOW to its original level.
Jim Hamant was named vice president of production and distribution for Iridium. Hamant will be responsible for improving all facets of production and quality. He has more than 30 years of technical and supply chain management experience, including 13 years at Motorola in supplier management, product development, engineering, manufacturing strategy and production. Most recently, Hamant was engineering manager at Orbital Sciences.
The Federal Aviation Administration scaled back the scope of new insulation requirements after industry groups warned that the new rules were so expansive that they would apply to thousands of parts that are no longer available, a situation that could ground some aircraft unless the rules were changed (BA, Aug. 22/78). FAA released the amendment to its thermal/acoustic insulation rule in the Dec.
David Schoen was appointed to the newly created position of vice president of technology development for Iridium. Schoen will oversee the flow of new technology and product development through manufacturing and delivery. Schoen formerly was vice president of technology development for ORBCOMM, where he acted as program manager for the development and launch of an $8 million technology demonstrator satellite. Before that, he was director of production development for Iridium, where he initiated the development of new subscriber equipment.
Helicopter Association International hired a former National Transportation Safety Board investigator as director of safety and flight operations. John (Jack) Drake spent six years in the U.S. Navy as a rescue helicopter pilot, flight instructor and safety officer. Drake spent 26 years with NTSB as an accident analyst, regional and go-team investigator and manager of the board's Aviation Engineering Division. He investigated more than 500 aviation accidents during his tenure at the safety board.
Bombardier Aerospace received a follow-on order from Caribbean Aircraft Leasing for another 50-seat Q300 turboprop. The order, valued at $16.3 million (U.S.), comes two months after Caribbean Aircraft Leasing ordered three Q300s. Either Caribbean Aircraft Leasing's regional airline, Caribbean Star Airlines Limited, based in Antigua, or Caribbean Sun Airlines Inc., based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will operate the new aircraft. The airlines collectively operate 12 Bombardier 37-seat Dash 8/Q Series 100 and seven 50-seat Dash 8/Q Series 300 aircraft.
National Air Transportation Association President James Coyne and Joseph Fazio, general manager of Atlantic Aviation at Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, N.J., were selected to co-chair a working group for addressing concerns about noise, pollution and safety at the airport. The group was formed during a recent meeting with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to discuss airport concerns (BA, Jan. 2/1).
Landmark Aviation officials completed the acquisition of Skyport Flight Services at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y., the first of what are expected to be a number of FBO acquisitions for Landmark.
Aspen Executive Air, which does business as AEXJET, named Tom Nofziger vice president and chief financial officer. Nofziger most recently served as CFO of Fiji Water. He previously held financial posts with Vail Resorts and Aspen Skiing Company. AEXJET is a private jet card membership operator.
Duncan Aviation officials are staging a series of "Chart-Topping Road Show" parties at its bases around the country to help celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. Donald Duncan sold his successful new car dealership in 1956 to enter the fledgling business aviation industry. Duncan subsequently became one of the country's first Learjet distributors and developed one of the nation's most successful aircraft maintenance and refurbishment companies.
LYCOMING AEIO-360, IO-360, O-360, LIO-360, and LO-360 series reciprocating engines [Docket No. FAA-2005-23269; Directorate Identifier 2005-NE-50-AD] - proposes to require replacing certain crankshafts. This proposed AD results from a report of a crankshaft failure in a Lycoming LO-360-A1H6 reciprocating engine. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent failure of the crankshaft, which could result in total engine power loss, in-flight engine failure, and possible loss of the aircraft. The proposed AD would affect an estimated 282 engines installed on aircraft on the U.S.
Raytheon Aircraft Company received the latest incremental award under its contract to deliver primary flight training aircraft for the U.S. Air Force and Navy. Wichita-based RAC received just under $269 million for JPATS T-6A production aircraft Lot 13, which includes 54 of the turboprop-powered, single-engine trainers.
