ATR handed over a second new ATR 72-500 to Air Madagascar, the national carrier of the Republic of Madagascar. The aircraft was equipped with ATR's "Elegance" cabin, and was part of an order announced during the Paris Air Show in June for two ATR 72-500s and one ATR 42-500. The first ATR 72 was delivered to Air Madagascar earlier in November. ATR also began shipment on another order announced during the Paris Air Show. The Franco-Italian regional plane-maker shipped the first of eight ATR 42-500s to Finnish Commuter Airlines.
CIVIL and military aircraft makers helped bolster the economy with strong sales in October, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Nondefense aircraft orders increased 50.4 percent in October and military orders jumped 140.4 percent from September orders, the Census Bureau said. Overall, new orders for durable goods increased $7.1 billion, or 3.4 percent, to $214.4 billion in October.
AAR AIRCRAFT COMPONENT SERVICES -Amsterdam received a multi-year agreement from BAE Systems Regional Aircraft to perform rotable component repairs and overhauls of BAe 146/Avro RJ regional aircraft.
ORDERS FOR BOMBARDIER RJs PLUMMET - Canadian manufacturer Bombardier, Inc. said orders for its line of regional airliners took a nosedive in the quarter ended Oct. 31, but the company's aerospace unit managed to achieve higher revenues because of increased deliveries of new business jets.
JUSTIN OBERMAN is joining Crestview Capital Funds as senior analyst focused on homeland security, transportation and other industries. Oberman was assistant director of the Transportation Security Administration, where he heads the Office of Transportation Threat Assessment and Credentialing.
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY named Martin Smith chancellor of its Extended Campus. Smith will oversee planning, resource allocation and program evaluation, with an emphasis on noncredit education. Smith has served as interim chancellor since May, when the previous chancellor, Robert "Skip" Myers, left to become president of Daniel Webster College. Smith joined Embry-Riddle in 1999 as chief information officer, and before that he had 25 years of experience in private education at institutions including the University of Massachusetts and Boston College.
Business aviation advocates are working together to stall two measures added to a comprehensive Senate tax bill that could dramatically increase the tax burden for business executives who use company aircraft for personal reasons and sharply limit the tax benefits companies receive when their aircraft are used for recreation. The measures are included in S.2020, the Tax Relief Act, which passed the Senate last month.
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION announced a realignment of its headquarters functions, designed to make it easier for the industries TSA regulates to get answers to questions and solutions for security-related problems.
EADS NA acquires Talon, adds to test instrument unit EADS - North America has acquired Talon Instruments, of San Dimas, Calif., a deal it said would boost its digital test instrument work. Talon Instruments, which specializes in digital test instrumentation, will become part of EADS North America Defense Test & Services - formerly Racal Instruments, a company EADS bought last year - which designs, builds and sells such equipment and related software.
MCCAULEY Propeller Assemblies Models 2D34C53/74E-X; D2A34C58/90AT-X; 3AF32C87/82NC-X; D3AF32C87/82NC-X; D3A32C88/82NC-X; D3A32C90/82NC-X; and 3AF34C92/90LF-X [Docket No. FAA-2005-22731; Directorate Identifier 2005-NE-36-AD; Amendment 39-14389; AD 2005-24-09] -- requires, within 10 flight hours or 10 days after the effective date of this AD, whichever occurs first, removing certain serial number propeller hubs from service.
FRACTIONAL AIRCRAFT operators hired 63 pilots in October, bringing the number of pilots hired by the nation's largest fractionals this year to 641, according to AIR Inc. In its recently released Airline Pilot Hiring summary, AIR Inc. said four of the five largest fractional operators hired in October. Hiring activity has increased for the fractionals, which hired 482 pilots in 2004.
SAINT-GOBAIN FLIGHT STRUCTURES expanded its operations in Ravenna, Ohio to make aerospace composite parts. The factory will make lightweight composites for cargo doors, wing tips, access panels, fairings and other components.
THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS Local 1108 late last month ratified a five-year contract with fractional operator NetJets. Some 84 percent of voters ratified the contract, which provides, on average, a 40 to 60 percent increase in pay, the Teamsters said. The ratification concludes four years of negotiations, and Teamsters leaders called the agreement "an unprecedented contract.
SAN ANTONIO FIRM OFFERS 'LIKE NEW' MERLIN UPGRADES - M7 Aerospace of San Antonio, Texas is offering an extensive refurbishment and upgrade package for the venerable Fairchild Merlin turboprop that officials are confident will appeal to both current and prospective Merlin owners.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT COMPANY is ending the year on a high note, inking a 50-aircraft order for its Hawker 4000 business jet from fractional aircraft provider NetJets
FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION and the Aviation Safety Alliance plan to merge into one organization, effective Dec. 31, the groups said. The FSF name will be retained. Susan Coughlin, a former member of the National Transportation Safety Board who has been serving as ASA president, will step down as president but will be given a seat on the FSF board of directors.
LIBERTY AEROSPACE formed a Liberty Flight School program to provide services to flight schools that buy the Liberty XL2 as a primary trainer. The program includes marketing and direct sales services to secure new student starts.
SAFE FLIGHT INSTRUMENT CORPORATION said its Angle-of-Attack computer system was integrated into a Universal EFI-890R electronic flight instrument to provide a Low Airspeed Awareness display. Premier Air Center in East Alton, Ill., recently certified the system on a Falcon 20 and plans a similar certification on a Falcon 50.
A GROUP OF VETERAN FLIGHT ATTENDANTS from United Airlines, upset about the possible loss of their pensions because of the carrier's financial woes, is calling attention to their plight with the "Stewardesses Stripped (of their Pension?)" calendar for 2006. The lighthearted calendar features revealing photos of five 50-plus current and former flight attendants in a variety of settings.
BLAKEY CONTINUES TO CALL FOR FUNDING OVERHAUL -- FAA Administrator Marion Blakey last week continued to campaign for fundamental changes in the way the agency is financed, telling the Aero Club of Washington, "We need...a constant stable revenue stream that's related to the actual cost of the services we provide." Blakey, who has warned for the past year that the agency is heading toward funding woes, continued that theme Monday during the November meeting of the Aero Club.
HONEYWELL said Friday it is "aggressively working with our Dassault customer to resolve the business issues" the led the French aircraft manufacturer to file a $60 million damage suit against the avionics manufacturer for alleged delays in the Honeywell EPIC avionics system for Falcon 900EX and 2000EX business jets.
EMBRAER Model EMB-135 airplanes and Model EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20011; Directorate Identifier 2003-NM-22-AD; Amendment 39-14382; AD 2005-24-02] -- supersedes an existing AD, which requires revising the airplane flight manual (AFM) to prohibit in-flight auxiliary power unit (APU) starts, and installing a placard on or near the APU start/stop switch panel to provide such instructions to the flightcrew.
BALDWIN AVIATION, the consulting firm recently formed by former NBAA Chairman Don Baldwin (BA, Oct. 17/172), teamed with Universal Weather and Aviation to expand services offered to their client bases. Baldwin will endorse Universal as a provider of trip support services such as flight planning, weather briefings, fuel management, and ground handling. Universal will recommend Baldwin's safety management services to clients who need them. "Don Baldwin and his team are offering a valuable service to a key niche market," said Universal CEO Greg Evans.
