Eclipse Aviation plans to develop a factory service center at Albany International Airport (ALB) to serve its customer base in the Northeast. Eclipse expects to build seven service centers and previously selected Albuquerque, N.M., where the company has its headquarters, and Gainesville, Fla., as the sites for two of the centers. Eclipse will begin construction of a hangar in the spring, and the project is slated for completion a year later. The site will be just south of the Million Air Terminal at Albany.
TSA SHUTS DOWN POTOMAC AIRFIELD - The Transportation Security Administration last week suspended Potomac Airfield's security program, forcing the small general aviation airport to close. TSA Tuesday hand-delivered a letter notifying Potomac Airfield operator David Wartofsky that the agency was taking the action because the airport had violated certain security requirements. Incoming aircraft at the time were diverted to other airports, and over this past weekend, TSA scheduled windows during which operators of based aircraft could relocate their planes.
Edward R. (Ed) Williams, a 35-year veteran of the aviation insurance business, has formed The Metropolitan Aviation Group LLC (Metroavia), a consulting firm specializing in providing safety enhancement and quality control for corporate flight departments.
Liberty Aerospace delivered the first XL2 single-engine aircraft certified for instrument flight rules flight. The aircraft won IFR certification last summer. Powered by a Continental IOF 240-B 125-horsepower engine equipped with a full authority digital engine control, the XL2 can cruise at up to 132 knots while burning only five gallons per hour. The two-seat aircraft, whose cabin is 48 inches wide, has nearly a 600-pound useful load.
RAYTHEON Model Hawker 800XP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22749; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-188-AD] - proposes to require inspecting to determine if the correct fuse is installed on the hydraulic over-temperature switch on Panel ZK in the rear equipment bay, and replacing the existing fuse if necessary. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent a short circuit in the fuse and consequent heat damage to associated wiring and surrounding equipment, which could result in smoke or fire on the airplane. This proposed AD would affect about 110 airplanes on the U.S.
HOUSE APPROVES AEROSPACE WORK-FORCE LEGISLATION - The U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation designed to address the shortage of engineers and other key workers in the aerospace industry.
TAMMY GILLETTE joined Midcoast Aviation as training and development coordinator. Gillette will work with the Sabreliner-Midcoast Training Advisory Board to develop a comprehensive non-technical training program, in addition to working with the technical training program. She has more than 12 years of training experience and spent the past two and one-half years with Elliott Aviation.
KEYSTONE SELLING OPERATIONS TO SIKORSKY - Keystone Ranger Holdings reached agreement to sell its rotorcraft operations to Sikorsky Aircraft. The subsidiaries being transferred to Sikorsky include Keystone Helicopter Corp., with facilities in West Chester and Coatesville, Pa., and Composite Technology, Inc. of Grand Prairie, Texas, with additional operations in Canada, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Singapore. The transaction is expected to be finalized before the end of the year.
Raytheon Aircraft Company won FAA certification of its Bonanza G36, which has the first fully integrated avionics system in a piston engine aircraft, according to the manufacturer. The G36 combines the Garmin G1000 avionics system with the GFC 700 autopilot to provide "improved situational awareness, increased functionality and reduced pilot workload," RAC said.
BOMBARDIER SECURES APPROVALS FOR BEVS - Bombardier has received operational approval for its Bombardier Enhanced Vision System (BEVS) from the European Aviation Safety Agency, clearing the way for the system to be used in Europe. Transport Canada and the Federal Aviation Administration certified the system last summer. BEVS will be standard on the Global Express XRS aircraft, which is slated to enter customer service early next year. Bombardier also will offer the system as an option on the Global 5000 and make it available for retrofit on the Global Express.
TSA: REGISTERED TRAVELER WILL BE OPERATING BY JUNE 2006 - The Transportation Security Administration's Registered Traveler Program will be in full swing by June 20, 2006, TSA Assistant Secretary Edmund (Kip) Hawley told a House panel Thursday.
BizJet International was designated by TAG Aviation USA as a preferred vendor for airframe and maintenance services. The Tulsa, Okla.-based company's services include maintaining engines and airframes, installing avionics systems and refurbishing paint and interiors.
Landmark Aviation's executive headquarters is in Tempe, Ariz. The location listed in a recent article was incorrect due to an editing error (BA, Oct. 31/199).
Avfuel Corporation added Wiggins Airways, of Manchester, N.H., as a branded dealer. Wiggins is the 40th dealer to join Avfuel this year. Wiggins is open around the clock and offers tie-down space, hangar space and a number of pilot and passenger amenities.
TERRY CROSS joined Million Air as chief operating officer. Cross formerly was vice president of Epic Aviation. Cross has 20 years of business experience, primarily with BP and its affiliates. In his new role he will oversee growth and performance.
Million Air New Orleans said it is providing fuel and services for aircraft using Lakefront Airport (NEW) after reopening Oct. 19 in 2,100 square feet of modular office space with new fuel trucks and new fuel tanks on skids. "Even though we are operating only during daytime hours, the runways and taxiways are all in good condition," said Addie Fanguy, general manager of the FBO. "The state of the airport's infrastructure is strong, safe and secure."
The current system of airport funding undermines meaningful system capacity improvements and should be changed to ensure that the bulk of federal airport grants goes to primary airports, U.S. major airlines believe. In comments on Federal Aviation Administration funding issues, the Air Transport Association points out that about one-third of Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants, or nearly $1 billion annually, goes to airports without commercial service.
TODD CURTIS joined the aircraft acquisition and brokerage firm Docherty Aviation. Curtis has more than two decades of aviation industry experience, holding technical, engineering and sales and marketing positions with Honeywell, Teledyne Controls and Avidyne.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION last week extended a reservation system in place for unscheduled arrivals at Chicago O'Hare International Airport through March 31, 2006. The reservation system, which caps operations at the airport, temporarily went into effect a year ago while FAA began work on a rulemaking to formally establish the system. FAA said the extension was designed to give it enough time to complete the rulemaking.
SIGNATURE ADDS TWO FBO CENTERS IN CALIFORNIA - Signature Flight Support has acquired two more fixed-base operations, one at Long Beach Airport Daugherty Field (LGB) south of Los Angeles and another at Oxnard Airport (OXR) near Santa Barbara.
