FAA Administrator Marion Blakey surprised business aviation advocates when she announced Thursday an agreement between FAA, TSA and the European Civil Aviation Conference on security standards for fractional operators. ECAC had been skeptical about voluntary standards and had been pushing for government-set requirements. U.S. officials responded earlier that they would consider various options, but were not expected to have concrete recommendations for at least another month.
Bombardier Aerospace this month firmed up a deal to sell 22 CRJ700 regional jets to St. George, Utah-based SkyWest. The contract also reaffirms 80 options previously placed. Bombardier valued the contract at $798 million (U.S.) but said the value of the entire order could reach $3.7 billion if all options are exercised. The transaction converts 18 CRJ200 aircraft on backlog that SkyWest inherited through its acquisition of Atlantic Southeast Airlines. SkyWest added four more orders to bump up the total to 22.
DASSAULT Model Falcon 2000 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22633; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-155-AD] - proposes to require an inspection for the presence of fail-safe pins, nuts, and washers on each engine, and replacement of the fail-safe fastener assembly with a new assembly if necessary. This proposed AD results from a report of a missing pin of a fail-safe fastener. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent reduced structural integrity of an engine mount due to a missing pin of a fail-safe fastener, and possible separation of an engine from the airplane during flight.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model AS355E, F, F1, F2, and N helicopters [Docket No. 2003-SW-10-AD] - proposes to revise an existing AD that currently requires certain checks of the magnetic chip detector plug and the main gearbox (MGB) oil-sight glass, certain inspections of the lubrication pump and replacing the MGB and the pump with an airworthy MGB and pump, if necessary. Also, the AD requires that before an MGB or pump with any time-in-service (TIS) can be installed, it must meet the AD requirements.
Exeltech Aerospace signed a memorandum of understanding to provide ATR 72 heavy maintenance for a U.S. regional carrier. The MOU covers three years and has an estimated value of between $30 million and $35 million. The MOU is subject to a definitive agreement, which is expected within the next 60 days. Montreal-based ExelTech has provided ATR maintenance since 2000.
GARRETT/PIEDMONT FILLS CEO, PRESIDENT SLOTS INTERNALLY - Garrett/Piedmont Hawthorne/Associated (GPHA) promoted Roger Wolfe to chief executive and Shawn Vick to president as the company completes its transition with the retirement of former President and CEO Frank Klaus. Klaus retired at the end of September, and Brian Rowe, company chairman and long-time aviation veteran, temporarily took the reins of the company while it finalized plans for the new leadership (BA, Sept. 19/124).
Textron's Campbell cited cost as one of the primary reasons Cessna has not yet announced a large-fleet order from the emerging air taxi market for its Mustang very light jet. "Air taxi is going to be tough to make work financially unless the airplane is very inexpensive, much less expensive than the $2.4 million for the Mustang," he said.
NEW LAS VEGAS AIRPORT STARTS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY - A proposed new $4 billion airport outside Las Vegas took a step closer to construction when Clark County Department of Aviation hired Watertown, Mass.-based Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. to prepare a $14.2 million environmental impact statement (EIS).
EMBRAER Model EMB-135 and -145 series airplanes [Docket No. 2002-NM-89-AD] - revises an earlier proposal that would have required performing repetitive inspections for cracks, ruptures, or bends in certain components of the elevator control system; replacing discrepant components; and, for certain airplanes, installing a new spring cartridge and implementing new logic for the electromechanical gust lock system.
October 30-November 2 - Air Traffic Control Association 50th Annual Conference and Exposition, Gaylord Texan Resort and Conference Center, Dallas/Ft. Worth, www.atca.org, e-mail [email protected] November 2-3 - Regional Airline Association Fall Meeting, Washington, D.C., (202) 367-1170 November 3-5 - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, AOPA Expo 2005, Tampa Convention Center, Tampa, Fla., www.aopa.org/expo November 9-11 - National Business Aviation Association Annual Meeting and Convention, Orlando, Fla., (202) 783-9000
A New World Jet Hawker 1000 carrying four business aviation executives, two pilots and an aviation security officer landed shortly before 7 a.m. Oct. 18 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), signaling what many congressional representatives and industry officials hope is only a first step in the long-anticipated return of business aviation to the nation's capital.
JAMES PALMER was promoted to vice president of customer support and commercial services for CMC Electronics. Palmer has more than 30 years' aerospace industry experience, beginning with Rolls-Royce Canada. He joined CMC Electronics in 1983 and has held roles in pricing, subcontract management, supply chain management and commercial services. Most recently he was director of commercial services.
PATRICK DOWLING was appointed managing director and general manager of CIT Aerospace and Defense Finance. Dowling will be responsible for expanding CIT Aerospace and Defense Finance's international market. He joins CIT from GE Commercial and Industrial Finance, where he served as managing director and industry leader-Aerospace and Defense. He also has served with The Continental Group and Price Waterhouse.
National Business Aviation Association scheduled its next Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE) Feb. 6-7, 2007 in Hong Kong. ABACE is the latest in a series of international conferences and exhibitions that NBAA has launched in recent years. The first ABACE, which the association held in August in Shanghai, China, drew more than 2,200 attendees and 50 exhibitors. The show will include exhibits at the Asia World Expo in Hong Kong, an aircraft static display at the Hong Kong Business Aviation Cent
BBA Aviation Services Group named Hugh McElroy president and chief executive of Dallas Airmotive. McElroy will oversee all of BBA Aviation's worldwide engine repair and overhaul operations, which collectively employ more than 1,500 people and process more than 2,200 turbine engines each year. In addition to Dallas Airmotive's headquarters in Texas, McElroy will be responsible for Premier Turbines in Missouri, H+S Aviation in England and nine Regional Turbine Centers in the U.S. and Europe.
CESSNA, BELL COMBINE FOR $300 MILLION IMPROVEMENT IN REVENUES - Jumps in earnings at both Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter helped buffer a loss at parent company Textron that came with a $341 million impairment charge related to the company's Fastening Systems business. Cessna and Bell combined for a $300 million improvement in revenues and $65 million increase in profits during the third quarter, Textron reported Thursday. This contributed to Textron's third quarter revenues of $2.86 billion and helped hold down losses to $164 million.
GERALD CHARLAND joined CMC Electronics as vice president of strategy and business development. He formerly held a similar position for Thales Aerospace, regional and business aircraft avionics, and for Thales Avionics, North America. He also has held strategy, business development and finance positions at Rolls-Royce Canada and Bombardier.
Senior executives at both General Dynamics and Textron are bullish about prospects for the business jet market beyond 2006. GD Chairman and CEO Nicholas Chabraja last week said delivery slots from Gulfstream's large business jets are nearly sold out for the first quarter of 2007. Textron Chairman and CEO Lewis Campbell, noting Cessna already has orders for more than 200 jets in 2007, said, "It's very unusual to see this number on the books for 2007. The underlying strength of this company has really improved this year.
ADIZ COMMENTS APPROACH 11,000 - The Federal Aviation Administration continues to be deluged with comments mostly opposition to its proposal to make permanent the temporary flight restrictions on operations in Washington, D.C. airspace. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association earlier this month launched a massive mailing to members urging them to speak up against the FAA proposal to create a permanent National Defense Airspace Region encompassing the inner Flight Restricted Zone and the more sweeping Air Defense Identification Zone (BA, Oct. 10/157).
Gulfstream Aerospace began production of the 100th G550 very-long-range business jet, the company said last week. Production of the aircraft comes two years after the first G550 entered service. The G550 succeeded the GV, which entered service in late 1996. Gulfstream built 193 GVs before transitioning to the G550. Gulfstream expects to secure the certificate of airworthiness for the 100th G550 in February and then hand the aircraft over for completion. The aircraft is scheduled for delivery to NetJets International in June 2006.
BOB TYLER was named vice president of flight operations for Flight Options. Tyler has a background in crew relations, flight training and Part 91, 135 and 121 operations. He formerly was vice president-flight operations and standards for TAG Aviation. He also has worked for Japan Airlines, Eastern Air Lines and Flight Sciences International.
Quest Aircraft, the Sandpoint, Idaho-based developer of a new 10-place single-turboprop utility aircraft called the Kodiak, opened a new 57,000-square-foot production facility. The facility expands the company's production space to 84,000 square feet. Quest dedicated the original 27,000-square-foot research and development facility nearly three years ago and last year completed the first flight of the Kodiak. The aircraft has since accrued more than 250 hours of FAA certification testing.
