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.
BAE SYSTEMS Model ATP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22562; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-60-AD; Amendment 39-14303; AD 2005-20-09] - requires an inspection of each bolt attaching the aft isolators to both engine subframes and replacing bolts, if necessary. This AD results from reports of failures of the bolts attaching the aft isolators to the engine subframe. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent failure of the bolts attaching the aft isolators to the engine subframe, which may result in an engine separating from the airplane.
National Air Transportation Association last week completed its second annual Aviation Business Roundtable, which gathered 65 aviation industry leaders and senior government officials to discuss issues such as user fees, fuel pricing and airspace and airport access. The industry leaders, who included the heads of many aviation services businesses and manufacturers, met with TSA chief Edmund "Kip" Hawley, Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Sen.
Tulip City Airport in Holland, Mich. recently completed a runway expansion from 5,000 feet to 6,263 feet. The airport is served by Tulip City Air Service, an AvFuel-branded fuel dealer that provides hangar space, maintenance, charter and aircraft sales and management.
CESSNA Models 401, 401A, 401B, 402, 402A, 402B, 402C, 404, 411, 411A, 414, 414A, 421, 421A, 421B, 421C, 425, and 441 Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-21173; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-22-AD; Amendment 39-14321; AD 2005-20-25] - for certain aircraft equipped with certain avionics bus circuit breaker switches, requires inspecting the avionics bus circuit breaker switch to determine the date code and replacing any without a date code. This AD also imposes a 1,000-hour safe life limit on avionics bus circuit breaker switches with a date code earlier than 0434.
TSA Chief Edmund "Kip" Hawley warned business aviation executives last week that there are still people in the security community who oppose general aviation access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and would push back against substantive attempts to ease restrictions there. Hawley said business aviation must build a positive record of operations there to convince naysayers that business jets can be safely operated at DCA.
FAA Flight Standards Service Director James Ballough, who also met with the Aviation Business Roundtable last week, told the aviation leaders that the agency intends to resurrect plans to create an office within Flight Standards dedicated to charter operations. The announcement comes as charter industry executives are concerned by how few FAA resources are dedicated to Part 135 on-demand operations. It also comes as FAA begins the monumental task of rewriting regulations governing Part 135.
Jet Source Charter added a Bombardier Challenger 604 to its charter certificate. Based at Scottsdale, Ariz., the 2003 model business jet is the first aircraft on Jet Source's charter certificate that is based outside the air carrier's Carlsbad, Calif. headquarters.
BAE SYSTEMS Model ATP airplanes and Model HS 748 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22482; Directorate Identifier 2003-NM-009-AD; Amendment 39-14291; AD 2005-19-26] - requires doing a detailed inspection of the drain pipes of the fuel cross feed system and certain electrical cables for chafe damage; doing an inspection to determine the clearance between the cable loom and the cross feed drain pipe; and doing corrective actions if necessary.
GULFSTREAM REVENUES CONTINUE TO GROW IN THIRD QUARTER - Strong sales at Gulfstream Aerospace helped lead General Dynamics to double-digit revenue and earnings growth. GD last week reported third-quarter revenues of $5.4 billion, up 16 percent from third-quarter 2004 revenues of $4.6 billion. Operating earnings increased to $588 million in the third quarter, compared with $493 million in the third quarter of 2004.
FAA'S PINKERTON URGES IRS TO SUSPEND NEW FUEL TAX RULES - A senior Federal Aviation Administration official urged the Internal Revenue Service to suspend new rules taxing certain jet fuel at the highway diesel fuel rate, saying the rules could create problems for both FAA and operators.
Flight Safety Technologies received a contract from the U.S. Department of Transportation/Volpe Center valued at as much as $9.8 million to continue work on the SOCRATES wake vortex sensor technology. Flight Safety received a $1.67 million "task order" covering data analysis from the SOCRATES system being tested at Denver International Airport and follow-on tradeoff studies of the SOCRATES sensor technology. The task order runs through March.
COLUMBIA ADDS FIFTH FBO WITH LAKELAND ACQUISITION - Columbia Air Services expanded its chain of fixed-base operations into the Southeast with the acquisition of Lakeland Air Service, Inc. at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Florida. Columbia renamed the facility Columbia Air Services - LAL. Jack Williams, the former manager of Lakeland Air Service who has 20 years of experience at the airport, was named general manager of the newest Columbia Air services facility.
Piaggio this month handed over the 100th Avanti P.180 to a customer. The aircraft was delivered to Avantair Oct. 10 at Piaggio America in West Palm Beach Fla. "This is a proud moment for everyone at Piaggio," said Jim Holcombe, chief operating officer and executive vice president of sales and marketing of Piaggio America. "We are looking forward to delivering the next 100, and are quite confident the best is yet to come." The high-speed twin pusherprop was certified in October 1990.
Gulfstream leased a new 100,000-square-foot center in Savannah, Ga. to house its research and development organization and plans to move some 750 engineers into the new facility beginning in March. The new Gulfstream Research & Development Center will be the site of several continuing research efforts at Gulfstream, including work on advanced avionics, cabin technologies, synthetic vision and sonic boom suppression.
