EMBRAER EARNS FAA APPROVAL FOR EMBRAER 190 - Embraer this month was awarded FAA type approval for its 100-passenger Embraer 190 airliner, clearing the way for deliveries to begin to U.S. launch customers JetBlue and General Electric Capital Aviation Services. FAA granted type approval for the 190 Sept. 2, three days after the airplane earned similar approval from Brazil's Centro Technico Aerospacial (CTA). Embraer expects Canadian and European certification to follow shortly.
BRAC APPROVES TWO MILITARY ROTORCRAFT DEVELOPMENT CENTERS - As part of its base realignment and closure considerations, the independent BRAC Commission approved the Defense Department's intent to consolidate military rotorcraft development in two locations. The changes create the Joint Center for Rotary Wing Air Platform Development, Acquisition, Test and Evaluation (DAT&E) at the Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Ala., and "enhances" the Joint Center at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Patuxent River, Md.
DASSAULT Model Falcon 2000EX airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22308; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-160-AD; Amendment 39-14255; AD 2005-18-15] - requires revising the airplane flight manual (AFM) to extend runway length limits for takeoff and landing. This AD also provides for an optional terminating action for the AFM revision. This AD results from an event in which braking efficiency was temporarily lost during landing, but was recovered after the flightcrew fully released and then reapplied the brakes.
Jack Real, a veteran aerospace executive who was particularly known for his endeavors in the helicopter industry, died Sept. 6, according to the Helicopter Association International, which had honored Real with its Honorary Lifetime Member Award at the Heli-Expo 2005 earlier this year. A native of Michigan and a graduate of Michigan Tech, Real began his career in the late 1930s, working for Lockheed on a number of aircraft projects, including the Constellation airliner and the Cheyenne helicopter.
ALMY JOINS SENIOR STAFF AT NATA - David W. Almy, a 25-year veteran of the business aviation industry, has joined the National Air Transportation Association in the newly created post of vice president of membership, marketing and communications. Almy recently concluded more than 12 years with the National Business Aviation Association where he was senior vice president of marketing and communications (BA, July 18/25).
Kelly Aviation Center added Rolls-Royce to the partnership forming the military engine center of excellence in San Antonio, Texas. The venture also comprises Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Logistics Center and GE Transportation. The center was formed in July 2002 and has since begun new engine production assembly and test for the F110-GE-132 for the Lockheed Martin F-16. The center also won FAA certification to overhaul the CF6-50 engine.
National Business Aviation Association officials are urgently seeking a new location for the group's 2005 convention after it became clear early last week that severe flooding and destruction in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina would make it impossible to hold the show in that city's Ernest M. Morial Convention Center Nov. 15-17 as originally scheduled. The preferred option would be to move the 58th Annual NBAA Meeting & Convention to Orlando, Fla. and hold the show on the same dates.
Schubach Aviation, a San Diego, Calif.-based charter company, added a Challenger 601 business jet to its fleet. In addition to the Challenger, Schubach operates 10 aircraft for charter - two King Air 200s, a Citation 1SP, two Learjet 35s, two Learjet 55s, two Hawkers and a Citation X.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT's first production Mustang business jet (S/N 0001) made a successful first flight Aug. 29 from the company's facilities in Wichita, Kan. The aircraft flew for exactly two hours, as the pilots performed systems and avionics checks, engaged the autopilot and evaluated handling characteristics. By Friday S/N 0001 had logged 7.5 hours in four flights. "We have a strong team working on the Mustang program, and they've achieved a major milestone by getting production unit one off the ground a month early," said Russ Meyer III, Mustang program manager.
American Express teamed with Bombardier to offer participants in its Membership Rewards program the opportunity to redeem points for private jet travel through Bombardier Skyjet and Flexjet. Under the American Express Private Jet Rewards program, card members can redeem 390,000 points for a $5,000 credit toward a private jet flight. American Express is cutting in half the points necessary for receiving credit through the end of the year.
HAINAN AIRLINES and Raytheon Aircraft Company have agreed that the Chinese carrier will establish an authorized service center dedicated to servicing and maintaining Beechcraft and Hawker brand aircraft. The new service center is located in Haikou City, China. It will have full maintenance capabilities and a factory-trained maintenance team that can perform all maintenance on Beechcraft Premier I and Hawker 800 XP aircraft. RAC said it is the first and only original equipment manufacturer to establish an in-country authorized service center in mainland China.
RICH MORGAN was promoted to director of modifications and completions for Stevens Aviation. Morgan, who most recently served as manager of interior modifications for Stevens, will oversee the interior, paint and avionics installation departments. Before joining Stevens, Morgan was director of completions for AvCraft Support Services and has held completions manager positions with Elliott Aviation and Kansas City Aviation Center.
GREG ARMSTRONG was appointed sales director for Bombardier Flexjet's Southeast region. Armstrong joined Flexjet as senior director of sales after serving as a sales manager for Cessna Aircraft. He is a 6,000-hour, airline-transport-rated pilot who flew a number of different helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft while serving in the U.S. Navy.
Seven industry groups representing repair stations, supplies, manufacturers and operators last week sent a second letter to FAA Administrator Marion Blakey urging a 180-day extension in the Sept. 2 deadline for compliance with new insulation rules (BA, Aug. 22/77).
EADS NORTH AMERICA ANNOUNCES LUH BID WITH UH145 - EADS North America formally announced its offering of the UH145 for the Army's Light Utility Helicopter competition on Aug. 24, marking the company's first effort to become a prime contractor on a major U.S. military procurement, said Chairman and CEO Ralph Crosby. Becoming a sole prime for the U.S. Defense Department is "something that we set out to do three years ago when EADS North America was established," Crosby said during a teleconference Aug. 24.
SWISSPORT SOLD TO SPANISH FIRM - Swissport, one of the world's largest airline handling companies, is being sold to the Spanish-based Ferrovial Group. Under the agreement, Ferrovial will pay 336 million euros for the shares of Swissport and assume all its debt, another 310 million euros. The acquisition, which is subject to regulatory approval, is expected to close this month. Swissport operates at more than 170 airports in 40 countries.
Raytheon Aircraft Company promoted two executives to key customer support roles. Steve Porte was named vice president, international support, and Dave Jacobson is now vice president, North American Service Center Programs. Based in Milan, Italy, Porte will manage authorized service centers (ASCs) and field service representatives outside of North America. Porte, who has been with RAC for 15 years, most recently was director of global support. Jacobson will be responsible for domestic customer service and support, including all ASCs in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
The letter followed a meeting between industry executives and FAA officials Tuesday to air their concerns. FAA officials appeared sympathetic and subsequently indicated that they plan "to issue an amendment limiting the applicability" for replacement requirements of the rule. The agency assembled a team to work with operators on replacement work and also hoped to release an inspectors' bulletin to ensure standardization and eliminate misunderstandings in interpreting the rule's requirements.
LEARJET Model 23, 24, 24A, 24B, 24B-A, 24C, 24D, 24D-A, 24E, 24F, 24F-A, 25, 25A, 25B, 25C, 25D, and 25F airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22169; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-094-AD] - proposes to require replacing the spherical accumulator for the main hydraulic system with a new cylindrical accumulator. For certain airplanes, this proposed AD also would require modification of the accumulator pressure gauge.
Air Methods shipped a third S-70A Firehawk aircraft to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The Sikorsky helicopter, based on the UH-60L Black Hawk, is configured for missions that include airborne firefighting, search and rescue, emergency medical transport, fire crew transportation and cargo transport. The aircraft can deliver 1,000 gallons of water through a belly-mounted tank. Air Methods supplied the multi-mission interior system and upgraded the flight instruments.
TIGER AIRCRAFT Models AA-5, AA-5A, AA-5B, and AG-5B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20968; Directorate Identifier 94-CE-15-AD; Amendment 39-14222; AD 95-19-15 R1] - revises AD 95-19-15, which currently requires inspecting the wing attach shoulder bolts for fretting, scoring, wear, or enlarged or elongated mounting holes; replacing any damaged parts; repairing any damaged areas; inspecting the wing spar at the center spar clearance gap for excessive clearance; and shimming the spar if excessive clearance is found.
BRAD CHANDLER joined the aircraft sales team of Kansas City Aviation Center. Chandler will sell Pilatus PC-12s in Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Chandler has 16 years of sales and marketing experience, and owned an aviation sales and leasing company.
RAYTHEON Model 390 Premier 1 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20712; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-15-AD] - proposes to require (unless already done) replacing the plastic cover over the air conditioning motor module with a metallic cover and modifying the air conditioning compressor motor module electromagnetic interference-radio frequency interference (EMI-RFI) filter located under the cover and reidentifying the module part number.
