National Air Transportation Association released its 2005 annual survey of general aviation service employee compensation, including salaries and benefits for pilots, line-service personnel, maintenance technicians, inspectors, dispatchers, and customer service representatives, among others. The survey breaks down employee compensation by geographic region, size of local town or city, and company gross sales. Association Research, an economic research firm in Rockville, Md., conducted the survey. NATA is offering the survey to members for $50 and non-members for $100.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT SALES UP SHARPLY - Raytheon Aircraft Company reported sharply higher sales for the second quarter, but new aircraft bookings were down from last year's peak.
HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND POWER SYSTEMS (formerly Sundstrand Power Systems) Auxiliary Power Units Models T-62T-46C2, T-62T-46C2A, T-62T-46C3, T-62T-46C7, and T-62T-46C7A [Docket No. FAA-2005-21719; Directorate Identifier 2005-NE-19-AD] - proposes to require removal from service of those compressor impeller assemblies at reduced service life limits. This proposed AD results from two reports of uncontained failures of compressor impeller assemblies. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent an uncontained APU failure and damage to the airplane.
Pacific Avionics & Instruments was recognized with ISO 9001:2000 and AS9100 accreditation. Part of the Innotech Execaire Aviation Group, Pacific Avionics is a Vancouver, Canada-based avionics wiring and systems integration specialist.
Eclipse Aviation unveiled a comprehensive service program for its Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet, an effort to "change the ownership experience" and link the customer to the manufacturer, according to Vern Raburn, president and CEO. For $115 (airframe) and $94 (engines) per flight hour, Raburn said the JetComplete program will provide Eclipse buyers with a wide range of maintenance, support and training services and reduce their ownership costs by up to 30 percent, compared with buyers who don't participate in JetComplete.
National Business Aviation Association's newest international convention, the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE), attracted more than 2,100 attendees last week. The three-day event, held Aug. 9-11 in Shanghai China, included more than 50 exhibiting companies at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center and 12 aircraft on display at Hongqiao Airport. ABACE joins similar venues in Latin America and Europe that NBAA has co-sponsored with other international business aviation organizations.
FAA CALLS FOR TOWERS TO REVIEW RUNWAY HOLD PROCEDURE - FAA has required its air traffic control towers at all airports to review whether they need to use a procedure that allows aircraft to taxi onto a runway and hold while awaiting clearance from the tower, but the controllers' union has criticized the agency's move.
JAMES LORENTZEN joined Jet Aviation as regional director of sales-Western Region. He will be based in Orange County, Calif. Lorentzen has 20 years of aviation sales experience, most recently as Southwest U.S. sales director for Flight Options.
BBA GROUP BUYS U.S. MANUFACTURER OF ENGINE GOVERNORS - BBA Group acquired International Governor Services, of Broomfield, Colo., last month. Under terms of the acquisition, the British conglomerate made an initial payment of $18 million, with further payments of up to $10 million possible, subject to business performance over a three-year period. IGS specializes in overhaul and repair of small turbine engine controls including fuel controls and governors used on a wide range of popular business jet and turboprop engines.
LYCOMING ENGINES (Formerly Textron Lycoming) AEIO-360, IO-360, O-360, LIO-360, LO-360, AEIO-540, IO-540, O-540, and TIO-540 series reciprocating engines [Docket No. FAA-2005-21864; Directorate Identifier 2005-NE-29-AD] - proposes, for certain engines rated at 300 horsepower (HP) or lower, to require replacing certain crankshafts (BA, July 25/33). This proposed AD results from reports of 12 crankshaft failures in Lycoming 360 and 540 series engines rated at 300 HP or lower.
Federal Aviation Administration proposed changes to an existing airworthiness directive that requires recurrent inspections for cracks in fan disks on Rolls-Royce Model BR700 turbofan engines. FAA said some 400 engines installed on U.S.-registered aircraft could be affected. The agency said the total cost of compliance could exceed $60 million. See item below.
EMBRAER Model EMB-135 and Model EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20733; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-004-AD; Amendment 39-14179; AD 2005-14-02] - requires inspecting to determine the part number of the left and right engine fire handles; and replacing the engine fire handles with engine fire handles having different part numbers if necessary. This AD is prompted by cases of the internal circuit of the engine fire handle failing.
LOCKHEED MARTIN, MD HELICOPTERS TEAM FOR ARMY'S LUH COMPETITION - Lockheed Martin and MD Helicopters of Mesa, Ariz., announced a teaming agreement Aug. 9 to compete for the U.S. Army's Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) program. The companies will offer the MD Explorer, which uses twin Pratt & Whitney 207E turbine engines with the NOTAR no-tail-rotor anti-torque system. The helicopter has a crashworthy frame, energy-absorbing crew seating and a crash-resistant fuel system, the companies said in a statement.
ECLIPSE WINS FLEET ORDER FROM FRACTIONAL PROVIDER OURPLANE - OurPLANE, Inc., the Canadian fractional aircraft provider, placed an order valued at more than $26 million for up to 20 Eclipse 500 Very Light Jets (VLJs). The company, based in London, Ontario, ordered 10 of the VLJs and took options for 10 more.
CESSNA SELLS SKYHAWK FLEET FOR AB INITIO TRAINING IN CHINA - Cessna Aircraft is poised to more than triple the size of its single-engine piston fleet in China under a 42-aircraft contract with the Civil Aviation Flight University of China (CAFUC). CAFUC ordered 42 172 Skyhawks for ab initio training. The contract calls for 20 of the aircraft to be equipped with the all-glass Garmin G1000 avionics package and the remainder to be fitted with analog flight instruments. Delivery of the aircraft is slated to begin in early 2006.
TAG Aviation USA, Inc. promoted Lynn Dreifus to director of flight operations. Based at TAG's Westchester County Airport (HPN) office in White Plains, N.Y., Dreifus will directly manage TAG's flight operations and cabin standards activities. She also will oversee all simulator, ground and recurrent training. Dreifus will report to Bob Tyler, TAG's vice president of flight operations and standards. Dreifus began her flying career with Panorama Flight Service and joined Wayfarer Aviation in 1998. She came to TAG when it acquired Wayfarer in 1999.
Aerosonic Corporation teamed with Mid-Continent Instruments to jointly produce and market a standby instrument package for general aviation aircraft. Wichita, Kan.-based Mid-Continent will supply its new two-inch artificial horizon indicator while Aerosonic, the Clearwater, Fla. manufacturer, will provide its two-inch mechanical altimeter and airspeed indicators for the package. The agreement also calls for combined marketing of an upgrade package that will replace mechanical altimeter and airspeed instruments with Aerosonic's new digital instruments.
HARTZELL PROPELLER Models HC-B3TN-2, HC-B3TN-3, HC-B3TN-5, HC-B3MN-3, HC-B4TN-3, HC-B4TN-5, HC-B4MN-5, HC-B4MP-3, HC-B4MP-5, and HC-B5MP-3 propellers [Docket No. FAA-2005-21735; Directorate Identifier 2005-NE-22-AD; Amendment 39-14189; AD 2005-14-12] - requires, for certain propellers installed with propeller mounting bolts, Part Number (P/N) B-3339, initial and repetitive visual inspections and torque checks of certain manufacture lot numbers of propeller mounting bolts, P/N B-3339, and eventual removal from service of those bolts.
The United Kingdom is hoping to clamp down on operators that avoid U.K. regulation by registering their aircraft in foreign states. The U.K. Department for Transport (DFT) released a proposal to limit to 12 months the time a foreign-registered aircraft could spend in the U.K. "It appears that private and corporate aircraft based in the U.K. have been placed on foreign registers to take advantage of what are perceived as less onerous regulatory requirements," the DFT stated. "The use of foreign-registered aircraft to opt out of the U.K.
J. MARC TAYLOR was appointed sales director for Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coatings. Taylor, who formerly served with another aerospace paint manufacturer, will oversee all sales, marketing and distribution for Sherwin-Williams Aerospace Coating Systems.
Rockwell Collins was awarded FAA technical standard order approval for the use of ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) on Mode-S transponders. The approval covers the Rockwell Collins TDR-94/94D transponder, the first to fully meet the international RTC DO-260A standard ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the necessary data that supports surveillance applications. The FAA approval will enable enhanced traffic situational awareness on the airport and during flight.
Permira, a private equity firm headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, won the bidding last week to acquire Jet Aviation, the worldwide aircraft maintenance, refurbishment and fixed-base operations service provider. The Hirschmann family of Switzerland, whose patriarch, the late Carl Hirschmann, started the business in 1967, opted for Permira's offer over one from The Carlyle Group of Washington, D.C. (BA, Aug. 8/55).
The assertion by user-tax opponents that FAA does not have a demonstrated, long-range funding problem is being disputed by the agency. In a fact sheet accompanying its Draft Flight Plan for 2006-2010, FAA acknowledged arguments that the agency's funding concerns will be alleviated through increased passenger ticket tax revenues and the general fund. "But unfortunately, the funding gap is very real," the agency said.
JUDE ZIMMERMAN was named interior manager for Elliott Aviation. He will lead the interior team from concept through completion and delivery. Zimmerman has 29 years of corporate aviation experience, spending 17 years as interior and cabinet shop manager at Raytheon Aircraft Services in Houston, Texas.
