At least two well-financed suitors are believed to be bidding to acquire Jet Aviation, the Switzerland-based business aviation service company, from members of the Hirschmann family. Sources say the Washington, D.C.-based Carlyle Group made a detailed offer to buy Jet Aviation for slightly more than $600 million in cash in April. A German investment bank also is believed to be in the hunt for Jet, which provides aircraft sales, modification and repair services, runs fixed-base operations and has a fleet of more than 160 aircraft in the U.S. and Europe.
TONY KEANE was appointed executive director for NACE International. Keane formerly was the chief operating officer of the Optical Society of America. Before that, he held a number of management roles, including deputy executive director and interim executive director for Construction Specifications Institute.
FAA CALLS FOR PERMANENT RESTRICTED AREA OVER WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration Thursday proposed creating a permanent National Defense Airspace region that would replace the current Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) surrounding Washington, D.C. The proposal would codify restrictions that had been in place under temporary flight restriction notices for the past two years.
Adam Aircraft hopes to win certification for its twin-turbofan A700 Very Light Jet in 2006, a process that officials are saying will be much easier and quicker than the one they've gone through to get the A500 twin-piston close to being FAA approved.
MUSTANG ON TRACK FOR CERTIFICATION NEXT YEAR - Cessna Aircraft has one Cessna Mustang in flight test with another poised to join the program next quarter, and officials are confident they will be able to win FAA certification on schedule in the fourth quarter of 2006. The first Mustang airframe made its first flight April 23 and accomplished its 90th when Jack Pelton, Cessna's chairman, president and CEO, flew the airplane to Oshkosh, Wis. last month for display at EAA's AirVenture.
RICHARD TRANQUILLI joined Executive Jet Management as vice president of organizational development. He formerly held roles as a project manager developing education and training programs for Procter & Gamble and Fifth Third Bank and as a self-employed facilitator of several proprietary leadership and sales training projects.
FAA ESTABLISHES SECOND-IN-COMMAND TYPE RATING - The Federal Aviation Administration created a new type rating for second-in-command (SIC) pilots that will bring U.S. regulations into compliance with international standards. The new rule, which takes effect Sept. 6, calls for pilots who plan to fly outside U.S. airspace and land in foreign countries obtain the SIC type rating. The rule also recommends that pilots who plan to transit through foreign-controlled airspace obtain the type rating.
The highway bill contained numerous provisions affecting aviation, but not all of them are as controversial. While imposing higher jet-fuel taxes, the bill also exempts sightseeing and seaplane operators from the air transportation taxes; exempts agricultural aerial applicators from the fuel taxes and fixed-wing aircraft involved in forestry operations from air transportation taxes; and calls for the continued operation of the airport at Midway Island, saying it's necessary for the safety of commercial and military operations.
ROCKWELL COLLINS REPORTS 20 PERCENT SALES INCREASE - Rockwell Collins reported a 20 percent increase in sales for its fiscal 2005 third quarter. Sales totaled $890 million, the company said, and net income was up 33 percent over the third quarter of fiscal 2004, reaching $101 million, or 56 cents per share.
MATTHEW BETTY was appointed director of charter sales for Raytheon Aircraft Charter & Management (RACM). Betty has nearly 15 years of experience in aircraft, travel card and jet charter sales, most recently as regional vice president of sales with UltraJet Club in Cleveland, Ohio. He also has been regional vice president of charter sales with Executive Jet Management.
JEFF CURRY was named general manager of Raytheon Aircraft Services (RAS) in San Antonio, Texas. Curry previously was general manager of RAS-Dallas, supporting Flight Options. He also has held a number of positions with RAS-Indianapolis, including service manager, program manager, service supervisor and crew lead. An A&P-licensed technician with a bachelor of science degree in professional aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Curry is working toward a master's degree in business administration from the University of Texas.
GA SHIPMENTS SOAR IN FIRST HALF, GAMA SAYS - General aviation manufacturers reported a 31.6 percent leap in billings in the first half of the year and are on pace to deliver more than 3,000 aircraft valued at $13 billion in 2005, the highest level since the industry reported record billings of $14 billion in 2001, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. In the first half of the year, GA manufacturers shipped 1,548 airplanes with billings of $6.5 billion, GAMA reported last week.
Blue Sky Network was recognized as an approved data channel for the Rockwell Collins Airshow 4000 moving map and inflight information system. The Blue Sky Network uses the Iridium satellite system to follow flights and provide communications for the aviation industry. The Blue Sky Network C-1000A system will deliver customized news, financial, sports and weather data from the Rockwell Collins Member Service Center to aircraft through Iridium's network of 66 low-earth-orbiting satellites.
Oshkosh, Wis. was center stage last week in the developing competition among a handful of manufacturers in the battle for customers and bragging rights in the emerging Very Light Jet market. Eclipse Aviation had two of its Eclipse 500 flight test aircraft performing fly-bys for attendees at last week's EAA AirVenture. Cessna Chairman Jack Pelton flew Cessna's first Mustang aircraft to Oshkosh where it was on display near the main entrance.
EPIC PLANS TO BUILD VLJ IN U.S., TBILISI - Officials of Epic Aircraft say they will establish parallel production facilities in the U.S. and in the Republic of Georgia in the former Soviet Union to build a composite-construction Very Light Jet, adding that they plan to seek initial certification from Brazilian airworthiness authority officials.
BE A PILOT, the aviation community's program to introduce flying to more people, registered its 250,000th pilot prospect. Richard Roberson of Locke, N.Y., used the $49 BE A PILOT introductory flight certificate last month at All About Flying Pilot Training Center in Cortland, N.Y. "This is a major milestone for a program that has been the most productive, measurable and results-oriented of any joint program ever run by the industry," said BE A PILOT Chairman Jack Olcott.
Raytheon Aircraft recently handed over a Beechcraft Baron 58 and a Hawker 400XP aircraft destined for Talon Air, an aircraft charter operator based at Republic Airport in Farmingdale, N.Y. Talon Air will take delivery of a Hawker 800Xpi in September, Raytheon Aircraft said, adding that the charter company will become RAC's largest private owner of Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft. In addition to the two new Hawkers and the Baron 58, Talon's fleet includes two Hawker 400XPs, a Hawker 800XP and a King Air B200.
AIR TRACTOR Models AT-300, AT-301, AT-302, AT-400, AT-400A, AT-401, AT-402, AT-602, AT-802, and AT-802A airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2004-19837; Directorate Identifier 2004-CE-43-AD; Amendment 39-14149; AD 2005-13-12] - requires repetitively tightening the four eyebolts that attach the front and rear spar of the horizontal stabilizer to the respective stabilizer strut to the specified torque, and repetitively replacing at specified intervals any eyebolts that attach the front and rear spar of the horizontal stabilizer to the respective stabilizer strut.
SENATE PANEL SEEKS INCREASED FAA FUNDING, LESS FROM TRUST FUND - Despite the Bush Administration's desire to cut the Federal Aviation Administration's budget in fiscal 2006, FAA stands to receive a significant increase after the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended a $14.258 billion budget for the agency.
TONY CARUSO was appointed account manger, commercial and corporate aviation sales, for EMS SATCOM, the Ottawa, Canada, designer of satellite-based terminals for aeronautical, land mobile, maritime and emergency management markets. Caruso will oversee sales involving EMS SATCOM dealers and commercial and corporate aircraft operators in Canada. Caruso has more than 18 years of aviation sales and marketing experience with companies including PerkinElmer, Avcorp, AlliedSignal and Lucas Aerospace.
SimCom has expanded its training programs for the Socata TBM 700 single-turboprop to provide training at both its Orlando, Fla. and Scottsdale, Ariz. centers. SimCom is offering simulator-based and in-aircraft instruction in Orlando and in-aircraft training in Scottsdale. SimCom also has developed an upgrade course designed for piston or low-time pilots upgrading to the TBM 700. The Socata factory-authorized training provider for the TBM 700, SimCom also offers six-day initial, three-day recurrent and two-day advanced refresher courses for the aircraft.
BRANSON, RUTAN AGREE TO FORM SPACESHIP COMPANY - Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, and Burt Rutan, president of Scaled Composites, have agreed to form a new company to fulfill their goal of starting a suborbital commercial spaceflight industry. Scaled Composites won the X Prize last fall, just after Branson said he plans to offer suborbital space flights beginning in 2007 using technology licensed from Scaled's financial backer, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
ANDREW KASOWSKI was named vice president, product development, for Cessna Aircraft Company. Kasowski will be responsible for program management and product engineering for new product development. Kasowski joined Cessna in 1973 and has held several positions of increasing responsibility. He most recently was director of structural integrity.
