Embraer delivered the first U.K.-registered Legacy executive jet this month through Harrods Aviation, the manufacturer's authorized sales representative for the U.K. and Ireland.
The House Appropriations Committee last week approved a $14.427 billion budget for the Federal Aviation Administration, dramatically increasing the agency's funding over the Bush Administration's request as well as boosting the amount of funding provided by the general fund. The House bill that cleared the committee Tuesday also contained a strongly worded directive to FAA about making sure that it adequately staffs its certification inspection force, and included a ban on new user fees.
CAE POSTS BIG LOSS; SHAREHOLDERS APPROVE MOVING HQ TO MONTREAL - Canadian simulator manufacturer and aircraft training provider CAE reported a net loss from continuing operations of $305 million, or $1.23 per share, for the year ended March 31, the result of a charge of $443.3 million taken in the third quarter (BA, Feb. 14/73).
EXPRESSJET TAKES STAKE IN WING AVIATION - Regional airline operator ExpressJet Holdings is expanding its reach into corporate aviation through the purchase of a non-controlling stake in Wing Aviation, LLC. The stake expands the relationship of the Houston-based companies that began when ExpressJet contracted with Wing Aviation for paint work. "The Wing Aviation team provides excellent leadership and a developed private aviation business that is second to none.
GE REORGANIZES; AIRCRAFT ENGINES' CALHOUN MOVES UP - GE will consolidate its businesses from 11 to six, effective July 5, the conglomerate said last week, with the GE Transportation and Aircraft Engines chief moving up to vice chairman. GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt named vice chairmen for three of the newly formed businesses: Dave Calhoun for Infrastructure; Michael Neal for Commercial Financial Services, and John Rice for Industrial.
Elliott Aviation received FAA supplemental type certification to install Honeywell's Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS), along with windshear alerting, in Citation Model 560 Ultra and 560XL Excel business jets. RAAS offers "a significant safety enhancement" to Honeywell's Mark VII Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS)," Elliott said, by providing improved situational awareness to help prevent runway incursions. The system uses GPS data, in additional to EGPWS runway database information, to monitor aircraft position on the runway and taxiways.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-400 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-21469; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-124-AD; Amendment 39-14133; AD 2005-12-17] - requires inspecting the electrical connectors of the fire extinguisher bottles for the forward and aft baggage compartments and for the auxiliary power unit and engine nacelles to determine if they are connected correctly; and doing related investigative and corrective actions, if necessary.
RON MAHAN was named chief pilot for Jet Source. Mahan has more than 19 years of professional pilot and flight department experience, holding positions such as director of operations and chief pilot. In his new role he will direct the flight operations department with responsibility for building the staff and coordinating crewmember planning.
While GA groups were wary that Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.) might attempt to use the fiscal 2006 transportation appropriations bill as a venue to impose further operational limits on Teterboro Airport (TEB) in N.J. (BA, June 13/261), the bill contained no such measure. The report accompanying the bill, however, continues the 100,000-pound aircraft weight limit at the airport. Boeing and certain operators had been hoping to convince the airport to modify the weight restrictions to enable the Boeing Business Jet to access TEB.
ARINC and Jeppesen have teamed to offer an integrated electronic flight bag (EFB) system that combines ARINC's eFlightDeck technology with Jeppesen's EFB software. ARINC will provide the airborne data communications and document-view technology as well as EFB integration and hardware support. Jeppesen will provide its software, data, and applications such as digital terminal charts, en route moving map and airport moving map technologies. ARINC and Jeppesen are doing market research and plan to announce details of the EFB in the next few months.
Bombardier, which last month launched a new unit, Bombardier Corporate Shuttle Solutions, to focus on the corporate shuttle market, said it has letters of intent, backed by deposits, for five Challenger 800-series corporate shuttles. Bombardier is offering three variants of its CRJ family for corporate shuttle operations - the Challenger 850, 870 and 890. The company received an agreement from Fort Lauderdale-based Aero Toy Store as well as from an Eastern European customer for a total of three Challenger 850s.
A who's who of aviation industry leaders was selected this month to advise government officials on the parameters of a new air traffic control system. FAA formed The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NGATS) Institute "to assist the federal government as it defines and implements a new air traffic control system" and appointed 15 members to the NGATS Institute Management Council. The Institute is part of the National Center for Advanced Technology, a non-profit corporation affiliated with the Aerospace Industries Association.
GROB UNVEILS PLANS FOR COMPOSITE LIGHT JET - German plane-maker Grob Aerospace last week formally launched a new light jet program, the G180 SP Utility Jet, an all-composite aircraft that will seat eight and sell for just over $7 million (U.S.). The company, which announced plans for the new program during the Paris Air Show, said the new aircraft will combine the performance and comfort of a light business jet with operational versatility of a turboprop.
FLIR Systems, Inc. won a subcontract from General Dynamics Canada to supply Star SAFIRE airborne multi-sensor imaging systems for installation in Sikorsky S-92 helicopters under the Canadian Department of National Defence Maritime Helicopter Project. The helicopters, designated as the CH-148 Cyclone by Canadian defense officials, will use the FLIR Star SAFIRE system for surface and subsurface surveillance, personnel recovery and drug interdiction. The contract, valued at more than $20 million (U.S.), includes a multi-year service and support agreement.
FORECAST INTERNATIONAL SEES DOUBLE-DIGIT JUMP IN BIZJET MARKET - Aerospace market analyst Forecast International (FI) last week predicted that long-range business jets and very light jets will help drive a market for 10,900 business jets valued at $141 billion in the next 10 years. Despite the two-year decline in 2002 and 2003, business jet production turned around last year and is heading into a period of growth that will last at least until 2014, FI forecast in its World Market for Business Jet Aircraft analysis.
Embraer secured $180 million in loans from the International Finance Corp. (IFC), a private-sector arm of the World Bank Group, to complete the launch of the Embraer 190 and 195. IFC is lending $35 million from its own accounts and $145 million from participating financial institutions. Embraer said this is the first time it has borrowed from IFC.
CRISTIANO PIROLI was named regional sales manager for Brazil for Dallas Airmotive. Piroli has spent five years as a maintenance supervisor, engine shop chief engineer and sales manager for Lider Taxi Aero SA and Lider Signature SA. He has maintained CJ610, PT6A and TFE731 engines and held sales roles involving RR250, TFE731, JT15D, PT6A, PT6T and CJ610 customers.
Honeywell won separate European approvals for use of its Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS). The European Aviation Safety Agency granted supplemental type certification for installation of RAAS on Learjet 31, 35, 36, 55 and 60 series aircraft. The French Direction Generale de l'Aviation Civile also awarded an STC for the Boeing 777. "This is a major stride in safety improvement for Europe, since runway incursions and other related ground accidents are increasing at an unacceptable rate," said Frank Daly, president of Honeywell Commercial Electronic Systems.
SAAB Model 2000 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-21341; Directorate Identifier 2003-NM-026-AD] - proposes to require inspection for cracking of the fastener holes in the front and rear spar, modification of the fastener holes of the front and rear spars and the rear spar web, and related investigative/corrective actions, if necessary. This proposed AD is prompted by a report of cracking of certain fastener holes in the lower spar cap of the rear spar and in the lower skin at the front spar.
June 27-30 - NBAA Flight Operations Manual Workshop, San Francisco, www.nbaa.org June 29-30 - NBAA Management Fundamentals for Flight Departments Workshop, San Francisco, www.nbaa.org July 7 - NBAA Business Aviation Regional Forum, San Jose, Calif., www.nbaa.org July 11-14 - SAE International's Conference on Environmental Systems and European Symposium on Space Environmental Control Systems. Hotel Villa Pamphili, Rome. Call +1 (724) 776-4841 or see www.sae.org
MOONEY CEO TO FLY IN WOMEN'S AIR RACE - Gretchen Jahn, who took over as chief executive officer at Mooney Aircraft in December, will pilot a Mooney Ovation2 GX aircraft in this week's Air Race Classic, a 2,000-mile race for women only. Jahn, a pilot for more than 20 years, will be making her 14th start in the Air Race Classic. Accompanying Jahn will be another air racing veteran, Ruby Sheldon, 87, of Phoenix, Ariz.
