Privatair added a Bombardier Global Express to its fleet of aircraft available for charter. The 12-passenger, very-long-range aircraft is based in Geneva six months of the year and in the Caribbean for the remainder of the year.
Bombardier announced a 100,000-square-foot expansion plan for its service center at Love Field in Dallas, Texas. Construction will begin this fall and be completed in about a year. The expansion will include a 52,500-square-foot hangar to accommodate Challenger and Global Express aircraft, and another 45,000 square feet of back shops, support and office space. The new buildings will house about 125 full-time employees, a number that could grow to nearly 200 over the next five years.
Business aviation advocates had hoped the IFR would appear early this month, which - after a 90-day implementation and checkout period - might make it possible to resume DCA flights in September. Because of the delay in publishing the IFR, it now appears that flights might not resume until October, at the earliest.
Christena Ferran was appointed director of sales and marketing for Schubach Aviation. Ferran has a background in sales and marketing, public relations and communications, serving with a number of non-profit organizations.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-400, -401, and -402 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20727; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-148-AD; Amendment 39-14113; AD 2005-11-11] - requires repetitive inspections to detect discrepancies of the attachment fittings of the outboard flap front spar at flap track Number 4 and Number 5 locations, and corrective actions if necessary. This AD also requires eventual replacement of the attachment fittings as terminating action for the repetitive inspections.
RAYTHEON UNVEILS GROUND-BASED MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM - Raytheon last week at the Paris Air Show, unveiled a ground-based missile defense system that could be deployed at airports for as little as $25 million per system. The system, called Vigilant Eagle, uses a high-power amplifier-transmitter to emit electromagnetic waves "to disrupt the missile and deflect it away from the aircraft," Raytheon said. Raytheon claimed Vigilant Eagle "could be at least 10 times less costly than the current aircraft-based countermeasure program now in development."
AAR Corp. joined the Northrop Grumman Corp. team that was selected by the Department of Homeland Security for Phase II of the Counter-Man Portable Air Defense Systems (Counter-MANPADS) program to protect commercial airliners from attack by ground-based, shoulder-fired missiles.
More than 9,000 pilots remain on furlough from the large scheduled airlines, but "May will go down in the record books as the largest pilot-hiring month since 9/11," according to AIR, Inc., the Atlanta, Ga.-based firm that tracks pilot hiring trends. The industry added 1,215 pilots last month, including 427 who joined national carriers and 339 who went to work for non-jet operators. Two of the four major fractional aircraft providers hired a total of 42 pilots last month, raising the number of pilots added during the first five months of the year to 249.
PRINCIPATO TAKING OVER AS PRESIDENT OF ACI-NA - Gregory O. Principato, a former staffer on Capitol Hill with 25 years of aviation-related experience, will take over next month as president of ACI-NA (Airports Council International-North America).
ENGINE PROBLEM CAUSES CARAVAN FORCED LANDING - The pilot of a Cessna Caravan 208B was forced to make an emergency landing in a field this month after the aircraft's engine failed. The flight originated at 0940 on June 7 from Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (AMA) on a flight to the Addison, Texas Airport. The Caravan, N9505B, is owned by Martinaire Partners, L.P. of Addison. The airline transport rated pilot filed an instrument flight rules flight plan.
Backers of reopening DCA will demonstrate their support at a "Celebrate General Aviation" event there Thursday evening chaired by Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), a big proponent of getting business aviation back to DCA (BA, May 23/229). Organizers of the event - which is being sponsored by the Washington Airports Task Force, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the National Business Aviation Association and Signature Flight Support - had hoped to have half a dozen business aviation aircraft on display.
Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) last week introduced H.R.2905, which would require the installation of anti-terrorist missile defense systems on Airbus 380 airliners within two years after that aircraft wins FAA certification.
SIKORSKY WINS 35-HELICOPTER CONTRACT FROM OFFSHORE LOGISTICS - Sikorsky Aircraft received one of its single largest civil helicopter orders with a contract from Offshore Logistics for 35 S-76 helicopters and options for up to 24 more. Offshore Logistics, a helicopter transportation services company that supports the oil and gas markets, will use the aircraft in its operations worldwide. The contract is a follow-on to a 2003 order that Offshore Logistics placed for 12 S-76s. Delivery of the helicopters in the latest order will begin this year and continue through 2012.
WILLIAMS TO POWER JAVELIN JETS - Williams International signed an agreement with Aviation Technology Group, Inc., to provide the powerplants for ATG's line of jet fighter look-alike aircraft. ATG, based in Englewood, Colo., said Williams will supply its FJ33-4-17M engines for both the Javelin "executive jet" and the Javelin Mk-20 trainer. In the executive configuration, the FJ33-4-17M engines will each produce 1,700 pounds of thrust, "allowing for a maximum cruise speed of 0.92 Mach and climb rates of 10,000 feet per minute."
Embraer delivered an Embraer Legacy to a customer in the United Kingdom, the first sale of the Brazilian-built business jet there. Harrods Aviation, an authorized Legacy sales representative, facilitated the sale. The Legacy is certified to operate out of London City Airport. Embraer has delivered 52 Legacys to customers in 13 countries.
PASSENGERS SPRAYED WITH HYDRAULIC FLUID IN AVRO 146 INCIDENT - A number of passengers aboard a heavily laden British Aerospace Avro 146-RJ85A were sprayed with hydraulic fluid and suffered temporary breathing problems this month as the Mesaba Airlines/Northwest Airlink aircraft was landing at Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) near Oklahoma City, Okla.
Nearly one month after federal officials said they were ready to release an Interim Final Rule (IFR) detailing the restrictions under which business aircraft will be permitted to resume operations into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the rule has still not been published. The May 25 announcement by then-TSA Administrator David Stone and FAA Administrator Marion Blakey was viewed by the aviation community as a breakthrough after nearly four years of lobbying to get DCA reopened.
NEW PIPER Models PA-28-160, PA-28-161, PA-28-180, and PA-28-181 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-21174; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-23-AD] - proposes to require an AD for certain New Piper Models PA-28-160, PA-28-161, PA-28-180, and PA-28-181 airplanes that incorporate Petersen Aviation, Inc. Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA2660CE installed between April 20, 1998, and April 1, 2005, and incorporate Petersen Aviation, Inc. Service Bulletin SB98-1.
Jose Abreu was appointed director of aviation for Miami-Dade County, Fla. Abreu has 20 years of public sector experience and most recently was secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation, where he was responsible for overseeing eight districts, 8,000 employees and an annual budget of $6.5 billion.
PILATUS Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20720; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-17-AD; Amendment 39-14108; AD 2005-11-06] - requires inserting a temporary revision into the Limitations Section of the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH). This AD also requires replacing the pitch actuator with an improved pitch actuator and making the necessary wiring and circuit breaker changes, as applicable. Installing the improved design pitch actuator terminates the need for the temporary revision in the POH.
Rockwell Collins won a contract to provide its Pro Line 21 avionics to upgrade the Navy's fleet of 55 T-44A training aircraft. ARINC, the purchasing and installation agency for the program, awarded the contract. L3 Communications is the prime contractor. The Pro Line suite will include two 10- by 8-inch, high-resolution, liquid crystal flight displays with the FMS-3000 flight management system that will provide flight planning and navigation capabilities.
EMBRAER Model ERJ 170 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-21345; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-005-AD] - proposes to require inspecting the hydraulic pressure tubes at the outlet of the engine-driven hydraulic pumps to determine the part and serial numbers; and replacing hydraulic pressure tubes having certain serial numbers with new hydraulic pressure tubes. This proposed AD is prompted by failure of a hydraulic system due to leakage of hydraulic fluid from a crack in the pipe coming from the pressure side of the engine driven pump.
Ward Brooks was promoted to vice president of aircraft sales for Stevens Aviation. Brooks will oversee both new and used aircraft sales. Brooks joined Stevens in 1980 and has held a number of management positions, including general manager and maintenance manager. He is an airline transport pilot with more than 5,600 hours' total flight time.
