FLYBE TO ADD 14 EMBRAER 195 JETS TO FLEET - Brazilian plane-maker Embraer nearly doubled its Embraer 195 orderbook with a contract from European low-cost carrier Flybe for 14 of the jets valued at $470 million. The order, which calls for the airliners to be delivered between August 2006 and November 2007, includes options for up to 12 more, which could boost the contract value to $870 million. The 195s, the largest of Embraer's new family of 70- to 110-passenger aircraft, will replace BAE 146s on Flybe's routes.
Elliott Aviation won FAA supplemental type certificate approval to install the Honeywell Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS) aboard the Beechjet 400A. The system is designed to improve situational awareness to prevent runway incursions. RAAS uses GPS data and Honeywell's Mark V Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System runway database information to monitor the aircraft's position on the runway and taxiways. It provides an aural warning in the event of a deviation.
GENERAL ATOMICS MERGES AERONAUTICAL, RECONNAISSANCE SYSTEMS - General Atomics merged its Aeronautical Systems and Reconnaissance Systems, a move the San Diego, Calif.-based company described as "the seamless integration of aircraft with sensor and weapons systems."
AAR won a five-year agreement from Air FRAM-KLM subsidiary Regional to provide logistics support and component repair for the carrier's 11 Embraer Brasilia EMB-120 aircraft. AAR Aircraft Component Services in Amsterdam will coordinate services with support from AAR Allen Aircraft, AAR Distribution and AAR Landing Gear Services.
BAE SYSTEMS Model BAe 146 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20724; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-233-AD; Amendment 39-14115; AD 2005-11-13] - requires repetitive inspections for cracks of the fuselage pressure skin above the left and right main landing gear (MLG) bay. This AD also requires corrective action, if leaks are found. This AD is prompted by reports of cracks in the fuselage pressure skin above the left and right MLG bay.
General Aviation advocates have become increasingly concerned that Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.) plans to draft a measure for the fiscal 2006 transportation appropriations bill that would impose limits on flights at Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey. Rothman, a member of the transportation appropriations subcommittee, has included Teterboro provisions in past appropriations bills, including one reinforcing a ban on the Boeing Business Jet at the airport.
TIM KING was promoted to manager, planning and control, for Midcoast Aviation. King joined Sabreliner in 1990 and moved to Sabreliner's Midcoast subsidiary in 1997. King formerly was a specialist within Midcoast's integrated product team, which is tasked with ensuring that aircraft completion and modification projects remain on schedule and on budget.
Michael R. Suldo was named president of Air Logistics, LLC and senior vice president of Offshore Logistics, Inc. He joined the offshore helicopter operator in 2002 as assistant general manager and subsequently was promoted to general manager, responsible for all operations, maintenance and training. The company operates 165 helicopters.
MOONEY SALES UP SHARPLY, LOSS SMALLER - Mooney Airplane Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mooney Aerospace Group, reported sales of $9.38 million for the quarter ended March 31, an increase of 162 percent over the first-quarter 2004 sales total of $3.58 million. The company sold 20 airplanes in the first quarter this year compared with just seven in the same period last year, and noted that it does not record a sale until "the airplane is paid in full and the airplane is delivered to the customer."
IRS CURBS DEDUCTIONS FOR ENTERTAINMENT FLIGHTS - The National Business Aviation Association will host a two-hour teleconference this week to walk members through new Internal Revenue Service requirements on how companies should treat tax deductions related to the use of aircraft for entertainment. A recently released IRS notice provides interim guidance to taxpayers on a tax measure adopted by Congress in the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 last fall that limits the amount a company can deduct when senior-level executives use the aircraft for entertainment.
ARINC's Asia Pacific division will establish a joint venture with China's Aviation Data Communication Corp. (ADCC) to develop new products and services for the aviation market. The joint venture plans to take advantage of ARINC's expertise in airline communications and airport IT with ADCC's experience in application development. One project the joint venture is expected to undertake is airport tarmac management services, monitoring and managing aircraft on the ground.
Precision Conversions won supplemental type certificate approval to convert a Boeing 757 from passenger to cargo configuration after a three and one-half year development program. The conversion that was tested for STC conformity was completed at Goodrich Corporation's Aviation Technical Services facility in Everett, Wash.
The Department of Homeland Security's requirements for general aviation access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) came under fire before the Senate Commerce Committee last week, as the panel's chairman, Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), said he feared the rules would be too burdensome to work and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) said he feared that all DHS's resources will be focusing on DCA at the expense of general aviation security nationwide (BA, May 30/241).
TIAHRT MOVES TO ADD AVIATION PROMOTION BACK INTO FAA'S MANDATE - Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.) last week introduced a bill to make promotion of aviation part of the Federal Aviation Administration's mandate. The bill, Promotion Responsibility for Our U.S. Aviation Act of 2005, H.R.2787, would restore part of FAA's mandate that was removed in 1996 in the wake of the ValuJet accident. Then-Transportation Secretary Federico Pena had called for the mandate change after FAA came under public fire for not going far enough to enforce commercial aviation safety.
ROBINSON R44 DESTROYED TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASE - A Robinson R44 was destroyed last month in California after the rotorcraft struck terrain during low-level flight near Lucerne Valley, Calif. and then burned in a post-impact fire. The Part 91 flight was carrying the pilot, who had purchased the helicopter in March, a certified flight instructor and a passenger. The three had departed from Redlands, Calif. May 28 and the pilot was operating under visual meteorological conditions.
MICHELE TOTH was named vice president of human resources and administration for Northrop Grumman's Information Technology unit. Toth most recently was vice president of human resources for Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector. She has held a number of human resources positions at the company, including director of strategic planning in the Electronic Systems sector, and has led human resources integration of newly acquired organizations.
Bombardier received an order from Jeju Air of South Korea for five 74-seat Bombardier Q400 airliners. The order, valued at about $120 million, includes options on three additional aircraft, which could boost the total contract value to $196 million. Formed in January, Jeju Air expects to provide low-fare service between Jeju Island and the South Korean mainland, including Seoul-Gimpo, Busan, Daegu and Cheongju. The airline plans to launch operations in 2006.
Innotech Aviation was approved as a line service center for Honeywell's HTF 7000 turbofan engine. The Montreal, Quebec aviation service provider will perform engine removal/replacement, hot section inspections, major periodic inspections and line maintenance for operators of HTF-equipped Challenger 300 business jets. Innotech was previously approved to service Honeywell TFE731-2 through -5 propulsion engines and GTCP30-92, GTCP36-6, GTCP36-100 and GTCP36-150 auxiliary power units.
AGUSTA Model A109E helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2005-20511; Directorate Identifier 2004-SW-32-AD; Amendment 39-14117; AD 2005-12-01] - requires, within five hours time-in-service, locating relay K7212 and its associated cable in the overhead panel assembly and visually inspecting the electrical cable in the splice area for arcing or burns. If arcing or burns are found, this AD requires, before further flight, replacing an unairworthy cable with an airworthy cable kit.
Raytheon Canada received an order to deliver a FIRSTplus air traffic control simulator to Civil Aviation Training Collect in Allahabad, India. SES Systems Pte. Ltd. is the prime contractor on the order. The system is slated to be operational in mid-2005.
DORNIER Model 328-300 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20414; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-116-AD; Amendment 39-14079; AD 2005-10-02] - requires installing an additional mounting angle for the respective de-icing pipes at Rib 9 in the leading edge area of the left- and right-hand wings. This AD is prompted by chafed de-icing lines in the wing leading edge area.
