Large aircraft that carry enough passengers to people a small village should be equipped with missile defense systems (MANPADs), Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), chair of the House Transportation aviation subcommittee told BA affiliate Aviation Daily, acknowledging that he's working on a bipartisan bill to accomplish just that.
Pressure on federal officials to create a biometric airport identity card ratcheted up after customs officials in New York confiscated more than 1,300 fake law enforcement badges this month, prompting a group of airline pilots to call on the Transportation Security Administration to expedite biometric identification plans at airports. The lack of a modern airport badge "poses a serious threat to the flying public," The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) asserted.
SANJAY AGGARWAL was named vice president of operations and planning for Flight Options LLC. Aggarwal will oversee the fractional aircraft ownership provider's Operations Control, Owner Services, Operations Planning and Information Technology teams. Before joining the company in 2004 as vice president of planning, he was a senior director with Marriott International.
Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) last week expressed concern about growing airport congestion, telling FAA Administrator Marion Blakey, "I want to applaud what you've done in terms of Reagan Airport.
Representing the pilot of the Cessna 150 that violated restricted airspace around Washington, D.C. May 11 asked the National Transportation Safety Board to stay FAA's revocation of the pilot's airman certificate. See article on Page 245.
PIAGGIO AERO teamed with Jet Support Services, Inc. to provide JSSI's Tip-To-Tail program for P180 Avanti and Avanti II operators. JSSI will tailor the program for the Avanti, providing hourly maintenance guarantees covering the airframe, engine and all components, assemblies and systems. Operators can elect to enroll in various levels of the program and pay monthly fees based on flight hours flown.
FAA and Transport Canada green-lighted four upgrades to Bombardier CRJ series aircraft, Bombardier said, and European regulatory approval is expected to follow soon. The agencies approved the Bombardier CRJ900 Enhanced Performance Package (EPP) to improve takeoff and landing distances, the CRJ900 long-range variant, the CRJ 700 Series 705 and the CRJ700 engine upgrade to a variant of the CRJ900 engine.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE sold a Bombardier 415 amphibious aircraft to the Italian government for firefighting. As part of the contract, Bombardier will supply kits to add an autopilot, nose radar and flight data recorder aboard the aircraft. The Italian government operates a fleet of 16 of the aircraft for firefighting.
IBIS AEROSPACE'S Ae270 single-turboprop completed the certification flight testing required to secure Czech Aviation Authority (CAA) approval, and the manufacturer has turned over "all but a handful of the required reports" for certification. IBIS has coordinated certification efforts with the CAA and FAA, and expects to win both European and U.S. approval within a few months. Aero Vodochody is manufacturing the aircraft in the Czech Republic through a joint venture with AIDC of Taiwan. The aircraft can seat up to 10 people or be configured for cargo.
ROLLS-ROYCE said its CorporateCare engine care program continues to expand with 40 new orders from customers in the first quarter of the year. Rolls-Royce has enrolled more than 450 aircraft in CorporateCare and other flight-hour agreements and said the contracts are valued at more than $900 million. Rolls-Royce offers CorporateCare for the AE 3007, Tay and BR710 engines.
Gulfstream Aerospace President Bryan Moss warned federal legislators Wednesday that reduced budgets for FAA and NASA and proposed user charges on business aviation could have serious economic consequences for the industry and the nation.
The pilot of a Cessna 150 who flew into restricted airspace around Washington, D.C. on May 11, triggering the evacuation of government buildings and the launch of multiple government aircraft to intercept the wayward aircraft, is challenging FAA's emergency revocation of his airman certificate (BA, May 16/217).
KREISLER MANUFACTURING COMPANY reported earnings of $98,900 in the third quarter, an improvement of more than $300,000 over a third-quarter 2004 loss of $223,902. Sales for the quarter were up 23 percent to $3.8 million. "After two very difficult years, Kreisler is achieving profitable growth," said CEO Michael Stern. Order backlog as of March 31 was up 17 percent to $15.4 million. For the first nine months of its fiscal year, the Elmwood Park, N.J.
Garrett/Piedmont Hawthorne/Associated named two aviation industry veterans to senior executive positions within the company. Roger E. Wolfe, a veteran Honeywell official, was named executive vice president of operations. In his new post, Wolfe will be responsible for "leading the company in defining and delivering an integrated service offering, and will oversee all operations of maintenance, repair and overhaul, engineering and supply chain, as well as operations for Associated Air Center.
The U.S. Air Force is studying a possible replacement for the aging Bell UH-1N Huey helicopters used by intercontinental ballistic missile wings, a general said May 24.
Carmanah Technologies Corp., which specializes in manufacturing solar-powered LED lighting for a variety of applications, including airport signage and runway marking, has agreed to buy another Canadian provider of solar power and alternative energy products in a cash and stock deal.
FLIGHTWORKS, the Atlanta, Ga.-based aircraft management and charter company, accepted two green aircraft for its charter fleet. The aircraft, a Hawker 800XP and a Gulfstream 450, are under management contract and will join the charter fleet once completed. FlightWorks also is opening a 40,000-square-foot facility in Manassas, Va. that will include an executive terminal, passenger lounge and office space later this year. A hangar there, already in use, can accommodate up to 15 aircraft.
CESSNA received an order from Arab Wings Ltd. of Amman, Jordan for a new Citation XLS business jet. The aircraft will be used for on-demand charter in the Middle East and Europe. Wallan Aviation, Cessna's Citation authorized sales representative in Saudi Arabia and surrounding territories, helped secure the sale.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION is offering a new term life insurance program it has developed with the Pilot Insurance Center, based in Addison, Texas. The programs will cover pilots as well as other members of flight departments. "Pilots have special challenges when purchasing life insurance," said Pilot Insurance Center President William Fanning. "Most life insurance companies and agents don't understand the actual risks involved in aviation, and are unable to find pilots the most cost-effective coverage."
June 4 - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, 15th Annual AOPA Fly-In and Open House, Frederick Municipal Airport, Frederick, Md., www.aopa.org/fly-in June 6-8 - Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association Spring Conference, Scottsdale Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort, 5401 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, Ariz., http://www.racconline.org June 8 - National Transportation Safety Board Bar Association Annual Aviation and Transportation Law Conference, Washington, D.C., 202-331-1955, Fax 202-293-2309
JET AVIATION signed a new contract with Emirates CAE Flight Training for pilot training in Gulfstream IV, V and G550 business jets at ECFT's facilities in Dubai, U.A.E. Jet Aviation also renewed a contract with the training company for instruction on the Boeing Business Jet.
GARRETT/PIEDMONT HAWTHORNE is formally opening a new 18,000-square-foot hangar June 9 at Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport in Virginia. The $1.2 million hangar will house at least six aircraft -- a Gulfstream GV, Bombardier Challenger, Beechcraft King Air 90, Citation Encore, Citation CJ2 and Beechcraft Baron.
FOUR PERSONS in a Mitsubishi MU-2 turboprop were killed Tuesday when the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from the Hillsboro, Ore. Airport. At least one witness said the pilot of the aircraft, N312MA, appeared to be making a high-performance takeoff, pulling the nose of the aircraft up sharply upon takeoff. The aircraft yawed to the left before the deck angle of the aircraft decreased, but the MU-2 then appeared to slow before the pilot lost control and it crashed.
NBAA FIGHTING TWO TAX MEASURES IN HIGHWAY REAUTHORIZATION BILL - National Business Aviation Association is working with congressional leaders to remove two provisions in the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act that would increase business aviation operators' tax and paperwork burden.
