ARINC was selected to provide its advanced flight planning services for Air Training International, which provides initial and recurrent international operations training for general aviation pilots. ARINC Direct flight planning service is based on the Sabre flight-planning engine and offers options including quick-file, advanced route planning, coded departure routes, slot request, participation in collaborative decision-making and data-lining.
Infosat Communications, a satellite telecommunications system specialist, was awarded a contract from the Alaska Department of the Interior to develop an automatic tracking system for aircraft using the Iridium satellite network for air-to-ground data link. Infosat is providing satellite data terminals compatible with the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior's Web-based tracking. The terminals, which will be installed on 28 aircraft, will provide automatic in-flight tracking of the aircraft through Iridium's short-burst data service.
BBJ, GULFSTREAM IV IN DUSTUP AT EWR - In a battle for ramp supremacy at a Signature Flight Support fixed-base operation in New Jersey, a conflict between a Boeing Business Jet and a Gulfstream IV resulted in damage to both aircraft, but no injuries.
Jet Aviation plans to open a new maintenance and fixed-base operation at the Sao Paulo, Brazil Viracopos/Campinas International Airport in late 2006. The airport, which is open around the clock, is a key gateway to the greater Sao Paulo area. Jet Aviation said airport officials plan to invest nearly $70 million in the airport over the next several years with the aim of making it "the airport of choice for the business aviation community."
CitationShares fractional ownership program introduced a 20-hour jet card that permits individuals and businesses to purchase flight time in CitationShares aircraft in 20-hour increments. Most jet card programs require a minimum purchase of 25 hours. Pricing for the 20-hour Vector JetCard begins at $75,995, which the company claims makes it "the most accessible and affordable jet card option in the industry." CitationShares is co-owned by Cessna Aircraft Company and TAG Aviation.
Carmanah named Orion Solar Solutions of Worongary, Queensland as an Australian distributor of its light-emitting diode (LED) lighting technologies. Orion will distribute Carmanah solar-powered LED lights for the aviation, marine, transit and road markets.
FAIRCHILD SA226 and SA227 series airplanes [Docket No. 99-CE-12-AD; Amendment 39-14023; AD 2005-06-13] - supersedes AD 99-06-02, which requires repetitively inspecting the wing spar center web cutout on both wings for cracks between Wing Station (WS) 8 and WS 17.5. That AD also requires repairing any area found cracked before further flight. The repair will eliminate the need for the repetitive inspections on that particular wing spar.
K.C. DOWNTOWN AIRPORT BEGINS MAJOR RUNWAY UPGRADES - The Kansas City, Mo. Aviation Department launched a two-year runway renovation program at the city's Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (MKC), part of a $70 million upgrade program for one of the nation's oldest airports.
FlightSafety International's Raytheon Premier 1 business jet simulator is now operating under Level D approval at FSI's training center in Wichita, Kan. The simulator has been in place for two years, but was only approved for Level C authority while officials were "awaiting the availability of data from the maturing program to permit its upgrade to the highest FAA simulation standards," FSI said.
The Part 135/125 Aviation Rulemaking Committee, recommending various options for meeting flight and duty time regulations, broke down their "tabular recommendations" by the number of pilots flying the plane. Charts depicting recommendations for a single-pilot operation and a three-pilot crew are on Pages 151 and 152. The tabular approach is a set flight and duty time formula that the ARC believes best fits when operations have a predictable schedule.
Embraer, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer that has specialized in producing aircraft for regional airlines, is believed to be looking seriously at developing an entry in the emerging Very Light Jet (VLJ) market. See article below.
Bombardier Aerospace named ExecuJet Aviation Group as the exclusive sales representative for the Challenger 300 and Learjet family of business jets in Germany. ExecuJet Aviation Group is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, with operations in Europe, Australasia, Africa and the Middle East. The company has more than 70 aircraft in its fleet under partial or full management. ExecuJet will manage its German business from bases in Frankfurt and Berlin.
ANTHONY KIOUSSIS was appointed vice president and head of Jet Aviation's Aircraft Sales division in the U.S. Kioussis formerly held key management positions during 10 years with British Aerospace. In his new role, he will oversee aircraft sales for the division, which has sales offices in Dallas, Texas, Palm Beach, Fla. and Teterboro, N.J.
The Fixed-Base Operation at Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico is the 29th member of the Million Air chain of FBOs. Nick Schneider is chief executive of Million Air San Juan. The facility has a new 5,600-square-foot passenger facility and a 14,000-square-foot hangar. Construction is scheduled to be finished in mid-April with a formal grand opening planned for May 1.
The DCA access plan is expected to take a phased-in approach with charter companies receiving clearance to DCA first. While some advocates were expressing concern about the prospects for corporate operators, there appears to be renewed optimism that the new leadership at DHS is working toward enabling corporate access of DCA as well. This likely would be through some form of the NBAA/TSA TSA Access Certificate Program.
FAA DELAYS REPAIR STATION TRAINING PROGRAM DEADLINE - The Federal Aviation Administration today (Monday) will formally push back by one year to April 6, 2006 the deadline for Part 145 repair stations to have an approved training program. In a notice slated for the March 28 Federal Register, FAA called the delay necessary because the agency has not yet released guidance material to help repair stations develop appropriate training programs.
Cessna began engine testing and slow-speed taxi evaluations on the Citation Mustang prototype, undertaking one of the last system tests necessary before first flight. Cessna is planning first flight this summer. Cessna installed the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F engines on the Mustang in February. The company has accrued more than 210 hours of flight time on the engine test bed. The engines are flat rated at 1,350 pounds of takeoff thrust at sea level to ISA +10 degrees Celsius and are controlled by dual-channel full authority digital engine control.
AHS International is planning an International Helicopter Safety Symposium Sept. 26-29 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Conducted in concert with government and industry, the symposium will cover accident and safety characteristics of helicopter operations, weather and human factors and maintenance-related issues. The symposium will host workshops to discuss various factors and causes affecting helicopter operation safety and serve as a springboard to form working groups that will set safety goals for the next five years. For more information, contact www.ihss2005.com.
Symphony Aircraft Industries, based in Three Rivers, Quebec, received type and production certificates from Transport Canada for the Symphony 160 two-seat, single-engine aircraft. Symphony will deliver the first 160 this week to Ron Corbi of Corbi Aircraft Sales in Salem, Ohio.
"I am more optimistic than I've ever been," said NATA's Coyne about the prospects of general aviation once again accessing Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). The senior leadership at the Department of Homeland Security has been briefed about the Transportation Security Administration's plan to reopen DCA to GA, and that plan could be presented to Congress this week (BA, March 21/129).
EMBRAER BELIEVED TO BE LOOKING CLOSELY AT LIGHT JET MARKET - Brazilian manufacturer Embraer, which just recorded the most profitable year in the company's 35-year history producing large regional jets for the scheduled airline market, is believed to be seriously considering developing a new entrant in the light jet market. Two sources in recent weeks have said Embraer is exploring the launch of a new light jet program - possibly in conjunction with a partner - to compete with aircraft such as the Eclipse 500 and the Adam Aircraft A700.
