Gulfstream Aerospace, preparing for an anticipated increase in business jet sales in India, signed a sales representation agreement with Air Works India Engineering Private Ltd. to offer Gulfstream's line of seven business jet models to the Indian market. Established in 1951, Air Works India is an aircraft sales and service company based at Mumbai International Airport with facilities in Delhi, Chennai, Pune and Ahmedabad. There are currently nine Gulfstream aircraft based in India flown by public- and private-sector operators.
BOMBARDIER TO INSTALL COMMON ENGINE ON CRJ-700/-900 - Bombardier is upgrading the engine for the CRJ-700 aircraft, switching to a variant of an engine that powers the CRJ-900, starting in the second quarter. The OEM unveiled plans last week to change the CRJ-700 engine from the General Electric CF34-8C1 to the CF34-8C5B1, a sibling to the CF34-8C5 engine used in the CRJ-900.
BOEING TO ACCELERATE CEO SEARCH IN WAKE OF STONECIPHER'S OUSTER - Boeing's board of directors is accelerating its search for a new chief executive officer after it forced incumbent Harry Stonecipher to resign because of an inappropriate relationship with a female Boeing executive.
MICHAEL JACKSON CONFIRMED, SWORN IN AT DHS - Michael Jackson, the former deputy secretary of the Department of Transportation, was confirmed by the Senate Thursday for the post of deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Jackson was sworn in Friday by Michael Chertoff, who recently took over as Secretary of DHS. Jackson was a popular choice for the job among aviation officials who worked closely with him during his tenure at DOT. He is viewed as a supporter of efforts to reopen Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to non-airline flights.
Women In Aviation International celebrated its 10th anniversary last week at the group's annual convention in Dallas, Texas. The organization awarded more than 425 scholarships valued at $3.5 million to women seeking careers in aviation in its first nine years and that total was expected to exceed $4 million by the end of last week's meeting.
ELIZABETH MAULAZ joined aircraft components specialist A J Walter Aviation as director of European sales. Her main responsibility will be to coordinate and develop the company's growth strategy in France and the French-speaking markets across North Africa. Maulaz previously was employed as national marketing and key accounts manager at Volvo Aero Services.
AIR TRACTOR, INC. Models AT-300, AT-301, AT-302, AT-400, AT-400A, AT-401, AT-402, AT-602, AT-802, and AT-802A Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2004-19837; Directorate Identifier 2004-CE-43-AD] - Proposes to require repetitive tightening of the four eyebolts that attach the front and rear spar of the horizontal stabilizer to the respective stabilizer strut to the specified torque, and repetitive replacement at specified intervals of any eyebolts that attach the front and rear spar of the horizontal stabilizer to the respective stabilizer strut.
Several business jets were involved in accidents/incidents last week. A Challenger, N660RM, was damaged when the gear collapsed while the aircraft was taking off from Tupelo, Miss. March 9. There were two pilots and five passengers on board and no injuries were reported. An HS125, N703TS, spent more than a day stuck in the mud at the Teterboro, N.J. airport after the aircraft veered off the runway while landing in gusty wind conditions. No injuries were reported. FAA also reported a Falcon 2000, N27R, that landed with its nose gear up March 10 in Greensboro, N.C.
LEIGH ANN SPOONER joined Sun Air Jets in Camarillo, Calif. as director of charter sales. Previously an executive sales representative at TWC Aviation, she has 19 years of marketing and aviation experience. She will direct Sun Air's charter sales efforts and the acquisition of additional managed aircraft.
CHRISTINE BLAIR, an account executive for Globalair.com, is now operating the company's branch office in Rome, N.Y., where she spearheads the Aircraft Exchange component of the company. Blair spent the past 16 years in the aviation industry. Before joining Globalair.com last year, she was a light-jet sales associate and market research analyst with Boston Aviation. From 2000 to 2003, she held a similar position with Robert B. Currey & Associates. She earlier spent 12 years with JETNET as a turbine and jet research associate and aircraft dealer representative.
Executive Jet Management (EJM) last week filed an application with the Department of Transportation for authority to operate scheduled passenger service as a commuter air carrier with flights to Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. EJM, one of the nation's largest aircraft charter and management operations, proposed entering the scheduled airline arena by serving the three cities with business jets. The company outlined plans to provide about 30 flights per week between Chicago Midway and White Plains, N.Y.
BAE Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2004-18678; Directorate Identifier 2001-NM-312-AD; Amendment 39-13991; AD 2005-05-03] - requires repetitive detailed inspections of the center and rear fuselage skin including all the lap joints at stringers 2, 10, 19, and 30, and repair if necessary. This AD is prompted by evidence of cracking due to fatigue along the edges of certain chemi-etched pockets in the rear fuselage upper skin.
A Howard DGA-15 aircraft was substantially damaged last month during a landing accident when it ground looped. The aircraft, N68431, piloted by an airline transport-rated pilot, had been on a local flight that originated from and was landing at Spruce Creek Airport in Daytona Beach, Fla. The pilot told investigators that during the landing roll the airplane traveled about 500 feet down the runway when it veered right without warning.
Kohlman Systems Research (KSR), the Lawrence, Kan.-based aerospace engineering specialist, recently completed its 200th test flight for reduced vertical separation minimum approval. The flight involved a Sabre 40 aircraft for Sabreliner Corporation. KSR first began flight-testing aircraft for RVSM approval in 1997, but said it has performed more than half the approval flights in the last two years and has averaged one per week since the beginning of 2002.
ExelTech, a leading aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul provider based in Montreal, Quebec, completed a merger with NordTech Aerospace Inc. of Quebec City. The combined company, ExelTech Aerospace, Inc. claims to be Canada's largest publicly traded MRO company, with 400 employees and annual revenues of more than $40 million.
CIRRUS INCREASES STAKE IN BRS - Cirrus Design Corp. increased its stake in aircraft parachute specialist Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc. (BRS) to 15.3 percent, making the Duluth, Minn. plane-maker the second largest shareholder of BRS. Cirrus exercised the last of four sets of options to purchase an additional 650,000 shares of BRS stock. The option was triggered after Cirrus sales exceeded the original contract goal, BRS said.
STIMPSON TAKING OVER AS FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN - Edward W. Stimpson, the former president of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and former U.S. ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal, has accepted the post of chairman of the Flight Safety Foundation board of governors.
Raytheon Aircraft is touting two new services designed to save its customers money on purchases of fuel and maintenance services at Raytheon Aircraft Services (RAS) facilities. MaxPower and MaxPower Elite provide a two-tier fuel discount program that includes MaxReward certificates for each 75 gallons of Avgas or 200 gallons of jet fuel purchased per visit. MaxServices rewards customers based on the dollar volume of maintenance performed on their aircraft at RAS locations.
Sources say investigators have discovered that the Teterboro Challenger had an extreme forward center-of-gravity condition, which would have made it difficult for the crew to raise the nose of the airplane and rotate for takeoff.
PILATUS Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-05-20399; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-02-AD; Amendment 39-13988; AD 2005-04-16] - requires a one-time inspection of the windshield de-ice wiring system for heat damage and incorrect wire sizes and replacement of any wires that are damaged or the incorrect size. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Switzerland.
Valley Commercial Capital, LLC was named a preferred provider by the Piper Flyer Association and Cessna Flyer Association. Valley Commercial Capital provides a range of financing services for aircraft purchase, upgrade and refurbishing.
Bell Helicopter expects to conduct the first flight of its full-scale Eagle Eye unmanned aerial vehicle demonstrator in Texas within the next three months. The Eagle Eye is being developed for the Coast Guard as part of the service's Deepwater recapitalization program. The Coast Guard plans to buy 69 Eagle Eyes, which will be deployed on the service's new National Security Cutters and Offshore Patrol Cutters.
Troy Vanbuskirk was promoted to chief pilot for Executive AirShare. VanBuskirk, who has more than 7,000 hours of flight time, has been a pilot with Executive AirShare since 2002. He also has served as a first officer for Gemini Air Cargo, flying McDonnell Douglas MD-11s, and flew the Jetstream 3200 and 4100, King Air 200 and other aircraft for airline and business aviation companies based in the Midwest.
