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.
FAA ISSUES CEASE AND DESIST ORDER TO CHALLENGER OPERATOR - The Federal Aviation Administration Thursday issued an emergency cease and desist order to Platinum Jet Management, the company that was operating the Challenger 600 business jet that ran off a runway at the Teterboro, N.J. Airport (TEB) Feb. 2 and crashed into a brick warehouse.
Global Jet Shares added two Gulfstream aircraft to its fleet to support its jet membership program, My Jet. Global Jet Shares added a G II-SP to provide additional lift for the program and a G III that will be part of the fractional ownership aircraft inventory. Global Jet Shares, based in Van Nuys, Calif., offers both a jet membership card and factional ownership.
Conklin & De Decker released its 2005 State Tax Guide for General Aviation, detailing taxes and fees assessed in each of the 50 states. The guide is designed for operators, accountants, dealers, brokers, aviation law professionals and others, and explains sales and use taxes on aircraft sales, ownership, leases, parts and labor. The guide is available on CD Rom and can be updated throughout the year. Conklin and de Decker offers a one-year subscription for $250.
CANADA TURNS BLIND EYE ON AIRPORT RENTS - Canadian airports, hoping their government would use its annual budget to give them relief from soaring property rents, were disappointed last month when the budget failed to address the problem - and the airports face a rent bill in the coming year of more than $300 million, a cost they say will devastate their industry. In its budget, released Feb. 23, Finance Canada says it will charge its airports $304 million for 2005-2006. Rents will increase to $376.2 million in 2006-2007.
Pentastar Aviation, based at Oakland County International Airport in Waterford, Mich., was awarded a five-year ground-handling contract for DaimlerChrysler Aviation's Airbus A319 shuttle. The contract includes fueling, passenger processing, cleaning, security, maintenance, catering and other aviation services.
INSPECTIONS, MODS ORDERED ON PRIMUS EPIC SYSTEMS - The Federal Aviation Administration, acting on a warning by French aviation officials, told operators of Falcon 2000EX and 900EX business jets last week those aircraft cannot be dispatched with certain equipment inoperative and required inspections of the avionics standard communications bus to detect anomalies that could wipe out nearly all navigation data and communications capability.
AEROSPATIALE Model ATR 42-200, -300, and -320 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2004-19562; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-73-AD; Amendment 39-13992; AD 2005-05-04] - requires inspections to determine the part and serial number of the swinging lever of the main landing gears (MLG) and replacing the swinging lever if necessary. This AD is prompted by a report that, on an airplane lined up for takeoff, the swinging lever of the left MLG collapsed when engine power was applied.
Federal Aviation Administration went after the operator of the Challenger 600 involved in the Feb. 2 overrun accident at the Teterboro, N.J. Airport, charging that the company did not have an operating certificate to provide charter service. See article below. The case is expected to focus more attention on the issue of charter brokering. The Transportation Department last fall issued a notice providing guidance on the lawful role of air charter brokers.
Robyn Wilkerson was named human resources director for Pentastar Aviation. Wilkerson formerly was regional manager of human resources for North America for Johnson Electric, where she was responsible for developing the human resource infrastructure and budget, strategic planning, staffing, employee relations and training. She also has served with eePulse, Inc., Human Resource Management Solutions, Franks Nursery and Crafts, Pepsi Cola and AlliedSignal.
FLEXJET MARKETING VETERAN TO SUCCEED ROGER RITCHIE AT FSI - FlightSafety International named Stephen Phillips, a veteran of Bombardier and the Flexjet fractional aircraft program, to succeed Roger Ritchie as director of communications for the New York-based training provider and simulator manufacturer.
ROGERS ORDERS STONE TO REPORT ON DCA ACCESS BY APRIL 1 - Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), chairman of the homeland security appropriations subcommittee, last week directed Transportation Security Administration head David Stone to submit a report to Congress by April 1 on restoring access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport for security-qualified charter and general aviation operations. Rogers reminded Stone that TSA has failed to meet its congressional mandate to report to Congress on the progress of DCA - TSA had until March 1 to supply such a report.
Congress continues to prod the Department of Homeland Security about its inaction on restoring service to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Rep. Hal Rogers (R-Ky.), chairman of the House homeland security appropriations subcommittee, last week took Transportation Security Administration chief David Stone to task for missing the deadline for providing a report to Congress on reopening DCA to general aviation.
BUSINESS AVIATION GROUPS PROTEST O'HARE SLOT SYSTEM - Business aviation groups protested the Federal Aviation Administration's decision to extend the term of the slot reservation system at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) until Oct. 31, saying FAA needs to continue to focus on expanding capacity and ensuring general aviation has adequate access. FAA last month issued an "Order to Show Cause" extending a system the agency established last summer to limit the number of flights into O'Hare.
Cessna Aircraft won type certification for its 172S Skyhawk equipped with Garmin G1000 avionics. FAA approval of the G1000 package on the 172R Skyhawk is anticipated this week. The Garmin G1000 "has become the most requested avionics package for the 172, 182 and 206," said Jack Pelton, Cessna's chairman, president and CEO.
