An article about a new 25-hour combination card being offered by Marquis Jet that provides 12.5 hours in each of two different aircraft types in the NetJets fleet, misstated the aircraft involved. One combination card permits users to split their 25 hours between a Citation Excel/Hawker 400XP while the other offers a Citation X/Citation Excel combination.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model EC 155B, EC155B1, SA-360C, SA-365C, SA-365C1, SA-365C2, SA-365N, SA-365N1, AS-365N2, AS 365 N3, and SA-366G1 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2005-20294; Directorate Identifier 2004-SW-39-AD; Amendment 39-13965; AD 2005-03-09] - requires an initial and repetitive borescope inspection of the main gearbox (MGB) planet gear carrier or an initial and repetitive visual inspection of the MGB planet gear carrier for a crack. Replacing any MGB that has a cracked planet gear carrier is required before further flight.
John Bax was appointed chief financial officer for Sentient Jet, a provider of private jet membership programs. Bax most recently was vice president of planning and analysis at Wal-Mart, and before that was chief financial officer of Walmart.com. Bax also has served as senior manager in the audit and center for strategic transactions practices at Ernst & Young. He received a bachelor of science degree in accounting and a master's in business administration from Oklahoma State University.
Gulfstream Aerospace signed an agreement making it an official sponsor of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, which the aircraft manufacturer said is "the second most watched sport on network television in the United States." The sponsorship will result in a variety of cooperative advertising, public relations and hospitality endeavors that include customer, supplier and employee-related opportunities.
DORNIER Model 328-300 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20345; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-101-AD] - proposes to require installing a drain hole in the lower skin of the left- and right-hand elevator horns. This proposed AD is prompted by reports of water found in the elevator assembly. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent water or ice accumulating in the elevator assembly, which could result in possible corrosion that reduces the structural integrity of the flight control surface, or in an unbalanced flight control surface.
TEXAS JURY SAYS LYCOMING SHOULD PAY FOR CRANKSHAFT PROBLEMS - A Texas jury found engine manufacturer Textron Lycoming guilty of fraud and said the company's design of crankshafts was the "sole cause" of some 24 inflight crankshaft failures affecting airplanes built by Cessna Aircraft and Piper Aircraft. The Grimes County District Court jury also ordered Textron Lycoming to pay nearly $100 million to Interstate Southwest, Ltd., a Lycoming subcontractor based in Navasota, Texas.
Honeywell added some 5,000 oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and 4,000 land-based European structures to its terrain databases for helicopter Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems. The EGPWS uses GPS transmissions to compare aircraft position with the built-in terrain database to provide a moving map display. The system will provide a warning if the aircraft nears an obstacle or terrain.
Jet Source remodeled its fixed-base operation at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, Calif. The remodeling included new paint, carpeting, furniture, solar power and energy-efficient lighting. The remodeling includes a pilot's media room equipped with a 100-inch projection screen, leather recliners, satellite television and a library of DVDs. Jet Source provides aircraft charter, management, maintenance, avionics, ramp service, fuel sales and aircraft sales and acquisition services.
March 8-10 - National Air Transportation Association/Professional Aviation Maintenance Association GSE Aviation Services and Suppliers AS3 Supershow, Sands Expos & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev., (703) 845-9000 March 10-12 - 16th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference, Adam's Mark Hotel, Dallas, Texas, (386) 226-7996 March 14-16 - 17th Annual Flight Safety Foundation European Aviation Safety Seminar, Sheraton Warsaw Hotel and Towers, Warsaw, Poland, (703) 739-6700
The strong market for business jets is no surprise to the National Business Travel Association, which represents corporate travel managers. In 2002, some 26 percent of NBTA's members responded in the affirmative when asked in a formal survey if their company used "corporate jets, chartered aircraft or fractional jet ownership." The same question went up on NBTA's Web site about 10 days ago. As of Friday, 56 percent of more than 90 respondents said their employers were using those forms of transportation to help meet company travel needs.
CHERTOFF TAKES REINS OF DHS - General aviation groups last week were lining up to get on Michael Chertoff's schedule after he was officially sworn in Tuesday as the second secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The Senate confirmed the nomination of Chertoff Tuesday to succeed Tom Ridge, who stepped down Feb. 1.
Cessna Aircraft maintained its position as the world's largest producer of single-engine, piston-powered light aircraft, but it may be only a matter of time before the Wichita and Independence, Kan. plane maker is dethroned by Cirrus Design Corp. of Duluth, Minn. Aircraft production has steadily increased over the past several years and the company delivered 553 new airplanes in 2004, just 101 behind Cessna's 654.
Safe Flight Instrument Corp. developed a landing light status annunciator that informs helicopter pilots whether their aircraft's landing light is on or off. The annunciator will display LDG LT FAIL if the landing light is not working or turned off. A green annunciator displays LDG LT ON when the switch is on and the light is working. The annunciator is designed as a plug-in replacement on the existing landing light relay on the Bell 206 Jet Ranger and other helicopters.
ATR sold an ATR 72-500 to Air Caraibes, which is exchanging an ATR 42-500 for the new aircraft. ATR will deliver the ATR 72-500 in November, increasing the Guadeloupe-based airline's fleet to three ATR 72-500s. Air Caraibes serves 13 islands, Belem in Brazil and Guyana.
REQUIRED CHALLENGER, CRJ ICING CHECKS EFFECTIVE TUESDAY - Operators of certain Bombardier Challenger and Canadair Regional Jets (CRJ) must perform visual and tactile checks of the aircraft wings before operating in cold weather under an airworthiness directive the Federal Aviation Administration released last week. FAA Thursday published the AD calling for affected operators to include new cold-weather operations limitations into the Airplane Flight Manuals.
BAE SYSTEMS Model BAe 146 series airplanes and Model Avro 146-RJ series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2004-19765; Directorate Identifier 2002-NM-72-AD; Amendment 39-13971; AD 2005-03-15] - requires repetitive inspections to detect discrepancies of the fuselage skin and reinforcing plates along the wing to fuselage fairing access panels on the left- and right-hand sides of the airplane, and repair if necessary. This AD also provides for an optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections.
Manufacturers of business, corporate and general aviation aircraft recorded one of the best sales years in the industry's history in 2004, and officials of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association said they foresee continued growth as long as underlying economic conditions remain positive.
S-92 WINS CANADIAN TYPE CERTIFICATION - Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation's S-92 helicopter won Canadian type certification from Transport Canada. The certification will allow the helicopter to enter service with Canadian operators and to carry passengers. The S-92 previously won certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency/Joint Aviation Authorities and FAA.
ICING CONDITIONS UNDER SCRUTINY IN PUEBLO CITATION CRASH - National Transportation Safety Board investigators are examining whether freezing precipitation near Pueblo, Colo. Wednesday was responsible for the fatal crash of a Cessna Citation 560 business jet that claimed all eight people aboard. There were reports of freezing mist in the area at the time of the crash and a pilot report warning of possible icing was issued following Wednesday's accident.
Rolls-Royce this month delivered the 500th AE 3007C series engine to Cessna for the Wichita plane-maker's Citation X business jet. Cessna launched the Citation X program in 1990, and the aircraft entered service in 1996. Originally powered by two 6,442-pound-thrust AE 3007C engines, the Citation X was certified to operate at Mach 0.92. In 2002 Cessna upgraded the Citation X with AE 3007C1 engines, rated at 6,764 pounds of thrust, improving takeoff performance by five percent and enhancing climb performance at altitudes of 5,000 feet through 25,000 feet.
French Aircraft Manufacturer Dassault Falcon plans a high-profile rollout Tuesday of its new 7X business jet, the company's new top-of-the-line product, at facilities in Bordeaux, France.
