Sabreliner Corp. promoted Kurt Sutterer to president of Midcoast Aviation and to the newly created position of senior vice president, business development for Sabreliner. Sutterer will be responsible for corporate aviation sales and supporting business development across the Sabreliner companies as well as remaining responsible for overall Midcoast growth. He most recently was executive vice president of Midcoast.
Bombardier Flexjet is claiming a speed record this month for a Challenger 300 flight from Carlsbad, Calif. to Bangor, Maine. The aircraft departed Carlsbad at 7:58 a.m. PST with two pilots, eight passengers and their baggage and arrived at Bangor International Airport four hours and 41 minutes later. The Nov. 12 flight had an average speed of 572 miles per hour (497 knots) and a maximum cruising level of 41,000 feet. The flight was carrying families that have children afflicted with juvenile diabetes in recognition of National Diabetes Awareness Month.
CONTROLLERS QUERIED G-III CREW ABOUT ALTITUDE JUST BEFORE CRASH - Air traffic controllers handling the approach of a Gulfstream III business jet at Houston Hobby Airport last Monday morning asked the pilots to check their altitude shortly before the airplane hit a tall light tower and crashed short of Runway 4, killing all three crewmembers.
TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY Norman Mineta will receive an award this morning (Nov. 22) from the Washington Airports Task Force. Mineta was selected to receive the Williams Trophy, which is presented to individuals whose "leadership, vision and dedication in the application of aviation or space enriched the quality of life on earth." The trophy is named in honor of Carrington Williams, the founding chairman of the Washington Airports Task Force.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week called for a new type rating that would recognize pilots who complete second-in-command (SIC) training. The rating would conform to International Civil Aviation Organization standards, eliminating one of the differences between U.S. and international regulations. The proposal is designed to "allow U.S. flight crews to continue to operate in international airspace without the threat of being grounded for not holding the appropriate pilot type rating," FAA said.
GCR & ASSOCIATES launched a project under an FAA grant to collect airport safety and maintenance data at about 5,000 public-use general aviation airports in North America. The grant covers the collection and compilation of data including runway lengths, approach standards, NAVAIDS and other facility and operational data. GCR subcontracted with Southern Illinois University at Carbondale for coordination and administration assistance.
Summary: This notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR, dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
BELL Model 206L-1 and 206L-3 helicopters (Docket No. 2004-SW-03-AD; Amendment 39-13841; AD 2004-22-13) - requires a one-time inspection of the adjustable stop screws of the magnetic brake assembly; repairing, as appropriate, certain mechanical damage to the cyclic and collective flight control magnetic brake arm assembly, if necessary; and installing the stop screw with the proper adhesive, adjusting the arm assembly travel and applying slippage marks.
KEY WASHINGTON decision-makers last week indicated a willingness to give another look to a proposal that would allow business aviation back into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) after the presidential inauguration in January. The proposal was drafted at the direction of Congress but has been buried within the Department of Homeland Security.
ECLIPSE AVIATION cut a deal with United Airlines to have training provided for Eclipse 500 pilots at the air carrier's training center in the Denver, Colo. area, a move pioneered more than 35 years ago by Learjet. From about 1967 until the early 1970s the fledgling business-jet manufacturer sent its customers to United for training, a system that continued until shortly after Harry Combs became president at Learjet and FlightSafety took over responsibility for Learjet training. See article on Page 228.
GENERAL DYNAMICS AVIATION SERVICES' facility in West Palm Beach, Fla. received European Aviation Safety Agency and Joint Aviation Authorities approval to provide maintenance on business jets registered in any of the 25 European Union countries. The center, which has 46,200 square feet of hangar space, provides maintenance on Challenger, Falcon, Hawker, Gulfstream and other business aircraft.
THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE recommended FAA consider charging fees to enhance the agency's ability to provide more consistent and complete oversight of its designee programs. The recommendation was one of a series the congressional investigative arm made to improve FAA's designee programs.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE won FAA supplemental type certificate approval to install the Gulfstream Broad Band Multi-Link (BBML) system on the Gulfstream V. The STC follows similar approval that FAA granted for the GIV business jet last month. The BBML provides high-speed Internet access through the SKYLink by ARINC Direct broadband service. The service is available over the U.S., but plans call for expansion into the North Atlantic, Europe, and the Middle East regions next year. Service over the Pacific is slated to follow in 2006.
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET this month finished reviewing a proposal that would ease certain limitations on U.S.-registered aircraft operated by foreign companies under Part 375. National Business Aviation Association has been working with the Department of Transportation to lift some restrictions on charge-backs and other types of transactions involving foreign companies. DOT finished work on the proposal and sent it to OMB in July. OMB on Nov. 12 cleared the proposal for release.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE won type certification Friday from the European Aviation Safety Agency for the company's new G450 business jet. The EASA certification permits the G450 to be registered in any of the 25 European Union countries. FAA certificated the G450 Aug. 12. The first aircraft is scheduled to enter customer service in the second quarter of 2005.
PIAGGIO delivered two more Avanti twin-pusherprop aircraft to Avantair, boosting the fractional aircraft operator's fleet of aircraft to 13. Piaggio expects to continue deliveries to Avantair at a rate of one a month over the next year, doubling the operator's fleet. The new deliveries are part of a contract Avantair signed in May to increase its Avanti fleet to 29 aircraft.
IBIS AEROSPACE pushed back the anticipated certification date of its Ae270 turboprop to the second quarter of 2005. Ibis said certification by the Czech CAA and EASA was expected later this year. Ibis added that it is considering delaying customer deliveries to give the company time to add certain customer-requested improvements to the aircraft specifications and performance. The Ae270 Spirit is designed to operate as a passenger- or cargo-carrying aircraft.
Canadian conglomerate Bombardier, Inc. said it was disappointed with a decision by Moody's to downgrade the company's debt ratings, but said the decision "should have no significant impact on its operations." In August Moody's had put Bombardier's rating on review for possible downgrade. On Nov. 11 the ratings company downgraded the senior unsecured ratings of Bombardier, Inc. and Bombardier Capital, Inc. to Ba2 from Baa3 and assigned an SGK-2 "speculative grade liquidity rating."
ELLEN ENGLEMAN CONNERS, who chairs the National Transportation Safety Board, will address the Nov. 23 meeting of the Aero Club of Washington at noon at the Capital Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. Conners is expected to discuss the balance between security and safety. For more information, contact Nancy Hackett at (800) 322-3761.
A congressional watchdog agency called on the Federal Aviation Administration to establish a program to evaluate all designee programs, but said the agency should focus particularly on programs that have not already been evaluated. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) made that recommendation as part of a report it recently released, FAA Needs to Strengthen the Management of Its Designee Programs. The report comes at the request of Rep.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is about to begin testing prototype identification cards for transportation workers, according to the project's manager. "We are just about a hair from beginning this program," Lolie Kull, manager of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program told the Inside ID Conference & Expo Nov. 15. She did not specify a date for the start of testing for "smart" cards that will use a variety of biometric technologies including fingerprints, facial recognition and hand geometry.
Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y., last week presented its 10th annual "Spirit of Noise Abatement Awards" to based corporate operators that achieved 100 percent compliance with the airport's voluntary noise-abatement programs during 2003. The popular New York City-area corporate airport has a voluntary curfew in effect from midnight until 6:30 a.m., as well as a high-range noise event limit of 93 dBA.
A WORKING GROUP tasked with developing flight and duty time recommendations for Part 135 has completed most of its work, coming up with a proposal that has been characterized as a balance between the interests of business and labor. But the working group has not yet addressed scheduled Part 135 operations or flight attendant rules, and will meet one more time before its work is done. The working group met last week as part of a much broader meeting of the Part 135/125 Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC).
DAVID CANAVESIO was named chief financial officer of Northern Jet Management. Canavesio joins Northern Jet Management with a background in finance and administration, serving as comptroller, vice president, CFO and executive vice president for cargo and charter passenger airlines. He held the role of CFO for International Cargo Airlines and Detroit and Canada Tunnel Corporation.
ROLLS-ROYCE is establishing a University Technology Centre at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, to study what it dubbed "more electric" engine technologies. The company noted that a common electrical system across the airframe and engine could allow more efficient use of power and will reduce weight, maintenance and fuel use. The research also will involve the universities of Sheffield and Strathclyde.
