C4 SYSTEMS MOVES AHEAD WITH CAPSTONE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM - General Dynamics C4 Systems received the go-ahead from the Federal Aviation Administration to begin certification trials for satellite communications equipment it is building for the agency's Capstone Communication System program in Alaska.
Schubach Aviation completed its expansion of the charter carrier's headquarters at Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, Calif. The company added 1,500 square feet of office space to its headquarters to accommodate administrative and office functions, additional scheduling personnel, aircraft and pilot records and a dedicated pilot flight planning area. Schubach said the company needed the space after it increased its staff to keep pace with a 20 percent increase in its charter flight hours. The company is adding four more planes to its fleet of 13 aircraft.
PIAGGIO PLANS PRODUCTION BOOSTS FOR NEXT-GENERATION AVANTI - Piaggio Aero Industries has filled its backlog through 2007 as it moves forward with the next generation of its high-speed pusher-prop Avanti aircraft, the Avanti II. Unveiled during the NBAA annual meeting and convention last month in Las Vegas, Nev., the Avanti II will be equipped new avionics, and offer improved speed and payload.
AGUSTAWESTLAND Friday opened its expanded manufacturing facility in Philadelphia, where it builds the single-engine light utility A119 Koala helicopter. AgustaWestland used the event to unveil the first US101 helicopter equipped with GE engines, which it is offering in partnership with Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter as a potential replacement for the current Marine One fleet that transports the President. The $6.8 million expansion provides 40,000 square feet of hangar space and areas for completions, final assembly, manufacturing stations and avionics assembly.
FlightSafety International is undergoing certification of its Level D simulators designed to train for the King Air B200 aircraft equipped with the Raisbeck Enhanced Performance Package. FlightSafety acquired the in-flight performance data for the package and is adding the data to its Level D simulators. Approval for the training is expected later this year. FlightSafety noted that nearly 50 percent of the King Air B200 fleet has incorporated some Raisbeck modification.
CAE has added initial pilot training for the Embraer Legacy aircraft to its offerings at the company's Phoenix-area facility. CAE provides the training on its Embraer ERJ 145 full-flight simulator at the facility, which is based at the Arizona State University campus in Mesa, Ariz. CAE began offering recurrent training on the Legacy with a four/five-day program in May. The 21-day initial training program is slated to begin this month.
Execair added a Bell 427 twin-engine helicopter to its fleet of managed aircraft. The Bell 427 is based at Pearson International Airport in Toronto, Canada, and is one of two executive helicopters of its type operated in the greater Toronto area.
November 15-18 - Flight Safety Foundation/International Federation of Airworthiness/International Air Transport Association 57th Annual International Air Safety Seminar, Pudong Shangri-La Hotel, Shanghai, China, (703) 739-6700 November 18 - National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Regional Forum, Dallas, Texas, (202) 783-9000 February 6-8, 2005 - Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2005, Anaheim, Calif., (703) 683-4646
National Business Aviation Association will hold its next Business Aviation Regional Forum Nov. 18 at the Business Jet Center on Dallas Love Field. The NBAA's regional forums are designed to provide an opportunity for networking and discussing critical business aviation issues. The forums also provide a marketplace for business aviation products. In addition to the Dallas event, NBAA is planning forums in Morristown, N.J. in April; San Jose, Calif. in July; Denver, Colo. in September; and Atlanta, Ga. in October.
Transportation Security Administration called on operators of Part 125 aircraft weighing more than 12,500 pounds to implement a new security program if they are not covered under the Part 135 "Twelve-Five" rule or other security requirements. TSA released a notice last month requiring the adoption of the security regime, effective Nov. 18. The notice did not include a comment period.
United States Air Tour Association appointed a new board of trustees: Scenic Airlines President Chad Dixon as chairman; Brenda Halvorson, president of Papillon Helicopters, as vice chairman; Lash Larew, executive vice president of Era Aviation, secretary; and David Chevalier, president of Blue Hawaiian Helicopters, treasurer. Newly appointed members to the USATA board were John Sullivan (Sundance Helicopters), Alan Stephen (Grand Canyon Airlines), John Dillon (Grand Canyon Airlines), Greg Rochna (Maverick Helicopters) and Ross Scott (Sunshine Helicopters).
CARLYLE BUYS CONTROLLING STAKE IN STELLEX AEROSTRUCTURES - The Carlyle Group, a Washington, D.C. private investment firm, completed a tender offer for a majority of Stellex Aerostructures Inc.'s stock, both companies said last month. As a result, a Carlyle affiliate owns a controlling stake in Stellex Aerostructures, a New Jersey supplier of integrated assemblies and precision parts for commercial and military aviation, private and business aviation and space.
Eclipse Aviation promoted Oliver Masefield and Don Burtis to senior vice president, senior fellow, and named Ken Harness vice president of engineering. Masefield formerly was senior vice president of engineering for the Albuquerque, N.M. company. Burtis had led the avionics and electronics organization for Eclipse.
Clay Lacy Aviation was selected to service Boeing Aircraft Company's corporate fleet based in Seattle, Wash. Clay Lacy will provide line maintenance, fuel, aircraft detailing, hangar and concierge services for Boeing. Clay Lacy operates fixed-base operations in Los Angeles and Seattle.
CPI Aerostructures received an accelerated $7.1 million order from the U.S. Air Force for 70 shipsets of structural inlets in 2005 as part of the T-38 Talon trainer Propulsion Modernization Program. The order is $1.4 million more than the 2004 contracts. CPI was selected for the 10-year, $61 million contract in 2001.
National Air Transportation Association was pleased that FAA representatives at a recent meeting appeared receptive to industry concerns over a handbook bulletin requiring operators with aircraft that have more than nine seats to either obtain a supplemental type certificate to qualify for fewer than nine seats or follow a more extensive maintenance regime (BA, Sept. 13/111). FAA had extended the bulletin's implementation date to Nov. 29 at the association's urging (BA, Sept.
All The ARC working groups are slated to meet for the last time Nov. 16-18 outside Washington, D.C. to finalize their recommendations. A steering committee will review the recommendations during that meeting and once again during a final meeting in early 2005 before the industry rulemaking committee presents final recommendations to FAA. The charter for the group is slated to expire in March, and Kathy Perfetti, the FAA point person of the Part 135/125 review, said the agency does not intend to extend that charter. "Will we get everything done [by then]?
NAVY'S ROLE IN ACS FACES DECEMBER REVIEW - The U.S. Navy will finalize its involvement in the Army-led Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) program later this year, providing the Navy an opportunity to put forth additional requirements for the intelligence-gathering aircraft, a program official said last week.
KUWAIT FINANCE HOUSE AGREES TO BUY MAJORITY STAKE IN LIBERTY - Kuwait Finance House Bahrain (KFH Bahrain) agreed to buy 75 percent of the stock in Melbourne, Fla.-based Liberty Aerospace in a deal that Liberty executives say will open international markets and ensure the company's support of those markets. Liberty, which produces the XL2 two-seat aircraft, will retain its current management and staff.
Stevens Aviation Denver earned FAA approval to add a number of aircraft and powerplant ratings to its repair station certificate. The new approvals cover maintenance on the Raytheon Premier; Hawker Siddley.125 series 600A, 600B, 700A, 700B; British Aerospace.125 series 800A, 800B; Hawker 800, 800XP and 1000; Dassault Falcon 50, 50EX, 900, 900EX, 2000; and Learjet 31, 31A, 35, 35A, 36 and 36A aircraft.
General Aviation aircraft shipments continue to improve in all categories in 2004, the manufacturers report. Bombardier is enjoying the rebounding of the business-jet market, reporting making nearly twice the number of shipments this year as it made in the first nine months of 2003. Turboprop manufacturers such as Pilatus and Raytheon also have increased deliveries. In the piston market, Cirrus continues to build up production, delivering nearly 80 more aircraft through the first nine months of 2004 than it did in 2003.
FirstFlight Management, the aircraft charter and management services company based at Elmira Corning Regional Airport, established an office at Teterboro Airport. The new office will be led by Michael Moore, Toni Drummond and Omar Diaz, who formerly served with Infinity Aviation but also had represented FirstFlight over the past year through an exclusive marketing agreement. "Mike, Toni and Omar have created a top-notch sales team that is well known throughout the industry," said FirstFlight owner John Dow.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car launched a new Web site, www.enterprise.com/GA, which will enable corporate and private pilots to find and reserve rental cars at Enterprise locations near or at fixed-base operations throughout North America. The Web site uses AC-U-KWIK's Airport/FBO database to match FBOs in North America with Enterprise branches.
