Gulfstream Aerospace will reduce prices this month on 2,700 spare parts across its entire jet product line from the Gulfstream II to the G550, the company said last week. Gulfstream previously cut prices on another 7,000 spare parts under a program that began in April 2002. "Our customers have spoken and we continue to take action to bring down parts prices," said Larry Flynn, president, product support.
October 21-23 - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Expo 2004, Long Beach, Calif., (301) 695-2000 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
MICA SEEKS DELAY IN TSA FLIGHT TRAINING RULES - House aviation subcommittee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) last week urged the Transportation Security Administration to delay the Oct. 20 implementation date of its background check requirements for prospective student pilots seeking flight training on aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or less. Mica noted that TSA released the requirements at the direction of Congress.
PINNACLE CRJ CRASH CLAIMS BOTH PILOTS ON POSITIONING FLIGHT - Both pilots flying a Bombardier CRJ-200 were killed Thursday evening while attempting to make an unscheduled landing at the Jefferson City, Mo. Airport (JEF).
General Aviation Manufacturers Association and National Business Aviation Association last week cheered Monday's passage of a measure extending 50 percent bonus depreciation benefits to qualified business aircraft ordered this year but placed in service by the end of 2005. Manufacturers wanted the placed-in-service deadline extended from the end of 2004 to the end of 2005 because most aircraft ordered in 2004 would not have been delivered until next year.
National Business Aviation Association's 57th annual Meeting & Convention, held last week in Las Vegas, attracted 31,189 attendees, just 476 shy of the 31,665 record set in 1998, the previous time the convention was in Las Vegas. Last week's event included a record 1,084 exhibiting companies that occupied one million square feet of exhibit space at the convention center. Additionally, 87 aircraft were on static display at Henderson Executive Airport.
GENERAL ELECTRIC ENTERS LIGHT ENGINE MARKET WITH HONDA VENTURE - General Electric formally teamed with Honda Motor Co. to create a new company that will venture into the light jet engine market using Honda's HF118 turbofan. GE Transportation President and CEO David Calhoun and Honda Motor Co. President Takeo Fukui Tuesday signed the agreement launching GE Honda Aero Engines, a 50/50 company that will be based at GE Transportation's aircraft engine business headquarters in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The DeCrane Aircraft Seating Company won dynamic certification approval (TSO-39b) from FAA for its new Model 5004 and 5005 9g single and double executive aircraft seats. The company also won approval for its Model 5006 and 5007 extra-large presidential seats. These models have a between-arm width of 24.5 inches and have become popular with heads of state and other VIP aircraft customers, according to DeCrane.
BOMBARDIER WINS GLOBAL 5000 TC FROM FAA - Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier Aerospace won type certification from FAA for its new Global 5000 business jet, the latest in a series of international approvals for the new aircraft. Transport Canada, the lead regulatory agency on the program, awarded type certification March 12. European Aviation Safety Agency approval was received July 15 and the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) issued its letter of recommendation to member countries on Aug. 26.
NBAA PRESENTS JOURNALISM AWARDS TO COLLOGAN, GEORGE - The National Business Aviation Association last week named David Collogan, editor of The Weekly of Business Aviation and Washington bureau chief for Business & Commercial Aviation magazine, as the 2004 recipient of the Platinum Wing Award. The award, presented annually, recognizes Collogan's more than 30 years of excellence and lifetime achievement in journalism. Collogan began his journalism career as a reporter on the Burlington Hawkeye in Iowa before joining BA affiliate Aviation Daily in June 1972.
Ballistic Recovery Systems President, CEO and Director Mark Thomas resigned for personal reasons, the aircraft parachute innovator announced last week. Thomas will remain with BRS as a consultant until a successor is named. BRS Chairman Robert Nelson has stepped in as interim CEO during the transition. "We appreciate Mark's 12 years of service in building BRS to a first-class company in the aviation safety industry," Nelson said. "Mark has done a great job in seeing our company through some significant growth."
Spaceshipone pilot Mike Melvill will be a featured speaker at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's Expo 2004, Oct. 21-23 in Long Beach, Calif. Along with Melvill, Expo speakers include FAA Administrator Marion Blakey and TSA Administrator David Stone. AOPA President Phil Boyer, who noted that the association has more members in California than any other state, said he expects the Long Beach event this month to set records in terms of attendees, estimating it will attract between 10,000 and 12,000 registrants.
Pilatus Aircraft and Honeywell secured FAA approval of an avionics package that will bring the Pilatus PC-12 single-engine turboprop aircraft into compliance with reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) standards. The avionics package includes two AM-250 altimeters that couple to the KFC 325 flight control system's altitude pre-selector and a dual pitot-static system. The system also is available for retrofit and can be installed at Honeywell and Pilatus authorized service centers.
National Business Aviation Association named Maureen Cameron traffic manager, conventions and seminars. Cameron will oversee trafficking of all promotional brochures, advertisements and other association event materials. Cameron most recently served with Interstate Worldwide Relocation, where she directed marketing, advertising, media and public relations. She also has been a corporate marketing officer for First Virginia Banks, Inc. The association also promoted Dina Green to senior manager of seminars.
SIGNATURE BUYS MAJORITY STAKE IN GREEK FBO NETWORK - Signature Flight Support, which has been expanding its holdings in international fixed-base locations in the past two years, has now acquired a majority interest in Athens Aviation Services, LTD, in Athens, Greece. The new venture will operate as Athens Aviation Services - Signature Flight Support. Athens Aviation Service has been serving the business and general aviation community since 1973.
Hard-working aircraft salesmen who spend weeks or months persuading customers to sign on the dotted line probably won't be pleased to see Vern Raburn's remarks about how Eclipse Aviation sells its new entry-level Eclipse 500 business jet. During last week's 10th annual Forbes CEO Forum in New York, Raburn was participating in a panel discussion on "Technologies That Are Changing the Global Landscape." Raburn outlined five areas in which he said application of technology differentiates Eclipse from traditional aviation companies.
Russ Chew, chief operating officer of FAA's Air Traffic Organization, named Norm Fujisaki acting vice president of operations planning for the ATO. Fujisaki replaces Steve Brown, who left FAA recently to become senior vice president of operations at NBAA (BA, Sept. 20/126).
PARKING INDUSTRY OFFICIAL TO SUCCEED KORANDA AT NAA - A veteran of the parking lot business was named last week to become president of the National Aeronautic Association. David Ivey, who has spent 30 years in trade association management, has taken over for Don Koranda, who announced plans this spring to step down as NAA president (BA, April 5/151). For more than 25 years, Ivey was president of the International Parking Institute (IPI), an association that provides technical and educational services to the transportation and parking industries.
Aircraft manufacturers are bullish about the long-term outlook for business aviation. Honeywell, in its 13th annual Business Aviation Outlook, says it "is currently tracking more than 20 additional all-new or derivative business jet programs that are in various stages of study or preliminary design, many of which are expected to enter service during the next 10-12 years." See article below.
David North, who recently retired as editor-in-chief of Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine, has formed David North Aerospace Consultants. The former Navy and Pan American World Airways pilot can be reached at 6740 Towne Lane Road, McLean, Va. 22101, via telephone at (703) 448-9492 or through e-mail at: [email protected]
Execaire, the Canadian aircraft management company, added an executive Bell 427 twin-engine helicopter to its fleet of managed aircraft. Based at Toronto's Pearson International Airport (YYZ), the Bell 427 is one of only two executive helicopters of its type being operated in the greater Toronto area. Execaire expects to use the helicopter for shuttle flights from Pearson to Toronto City Center (YTZ) and Buttonville (YKZ) airports, in addition to trips to New York City and the lake cottage country north of Toronto.
RAYTHEON ENHANCES MAINTENANCE TRACKING PROGRAM - Raytheon Aircraft retained Avtrak Inc. to enhance its Web-based Factory Aircraft Comprehensive Tracking System (FACTS) maintenance tracking program for customers. Raytheon Aircraft will use Avtrak's technology to power FACTS, increasing the program's capabilities. Beechcraft and Hawker owners will be able to access maintenance records upon demand from any computer with a Web browser and an Internet connection. Beechcraft and Hawker owners also will be able to manage their other aircraft through the system.
AVIATION RESEARCH GROUP OBTAINS TEST FACILITY FROM RAYTHEON - The National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR) obtained testing facilities from Raytheon Aircraft to provide proprietary full-scale aircraft fatigue testing for the entire aviation industry, NIAR said. Based on the campus of Wichita State University, NIAR has long conducted basic and applied research for public and private aerospace firms.
