Million Air Salt Lake City secured an FAA Class Four rating for its aircraft repair station certificate. The rating clears the fixed-base operator to provide maintenance on nearly any kind of fixed-wing aircraft.
AVCARD named Jamie Barrett to the newly created position of vice president of fuel programs and flight operations. Barrett will oversee expansion of AVCARD's Contract Fuel program and develop new Flight Operations services and programs. AVCARD has been coordinating the services provided by its London office to select clientele and its Baltimore office, which caters to various military customers. The company also is developing new services that will first be offered through the London and Baltimore clients before expanding to AVCARD's full client base.
VETERAN AEROSPACE EXECUTIVE TO HEAD CMC ELECTRONICS - Jean-Pierre Mortreux joined CMC Electronics, Inc. as president and chief executive officer last week, the final step in establishing the company's new leadership and direction. Mortreux, who has more than 25 years of experience in the aerospace industry, joined CMC from Thales Avionics North America, based in Montreal, where he had been president and CEO since 2002.
EADS Socata announced delivery of a TMB 700 to its first customer in the Czech Republic. The single-engine aircraft was delivered to M. Jindrich Zivotsky, the CEO of OKAY s.r.o., based in Brno. OKAY is a consumer electronics specialty retailer with 47 shops in the Czech and Slovak Republics and has plans to develop its business in neighboring countries, including Poland. The new aircraft "will ease the frequent travels of our executives needed by our expansion in Europe," Zivotsky said.
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.
National Air Transportation Association and the Aircraft Electronics Association have retained counsel to challenge a handbook bulletin that FAA released late last month requiring Part 135 operators to meet certain seat requirements. The bulletin requires operators with aircraft that have more than nine seats essentially to remove those seats within 30 days by a supplemental type certificate or to meet the more extensive maintenance and other operational requirements outlined for aircraft with more than nine seats.
While obstacles remain, backers of bonus depreciation legislation for aircraft buyers remain hopeful the legislation can win approval (BA, Sept. 6/101). Congress is scheduled to return to work this week and bonus depreciation could come up. If the measure is not approved before Nov. 2, most pundits now expect Congress will return for a lame-duck session after the election, where chances for success might be greater.
Rockwell Collins is predicting higher revenues and significantly higher profits in fiscal 2005, a forecast based at least in part on an anticipated rise in business jet production next year. See article below.
Rockwell Collins received two 10-year agreements from NetJets Services to provide avionics maintenance repair and technical support on the fractional aircraft ownership provider's fleets of Gulfstream G200 and Raytheon Hawker 400XP aircraft. Collins Aviation Services will provide forward exchange avionics support, including maintenance and component repairs, reliability upgrades, equipment removal and refit coverage.
CESSNA Models 208 and 208B airplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-23-AD; Amendment 39-13772; AD 2004-17-01) - supersedes AD 2002-22-17 and AD 2003-21-04, which requires repetitive inspections of the flap bellcranks for cracks and eventual replacement of the bellcranks. The installation of a newly designed bellcrank to increase the life limits is terminating action for the repetitive inspections. Since FAA issued AD 2002-22-17 and AD 2003-21-04, Cessna designed a new flap bellcrank with a life limit of 40,000 landings instead of 7,000 landings.
NATA MOUNTS EFFORT TO SECURE GA RELIEF FUNDING - National Air Transportation Association members will make the rounds on Capitol Hill this week, appealing for funding to compensate general aviation businesses damaged in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The lobbying blitz comes as the Senate Appropriations Committee this week is expected to consider the fiscal 2005 transportation appropriations bill.
The European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) won a $1 billion contract to provide 12 new NH-90 troop lift helicopters to the Australian army. EADS was awarded the project over Sikorsky and its UH-60M Black Hawk variant.
Axis Jet, the Sacramento, Calif.-based aircraft sales and management company acquired six turbine-powered aircraft to form its managed fleet. The company now has a Citation II, a CitationJet, a King Air 200 and three King Air C90Bs. "We're very pleased with the early growth of Axis Jet," said co-owner Matt Bosco. "The momentum we've established bodes well for the future of the company and is a reflection of our clients' confidence and our experience - even as a new company." Axis Jet was formed in July.
FlightSafety International's Simulation Systems Division in Tulsa, Okla. is developing a new full flight simulator for the Embraer 170 airliner that will continue to expand FlightSafety's array of training services offered to Embraer customers. FlightSafety is the factory-authorized training provider for the EMB-145/135 program and operates 18 full-flight Level D simulators for the EMB-145. FlightSafety also is the factory-authorized provider of EMB-120 turboprop training. The new simulator will be delivered late next year.
Avemco Insurance Company said it is now able to insure pilots operating under FAA's new Sport Pilot rule flying standard certificated and experimental amateur-built aircraft that meet the definition of light sport aircraft.
An international industry group met in Europe last week to begin to shape policy recommendations for the treatment of private, fractional and charter operators in Europe. The industry group, formed at the behest of the European Civil Aviation Conference, is hoping to develop a cohesive set of recommendations endorsed by operators both in Europe and the U.S. The recommendations will focus more on economic regulation - such as whether fractional operators are commercial or private operations - but participants expect there will be some overlap with safety regulations.
National Air Transportation Association scheduled another series of Town Hall meetings this month. The Town Hall meetings will be held Sept. 16 in Coraopolis, Pa.; Sept. 17 in Bedford, Mass.; Sept. 20 in White Plains, N.Y.; Sept. 22 in Greenville, S.C.; and Sept. 24 in Sauget, Ill. NATA President James Coyne will discuss critical legislative and regulatory issues facing airports and aviation businesses. For more information, contact Beth Van Emburgh at (800) 808-6282 or e-mail [email protected].
EAA SAYS HOUSE BILL WOULD SEVERELY RESTRICT GA FLIGHTS - The Experimental Aircraft Association warned last week that a bill introduced by Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) would severely disrupt the ability of general aviation pilots to fly throughout the U.S. Weiner's bill, H.R.5035, was introduced Wednesday, but the official legislative language was not available late last week.
Guardian Jet Center broke ground on a new executive terminal at Ontario International Airport in Ontario, Calif. The new terminal will add 5,500 square feet of operating space to the 46,000 square feet of existing hangar and office space. The terminal will include an expanded passenger lounge, larger flight planning area with real-time computer weather service, a pilot and crew exercise center, crew sleeping quarters and a conference facility.
Avfuel Corp. added Ranger Jet Center of Kissimmee, Fla. to its network of branded fuel dealers. Ranger is a full-service fixed-base operation that provides line service, maintenance and avionics. The Ranger facilities include two hangars, offices, a flight-planning and weather room, executive conference room, pilots' lounge and shower.
