FAA PILOT PROGRAM TARGETS TROUBLED AIRPORTS - The Federal Aviation Administration's new pilot program to buy development rights at certain troubled private airports has "substantial potential" since 22 percent of the public-use airports are privately owned, the agency said in a letter outlining the details of the project.
CARLYLE GROUP COMPLETES GARRETT AVIATION PURCHASE - The Carlyle Group completed its acquisition of Garrett Aviation Services from General Electric Company Aug. 27. Frank Klaus, a veteran GE executive who had headed Garrett, was named president and chief executive officer of the newly created joint company of Garrett Aviation Services, Piedmont Hawthorne Aviation and Associated Air Center (BA, July 26/36).
BAE SYSTEMS Model Avro 146-RJ series airplanes (Docket No. 2003-NM-92-AD; Amendment 39-13762; AD 2004-16-06) - requires replacing the existing digital flight guidance computer(s) (DFGC) with a new or modified DFGC(s). This action is necessary to prevent a premature flare from occurring on approach due to erroneous data being provided to the DFGC(s); and also to prevent uncertainty about autopilot engagement status, which could cause the pilot to apply unneeded force to the control column and possibly result in a runaway condition of the autotrim.
September 19-21 - National Association of State Aviation Officials, 73rd Annual Convention and Trade Show, Radisson Riverfront Hotel, St. Paul, Minn., (301) 588-0587 October 10-11 - National Business Aviation Association 13th Annual Tax Conference, Las Vegas, Nev., (202) 783-9000 October 12-14 - National Business Aviation Association 57th Annual Meeting and Convention, Las Vegas, Nev., (202) 783-9000 October 21-23 - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Expo 2004, Long Beach, Calif., (301) 695-2000
This week Bolen takes over as president and chief executive officer of the National Business Aviation Association (BA, Aug. 9/59), with a couple of senior personnel vacancies to add to his new to-do list. Bob Blouin, senior vice president of operations for NBAA, resigned late last month (BA, Aug. 30/94) and last week Pete West, the association's senior vice president of government and public affairs, said he plans to leave Nov. 1. See article below.
Professional Aviation Maintenance Association, attempting to boost membership, has lowered the individual membership dues to $49 annually, a $21 reduction from the previous fee of $70 per year. The new rates apply to new memberships and renewals after Sept. 1.
Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association was fighting a pitched battle last week to help preserve a Labor Day tradition in Ohio, the Cleveland National Air Show. The annual show, which dates back to 1929, features a variety of demonstration flights by a mix of military and civilian aircraft, but this year's event - which was scheduled to begin Friday evening - is threatened by Public Law 108-7, which prohibits non air carrier operations within three miles and 3,000 feet of a major league baseball game or other major sporting events.
CHC Helicopter Corporation received two contract renewals with a combined value of about $14.5 million for support in the North Sea. PGS Production AS awarded CHC a two-year renewal with two one-year options for offshore crew change helicopter services using CHC's Super Puma fleet based in Stavanger, Norway. CHC also won a one-year renewal with two one-year options from Kerr-McGee for a dedicated Super Puma Mk2 aircraft based in Aberdeen, Scotland.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey also has an unexpected vacancy in her organization. James P. Schear, who had joined the agency's new Air Traffic Organization as vice president for safety less than six months ago, abruptly resigned to return to US Airways. See article below. Announcement of his departure came just two days after he and Blakey acknowledged that FAA was not meeting its goals for reducing operational errors in the air traffic control system.
Robert Blouin, senior vice president of operations for the National Business Aviation Association, announced his resignation last week for the second time in six months in a move that comes as the association already was preparing for another leadership change. Blouin, who was believed to be among the finalists in the competition to become NBAA president, resigned a few weeks after the association selected Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, to head NBAA (BA, Aug. 9/59).
Team US101, the Lockheed Martin-led team competing to provide the next-generation helicopter fleet for the U.S. president, added 13 more Connecticut-based component suppliers to the team, which numbers more than 200 participants in 41 states. Team US101 is offering a derivative of AgustaWestland's EH101 for the contract to replace the aging Sikorsky VH-3D and VH-60 helicopters. The team is competing against Connecticut-based Sikorsky, which is offering its VH-92 helicopter.
Jessica Salerno, managing editor of BA affiliate Business & Commercial Aviation magazine, was promoted to executive editor. Salerno joined the magazine 25 years ago, initially serving as editorial assistant and production editor. Salerno was research editor before she was named managing editor in January 1982. William Garvey, B/CA editor-in-chief, said the promotion reflects Salerno's "decades of excellent work" at the magazine that enhanced "the appearance, breadth, depth, relevance and timeliness of editorial content."
BOMBARDIER BUSINESS JETS SALES REBOUND, BUT REGIONAL SALES STALL - Strong business jet sales helped Bombardier turn a profit in the second quarter of its fiscal year, but a decline in regional jet deliveries dampened aerospace earnings, the company reported last week. Bombardier reported earnings before taxes (EBT) of $44 million for the second quarter ended July 31, stemming the EBT losses of $209 million reported in the first quarter.
FAA recently released guidance outlining a new pilot program that would allow the agency to buy development rights at 10 privately owned airports that are open to the public. FAA is developing the program at the direction of Congress, which included a measure in the FAA reauthorization bill, Vision 100, authorizing the federal purchase of private airport development rights.
Wood Group Turbopower, based in Miami Lakes, Fla., was named an authorized repair facility and marketing agent for the MORE Company's approved PT6A time-between-overhaul (TBO) extension supplemental type certificate program. The agreement authorizes Wood Group to provide maintenance in accordance with the TBO extension as well as help market the program. The MORE program (Maintenance On Reliable Engines) extends the TBO for the PT6A from 3,600 hours up to 8,000 hours by increasing the frequency and thoroughness of routine inspections.
Bombardier is taking "full advantage" of a recovering business jet market, the manufacturer said, noting that firm orders for the first six months of fiscal year were more than double those taken during the same period last year. "Regional jets sustained the business during the business jet downturn, and now it is the other way around," said Bombardier President and CEO Paul Tellier. See article below.
DPI Labs added a "watchdog circuit" and anti-collision function to its SmartLink-III Cabin Management Operating System to protect the integrated cabin management and entertainment system from delayed, lost or unintended commands. The function prevents multiple commands from conflicting to ensure continuous operations of the lighting, entertainment systems and other items connected to the cabin management systems.
Aeronautical Repair Station Association this month asked FAA to incorporate its "Joint Industry Policy on Instructions for Continued Airworthiness" (ICA) into a proposed agency order that provides the framework for the availability of maintenance manual information.
