A new reference book, NOTAM Illustrated, has been published to help pilots better understand the language used in Notices To Airmen. The 110-page, spiral-bound guide defines more than 400 NOTAM contractions and explains NOTAM formatting. The guide also explains Distant, Local and FDC NOTAMs. The publication, compiled by aviator Jerome Miller, costs $19.95 plus $2 shipping and is available at Find-it Fast Books, 406 Henry Drive, Montoursville, Pa. 17754; e-mail: [email protected].
Jet Aviation received a contract from fractional ownership aircraft pioneer NetJets to perform unscheduled maintenance at Jet Aviation's U.S. locations in Bedford, Mass., Dallas, Texas and Palm Beach, Fla. Jet Aviation already has an agreement with NetJets for Hawker and Citation services at its Zurich facility and for Falcon support in Basel, Switzerland.
BAE Jetstream Model 4101 airplanes (Docket No. 2003-NM-228-AD) - proposes a one-time inspection of the ailerons to determine if certain actions were accomplished previously, and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary. This action is necessary to prevent damage to the rear spar rib-to-rib attachment cleats and the aft rib elements of the fixed tabs of the ailerons. Such damage could reduce structural integrity and cause failure of the ailerons and reduced airplane controllability. FAA estimates that 57 airplanes on the U.S.
June 7-11 - 13th International Flight Inspection Symposium, hosted by Nav Canada at Fairmont, The Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Canada. E-mail: [email protected], phone: (613) 563-3938, or visit www.navcanada.ca/ifis2004 June 16-17 - American Society of Mechanical Engineers TURBO EXPO 2004, Vienna, Austria, 212-591-8157, e-mail [email protected], www.asme.org/pi/pr/2004/033104a.html June 18-19 - National Business Aviation Association 9th Annual Flight Attendants Conference, Anaheim, Calif., (202) 783-9000
Aeronautical Repair Station Association is trying to generate action by its members to oppose FAA's proposed expansion of drug and alcohol testing to cover thousands of additional workers employed by subcontractors.
Employees represented by United Auto Workers Local 128 at the Troy, Ohio Goodrich Corp. plant voted to accept a new three-year contract Tuesday. The union represents some 330 of about 700 workers at the Troy plant, which is about 20 miles north of Dayton. The facility makes wheels and brakes for a variety of business and commercial aircraft, plus the U.S. Space Shuttle. The new contract agreement was reached after 13 weeks of negotiations between union and company representatives.
Rolls-Royce booked 76 orders in the past year for its CorporateCare engine care program for corporate aircraft. The new business is valued at more than $152 million and increases Rolls-Royce's corporate maintenance portfolio to more than 315 aircraft with $630 million worth of agreements. CorporateCare includes engine health monitoring services, access to lease agreements and coverage of expenses with shop visits. Rolls-Royce CorporateCare covers business jets powered by AE 3007, Tay and BR710 engines.
SAFIRE SUSPENDS OPERATIONS WHILE SEARCHING FOR MORE MONEY - Safire Aircraft suspended most of its operations while searching for additional funding, the company announced Thursday. The announcement comes about six weeks after Safire terminated its senior marketing and communications executives and said it was restructuring "to focus on the completion and development of the Safire Jet prototype" (BA, May 3/197). Safire Thursday said it was "actively pursuing a very promising financing opportunity."
National Business Aviation Association scheduled three Business Aviation Regional Forums this summer in Chicago, Hong Kong and Seattle. The events provide a place for business aircraft owners, operators, manufacturers, customers and other industry personnel to discuss regional business aviation issues. The forums are scheduled for June 24 at DuPage Flight Center on DuPage Airport near Chicago, Ill., July 15-16 at Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre at Hong Kong International Airport in China and Aug. 26 at Boeing Field/King County International Airport in Seattle, Wash.
TORT REFORMERS HOPE STUDY WILL FUEL LEGAL CHANGE - U.S small businesses are being "victimized" by a legal system running out of control, a U.S. Chamber of Commerce affiliate charged last week. The Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) released the results of a new study, Tort Liability Costs for Small Businesses, which found that small businesses with $10 million or less in annual revenue pay 68 percent of the annual cost of the tort system - an estimated $88 billion. The study estimates the entire cost of the tort system to U.S. business is $129 billion.
EARNINGS, BACKLOG INCREASE AT IAI - Israel Aircraft Industries reported increased earnings and a sharply larger backlog at the end of the first quarter.
Small businesses bear the brunt of tort liability costs, a study released last week by U.S. Chamber of Commerce affiliate the Institute for Legal Reform (ILR) found. The ILR study, entitled Tort Liability Costs for Small Businesses, finds that small businesses, those with less than $10 million in annual revenue, shoulder some $88 billion in annual liability costs, while larger businesses pay about $41 billion.
Air Routing International entered into a long-term agreement with Jet Aviation's Singapore fixed-base operation to serve as the preferred handling agent for private and business aircraft at the Seletar Airport. "Jet Aviation maintains a close relationship with Air Routing at their fixed-base operations in Europe and the United States," said Geoffrey Hopkins, senior vice president and general manager at Jet Aviation Singapore.
Executive Jet Management added two aircraft to its charter fleet in May - a Falcon 2000 based at Teterboro, N.J. and a Gulfstream 100/Astra SPX that will operate out of Garfield County Regional Airport in Rifle, Colo.
SENTIENT JET NAMES NEW CEO - Sentient Jet, Inc., the Norwell, Mass. company that arranges transportation on business jets for its TravelCard members, named a new top executive last week. Steven M. Hankin, who had been with Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, was named CEO of Sentient Jet. Hankin succeeds Mark Stone, who was CEO of Sentient for the past two years, during which it grew rapidly in terms of members and revenues.
Jet Aviation Dallas completed the expansion of its transient aircraft ramp and refurbishment of its fixed-base operation. The improvements include a remodeled customer lounge, a multi-media conference room, expanded flight planning capabilities, high-speed Wi-Fi Internet access, modernized restrooms and a new pilot's lounge. The transformation project also includes additional parking space.
B/CA ADDS TWO AVIATION VETERANS TO STAFF - Business & Commercial Aviation magazine announced the addition of two veteran aviators and writers to its staff this month. Kathleen Bangs, an aeronautical studies graduate of the University of North Dakota, has logged more than 10,000 flight hours in a variety of aircraft and operations. She began her flying career at 16 and became a certified flight instructor three years later.
Boeing selected Kidde Technologies to supply fire protection systems for the plane-maker's new 7E7 jet. The systems detect and extinguish fires in the engines, auxiliary power system and cargo areas. Boeing plans to use the 7E7's centralized software to control Kidde's fire protection system.
VINCENT PALAZZOLO was named chief financial officer for CPI Aerostructures. He formerly was audit partner for JH Cohn, LLP. Before that, Palazzolo spent 15 years with Goldstein Golub Kessler LLP (GGK), most recently as audit partner. He managed the firm's audit practice including SEC reporting and compliance. He also worked with corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions, and played an integral role in the CPI audit team when CPI retained GGK's services. He also has been a managing director for American Express Tax and Business Service.
Honeywell is enjoying the trend toward fully integrated, central processor-driven avionics systems with the certification of its latest aircraft platform, the Cessna Citation Sovereign, June 2 (BA, June 7/258). The Sovereign, a mid-size business jet, is the fourth and smallest aircraft to win FAA approval with Primus EPIC avionics. Honeywell expects FAA to approve several more aircraft equipped with new EPIC avionics shortly, including the Gulfstream 450, Falcon 2000EX EASy, AgustaBell AB 139 and Hawker Horizon.
HOUSE PANEL OUTLINES POSSIBLE SECURITY MEASURES TO REOPEN DCA - Gateway airports, the "30-minute" rule and crew certification are a few possible security measures that the House Appropriations Committee told the Department of Homeland Security that it could incorporate into a plan to reopen Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to business aviation. The committee Wednesday approved a "managers amendment" to the Department of Homeland Security fiscal 2005 appropriations bill that directs DHS to issue a plan by Nov.
ADAM BUILDS ORDERBOOK, CREDIBILITY WITH IFLY DEAL - Adam Aircraft's new 75-aircraft order helps increase the startup airplane maker's credibility among prospective buyers as well as rounding out an already growing orderbook, company President Joe Walker said. Adam late last month announced an order from People Express founder Donald Burr and former American Airlines CEO Robert Crandall for 75 A700 AdamJets valued at $150 million. Burr and Crandall plan to launch a new air taxi service, for now called iFly Air Taxi, with the aircraft (BA, June 7/260).
