National Transportation Safety Board last week sent a team to investigate the crash of a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter, N579EH, that was owned and operated by ERA Aviation. The aircraft departed from Scholes International Airport near Galveston, Texas at 6:45 p.m. CST March 23 en route to the High Island A 557 refueling platform on the Gulf of Mexico. The helicopter, which was carrying two crew and eight passengers on a Part 135 flight, was to be refueled and continue to an offshore drilling ship, but never reached its destination.
Fractional Aircraft Provider NetJets plans to expand its European operations this year. President Bill Boisture said the company will add about 20 aircraft in Europe this year, on top of a fleet of 43 operating there now. The company also anticipates a net increase of about 20 aircraft in its North American fleet this year.
March 30-April 1 - Aircraft Electronics Association Annual Convention and Trade Show, Paris Las Vegas Hotel, Las Vegas, Nev., (816) 373-6565 April 13-19 - Sun 'n' Fun Fly-In, Lakeland Linder Regional Airport (LAL), Lakeland, Fla., (863) 644-2431 April 15-17 - Latin American Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (LABACE2004), Sao Paulo, Brazil, (202) 783-9000
Supporters of extending the positive benefits of bonus depreciation believe they now have "a very good chance" of getting legislation passed to give buyers another year to put their new aircraft into service and still take advantage of the accelerated depreciation provisions. Cessna Chairman Russ Meyer, who has been in the forefront of the lobbying for an extension, warns that failure to get such legislation passed will have serious adverse consequences for the industry. See article below.
Jet Source added a Citation II to its charter fleet. The aircraft is based at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, Calif. The aircraft was added to Jet Source's fleet of Citations, Falcons, Gulfstreams and Learjets.
Van Nuys, Calif. Airport has completed a Part 150 study that includes a number of recommendations to help tackle noise, safety and environmental concerns arising from the growing jet population at the airport, Van Nuys Airport Manager Selena Birk said last week. Those recommendations include using rental rates and landing fees for noise incentives/disincentives, placing limits on Stage 3 jets and making some voluntary noise control programs mandatory.
National Business Aviation Association has scheduled a Certified Aviation Manager (CAM) examination May 20 in the New York City area and Oct. 11 in Las Vegas, Nev. Interested managers must apply for the May exam by April 6 and by Aug. 27 for the October exam, which will be held during the association's annual meeting and convention. The CAM program was designed to recognize individuals who have demonstrated a professional and level of aviation-specific knowledge and management skills.
INDUSTRY GROUPS RECRUIT CONGRESS FOR HELP ON AIR TOUR PROPOSAL - Warning that the Federal Aviation Administration's proposed safety rules for air tour and sightseeing flights would "severely cripple" the market, six industry groups Friday jointly sent a letter asking members of Congress to intervene. The proposed National Air Tour Safety Standards notice of proposed rulemaking "will seriously and detrimentally impact the nearly 2,000 existing commercial air tour operators in the U.S....
Air Methods won an FAA supplemental type certificate for an improved patient loading system on the Eurocopter EC-130 helicopter that Air Methods said is more than 40 pounds lighter, more reliable and more functional. The first aircraft with the system was delivered to Air Methods LifeNet Division in Augusta, Ga. LifeNet is taking delivery of a second helicopter equipped with the patient loading system this month.
CHUCK EIGHMY was appointed avionics systems engineer for Duncan Aviation. Eighmy has served with Duncan Aviation for 27 years, most recently as avionics installations team leader. Eighmy will be based at Duncan's Lincoln, Neb. facility.
Jet Aviation added nine aircraft to its management fleet worldwide. The European, Middle & Far East management operation added a Global Express, Boeing 727 and Falcon 2000EX. In the U.S., Jet Aviation added a Falcon 2000EX and Challenger 604 based in Teterboro, N.J.; a Falcon 2000 and Citation XL in Chicago; a Gulfstream 400 in West Palm Beach, Fla.; and a Falcon 20-5 based in Dallas.
Cassandra Bosco, a 16-year veteran at the National Business Aviation Association, next month will launch her own consultancy, Tailwinds Communications, which will provide communications, marketing and public relations expertise for aviation clients, including NBAA (BA, March 22/125). Bosco, who has more than 20 years of aviation experience, currently serves as director of public relations for the association and, before that, directed communications for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
CESSNA WINS XLS APPROVAL - Cessna received FAA approval for its Citation XLS business jet, the successor to the Citation Excel, the company announced last week. Certification comes five months after the company unveiled the aircraft in October at the National Business Aviation Association annual meeting and convention in Orlando, Fla. Powered by new Pratt & Whitney PW545B engines that boost maximum takeoff thrust by 4.9 percent to 3,991 pounds each, the XLS can climb to 45,000 feet in 29 minutes and cruise at 429 knots true airspeed at altitude.
FAA, INDUSTRY AGREE ON EXTENSIVE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO MANAGE AIR TRAFFIC - The federal government and a broad-based coalition of industry representatives have developed a comprehensive program to help manage the growing volume of air traffic as the economy continues to improve and air travel increases.
EADS Socata won an order for five TB 10 Tobago GT aircraft from the Indonesian Navy. The contract, valued at $2.5 million, includes a Frasca fixed-base simulator equipped with the FVS-200 visual system. EADS Socata will begin delivery of the aircraft in June. The new aircraft will be added to the Indonesian Navy's fleet of four TB 9 Tampico GT pistons.
AIR GROUP BASING GULFSTREAMS IN JAPAN - The Air Group is claiming to be "the first aircraft management and charter firm to home-base aircraft in Japan." The company said two Gulfstream Vs, owned by Japanese companies, are based at Tokyo's Haneda Airport and are available for charter. Air Group partnered with three companies to manage and market the charter service. The partners are Marubeni Aerospace Corp., IASS Co. Ltd., both headquartered in Tokyo, and Universal Weather and Aviation of Houston, Texas.
Nine months after the National Business Aviation Association board of directors installed former United Airlines executive Shelley Longmuir as president (BA, June 2/249), NBAA may be on the verge of a significant turnover in its staff. A veteran executive from another Washington, D.C., area-based lobbying organization told BA, "Everyone that I know at NBAA is looking for a way out." The resignations of at least two veteran NBAA staffers are believed to be imminent and sources say others are actively looking for new jobs elsewhere.
