ECLIPSE OFFERING INSIDE LOOK AT CERTIFICATION PROCESS - Eclipse Aviation launched a new section of its web site last week, which it said would permit visitors "to view and track Eclipse's progress against all Eclipse 500 certification program milestones." The company added that "in a time of increased public concern about corporate accountability, Eclipse's goal is to establish a new standard in transparency that will benefit all stakeholders" in the emerging Very Light Jet (VLJ) industry.
March 22-23 - American Association of Airport Executives, ACI-NA, Spring Washington Conference, Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, Washington, 703-824-0504, www.airportnet.org March 22-25 - National Business Aviation Association 31st Annual International Operators Conference, Anaheim, Calif., (202) 783-9000 March 22-25 - Society of Manufacturing Engineers, WESTEC 2004, Angeles, Calif. Convention Center, (800) 733-4763 or www.sme.org/westec
BOMBARDIER NARROWS LOSS; AEROSPACE BUSINESS IMPROVES - Canadian conglomerate Bombardier managed to trim its loss for the year ended Jan. 31, 2004, but the company said last week it initiated a major restructuring of its Transportation division that will entail additional costs.
Aircraft Parts Corp. is moving into a new 48,000-square-foot facility in Holtsville, N.Y. The aircraft DC power generation system provider purchased the building to expand its manufacturing and warehouse capacity in addition to its office space. Its customer service, sales, engineering, purchasing, accounting and shipping/receiving functions will operate out of the new facility beginning this month. Manufacturing, production/assembly and overhaul-service units will follow over the next few months.
Cessna is inviting its "one-million plus" customers to a four-day event the company calls the Great Cessna Homecoming. The homecoming, to be held May 14-17 at Mid-Continent Airport in Wichita, Kan., will provide a forum for Cessna operators to discuss issues involving their aircraft. "We often receive requests from Cessna operators about doing fly-ins," said Jennifer Julin, executive director of the Cessna Owner Organization.
Flight Options is trying to boost interest in the newest addition to its fractional ownership fleet, the Embraer Legacy, by unveiling a new pricing program that charges shareholders an occupied hourly rate comparable to that of a mid-sized jet. The rates will remain in effect for the first 24 months of ownership, Flight Options said, calling the pricing "the industry's most compelling value proposition." The Legacy, the corporate version of the Embraer's smaller regional jet line, seats 13 passengers and can travel 3,250 nautical miles and reach speeds of Mach .80.
SAFIRE TEAM MOVING FORWARD ON MULTIPLE FRONTS - Safire Aircraft Company, which completed a relocation to the Opa-Locka Airport near Miami, Fla. last year, is engaged in a wide range of endeavors designed to get the company's entry-level jet into the marketplace by 2006.
General Aviation Manufacturers Association added Argo-Tech Corporation and Diamond Aircraft Industries to its membership. Columbus, Ohio-based Argo-Tech produces aviation fuel pumps and liquid natural gas systems for airframes, engines and airport ground fueling equipment. Argo-Tech Chief Executive Michael Lipscomb will join the GAMA board of directors. Diamond Aircraft, based in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, produces a line of single-piston aircraft. Diamond President Peter Maurer will represent the company on the GAMA board.
NBAA PROPOSES 'SECURE ACCESS' PLAN TO REGAIN DCA ACCESS - National Business Aviation Association President Shelley Longmuir unveiled a "Secure Access" security program last week designed to address the anti-terrorism needs of federal law enforcement personnel while allowing business and general aviation aircraft to regain access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).
MOST OF STARSHIP FLEET IN RAYTHEON'S HANDS - Raytheon Aircraft Company, which announced plans last summer to acquire and retire the entire fleet of Beech Starship aircraft (BA, July 14/13), has control of nearly 90 percent of the fleet and is working with the remaining owners to complete the process.
L-3 AVIONICS SYSTEMS was selected to provide its standby indicator as standard equipment aboard the Cessna Citation Mustang. The Mustang, Cessna's new entry-level business jet, is expected to be certified in 2006. L-3 provides standby indicators for Cessna's entire line of business jet aircraft as well as for the Caravan turboprop.
BAE SYSTEMS Jetstream Model 4101 airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-288-AD) - proposes to require a review of airplane maintenance records and an inspection of the nose landing gear (NLG) to determine the part number of the steering pinion, and follow-on/corrective actions as applicable. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent failure of the steering pinion in the NLG, which could result in loss of steering and possible damage to the airplane during takeoff and landing. FAA estimates that 57 airplanes on the U.S.
National Association of State Aviation Officials lamented the Bush Administration's proposal to slash Essential Air Service funding from $113 million in the current fiscal year to just $50 million in fiscal 2005, which NASAO said "would eliminate aid to at least 23 communities and force 82 other communities to pay a large portion of the costs associated with continuing commuter service to hub airports." NASAO noted that the Vision 100 FAA reauthorization legislation provides for establishment of a nine-member commission to assess EAS and make recommendations (see Section
CZECH GOVERNMENT BACKS IBIS PLANE, SECOND AE270 JOINS FLIGHT TESTING - The Czech government agreed to provide ongoing support for Aero Vodochody, securing the future of the Ibis Aerospace Ae270 turboprop. Ibis, a joint venture of Aero Vodochody and AIDC of Taiwan, markets the turboprop and Aero Vodochody produces the aircraft at its factory in the Czech Republic. Under a previous agreement, the Czech government committed to support Aero operations through 2005.
Bonus depreciation backers are still trying to win approval of a deadline extension for buyers to put their aircraft into service. Under the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act signed into law in May, buyers must acquire an aircraft and put it into service before Jan. 1, 2005 unless the buyer is in the business of transporting people - such as a charter or scheduled airline. In those cases, the aircraft must be placed into service before Jan. 1, 2006.
Practice makes perfect, but you can't forget the before-landing checklist. FAA said the pilot of a Beech Duchess was practicing single-engine approaches at the St. Charles, Mo. County Airport late last month when he forgot to lower the landing gear. The aircraft landed on the runway centerline and skidded 800 feet, damaging the belly skin and both propellers.
CIRRUS INTRODUCES UPGRADED VERSIONS OF SR20, SR22 - Cirrus Design Corp., already setting sales records with its existing models, has introduced the latest iterations of the company's popular SR20 and SR22 single-engine aircraft, the SR20-G2 and SR22-G2.
CJ Systems Aviation Group named David Horton president of its Heli-Dyne Systems unit in Hurst, Texas. Horton has a background in aviation management, manufacturing, sales, engineering and customer service. He has served with both Bell Helicopter and American Eurocopter in addition to spending several years running his own aircraft maintenance and flight school business.
National Business Aviation Association and The Van Allen Group are offering an Emergency Response Planning Workshop April 20-21 in Atlanta, Ga. to help companies manage the difficult circumstances surrounding an aircraft accident or incident. The two-day workshop begins at 8:30 a.m. April 20. Cost to attend for NBAA member companies is $1,200 for the first attendee and $1,000 for each additional attendee from the same organization. For more information, contact NBAA at (202) 862-5552 or www.nbaa.org/seminars.
Honeywell predicts higher helicopter sales over the next five years, driven by demand from the corporate, emergency medical services and law enforcement markets.
