IAN EWING joined Jet Source as vice president of aircraft management sales. Ewing will oversee promotion of Jet Source's aircraft management services to manufacturers, aircraft operators and flight departments and be responsible for the continuing expansion of the aircraft charter fleet. Ewing has nearly 30 years of aviation industry experience, working for Cessna, Learjet and Fairchild Dornier.
FAA REVISES ICING GUIDANCE FOR PART 23 AIRCRAFT - Federal Aviation Administration is proposing to revise its guidance on ice protection and detection systems for Part 23 aircraft. FAA noted that current guidance has proven acceptable and "historically successful," but adds other protective measures could be taken to comply with requirements. "In some cases, highly sophisticated airplanes may require more accurate or substantial solutions," the agency said.
NBAA EXPANDS CONVENTION SERIES INTO ASIA - National Business Aviation Association is continuing to expand its international reach with a new conference and exhibition to be held in Hong Kong this summer. The Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE), scheduled July 15 and 16, is formatted similarly to conferences the association has helped organize in recent years in Europe (EBACE) and Latin America (LABACE).
NTSB DISPATCHES INVESTIGATOR TO MACEDONIAN KING AIR CRASH - The National Transportation Safety Board, acting at the request of the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, sent a veteran U.S. accident investigator to help authorities who are attempting to determine what caused the Feb. 26 crash of a Beech King Air 200. The accident, which occurred at 0800 local time in Bosnia, killed all nine people aboard the twin-engine turboprop, including Boris Trajkovski, the president of Macedonia.
General Electric said its new CT7-8C turboshaft engine exceeded its planned power rating, demonstrating more than 3,100 shaft horsepower under sea level, static conditions. The engine manufacturer said initial power turbine performance testing is now complete, adding that maturation testing will begin later this year. While it is the same size, GE said the CT7-8C produces 20 percent more power than the CT7-8, the result of a new three-stage power turbine in the new engine.
Pilatus Aircraft, working with Honeywell, extended the warranty period to three years on all Honeywell avionics installed on new PC-12 aircraft. The warranty, extended by a year, covers standard equipment including the EFIS 40 displays, KFC 325 autopilot system, KLN 90B GPS, RDR 2000 weather radar and KX 165A NAV/COMM. It also covers optional equipment including the KMD 850 multi-function display, EFIS 50, traffic alert and collision avoidance system and Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System.
Avcon Industries completed flight testing for a reduced vertical separation minimums (RVSM) supplemental type certificate for Learjet 20 aircraft. Avcon, which began certification flight testing in March 2003, has modified and flight tested six different Learjet 20 aircraft. AVCON said it has received orders with slot deposits for its RVSM modification for 24 aircraft and has another 20 orders pending. Avcon priced its RVSM modification at $156,975 plus the cost of autopilot component inspections and repairs.
Federal Aviation Administration will hold the 29th Annual FAA Aviation Forecast Conference March 25-26 at the new Washington, D.C. Convention Center. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey and General Aviation Manufacturers Association President Ed Bolen are among the scheduled speakers for the two-day event.
Federal Aviation Administration last week opened an Internet-based "public meeting" on its highly controversial proposal to regulate all air tours, including those considered "charity" flights. The agency told participants that their "comments have been helpful and have pointed out some of the unintended consequences, particularly in the areas of vintage aircraft operations and charitable and community events" (BA, Jan. 19/24). The agency stressed that it was open to suggestions that offer alternatives to its proposed regulations.
Transportation Security Administration has begun to draft a plan that may provide GA access to DCA. In Vision 100 - Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act, Congress mandated that TSA devise such a plan. That mandate also allows the President to suspend the plan due to national security concerns.
AEROSPATIALE Model ATR 72 series (Docket No. 2001-NM-376-AD; Amendment 39-13456; AD 2004-03-12) - supersedes an existing airworthiness directive that currently requires initial and repetitive inspections to detect fatigue cracking in certain areas of the fuselage, and corrective actions if necessary. For certain airplanes, this amendment requires a new inspection for oversized fastener holes and cracking, and repair if necessary.
Aircraft Owners And Pilots Association will host its 14th annual Fly-In and Open House June 5 at the association's headquarters at the Frederick, Md. Municipal Airport (FDK).
Avtrak, and its technology partner Advanced Solutions, won a contract to provide their GlobalNet maintenance management technology for Gulfstream Aerospace's CMP.net web-based aircraft maintenance tracking program. The program replaces Gulftream's mainframe-based Computerized Maintenance Program with a web-accessible program, which will allow customers to access records at any time. Avtrak said Gulfstream owners will be able to manage their other aircraft through the same system.
Signature Flight Support expanded its fixed-base operation services to Hyeres Airport in Toulon, France. Signature is operating in the main terminal until a new 4,000-square-foot FBO facility is completed in the second quarter of this year. The new service at Toulon is Signature's fourth venture in Europe. Signature also operates two FBOs in the United Kingdom and one at Le Bourget International Airport in Paris.
BOMBARDIER HIRES FORMER BOEING EXECUTIVE TO HEAD NEW AIRPLANE STUDY - Canadian manufacturer Bombardier is more than a year away from deciding whether it will build a new generation commercial airliner, but the company has hired a senior executive who spent most of his career at Boeing to oversee the process.
TIGER BUYING MAJOR STAKE IN COMMANDER AIRCRAFT - Tiger Aircraft, LLC, has agreed to buy a controlling interest in Aviation General, Inc., the parent company of Commander Aircraft Co. Aviation General has been in bankruptcy since the end of 2002 when it sought protection from creditors (BA, Jan. 6, 2003/1). Commander said it "has recently secured a court-confirmed financial reorganization plan" under which Tiger "will acquire an 80 percent ownership interest in Aviation General, Inc., Commander's publicly traded holding company."
"Why Do We Want To Regulate You?" was among the most frequent questions FAA received in comments on the Part 91 sightseeing section of the air tour proposal, the agency said in the Internet meeting. FAA's response: "Because you look like an airline. A passenger decides to go on an airplane (why doesn't matter). The airplane operator wants money (donations are money)...What's different about you? Airline passengers and your passengers deserve certain standards." Airlines give to charity too, the agency stated.
March 2-3 - ASME International (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) Aero Engine Life Management Conference, Thistle Royal Horseguards Hotel, London, England, (404) 847-0072; [email protected] or www.asme.org.igti March 10 - National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Regional Forum, West Palm Beach, Fla., (202) 783-9000 March 11-12 - National Business Aviation Association Maintenance Management Workshop, West Palm Beach, Fla., (202) 783-9000
Gulfstream Aerospace continues to expand its product line with the addition of the G350, a large-cabin business jet based on Gulfstream's new G450 but with less range. The company announced the G350 last week during Asian Aerospace 2004 in Singapore, saying it "offers exceptional value" and will particularly appeal to business jet customers "who previously may not have considered a Gulfstream in their business case."
CJ Systems Aviation Group will operate two new Bell 407 helicopters for Kansas City, Mo.-based air medical provider LifeFlight Eagle. CJ Systems has flown and maintained LifeFlight Eagle helicopters since 1996. CJ Systems, which has a fleet of more than 100 aircraft, also flies two BK117 helicopters for LifeFlight Eagle.
PRIST RIGHTS, MARKETING NOW IN HANDS OF CHEMICAL COMPANY - CSD, Inc., an Atlanta, Ga.-based supplier of military-specification chemicals for the military, is expanding marketing and support for customers of the PRIST line of anti-icing fuel additives.
