RAYTHEON CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF KING AIR LINE - Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC) is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Beechcraft King Air twin turboprop in the business aviation marketplace and is asking current and former King Air owners and pilots to share their memories of the aircraft. The first King Air, a Model 90, made its first flight Jan. 20, 1964, the beginning of what Raytheon claims is "the most successful business aircraft of all time." The company had sold well over 5,000 King Airs through the end of 2003, and expects to deliver No.
Russell Chew, the chief operating officer of FAA's new Air Traffic Organization, is expected to announce the formal rollout of the ATO Feb. 9, along with posting the list of management jobs to be filled.
TRANSPORT CANADA SUSPENDS OPERATING CERTIFICATE OF CARAVAN OPERATOR - Transport Canada Thursday suspended the Air Operator's Certificate of Georgian Express Ltd., the carrier whose Cessna Grand Caravan was involved in a fatal accident less than a week before. The agency said it decided to suspend the carrier's certificate "based on the review of the company's documentation and the department's assessment of the preliminary information" from the accident. Transport Canada said its action "does not preclude" further regulatory action later.
RAYTHEON CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF KING AIR LINE - Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC) is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Beechcraft King Air twin turboprop in the business aviation marketplace and is asking current and former King Air owners and pilots to share their memories of the aircraft.
CAE SIMUFLITE LANDS EXCLUSIVE FLIGHT OPTIONS TRAINING CONTRACT - CAE SimuFlite received an exclusive three-year contract to train all of Flight Option's pilots at CAE's Dallas-Fort Worth center. The agreement, the largest ever for CAE SimuFlite, is valued at $28 million. The deal includes an option to extend the training for two years, which would boost the value of the training to $48 million.
CAE SIMUFLITE LANDS EXCLUSIVE FLIGHT OPTIONS TRAINING CONTRACT - CAE SimuFlite received an exclusive three-year contract to train all of Flight Option's pilots at CAE's Dallas-Fort Worth center. The agreement, the largest ever for CAE SimuFlite, is valued at $28 million. The deal includes an option to extend the training for two years, which would boost the value of the training to $48 million.
Sun Air Jets, based in Camarillo, Calif., opened a satellite charter office in Van Nuys, Calif. Jennifer Van Winkle will manage the new office, which is based in the Castle & Cooke Aviation Services complex at 7530 Hayvenhurst Ave., Van Nuys, Calif. 91406.
SENATE SENDS MASSIVE FUNDING BILL TO WHITE HOUSE - The Senate last week gave final approval to an $820 billion spending package that includes some $14 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration in fiscal 2004, ending a contentious debate that threatened to hold up the bill indefinitely. The Senate passed the bill 65-28, clearing it for President Bush's signature, after agreeing earlier by a 61-32 vote to end debate on the bill.
EMBRAER Model EMB-135 and -145 series airplanes (Docket No. 2002-NM-336-AD; Amendment 39-13426; AD 2004-01-12) -- requires operators to inspect the pitot-true air temperature (TAT) relays and the full authority digital engine control (FADEC) electronic interface resistor modules to detect contamination.
MICHELLE PRINCI was appointed director of membership for the Aerospace Industries Association. Princi will direct all membership functions for the association, including recruitment, retention and research and development. She joined AIA from the Vision Council of America, where she was senior manager of divisions and councils. She also was manager of meetings and conventions there.
General Aviation businesses harmed by the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks will have to wait until at least 2005 before they get any relief aid. In the Vision 100-Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act, Congress authorized up to $100 million for general aviation businesses that could demonstrate losses stemming from 9/11. But the fiscal 2004 omnibus appropriations bill passed last week without any funding for that relief measure.
Federal Aviation Administration, among the objectives of its Flight Plan 2004-2008 initiative, wants to come up with some sort of composite safety index that will measure the safety of the entire U.S. civil aviation system. The index would include the full spectrum of aviation activities, from general aviation through the scheduled airlines. FAA assembled about two dozen representatives of government, industry and academia to discuss the issue last week.
JOHN GILMORE was named vice president of sales for Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc. Gilmore previously was vice president of sales for Jetways, Inc. He has 15 years of technology sales experience in the computer industry, including sales of CAD/Design and Visualization computer workstations for Compaq. He also served with Rosemount Aerospace. An aircraft owner and flight instructor, Gilmore has more than 3,000 hours of flight time.
TRIUMPH BUYS GEAR BUSINESS FROM ROLLS-ROYCE - Triumph Group, Inc. acquired Rolls-Royce Gear Systems, Inc., from Rolls-Royce North America Venture, Inc. for $36 million. Located in Park City, Utah, the gear business is expected to have revenues of approximately $55 million in 2005 and be accretive to Triumph Group's earnings.
Docket No.: FAA-2003-14423 Petitioner: Dassault Aviation Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 25.785(b) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To amend a previously granted exemption regarding occupant protection requirements for persons occupying multiple-place side-facing seats during takeoff and landing on Falcon Model 2000EX airplanes manufactured before Jan. 1. The amendment would remove the limitation that restricts its applicability to airplanes manufactured before Jan. 1. Grant, Dec. 1, 2003, Exemption No. 8007A
Docket No.: FAA-2003-16618 Petitioner: Israel Aircraft Industries, Ltd. Sections of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 25.783(h), 25.807(g)(1), 25.810(a)(1), 25.813(b)(3), 25.857(e), and 25.1447(c)(1) Description of Relief Sought: Petitioner requests exemption from certain provisions of Title 14, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), to allow carriage of two non-crewmembers on Boeing Model 737-300 airplanes when operated in a freighter configuration.
Docket No.: FAA-2002-11499 Petitioner: Randy L. Bailey Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 91.109(a) and (b)(3). Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Randy L. Bailey to conduct certain flight instruction and simulated instrument flights to meet the recent experience requirments in Beechcraft Bonanza and Travel Air airplanes. Grant, Nov. 20, 2003, Exemption No. 5517G
Growth in the fractional aircraft market will continue to be slow this year, based on pilot hiring projections by Aviation Information Resources, Inc. of Atlanta, Ga. Fractional operators hired 1,363 pilots in 2000, 1,038 the following year and 997 in 2002, but the industry added only 198 pilots last year (BA, Jan. 19/21). AIR, Inc. estimates fractional providers will add only about 250 pilots this year.
AIA PRESSES AIR SHOW ORGANIZERS TO FIND COST-CUTTING MEASURES - Complaints by CEOs of some Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) member companies about the high cost of last year's Paris Air Show prompted the association to contact officials of the four major aerospace shows - Paris, Farnborough, Asian Aerospace and Dubai -- about finding ways to cut rental expenses for chalets and exhibition space.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model AS355E, F, F1, F2, and N helicopters (Docket No. 2003-SW-24-AD; Amendment 39-13423; AD 2004-01-09) -- requires revising the Limitations section of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) to prohibit using the landing light except for landing and takeoff until the 40 amp 10P1 and 10P2 contactors are replaced with 50 amp circuit breakers. Also, this amendment requires upgrading the electrical master boxes.
AVCARD, the Baltimore, Md. area aviation fuel and services credit card company, has formed a subsidiary in the United Kingdom, AVCARD Services, Ltd., to support the firm's growing international business.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model EC130B4 helicopters (Docket No. 2003-SW-41-AD; Amendment 39-13428; AD 2004-01-14) - requires, for helicopters with a certain air intake cowling attachment fitting installed, inspecting for broken or cracked forward fittings. If a broken or cracked fitting is found, inspecting the four center and aft fittings for cracks is required. Replacing broken fittings or certain cracked fittings also is required. This amendment is prompted by reports of cracked and broken fittings; one fitting failed after only 418 hours time-in-service (TIS).
CESSNA 441 and F406 airplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-18-AD; Amendment 39-13406; AD 2003-09-09 R1) -- revises an AD that requires repetitively inspecting the fuel boost pump wiring inside and outside the boost pump reservoir and repair or replacement of the wiring as necessary. AD 2003-09-09 also requires eventual installation of an improved wire harness and fuel boost pump as terminating action for the repetitive inspections. The way the compliance time is currently written puts certain airplane owners/operators in non-compliance with the AD.
Section 143. Repeals an outdated "Sense of Senate" that FAA should work with law enforcement agencies to help air carriers develop computer-assisted passenger profiling systems Section 144. Makes technical amendments to grant assurance language, including eliminating certain requirements for audit opinions Section 145. Makes eligible for funding the costs of moving federal facilities, such as control towers and navigation aids, that otherwise would impede an AIP project
Two Principals in Tyler Jet, LLC of Tyler, Texas entered guilty pleas last week to engaging in a monetary transaction with the proceeds of criminal activity. According to a multi-count indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Timothy J. Beverley, 47, president and manager of Tyler Jet, and Gregory A. Hopper, 49, the former chief financial officer of the company, were engaged in wire fraud and bank fraud in connection with the aircraft sales and refurbishment company.
