January 11-15, 2004 - AAAE Aviation Issues Conference, Hyatt Regency Kauai Resort, Kauai, Hawaii, (703) 820-1395 March 2-3, 2004 - 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 15-17, 2004 - Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2004, Las Vegas, Nev., (703) 683-4646
Air Canada split a major order for regional jets between Canadian manufacturer Bombardier and its principal rival, Embraer of Brazil. See article below.
FlightSafety International received Level D certification for its Citation X full flight simulator. The simulator will be located at FlightSafety's training center at Orlando International Airport next to Cessna's new aircraft maintenance facility. The training center already operates a number of Cessna simulators including the Excel, Bravo, Encore and CJ2 aircraft.
NETJETS ORDERS 50 HAWKER 400s FROM RAYTHEON, OPTIONS 50 MORE - Fractional aircraft operator NetJets, which had been one of the major drivers in the sharp growth of business jet deliveries in the late 1990s, has placed an order for 50 new Hawker 400XP light jets and eight new Hawker 800XPs from Raytheon Aircraft Company. The order, valued at $360 million, marks NetJets first announced fleet order in months, and may signal a resurgence in the fractional share market, which has been flat for more than a year.
The New European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) will be based in Cologne, Germany, a decision worked out by heads of state of the European Union at a Dec. 12 meeting. EASA, which is temporarily based in Brussels, Belgium, is headed by Patrick Goudou of France as executive director.
AVFUEL TO INTRODUCE NEW INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM - Avfuel Corp., Ann Arbor, Mich., plans to formally unveil its Avfuel International program next month at NBAA's Schedulers and Dispatchers Convention. Avfuel said the program is a centralized service for international travelers designed to ease the fuel procurement and flight planning process for customers. The company will offer AVTRIP points to pilots flying and arranging international flights, along with flight planning and competitive fuel prices, through its Commercial Contract Fuel program.
Penny & Giles Aerospace signed an 11-year contract with Bell Helicopter to upgrade all United States Marine Corps H-1 helicopters. A subsidiary of Curtiss-Wright Controls, Penny & Giles will provide software configurable air data computers and linear variable differential transformers to update the UH1Y (Huey) and AH1Z (Cobra) helicopters. The contract has a value of about $5 million if all options are exercised.
Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Neb. was designated as an authorized service center for the Hawker 400XP/Beechjet 400 aircraft. The designation permits Duncan to handle all types of maintenance, including warranty issues. Duncan was previously authorized to work on the other aircraft in the Hawker model line.
Friends of Meigs Field initiated a radio and print advertising campaign earlier this month to garner support from Chicago citizens to reopen the airport, which was abruptly closed by Mayor Richard Daley last March (BA, April 7/153). Friends of Meigs argued that reopening the airport is a "win-win proposal" that could bring in $139 million or more in federal funds to help the Chicago Park District, which owns the airport site. The Park District is facing a $30 million budget deficit and growing criticism that park programming is lacking in minority neighborhoods.
Gulfstream Aerospace received a firm order for three Gulfstream G300 business jets from National Air Services, the largest independent provider of private aviation services in the Middle East, according to Gulfstream. The order, valued at more than $75 million, will be financed by Arab Banking Corp. (ABC) of Manama, Bahrain. The transaction will be guaranteed by the U.S. Export-Import Bank. In June, ABC financed the purchase of a Gulfstream IV-SP for NAS.
VIRGINIA AIRPORT REQUESTS NEW BIDS FOR FBO - The Peninsula Airport Commission reissued a request for proposals for a fixed-base operator for the Newport News, Va./Williamsburg International Airport because of "a technical flaw in the original bid," an airport official said. "Some people were not notified about some changes" in the original RFP, said Jim Evans, the business development manager at the airport, and the airport's counsel recommended that the process be started over.
Bombardier Aerospace delivered its 1,000th CRJ regional jet this month, a 70-seat CRJ 700, to Delta Connection carrier Comair. Delta Connection is the world's largest operator of the CRJ, with 259 airplanes in service, and was the first to launch regional jet service in North America in 1993.
Aviation Constructors, Inc. and ACI Commercial (ACI), construction services companies headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., are relocating to Tampa, Fla. Frank Cardinal, who recently took over as president and CEO of the businesses, said the move would be completed by the end of February. Founded in 1987, ACI is privately owned by parent company, The Cleveland Group, also headquartered in Atlanta. The company has more than $156 million in annual revenues and operates from nine project and branch offices throughout the country.
Bombardier sold two Global Express aircraft to Qatar Airways at the Dubai Air Show, held earlier this month in the United Arab Emirates. Qatar Airways also signed an option for two more Global Express aircraft. The first aircraft is scheduled for delivery in mid-2004, with the second delivery following in late 2004. Based at Doha International Airport, the VIP flight division of Qatar Airways will operate the aircraft, which will be configured in a 13-passenger, three-compartment format with a crew rest area.
Because of the holiday schedule, The Weekly of BUSINESS AVIATION will not publish a Dec. 29 issue. The next issue will be dated Jan. 5. The deadline for the receipt of advertising materials for the Jan. 5 issue is noon, Dec. 29. Please accept our best wishes for a happy holiday season and a prosperous New Year.
National Air Transportation Association officials and other industry executives are scheduled to meet Tuesday with FAA Flight Standards personnel to see if business jet operators can get some relief from a looming Jan. 1 deadline for installation of a working emergency locator transmitter in their aircraft. Most aircraft have been required for years to have ELTs installed, but business jets were previously exempt. The rule was broadened to include business jets three years ago after the disappearance of a Learjet in New Hampshire in late 1996.
After nearly two decades of research and development, Honda Motor Company has finally flown a prototype twin-engine business jet powered by engines developed by the Japanese automaker.
AOPA RALLIES MEMBERS, CONGRESS AGAINST PROPOSED SIGHTSEEING RULE - Two members of Congress joined the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in lobbying the Federal Aviation Administration to reconsider its proposed rule for charity fundraising flights and sightseeing flights. AOPA is calling for FAA to hold a meeting with pilots who would be adversely affected by the rule, emphasizing that the rule could put hundreds of small sightseeing operations out of business (BA, Nov. 17/219).
LOCKHEED MARTIN PICKS PRATT & WHITNEY ENGINE FOR NAVY AIRCRAFT - Lockheed Martin chose the Pratt & Whitney 150A turboprop engine to power the multi-mission maritime aircraft (MMA), which Lockheed is proposing to replace the U.S. Navy's fleet of P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft.
Armor Holdings, a leading manufacturer of security products and vehicle armor systems, completed the acquisition of Simula, Inc. for $110.5 million in cash. Armor acquired all the outstanding stock of Simula and retired a majority of Simula's debt.
The Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association (RACCA) elected a new board of directors at a meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz. last month. RACCA said that the new board "better reflects the broad spectrum of the air cargo industry." The new members include RACCA President Stan Bernstein; Gary Richards of Ameriflight, Inc., chairman; David Corey of AirNow, vice chairman; W.
Raytheon Aircraft delivered two Beech King Air B200s to the Royal Air Force Cranwell Military Air Academy in the United Kingdom. The deliveries are part of the Multi-Activity Contract and Multi-Engine Pilot Training Interim Solution, managed by Serco Defence and Aerospace. A total of seven Beech aircraft, which are to be used for pilot training, will be delivered by March 2004. Serco is a defense and aerospace contractor for the U.K. Ministry of Defence, civil aviation and related industries in the U.K. and Europe.
BALDWIN FINDS NEW POST, WILL CONTINUE AS NBAA CHAIRMAN - Donald E. Baldwin, the chairman of the National Business Aviation Association's board of directors who had been facing the prospect of having to step down from that post, will be able to continue serving as chairman, the association said.
BUSH SIGNS FAA REAUTHORIZATION BILL INTO LAW - A day before speaking at the First Flight Centennial celebration in North Carolina last week, President Bush held a formal signing ceremony in the Oval Office for the FAA reauthorization bill.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
