Tenzing, the Seattle-based provider of inflight e-mail and text-messaging services for commercial airliners, is offering a new e-mail system tailored for use on business jets. Based on its airline system, the business-jet system operates through a laptop-sized onboard service that incorporates Tenzing software. The server is connected to existing aircraft communications systems. The system has been tested on most major business aircraft communication systems. It will be available for business-jet customers this year.
CITATIONSHARES OFFERS PREPAID PART 135 PROGRAM - Facing a decline in fractional operation growth this year, CitationShares expanded its services with a new jet card program designed to simplify the notoriously complicated billing system of fractional ownership.
BA's KERRY LYNCH WINS NBAA GOLD WING AWARD - Kerry Lynch, managing editor of The Weekly of Business Aviation, is this year's winner of the Gold Wing Award, presented annually by the National Business Aviation Association "for excellent, accurate and insightful reporting on issues related to business aviation." Lynch, who also is Washington Editor of BA's sister publication, Business & Commercial Aviation, was honored for her article, "Ghost Town On the Potomac," about the continued closure of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to business and general aviation f
NICOLE MACMILLAN was promoted to manager of trade shows and promotions at Pilatus Business Aircraft. She will report to Tom Aniello, who also was recently promoted to the position of chief marketing officer. TOM MEKIS was named vice president, aircraft sales, at Piedmont Hawthorne. Most recently the director of aircraft sales at Piedmont's facilities in Winston-Salem, N.C. and Leesburg, Va., Mekis will continue to manage daily operations at the two locations. Mekis worked at Raytheon Aircraft for 10 years before joining Piedmont Hawthorne in 1997.
The Success of bonus depreciation legislation in spurring new aircraft sales has been dramatic, and manufacturers want to see the program extended. John Rosanvallon, president and CEO of Dassault Falcon Jet (DFJ) Corp., acknowledged that orders for new aircraft were very difficult to come by during the first six months of 2003, but said business has improved since the bonus depreciation provision was enacted. "Certainly that has helped us," he said.
CAE SimuFlite is upgrading its GIV and GV ground school training with the installation of a Simfinity virtual simulator and integrated procedures trainer. The trainers are expected to be installed in the first quarter of next year. CAE said Simfinity "provides a seamless transition from ground school to the simulator, allowing pilots and maintenance personnel to be immersed in the cockpit from day one." The trainers are based on the same software used in CAE's Level D full flight simulators. CAE has offered Simfinity training for BBJ pilots for the past year.
Safire Aircraft named Keiler & Company its agency of record. Based in Farmington, Conn., Keiler & Co. will oversee branding, advertising and collateral materials for the Safire Jet. Keiler has a 30-year background of serving aerospace clients, which include Sikorsky, Fairchild Dornier, Garrett Aviation, Goodrich Avionics, Hamilton Standard, British Aerospace, Raytheon Corporation and Textron Lycoming.
Wingspeed Corporation has developed a low-cost, multi-mode data communications system that will provide general aviation aircraft with advanced datalink capability. Wingspeed is working with ARINC and the Iridium Satellite Network to develop its "Open Network In the Sky," which will provide two-way data communications and enable access to real-time information for business and general aviation aircraft.
Safe Flight Instrument Corp. signed a letter of intent with Gulfstream Aerospace to supply its automatic throttle system, AutoPower, for the Gulfstream G200 business jet. Gulfstream will seek FAA supplemental type certificate approval for installation of the system on the G200. The system is slated to be available for production aircraft in the third quarter of 2004. It also will be offered as a retrofit on existing G200s.
GULFSTREAM ADDS G450 TO FAMILY - Gulfstream introduced the Gulfstream 450 last week, filling out a product line that the Savannah, Ga.-based manufacturer expanded considerably last year.
BAE SYSTEMS Jetstream Model 4101 airplanes [Docket No. 2001-NM-270-AD] - proposes to require various inspections of the fuselage nose structure between stations 4 and 11, and corrective actions if necessary. This action is necessary to detect and correct fatigue cracking in the primary structure of the nose of the airplane at the forward avionics bay (Fuselage Stations 4 to 11), which could reduce the structural integrity of the airplane. FAA estimates that 57 airplanes on the U.S.
Messier-Dowty is researching and designing a new low-cost, high-volume, simple landing gear system for Part 23 lightweight aircraft and military unmanned air vehicle applications. Messier-Dowty displayed its Small Aircraft Landing Gear Technology (SALT) demonstrator last week at the NBAA convention in Orlando. SALT is designed to reduce costs by minimizing parts, provide elements of electrical actuation systems for retraction, eliminate traditional torque links and evaluate use of composite materials, among other goals.
Jet Professionals, the Teterboro, N.J.-based temporary and permanent aviation staffing company, is unveiling a new corporate identity to more closely align with its parent Jet Aviation. Jet Professionals, celebrating its 20-year anniversary, works with flight departments seeking pilots, flight attendants, corporate aviation executives, maintenance technicians, flight schedulers, dispatchers and other general support staff.
NORTHROP GRUMMAN TEAMS WITH GULFSTREAM FOR MILITARY SENSOR CONTRACT - Military contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. selected Gulfstream Aerospace to join its team in pursuit of a multibillion-dollar contract for U.S. military's Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) contract, the next-generation intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) system. The military is seeking a replacement for aging Guardrail aircraft platforms, such as the Beech King Air, and the de Havilland DHC-7, both multi-engine, turboprop models.
KaiserAir, the Oakland, Calif. aircraft services firm, has launched a new service aimed at assisting customers with aircraft acquisition and sales. KaiserAir will provide expertise in matching the proper aircraft to the needs of the buyer, analyzing the marketplace, negotiating a price, conducting pre-purchase evaluation, preparing the paperwork and licensing, and following through to delivery.
'BUY AMERICA' MEASURE DRAWS PROTEST FROM U.S., EUROPEAN INDUSTRY - The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) is helping to lead an effort among several industry groups to squash a "Buy America" measure in the 2004 Defense Authorization Bill that would severely hinder the Department of Defense's ability to buy any non-U.S.-made weapons system or component. The measure was included in the House version of the Defense Authorization bill, H.R. 1588, but is not in the Senate bill.
ROCKWELL COLLINS, CONNEXION BY BOEING TO OFFER BROADBAND FOR BUSINESS JETS - Rockwell Collins and Connexion by Boeing are teaming to offer broadband connection in business aircraft with Bombardier on board as the launch customer for the new product. Collins eXchange, which will be incorporated into the Collins Airshow 21 cabin electronics system, will allow passengers to access Internet, fire-wall protected corporate intranets, e-mail, news, weather and destination information and direct broadcast satellite television programming at speeds comparable to cable.
October 26-28 - International Aviation Womens Association 15th Annual Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, www.iawa.org, e-mail [email protected] October 26-30 - ATCA 48th Annual International Technical Program and Exhibits, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, 703-522-5717, fax 703-527-7251, e-mail [email protected] October 30-November 1 - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Expo 2003, Philadelphia, Pa., (301) 695-2000
FAA FIVE-YEAR PLAN AIMS TO IMPROVE SAFETY, CAPACITY - The Federal Aviation Administration finalized a comprehensive five-year strategic plan that calls for improving safety among all the aviation modes, increasing capacity, and striving for both international leadership and "organizational excellence." The FAA Flight Plan 2004-2008, which was released in draft form last summer for industry review and comment, includes demonstrable goals and strategies that both the agency and industry can adopt to achieve those goals.
AFTER SLOW FIRST HALF, DASSAULT OFFICIALS SAY ORDERS PICKING UP - Officials of French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Falcon Jet acknowledge that the first six months of this year were one of the slowest periods in recent memory for new aircraft orders, but the situation has improved since mid-year and the company now expects to log between 30 and 40 aircraft orders in 2003.
CESSNA PRESIDENT JOHNSON RECOVERING FROM ILLNESS - Cessna Aircraft President Charles Johnson is making progress in recovering from a serious illness, but there is no indication of when he may be able to return to work. Johnson took a leave of absence late this summer in an attempt to recover from a major intestinal infection that had laid him low, a situation made worse by an adverse reaction to some of the medication that was initially prescribed.
BOMBARDIER UNVEILS IMPROVED GLOBAL EXPRESS MODEL - Bombardier Aerospace launched a new version of the Global Express, one of three new aircraft derivations introduced at last week's National Business Aviation Association convention in Orlando, Fla. The Bombardier Global Express XRS, scheduled to enter service in early 2006, features the Bombardier Enhanced Vision System (BEVS) as standard equipment, increased range at high speeds, improved takeoff capabilities and a new fast-fueling technology.
Cessna Aircraft said that the order rate for Citation business jets is up 28 percent from last year. Caravan turboprop sales have been steadily improving and are almost sold out until 2004. In the aftermarket and customer support segment, Cessna is offering RVSM solutions for operators but expressed pessimism about the January 2005 deadline for RVSM.
