CESSNA TO REPLACE CITATION EXCEL WITH XLS VERSION - Cessna announced last week a successor to its Citation Excel, which will feature an expanded standard equipment list and a variety of performance upgrades.
The bonus depreciation provision, which GAMA championed, was contained in this year's tax bill, the Job Creation and Worker Assistance Act. It boosted first-year depreciation to 50 percent for business property acquired after May 5, 2003 and put into service before Jan. 1, 2005 (Jan. 1, 2006 if the aircraft is used by charter operators or scheduled airlines). Bolen told BA there is widespread interest among his members in extending the current legislation. An extension attempt would not come before next year because of the congressional schedule (BA, June 2/251).
CAE SimuFlite is adding a Cessna Citation X simulator to its Dallas/Fort Worth facility. The simulator, which will be FAA Level D certified, will be operational in the fall of 2004. The simulator is the first for the Citation X that CAE has installed in its global network of training centers. In addition to the Citation X, CAE provides training for the Citation 500, 550, 560, 560XL, 650, Ultra, Bravo and CitationJet. CAE operates 29 simulators at the Dallas facility and 44 business aviation simulators worldwide.
National Business Aviation Association has scheduled the next several sessions of its Business Aviation Regional Forums, which provide exhibits, static displays and informational sessions locally. The one-day events typically have attracted some 60 exhibitors, 40 aircraft and 1,000 attendees. The next sessions are scheduled for Nov. 13 in Scottsdale, Ariz.; March 10, 2004 in West Palm Beach, Fla.; May 2004 in London; June 24, 2004 in Chicago; July 2004 in China; Aug. 26, 2004 in Seattle; and Nov. 18, 2004, in Dallas/Fort Worth.
French Transportation Officials are in the U.S. on a fact-finding mission about fractional aircraft operations. France sent officials from the equivalent of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Inspector General's Office to the National Business Aviation Association annual meeting and convention to attend a presentation on fractional ownership Friday that was designed as a "primer" on that market niche.
AIR-21, the legislation that provided comprehensive FAA funding for the last three years, expired last Tuesday as the new FAA reauthorization package hangs in limbo while congressional leadership decides on the best strategy for trying to win passage. The House has been chewing on a motion to recommit the bill to conference for the last two weeks, but when the motion will come up for a vote on the House floor is still unclear.
NTSB FOCUSING ON PILOT'S HISTORY IN GRAND CANYON CRASH - National Transportation Safety Board investigators are attempting to find passengers who previously flew with the pilot who was at the controls of a Sundance Helicopters Aerospatiale AS350BA sightseeing flight Sept. 20 when it crashed near the western rim of the Grand Canyon. In addition to the pilot, Takashi Mezaki, the aircraft, N270SH, was carrying six passengers. All aboard were killed when the aircraft crashed and burned in an area called Descend Canyon.
United Technologies Corp. last month celebrated the 75th anniversary of its corporate flight department. National Business Aviation Association President Shelley Longmuir joined the anniversary festivities in Windsor Locks, Conn., making a presentation in recognition of UTC's years of providing business aviation. A UTC predecessor company launched flight operations on Aug. 22, 1928, with its first aircraft, a Ford Trimotor. The department now operates five mid-size and large jets and two Sikorsky helicopters.
Cirrus Airlines of Germany placed an order for an Embraer 170 plus one option last week. Cirrus CEO Gerd Brandecker said that the aircraft's spacious four-abreast cabin, superb economics and short runway landing and takeoff capabilities were among the reasons for the order. Embraer, which said it is on schedule to certify the 170 in November, plans to deliver the aircraft to Cirrus in December 2004.
Conocophillips named Steven G. McCullough general aviation manager. McCullough, 39, replaces J. Mark Wagner, who had headed the company's general aviation fuels sales for the past six years. McCullough, a graduate of West Chester University in Pennsylvania, has spent the past 11 years in wholesale gasoline sales management, including time in the company's Northeast region. He, his wife and two children recently relocated to the company's Bartlesville, Okla. headquarters.
Keystone Helicopter signed a five-year contract with Sikorsky Aircraft to provide completion services for the new VIP S-92 helicopter. Keystone will work on the design, certification and custom interior installation and exterior painting for the S-92 at its facility in West Chester, Pa. Sikorsky is scheduled to deliver the first VIP helicopter to a customer in the Northeast in December 2004.
Federal Aviation Administration formally issued a 120-day extension of the implementation date for most of the new Part 145 regulations as well as the accompanying advisory circular, AC 145-9 (BA, Sept. 8/97). FAA granted the request of the National Air Transportation Association, Aeronautical Repair Station Association and Aircraft Electronics Association to extend the implementation date from Oct. 3 to Jan. 31. The extension provides both FAA and industry personnel time to review and properly fold the new rules into their operations.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation urged the FAA to reconsider its plans to revoke the Class D airspace along the Lake Michigan shore around the closed Merrill C. Meigs Field in Chicago. The Wisconsin DOT argued that the tower there held an important role for Wisconsin pilots who are heading east or southeast on VFR flights but who don't like crossing Lake Michigan.
Federal Aviation Administration has set the dates for its first series of seminars explaining the implementation of new Part 91 Subpart K regulations governing fractional aircraft operations. The new rules are slated to take effect Nov. 17, and FAA will host three two-day sessions before that date that are geared toward FAA field staff as well as existing operators. Registration at the seminars, which will take place at the Tremont Plaza Hotel in Baltimore, will be limited to 150 people per session. The seminars are scheduled Oct.
Federal Aviation Administration has teamed with Cirrus and Eclipse on its FAA/Industry Training Standards Program (FITS). While other airframers such as Adam Aircraft, Diamond Aircraft and Lancair are developing products that could potentially benefit from FITS, they are not directly participating in the program at the current time. BA previously identified them as participants (BA, Sept. 29/138).
CAE SimuFlite will launch a new Maintenance Leadership Program at the National Business Aviation Association convention this week in Orlando, Fla. The program will focus on leadership skills and technical proficiency to give maintenance professionals an edge in their career planning, the company said. In addition to the new initiative, CAE SimuFlite is adding maintenance training programs for Falcon 900EX, Falcon 2000 and Gulfstream V aircraft at its Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas training center.
Air Security International launched a new product that will help travel and security departments to disperse important information quickly to travelers. The ASI Travel Security Manager automates manual tasks such as maintaining a notification tree, travel advisory services, travel briefings, alerts and client emergency contacts. Developed as a joint venture program between ASI and FlightLock of Austin, Texas, the product can be customized and works with Microsoft Excel. FlightLock has several pending patents for new proprietary technology in the product.
Mesa Air Group selected AAR Aircraft Services based in Oklahoma City, Okla. to perform airframe maintenance on its fleet of Canadair Regional Jet series aircraft. AAR will keep the aircraft up to date with FAA-mandated requirements and perform heavy maintenance services such as C checks, calendar inspections and exterior and interior refurbishment. Mesa Air Group currently operates about 60 CRJ series aircraft for America West Express, US Airways Express, United Express, Midwest Express and Mesa Airlines.
The Royal Thai Air Force ordered an Airbus Corporate Jetliner for the transport of senior government officials. The aircraft will feature four additional center fuel tanks that will increase its range to fly one-stop to Europe and North American from Thailand. It will accommodate up to 30 passengers and luggage. RTAF is Airbus's first customer for the ACJ in the Asia-Pacific region.
Buyers will order nearly 8,000 new business jets over the next decade if overall economic growth continues, Honeywell predicts in its latest Business Aviation Outlook, but the number of new aircraft delivered this year and next is expected to remain flat.
