WITNESSES SAY LEARJET'S APPROACH WAS WAY TOO FAST IN DEL RIO CRASH - The pilot of a Model 25B Learjet cargo flight was killed and the co-pilot seriously injured Sept. 19 when the aircraft ran off the end of a runway in Del Rio, Texas and crashed.
B/E Aerospace expanded the model mix of aircraft for which it can supply pneumatic de-icer products. B/E now offers Ice Shield pneumatic de-icers for the following aircraft types: Beech 1900D; Cessna Citation 501, 525, and 551; Cessna 210, T210, P210 Centurion, T-303 Crusader and 441 Conquest; Jetstream 32; Pilatus PC-12; Piper PA-600, 601, 602 Aerostar; PA-46-310, 350 Malibu/Mirage and PA-42 Cheyenne.
Bombardier Aerospace celebrated part of its heritage Thursday, marking the 75th anniversary of de Havilland Canada, which Bombardier acquired in 1992. Last week's celebration at the company's Toronto facility drew some 3,000 employees, retirees and guests. A dozen aircraft were on display for the anniversary event, including a 1928 DH Gipsy Moth, Tiger Moth, Chipmunk trainer, Beaver bushplane, Turbo Beaver, Turbo Caribou, Twin Otter and a Dash 7 airliner.
FAA TEAMS WITH GA ON ADVANCED TRAINING - Following through on one of its core goals in the agency's new five-year plan, the Federal Aviation Administration is moving forward on an effort to coordinate with industry and academia to develop training standards for advanced small general aviation aircraft. The FAA/Industry Training Standards Program (FITS) is designed to spur new flight training products tailored to the next-generation of general aviation aircraft, as well as emerging avionics, airspace and air traffic technology.
National Aviation Services will merge with DJ Air Services to operate DJ's cargo ground handling facilities at JFK International Airport in New York. DJ/National Aviation Services will maintain three locations at JFK and offer full-service ground handling to all carriers. Sean M. Gonzales, president and CEO of National Aviation Services, will become the chief operating officer of the newly combined company and oversee daily operations.
D'LONG RESURRECTS FAIRCHILD NAME, GEARS UP FOR NEW 728 - The new owner of defunct Fairchild Dornier's 728 regional jet program, D'Long Aerospace, has renamed itself Fairchild Dornier AeroIndustries GmbH. The company is based in Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich at the old Fairchild Dornier headquarters and aims to restart the frozen 728 program in close cooperation with Chinese aerospace companies.
Jet Aviation in Kassel, Germany earned German LBA Design Organization approval for changes and modifications on avionics and instrument and electrical system installations. The approval covers piston and turbine aircraft. Jet Aviation's West Palm Beach facility, meanwhile, won a supplemental type certificate group approval to upgrade a Falcon 10 to meet reduced vertical separation minimum standards as well as install a traffic alert and collision avoidance system and a Sandel 3400 Class B terrain awareness warning system.
Business Aviation Advocates were pleased with progress made at a meeting last week with United Kingdom officials who want to decide how to treat fractionally owned aircraft operating into the U.K. U.S. government officials arranged the meeting in the U.K. to give industry an opportunity to make its case for the importance of fractional and other business aircraft operations to the U.K. economy and beyond. Business aviation officials believe U.K.
Stevens Aviation Dayton won FAA approval to install Honeywell's MK VI Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System (EGPWS) and CAS-67 traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS II) on King Air 200 and B200 aircraft. EGPWS relies on global positioning system and terrain information to provide operators a picture of terrain and obstacles surrounding the aircraft. The TCAS II displays air traffic information and conflict advisories.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-50-AD; Amendment 39-13236; AD 2003-14-17) - requires the installation of protective tape on the fire and overheat control unit located in the flight compartment. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent fluid contamination inside the fire and overheat control unit, which could result in a false fire alarm and consequent emergency landing. FAA estimates that this AD would affect 160 airplanes on the U.S. Registry at a cost of $9,600, or $60 per airplane.
The Aviation Security Advisory Council Wednesday is expected to present a series of recommendations on enhancing security in two areas -- air cargo and general aviation airports. At the request of the Transportation Security Administration, the ASAC last spring formed two working groups to study air cargo and GA airport security (BA, May 5/201).
Lufthansa Technik has teamed with aviation recruitment and training specialist Blakebrook International to create Lufthansa Resource Technical Training (LRTT), which will provide a host of aviation technical training services to firms in Great Britain. LRTT will offer custom-made technical training with a core emphasizing compliance with the requirements of JAR 66, which governs aircraft maintenance through Joint Aviation Authorities member countries.
Gulfstream appointed Darrell Frey as general manager of its service center in Savannah, Ga. In addition, Elizabeth Nelson was promoted to diversity manager at Gulfstream Aerospace and Lisa Saxon promoted to staffing manager.
Raytheon Aircraft opened a new regional sales office in Littleton, Colo. for its Hawker product line. The company tapped Dan Keady to run the office. Keady, who has served with Raytheon Aircraft for eight years in international sales, will oversee Hawker sales in the central western U.S, including Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.
Nearly 25 percent of all business trips by investment bankers are made within 24 hours' notice, and half are within 48 hours, according to a survey by the National Business Travel Association.
Rockwell Collins will partner with Innovative Media Solutions to provide eOffload to Delta Air Lines. The product is an Internet-based service that gathers and displays data on passenger use of broadcast and on-demand audio and video as well as game usage and passenger survey data. The information will be analyzed and used to determine which amenities passengers value most. Delta is the first major carrier to use eOffload.
EUROCOPTER TO SUPPLY EC-135s FOR CZECH POLICE IN $41M DEAL - Eurocopter will supply eight EC-135 helicopters to the Czech police air service in a deal worth $41 million. The Franco-German Eurocopter consortium said Sept. 24 that the first of the helicopters should be delivered before the end of this year and the order should be completed by 2008.
ATHENS TO USE BIOMETRIC ACCESS CONTROL - Athens International Airport is to test a biometric access control system designed by Netherlands-based company, Dartagnan biometric solutions. The biometric system, which will be used to control staff access to the airport's Security Operations Center, is based on iris recognition technology. The system should be installed within the next few weeks under an agreement signed Sept. 10 between Dartagnan and Athens Airport.
IRISH GOVERNMENT BUYS MODEL 45 LEARJET - Bombardier Aerospace Wednesday finalized the sale to the Irish government of a Model 45 Learjet, an aircraft that is scheduled for delivery in December in preparation for Ireland's assumption of the European Union (EU) Presidency in January 2004. The eight-passenger business jet will be based at Casement Aerodrome, Baldonnel, near Dublin.
October 7-9 - National Business Aviation Association 56th Annual Meeting and Convention, Orlando, Fla., (202) 783-9000 October 30-November 1 - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Expo 2003, Philadelphia, Pa., (301) 695-2000 November 4-9 - Korea Air Show 2003, Busan Exhibition & Convention Center, Busan, Korea. Visit www.seoulairshow.com. November 16-20 - Aviation Distributors & Manufacturers Association 121st Semi-Annual Meeting, Marriott Marco Beach Resort, Marco Island, Fla., (215) 564-3484
DOT APPOINTS SIX MEMBERS TO MAC BOARD AT FAA - Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta named six new members to FAA's Management Advisory Council (MAC) last week, taking another step to build a team that will help the agency achieve one of its primary objectives of becoming a performance-based organization.
Los Angeles City Officials are trying to get the word out that they take seriously violations of the Stage 2 aircraft non-addition rule at Van Nuys, Calif. Airport. The city is filing a lawsuit against a Santa Monica, Calif.-based charter business for alleged repeated noise violations, the second legal action within a three-month span to clamp down on alleged violators. "This legal action sends a clear message that noise restrictions in place at Van Nuys Airport will be strictly enforced," said Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn.
The First Flight Centennial Celebration organizers plan to move ahead with the Dec. 12-17 event at Kill Devil Hills, N.C. as scheduled, despite the devastation of Hurricane Isabel earlier this month. "Our thoughts are with our neighbors in Dare County. Right now we are focused on clean-up efforts in our communities, parks and taking care of our people," said Lawrence A. Belli, superintendent of the Outer Banks Group for the National Park Service.
Elite Flight Solutions launched charter operations at Sarasota, Fla. International Airport. The company will house up to six aircraft at its Sarasota hangar. Elite Charter is planning to acquire three aircraft for the Sarasota facility. It has access to more than 50 aircraft through its marketing agreements with American Air Network.
