Cessna Aircraft is offering its CESCOM computerized maintenance service online for Citation operators. Cessna has provided the maintenance information system for more than 30 years and estimates that nearly 90 percent of Cessna Citation customers subscribe. CESCOM Online allows customers to access their maintenance records in real time. Cessna will provide access to the online system to CESCOM customers at no additional charge. For more information, visit Cessna's support site at www.support.cessna.com.
Greeley-Weld County, Colo. Airport Authority completed its airport expansion project that began in 1997 with the opening of Taxiway C5 late last month. The taxiway serves the north end of the airport's new 10,000-foot runway, which is equipped for precision instrument landings. The airport authority said the runway can handle "any aircraft in the world's business aviation fleet."
FlightSafety International's Teterboro Learning Center received FAA approval for its flight attendant training programs. The center will provide Part 91 and Part 135 cabin emergency training to flight attendants, pilots, maintenance technicians and frequent flyers. FlightSafety will offer a five-day flight attendant initial course and recurrent courses this year.
U.S. INDUSTRY TAKES ITS CASE TO U.K FOR PRIVATE FRACTIONAL OPERATIONS - U.S. government officials do not expect the United Kingdom to change its view that fractional aircraft operations are commercial, but they hope that a small group of business aviation industry leaders can persuade the British not to take enforcement action against U.S. fractional operations that meet the requirements of Part 91 Subpart K, a senior government official said. The industry group, which is meeting with the U.K. regulators Tuesday, Sept. 23 (BA, Sept.
CAE won contracts valued at $25 million (Canadian) to provide simulator training to operators at its centers in Amsterdam and Maastricht, The Netherlands, Brussels, Belgium, and Madrid, Spain. Germania Express and Netherlands-based Martinair were among operators signing agreements for training in Amsterdam. CAE also signed contracts with Transafrik and Ariana Afghan Airlines for training pilots in Brussels. Five more customers awarded CAE contracts for training in Madrid and Maastricht.
DOW is withdrawing its four-cent-per-pound temporary voluntary allowance (TVA) on all grades of propylene glycols, which are found in aircraft deicers along with many other industrial, pharmaceutical and other products. Dow instituted the TVA, which provided short-term price relief, in April after it increased prices on its propylene glycols. The discontinuation of the TVA takes effect Oct. 1. Dow said the measure was necessary because supply is expected to continue to tighten as demand increases with the winter months ahead.
National Business Aviation Association is planning a series of seminars as part of an overall education effort on the new Part 91 Subpart K regulating fractional ownership. NBAA initially is planning four one-day workshops throughout the country beginning in December. The workshops will be separate from the daylong session planned Oct. 10 after the association's annual meeting and convention in Orlando, Fla. That session is designed as a fractional ownership primer for those interested in getting into the market niche.
ITALIAN GOVERNMENT TAKES 20 PERCENT STAKE IN PIAGGIO - The Italian government provided a 20 million euro ($22.4 million) cash infusion into Piaggio Aero Industries and in return got a 20 percent stake in the Italian plane-maker. Sviluppo Italia, the Italian government's industrial investment organization, cited the company's "strong record of international growth" in its decision to make the investment, Piaggio executives said.
Banyan Air Service, based at Fort Lauderdale's Executive Airport, teamed with DeCrane Cabin Interiors to provide interior refurbishment in the South Florida region. Based in Tucson, Ariz., DeCrane is leasing hangar space at Banyan's property and using the maintenance facility's FAA authorized service center status to provide interior services. Banyan will quote and invoice projects as well as manage, inspect and approve all modifications and refurbishments. Banyan also will handle inspections, certifications, supplemental type certificates and returns to service.
AOPA Air Safety Foundation's free online Skyspotter course signed on its 10,000th student. The course teaches pilots how to file pilot weather reports, or pireps. "Preflight briefers do an excellent job of telling pilots about forecast weather conditions along their route of flight," said ASF Executive Director Bruce Landsberg. "But the only way to know what's really going on is to get a first-hand report from someone who's already up there. With more pireps, weather decision-making becomes much easier."
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) introduced a stopgap plan for FAA reauthorization last week as the expiration date for the current authorization bill draws nearer without approval of a new package (BA, Sept. 15/111). The Temporary Federal Aviation Administration Act of 2003 would reauthorize FAA and key programs such as the Airport Improvement Program through March 31, 2004 while Congress hashes out differences in the conference report of the multi-year reauthorization bill.
ECLIPSE VALIDATES LOW-SPEED AIRCRAFT HANDLING - Eclipse Aviation validated key design parameters for its Eclipse 500 jet using data accumulated from the company's single flying prototype that is powered by substitute Teledyne engines. Eclipse moved forward with the flight program using Teledyne 382-10E low-bypass engines after the company dropped the EJ22 Williams turbofans and selected Pratt & Whitney PW610Fs in their place. The PW610F, however, is still in development, prompting Eclipse to substitute the Teledyne engines in the interim (BA, Aug. 11/58).
Banyan Air Service at Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport (FXE) designed and manufactured 10 multi-function workstations for installation on King Air aircraft. The workstation includes a custom cabin divider that holds a fold-down desk, a flip-out 15-inch monitor, laptop connections and avionics wiring. Banyan directly installed two of the workstations into aircraft, and the rest were delivered to the customer, an unspecified government agency. The company also upgraded avionics in 12 other King Airs for the same customer.
New Piper Aircraft received an order for 13 aircraft from Farmingdale State University in New York. New Piper's authorized dealer in Groton, Conn., Columbia Aircraft Sales, sold the aircraft. The aircraft ordered - two Piper Arrows, one Seminole and 10 Warriors - are slated for delivery through the end of the year.
CPI Aerostructures signed a new three-year, $5 million revolving credit facility with JPMorgan Chase Bank. The company said it would use the new credit for "ongoing working capital requirements and general corporate purposes." CPI had about $3 million in cash and $15 million of working capital as of June 30, but the new credit line will give the company "added financial flexibility to execute our strategy of pursuing and completing larger multi-year contracts in the military marketplace," said Edward J. Fred, CPI CEO and president.
The business aviation community expressed relief at FAA's finally establishing regulations tailored to fractional aircraft operations but was concerned about measures that essentially extend air charter-style flight and duty time requirements for the first time to fractional operators and limit the number of airports those operators can use. FAA published the final rule establishing the regulations in Wednesday's Federal Register, creating a new Subpart K of Part 91 (BA, Sept. 15/109).
Aviation Points Exchange (APEX) added Stuart Jet Center to its network. Located at Witham Field (SUA) in Stuart, Fla., the 53-acre fixed-base operator has 250,000 square feet of hangar space and an additional 36,000-square-foot hangar facility with office space. Stuart Jet Center, an ExxonMobil dealer, can accommodate aircraft as large as the Gulfstream V.
LAWYER, NATA LEADER FRANK KINGSTON SMITH DIES - Frank Kingston Smith, 84, an aviation enthusiast, lawyer, author and trade association executive, died Sept. 3. Smith, who suffered from dementia, had been in declining health for some time.
NEW RUNWAY, TERMINAL OPENED TO SERVE MISSISSIPPI GAMBLING SPOT - Tunica Airport, which serves a major Mississippi casino destination, opened a new runway and passenger terminal this month to increase access for corporate and regional jets.
The House by a 381-39 vote Tuesday agreed to an $10.5 billion budget for the Federal Aviation Administration in fiscal 2004, but expressed concern about escalating costs at a time when revenues in the Airport and Airway Trust Fund (AATF) are rapidly shrinking. The fiscal 2004 Transportation, Treasury, and Independent Agencies bill took FAA to task for its budget growth, citing the increase in controller costs in particular.
National Business Aviation Association is expected to announce the addition of another lawyer with strong airline ties at the top of its organizational structure this week. Sources say Robert P. Warren, the former senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary of the Air Transport Association, will be named executive vice president and chief operating officer at NBAA.
