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.
Truman Arnold Companies Founder and Chairman Truman Arnold announced the appointment of his son, Greg Arnold, as president and chief execautive officer of the petroleum company. The younger Arnold has been serving as CEO of TAC's fixed-base operation chain, TAC Air. "Greg has committed his entire career to perpetuating the sacred values of our organization," said Truman Arnold.
FAA REAUTHORIZATION ON HOLD IN CONGRESS AS PRIVATIZATION DEBATE RAGES ON - The clock is ticking down on AIR-21, which expires at the end of the month, as the new FAA reauthorization bill is stuck in a holding pattern in Congress while House and Senate leaders struggle to secure enough votes to ensure its passage into law. The holdup, mainly due to a hot partisan debate over air traffic control privatization language in the bill, is causing much worry in the industry as well as at FAA and the Department of Transportation.
Rockwell Collins is upgrading Airshow Network customers with the latest version of P4 software, which improves connectivity with the news and information services and as well as adds support for AirCell's on-board telephone system. The upgrade is available for new installation as well as retrofit.
The Transportation Security Administration has begun conducting security inspections of Part 135 operators who hold approved Twelve-Five Standard Security Programs (TFSSP). The agency notified the National Air Transportation Association of its plans to conduct the inspections, saying the checks are intended to ensure compliance and to "correct minor deficiencies." TSA will look at training programs and criminal history record checks, among other areas. The agency said it would schedule the initial TFSSP inspection, but subsequent inspections would be unannounced.
FlightSafety International won FAA approval for its new Gulfstream G550 ultra-long-range business aircraft full flight simulator at its Savannah, Ga. learning center. The simulator includes an enhanced vision system presented through a head-up display like the actual flight deck of the G550.
Million Air Toronto opened a new 38,600-square-foot hangar at Toronto's Buttonville Municipal Airport. The new $3.5 million (Canadian) hangar includes two 17,000-square-foot bays that are large enough to accommodate aircraft the size of a Falcon 900 or Saab 340. Million Air is renting out half of the hangar to Flight Exec, an aircraft charter and management company that is relocating from Toronto City Centre Airport to Buttonville.
MEXICO'S FOX BOOSTS AEROSPACE INVESTMENT IN MONTERREY - Mexican President Vicente Fox's plan to boost support for the manufacture of aerospace products will concentrate development in and around the Mexican city of Monterrey and encourage a more aggressive approach to investments.
