PORT AUTHORITY BLASTS FAA NPRM, VOWS TO KEEP HEAVY JETS OUT OF TETERBORO - The proprietor of New Jersey's Teterboro Airport (TEB) blasted a proposal by FAA that would limit an airport's ability to set limits on the weight of aircraft operating at the facility and said it will continue to aggressively oppose aircraft weighing more than 100,000 pounds from using TEB.
RAYTHEON REMAINS CAUTIOUS ABOUT MARKET DESPITE IMPROVED RESULTS - Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC) reported improved sales, deliveries and income in the second quarter of the year, but company officials said they do not believe the general aviation market has turned around yet and would remain cautious about their future results. RAC posted net sales of $627 million in the second quarter of 2003, up from $377 million in the first quarter and from $526 million in the second quarter of 2002.
GA SHIPMENTS, BILLINGS DROP - General aviation deliveries declined 13.8 percent and billings dropped 32.3 percent in the first six months of the year, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported Friday. GA manufacturers shipped 1,031 aircraft in the first six months and billed $4.05 billion. "The shipment numbers are largely in line with the production schedules our manufacturers announced for the year and they reflect the continued weakness in the economy," said GAMA President and CEO Ed Bolen.
Hunt Aviation Corporation of Gulfport, Miss. is developing a new type of hybrid aircraft that will use wind turbines to generate power. The aircraft is based on patents filed by Robert Hunt, who is now marketing the aircraft to potential customers. Hunt says the aircraft works using a repetitive process that starts with "lighter-than-air lift" produced by helium-filled bags enclosed within the airfoils of a lightweight composite aircraft.
GA GROUPS were encouraged by early reports that the conference agreement contained many of the provisions they sought, including a $100 million relief package for GA businesses that suffered financial losses in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The bill also is expected to contain language transferring foreign student flight training background checks from the Justice Department to the Transportation Security Administration.
Bombardier appointed Christophe Chicandard as sales director for business aircraft in Canada. Based in Montreal, Chicandard will be responsible for sales of the Bombardier Learjet, Bombardier Challenger and Bombardier Global families of aircraft. Chicandard started his aviation career in 1990 in Tokyo, Japan as Far East purchasing manager for Aerospatiale. He was most recently vice president, airline marketing at CIT Aerospace in New York.
Skyway Communications, which specializes in in-flight aircraft communications, reached an agreement with Dallas, Texas-based Airbase Services under which Airbase will negotiate to provide necessary installation and other services for equipment that will implement the SkyWay Communications systems on corporate and commercial aircraft.
Duncan Aviation won a supplemental type certificate to manufacture replacement foam cushions for the cabin chairs in the Cessna Citation X. With the STC, Duncan will be able to make new foam cushions during the reupholstering of the cabin seats and ensures that the seats will comply with FAR 25.562 dynamic certification requirements for the aircraft. The company now will seek STCs to replace cushions on the Citation 525, Citation 560XL, Learjet 45, Falcon 2000 and Gulfstream V.
Jerry Tritt, long-time Dassault Falcon employee, died earlier this month after a prolonged illness. Tritt was chief pilot-technical for Dassault Falcon and most recently was involved in the development of the EASy flight deck. Dassault Falcon said he has had an influence on all Falcon aircraft, from the Falcon 20 to the Falcon 7X. Born in Hamilton, Mo., in 1939, Tritt first began flying lessons at the age of 16 in an Aeronca Champ 7AC. He served in the Navy from 1962 to 1967 supporting the Air Force's Military Airlift Command.
Gulfstream won approval from the FAA and the Civil Aviation Authority in the U.K. to service the Gulfstream V jet at its maintenance facility at London Luton Airport. The facility features GV-specific tools and equipment and nine maintenance technicians, certified to work on GV aircraft. In addition to the GV qualifications, the facility provides service for Gulfstream IV, Gulfstream III and Gulfstream II business jets. CAA approval to perform maintenance on the G200 and G100 aircraft is expected by the end of this year.
Safe Flight Instrument Corp. won a contract from L3 Communications-Integrated Systems to provide its Aircraft Performance Computer for the U.S. Air Force Fleet of RC-135s as part of the Air Force's Avionics Modernization Program. The Aircraft Performance Computer combines AutoPowerR, Safe Flight's automatic throttle system, with runway rotation guidance, takeoff/go-around/wind shear attitude guidance plus center of gravity, weight/balance, and all takeoff and landing flight manual performance calculations.
CONGRESS PUSHES GOVERNMENT TO PAY FOR COMBO FLIGHT RECORDERS - U.S. lawmakers are pushing legislation to require the federal government to pay for installing two combination cockpit voice and flight digital data recorder systems on new commercial aircraft ordered after Jan. 1, 2005.
Raytheon Aircraft Chairman and CEO James Schuster attributed the company's 65-plus percent improvement in sales in part to aggressive pricing, a practice he said is now commonplace in the general aviation market.
Elite Flight Solutions is moving into a new, 10,000-square-foot hangar and office space at Sarasota, Fla., International Airport. The facility, which Elite Flight Solutions CEO Greg Love said "gives us a great home base," can house as many as four jets. Elite Flight Solutions offers charter jet service to more than 5,000 airports nationwide.
ARINC Direct teamed with Shadin Company and AeroMech to provide a reduced vertical separation minimums avionics and certification package for the Cessna Citation 500 series business jet. Aeromech is performing the flight testing and measurements for a group supplemental type certificate (STC) to cover Citation 500/501, 550, S550 and 560 aircraft. Shadin is supplying the instrument hardware, including its new ADC-6000 dual airdata computer, along with avionics support and a five-year warranty.
NEW PIPER UNDER NEW OWNERSHIP, BOUGHT OUT BY AMERICAN CAPITAL - Calling New Piper "an iconic brand name in the general aviation industry," American Capital Strategies finalized a buyout and recapitalization of the Vero Beach, Fla.-based manufacturer, acquiring 94 percent of New Piper's voting equity.
ECLIPSE LANDING GEAR BREAKS DURING FLIGHT TEST - The landing gear on an Eclipse 500 jet failed during a test flight last week. The metal casting on an actuator in the right main landing gear broke and sheared as the aircraft touched down, said Eclipse spokesman Andrew Broom. No one was injured, and the aircraft sustained minimal damage. Broom said "shoddy manufacturing" caused the incident and added that Eclipse already has changed manufacturers for the part. The company will work with Electromech landing gear parts in the production aircraft.
Raytheon Aircraft retained IBM Business Consulting Services to help the Wichita plane-maker reduce inventory costs and increase operating and purchasing efficiencies. Based in Somers, N.Y., the IBM consulting unit will develop recommendations on streamlining supply chain management, including improving organizational processes, planning and forecasts, inventory costs and parts availability. The IBM unit also will man age and upgrade Raytheon Aircraft's SAP system.
FAA, which is contemplating contracting out its Flight Service Stations, will survey general aviation pilots next month to assess which services are most valued. The MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development is conducting the survey for FAA and will compile the results.
Gulfstream appointed Bill Shira as vice president, marketing and sales support. Based at Gulfstream's headquarters in Savannah, Ga., Shira will be responsible for marketing services, event marketing, direct marketing and market research. Those duties will be added to his current ones, including sales engineering and technical marketing, as vice president of sales information. Shira joined Gulfstream in 1982 as an engineering specialist in the development of the Gulfstream GIV and GIV-SP. He will report to Raynor Reavis, senior vice president of marketing and sales.
Aerodynamics Incorporated (ADI), based at Oakland County International Airport in Waterford, Mich., secured an FAA Part 121 certificate and is broadening its corporate shuttle services. ADI is offering services on a range of planes including a 56-seat Boeing 737, 48-seat Fokker 28 and 12-seat Jetstream 41. ADI also recently renovated the lobby of its fixed-base operation to include a revamped lounge area and conference room and a new communications center.
Jeppesen introduced a new service package for Boeing Business Jet operators. The Jeppesen BBJ VIP Plus Program includes volume-based fuel discounts through Jeppesen World Fuel Services, Jeppesen International Trip Planning services, JeppView Flite Deck electronic charting services and Jeppesen standard Airway Manual service. In addition, access to JetPlan, Jeppesen's flight planning tool, and FliteMap Corporate, a PC-based flight planning and moving map application, will be available through the program.
FAA SETS 2020 TIMETABLE FOR TRANSITION TO COCKPIT-BASED NAVIGATION - The Federal Aviation Administration has completed a detailed roadmap for moving commercial operators from ground-based to cockpit-based navigation by 2020, and FAA Administrator Marion Blakey said the agency is fast-tracking the timetable because it benefits airlines without the need for a lot of new equipment.
AEROSPACE TECHNOLOGIES of Australia Pty Ltd. Models N22B and N24A airplanes (Docket No. 2003-CE-04-AD; Amendment 39-13239; AD 2003-14-20) - supersedes AD 82-12-06 that currently requires repetitive visual inspections of all rudder control lever shaft assemblies for cracks and discrepancies, and, if cracks or discrepancies are found, it requires replacement with new or serviceable rudder control shafts, and a check of the fit of all rod end bearings in lever shafts.
