Business Aircraft use jumped 52 percent at Washington Dulles International Airport during the 12 months ending November 2002, the Washington Airports Task Force (WATF) reported. Nearly as many business travelers at Dulles used corporate aircraft as purchased first and business class tickets on the airlines, WATF said. WATF cited decisions of senior executives to "migrate to corporate aircraft to save time" for the jump in corporate travel.
Rolls-Royce delivered its 500th AE 2100D turboprop engine to Lockheed Martin. The engine powers the Lockheed Martin C-130J and Lockheed/Alenia C-27J tactical airlifters. The AE 2100D is a turboprop derivative of the AE 1107 turboshaft engine and was developed for high-speed regional aircraft, military transports and long-range maritime patrol aircraft. The engine is used for aircraft in the U.S. Air Force, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Italian Air Force, U.S. Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Command and the U.S. Marine Corps.
L.A. OKs PURCHASE OF PALMDALE MAINTENANCE FACILITY - The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners approved in concept the purchase of a large aircraft maintenance and modification facility at the Palmdale, Calif. Regional Airport (PMD). The facility, formerly operated as SR Technics America, Inc., was owned by Swiss Air, which declared bankruptcy.
Hooters Air will make its inaugural flight March 6. Hooters Air One, with the "Hootie" owl on its tail, will leave at 3:20 p.m from Atlanta, flying to Myrtle Beach, S.C. The airline's Boeing 737 will feature 112 midsize leather seats. Service from Newark, N.J. is scheduled to start March 20.
Duncan Aviation won a supplemental type certificate for the installation of Honeywell's Mark VII Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System on a Cessna 650. The installation meets FAA's Class A TAWS Mandate.
Stevens Aviation of Greenville, S.C. unveiled its new web site, www.stevensaviation.com, which was redesigned to add an online quote feature for Stevens' avionics, interior, maintenance, modifications and paint services. Users also can access the customer service survey, sign to receive the company newsletter and visit the media center for news and information.
The Air Line Pilots Association criticized part of the TSA's preliminary Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program recommendations, which would require pilots to carry pistols in a lock box when they are out of the cockpit.
European Business Aviation Association and the National Business Aviation Association will hold a two-day Flight Operations Manual Workshop May 10 and 11 in Geneva in conjunction with EBACE 2003. The workshop will provide information on developing a flight operations manual using the International Business Aviation Council International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations. The session will cover safety management systems, standard operating procedures, flight operations, training, administration/organization, maintenance and international operations.
CESSNA, MIAMI EXECUTIVE REACH SPONSORSHIP AGREEMENT WITH PGA - Cessna Aircraft and Miami Executive Aviation signed a sponsorship agreement with the PGA Tour under which they will display a Cessna Citation CJ1 at the 2003 Ford Championship at Doral Country Club in Miami, Fla. The two companies will transport the aircraft through the streets of Miami to the 15th hole of the Doral Blue Monster course for display during the March 3-9 event.
March 13-15 -- The Associao Brasileira de Aviacao Geral (ABAG)/ NBAA Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE2003), Sao Paulo, Brazil, (202) 783-9000 March 16-20 - NBAA 30th Annual International Operators Conference, Colorado Springs, Colo., (202) 783-9000 March 20-22 -- 14th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, (386) 226-7996
TSA RELEASES FINGERPRINTING GUIDANCE FOR PART 135 OPERATORS - The Transportation Security Administration last week released its guidance for how Part 135 operators are to comply with fingerprint-based criminal history record checks (CHRC) required under the Twelve-Five security rule. The lack of guidance has been a stumbling block for operators trying to implement Twelve-Five security programs. TSA last month extended the compliance deadline for the program until April 1 (BA, Feb. 10/62).
Dassault Falcon is on target with April deliveries of the new Falcon 2000EX as the aircraft continues in its final stages of certification. "Our goals for this airplane, to meet or beat the aircraft's original 3,800-nautical-mile performance guarantee and deliver it to our customers on time, are nearing fruition," said John Rosanvallon, president of Dassault Falcon. Aircraft Serial Numbers three, four and five are at the Dassault Falcon Completion Center in Little Rock, Ark.
FlightSafety Boeing Training International, which will be renamed Alteon, chose Atlanta as the site of its new $60 million aviation training center. The 52,000-square-foot facility will house six full flight simulators and train up to 7,000 pilots annually. Operations are expected to begin in January 2004.
The National Air Transportation Association will host a Line Service Supervisor Training Seminar March 13-14 at the New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks, Conn. The seminar will focus on technical and managerial issues including fuel production and distribution, fuel quality, filtration, fuel delivery systems and additives. Attendance at the seminar and completion of the FAA Verification Form satisfy the requirements of FAR Part 139.321 for fire safety training. For more information, call NATA at (703) 845-9000.
Southwest Jet Aviation, Scottsdale, Ariz., added two aircraft to its charter fleet, bringing its total to 16. A 1999 Raytheon Hawker 800 XP is based in Phoenix, Ariz., and a 1996 Bombardier Learjet 60 is based in Santa Fe, N.M. The company has added about four aircraft every year since new management took over in 1999.
Gulfstream Aerospace has built a backlog of 36 orders for its Enhanced Vision System and has asked component manufacturers to boost production to meet demand. "This enhanced safety feature is generating a lot of interest," said Bill Boisture, president of Gulfstream.
Northrop Grumman Corp. said Ronald D. Sugar, 54, the company's president and chief operating officer, will take over as chief executive officer April 1, succeeding Kent Kresa, Northrop Grumman's chairman and CEO. Kresa plans to retire after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 65. He will continue as non-employee chairman until Oct. 1. Sugar is a 35-year veteran of the defense industry who joined Northrop Grumman after its acquisition of Litton Industries.
PRIVATE ATC COULD JEOPARDIZE SAFETY, SKYROCKET COSTS, STUDY SAYS - Privatizing the nation's air traffic control functions could jeopardize safety and security, result in skyrocketing user costs, and force the government into massive financial bailouts, according to a new study commissioned by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. The study, Pitfalls of Air Traffic Control Privatization, looks at privatization efforts abroad and researches the possibility of privatizing the U.S. system.
Jet Aviation Geneva, tapped in 2001 as an authorized warranty repair facility and service center for the Boeing Business Jet, has completed work on 13 BBJs and one BBJ 2 since. The facility provides a range of BBJ maintenance and warranty services, including scheduled and unscheduled inspections, service bulletins, avionics upgrades and modifications, structural work, on-wing engine work and AOG support. Jet Aviation expanded its hangar space to more than 54,000 square feet to accommodate up to three BBJs simultaneously.
CAE and The Emirates Group last week officially opened a training center that is the first phase of a new aviation college planned in Dubai. The Emirates-CAE Flight Training facility, based in the Dubai Airport Free Trade Zone, will train both airline pilots and corporate operators. The 14-bay center initially will house six full flight simulators providing Airbus A319/A320/A321, A330/340, Boeing 737 NG/BBJ, Gulfstream IV and GV training. Emirates and CAE will jointly operate the center under a 10-year agreement.
ADAM AIRCRAFT ADDS SECOND PLANE TO FLIGHT TEST PROGRAM - Adam Aircraft conducted a successful first flight Feb. 13 of its second A500 twin-engine aircraft (BA, Feb. 10/59). The company said S/N 002 was aloft for 35 minutes and reached an altitude of 13,000 feet. Both S/N 001, which made its first flight July 11, 2002 and has logged more than 122 flight hours since, and S/N 002 were built on production tooling.
Computer Science Corp. said shareholders of DynCorp are scheduled to vote March 7 on CSC's proposed acquisition of DynCorp, a transaction valued at approximately $950 million. DynCorp, with annual revenues of $2.3 billion and 23,000 employees at 550 locations worldwide, is one of the largest employee-owned technology and outsourcing firms based in the U.S. CSC said that upon completion of the acquisition, CSC will derive approximately $6 billion in annual revenue from the federal government and have nearly 30,000 people working on U.S. government programs.
March 13-15 -- The Associao Brasileira de Aviacao Geral (ABAG)/ NBAA Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (LABACE2003), Sao Paulo, Brazil, (202) 783-9000 March 16-20 - NBAA 30th Annual International Operators Conference, Colorado Springs, Colo., (202) 783-9000 March 20-22 -- 14th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, (386) 226-7996
CMC Electronics delivered its 1,500th high-gain satellite communications (Satcom) antenna system, the CMA-2102, to Lufthansa late last month. CMC has secured orders for the Satcom from more than 65 airlines, several corporate-VIP operators, and military operators.
