Premier Turbines is offering a new repair service that guarantees the return of parts within 10 working days or less from the date of receipt. "The Bullet Shop," located at Premier Turbines near Neosho, Mo. will provide the quick-return service for component repairs and specialized processes including chrome and nickel plating, SermeTel and Nubelon coating, plasma spray, machining, balancing, air flow and welding.
Galaxy Aviation is opening a commercial airline refueling business at Orlando International Airport (MCO). The company appointed Bill Restituto to head the commercial airline fueling department. Restituto has 42 years of commercial airline operational experience in airline refueling, quality control, airport fuel distribution systems and ground handling operations.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton asked FAA Administrator Jane Garvey, a witness at the House aviation subcommittee hearing on FAA restructuring last week, pointed questions about why business aviation access still is not allowed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
GULFSTREAM EARNINGS FLAT FOR SECOND QUARTER - Pricing pressure derived from new and pre-owned business jet inventory on the market shaped Gulfstream's flat second quarter earnings, parent company General Dynamics reported last week. "Pricing pressure, marginal losses in pre-owned aircraft sales and higher research and development costs are the primary reasons for the lower margins," said Michael Mancuso, chief financial officer for General Dynamics.
REOPENING Washington Reagan National Airport to business aviation flights remains a goal of the federal government, but it won't happen any time soon.That was the message top officials of leading aviation trade associations received Friday afternoon at a meeting hosted by Deputy Transportation Secretary Michael Jackson. Aviation leaders were told that because of security concerns at the highest levels of the government, officials will not be actively working on procedures for reopening DCA to business aviation.
Signature Flight Support, which has been busily swapping fixed-base operator locations with other chains and acquiring other bases outright, added its 44th FBO in the continental U.S. with the purchase of AirKaman's facility at the Jacksonville, Fla. International Airport (JAX). AirKaman was the only FBO on the field, so JAX becomes another airport where Signature is the only fuel provider (BA, July 15/22).
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association filed a petition last week with FAA to allow pilots, who limit themselves to recreational pilot privileges, to use a driver's license as a medical certificate. The petition is a follow-up to AOPA comments on FAA's proposed sport pilot rule.
Nicolas Chabbert was named executive vice president of sales and marketing at Mooney Aerospace Group. He will develop Mooney's three sales centers in Long Beach, Calif., southern Florida and Kerrville, Tex. and build a team of regional sales representatives. Chabbert worked for more than 10 years in general aviation marketing at Socata Aircraft and was most recently the company's senior vice president, sales and marketing.
PILATUS AIRCRAFT Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes (Docket No. 2001-CE-44-AD; Amendment 39-12822; AD 2002-14-22) - requires inspection of the left and right main landing gear assemblies for bolts with a serial number beginning with the letters "AT" and numbers 299 or lower and replacement of each bolt with a bolt that does not have a S/N with both the letters "AT" and a number of 299 or lower. This AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for Switzerland.
SCOPE CLAUSE FORCES EAGLE TO DROP SOME RJs - American Eagle has reached an agreement to drop 14 Embraer ERJ-145s from its fleet because of pilot scope clause restrictions. The RJs eventually will be acquired by Trans States Airlines, an AmericanConnection carrier.
Scott Bradbury was appointed senior consultant at Sinex Aviation Technologies. Bradbury has had a 24-year career in aircraft maintenance program development and customer support for Boeing and Fairchild Dornier. At Boeing, Bradbury worked to reduce maintenance cost on the next-generation 737 aircraft by 15 percent. As member and chair for a number of Air Transport Association of America committees and working groups, Bradbury specializes in maintenance program development.
FAIRCHILD DORNIER WILL ATTEMPT TO SELL 728/928 LICENSE - Bankrupt regional aircraft manufacturer Fairchild Dornier will try to sell a license for others to build the 728/928 regional jets, after efforts to attract a strategic investor have failed. CEO Thomas Brandt said a last chance to save the program would be to sell it to Russia or China for instance, where new regional jet programs are already on the drawing board.
Eclipse Aviation completed its fourth round of private equity funding of $18 million, bringing the company's total funding to date to $238 million. The capital, which was raised from a group of undisclosed private investors, puts the Eclipse 500 program in a comfortable financial situation, said Vern Raburn, Eclipse president and CEO.
A new membership recruitment brochure being distributed by the National Air Transportation Association is ruffling the feathers of officials at some of the other aviation trade groups. In addition to touting its 2,000 member companies as "the backbone of business aviation" and detailing some of the organization's accomplishments and lobbying initiatives, the NATA pamphlet also provides pointed thumbnail descriptions of many of the other GA "alphabet" groups' constituencies and priorities.
Precise Flight, Inc. won an FAA supplemental type certificate for its 2000 series speedbrakes on Beech Bonanza Models A35 through G35 and 35R. Priced at $3,995, "Speedbrakes give the pilot the ability to create instant drag - without major power or speed changes, thus improving overall performance of the aircraft and operational flexibility," said Precise Flight. The company also is working on the certification of Speedbrakes for the rest of the 35 series.
SOCATA Model TBM 700 airplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-15-AD) - proposes to adopt a new AD that would apply to all SOCATA Model TBM 700 airplanes. This proposed AD would require testing the flight control system and adjusting the control roll stop if jamming occurs during the test. This proposed AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for France.
AOPA PETITIONS FOR RELAXED MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SPORT PILOTS - The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association filed a petition last week with FAA to allow pilots who limit themselves to recreational pilot privileges to use a driver's license as a medical certificate. The petition is a follow-up to AOPA comments on FAA's proposed sport pilot rule.
Nicolas Chabbert was named executive vice president of sales and marketing at Mooney Aerospace Group. He will develop Mooney's three sales centers in Long Beach, Calif., southern Florida and Kerrville, Tex. and build a team of regional sales representatives. Chabbert worked for more than 10 years in general aviation marketing at Socata Aircraft and was most recently the company's senior vice president, sales and marketing.
The number of fatal accidents and fatalities resulting from accidents involving the U.S. business jet and turboprop fleet was down sharply in the first half of 2002 compared with the same period a year ago, according to data compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates, Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla.
The House of Representatives approved an amended bill last week to arm airline pilots, making more than 70,000 commercial pilots eligible to voluntarily receive training in the use of firearms and carry them in the cockpit.
Keystone Helicopter was named the primary independent supplier and installer of A++ Conversion kits for the S76A helicopter in agreements signed with Turbomeca Engine Corporation and Sikorsky Aircraft. The Keystone 7 Turbomeca agreement establishes Keystone as the exclusive, worldwide source for Arriel engines in addition to A+ and A++ Conversion Kit sales. Turbomeca will continue to build, support and warranty the engines.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is initiating a project to preserve its history and document its heritage. The university will collect and archive documents, photographs, oral histories, memorabilia and artifacts, dating back to its start as a flight school at Lunken Airport in Cinncinati, Ohio. The school plans to display the historical collection at its campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla. and Prescott, Ariz. For more information, contact Bob Rockett at (386) 226-6026.
July 20 - National Aviation Hall of Fame's 41st Annual Enshrinement Ceremony. Dayton Convention Center, Dayton, Ohio. For more information call (937) 256-0944 or go to www.nationalaviation.org July 23-29 - Experimental Aircraft Association 50th Annual Gathering, AirVenture Oshkosh 2002, Oshkosh, Wis., (920) 235-3007 August 31-September 2 - The Cleveland National Air Show, 1501 North Marginal Road, Burke Lakefront Airport, Cleveland, Ohio. For more information call Kim Dell at (216) 781-0747 or visit www.clevelandairshow.com
