Bell Helicopter obtained its 17th international approval of a 500-lb. weight increase for the Bell 429. The Indonesian Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the latest aviation authority to approve the increase, which boosts the helicopter’s maximum gross weight to 7,500 lb. The approval validates the original Transport Canada OK. The hike provides operators increased payload, giving them the option of either carrying more fuel for increased range or carrying more passengers and equipment for specific mission requirements.
While business aviation is still in its infancy in China, a key regional lender is beginning to see the market evolve. ICBC Financial Leasing has approached business jet leasing not as a form of equipment financing, but rather as part of its service to its wealthiest clients. Those clients have opted for the largest, long-range models.
BELL Model 412 and 412EP helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-1016; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-009-AD; Amendment 39-17386; AD 2013-05-14] – requires establishing a lower life limit on certain swashplate outer ring assemblies, revising the retirement life on the components’ history card or equivalent record, and revising the maintenance manual or Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA). This AD also prohibits installing these outer rings on any helicopter. This AD was prompted by reports of cracking in the outer rings.
The aviation community is calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to shelve its newest plan to phase out use of 121.5 MH emergency locator transmitters (ELT), saying the proposed rulemaking is misleading, has a hidden agenda, demonstrates a lack of knowledge of aviation safety and overreaches into FAA’s regulatory authority. FCC earlier this year released a proposal considering “whether to prohibit the certification, manufacture, importation, sale or use of 121.5 MHz ELTs, and, if so, under what timetable.”
The FAA, facing a growing number of legal challenges, is putting off the planned closure date for up to 149 contract air traffic control towers until June 15. The agency had planned to end federal funding for the towers in three phases over the next month as it seeks to shave $637 million from the remainder of its fiscal 2013 budget, as required by sequestration. The first group of towers was set to close April 7. The FAA, however, is now scrapping the phased approach and plans to end funding for all 149 towers on June 15.
Pilatus Aircraft ended 2012 with its lowest sales total in at least five years, but a series of contracts for its military, trainer and special mission aircraft propelled the company to its strongest year ever in order intake and positions the Swiss airframer for growth.
April 16–18—Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE2013), Shanghai, China, (703) 783-9000, www.abace.aero April 16-18—Aviation Week MRO Americas 2013 Conference & Exhibition, George World Congress Center, Atlanta, www.aviationweek.com/events April 22-23—National Air Transportation Association Aviation Business and Legislative Conference, Renaissance Capital View, Arlington, Va., 703-845-9000, www.nata.aero April 29-30—Aircraft Electronics Association Regional Meeting, Munich, Germany, www.aea.net/events.asp
The FAA, facing a growing number of legal challenges, is putting off the planned closure date for up to 149 contract air traffic control towers until June 15. The agency had planned to end federal funding for the towers in three phases over the next month as it seeks to shave $637 million from the remainder of its fiscal 2013 budget, as required by sequestration. The first group of towers was set to close April 7. The FAA, however, is now scrapping the phased approach and plans to end funding for all 149 towers on June 15.
With the signing of the U.K. government’s search-and-rescue (SAR) helicopter deal on March 26, Bristow is set to become the launch customer of the AgustaWestland AW189 medium helicopter.
Whether and where to build a new plant is one of the issues that Cessna, Avic and the Chengdu city government are negotiating as they work toward agreeing on assembly of the U.S. company’s Citation Sovereign business jet in China. The first Citation Sovereign delivery in China may not take place by year’s end, as originally planned, says a person involved in the complex talks, which also include the Civil Aviation Administration of China and the FAA.
The Friends of the Earth (FOE) is evaluating its next steps after a district court dismissed its lawsuit to compel the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue a finding that lead emissions from general aviation may endanger public health. Despite the ruling, the environmentalist group says it plans to continue to put pressure on EPA until it takes action.
Jet Aviation has expanded its support offerings to help operators comply with the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) requirements. These services include assistance with opening a Union Registry Account for emission allowances. Affected operators must submit allowances by April 30. EU is penalizing operators 100 euros ($130) per ton of C02 emissions that are in excess of the allowances set aside. “Opening a Union Registry Account is a long and complex procedure,” says Matthias Gruber, manager EU ETS Services.
AGUSTA Model A109, A109A, A109A II, A109C, A109K2, A109E, A109S, and A119 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2011-1453; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-46-AD; Amendment 39-17394; AD 2013-05-22] – requires inspecting the link assembly for freedom of movement of the links and, if a rotation resistance or binding occurred, either replacing it with an airworthy link assembly with a “T’’ marked after the serial number, or inspecting it for the torsion value force of the ball bearing before further flight.
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) and National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) are hoping to convince the IRS to put a hold on audits of aircraft management companies until the agency can develop better guidance on the application of the commercial federal excise tax (FET).
Cessna Aircraft is kicking off a 19-city tour with a mock-up of its new Citation Latitude as the company stays on pace for first flight in early 2014. Cessna, which announced the midsized aircraft in October 2011, expects to complete full airframes this year. “We’ve started building engineering test articles,” says Terry Shriner, business leader for the Citation Latitude. “We’ve moved from engineering, analysis and modeling to cutting metal and driving rivets.” The company is using production tooling to build the experimental airframes.
Asset Insight, Inc. has increased its Asset Grading System Process (AGSP) program to encompass more than 65 aircraft. The program appraises aircraft based on a variety of factors to help buyers, sellers, and financial services companies to accurately evaluate projected maintenance costs of an aircraft. The AGSP covers a range of heavy, medium, and light jets, as well as many turboprops and helicopters.
Sheltair has become the Air Charter Safety Foundation’s newest member, increasing overall membership to more than 100. Sheltair operates 15 fixed-base operations throughout Florida, Georgia and New York.
PILATUS PC-12, PC-12/45 and PC-12/47 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0070; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-098-AD; Amendment 39-17398; AD 2008-07-11 R1] – rescind an AD that mandated new life limits and shortened time-between-overhaul for the pitch trim actuator and pitch trim actuator parts. The AD stemmed from results of full-scale fatigue testing of the pitch trim actuator. The results showed that without the new limitations, the pitch trim actuator and the pitch trim actuator components could fail. This failure could lead to an unsafe flying configuration.
Signature Flight Support has added a sixth TechnicAir maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) location with the acquisition of Sun Aircraft Services at Washington Dulles International Airport. Signature officially opened its newest MRO base with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 3. Sun Aircraft, a longtime MRO provider at Dulles, formerly had been a Signature tenant. Signature combined the Sun Aircraft hangar with its own facility to have a repair station encompassing 40,000 sq. ft.
More than 220 House members are stating their opposition to a possible $100-per-flight user fee in a letter sent to President Obama April 5. The letter, which comes just days before the administration is set to unveil its fiscal 2014 budget request, reminds the president that user fees have been proposed in his last two budgets, along with former administrations, and “Congress has repeatedly and overwhelmingly rejected them.” The members urge Obama to “abandon this idea once and for all,” calling user fees the wrong approach.
JOSEPH DOUBLEDAY was appointed director of maintenance for StarPort. Doubleday will oversee the day-to-day operations of the aircraft maintenance business, including avionics overhaul and repair refurbishment and paint. He formerly had a 27-year career with the FAA, most recently as manager of the Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Group at the FAA facility in Oklahoma City.
Gearbox tests on the EC225 helicopter have recreated the fault that engineers believe forced the ditchings of two of the aircraft into the North Sea last year, Eurocopter says. In an April 3 statement, Eurocopter said engineers have been carrying out a third round of testing on the main gearbox of the EC225. They reported to operators that they not only reproduced the scenario which caused the cracking in the bevel gear vertical shaft – part of the aircraft’s main gearbox (MGB) – on the test bench, but also believe they have found the “most probable cause.”
Embraer Executive Jets delivered the first customer-bound Phenom 300 produced at the company’s facility in Melbourne, Fla. The aircraft went to an undisclosed customer in the U.S. who will use it for his business network. The first 300 off the assembly line in Melbourne was placed in Embraer’s flight department and is being used as a demonstrator. The delivery demonstrates the “maturity of our assembly facilities in Melbourne.
Bombardier has teamed with the Rodeo Drive Committee and the City of Beverly Hills to participate in the famed street’s annual Father’s Day festivities. The city and Rodeo Drive Committee has selected “The Jet Age” as the theme and will honor Learjet’s 50th anniversary. Bombardier’s fractional ownership operation Flexjet will display a full-scale mock-up of a Learjet 85 at the Rodeo Drive Concours d’Elegance.
MICAH EDMOND was named assistant vice president of industrial base policy for the Aerospace Industries Association. Edmond has more than 15 years of experience in senior advisory positions with the Department of Defense, on Capitol Hill and in the private sector. Most recently, Edmond founded and managed Edmond & Co., a consulting services firm that helped advise the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction and the Simpson-Bowles Deficit Reduction Commission.
