DAVID RUSHTON has joined FlightSafety International as commercial marketing manager, visual simulation systems. Rushton has more than 25 years of visual systems experience within the flight simulator industry. He will expand FlightSafety’s commercial simulation business. He previously served as vice president, business development for VDC, and has also served with Evans & Sutherland, Hughes Rediffusion Simulation and Rockwell Collins.
Dallas Airmotive has restructured its U.S. sales organization to better align its sales personnel with customer base locations. Under the reorganization, Jim Blasingame was named senior sales director in charge of major accounts, OEM relationships and sales support. Blasingame formerly handled sales for Rolls-Royce engine services and company fleet accounts. Jeff Turner, previously sales director for Pratt & Whitney Canada programs, was appointed territorial director for the Western U.S.
A government/industry working group is hoping to finalize a series of recommendations in the next few months that detail a new approach to certification that regulators and industry leaders alike believe will bring safety products to the general aviation market faster and at half the cost.
EADS CASA Model CN-235,CN-235-100, CN-235-200, and CN-235-300 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-1102; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-062-AD; Amendment 39-17333; AD 2013-02-12] – requires a one-time inspection to identify the correct polarity for each pair of electrical connectors on each engine fire extinguisher cartridge, and repair if necessary. This AD was prompted by reports of incorrect electrical polarity connections on engine fire extinguishing discharge cartridges.
Bombardier added an authorized service facility in Nigeria. ExecuJet Nigeria, based in Lagos, was appointed a line maintenance facility for Bombardier Challenger 300, Challenger 604, Challenger 605, Global 5000, Global 6000, Global Express and Global Express XRS business jets. The facility expands Bombardier’s service capabilities in Africa, joining ExecuJet’s center in Lanseria, South Africa. The Nigeria facility, based at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, includes a more than 50,000-sq.-ft. maintenance hangar and nearly 275,000 ft. of apron.
DAVID GEE was appointed vice president of engineering for Blackhawk Modifications. Gee has more than 40 years of engineering, certification and management experience. He has held engineering and leadership roles with Hawker Beechcraft, Raisbeck Engineering, Piper Aircraft and Fairchild Aircraft.
Piper Aircraft named B&C Piper Sales as its sales agent for Italy. Based at Thiene Airport (LIDH) near Venice, B&C Piper Sales is a part of B&C Srl. Unipersonale, which Piper says is well known in Italian business circles.
BELL Model 204B, 205A, 205A-1, 205B and 212 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2011-1188; Directorate Identifier 2008-SW-46-AD; Amendment 39-17171; AD 2012-17-08] – supersedes four ADs related to the main rotor yoke on the affected helicopters, and retains certain inspections and certain life limits, requires an increased inspection frequency for certain yokes, and expands these inspections and retirement lives to other yokes.
FAA’s proposed policy to extend the applicability of certain Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements to aircraft operators carrying cabin crewmembers is raising concerns from business aviation advocates that it could cause confusion and hamper business aircraft operations. FAA released the proposed policy Dec. 7 at the direction of Congress, saying it would establish a memorandum of understanding with OSHA to identify the areas where OSHA standards would apply.
FlightSafety International received FAA and Transport Canada Level D qualification for its first Pilatus PC-12NG aircraft simulator. The simulator is based at its Dallas training center. FlightSafety also plans to build a Level D-qualified simulator for Pilatus PC-12-47 (Series 10) aircraft. That simulator, which also will be based in Dallas, is scheduled to enter service early next year. FlightSafety provides both PC-12 and PC-12NG training for pilots, maintenance technicians and others who operate and support the aircraft.
Two years ago, Boeing, Cessna and Gulfstream were the leading edge for introducing lithium-ion main-ship batteries into new aircraft in the civil aviation market. But by late 2011, evidence had emerged that the technology was not yet mature, spurring business aircraft makers Gulfstream and Cessna to return to more traditional, lower-performance and heavier batteries for the G650 and CJ4, respectively.
The FAA is defining noise regulations in readiness for the introduction of civilian tiltrotor aircraft. While the first civilian tiltrotor, the AgustaWestland AW609, is not expected to be certified until the end of 2016, the FAA’s rules aim to establish noise limits for the new aircraft type and harmonize U.S. rules in line with those of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
The European market remains slow for the business jet industry, but Nextant is viewing the region as a major opportunity of growth for its Nextant 400XT remanufactured light jet. Newly hired Nextant President Sean McGeough is spending the first few weeks on the job demonstrating the aircraft to flying clubs and other potential customers in Europe. From there, he heads to other regions, including the Middle East, as he opens his Rolodex to expand Nextant’s base in international markets.
DAVID HASLETT was named chief operating officer of Avantair. Haslett will oversee day-to-day performance of the company and focus on key financial and performance metrics. He most recently served as managing director of Sportech Racing and also has been managing director of the Horserace Totalisator Board in the U.K.
JARED FOX has been named director of business development for TWC Aviation’s Private Jet Charter Services group. Fox has more than two decades of both business aviation and commercial aviation experience. He has served as vice president of charter sales at Corporate Jets, held flight director and sales positions at a large charter brokerage firm, managed airports in the Los Angeles area, worked for fixed-base operations in California and Florida and was an operations supervisor with Delta Airlines.
Duncan Aviation saw a notable uptick in its parts consignment program last year, increasing the number of cosigners by nearly 30% and selling nearly $1.07 million in consignment parts and rotables to fixed-base operators and flight departments. The program provides a venue for operators to sell excess new parts or reduce their surplus inventories. Duncan Aviation sorts and warehouses the parts until they are sold, but the consigner retains title to their inventory. It provides access to a larger onsite inventory for sale.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court Feb. 1 confirmed Hawker Beechcraft’s joint plan for reorganization Feb. 1 after the company filed an amendment to the plan to address court concerns. Court confirmation is the last major step necessary to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
BELL Model 206L, 206L-1, 206L-3, and 206L-4 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2013-0022; Directorate Identifier 2012-SW-004-AD; Amendment 39-17322; AD 2013-02-01] – requires inspecting certain hydraulic servo actuator assemblies for a loose nut, shaft, and clevis assembly, modifying or replacing the servo as necessary, and reidentifying the servo. This AD is prompted by an investigation after an accident and the determination that there was a loose connection due to improper lock washer installation.
Gulfstream, planning a double-digit ramp up in deliveries in 2013, expects to take a year to iron out a “disequilibrium” between initial production and completion G650 work in part caused by the lengthy certification process, says Phebe Novakovic, the new chairman and CEO of Gulfstream parent General Dynamics.
Business aircraft flight activity continues to put a damper on any significant market rebound, remaining relatively flat overall in 2012, according to statistics from industry market analyst and safety expert Argus. Argus, which tracks business aircraft operations in the U.S. and Canada through its TRAQPak data, found that flight activity was up just 0.3% over 2011. Small business jet activity was up slightly, 1%, for the year, marking the strongest performance of any aircraft category. Turboprop activity also improved 0.7% in 2012.
BELL Model 204B, 205A, 205A-1, 205B, and 212 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2011-1188; Directorate Identifier 2008-SW-46-AD; Amendment 39-17171; AD 2012-17-08] – supersedes an AD requiring inspections and life limits on the main rotor yoke. This AD increases the inspection frequency for certain yokes and expands the inspections and retirement lives to other yokes. This AD is prompted by past reports of cracks in the yoke, another recent report of a cracked yoke, and the decision that other yokes need to be subject to the same inspection requirements and retirement lives.
