EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model SA.315B Alouette III, SE.3160 Alouette III, SA.316B Alouette III, SA.316C Alouette III, SA.319B Alouette III, SA 3180-Alouette ASTAZOU, SA 318B-Alouette Astazou, and SA 318 C-Alouette Astazou helicopters. [Docket No. FAA-2012-0339; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-051-AD; Amendment 39-17259; AD 2012-23-03] – requires inspecting the cage of the free-wheel assembly for the correct alignment of the roller drive pocket recesses and replacing the free-wheel cage with an airworthy free-wheel cage if a defect exists.
Samuel Hill, a recent Honda Aircraft executive who founded Embraer’s corporate aircraft division, is taking over as CEO of Sandpoint, Idaho-based Quest Aircraft. The CEO role has been vacant at Quest since Paul Schaller transitioned out of the position in June 2011. Schaller, who had served as CEO with the company since late 2004, remained as a consultant through the end of 2011.
Transport Canada (TC) has ordered Bombardier Challenger operators to replace pitot tube drain bottles after the manufacturer pegged the parts as contributors to erroneous airspeed readings reported by operators. TC explains that it has received “a number of reports” of mismatched airspeed values on pilot and co-pilot airspeed indicators. The incidents happened either during or right after heavy rain. TC traced the problem to water blocking the pitot tube instead of flowing into the system’s drain bottles.
The U.S. Transportation Department is working with its counterparts in several Asia-Pacific countries to create a regulatory framework for business aviation, says Robert Letteney, deputy assistant secretary of transportation for aviation and international affairs. In most countries in the region, business aviation is regulated in the same way as scheduled commercial airlines, which means “business aircraft simply can’t fly when and where they want.” Vietnam is working with the U.S.
In a move that competes head on with growing San Francisco-based operator Xojet, Flexjet is rolling out a new Coastal Connect program that will provide special rates for travel between the East and West Coasts using Bombardier Challenger 300 aircraft. Jet Solutions will operate the flights that will be offered through the Flexjet 25 card. Xojet offers a similar coast-to-coast program, using flat rate pricing and operating Challenger 300 and Cessna Citation X aircraft.
Hawthorne Aviation Global Services in Islip, N.Y. was selected as a Honeywell avionics dealer. Under the recognition, the facility, located at Long Island MacArthur Airport, will install, sell and service a range of Honeywell avionics. Its first work includes the installation of a Honeywell AIS-2000 satellite TV system on a Gulfstream GV.
Hourly cost maintenance program specialist Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI) is reorganizing its leadership, naming Louis Seno as chairman emeritus and special advisor to the board of directors. Neil Book remains president, but will take over Seno’s role as CEO. Robert Book assume Seno’s other duties as chairman of the board of directors. Meanwhile, Bryan Moss and Joe DaGrosa both will serve as vice chairmen, and Susan Marr continues as a board member, general counsel and chief administrative officer.
Signature Flight Support added another fixed-base operation to its Signature Select program, which participates in Signature customer loyalty programs and receives Signature marketing and other support. The newest addition is Jet Air Group of Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay, Wis.
With less than a month to go before the budget penalty known as sequestration could kick in, the Obama administration has dropped another edict on the table: everyone start planning now. Administration officials maintain that the goal is unchanged, and sequestration should be avoided. But in the absence of an agreement, it has released a directive to start detailed planning. How sequestration would affect FAA and its programs remains unclear, except that it could mean $1 billion in cuts. Whether it will be avoided is equally unclear.
SIKROSKY Model S-70, S-70A, S-70C, S-70C(M) and S-70C(M1) helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-1182; Directorate Identifier 2012-SW-062-AD; Amendment 39-17251; AD 2012-22-14] – supersedes an emergency AD for helicopters with a certain part-numbered intermediate gearbox (IGB). The existing AD requires a one-time inspection of the internal oil passages of the IGB for an obstruction. That AD was prompted by an accident that resulted from blockage of oil in the IGB by a plug that was inadvertently left in the IGB during the coating of the IGB housing.
SUNSHINE MCCARTHY joined Baldwin Aviation as director of training. McCarthy will be responsible for developing the product line, industry workshops and training events. She formerly served as vice president, facilitator and strategies for ServiceElements of Scottsdale, Ariz., and before that was vice president of commercial aviation for MedAire. She is also a former member of the National Business Aviation Association Schedulers & Dispatchers committee.
Embraer last week delivered its 200th Legacy, a Legacy 650 that was handed over to China’s Minsheng Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. (MSFL) in a ceremony held at the Brazilian manufacturer’s headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The 650 is one of 13 that MSFL ordered in October 2011, and will be used by an unnamed Chinese customer. MSFL, one of the largest financial institutions providing executive jet leasing services in China, also has ordered three Lineage 1000 aircraft.
RICK JANUSZEWSKI was appointed King Air technical sales manager for West Star Aviation. Januszewski has 35 years of aviation industry experience. Most recently he was a sales manager at Safe Flight Instrument Corp. He is currently a pilot, mechanic and aircraft owner.
When President Barack Obama on Nov. 27 signed into law a bill that prohibits U.S. operators from participating in the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS), environmental groups were quick to object. But industry officials say the action allows the issue to be decided by the International Civil Aviation Organization, which is weighing its own plan for global market-based measures to combat greenhouse gas emissions. “With passage of this measure, the U.S.
SIKORSKY Model S-92A helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0216; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-025-AD; Amendment 39-17245; AD 2012-22-09] – requires inspecting the tail rotor (T/R) pylon for a loose or missing fastener, a crack, damage, or corrosion and adding an internal doubler to the aft shear deck tunnel assembly. This AD was prompted by the discovery of cracks in T/R pylons.
Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) praised the decision of a French appellate court to overturn manslaughter charges against Continental Airlines, saying prosecutorial and judicial interference not only harms the accident victims but can hurt safety efforts by hampering accident investigations. The court’s decision ends a long-running battle over culpability in the 2000 crash of an Air France Concorde near Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport. A lower court had fined Continental €200,000 and ordered the U.S. carrier to pay Air France €1 million for the crash.
National Air Transportation Association is switching the manager of its Workers’ Compensation Insurance Program beginning Jan. 1 to Beacon Aviation Insurance Services, Inc. (BAIS). The change ends a more than 35-year partnership between NATA and the US Aircraft Insurance Group (USAIG), which helped launch the program with NATA in 1975. NATA says the switch will enable the organization to reduce member operating costs and help expand its safety programs.
For the second time this year, the Hawthorne Global Aviation Services fixed-base operation facility at New Orleans Lakefront Airport (KNEW) is reopening following extensive repairs of damages caused by a hurricane. Hawthorne had owned the facility – formerly called AeroPremier Jet Center – for just a month when Hurricane Isaac struck in late August, causing significant damage.
BELL Model 412, 412EP and 412CF helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0530; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-075-AD; Amendment 39-17247; AD 2012-22-11] – requires a repetitive inspection of the collective lever for a crack, and if there is a crack, before further flight, replacement of the collective lever with an airworthy collective lever. This AD was prompted by a reported failure of a collective lever. The actions are intended to detect a crack in the collective lever, which could lead to failure of the collective lever and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
Swiss-based VistaJet, already one of the fastest growing operators worldwide, took a step to significantly accelerate that growth with last week’s announced order for up to 142 Bombardier Global aircraft that have a potential value of $7.8 billion. The contract includes firm orders for a mix of 56 Global business jets valued at $3.1 billion, marking the largest single firm order that Bombardier has received for its business jet line to date.
Embraer on Nov. 27 successfully completed the first flight of its Legacy 500 midsize business jet, but delays in the launch of the flight-test program have pushed the anticipated entry into service into 2014.
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA PW206B, PW206B2, PW206C, PW207C, PW207D, PW207D1, PW207D2, and PW207E turboshaft engines [Docket No. FAA-2012-0942; Directorate Identifier 2012-NE-24-AD] – proposes to require re-identification of the power turbine (PT) disk to a part number with a lower life limit. This proposed AD was prompted by the discovery that certain PT disks were made to specific heat codes that may not achieve the maximum in-service life. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent possible uncontained PT disk failure and loss of helicopter control.
Cessna Aircraft firmed up its agreement with Avic’s China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Company (Caiga) to produce Caravans in China and opened the possibility to jointly design and develop new utility turboprop models there in the future. Cessna’s newly signed joint-venture contract with Caiga builds on an initial agreement that the two entities announced in May.
PIAGGIO Model P-180 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-1181; Directorate Identifier 2003-CE-030-AD; Amendment 39-17249; AD 2003-17-03 R1] – revises an existing AD that currently requires replacement of any firewall shutoff or crossfeed valve with a serial number in a certain range even if it has been previously modified. The way the applicability was written includes valves that should not be affected and are not included in the referenced service information.
