Rep. Henry Waxman, the California Democrat who has long sought curbs on operations at Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO), is pushing FAA to speed up efforts to eliminate leaded aviation gasoline (avgas), saying the “devastating health effects” of lead are well documented.
Offshore operators of grounded Eurocopter AS332 and EC225 Super Puma helicopters are downloading and reviewing health and usage monitoring system (HUMS) data before determining whether the aircraft can be returned to flight.
Bombardier President and CEO Pierre Beaudoin is calling on the Canadian government to develop a comprehensive strategy to help domestic companies compete with state-funded enterprises in emerging markets. “A recent World Economic Forum report affirmed that both developed and developing countries are pursuing assertive industrial policies to support their domestic manufacturing industries.
October is “General Aviation Appreciation Month” in Alabama and West Virginia under proclamations signed by Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin. They join the nearly four dozen states that have recognized the value of aviation and/or general aviation. Alabama estimates general aviation contributes $800 million each year in economic activity. In West Virginia, the general aviation industry is estimated to contribute $616 million annually to the economy.
Private Jet Company is expanding its presence at the Isle of Man Airport, hoping the location – one that has a favorable tax structure including a partial exemption from the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) – will draw inbound international traffic.
Asked whether Embraer would consider purchasing parts of Hawker Beechcraft should they become available, Embraer President and CEO Frederico Curado last week acknowledged that “some assets could be of interest to Embraer. We just have to see how that develops.” Curado says the company would take “a serious look” at how certain assets could leverage the ramp-up of its own executive jets business, and points to infrastructure support as an example. As for the product lines, he says, “It’s not a target in itself.
Iceland’s Isavia has begun site acceptance tests on an automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) network that is expected to be a vital link in the first transatlantic air traffic control corridor. The eight ADS-B ground stations in Iceland will augment existing radar coverage over a vast area of the Northern Atlantic, and ADS-B surveillance eventually will be extended to the east and west thanks to networks that will be established in Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Rockwell Collins has begun flight testing the latest configuration of its Pro Line Fusion avionics suite incorporating touch-screen flight displays. The company is testing the avionics on its Hawker Beechcraft King Air B200GT.
The National Business Aviation Association is planning to focus on the use of iPads in the cockpit during three separate sessions Oct. 30 during its annual meeting and convention in Orlando, Fla. NBAA notes the FltPlan.com claims 50,000 users of its web-based flight planning software with tablet applications. Tablet technologies are “revolutionizing aviation,” the association says adding that tablets can be found in many, if not most business aircraft cockpits.
DASSAULT Model Falcon 2000, Falcon 2000EX, Mystere-Falcon 900 and Falcon 900EX airplanes; and all Model Mystere-Falcon 50 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-1067; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-231-AD] – proposes to require modification of the wing fuel tanks in the area of the wheel well. This proposed AD was prompted by reports that collapse of the main landing gear (MLG) could cause wing tank structure failure, which could result in fuel spillage and consequent fire hazard.
GULFSTREAM (type certificate previously held by Israel Aircraft Industries) Model Galaxy and Gulfstream 200 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0495; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-236-AD] – withdraws a proposal that would have required determining the lengths of the wear indicating pins of all brake assemblies, shortening the pin if the wear indicating pin is too long, inspecting for normal brake wear, and replacing brakes with new brakes if necessary.
Fred Reid, the former Virgin America executive who has steered Bombardier’s Flexjet unit through the economic downturn, has resigned from his position, effective immediately. Bombardier promoted Deanna White to take the helm of the fractional ownership provider. Bombardier says Reid retired from the post he took in 2008, and Bombardier President and CEO Pierre Beaudoin credits Reid for being a “passionate promoter of Flexjet and fractional jet ownership.”
The U.S. Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im Bank) is approving a $50 million guarantee of a loan extended by Apple Bank to Aeroservicios Especializados S.A. DE C.V. (ASESA) of Mexico to finance a fleet of Sikorsky S-76D helicopters. The loan is the first under the Ex-Im Bank’s Business Aircraft and Helicopter Qualified Advisor program that was announced during the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in May. San Francisco-based AirFinance served as the qualified advisor, facilitating the application and authorization process.
Embraer is ramping up for another busy fourth quarter, when the company expects to nearly match the number of executive jet deliveries and revenues brought in through the first three quarters combined. During the third quarter, Embraer delivered 13 business jets, including 11 Phenoms and two of its large business jets – slightly fewer than analyst expectations. J.P.Morgan’s Joseph Nadol notes original estimates were for 19 Phenoms and three of the large business jets, but says Embraer is expected to cover the shortfall in the fourth quarter.
40 Years Ago Oct. 9, 1972 – General aviation aircraft deliveries are forecast to reach 9,700 units valued at $525 million for all of 1972. 30 Years Ago Oct. 25, 1982 – Gate Learjet looks to diversify business, discusses Air Force aircraft reconditioning work, to protect against slow economy. 20 Years Ago Oct. 12, 1992 – Piper plans to submit reorganization plan within weeks to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy by early 1993.
The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) elected former Cessna Chairman Jack Pelton to serve as chairman of the board to oversee a leadership transition after Rod Hightower formally resigned Oct. 22, citing personal reasons. The board on Oct. 21 apparently discussed the resignation, which did not come as a complete surprise.
Embry-Riddle is opening its new Jim W. Henderson Administration and Welcome Center, marking the return of the administration that had been displaced when a 2006 tornado destroyed the previous building. The $13 million, 37,000-sq.-ft. building holds office and meeting spaces for Embry-Riddle President John Johnson, the cabinet and board of trustees. The center is named for Embry-Riddle Chairman Jim Henderson.
DAVID MCMILLAN , director general of Eurocontrol, was named the new chairman of the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) Board of Governors. McMillian, the first FSF chairman outside of the U.S., will remain director general of Eurocontrol until 2012. Before assuming that role, he was director general civil aviation at the U.K. Department of Transport. He also served in the U.K.’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office as a diplomat in various postings.
Gulfstream Aerospace, completing its strongest quarter of the year in terms of new orders, expects sales to grow further in the fourth quarter and is increasing its delivery estimates for 2012 slightly to as many as 124 aircraft. Gulfstream led General Dynamics’ (GD) Aerospace group to a 30% increase in third-quarter revenues and a 20.3% increase in operating earnings. The GD Aerospace group includes both Gulfstream and Jet Aviation. These returns come as Gulfstream’s large-cabin deliveries increased by 45% in the third quarter.
A research advisory group is cautioning the FAA “to avoid the temptation to compromise safety” as the agency attempts to meet a congressionally mandated 2015 deadline to integrate unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system.
National Air Transportation Association is surveying members on changes included in FAA’s proposed rewrite of regulations governing certificated repair stations. NATA notes the proposal makes significant changes to repair station ratings and would require existing repair stations to update their manuals, incorporate certain changes in their business and reapply for certification. The survey will be open to until Nov. 2. To participate, visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/nata145survey.
Cessna Aircraft last week signed agreements renewing Jet Aviation’s facilities in Dusseldorf, Germany and Zurich, Switzerland, as Citation authorized service facilities. The extension comes as Cessna has been expanding its customer support network in Europe with new Citation Service Centers in Doncaster, U.K. and Valencia Spain. Cessna also operates service centers in Paris and Prague. Cessna estimates that more than 1,000 Citation business jets operate in Europe.
CESSNA Model 500, 501, 550, 551, S550, 560, 560XL and 650 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-1001; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-020-AD] – proposes to require an inspection to determine the accumulated hours on certain A/C drive motor assemblies; repetitive replacement of the brushes in the drive motor assembly, or as an option to the brush replacement, deactivation of the air conditioner; and return of replaced brushes to Cessna.
