SCOTT FERA was appointed senior vice president, marketing for FlightSafety International. Fera has held sales and marketing roles with FlightSafety since 1979. He most recently has been vice president, marketing, but also has served as regional marketing manager; regional marketing director; national sales manager; managing director, worldwide sales and vice president, sales.
Xojet, the San Francisco-based “closed fleet” on-demand carrier, reports 55% year-over-year growth in flight hours in the first half of 2012. The second quarter marked the 10th consecutive quarter of growth that exceeded industry averages. The company provides a range of charter services, from membership programs to walk-up, coast-to-coast, fixed-price operations. The company recently added an Elite Access program providing guaranteed access with 12 hr. notice and pay-as-you-go pricing.
EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND Model MBB-BK 117 C-2 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0773; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-71-AD] – proposes to require, within 100 hr. time-in-service (TIS), inspecting the long tail rotor drive shaft assembly for blind rivets. If there are one or more blind rivets installed on the shaft assembly, this AD would require replacing the shaft assembly of the long tail rotor drive shaft with an airworthy shaft assembly before further flight.
FAA is developing a plan to improve its certification process after a government/industry aviation rulemaking committee (ARC) found increasing industry activity and inefficient processes are delaying projects and increasing industry costs.
Superior Aviation Beijing, which would face a number of legal and regulatory hurdles to acquire the civil aviation side of Hawker Beechcraft, is stepping up its presence in Washington, retaining the lobbying firm Locke Lord Strategies to represent it. Locke Lorde, which filed the lobby registration form for Superior on Aug. 10, says it will be representing Superior’s aviation interests.
Universal Avionics is opening a new office next month in London to support growing sales activity in Europe. Universal’s European sales currently are solely overseen by its office in Basel, Switzerland. “The extension of our presence in Europe will allow us to better support our customers,” says Robert Clare, director of sales. “As our European customers encounter the increased EASA regulatory requirements and congested airspace, our on-site knowledge and experience will help support them.”
GULFSTREAM Model G150 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0675; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-120-AD; Amendment 39-17131; AD 2012-13-51] – publishes an emergency AD sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of these airplanes. This AD requires a one-time detailed or borescope inspection of the left- and right-hand inboard vent holes for debris or obstructions, and repair if necessary. This AD was prompted by a report indicating that an inboard vent tube hole was completely covered with sealant, which blocked airflow through the vent.
Hawker Beechcraft is beginning the avionics installation of its first customer-bound Hawker 400XPR, jump-starting the upgrade program that had slowed by the company’s ongoing financial struggles. Hawker Beechcraft, which recently received an initial $25 million payment from would-be Chinese buyer Superior Aviation Beijing to help fund operations, says the program to re-engine and update the Beechjet/Hawker 400 series is “full speed ahead and flight test and full supplemental type certification is the focus right now.”
French airplane developer Lisa Airplanes is entering receivership while it attempts to raise funds to bring its two-seat amphibious Akoya to market. Lisa, founded in 2004 to build the light-sport Akoya, says it had been financed up to 80% by private funds. But a recent round of negotiations on long-term financing fell through in July, forcing the company to enter receivership. The Commercial Court of Chambery in France granted a six-month observation period as the company continues to search for the necessary funding.
A new study estimates that potential across-the-board budget cuts to the FAA could amount to an $18.4 billion blow to the economy, including the loss of up to 73 million passenger enplanements and 2 billion lb. of airfreight. Former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta called the study, released Aug. 13 by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), “very significant” and urged Congress to take action. “Let’s not let the FAA be victimized by budget politics,” he said.
GREG MCGOWAN was promoted to senior vice president, operations for FlightSafety International. McGowan joined FlightSafety in 1979 as an instructor in the Bell Helicopter Learning Center and became director of training in 1982. He also has served as manager of the West Palm Beach Center, director of operations for all FlightSafety Learning Centers and most recently, vice president, operations.
KEN MOTSCHWILLER was appointed senior vice president and CFO for FlightSafety International. He has served in the company’s finance department for 29 years, beginning as comptroller. He also has served as vice president, treasurer; vice president, finance; and most recently vice president and CFO.
Cessna continues to tweak the performance parameters of its new midsize business jet, the Citation Latitude, announcing its second boost in range since the aircraft was unveiled last fall. The new range, revealed during the Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition Aug. 15 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is now 2,500 nm, a 25% increase from the original target.
The U.S. Bankruptcy is considering a claim by Pilatus Aircraft that Hawker Beechcraft is using its intellectual property for the production of the Pilatus-designed airframe used for the T-6/AT-6 military trainer and should be required to pay continued royalties. The court last week held a hearing on the initial claim and has scheduled a follow-up hearing on the issue Aug. 30.
GULFSTREAM Model Astra SPX, 1125, Westwind Astra and Gulfstream 100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-1164; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-057-AD; Amendment 39-17135; AD 2012-15-06] – requires inspecting for the presence of sponge rubber padding and for proper separation of the fuel lines and electrical harnesses in the wheel well area, and corrective actions if necessary. This AD was prompted by a report indicating that sponge rubber padding was found between wheel well fuel lines and electrical harnesses.
StandardAero is expanding its Singapore helicopters with a larger facility at the Seltar Aerospace Park. Raghunath “Raghu” Reddy was appointed general manager of the new facility. He joins StandardAero Singapore from Singapore Aerospace Manufacturing, where he was director of operations. The new Singapore facility, which services Rolls-Royce Model 250 engines, has completed or is in the process of completing certifications from China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, UAE and the U.S.
The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) has formally launched its aviation safety action program (ASAP) for on-demand charter operators. The program initially involves a demonstration with two charter operators working with the FAA Minneapolis Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). ACSF expects it to eventually expand to other charter operators in the FAA Great Lakes Region and long term to other regions.
EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND MBB-BK 117 A-3, MBB-BK 117 A-4, MBB-BK B-1, MBB-BK 117 B-2, and MBB-BK C-1 helicopters equipped with a certain external-hoist system [Docket No. FAA-2012-0356; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-067-AD; Amendment 39-17128; AD 2012-14-14] – requires deactivating the entire hoist system or deactivating the hoist system cable cutter function on the hoist system operator control handle. This AD was prompted by an uncommanded activation of the hoist cable cutter function on an MBB-BK117 C-1 helicopter.
Embraer-CAE Training Services (ECTS) has begun Phenom 100 and 300 pilot and maintenance technician training at CAE’s training center near Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The facility is the third location for ECTS, which also provides training in Dallas and Burgess Hill, near London. ECTS has stationed a Phenom full-flight simulator at the Brazilian center – the fourth for the Phenom in the ECTS network.
Bombardier is expecting to kick off final assembly of the first Learjet 85 “shortly” as components begin to arrive at the company’s expanding plant in Wichita. But the company still is not publicly revealing a target date for the aircraft’s rollout or first flight. In a recent financial release, Bombardier executives maintain that the aircraft, which launched in 2007, remains on track for certification next year.
India has released a global tender for roughly 60 utility helicopters to replace the Indian navy’s vintage Chetak helos. “A request for proposals [RFP] has been issued for buying mainly twin-engine helos. The deal is approximately worth $900 million,” a defense ministry official says. The official says Sikorsky, Eurocopter, Kamov and AgustaWestland are among the likely respondents. The RFP comes four years after India issued a global tender for 197 utility helicopters — 133 for the Indian army and 64 for the Indian air force — to replace aging Chetak and Cheetah aircraft.
Cessna is renaming its jet-fuel burning, turbocharged piston aircraft announced at the Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis. The Turbo Skylane NXT is now the Turbo Skylane JT-A. Shortly after unveiling the aircraft July 23, Cessna learned that the “NXT” name was already in use. German light-sport aircraft maker Remos uses NXT, as does kit-builder Nemesis Air Racing Corp.
ALLAN ORSI was named regional manager for Duncan Aviation in Brazil. Orsi will expand the company’s business base and work with aircraft operators, management organizations and other service providers in South America. He has served with Duncan Aviation since 2008, and before that worked with Honeywell do Brasil, Embraer, Bosch and Aerostation.
