Light-sport aircraft developer Icon Aircraft has signed an agreement for Cirrus Aircraft to supply a significant portion of the composite airframe for the A5 amphibious plane. Cirrus will produce the components at its Grand Forks, N.D. plant, where they are manufactured for the SR20 and SR22 single-piston aircraft. Icon will integrate the components at its facility in Tehachapi, Calif., where all design, final assembly, finishing and testing will occur.
Tupelo Aviation in Mississippi has joined the Avfuel network of branded dealers. The fixed-base operation is participating in the Avfuel Contract Fuel and Avtrip rewards programs. In addition to joining the network, Tupelo is refurbishing its facilities to include a large conference room, kitchenette, crew lounge, passenger lounge, snooze rooms, updated flight planning room and showers. The facility also includes hangar space and a ramp that can accommodate aircraft the size of a Boeing 757.
Hawker Beechcraft’s request to award millions in bonuses to company executives remains a focus before the U.S. bankruptcy court as the machinists’ union reiterates its opposition and the company continues to maintain that the bonuses are necessary given the difficulties of the executives’ current tasks.
TONY DESMOND was named team leader of Duncan Aviation’s business aircraft AOG Engine Rapid Response Team based at the Republic Airport on Long Island in New York. Desmond has 22 years of aviation experience, most recently managing maintenance for five business aircraft as the owner of NexGen Aircraft Management and chief inspector for seven years with Executive Jet Management.
Flexjet is kicking off an 11-city tour of the new Learjet 85 aircraft with a Learjet cabin mock-up. The coast-to-coast tour is scheduled to visit Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Monterrey, Calif., New York, Orlando, Fla., Seattle and Washington. The Learjet 85 was launched in 2007, and Flexjet anticipates taking delivery of its first of the model next year. Flexjet is partnering with Rolls-Royce, Chocolatier Emanuel Andren, Full Swing Golf and the Napa Valley Vintners during the tour.
Executive Jet Management (EJM), one of the operators that helped shape and launch the Air Charter Safety Foundation’s (ACSF) Industry Audit Standard (IAS) Registry, is renewing its registration status a little more than a year after the charter and management firm decided against participation.
TURBOMECA Arriel 1E2, 1S, and 1S1 turboshaft engines [Docket No. FAA-2008-0681; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-13-AD] – proposes to supersede an existing AD that requires a one-time inspection and torque check of a certain three-way union plug installed on all fuel control units (FCUs). Since FAA issued that AD, the applicability has been reduced to certain FCUs and the referenced service bulletin has been updated with additional detailed information to identify the noncompliant “red disk’’ plug.
JEREMY PROST was named sales manager for Asia for Piper Aircraft. Prost will be responsible for developing sales of Piper’s aircraft lines in China. He has a background of sales in China, formerly heading Diamond Aircraft’s Beijing office. He also held sales and customer support positions with BinAo Aircraft in China. He further has served with World Trading and Gold Sea International Trading Company.
FAA has temporarily suspended opposite direction operations at all commercial airports in the wake of a recent incident at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) that brought three airplanes within close flying range. The suspension on such operations is in effect “until detailed procedures can be developed, trained and implemented,” Chief Operating Officer David Grizzle says in a memo to acting Administrator Michael Huerta.
TURBOMECA Arriel 1A, 1A1, 1A2, 1B, 1C, 1C1, 1C2, 1D, 1D1, 1E, 1E2, 1K, 1K1, 1S, and 1S1 turboshaft engines [Docket No. FAA-2012-0520; Directorate Identifier 2002-NE-43-AD] – proposes to supersede an existing AD that currently requires initial and repetitive visual inspections for erosion caused by dust ingestion and, if necessary, cleaning of the gas generator (module M03). Since FAA issued that AD, in-service experience has shown that dust inside the gas generator hollow shaft may be found when the axial compressor wheel has less erosion than initially assessed.
The National Business Aviation Association recently surpassed the 9,000-member mark thanks to a 25% growth rate in recent years. The association was founded in 1947 with 19 members.
Bombardier Aerospace expects to continue to ramp up deliveries of its Global aircraft in the second half of the year as the company sticks to estimates that it will deliver 180 business jets this year. At the same time, however, regional aircraft programs will continue to remain sluggish – with an anticipated 55 deliveries – as the Canadian conglomerate begins testing its new CSeries line in preparation for a first flight this year.
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee (T&I) Republican leaders are asking FAA to reconsider its recent rule to mandate what had been voluntary helicopter routes over Long Island, N.Y.
Debate over a potential $1 trillion government-wide budget reduction next year has largely focused on the defense industry. But during congressional testimony recently, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget opened what might be a new lobbying front in the fight over the penalty known as sequestration, saying the FAA’s operations account could be in line for “significant” reductions.
Western Jet Maintenance, a subsidiary of Western Air Charter that does business as Jet Edge International, was awarded an FAA Part 145 repair station certification. Based at Van Nuys Airport in California, the facility is cleared to perform scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, repairs and alterations on a number of aircraft models including Bombardier Challenger 300; Learjet 31, 35, and 36; Cessna Citation X; and Hawker 750, 800XP and 900XP. The operation shares a 150,000 sq.-ft.
Aug. 13-16—Airports Council International-North America, 2012 Public Safety & Security Fall Conference, Arlington, Va., www.aci-na.org/event/1753 Aug. 16—4th Annual BALA Summit, Business Aviation in Latin America, LABACE, Sao Paulo, Brazil, www.aeropodium.com/cp/bala.html Aug. 18-22—54th NEC/AAAE Annual Conference, Providence, Rhode Island, www.necconference.org Sept. 9-12—22nd Airports Council International World-North America Annual General Assembly, Conference and Exhibition, Calgary, Canada, www.aci-na.org/conferences/
NetJets continues to improve on the earnings front, parent Berkshire Hathaway reports, saying it helped offset lower earnings from other businesses in its service group. Berkshire Hathaway notes the fractional ownership provider’s earnings in 2011 were held down by fees incurred from canceling certain aircraft purchases. The most recent quarter also benefited from more favorable foreign currency exchanges.
The business and general aviation market is gaining ground in 2012, with industry billings improving by double digits and business jet and turboprop deliveries both increasing, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Billings for the first half of 2012 reached $8.202 billion, a 13.2% increase from $7.246 billion in the first six months of 2011.
As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) put off, at least for a few more years, potential regulations on emissions from leaded aviation gasoline, the general aviation community has stepped up its efforts to look at alternatives – from new lines of diesel airplanes to replacement fuels and even lower octane fuels. But despite these efforts, the majority of industry leaders believe that leaded aviation gasoline will remain a fixture, at least in the U.S., for some time.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-400 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0724; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-043-AD] – proposes to supersede an existing AD that currently requires a modification to trim the edge of the bumper plate, including performing an inspection for damage or cracks of the bumper plate and base fitting, and replacing any damaged or cracked part. That AD also currently requires, for certain airplanes, reidentifying the bumper plate.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model AS350BA helicopters with certain AERAZUR emergency flotation gear container assemblies installed [Docket No. FAA-2012-0774; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-057-AD] – proposes to require replacing each affected emergency flotation gear container assembly at specified time limits based on the date of manufacture. This proposed AD is prompted by a recognition that container assemblies with an intended operating limitation of 10 years may not have been replaced because the limit is no longer recorded in the Maintenance Program.
FAA expects to publish minimum performance specifications for the tools that airports use to prevent vehicle incursions on runways in the fall. An agency draft advisory circular (AC) outlines the standards that runway incursion warnings system (RIWS) equipment must meet. Airports install the equipment, which alerts drivers traversing the airfield in ground vehicles, such as fire and catering trucks. GPS technology likely will provide vehicle location information for RIWS equipment, the circular says. But airports also can use radar, transponders or other tools.
EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND Model MBB-BK117 (all versions) and BO-105LS A-3 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0704; Directorate Identifier 2012-SW-040-AD; Amendment 39-17113; AD 2012-13-11] – requires inspecting the tail rotor pitch link spherical bearing for proper swaging. This AD is prompted by a report of a tail rotor pitch link with a spherical bearing that had migrated out of the bearing bore. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of the tail rotor pitch link and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
