The European debt crisis, Southern European recession and the U.S. dollar’s appreciation against the euro are beginning to take their toll on U.S. exports, which is a bad sign for the near-term growth of U.S. international outbound business traffic, the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Foundation says. In a quarterly business travel outlook, the foundation says it now expects the number of U.S.-initiated international business trips to reach 6.8 million in 2012, just 0.4% higher than in 2011, and total travel spending on those trips to rise by 2.9%.
Manassas Regional Airport in Virginia received a $3.97 million grant from FAA, along with a $353,309 grant from the Virginia Department of Aviation, to lengthen the airport’s runway by 500 ft. to 6,200 ft. Manassas executives say the extension would enable aircraft to take on more fuel for coast-to-coast flights, reduce noise levels north of the airport and enhance landing safety during inclement weather. The project is slated for completion in November.
Jazz’s parent company Chorus Aviation has exercised six of 15 options for Bombardier Q400s to replace 50-seat jets. Chorus Aviation in 2010 placed an order for 15 Q400s and took options for 15 more of the 74-seat turboprops. These 21 aircraft, which Chorus leases to Jazz, will replace the carrier’s entire fleet of CRJ100s, which as of this month had been reduced to 10 aircraft. The final nine CRJ100s will be replaced by the Q400s between December 2012 and May 2013.
Contract air traffic control towers are more cost-effective and appear as safe as those operated by the FAA, but the agency’s watchdog still recommends additional measures to improve oversight.
PHILIP ANSON has taken the role of CEO of STS Aviation Group in Jensen Beach, Fla. Anson, who has been with STS since 1997, previously was president, where he helped develop the company from a mechanic staffing specialist to a diversity aerospace support firm. In his new role, he will identify new prospects for acquisitions, steer overall growth and be responsible for the vision of the company.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) has established the metric that will be used to measure emissions for the first global aviation carbon-dioxide standard. Developed by the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations, along with ICAO member states, intergovernmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations, the metric will be based on fuel used per unit distance at three different cruise conditions. It will allow for varying aircraft sizes.
The Aviation Security Advisory Committee’s General Aviation Working Group later this year is expected to release updated guidelines for general aviation airports. TSA worked with the committee in 2003 and 2004 to issue the original guidelines. The effort is one of “several important actions” that TSA and the general aviation industry have taken to improve general aviation security, the Government Accountability Office says in a new report.
JEFF TABERNER has joined Latitude Technologies as senior account manager for the U.S. market. He formerly was director of sales for the Honeywell Technologies Sky connect brand. He has 12 years of aviation sales and services experience, working with offshore air fleet operators, law enforcement agencies and emergency medical transport operators. He also has served with EDMO Distributors.
TOM COVELLA was promoted to group president of STS Aviation Group’s Component Solutions unit. Covella has steered the division’s revenue, product lines, customer base, staff and inventory offerings.
EMBRAER Model EMB-505 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0441; Directorate Identifier 2012-CE-011-AD; Amendment 39-17106; AD 2012-13-04] – requires visually inspecting the control surfaces (rudder, elevator, and aileron) and their tab surfaces for the existence of required drain holes and modifying the control surfaces by drilling drain holes.
AGUSTA Model A119 and AW119 MKII helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0695; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-031-AD] – proposes to supersede an existing AD that requires inspecting the pilot and co-pilot engine rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT) control box assemblies to determine if the control gear locking pin is in its proper position. Since FAA issued that AD, Agusta has developed a terminating action for this inspection.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is planning to issue a notice “shortly” that explores potential options for strengthening regulations and/or standards surrounding the use of emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) on general aviation aircraft, an FCC official told the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) last week. The safety board held a two-day forum on general aviation search and rescue that members hope will highlight the agency’s decades-long concerns about the adequacy of current search and rescue policies.
July 23-29—Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture, Oshkosh, Wis., www.airventure.org 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
DASSAULT Falcon 7X airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0265; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-216-AD; Amendment 39-17098; AD 2012-12-18] – supersedes an AD that currently requires revising the Abnormal Procedures and Limitations sections of the Dassault Falcon 7X Airplane Flight Manual. This new AD requires a test of the power distribution control units (PDCU) cards and generator control units (GCU) cards to detect faulty components, and if any faulty components are found, replacing any affected PDCU or GCU card.
Now that the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has secured the tactical and strategic airlift that it wanted, the service airlift group’s next procurement is for VIP air transportation.
An FAA sequencing system and resource issues are delaying certification projects by up to 18 months, General Aviation Manufacturers Association President and CEO Pete Bunce tells lawmakers. Testifying before the Senate aviation subcommittee last week, Bunce says FAA’s certification processes “have led to missed business opportunities that restrict industry growth.” He adds the problem will become more acute as the need for certification of NextGen technologies increase.
Cessna Aircraft has established a mobile service unit (MSU) at Atlantic Aviation in Birmingham, Ala. Cessna’s MSU network provides on-site technical expertise and support for Cessna Citations. MSUs include specially outfitted trucks that carry a number of tools and equipment found in Cessna Citation Service Centers and can perform a range of work, including engine exchanges. The Birmingham MSU increases the number of Cessna MSUs in the U.S. to 18. In all, Cessna has 22 MSUs, including units in Canada and Europe.
SAAB Model 340A and 340B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0672; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-261-AD] – proposes to require replacing the stall warning computer (SWC) with a new SWC, and modifying the airplane for the replacement of the SWC. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of stall events during icing conditions which were not accompanied with a prior stall warning. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent natural stall events when operating in icing conditions, which if not corrected may result in loss of control of the airplane.
BILL NUGENT was promoted to vice president, government contracts and training for FlightSafety International. Nugent will be responsible for the training that FlightSafety provides to government and military organizations for business aircraft. He joined FlightSafety in 1983 in marketing, was promoted to director, marketing administration in 1986 and director, government contracts and training in 1994. Most recently, he was executive director, government contracts and training.
Citing increased sales of Cessna Citations and Bell commercial helicopters, Textron on July 19 reported second-quarter revenue of $3 billion and a $288 million manufacturing profit, increases of 10.7% and $59 million, respectively, over the same period in 2011. “The payoff from investing in new products and services is reflected in our double-digit revenue growth,” said Textron Chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly, “and our focus on operational execution is driving solid results.”
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA PW118, PW118A, PW118B, PW119B, PW119C, PW120, PW120A, PW121, PW121A, PW123, PW123B, PW123C, PW123D, PW123E, PW123AF, PW124B, PW125B, PW126A, PW127, PW127E, PW127F, PW127G, and PW127M turboprop engines[Docket No. FAA-2012-0416; Directorate Identifier 2012-NE-13-AD; Amendment 39-17078; AD 2012-11-14] – requires initial and repetitive inspections of certain serial numbers (S/Ns) of propeller shafts for cracks and removal from service if found cracked.
FAA is proposing to permit Part 121 or 135 carriers that also operate an air tour business to combine their drug and alcohol testing programs into a single program. Carriers that run air tour operations are currently required to conduct separate programs for each side of their business as if they were separate companies, FAA says, adding this results in “an unnecessary duplication.” FAA already has granted 50 petitions from companies seeking an exemption from the requirement for separate programs.
LISA COOPER was appointed regional sales manager for BBA Aviation Engine Repair and Overhaul (ERO). Cooper will be responsible for company sales in the U.K., Spain, Ireland and Portugal. She has spent 20 years with H+S Aviation Ltd, a BBA Aviation ERO company.
Hawker Beechcraft is beginning exclusive negotiations to sell most of the company to Superior Aviation Beijing after receiving approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on July 17. HBC on July 10 formally sought court clearance to begin the negotiations after receiving a $1.79 billion proposal from the Chinese firm for all but the defense business.
