Add Flexjet to the fractional operations suing the Internal Revenue Service over assessments of federal excise taxes. Flight Options and NetJets/Executive Jet Management already are enmeshed in lawsuits over refunds and imposition of the passenger ticket tax over certain activities. Flexjet filed its suit a couple of weeks ago, says Tony Gasaway, principal of Gasaway Tax Law. The lawsuits come as management companies face their own escalating tax assessments based on recent IRS guidance that management fees could constitute commercial air carrier activity.
EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND Model MBB-BK 117 C-1 and C-2 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0101; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-042-AD; Amendment 39-17046; AD 2012-09-11] – requires installing a placard that corresponds to the maximum permissible flight altitude, amending the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) to revise the maximum permissible operating altitude, and inserting revised performance charts into the RFM. This AD also requires a repetitive maintenance “MAX N1 CHECK” to determine the appropriate maximum altitudes.
Directional Aviation Capital, a business aviation investment firm that holds a stake in Flight Options, is expanding its foothold in the charter market and moving into the fuel management business with the recent acquisitions of Sentient Jet and its affiliate Everest Fuel Management from Macquarie Global Opportunities Partners.
FAA’s Flight Standard Service is hoping to have guidance in place by October that would change the approach that inspectors take toward addressing minor compliance issues. Flight Standards Director John Allen said earlier this year that the agency’s officials were “trying to change a culture within the Flight Standards Service” to encourage inspectors to first work out minor issues with operators before immediately jumping to enforcement action.
ROBERT DUFFER was named to the newly created position of director of information services for Aloha Air Cargo. Duffer will develop the company’s information technology strategy and operations, including systems analysis, infrastructure, programming, computer systems, and auxiliary operations. He formerly served with Central States Industrial in Springfield, Mo.
The National Transportation Safety Board has opened the public docket on its investigation of the Dec. 7 crash of a Eurocopter AS350-B2 in Henderson, Nev. The helicopter, operated by Sundance Helicopters, was on a sightseeing tour from Las Vegas McCarran International when it crashed into a narrow ravine in mountains between Henderson and Lake Mead, killing the pilot and four passengers. The docket material is available at http://go.usa.gov/vrW.
The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on a case to ensure that FAA enforces its own rules that require manufacturers make maintenance instructions available.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-215-1A10 and CL-215-6B11 (CL-215T variant) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0109; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-244-AD; Amendment 39-17067; AD 2012-11-04] – supersedes an AD that requires repetitive inspections to detect cracking of the lower cap of the wing front and rear spars at wing station (WS) 51.00, and the wing lower skin. Additional actions, if cracking is found, include reworking the lower cap of the front or rear spar, inspecting for cracking, and repairing any cracking. The existing AD also requires reporting inspection results.
Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) has filed a lawsuit seeking reinstatement of its $355 million U.S. Air Force contract to supply 20 Embraer A-29 Super Tucano light air support (LAS) aircraft to Afghanistan. The company says the Court of Federal Claims action is in response to a lawsuit filed by disqualified bidder Hawker Beechcraft (HBC), which led the Air Force to set aside the December sole-source award and reopen the competition.
Gulfstream Aerospace rebranded its maintenance operations facility in Sorocaba, Brazil, to Gulfstream Brazil, joining Gulfstream Luton near London to establish a base of company-branded international service centers. Gulfstream is adding a third international center, Gulfstream Beijing, later this year. The Sorocaba facility’s has expanded its capabilities to become a full-service center that can provide heavy maintenance work. The facility includes a 24,000-sq.-ft. hangar that can accommodate four to six large- and mid-cabin aircraft.
China has secured a deal to sell three Xian Aircraft MA60 turboprops to an airline in the Ukraine, the home market of aircraft maker Antonov, which developed the An-26 from which the Chinese aircraft is derived. The agreement for three MA60s has been finalized with MARS RK, says Xian Aircraft. MARS RK is a relatively small Ukrainian carrier that operates two Saab 340 aircraft on behalf of other airlines. It also has a small number of helicopters and Diamond DA42 aircraft.
EMBRAER Model ERJ 190-100 STD, -100 LR, and -100 IGW airplanes; and Model ERJ 190-200 STD, -200 LR, and -200 IGW airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0590; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-112-AD] – proposes to supersede an existing AD that currently requires revising the maintenance program to incorporate modifications in the Airworthiness Limitation Section (ALS) of the ERJ 190 Maintenance Review Board Report (MRBR). Since FAA issued that AD, new inspection tasks and their respective thresholds and intervals have been issued.
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) is developing a training curriculum for on-demand, fractional and aircraft management flight coordinators. The training, the first of its kind, would involve a certificate program administered by NATA’s Safety 1st program NATA moved forward with the initiative to address a vacuum in training for the position, notes Jacqueline Rosser, director of regulatory affairs for NATA, saying the association hopes to “establish a baseline of training.”
Reflecting sour European market conditions, Jet Aviation is restructuring its Basel, Switzerland location into two independently managed maintenance and completion business units, each reporting directly to Dan Clare, president of General Dynamic’s Jet Aviation Group. Neil Boyle has been appointed vice president completions and Johannes Turzer as vice president maintenance at Basel.
Duncan Aviation recently secured supplemental type certificates for installing Aircell Broadband with inflight Wi-Fi aboard Learjet 45 and Challenger 600-2B16 aircraft (including 601-3A/601-3R/604 variants). The approvals are the latest in a list of STCs Duncan has accumulated for inflight system installations. Duncan has installed systems aboard nearly 300 aircraft and says it has “plans for dozens more in the coming months.” The installation work has been accomplished at its Lincoln, Neb., and Battle Creek, Mich., facilities, along with its satellite avionics locations.
The tough budget environment on Capitol Hill makes it highly unlikely that Congress will provide assistance for NextGen equipage beyond the approval for FAA to create a public-private loan guarantee program, a Senate aide told attendees of the RTCA 2012 Symposium last week.
GULFSTREAM Model G-1159, G-1159A, and G-1159B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0494; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-088-AD; Amendment 39-17069; AD 2012-11-06] – requires, for certain airplanes, a measurement to determine the clearance (gap) of the exposed rounded portion of the doubler and clothespin fitting at the wing-to-fuselage attachment, and repair if necessary.
CHRISTOPHER BERO was named director of marketing for Flexjet. Bero joins Flexjet with more than 15 years of experience in brand marketing and communications. Most recently, he was responsible for strategic marketing activities and media initiatives at Samsung Mobile Electronics. In his new role, Bero will develop marketing plans and communication strategies for Flexjet.
The Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) proposal is not expected to surface at all this year, and should it get released, it will likely be dramatically different and may carry a new name, industry groups believe. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials had hoped to release a supplemental LASP notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) this year. But given the presidential election season, the Office of Management and Budget is believed to have encouraged agencies to hold off on most non-congressionally mandated rulemakings.
New Zealand’s air force plans to lease five used Beechcraft King Air 200 aircraft from Australian company Hawker Pacific to replace five King Air 200s it currently leases from another company. “We are currently in negotiations with Hawker Pacific to conclude a contract to lease five secondhand King Air 200s to replace the fleet currently leased from Aeromotive,” New Zealand’s air force chief, Air Vice Marshal Peter Stockwell says.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has begun certifying the initial aircraft models under new light sports aircraft (LSA) specifications. The agency recently granted approvals in the new LSA category – which applies to aircraft with no more than two seats and a mass of less than 600 kg – to the Czech Sport PS-28 Cruiser, Flight Design CTLS-ELA and Evektor SportStar RTC.
Aerion is beginning research with NASA on a computer code developed to perform aerodynamic design and analysis for high-speed aircraft, such as the company’s planned supersonic business jet. The latest research means to achieve efficient and stable supersonic inlet operation. The collaborative effort began this month and is expected to continue for a year.
StandardAero has delivered the 4,000th Rolls-Royce AE3007 engine that the company has worked on since the program began in 1997. StandardAero completed the work at its Maryville, Tenn., service center for longtime customer Aerolitoral, S.A. de C.V., a Mexico-based regional airline. The 130,000-sq.-ft. center provides maintenance, repair and overhaul services for the AE3007, which powers Embraer ERJ 145 regional jets, the Embraer Legacy 600/650 and Cessna Citation X.
