Jose Antonio Filippo on June 4 will become Embraer’s CFO, filling a position vacated in April with the departure of Paulo Pinto Marques to a previous employer just months after taking the role. Filippo, who Embraer notes is an engineer by training, joins the manufacturer from Brazilian retailer Pao de Acucar, where he was CFO. “Filippo is a great addition to our team. His expertise and experience will be of real value to the process of growth and development of the company,” says Embraer President and CEO Frederico Fleury Curado.
Global business jet manufacturing is fiercely competitive, operates in a risky and uncertain economic environment and erects exceedingly high barriers to entry, a U.S. government report finds. But while the report allows that foreign makers are gaining ground, it offers no evidence of unfair competition.
FAA is forming an Aviation Rulemaking Committee to address its ongoing problems with standardization. The executive committee met Friday (June 1) for the first time, naming National Air Transportation Association Vice President Eric Byer to co-chair the committee with FAA Flight Standards Director John Allen. In the most recent FAA reauthorization bill, Congress directed the agency to establish an advisory panel to develop recommendations to improve consistency and communications in the Flight Standards and Aircraft Certification services.
Lawmakers are threatening to withhold $5 million from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of General Counsel until the agency releases the repair station security final rule. TSA officials plan to issue the rule by year’s end – after years of delay. But in the House version of the DHS fiscal 2013 appropriations bill, lawmakers express concern “about the lack of progress made” on the rule, which was originally mandated by Congress in 2003.
Hawker Beechcraft is facing a June 30 deadline to file its reorganization plan and disclosure statement, and is expected to confirm its reorganization by November to meet its planned exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by year’s end. The Wichita airframer is hoping to emerge from Chapter 11 under new ownership through a restructuring plan that would eliminate $2.5 billion of the company’s debt and $125 million in annual interest expenses.
National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) officials are hoping to meet with the Internal Revenue Service to further discuss their concerns over the agency’s memorandum that opens the door for aircraft management programs to be treated as commercial operations and taxed accordingly. The March 9 memorandum would reverse past tax practices and substantially increase the costs of operators who have their aircraft managed. NBAA initially aired its concerns during a meeting in April and appealed to the IRS to continue working with industry on the issue.
Gulfstream Aerospace has submitted a city-pair speed record set by its Gulfstream G280 to the National Aeronautic Association for confirmation. The G280 flew from Paris to White Plains, N.Y. in 7 hr., 40 min. on May 17, averaging a speed of Mach 0.80 against an average 23-kt. headwind. After taking off from Paris Le Bourget Airport at maximum takeoff weight, the aircraft climbed to 43,000 ft. in 22 min. Gulfstream expects to obtain full certification for the aircraft in the third quarter.
BELL Model 427 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0084; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-089-AD; Amendment 39-17050; AD 2012-10-01] – requires replacing certain tailboom attachment hardware and at certain intervals thereafter, determining the torque of that tailboom attachment hardware. This AD was prompted by a review of the tailboom attachment installation, which revealed that the torque value of the bolts specified in the BHTC Model 427 Maintenance Manual and applied during manufacturing was incorrect and exceeded the torque range recommended for the bolts.
The Export-Import Bank has adopted a new policy providing access to financing to the aviation aftermarket. The new policy’s goal is to help small businesses in the U.S. expand sales of their aftermarket goods and services — from aircraft windows to aircraft maintenance. It also supports the National Export Initiative, a goal announced by President Obama in 2010 to double U.S. exports by the end of 2014, says an Ex-Im Bank spokesman.
Industry advocates are forming a general aviation working group that will tackle key security issues and develop recommendations for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). The working group becomes particularly important as a number of key rulemakings, including the repair station security rule and the Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) proposal, have been languishing at the agency. And, the future of LASP is in doubt since the Office of Managment and Budget is discouraging rulemakings that are not congressionally mandated.
Honeywell’s business and general aviation division has its eye firmly fixed on indigenous general aviation and business aviation aircraft makers that are emerging in the Asia-Pacific region. Robert Wilson, president of Honeywell Business & General Aviation, says Honeywell sees there are GA and business aviation aircraft being developed in Asia-Pacific to meet the growing demand in the region, and he adds that Honeywell is keen to be involved in these programs as they evolve.
FAA is taking steps to make sure seat belts aboard general aviation aircraft are used properly after at least one accident revealed the possibility of children sharing a single restraint. But a clarification the agency has issued on GA seat belt use stops short of banning shared use.
Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) is testing the high-efficiency compressor for its next generation turboprop engine or NGRT and expects to have the engine ready for entry into service by 2017. The manufacturer is projecting a 15-20% fuel efficiency improvement over current turboprop engines, and like GE Aviation, which is working on a next-generation engine that could be ready as soon as 2015, PWC is talking to aircraft manufacturers about possible programs that would use its NGRT.
JOSEPH HOUGH has joined Dallas Airmotive as program manager for its Honeywell HTF7000 engine service and support operations. He will handle sales as well as customer service on existing HTF7000 accounts. Hough was previously director of new business, sales and customer service for Consolidated Turbine Support (CTS). Dallas Airmotive recently acquired the HTF7000 tooling and inventory assets of CTS. Before joining CTS in 2009, he had 19 years of engineering and program management experience with Honeywell Aerospace, AlliedSignal Aerospace and Garrett Engines.
BELL Model 412, 412EP, and 412CF helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0530; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-075-AD] – proposes to require, within 25 hr. time-in-service (TIS), cleaning the collective lever and inspecting it for cracks. If there is a crack in the collective lever paint finish, this proposed AD requires removing the collective lever from the swashplate and performing a fluorescent penetrant inspection. If there is a crack in the collective lever, this proposed AD requires replacing the collective lever with an airworthy collective lever before further flight.
Piper Aircraft has begun offering the Kelly Aerospace ThermaCool air conditioning system as an option on twin-engine Piper Seminoles. The system is available for both new aircraft and as a retrofit on used Seminoles. Piper worked with Kelly Aerospace Thermal Systems on the supplemental type certificate for the installation of the system. Aircraft conditioning power is supplied from a 28-volt/60 amp alternator mounted on the left engine. The system can provide ground cooling from a 28-volt power cart.
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June 7—National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Regional Forum, Teterboro Airport (TEB), Teterboro, N.J., (202) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org June 11-13—National Air Transportation Association 2012 Air Charter Summit, Westfields Marriott, Chantilly/Dulles, Va., (703) 845-9000, www.nata.aero June 14–16—National Business Aviation Association 17th Annual Flight Attendants/Flight Technicians Conference, Chicago, Ill., (202) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org
AGUSTA Model A109E and Model A109S helicopters with certain lower semichannel assemblies installed [Docket No. FAA-2012-0501; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-083-AD] – proposes require a one-time inspection of the lower semichannel assemblies to determine if metallic spacers are installed. If the metallic spacers are installed, this proposed AD would require an inspection for the correct installation of the metallic spacers on the semichannels and for the correct seating of the gaskets.
AGUSTA Model AW139 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0529; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-050-AD] – proposes to require, within 500 hr. time-in-service (TIS) or five months or when an “AVIONICS FAULT” crew alerting system (CAS) message is displayed, whichever occurs first, replacing all solder splices identified in BT 139-249. This proposed AD is prompted by the discovery of improper installation of solder splices on the co-pilot audio system causing intermittent noise through the audio system during flight.
Butler National Corporation’s Kings Avionics subsidiary received FAA supplemental type certification for installation of the new Garmin GTN Series of navigators on Learjet aircraft. The initial approval involved installation for dual GTN 750 navigators in a Learjet 24B. “The STC for the new Garmin GTN series allows us to tap into a significant upgrade market,” says President and CEO Clark Stewart. “Our initial focus will be on upgrades to the Lear 20 series, Lear 30 series, and Lear 50 series airplanes.
House General Aviation Caucus leaders are trying to build opposition to an amendment in comprehensive highway transportation reauthorization legislation that would expand the National Park Service’s authority over air tour operations and the airspace over national parks. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), was added by voice vote to the Senate version of the highway bill, and Helicopter Association International (HAI) believes that the measure has strong backing.
Solairus, a San Francisco-based charter and management firm, has added four managed accounts in the past 30 days – a Gulfstream 400 and 450 based in Connecticut, a Falcon 2000 EX/EASy in Texas and an Arizona-based Hawker 800XP. The three-year-old firm has added a total of nine jets over the last three quarters, including a Gulfstream GIV-SP based in Geneva. The Solairus fleet has topped 50 managed aircraft.
