Fuel distributor Epic Aviation’s recent parting with Air BP set in motion a transition that the company believes is positioning it for global expansion. Epic Aviation ended a branding agreement with Air BP in February, one year after the major oil company sold its interest in Epic to privately-held Downstream Aviation.
RONALD WILLIAMS was appointed customer and administrative specialist for Yingling Aviation. Williams is a longtime aviation attorney and currently services as chairman of the Kansas Aviation Museum. He spent 27 years with Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP in Wichita and has taught both aviation and business law for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0420; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-284-AD] – proposes to supersede an existing AD that currently requires revising certain sections of a certain airplane flight manual, deactivating certain hydraulic accumulators, removing certain hydraulic accumulators, ultrasonic inspections for cracks on accumulators and screw caps and replacement if necessary, and replacing certain accumulators.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0328; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-259-AD] – proposes to require modifying the left-hand engine upper core-cowl. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of jamming/malfunctioning of the left-hand engine thrust control mechanism. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent jamming/malfunctioning of the left-hand engine thrust control mechanism, which could lead to loss of control of the airplane. FAA estimates the AD would affect about 601 aircraft on the U.S.
MICHAEL DEAN has joined Caliber Jet as southeast charter manager. Dean will oversee quoting, booking, dispatch and flight following for the southeast region. He has nearly 15 years of experience in general aviation scheduling and charter sales, previously as a flight scheduler at NetJets. He also has served with Flight Options and Delphi Harrison Thermal.
Pratt & Whitney Canada (PWC) has confirmed its long-expected PW210 as the initial powerplant for Eurocopter’s next-generation X4 helicopter. The X4 is aimed at the AS365 Dauphin/EC155 replacement market in the medium twin, 9,000 lb. to 11,000 lb. category and is due to enter service in 2017. Eurocopter says this version, powered by the PW210, will be followed by a more advanced variant in 2020 that will be offered with the choice of Turbomeca’s upcoming TM800 turboshaft.
The Air Charter Safety Foundation added three new members to its board of governors: Dennis Fox, senior vice president, operations of Executive Jet Management (EJM); Skip Moshner, director, flight operations of Galvin Flying Services; and Joe Salata, vice president, flight operations of Flight Options. Fox has 24 years of aviation leadership experience, including 12 years with EJM, where he is responsible for regulatory compliance, safety, training and welfare for more 540 crewmembers.
CAE has equipped its full-flight simulators (FFS) for Dassault Falcon 7X, Falcon 900EX/EASy and Falcon 2000EX/EASy aircraft with smoke generation capability to train for cockpit smoke emergencies. The smoke generation simulation is used during initial training and involves use of crew oxygen masks and smoke goggles. In addition, CAE provides training for the Dassault Emergency Vision Assurance System (EVAS).
Business jet activity is steadily increasing this year, but dipped in March, according to the initial traffic figures released by FAA. Traffic was down 2.64% to 348,692 operations in March, compared with 358,156 in March 2011, according to FAA. But sequentially, March traffic was up over both January and February operations. Gulfstream operations increased both year over year and sequentially, but Bombardier and Cessna operations (year over year) fell, reports Morgan Stanley.
BRS Aerospace has joined the Lindbergh Foundation’s Aviation Green Alliance as a founding member. The Lindbergh Foundation launched the alliance to provide a forum for participants to address aviation environmental challenges. The foundation says such an effort is particularly important because in recent years the aviation industry has come under intense pressure to address aviation emissions, noise efficiency and other environmental concerns.
KERI JENKINS was named aircraft records control and document administrator for Yingling Aviation. Jenkins previously served with CAMP Systems, and before that, worked in parts distribution for Cessna Aircraft, where she was a senior analyst on the company’s Cescom system.
The White House is showing no signs of backing off its aircraft user fee stance in the face of substantial congressional opposition, saying its proposed $100 per-aircraft air traffic control fee is necessary to ensure everyone pays their fair share into the system.
Mitsubishi Aircraft has delayed the first delivery of the MRJ regional jet by up to two years, but adds that it is trying to accelerate development. The first flight previously scheduled for this quarter, is now expected to take place in the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2013, “in order to confirm respective fabrication processes [and] provide sufficient time for technical studies.”
The Italian parliament is taking steps to permit foreign-registered aircraft to remain in Italy for a longer period without being subject to a new private aircraft levy. The Italian Senate last week ratified a measure that would exempt foreign-registered aircraft that spend no more than 45 consecutive days in Italy from the private aircraft tax – also called a “luxury” tax.
Eclipse Aerospace Inc. (EAI) is moving closer to production of the Eclipse 550 with receipt of a production certificate from FAA, the company says, adding that it is turning its full attention to bringing the very light jet to market. The company stresses that its plans are on track. Citing recent comments made by United Technologies Corp. that there would be no more investment in EAI, EAI CEO Mason Holland says, “I do not see any inconsistency in UTC’s position or our efforts in moving toward production.”
EDDIE OCHOA has joined Caliber Jet as vice president. Ochoa will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the company’s Scottsdale, Ariz., base. An airline transport pilot with nearly 30 years of experience, Ochoa most recently was an FAA principal operations inspector at the Scottsdale Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). He also has held positions at the DuPage FSDO outside Chicago and the National Transportation Safety Board’s Chicago field office.
FAA is making progress in rolling out its much-maligned en route air traffic control system, which is now operational at nine U.S. ATC facilities. The en route automation modernization (ERAM) system has achieved initial operating capability (IOC) at seven of FAA’s en route centers, says Chris Metts, who heads the agency’s Program Management Organization. ERAM is being used to handle live traffic at these locations for limited periods. This is in addition to the first two sites, where the system is being used continuously.
JEREMY PISELL was promoted to assistant manager of FlightSafety International’s training center in Tucson, Ariz. Pisell joined FlightSafety in 2006 as an instructor at the company’s Dallas facility and was promoted to program management the next year. He also has served as assistant director of training and, most recently, as director of training at FlightSafety’s Bell center in Fort Worth.
Dassault Aviation saw Falcon business jet deliveries jump to 15 units from nine in the first quarter of 2011, boosting its first-quarter net sales to €950 million ($1.25 billion), up 47% year-on-year.
The number of accidents involving general aviation and on-demand operations went up in 2011 as flight operations also inched upward, according to statistics released Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). General aviation and on-demand accidents accounted for all fatal accidents last year, the NTSB report adds. NTSB notes that on-demand Part 135 operations experienced a marked increase in accidents, from 31 in 2010 to 50 last year. Fatal accidents increased from six to 16 and fatalities from 17 to 41, year over year.
FAA’s proposal to increase the qualifications for first officers and other pilots has the potential to deplete the available pool of pilots and impose burdensome new costs, says the Regional Air Cargo Carriers (RACCA). At the behest of Congress, FAA on Feb. 29 published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would require airline transport pilot (ATP) certificates for first officers, and change a number of other training and qualification standards.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440),l CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701, & 702), Model CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705) airplanes and Model CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0335; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-252-AD] – proposes to supersede an existing AD that currently requires replacing certain water accumulator assemblies having a certain part installed on the pitot and static lines of the air data computer (ADC).
May 1–3—National Business Aviation Association Annual Maintenance Management Conference, Nashville, Tenn., (202) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org May 4—National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Taxes Seminar, Denver, (202) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org May 7-9—Airports Council International-NA Airport Economics, Finance and Human Capital Conference, Nashville, Tenn., www.aci-na.org/conferences/ May 14—16 Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2012), www.ebace.aero
Gulfstream G650 green shipments helped drive 20% revenue growth for the General Dynamics Aerospace group in the first quarter, but the entry-into-service date is slipping slightly as the company continues testing for full certification, says Jay Johnson, chairman and CEO of Gulfstream parent GD.
North Flight Data Systems of Arlington, Texas has received STC approval for the installation of its Lightweight Aircraft Recording system in Eurocopter EC155 series helicopters. Working with Metro Aviation, North FDS integrated their voice, video and flight data recording system into the EC155B1 airframe. The system records six channels of audio, one channel of video, and more than 200 channels of digital aircraft data.
