BELL Model 206L, 206L-1, 206L-3, and 206L-4 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0395; Directorate Identifier 2012-SW-007-AD; Amendment 39-17016; AD 2012-02-51] – This AD requires reducing the life limit from 3,600 hr. time-in-service (TIS) to 1,400 hr. TIS for certain part-numbered and serial-numbered main rotor blades, revising the life limit in the Airworthiness Limitations section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness or maintenance manual, and recording the revised life limit on the component history card or equivalent record.
SIKORSKY Model S-92A helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2011-1115; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-011-AD; Amendment 39-17017; AD 2012-08-01] – This AD requires revising the Operating Limitations section of the Sikorsky Model S-92A Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM). This AD was prompted by the manufacturer’s analysis of engine data that revealed the data was inaccurate in dealing with available above specification engine power margin.
Pratt & Whitney Canada’s (PWC) PT6C-67E turboshaft has won Transport Canada certification, marking another step toward the start of deliveries of the Eurocopter EC175 helicopter later this year. Certification comes just more than a year since PWC delivered the first production engine to Eurocopter’s Marignane facility in France. Development versions of the engine powered the EC175 for its first flight in December 2009, followed a year later by the second prototype.
Bombardier Learjet today (April 30) will officially break ground on an expansion of its Learjet facility in Wichita. The manufacturer in January said it had received another round of incentives from Kansas as the company expands its facilities to accommodate Learjet 85 work. Those plans include expanding its flight test center, establishing a Center of Excellence of Engineering and Information Technology and building new paint facilities and a delivery center.
North American Jet Charter Group (NAJ) recently obtained approval for use of the iPad for electronic flight bag functions aboard the Eclispe 500 very light jet for its Part 135 flights. The approval enables NAJ pilots to use the iPad to access Foreflight or Jeppesen en route and approach charts, as well as paperless versions of general operating manuals and minimum equipment lists.
AGUSTA Model AB139 and AW139 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0409; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-055-AD; Amendment 39-17020; AD 2011-18-52] –publishes an emergency AD that requires establishing a revised life limit for each tail rotor (T/R) blade and updating the helicopter’s historical records, repetitively inspecting T/R blades for a crack, and replacing certain T/R blades. This AD is prompted by a fatal accident involving an Agusta Model AW139 helicopter, which may have been caused by cracks in a T/R blade.
Pilatus’s past two years of record profits and revenue will not be repeated in 2012. “The current year is likely to be more difficult,” says Oscar Schwenk, CEO/chairman of the Swiss business and trainer aircraft manufacturer. “Even a major order will not be enough to compensate for the low level of orders in hand,” he adds.
Textron Chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly dismisses concerns that a technology transfer with Chinese counterparts could come with intellectual property risks, saying Cessna Aircraft’s agreement with Aviation Industry Corporation of China (Avic) instead will position the Wichita airframer to become a dominant player in the burgeoning Chinese aviation market. Textron’s Cessna in late March announced two agreements that involved joint ventures to build aircraft and expand other general aviation activities in China.
Hawker Beechcraft, posting one of its worst losses in company history last year, expects to decide on a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing or other means to restructure its heavy debt load in the next few weeks. The company is grappling with ongoing supplier issues, as some vendors are warning that they may stop providing material out of concerns about the gravity of the company’s financial situation. The company, in its Form 10-K annual report, concedes “there is substantial doubt about our ability as a growing concern” in absence of a restructuring.
Gulf Coast Avionics, based on Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Fla., added international satellite operations in Peru and Spain. The latest locations include Gulf Coast Avionics Peru located in Lima, Peru, and Gulf Coast Avionics España located in Tarragona, Spain. Gulf Coast Avionics is a supplier of avionics, instruments and pilot supplies to customers around the world and is an FAA Approved Repair Station, No. UB4R564M, Class 1, 2, 3/Limited Instrument.
The American Bonanza Society (ABS) has partnered with the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association’s (AOPA) to co-locate their annual conventions. ABS will hold its annual convention in conjunction with the AOPA Aviation Summit Oct. 11-13 in Palm Springs, Calif. AOPA President Craig Fuller believes the move will help expand AOPA’s annual convention as a platform for other flying clubs or aviation organizations.
The House General Aviation Caucus leadership is circulating a letter to build support for a repeal of the so-called “fuel fraud” measure that requires aviation jet fuel to be taxed at the highway diesel fuel rate. Caucus members – including Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), John Barrow (D-Ga.), and Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) – plan to deliver the letter to the the House Ways and Means Committee, which would have jurisdiction over the fuel fraud tax measure.
Embraer is maintaining its projections of 90-105 business jet deliveries this year, despite the shipment of just 13 in the first quarter. Embraer delivered 12 Phenoms (including four Phenom 100s and eight Phenom 300s) and one Legacy 650 business jet in the first three months of the year.
PILATUS Models PC-6, PC-6-H1, PC-6-H2, PC-6/350, PC-6/350-H1, PC-6/350-H2, PC-6/A, PC-6/A-H1, PC-6/A-H2, PC-6/B-H2, PC-6/B1-H2, PC-6/B2-H2, PC-6/B2-H4, PC-6/C-H2 and PC-6/C1-H2 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0018; Directorate Identifier 2011-CE-042-AD; Amendment 39-16997; AD 2012-06-16] – requires installation of a new locking screw and the modification of the installation of the hinge bolt.
SAAB Model 340A and 340B airplane [Docket No. FAA-2012-0330; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-116-AD] – This proposed AD would require determining if a certain part number is installed, performing a detailed inspection for individual play between the elevator pushrod assembly and degradation of elevator pushrod assembly, and replacing the affected elevator pushrod assembly with a new elevator pushrod assembly if necessary. This proposed AD was prompted by reports indicating that wear of the elevator pushrods have occurred on some airplanes after extended time in service.
Piper Aircraft last week completed delivery of 18 Piper Warrior trainers to Sekolah Tinggi Penerbang Indonesia (STPI), the government flight school at Budiarto Airport in Curug. STPI trains pilots under the auspices of the Ministry of Transportation for the Republic of Indonesia. The Warrior, a four-place, single-piston aircraft with fixed landing gear, joins the Piper Dakota, Beech Sundowner, Socata Tobago and Beech Barron in STPI’s fleet.
Cessna has begun to see a rebound in the market in 2012, with first-quarter orders outpacing the first three quarters of 2011 combined, but soft pricing still led to a first quarter loss, says Scott Donnelly, chairman and CEO of Cessna parent Textron. Cessna delivered 38 Citations in the first quarter, up from 31 in the first quarter of 2011, and Donnelly says, “We continue to see improvement in customer activity. New orders were higher than last year’s first, second and third quarters combined, and our customer prospect list continues to improve.”
Quest Aircraft’s Kodiak single-engine, multimission turboprop has received certification from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Mexican Republic, Dirección General de Aeronáutica Civil. The Kodiak is now certified in eight countries. Additional certifications are in process. Quest delivered its first Mexican-registered Kodiak to a mining company based in the Northeastern State of Coahuila, Mexico. The Kodiak can take off in under 1,000 ft. at full gross takeoff weight of 7,255 lb. and climb at over 1,300 ft. per minute.
National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) officials are hopeful that a meeting with the Internal Revenue Service’s chief counsel last week will be a first step toward reversing the agency’s recent policy on management fee taxes, but this issue already is surfacing with a number of management firms receiving notification of upcoming tax audits.
StandardAero Business Aviation completed the first two of several scheduled Dassault EASy II avionics flight deck upgrades for Dassault Falcon 900EX/DX/LX series aircraft.
Hawker Beechcraft’s decision to halt production of the 400XP Beechjet and supplier issues with the Hawker 4000 held down deliveries in 2011, contributing to a larger decline in industry-wide business jet shipments, according to revised data released by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) April 17.
Aerospace supplier Honeywell has signed an exclusive agreement with Inmarsat to provide global in-flight connectivity services to business aviation and other government customers. The services will be provided through London-based Inmarsat’s Global Xpress network, the first Ka-band constellation designed to provide global inflight broadband to the aeronautical, maritime and land-mobile markets.
China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Company (CAIGA), which bought Cirrus Aircraft last summer, is making a “major investment” that fully funds the Cirrus Vision SF50 personal jet program through certification and initial production, the company says. Cirrus did not detail the investment’s size, but it will provide a much-needed boost for the single-jet program, which was first publicly revealed in 2006.
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 that the proposal would affect 601 aircraft on the U.S.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) proposal to alter the FAA’s enforcement appeal process is receiving mixed reviews, with industry groups believing the rulemaking does not go far enough to provide due process and the FAA saying it would impose costly discovery requirements.
