Airbus, Boeing and Embraer executives signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate to support the development of “drop-in, affordable aviation biofuels,” during the Air Transport Action Group’s environment summit in Geneva last week. Airbus CEO Tom Enders adds that “this is certainly not a closed shop. It is open to others.” The partnership will be led by each company’s chief technology officer and explore different feedstocks and delivery systems, says Boeing Commercial Airplanes President James Albaugh.
Landmark Aviation’s Aircraft Charter and Management Division recently obtained certification from the Commercial Airlift Review Board (CARB) for Department of Defense (DoD) passenger operations. The certification, combined with past approvals, clears Landmark to bid on a variety of contracts for all U.S. government agencies. Landmark Aviation sought certification at the request of longtime customer MedCenter Air, a division of Carolinas Healthcare System. The certification enables MedCenter Air to transport military personnel within the Carolinas.
40 Years Ago March 20, 1972 – Controversial aircraft emission controls are expected to be released to meet congressional clean air mandate. 30 Years Ago March 15, 1982 – Cessna suspends production of its Corsair and Conquest turboprop models and lays off another 1,000 employees. 20 Years Ago March 23, 1992 – FAA mandates installation of ground proximity warning systems in all turbine-powered aircraft with 10 or more seats.
Signature Flight Support signed a multiyear agreement for the National Car Rental brand to provide rental car and ground transportation services for Signature’s fixed-base operation network. National Car Rental will provide expedited pick up and drop off for Signature customers. Under the agreement, National Car Rental will include certain other benefits for customers enrolling in the rental car service’s Emerald Club. National Car Rental affiliate company Enterprise Rent-A-Car will provide services for Signature customers in Europe.
While Textron chief Scott Donnelly has repeatedly maintained that Cessna will remain focused on medium-sized and smaller business jets, at least one analyst believes the joint venture with China’s Avic “is added confirmation of a new larger jet in 2012.” Morgan Stanley Research notes it expects Cessna to unveil a new mid/large cabin aircraft at the National Business Aviation Association’s annual meeting and convention this fall.
Northrop Grumman and Quest Aircraft Co. of Sandpoint, Idaho, are teaming to explore civil, military and government applications of the Quest Kodiak aircraft integrated with a modular, reconfigurable C4ISR [command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance] system.
Gama Aviation, a business aviation services provider based in the U.K., has received FAA Part 129 certification. The approval clears the way for unrestricted flights between the European Union and the U.S., Gama says, calling Part 129 certification “one of the most challenging approvals for commercial operators.”
BRIAN LINDQUIST has joined Dallas Airmotive as regional engine manager for the northwestern U.S. Lindquist will sell repair and overhaul services on Honeywell TFE731 engines and 36 series APUs and on Pratt & Whitney Canada PW305 engines in Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Oregon and Alaska. Lindquist previously was MRO sales manager for Western Aircraft in Boise, Idaho.
The National Air Transportation Association has released updated versions of two of its guidebooks – one designed to help fixed-base operators negotiate agreements and the second to serve as a resource for stakeholders and airports in building community relations. NATA Negotiation Aviation Agreements: A Guidebook for Building and Protecting Your Business discusses common legal, business and insurance issues that come up when FBOs negotiate agreements to provide services at airports.
CAE and Aviation Performance Solutions (APS) have developed a web-based program designed to improve loss of control inflight (LOC-I) instruction. The companies are making the program available on the APS website (http://www.apstraining.com/cae/caeaps-ffs-ip-standardization-session-1-…) through April 28 for aviation industry input, which they say will help form a foundation for a global training standard for LOCI-I and upset recovery.
Business aviation groups have been working with the House General Aviation Caucus to build support for a repeal of the fuel fraud tax measure, which requires noncommercial jet fuel to be taxed initially at the highway tax rate. The groups are hoping to develop a measure that would be included in the House version of a comprehensive highway reauthorization bill.
SOCATA Model TBM 700 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0250; Directorate Identifier 2011-CE-043-AD] – proposes to require repetitive checks of affected nose landing gears (NLGs) and replacement of the bolt attaching the actuator hinge axle with a serviceable bolt. This AD also would prohibit installation of certain affected NLG, unless the bolt attaching the actuator hinge axle has been replaced with a serviceable bolt and the NLG has been marked with a green varnish line.
BAE SYSTEMS Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0189; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-133-AD] – proposes to require a repetitive high-frequency eddy current inspection of the stiffeners on the left-hand sidewall on the nose landing gear (NLG) bay for cracks, and repair or replace the sidewall if necessary. Replacing the sidewall with a certain sidewall part number constitutes a terminating action for the repetitive inspections. This proposal was prompted by a report of a crack found on the left-hand sidewall well on the NLG.
BizJet International Sales and Support, a Tulsa, Okla.-based provider of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services, reached an agreement with the U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) to pay an $11.8 million criminal penalty on charges that three of its senior executives and a sales manager bribed government officials in Latin America to secure contracts. None of the individuals involved were identified in court documents.
Embraer is seeing signs of stabilization of the business jet market in 2012 but still no significant recovery, particularly at the lightest end of the market, executives say. Speaking to analysts during the release of its fourth-quarter results on March 21, Embraer CEO Frederico Fleury Curado says the company is still experiencing cancellations – “not more, not less” than in late 2011. But cancellations overall are still much lower than at the peak of the down cycle, he says.
Bombardier and Chinese airframer Comac have signed a definitive agreement to collaborate in four key areas of their largest commercial aircraft programs, the 110- to 130-seat CSeries and the 168- to 190-seat C919. The agreement, which comes a year after the two companies first said they would work together on critical systems, includes a first phase where the manufacturers will aim for commonality on cockpit interfaces, electrical systems, joint technical publications and the combination of customer service teams.
San Francisco carrier XOJet is carving its niche in the business jet market with an airline-style service that fits between charter and fractional carriers. The company in the past few years has been growing its customer base and flight hours almost exponentially with a range of services that revolve around a closed fleet of similar-type aircraft and include guarantees more like those of a fractional company but with service options resembling a charter’s.
Gulfstream Aerospace recently rolled the 100th G150 off the initial-phase production line, a milestone that occurred as the G150 fleet surpassed 100,000 flight hours. The midsized aircraft entered service in 2006 and 95 have entered service. The fleet has achieved more than 72,000 landings, logging a dispatch reliability rate of 99.88% and availability rate of 92.59%. Gulfstream has certified the aircraft in 11 countries.
KEVIN WORTHINGTON has joined Dallas Airmotive as a regional engine manager. Worthington will be responsible for selling repair and overhaul services on Pratt & Whitney Canada engines for Midwestern states, including Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. He previously spent 14 years selling Pratt & Whitney Canada engine services for Duncan Aviation. He also has served as an aircraft technician.
MIKE PERRY was promoted to director, branded sales for Phillips 66 Aviation in Bartlesville, Okla. Perry, formerly national account representative, has built a background in account and vendor management, supply logistics and marketing during his 14-year career with ConocoPhillips. He is a fourth-generation company employee.
THIELERT AIRCRAFT ENGINES TAE 125-01 and TAE 125-02-99 reciprocating engines installed on, but not limited to, Diamond Aircraft Industries Model DA 42 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0201; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-47-AD; Amendment 39-16972; AD 2010-11-09R1] – supersedes an AD that currently requires initial and repetitive replacements of proportional pressure reducing valves (PPRVs) (also known as propeller control valves). This new AD relaxes the repetitive replacement interval from a 300-hr. interval to a 600-hr.
SPECTROLAB Nightsun XP searchlight [Docket No. FAA-2012-0221; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-082-AD] – propose to require, for certain Spectrolab Nightsun searchlights installed on, but not limited to, Agusta AB139 and Model AW139, Sikorsky S-92A, and Eurocopter EC135 and MBB-BK 117 C-2 helicopters, before further flight, inserting information into the Normal Procedures section of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM), a daily check of the searchlight, and at a specified time interval or if certain conditions are found, modifying any affected searchlight gimbal assembly.
Gulfstream has obtained FAA supplemental type approval for its interior package designed for the new G650 and G280 aircraft that incorporates a number of firsts for business jets, including fully electric seats. The supplemental type certificate opens the door for Gulfstream to offer the package as an option on new G550 and G450 aircraft. Work already is under way on the initial installations on those aircraft.
JOHN BRASFIELD was appointed manager of FlightSafety International’s Cessna Aircraft maintenance learning center in Wichita. Brasfield joined FlightSafety in 1999 as an instructor at its Hawker Beechcraft facility in Wichita. He since has held positions of increasing responsibility, including program manager for training on the Beechjet, Hawker 800XP, and Hawker Horizon, director of programs and, most recently, assistant manager of the Wichita Cessna learning center.
