Gulfstream Aerospace is hoping to obtain full certification and delivery of its G280 super midsize business jet in the second quarter, after receiving provisional type certification (PTC) from FAA on March 1. The PTC followed similar approval from the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel on Dec. 29.
Higher revenues and lower aircraft maintenance costs are driving NetJets’ profitability despite slower aircraft sales, says NetJets parent company Berkshire Hathaway. NetJets reported pretax earnings were up 10% to $227 million in 2011, a performance that Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett says was particularly impressive because sales of new aircraft shares were slow during most of the year. NetJets did see an uptick in December “that was more than seasonally normal,” he says, but it’s still unclear whether that improvement is sustainable.
SUPERIOR AIR PARTS, LYCOMING AND CONTINENTAL fuel-injected reciprocating engines [Docket No. FAA-2011-0547; Directorate Identifier 2011-NE-13-AD; Amendment 39-16947; AD 2012-03-06] – supersedes an existing AD that requires removing AVStar Fuel Systems (AFS) fuel servos installed after May 20, 2010, if the servo contained an AFS diaphragm, part number (P/N) AV2541801 or P/N AV2541803, from certain production lots.
ExecuJet Europe is increasing its presence at its new location at Cambridge Airport with U.K. ExecuJet, which recently won a five-year contract to run the fixed-base operation at the airport, is planning to relocate its aircraft operations department from Zurich to Cambridge in the second quarter. The company will retain some of its operations resources in Zurich to maintain the Swiss air operating certificate. In addition, ExecuJet Europe’s headquarters will remain in Zurich. ExecuJet says the U.K.
Feb. 28 - 29—2012 Air Charter Safety Symposium, NTSB Training Center, Dulles, Va, www.acsf.aero/symposium March 5—Speednews’ Second Annual Aerospace Raw Materials & Manufacturers Supply Chain Conference, Beverly (Hills) Wilshire Hotel, Calif., www.speednews.com/conferences March 5-7—26th Annual Commercial Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference, Beverly (Hills) Wilshire Hotel, Calif., www.speednews.com/conferences
Landmark Aviation received a 37-year lease to operate a fixed-base operation (FBO) at San Diego International Airport. The lease extends Landmark’s presence at the airport, beginning with Landmark’s acquisition of Jimsair Aviation Services in 2008. Under the most recent agreement, Landmark will design, build and operate a new FBO, with a 20,000-sq.-ft. terminal, a 250,000-sq.-ft. ramp and five hangars on a 12.4-acres tract. Landmark, which added 11 locations to its network in 2011, operates a total of 52 FBOs.
House aviation subcommittee leaders Thomas Petri (R-Wis.) and Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) have begun circulating a letter to President Obama objecting to the proposed $100 per-flight fee on commercial and general aviation.
BOB REDING has joined FlightSafety International as senior advisor to the CEO. Reding most recently was executive vice president-operations for AMR Corporation. He also has held senior roles with American Airlines, American Eagle, Canadian Regional Airlines, Reno Air, Midway Airlines and Air Florida.
Jet Aviation Basel has installed a custom-built tail and wing dock station that is certified for Boeing BBJ and Airbus 320 aircraft. The platform will help reduce aircraft downtime by up to six weeks, Jet Aviaiton says, noting it provides complete access to all areas of the tail on all four levels, as well as full structural inspection of the wings.
Eclipse Aerospace is finding interest picking up for its new Eclipse 550 with a busy demonstration tour, but still is cautious about pinpointing exactly when it will launch production. Eclipse began taking orders for the Eclipse 550, the follow-on to the original Eclipse 500, last fall and said it would start production sometime in 2013. “We’re doing pretty well,” says Eclipse Chairman and CEO Mason Holland. “It’s an organic process.”
Certification of the long-awaited Sikorsky S-76D is on track for midyear with first deliveries in the third quarter, company President Jeff Pino confirms. Delayed by up to four years based on its original program targets, the S-76D effort has overcome several development issues including rotor lag, avionics problems and an engine redesign. “We are not going to deliver a helicopter without dealing with these,” Pino said during this month’s 2012 Heli-Expo.
EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND Model MBB-BK 117 C-1 and C-2 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0101; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-042-AD] — proposes to require 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. The proposed AD also would require a repetitive maintenance “MAX N1 CHECK” to determine the appropriate maximum altitudes.
ATP’s new compliance and safety information service, ATP Aviation Hub, has captured 2,800 registered users since its introduction in late January. A cloud-based service, ATP Aviation Hub builds on the 2011 launch of ATP Navigator, the company says.
CLIVE RICHARDSON was appointed regional sales director for AJ Walter Aviation’s Engine Division. Richardson most recently was with ADAT in Abu Dhabi, where he was responsible for global engine management and technical sales. He also has experience with GE and Goodrich.
The deadline of Sept. 30, 2015, for integration of unmanned aircraft systems into U.S. civil airspace, set in the new FAA reauthorization bill, is expected to be met using ground-based sense-and-avoid (GBSAA), a Pentagon official says. Using ground radars, GBSAA will allow “routine access” to airspace for unmanned aircraft transiting between their bases and restricted areas used for training, says Steven Pennington, U.S. Air Force director of bases, ranges and airspace.
While most tax changes were stripped out of the final FAA reauthorization bill, one significant change remains – the tax treatment of aircraft operations under fractional aircraft ownership programs. Fractional aircraft operations have been taxed as commercial flights, and subject to the 7.5% transportation tax, fuel surcharge and segment fee. The reauthorization bill changes that to treat the operation as a private flight, subject to aviation fuel tax with an additional fuel surtax of 14.1 cents per gallon. The tax change is effective March 31 and runs through Sept.
ANDREW STOREY was named Canada area manager for Landmark Aviation. Storey will continue as general manager for the Toronto location, but have oversight of the company’s three Canadian sites. He has 25 years of industry experience, beginning as a line service technician at Toronto while worked on his private pilot’s license.
While it awaits a final ruling from the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the Airbus versus Boeing subsidies battle, the U.S. is preparing to use the results as a platform from which to launch a case against Canada alleging illegal launch aid for the Bombardier CSeries. “The case against Boeing is still under appeal, but the case against Airbus is complete, and the WTO found that every Airbus model included subsidies that violated WTO rules,” says Maureen Smith, assistant deputy undersecretary for manufacturing and services at the U.S. Commerce Department.
FAA Administrator Michael Huerta recently attended a ceremony to award a platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) to a new 9,000-sq.-ft. corporate flight center at Chattanooga Airport. Operated by Wilson Air Center, the facility is the first such FBO terminal to receive LEED platinum certification.
STEVEN MENG was promoted to regional sales manager for Gulfstream Aerospace’s product support sales in Southern California. Meng, based in Long Beach, will oversee sales of maintenance, paint, interior upgrades and avionics modifications to operators in the Los Angeles, San Diego and surrounding areas. Meng, who has 17 years of corporate aviation experience, has spent 14 years with Gulfstream, most recently as senior internal sales manager.
TURBOMECA. Arriel 2B and 2B1 turboshaft engines [Docket No. FAA-2009-0889; Directorate Identifier 2009-NE-35-AD; AD 2012-03-11] – supersedes an AD that currently requires checking the transmissible torque between the low-pressure (LP) pump impeller and the high-pressure (HP) pump shaft on high-pressure/low-pressure (HP/LP) pump hydro-mechanical metering units (HMUs) that do not incorporate Modification TU 147. This new AD requires inspection and possible replacement of the HMU.
The International Helicopter Safety Team (IHST) is teaming with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) to cooperate on a range of safety initiatives. IHST and CIS are formalizing an agreement that will include an exchange of information and best practices, collaboration on joint helicopter safety projects, participation in joint meetings and activities and coordination on other international events.
General aviation groups are concerned that a recently issued National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) regulation oversteps the agency’s authority by appearing to regulate airspace and could result in $100,000 fines to pilots unaware of potential airspace restrictions that currently aren’t on FAA charts.
With FAA’s reauthorization bill recently signed into law, business aviation groups are pinning their hopes on the highway reauthorization bill to overturn a fuel fraud measure that causes certain jet fuel to be taxed at the highway diesel fuel rate. The highway reauthorization legislation, H.R. 7, is expected to come up for debate this week, but is facing some controversy as lawmakers wade through numerous amendments and attempt to drum up the necessary votes for its passage.
