MICHAEL HARKINS joined Dallas Airmotive as regional engine manager for the Mid-Atlantic states. Harkins will be responsible for selling repair and overhaul services on Honeywell TFE731, 36 series APU and Pratt & Whitney Canada PW305 engines. He previously was director of maintenance for Aero Taxi in New Castle, Del. and was the president of the First Stat Chapter of the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association. He also served in the U.S. Air Force.
Relief is the prevailing sentiment in business aviation circles after President Obama’s State of the Union address, as industry advocates point out that corporate jet owners were not a specific target of the speech. And, while many industry leaders embrace his call for supporting manufacturing, they quickly note that other policy goals will hamper general aviation manufacturing.
40 Years Ago Jan. 10, 1972 – General aviation industry returns to upswing with 7,471 aircraft delivered. 30 Years Ago Jan. 4, 1982 – U.S. Navy opposition to joint use of some military airfields as reliever airports surprise general aviation advocates. 20 Years Ago Jan. 20, 1992 – The General Aviation Manufacturers Association calls for luxury tax repeal.
Hawker Beechcraft received type certification for the Hawker 900XP midsize business jet from the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) Aviation Registry in Russia. Russia joins more than 50 countries that have granted such approval for the aircraft.
Gama Aviation has opened a new fixed-base operation (FBO) at Sharjah International Airport near Dubai. Gama plans to provide round-the-clock business aviation services in a move that expands its business relationship with the airport and strengthens its services in the Middle East and North Africa region. Gama has been operating at Sharjah since 2004. Jeremy Mitchell, who joins Gama after having been manager, operations for Sharjah Aviation Services, will manage the new FBO.
Jeppesen President and CEO Mark Van Tine recently was honored as the “Aviation Industry Leader of the Year” by the Living Legends of Aviation. Van Tine was recognized for his professional dedication and motivational leadership qualities throughout his 30-year career with Jeppesen. Van Tine has been credited with accelerating the transformation of paper to digital flight information – including the recent development of iPad and tablet options. He also serves as a committee chair for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.
Eurocopter expects helicopter deliveries to enter a new growth phase in 2012, with order intake anticipated to rise for a second year. “Our assumption is very strong growth in the next years,” CEO Lutz Bertling says. Deliveries are expected to return to their pre-crisis level, or about 600, up from 503 units last year, 527 in 2010 and 558 in 2009. Order intake this year should surpass 500 units, Bertling believes.
Reps. Sam Graves (R-Mo.) and Daniel Lipinski (D-Ill.) have introduced a “Pilot’s Bill of Rights,” similar to the legislation introduced by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) last summer. The bill, referred to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is designed to improve the flow of information during FAA enforcement actions, including access to flight service briefings and other sources that currently may require a subpoena. The bill also calls for improving the notice to airmen system and reviewing medical forms to ensure they are clear.
Jet Aviation’s completions business is undergoing another restructuring following $189 million in charges taken in the fourth quarter that “blemished” an otherwise strong year for General Dynamics’ (GD) Aerospace Group, GD Chairman and CEO Jay Johnson says. GD marked its best cash quarter ever in the fourth quarter, largely thanks to the delivery of 12 green Gulfstream G650 aircraft. Fourth-quarter sales and the operating earnings at GD’s Gulfstream unit were the strongest of the year in the fourth quarter.
The EADS board of directors has approved a planned management reshuffle after naming former European Central Bank chief Jean-Claude Trichet to the board in a bid to appease the French government. The leadership transition will now unfold as initially planned, with Airbus CEO Tom Enders replacing retiring EADS CEO Louis Gallois this summer, and Fabrice Bregier moving into the top job at Airbus. Arnaud Lagardere takes over as EADS board chairman from Bodo Uebber.
Flexjet President Fred Reid notes that business jet bashing is bound to surface during an election year, but says he would argue that “the most precious manufacturing jobs are aviation and aerospace,” and that business aviation provides a $150 billion contribution to the U.S. economy. “Why exactly would you want to trash that business?” he asks. But he also is not as concerned about the impact such rhetoric may have on his customers. “The owners of Flexjet fractional shares are disproportionately strong drivers of economic good,” he says.
House and Senate leaders are laying the groundwork to begin a much-anticipated conference on long-term FAA reauthorization legislation, but a move to add a provision barring U.S. operators from participating in the European Union’s emission trading system (ETS) could imperil passage. In the interim though, the House and Senate last week each approved the 23rd short-term extension of FAA’s operating authority.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-400 airplanes [Docket No. FAA–2012–0036; Directorate Identifier 2011–NM–142–AD] – proposes to require a detailed inspection for defects and damage of the retract port flexible hose on the left and right MLG retraction actuator, and replacement of the flexible hose if needed. This proposed AD was prompted by test reports showing that failure of a retract port flexible hose of a main landing gear (MLG) retraction actuator could cause excessive hydraulic fluid leakage.
Used aircraft account for more than half of recent accidents involving the experimental amateur-built category, according to data released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB collected data and studied 222 accidents that occurred in 2011 as part of a study the agency is conducting on experimental amateur-built aircraft safety. The study, to be released this spring, will evaluate issues unique to experimental-built aircraft.
The Central European Private Aviation (CEPA) plans to name a new chairman early next month when current Chairman Jiri Matousek completes his contract. “We feel it is important to continue bringing fresh ideas to CEPA, and for 2012 we have decided to recruit our chairman from another key area of aviation to ensure the association continues to develop its full potential,” says Dagmar Grossmann, who founded CEPA three years ago. Matousek will remain with the association and assist during a transition period.
The European Commission’s proposed changes to airport slot allocations would lead to job losses in Europe and curb regional air service availability, says a new study conducted for European regional airlines and business aircraft operators.
Dassault Falcon has begun operating a new satellite service station at West Palm Beach Airport (KPBI) in Florida. The station is authorized to perform “A” inspections up to the “4A+” inspection on Falcon 50, 2000 and 900 aircraft, along with the Falcon 7X. Dassault expects European Aviation Safety Agency approval to follow within the next 30 days. “Dassault Falcon has been aggressively expanding our ‘footprint of service’ and this is a critical piece to our strategy,” says Bob Sundin, senior vice president of Dassault Aircraft Services.
Phillips 66 Aviation has launched a mobile application for its WingPoints Rewards With Altitude program, providing pilots access to their WingPoints accounts and an airport dealer locator. The WingPoints Reward Card was launched in 2008, providing reward points for fuel purchases. The app is available at the iTunes store.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701, & 702);CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705); CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900); and CL-600-2E25 (Regional Jet Series 1000) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-1416; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-156-AD] – proposes to require an inspection to determine if certain oxygen pressure regulators are installed, and replacement of oxygen cylinder and regulator assemblies containing pressure regulators that do not meet required material properties.
Phillips 66 Aviation is expanding its network of branded dealers with the addition of 85 fixed-base operators formerly with Exxon. ExxonMobil last year announced it was exiting the general aviation fuels market in North America, leaving close to 100 FBOs to find a new brand.
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) is holding a new FBO Managers Workshop that will cover issues specific to running a fixed-base operation. The workshop, which starts one day before the FBO Leadership Conference and runs March 27-28, will cover the airport manager perspective on airport/FBO Relations, nationwide trends affecting FBOs and airport relationships, communicating the value of aviation businesses and capital investment strategies. For more information, visit http://www.nata.aero/events.
FAA has issued special conditions for the use of rechargeable lithium batteries and battery systems on Gulfstream’s Model GVI (G650) business jet. FAA says current regulations do not contain adequate safety standards for the use of the lithium batteries, and the special conditions provide an appropriate safety standard. Gulfstream’s proposed use of the rechargeable lithium batteries prompted an FAA review of the existing regulations.
Proponents of a new airport for the southeast of England that would address a worsening capacity bottleneck are going to get a hearing for their controversial plan. The airport, to be built on reclaimed land in the Thames estuary, is billed by some as an alternative to adding runway capacity at existing London airports. The capital city’s mayor, Boris Johnson, has long championed the idea, which is expected to be released for a formal consultation process in March. The reaction to the government’s plan has been mixed.
Rockwell Collins is increasing its global regional trip support with the addition of several new European flight planning features to its Ascend Flight Manager online program. The additions enable European operators to select pre-approved Eurocontrol routes and create routes to submit for Eurocontrol validation. Rockwell Collins also is providing a message management service that monitors and alerts flight departments about any Eurocontrol message related to their flights.
Kestrel Aircraft, the startup manufacturer led by Cirrus founder Alan Klapmeier, is moving operations from Brunswick Landing, Maine to Superior, Wis. The company originally planned to establish operations at the former NAS Brunswick in a 170,000-sq.-ft. hangar built in 2004. But officials from the city of Superior, the state of Wisconsin and Douglas County assembled an incentive package of nearly $116 million in financing, grants, loans, tax credits and future tax credit allocations.
