The Sundance Helicopters air tour helicopter that crashed Dec. 7 outside Las Vegas had departed the normal flight route, climbing, turning and descending in the final minute of the fatal flight, according to preliminary information released last week by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
The fractional ownership fleet continues to slide, down 10 jets in October to 771, according to market analyst J.P. Morgan. Year to date the fleet is down 11% and has declined in 29 of the 33 months since the January 2009 peak of 960, J.P. Morgan says in its December Business Jet Monthly report. Share sales also plummeted in October, down 40% year over year and 26% from the previous month, the analyst says.
LISA GIESSERT was appointed to head of sales administration and customer support for Piper Aircraft. She is responsible for sales administration, marketing, customer support and aftermarket business. Giessert has served with Piper for nearly 20 years and held a number of positions of increasing responsibility in Piper sales support.
FlightSafety International has received approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency for its Dassault Falcon 7X Theory Maintenance Initial Course. Already approved by FAA and Transport Canada, the 20-day course is available at FlightSafety’s training facilities in Dallas and at the Paris-Le Bourget airport in France. The course covers component location, function, normal system operation, routine servicing, minor troubleshooting and repair of aircraft systems. The course also includes simulation training.
FAA has certified the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S engines that will be installed on Sikorsky’s new S-76D helicopter. The Dec. 5 certification follows the award of Transport Canada approval in October. Sikorsky, which calls the FAA validation “another important milestone in the development of the S-76D helicopter,” expects European Aviation Safety Agency approval in the upcoming months and delivery of the first S-76D in 2012. Sikorsky is flight testing three prototype S-76D helicopters, and two more are expected to join the program in early 2012.
MICHAEL DOW was appointed director and general manager of manufacturing services for Piper Aircraft. He has a 30-year aviation background, including leadership roles for military and commercial products. Dow most recently was director of manufacturing engineering and tooling at Aurora Flight Sciences. Before that, he spent 11 years with Bell Helicopter, where he held leadership positions in manufacturing engineering and operations management.
The second round of testing for potential GPS interference from LightSquared’s proposed broadband network shows interference with a “majority” of GPS receivers, the U.S. Departments of Defense and Transportation say. The agencies released a joint statement last week on the recently completed testing for interference from LightSquared’s proposed operation of high-powered 4G LTE (long- term evolution) ground stations in the Mobile Satellite Service band, intended for satellite downlink.
TURBOMECA Arriel 2B and 2B1 engines [Docket No. FAA-2009-0889; Directorate Identifier 2009-NE-35-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to check the transmissible torque between the low-pressure (LP) fuel pump impeller and the high-pressure (HP) fuel pump shaft on HP/LP pump hydromechanical metering units (HMUs). If the HMU does not pass the torque check, then replace it.
The Middle East business jet fleet has contracted over the past year, but business aviation analyst Brian Foley says the downward shift is likely a necessary shakeout of the market. The business jet population in the Middle East fell about 6%, from 550 aircraft to 516, primarily in the large and midsize categories. Foley estimates the value of the aircraft that have either been sold, grounded or repossessed at close to $750 million.
U.S. aerospace and defense sales continued to grow in 2011 and will see only a modest decline next year, according to a forecast unveiled Dec. 14 by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). But the association warns of potential continued troubles for the lighter end of general aviation.
The Chinese market, which was nearly nonexistent for business aviation just a few years ago, is accounting for 7% of global business jet deliveries, according to the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). That number is expected to steadily grow, reaching 20% by the end of the decade.
Avfuel added Island City Flying Service to its network of branded fuel dealers. Owned by Paul De Poo since 1984, Island City is a full service fixed-base operation (FBO) at Key West International Airport. It will participate in AVTRIP rewards and Avfuel contract fuel programs. The FBO is undergoing a complete renovation that is scheduled for completion in early 2012.
Appareo Systems has teamed helicopter services company CHC Helicopter to develop an electronic flight bag (EFB) application for the CHC fleet. The CHC EFB software will run on the Apple iPad as part of an effort by CHC to move toward a paperless cockpit. CHC is deploying more than 500 iPads globally to be used for various flight-related activities, including crew training and flight operations. The EFB will help standardize CHC’s flight operations at bases worldwide, providing routing, fuel planning and weight and balance calculations for flight crews.
Al Bateen Executive Airport in the UAE is hosting the Abu Dhabi Air Expo March 6-8. The event, which is expected to draw more than 8,000 visitors, will provide a forum for brokers and enable private owners to promote their aircraft to the local general aviation market, organizers say. The event, which will include 20,000 sq. meters (215,000 sq. ft.) of floor space, also will have an outdoor exhibit and static aircraft display. Organizers expect about 150 general aviation aircraft, helicopters and jets will be on display.
SIKORSKY S-92A helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2011-1113; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-53-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to inspect each tail-rotor blade for mislocated aluminum wire mesh in the blade skin. This proposal is intended to detect mislocated blade wire mesh and prevent spar delamination, loss of the blade tip cap during a lightning strike, blade imbalance, loss of a blade and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 44 helicopters on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S.
Jan. 11-13, 2012—Airports Council International-NA Insurance & Risk Management Conference, New Orleans, www.aci-na.org/conferences/ Jan. 15-16, 2012—American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 15th Annual FAA Space Transportation Conference, Walter E. Washington (D.C.) Convention Center, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington, D.C., www.aiaa.org Jan. 15-18, 2012—National Business Aviation Association’s Annual Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference, San Diego Convention Center, www.nbaa.org/events/sdc/2012
FAA is expected to release a proposal for public comment in early 2012 that outlines its plans for the sale and distribution of its digital products, including navigation charts. Agency officials this week met with a number of industry leaders and chart providers to discuss potential proposals for the digital service.
BELL 204B, 205A, 205A-1, 205B and 212 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2011-1188; Directorate Identifier 2008-SW-46-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to repetitively inspect certain main-rotor yokes and establish a retirement life of 3,600 hr. time-in-service (TIS) for certain yokes.
SIKORSKY S-92A helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2011-1115; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-011-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to revise the “Operating Limitations” section of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual. This proposal was prompted by the discovery that engine data was inaccurate in dealing with available above-specification engine-power margin. This proposed AD is intended to prevent the use of inaccurate engine-performance data in calculating maximum gross weight. FAA estimates that this proposal would affect 37 helicopters on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S.
National Air Transportation Association is appealing to members for donations to help combat a lawsuit filed by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) in California against fixed-base operators (FBOs) that sell leaded aviation gasoline. “CEH is very effective in suing businesses for what it claims are violations of Proposition 65,” says NATA President James Coyne. “Over the last eight years, CEH has collected, through Proposition 65 lawsuits, over $116 million from companies doing business in California. FBOs are now in CEH’s sights.” See article on Page 4.
A European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruling in the U.S. airline suit challenging the inclusion of aviation in the European Union’s emissions trading system (EU ETS) likely will be issued on Dec. 21, 11 days before the ETS is to be extended to all operations into and out of EU airports. The ECJ ruling follows an opinion issued in October by an EU judge advocate supporting the legislation that takes effect Jan. 1. Although a U.K.
BOMBARDIER DHC-8-400 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0720; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-252-AD; Amendment 39-16867; AD 2011-24-03] – Incorporate into the approved maintenance program a new task to prevent excessive free-play of the turnbuckle and cable within the main landing gear (MLG) alternate release system. This AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by Transport Canada, is intended to ensure that the MLG extends during landing. Failure to do so could result in loss of control during landing.
Forecast International projects that business jet production will resume growing – albeit slowly – in 2012, after declining in each of the previous three years. A new study issued by the Connecticut market research firm, “The Market for Business Jet Aircraft,” predicts that 10,907 business jets worth an estimated $230.3 billion (in constant 2011 U.S. dollars) will be produced between 2011 and 2020.
