U.S. and European companies, eager to capitalize on the continued strong demand for private aviation in the Middle East, are opening new support facilities, establishing joint ventures and expanding their service offerings.
Toronto-based distributor Interfast and China’s Avic International Zhuhai Co. cut the ribbon on an aerospace fastener warehouse in Guangdong Province last week. The warehouse is temporarily located in a CAE facility while a new, larger facility is built. Interfast owns 51% of the new joint venture, which will supply specialized aerospace fasteners and hardware and offer engineering support and other services to aerospace firms in Asia.
While Hawker Beechcraft has lodged a protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) over the U.S. Air Force’s decision to exclude the company from the Light Air Support (LAS) competition, the rival team of Sierra Nevada Corp. and Embraer say they have heard nothing from the service about the status of their proposal.
As LightSquared wraps up another round of testing on its new approach to deploy a broadband-wireless network, lawmakers are pushing measures to prevent the plan from moving forward until they are satisfied that the network would not interfere with GPS use. Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) attached an amendment to the financial services and government affairs appropriations bill prohibiting the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from using any funds to permit LightSquared to build the network until concerns regarding GPS interference are addressed.
Congress approved a $15.85 billion fiscal 2012 budget for FAA in the multi-agency “minibus” spending bill that passed Nov. 17 and was signed into law on Nov. 18. The bill, which passed both chambers before a continuing resolution funding the government expired on Nov. 18, reflects the budget-cutting mood in Washington, slashing funding at a number of agencies, including $924 million out of the NASA budget.
Dubai-based investment firm Medrar Financial Group has signed an agreement to take a majority stake in Diamond Aircraft Holdings in Canada, a move that will provide much-needed financial backing for the company’s D-Jet single-jet program.
GAL Aviation of Quebec City, Canada and MENA Aerospace Enterprises have established a joint venture in Bahrain to provide a range of design, refurbishment and installation services for corporate and VIP airliner aircraft. GAL MENA will set up the fabrication and design capabilities, as well as train workers for the associated trades. The services will be provided from new GAL MENA facilities in Bahrain, as well as at the venture’s hangar at the Bahrain International Airport. GAL Aviation’s production center in Canada will support the efforts.
Cirrus Aircraft has opened its first full-motion flight simulator in Europe. The facility, which is located in Poland at Aero Pozan, a Cirrus training center, offers instruction for SR20 and SR22 pilots. The simulator, which utilizes the Cirrus Perspective cockpit system, is being used for initial and recurrent training, as well as transition training for aviators moving into glass cockpits. Training can be conducted in any European language.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE AS350B, B1, B2, B3, BA, C, D, and D1; and AS355E, F, F1, F2, N, and NP helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2011-1158; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-018-AD; Amendment 39-16847; AD 2011-22-05] – Conduct a daily check of the tail-rotor pitch-control rod’s outboard spherical bearing for play. If play exists, measure the bearing’s radial and axial play. This AD supersedes an existing directive (AD 2003-22-06), retaining all of its requirements, but expands the applicability to include AS355NP helicopters and additional control rods.
Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support (GCS) is expanding its Hawker 400XPR and Hawker 800XPR programs beyond owners looking to upgrade their aircraft. The programs will now include helping non-owners acquire Beechjet 400A, Hawker 400 or Hawker 800 aircraft for upgrade to “factory-completed” XPR status, which includes a factory warranty and support.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) believes funding of the air transportation system “will be the next big issue in aviation.” He acknowledges the industry’s opposition to the Obama administration’s proposed $100-per-flight tax, and says the fee makes his $25 proposal made several years ago “look very, very good.” He warns that the user fee discussion is not going away. “I am afraid that it will become increasingly hard to sustain the current level of general fund revenues to pay for aviation.
NICOLE GOODSTEIN was named director of global total rewards for Gulfstream Aerospace. Goodstein oversees the strategy and design of Gulfstream’s global employee total reward programs, along with working with employees on compensation, benefits, wellness and international assignment programs and offerings. She formerly was director of global benefits at Cisco Systems. She also has worked in human resources for a number of other companies, including the Ayco Company, Johnson & Johnson and the Coca-Cola Company.
BAE SYSTEMS Model 4101 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0306; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-176-AD; Amendment 39-16829; AD 2011-21-06] – Implement new or more-restrictive maintenance requirements and/or airworthiness limitations as specified in Chapter 05 of the Airplane Maintenance Manual, Revision 33. This AD, which resulted from an MCAI originated by the European Aviation Safety Agency and supersedes an existing directive (AD 2009-10-02), is designed to prevent failure of certain structurally significant items, including the main landing gear and the nose landing gear.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) is expanding its membership with the addition of rotorcraft manufacturers. The association’s board of directors voted to include helicopter makers, marking the first significant change in the GAMA bylaws since the association agreed to accept non-U.S. manufacturers in 2002. The board made its decision during its recent annual meeting held near Dassault’s Merignac facility in Bordeaux, France, the first board meeting to be held outside the U.S.
CIRRUS SR22T airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-1212; Directorate Identifier 2011-CE-034-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to inspect and modify the air box flange welds and slots and install induction system air box seals, as applicable, per the instructions of Cirrus Design SR22T Service Bulletin SB 2X-71-17 R1 (dated Sept. 30, 2011). This proposal was prompted by reports of partial loss of engine power due to a dislodged rubber gasket/seal being ingested into the turbocharger. This condition, if not corrected, could result in engine failure.
RLC, the largest privately held helicopter operator in the Gulf of Mexico, has signed a four-year training contract with FlightSafety International, extending a relationship that has been in place since 2010. The agreement includes training for more than 100 RLC pilots at FlightSafety’s Lafayette, La. learning center as part of the company’s comprehensive helicopter training program.
Members of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) are visiting various manufacturers as part of its overall investigation of the business jet industry in the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Europe and China. The visits follow a hearing the ITC held in late September, and the efforts are expected to culminate in a report that should be completed in April. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) and Reps. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kan.) and Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) had requested the study last May.
AVIONS DE TRANSPORT RÉGIONAL ATR 42 and ATR 72 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0721; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-217-AD; Amendment 39-16861; AD 2011-23-10] – Inspect the inboard hinge fitting area and the lower stop angles of the inboard hinge fittings on both the left-hand and right-hand elevators. If any damaged angles are found, replace them with serviceable parts before further flight. Also, inspect adjacent areas to detect any damage and repair it before further flight.
Airbus is establishing a new structure for its Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) business. The manufacturer is creating an internal organization that includes sales, customer support, engineering and other core functions for the corporate jets. According to John Leahy, chief operating officer-customers, the entity is to be ready by year-end and will mean “a new level of attentiveness” to the segment.
JetFlite International (JFI) has begun offering an aircraft refinishment program designed to repair and refinish existing components and materials with minimal replacement “The program really is an aircraft face-lift for a fraction of the price,” says JFI CEO Bill Cripe.
The U.S. Air Force has chosen to drop Hawker Beechcraft’s AT-6 from the Light Air Support (LAS) competition, in which it was vying with Embraer’s Super Tucano. The service informed the company in a letter. “The letter provides no basis for the exclusion,” Hawker Beechcraft said Friday.
Discussions are under way that could significantly change the prospects for passing the first FAA reauthorization bill since the last one expired in 2007. Lawmakers may remove a toxic labor provision from the FAA bill and offer an amended version as a standalone bill, confirms Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), ranking Democrat of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s aviation subcommittee.
MATTHEW GREENE was named vice president of program management for Safe Flight Instrument Corp. Greene, who joined Safe Flight in 2003 and has been promoted to positions of increasing responsibility, most recently was vice president of marketing. In his new role, he will develop a program management department that will help improve new-product time to market and align the company’s growth objectives to meet customer and regulatory requirements.
ERICKSON AIR-CRANE S-64F helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2010-0909; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-026-AD; Amendment 39-16835; AD 2011-21-12] – Repetitively inspect the rotating swashplate assembly for cracks. If any cracks are found, replace the swashplate with an airworthy one before further flight. This AD is intended to prevent loss of a swashplate due to fatigue cracking, loss of control of the main-rotor system and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. FAA estimates that this directive will affect seven helicopters on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S.
JEFFREY WOOD was appointed senior vice president of StandardAero’s airlines and fleets business. Wood has 24 years of experience with companies including General Electric, Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines and Teleflex. He also served as president of Airfoil Technologies International. Most recently, he was a senior advisor for Irving Place Capital.
