Jet Aviation Hong Kong recently won approval from the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (CAD) to perform line maintenance on the Dassault Falcon 2000EX EASy/LX. It also received European Aviation Safety Agency Part 145 approval for line and base maintenance on the Bombardier Global Express, Bombardier Challenger 601, Gulfstream G-V SP and Dassault Falcon 7X, F900EX EASy and F2000EX EASy.
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt participated in the groundbreaking Oct. 18 of a new FAA control tower and Tracon at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. The $69 million project will replace a radar facility and tower that dates to the 1980s. Babbitt says the 324-ft. tower will improve the line of sight for controllers, who will be using next-generation air traffic control equipment.
The ongoing economic malaise in the business aviation market is imperiling Piper Aircraft’s single-jet program, the PiperJet Altaire, and consequently helped spur a management shakeup at the top.
Blackhawk has delivered the first customer Caravan XP42A and work is under way on the next several conversions, says CEO and President Jim Allmon. The FAA- and EASA-certified upgrade comes with a new-engine warranty from Pratt & Whitney, a pre-paid year of the Trend Group Turbine Trend Analysis program and free CAMP maintenance tracking for the first year. Certification of the Caravan XP42A by Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency is imminent.
THIELERT AIRCRAFT ENGINES TAE 125-02-99 and TAE 125-02-114 engines [Docket No. FAA-2011-0956; Directorate Identifier 2011-NE-23-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to replace certain friction disks with newly designed disks. This proposal, which resulted from an MCAI issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, is designed to prevent inflight shutdown of the engine and consequent loss of control of the airplane. FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 206 engines installed on airplanes on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S.
The used aircraft inventory of in-production models climbed slightly for heavy and medium-sized types in September, but so did average asking price, at least month over month, says J.P. Morgan. Heavy jet inventories were up 0.2% and medium jet inventories increased 0.1%, while light jets remained flat. The overall in-production model inventory reached 10.6%, says J.P. Morgan. Increases were reported with Gulfstream, Embraer, Hawker Beechcraft and Cessna aircraft, while Dassault fell and Bombardier remained flat.
LORI THOMAS was appointed charter sales manager for Jet Aviation Van Nuys. Thomas joins Jet Aviation with extensive experience, previously serving with The Air Group, XOJet and Avjet Corp. She reports to Jon Winthrop, vice president and managing director of the Van Nuys operation, the former chairman and CEO of The Air Group.
Honda Aircraft will build a new HondaJet maintenance, repair and overhaul facility near its Greensboro, N.C., headquarters at Piedmont Triad International Airport. Construction of the $20 million facility is expected to begin in the second quarter of next year, CEO Michimasa Fujino says. The company expects construction to be completed by the first half of 2013. The building will feature 80,000 sq. ft. of space, including a hangar, a workshop and customer support facilities, and is designed to provide heavy maintenance and overhaul, Fujino says.
Dave Whitten was appointed senior vice president, strategy and marketing for Nordam. Whitten will identify, evaluate and pursue new deals and acquisitions. He has led global marketing for Nordam since 2005. Before that, he served with Goodrich for nine years in aerospace marketing, sales, strategy and demand management.
A new survey on the brand reputation of business aviation original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) from aviation information consultancy Jetnet LLC was released at last week’s National Business Aviation Association convention. Respondents in the third quarter of 2011 indicated that Gulfstream is the overall business aircraft brand leader, scoring 8.6 on a 1-10 scale, the survey says. “Owners and operators of Gulfstream aircraft are more likely to rate their brand as number one across various brand elements than any other respondent group,” it says.
Business aircraft activity in September was down 4.4% overall from August 2011, according to Argus TRAQPak data. All operational categories posted a negative month, with the fractional market showing the steepest decline, down 7.3%. Part 135 activity slid 6.1%, followed by Part 91, down 2.7%.
The Transportation Security Administration is inching closer to the release of the revised Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) proposal, but Doug Hofsass, TSA deputy assistant administrator for transportation sector network management, told attendees at last week’s NBAA convention that LASP will have a new name. TSA would like to release the new proposal for comment by the end of the year, and Hofsass promises the revised program will make more sense than the previous proposal. The original proposal drew 8,000 comments – all in opposition, Hofsass says.
The T-6 Texan II advanced trainer, AT-6 light air support aircraft and intelligence/surveillance/reconnaissance versions of its King Air models are some of the most profitable parts of Hawker Beechcraft Corp.’s business. “We’re not selling it. We’re pleased with the diversification, and it gives us sustaining revenues in a bad time,” Bill Boisture, company chairman and CEO, told Aviation Week at the recent National Business Aviation Association’s annual convention.
ECLIPSE AEROSPACE EA500 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0199; Directorate Identifier 2011-CE-005-AD] – This proposed AD, a revision of an existing directive (AD 2011-06-06) that applies to EA500s equipped with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F-A engines, would allow operators to incorporate a design change to the combustion chamber liner assembly, which would terminate the current maximum operating altitude of 30,000 ft. and restore the original certificated maximum operating altitude of 41,000 ft. FAA estimates that this proposal would affect 259 airplanes on the U.S.
Cessna Aircraft introduced a virtually all-new jet, the Citation Latitude, at last week’s National Business Aviation Association convention. In doing so, the Wichita firm challenged competitors hoping to supplant its leadership in the less-than-heavy-iron market. It’s the second new model to be announced by the firm in just two weeks. Cessna unveiled the Citation M2, an evolutionary successor to the CJ1+, in late September.
Hawker Beechcraft plans to petition FAA to permit FAR Part 135 charter operators of Hawker 800XP, 800XPR, 850XP and 900XP models to conduct extended over-water operations, such as San Francisco to Hawaii, without requiring the agency’s Extended Twin-Engine Operations Standards (ETOPS) approval. Based upon a series of extensive testing, Hawker Beechcraft believes the aircraft has the capability to travel the required distance within the allotted time.
Fred Rasch has rejoined TIMCO Aviation Services as vice president of maintenance, repair and overhaul sales. Rasch previously had served with TIMCO from 2001 through 2005 as director of contracts and pricing. Most recently he was director of business development for TeamSAI. In his new role, he will manage existing customer accounts and foster new maintenance relationships across the company’s line, engine and airframe businesses.
China has become the fastest-growing market for business jets, as evidenced by activity at last week’s National Business Aviation Association convention. Embraer Executive Jets President Ernest Edwards predicts that Chinese customers will take delivery of 680 new aircraft worth about $20 billion over the next 10 years, while Minsheng Financial Leasing Co. Chairman Kong Lingshan estimates 1,000 jets in that period. But the majority of them will be large-cabin aircraft.
Eclipse Aerospace is planning to deliver its first new production very light jet, sometime in 2013, since buying the assets of bankrupt Eclipse Aviation in 2009. The company last week began taking orders for the Eclipse 550, the new member of the Eclipse family.
Chinese officials attending last week’s National Business Aviation Association annual meeting and convention in Las Vegas signaled that they are positioning their country for a rapid expansion in business aviation.
Garmin is realigning its management structure with Gary Kelley’s announced plans to retire at the end of the year as vice president of marketing. Garmin appointed Philip Straub to lead the aviation unit, Carl Wolf as vice president, aviation marketing and sales, and Frank McLoughlin as vice president, aviation engineering.
FOKKER F.27 Mark 050 and F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-1067; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-034-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to conduct a detailed visual inspection of the brightness of all Tritium exit signs and strips. Operators would need to replace insufficiently bright signs and lighting strips. This proposal, which resulted from an MCAI originated by the European Aviation Safety Agency, is designed to ensure that exit signs and lighting strips are bright enough to facilitate safe evacuation during an emergency.
As Bombardier Aerospace begins production of its mostly composite Learjet 85, company executives believe the first composite member of the Learjet family will become the future of the brand, says Guy Hachey, president of Bombardier Aerospace. “Learjet is moving up-gauge, and we will not enter the very light jet market. … The Lear 85 will change that brand, and we expect to have more than 17% of the market,” Hachey says, referring to Lear’s current market share in its segments.
ExecuJet Europe has won the tender to manage the fixed-based operator business at the U.K.’s Cambridge Airport. Effective Jan. 1, 2012, ExecuJet Europe will take over the management of the former Marshall Business Aviation FBO. Cambridge Airport will be ExecuJet’s ninth European FBO and its first full service FBO in the U.K.
SAAB 340A and 340B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-1062; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-038-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to replace the current main landing gear separation-bolt harness with an improved harness, per the instructions of Saab Service Bulletin 340-32-139, Rev. 01 (dated Nov. 1, 2010).
