The lack of a clear national aviation policy could jeopardize the future of business aviation, Ed Bolen, president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association, told the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) at a recent hearing.
Multiflight, a U.K.-based aviation services company, has delivered a third Eurocopter Dauphin to U.K.-based Great North Air Ambulance Service, a charity that offers emergency medical transportation. The helicopter was handed over at last week’s Helitech 2011 show, held at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, U.K.
AgustaWestland and a new Chinese company plan to collaborate on helicopter activities. The Western rotorcraft maker recently signed a “statement of intent” with Chongqing Helicopter Investment Corp. “to explore potential collaboration in the helicopter field to satisfy the market requirements of China.” The parties plan to set up a joint venture in Chongqing and test fly the first aircraft assembled there by the end of 2012. AgustaWestland has sold 40 commercial helicopters in China so far and already forged an agreement with Jiangxi Changhe Aviation Industries Co.
Goodrich’s Actuation and Landing Systems unit has been selected by Mesa Air Group, Inc. to provide landing gear maintenance services for the airline’s fleet of Bombardier CRJ700 and CRJ900 aircraft. The multiyear agreement covers all scheduled repair and overhaul services, including use of Goodrich-owned rotable landing gear assets. Goodrich is the original equipment manufacturer of the landing gear for the CRJ700 and CRJ900.
In recent years, Bombardier has spent considerable time and resources building up a global customer support network and trying to reposition itself in terms of customer satisfaction. “In the 1990s, we were at the top of the heap, and in the 2000s, we lost that for business aviation and went to the bottom,” acknowledges Bombardier Aerospace President and COO Guy Hachey. He attributes this to many factors, including lack of support in the field, not having a global footprint and not having enough parts inventories when customers needed them.
A U.S. District Court judge in Fresno, Calif., is expected to rule shortly on a motion filed by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) to pursue its legal action against fuel providers in California for selling aviation gasoline. A coalition of fixed-base operators and avgas distributors in California filed suit to block CEH’s effort to use a state environmental statute, Proposition 65, to seek an end to the sale and distribution of avgas and to assess millions in penalties against its providers.
JACE STONE was promoted to director, product support sales for Gulfstream Aerospace. He will be responsible for product support sales in the Western U.S. and western Canada, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington state, and Wyoming in the U.S.; and Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan in Canada. Previously national sales manager for Gulfstream product support sales, he has 27 years of corporate aviation experience, including eight years with Gulfstream.
Rockwell Collins is adapting technology from its newest avionics suite, Pro Line Fusion, for the turboprop and light jet markets. Initially certified on Bombardier’s Global 6000 long-range business aircraft in June, the system has been selected for use on 11 business, commercial and military aircraft—in some cases much larger applications.
Bombardier Aerospace has won a firm order for two Challenger 605s from the Hong Kong Government Flying Service (GFS) for use primarily in search and rescue and other special mission applications. The new aircraft will replace the existing search and rescue aircraft currently operated by the GFS for long-range search and rescue operations.
Cessna is celebrating the 15th anniversary of aircraft production at its Independence, Kan., factory. The plant opened in 1996 after congressional passage of the General Aviation Revitalization Act in 1994, which limited aircraft manufacturers’ product liability. Cessna had discontinued single-engine piston aircraft production in Wichita in the 1980s due in part to rising liability costs.
Saab Sensis has completed deployment of its advanced airport surveillance system at 35 of the largest U.S. airports. The airport surface detection equipment, model X (ASDE-X) system has been commissioned and is operational at the last of the 35 sites under the current FAA contract. The system combines data from surface movement radar, multilateration and automatic dependent surveillance — broadcast (ADS-B) to give controllers an accurate picture of surface movements. It also provides conflict alerts. Saab Sensis also said it won a contract from U.K.
The aviation industry has successfully—at least in one venue—pushed back on user fees. In a jobs bill introduced Oct. 5, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) removed provisions floated by President Barack Obama in his bill to stimulate employment growth, including a $100-per-flight fee and accelerated depreciation of business aircraft. Instead, Senate Democrats are proposing a 5.6% tax on millionaires. And, the bill would extend 100% expensing for another year.
TOM ROCHE was appointed vice president of StandardAero’s turboprop business. Roche, who previously was vice president of StandardAero’s helicopters business unit, will oversee the company’s Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A and PW100 operations. He has 35 years of experience in aviation maintenance, including holding several leadership positions throughout StandardAero.
BOMBARDIER Regional Jet Series 700, 701, 702, 705 and 900 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0994; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-143-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to perform repetitive detailed inspections of the lower panel of the left- and right-hand main landing gear (MLG) doors for cracking or deformation of components or pulled or missing fasteners. If any damage was found, operators would need to repair it before further flight or replace the MLG door. Modifying the MLG door, per the instructions of Bombardier Service Bulletin 670BA-32-017, Rev.
Lincoln, Neb.-based aviation services provider Duncan Aviation has launched its first mobile application for the iPad. The free app is designed to improve operators’ access to information about the company’s service locations, contact information and department listings.
Garmin is offering new autopilot interfaces for its G600 and G500 flight displays. The interfaces will provide compatibility with S-TEC’s DFCS 2100/1500 autopilot and gyro emulation for the Century autopilot. This new upgrade for the S-TEC autopilot enables the G600 and G500 to provide AHRS/ADC inputs, perform heading bug coupling, NAV/GPSS coupling and full approach capability, including ILS and LPV precision approaches. This will enable operators who install dual G600 or G500 systems to remove older attitude sources for the DFCS 2100/1500.
This week’s National Business Aviation Association 64th annual meeting and convention in Las Vegas is expected to draw about the same or perhaps a few more attendees, exhibitors and static aircraft as last year’s event in Atlanta, association officials believe. In the days leading up to the convention, attendance appeared as if it would reach about 25,000, with 1,000 exhibitors and about 100 airplanes on static display, officials say, warning that those are “ballpark” figures. The Atlanta convention drew 24,206 attendees, 1,083 exhibitors and 93 aircraft on display.
All 18 people on the Nusantara Buana Air C-212 commercial aircraft that crashed on Sept. 29 have been found dead near Mount Leuser on Sumatra island in Aceh province. The 14 passengers and four crewmembers were discovered still strapped in their seats, say Indonesian news reports quoting the rescue authorities. Two rescuers were winched down by helicopter to the crash site on Oct. 1 just before dark, and more rescuers arrived on Oct. 2 to recover the bodies, the reports say.
HONEYWELL TPE331 engines [Docket No. FAA-2011-0935; Directorate Identifier 2011-NE-28-AD; Amendment 39-16813; AD 2011-18-51R1] – Before further flight, remove certain Dixie Aerospace main shaft bearings from service. This new AD, a revision of an existing emergency airworthiness directive (AD 2011-18-51), was prompted by the need to list in the AD the affected bearings by serial number for clarification. This directive is designed to prevent engine main-rotor seizure, resulting in engine damage and shutdown and damage to the airplane.
JOHN EICHTEN was named senior vice president of sales and marketing for PATS Aircraft Systems. Eichten has more than 20 years of service with TIMCO Aviation Services in various sales, marketing and business development roles. In his new position, he will lead all of PATS’ sales and marketing efforts.
Online charter aggregator PrivateFly.com laid the groundwork for expansion following successful investment fund raising of £2 million (US$3 million) generated from eight private investors.
