The Office of Management and Budget is telling federal agencies to craft fiscal 2013 budget proposals at both 5% and 10% below 2011 enacted discretionary appropriations – unless the White House already has told them otherwise. “By providing budgets pegged to these two scenarios, you will provide the president with the information to make the tough choices necessary to meet the hard spending targets in place and the needs of the nation,” OMB Director Jacob Lew said in an Aug. 17 memo.
AgustaWestland has signed an agreement with Aviasur to become the company’s independent sales representatives for Chile and Peru. The agreement follows the entry into the market of the AW119Ke single-engine helicopter and AW109 Power and GrandNew twin-engine helicopters in 2010. The agreement was signed at the recent Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition in Sao Paolo, Brazil.
Thrush Aircraft added Statewide Aviation of Australia as its newest factory authorized service and support facility in the Southern Hemisphere. “This appointment will significantly improve the availability of parts, provisioning and service to our customers in this increasingly vibrant region,” says Thrush President Payne Hughes.
Aug. 23-24—NATA & Conklin & de Decker Commercial Operators Tax Seminar, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., (800) 808-6282, www.nata.aero/taxseminar Aug. 24-26— EBAA Safety Management System Workshop, Park Inn Zurich Airport, Switzerland, www.ebaa.org/ Aug. 26-28—Maine Air Show and Business Aviation Expo, Brunswick Executive Airport, 207-798-6512, www.greatstateofmaineairshow.us Aug. 27-28—Roskilde Air Show, Roskilde Airport, Copenhagen, www.airshow.dk/eng_index.html
SOCATA TBM 700 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0868; Directorate Identifier 2011-CE-027-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to install a protection fuse on the electrical wire at the standby compass connector, per the instructions of TBM Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 70-192 (dated April 2011). This proposal, which resulted from an MCAI originated by the European Aviation Safety Agency, is intended to prevent failure of both essential bus bars and the loss of a number of instruments and navigation systems.
Boeing confirms it officially completed flight testing for type certification of the Rolls-Royce powered 787-8 on Aug. 13. The manufacturer hopes to achieve joint FAA/European EASA certification by the end of August, clearing the way for the first delivery to launch customer All Nippon in late September. The final flight involved ZA102, the ninth 787 to be built. Boeing says “Capt. Mike Carriker, chief pilot for the 787 program, brought ZA102 back to its home base at Paine Field in Everett, Wash., at 1:58 p.m. (Pacific time) following a 90-min.
Embraer was recognized by Florida Trend Magazine as one of the “Best Companies to Work for,” ranking 28th in the large-company category. To be rated, companies or government entities had to employ at least 15 workers in Florida and be at least a year old. For a complete list, visit www.FloridaTrend.com/BestCompanies.
More Chinese airspace is opening up to general aviation, according to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and non-government sources in the country. “It is a big step forward for all GA interests,” says Jason Liao, the National Business Aviation Association’s chief representative in Asia. “It almost certainly means China will become the second-largest market in the world [after the U.S.] for GA aircraft like helicopters and turboprops.” Until recently, almost all Chinese airspace had been tightly controlled by the military.
In the face of recent public criticism over corporate jet tax breaks, general aviation and congressional leaders last week held a rally attended by hundreds of workers and officials in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to promote the industry and improve its image. The rally included several members of the Iowa delegation, along with General Aviation Manufacturers Association President and CEO Pete Bunce, Goodrich Engine Components President Daphne Falletti and Rockwell Collins Chairman, President and CEO Clay Jones.
Flexjet – the fractional operator, charter and jet card arm of Bombardier – has begun selling shares in Bombardier’s newest Learjet, the Model 85. The sales effort comes in advance of the late 2013 planned entry into service of the Learjet 85. “You don’t get green, clean-sheet-of-paper aircraft that often,” says Flexjet President Fred Reid. “We’ll have a very attractive price for the early buyers. Our current owners get first crack at the 85s, and then sometime after Labor Day, we’ll open it up to the general market.”
Jet Aviation Dubai recently completed its first Embraer Legacy 650 L1 base maintenance inspection, which is mandatory after the aircraft accumulates 600 flight hours. The Dubai facility, established in May 2005, has begun experiencing significant demand for Legacy maintenance support from customers in the Middle East, Jet Aviation says. The company offers 24/7 maintenance and aircraft-on-ground support for Embraer aircraft. The base includes 45,192 sq. ft. of hangar space, 10,760 sq. ft. of workshop area and an 11,300-sq.-ft., two-story fixed-base operation building.
BETH RAYNER has joined Aspen Avionics as human resources manager. Rayner joins Aspen with 18 years of human resources experience. For 11 years she owned and managed a technical recruiting firm that specialized in engineering and information technology.
BOMBARDIER DHC-8-400 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0470; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-190-AD] – Trim the edge of the bumper plate and base fitting located on the outboard main landing gear (MLG) door to prevent a potential jamming of the plate and the main landing gear tires (Bombardier Modsum 4-113645), per the instructions of Bombardier Service Bulletin 84-32-74, Rev. A (dated May 17, 2010).
Jeppesen struck an agreement with the Russian Ministry of Transportation that enables it to add Ramenskoye (UUBW) airport data to its NavData flight information database for operators in Russia. Ramenskoye data is available to Russian domestic operators on an ongoing basis. The UUBW airport date adds a key piece of data to Jeppesen’s NavData service, enabling the company to provide a range of flight information services, including navigation, operations and optimization.
Hawker Beechcraft’s Global Customer Support group has obtained supplemental type certification (STC) for the first of two “XPR” re-engining and upgrade packages announced for its Hawker lines. European Aviation Safety Agency approval is expected to follow shortly.
Quest has named Piedmont Aircraft as its sales representative for the 10-place, utility single-turboprop Kodiak in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states. The agreement comes as the Sandpoint, Idaho manufacturer continues to expand its presence both in the U.S. and internationally. Quest also is negotiating representative agreements with firms in Australia, Brazil, Europe, Mexico and the Pacific Rim. Quest already has representatives in Africa, the Caribbean, India, the Middle East and South America.
A suit challenging FAA’s privatization of air traffic control towers, filed 17 years ago, has been settled with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth District in Cincinnati affirming a lower court’s ruling to dismiss the case.
FAA last week announced plans to cancel TSO-C129a, a standard developed for airborne supplemental navigation equipment using GPS. The cancellation would effectively prohibit the development of new products to that standard. However, FAA notes that products that already have been authorized to the standard could still be installed. FAA has since released several updated standards for navigation sensors and equipment using GPS that are more stringent and require more accuracy.
SOCATA TBM 700 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0530 Directorate Identifier 2011-CE-012-AD; Amendment 39-16770; AD 2011-17-06] – Replace certain elevator trim tab actuators with serviceable units, per the instructions of DAHER-SOCATA Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 70-190-27 (dated January 2011). This AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, was prompted by an in-service incident in which a trim tab actuator jammed. A subsequent investigation determined that certain elevator trim tab actuators were not manufactured properly.
While new aircraft demand showed signs of improvement in the second quarter, J.P. Morgan analyst Joseph Nadol warns that macroeconomic events are clouding the business aviation outlook.
WILLIAM RATHERT was named senior director, sales operations for Navtech, Inc. Rathert joins Navtech from Sabre Airline Solutions, where he was sales director. He also has served as vice president for Kiehl Hendrickson Group, consulting with a variety of clients including airports, airlines, state governments and others. Rathert also has held senior leadership roles in several airlines, including the establishment of startup airlines.
Citation Jet Pilots Association has scheduled its annual national convention for Oct. 26-29 at the Ritz Carlton in Amelia Island, Fla. Scheduled speakers include Cessna CEO Scott Ernest and Dan Grace, safety manager, flight operations for Cessna, along with National Transportation Safety Board Member Mark Rosekind, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association President and CEO Craig Fuller, National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen, JetAviva Owner Cyrus Sigari, NASA Astronaut Charlie Precourt and Radar Training International’s Erik Eliel, among others.
Wilson Air Center has opened for business as the second fixed-base operation (FBO) at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (KCHA) in Tennessee. The facility includes a new 9,000-sq.-ft. executive terminal and FBO facilities, including an office complex, hangar, ramp and self-serve fuel farm. Wilson Air Center held a grand opening celebration this month, with a silent auction that raised nearly $11,000 for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The celebration also included static aircraft displays by manufacturers such as Cessna, Hawker and Embraer.
Eurocopter recently established a new international customer technical support center in Dublin, Ireland’s International Financial Services Center. “The new Dublin operation will give Eurocopter greater flexibility and efficiency in responding to its customers’ technical support needs,” says Patrick Berthier, chief executive officer of Eurocopter International Services.
