True Blue Power, the power management products division of Mid-Continent Instruments, will provide its MD835 Emergency Power Supply (EPS) for the Eurocopter EC135 and EC145 T2 helicopters. True Blue Power says the MD835 is the industry’s first EPS to feature A123 Systems’ innovative nanophosphate lithium-ion chemistry, which reportedly offers stable chemistry, faster charging, consistent output, excellent cycle life and superior cost performance. This translates into smaller, lighter products that are less than half the size and weight of existing products.
Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) on Aug. 6 were scheduled to vote on a proposed new five-year contract with Hawker Beechcraft that marks a stark contrast with the seven-year proposal rejected in October. The deal would hold wages to current levels over the next two years and then increase by 1% in the third year, 2% in the fourth year and 3% in the final contract year. The contract also would create a “Joint Partnership Committee” to discuss continuous improvements and other issues that relate to the company’s health.
Ronald E.G. Davies, for 30 years curator of air transport at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, has died after a series of strokes and a heart attack. He had retired earlier this year and returned to his hometown of Shaftesbury, England. Davies started his career in aviation as a salesman for Douglas Aircraft, then moved to Bristol Aeroplane, where he pioneered the complex analytic systems that launched the concept of sales engineering. He compiled data on airline fleets, forecast when each would need replacements and provided guidance to the sales force.
Hamilton Sundstrand and Aviation Industry Corporation of China Electromechanical Systems Co. Ltd. (AVIC EM) have “laid the cornerstone” for a facility in China to house the development and manufacturing of the Comac C919 electrical power system. The facility, in Xi’an, is slated to open in the first quarter of 2012. The new plant will create about 130 jobs during its first two years of operation. It remains to be seen if the facility will offer repair capabilities in the future.
Miami-based private jet brokerage firm Unity Jets is hoping to fill a gap between charter and fractional services with its “jet hedging” approach. Under jet hedging, customers can choose between fractional ownership, a prepaid Jet Card or a one-time charter on a trip-by-trip basis.
DAMON CRAM has joined FlightSafety International as director of marketing for simulation. Cram formerly spent 11 years with CAE, most recently as business development and sales lead for commercial aircraft training. He also has served as general manager, Embraer CAE Training Services and director, service sales for CAE Services Solutions.
Rhobi in Fort Smith, Ark., has revamped its aviation e-commerce website, Live MarketPlace, which enables aviation companies to buy and sell products. The new Rhobi Community interactive platform connects existing business websites to a larger global market. It also enables access to integrated sales, marketing, order processing, and live communication tools. The new website enables sellers to market their inventory once and make it searchable from thousands of websites.
Jet Aviation made another key appointment—naming industry veteran Charles Krugh to run its St. Louis facility—as the company works to bolster its management and iron out issues in its completions business. Krugh will serve as senior vice president and general manager, effective today (Aug. 8), of the St. Louis center, which was formerly known as Midcoast Aviation.
Roger Whyte, a business aviation veteran who has substantial knowledge of the Asian market, has been tapped by the National Business Aviation Association to help prepare for its 2012 Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE2012). In his role as NBAA special counsel to NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen, Whyte will help lead the development process for ABACE2012, which will be held next March 27-29 at the new Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Center on Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport.
Aug. 11-13—Eighth Annual Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition, Congonhas Airport, Sao Paulo, www.abag.org.br/labace2011/ Aug. 12—Aeropodium’s Third Annual Business Aviation in Latin America Summit, Congonhas Airport, Sao Paulo, www.aeropodium.com/conferenceprojects Aug. 13-17—American Association of Airport Executives’ 53rd Annual Northeast Chapter Conference, Sheraton Atlantic City (N.J.) Convention Center Hotel, (609) 641-3833, www.necconference.org
Flying Colours Corp., the Ontario-based interior completions specialist, says it is experiencing increased demand for mid-size business jet refurbishments, particularly from North American operators and Bombardier Challenger 300 and 604, Dassault Falcon 900 and Hawker 800 owners.
The Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture show last month wrapped up with a 1.3% increase in attendance to 541,000. EAA President and CEO Rod Hightower says the attendance figure “came in almost exactly where we thought it would.” The weeklong event, held July 25-30, drew more than 10,000 aircraft to Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wis., 2,522 showplanes and 803 exhibitors. Registered international attendees numbered 2,098 from 68 nations. EAA AirVenture 2012 will be held July 23-29.
Hawker Beechcraft Corp.’s (HBC) second-quarter deliveries, which were down by 10 units overall, were “significantly disrupted” by a software issue with the Hawker 4000’s avionics suite, along with supply issues with its King Air line, HBC Chairman and CEO Bill Boisture said last week.
Industry billings plunged 22.3% to $7.3 billion in the first half of the year, reflecting the general malaise that continues to plague the business aircraft market, according to the most recent shipment report released by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. In the first six months of 2011, aircraft shipments fell 15.5% to 791. This is down from the 936 aircraft delivered in the first half of 2010.
About 4,000 FAA workers and up to 70,000 construction workers were set to go back to work after the Senate Friday approved the House-passed short-term extension of FAA’s authorization. But when Congress returns the first week of September, lawmakers will have just 10 days to pass a new extension.
RAY KAESS was named quality inspector for Twin Commander Aircraft. Kaess is responsible for inspecting vendor parts. He previously spent 25 years at Parker Hannifin’s Electronic Systems Division facility, where he served as an inspector, quality supervisor and quality engineer.
The first production Gulfstream G280 is getting its interior installed at the company’s Dallas center and is to be delivered later this year, shortly after the new twinjet receives its certification. G280 s/n 2004 was flown to Dallas late last month, says Gulfstream spokesman Jeff Miller. The mid-sized aircraft is manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries in Tel Aviv. The first three aircraft are involved in certification flight testing and have accumulated 1,500 flight hours to date.
Beechcraft Barons and Bonanzas can now be fitted with LED landing, taxi position and anti-collision lights, thanks to an aftermarket package being offered by Hawker Beechcraft Global Customer Support (GCS). Designed in conjunction with Astronics LSI, these lights have no glass filaments to break, are shock- and vibration-resistant, and consume substantially less energy, according to GCS. The solid-state LED lights also are highly reliable, with a mean time between failure of more than 8,000 hr.
BAE Systems’ portfolio of aircraft and its associated asset management business have been sold to Falko Regional Aircraft Limited. However, the manufacturer of the BAe 146 and Avro RJ regional jets and ATP and Jetstream turboprops “will continue to provide the full range of total support solutions to existing and future operators of the in-service fleet of these BAE Systems aircraft.” These services include continuing airworthiness support, spares and logistics support, rate-per-flying-hour spares programs, technical support services and modifications.
TRISTAN CRAWFORD joined aviation consultancy Oriens Advisors. Crawford will help grow the company’s operations. He formerly was divisional operations manager for QinetiQ.
DOUG DILLON was named director of Lean Six Sigma for PAS Technologies. Dillon will be responsible for optimizing a lean product environment at the company’s facilities in the U.S., Singapore, Ireland and Romania. He has 17 years of operations and efficiency experience, most recently as senior manager, Six Sigma for ATK Lake City Army Ammunition Plant.
KEVIN JENKS has joined the aviation marketing firm Greteman Group as marketing director. Jenks, who formerly worked for a Colorado-based company, is based in Wichita, where he will work with a range of Greteman clients. Jenks served in sports broadcasting from 1997-2001 and then partnered on a corporate recruiting venture.
