The first Falcon 7X has begun flying again after the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approved a fix to the trim system, thus ending the fleet grounding that began in late May. Dassault Aviation CEO Charles Edelstenne says he expects the entire fleet will be upgraded and resume operations within a couple of weeks.
Landmark Aviation began operations on June 11 as the new fixed-base operation (FBO) at Miami International Airport (MIA). Landmark earlier this year was awarded a 10-year lease to be the new FBO at the airport. “MIA is a key market for our customers, and a great addition to our network,” says Landmark President and CEO Dan Bucaro. Landmark plans to immediately begin facility upgrades, and says the facility joins the “Landmark Cares” network that supports local charities by making donations for every gallon of fuel sold.
Jet Aviation Geneva has added in-house cleaning services for the exteriors of commercial, corporate and private aircraft. The new services include dry exterior cleaning, a wet wash service and brightening work. Brightening work is a three-step procedure that includes oxidation removal, Permagard polishing and swirl-mark removal.
Diamond Aircraft is planning a gradual restart of its D-Jet program after receiving a commitment for a “significant investment” that is dedicated to the personal single jet, the light aircraft manufacturer says. In addition, the company says it is moving resources from its Austrian piston-aircraft operations to support the program’s completion “in the shortest possible time.”
Cambridge Airport in the U.K. is hosting the seventh annual Business and General Aviation Day (BGAD11) on Sept. 20. The event will include an exhibition, seminars and a static display. BGAD11 also will include panel discussions on the “practicalities of the Olympics,” as well as issues associated with the day-to-day running of services during exceptionally busy periods.
Executive Air Services, a charter and management company based in Miami, has added a 1996 Lear 31, a 1993 Gulfstream IV-SP and a 2002 Hawker 800XP to its charter fleet. The three aircraft will be available for domestic and international travel, and join two other 800XPs, a Gulfstream G550 and a Bombardier Challenger 601.
Avfuel continues expanding its network with the additions of North Philadelphia Jet Center and Kearney Aviation Center as the latest branded dealers. Based at Northeast Philadelphia Airport, North Philadelphia Jet Center provides services such as fuel, ground support, transportation, overnight hangar rentals and tie-downs, as well as a range of amenities, including a pilot’s lounge, pool table, a rooftop hot tub, patio area, snooze rooms, showers and kitchen facilities.
Avantair, the Clearwater, Fla.-based fractional ownership program that specializes in Piaggio Avantis, is planning to increase its fleet to 59 by the end of July as the company experiences a resurgence, says Steven Santo, president and CEO of Avantair. While Avantair is sensitive to the current economy’s fluctuations, Santo believes his operation has faired better than most during the downturn.
The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S turboshaft will be subject to special certification conditions by FAA. The conditions, which are effective July 11, were issued by the agency because the PW210S incorporates “a novel or unusual design feature”— engine operation in auxiliary power unit mode. FAA says, “The applicable airworthiness regulations do not contain adequate or appropriate safety standards for this design feature.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is the latest entity to weigh in on the concerns surrounding the potential for LightSquared’s planned wireless broadband network to interfere with GPS. In a letter to U.S. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski, ICAO says the “potential disruption to aviation use of GPS caused by the LightSquared system would have a far-reaching impact on current and future aviation operations.” ICAO worries the impact would be felt in the U.S. and beyond its borders. See article on Page 4.
MICHAEL BRUNSKILL was appointed director of customer services for lighting systems specialist Pelican. Brunskill has more than 20 years of customer support and strategic project management experience.
Bell Helicopter and Cessna Aircraft have broken ground on a new facility in Singapore dedicated to service and support of customers in the Asia-Pacific region. The facility is expected to be completed in the second quarter of 2012. When fully operational, the complex will employ about 90 workers. The new facility will replace and augment the existing Bell Helicopter Supply Center. It will have more than 48,700 sq. meters (524,202 sq. ft.) of hangar, office, storage and maintenance space.
FOKKER F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0220; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-259-AD; Amendment 39-16721; AD 2011-12-14] – Conduct a one-time general visual inspection to check the route and clamping of the fuel sense line hose and wiring conduit hose to each wing tank overflow valve, per the instructions of Fokker Service Bulletin SBF100-28-050, Rev. 1 (dated July 28, 2010). If necessary, take corrective actions to ensure that the fuel sense line from the overflow valves does not touch the adjacent fuel-quantity indication probe.
At least six states have passed proclamations in June recognizing aviation and/or general aviation, marking a growing acknowledgment of the important role the industry plays for the economy and the nation, says the Alliance for Aviation Across America. This brings the total number of states that have adopted proclamations to 29, but Selena Shilad, executive director for the Alliance, says much more work remains to ensure that aviation is recognized in all 50 states.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE SA-365C, SA-365C1, SA-365C2, SA-365N, SA-365N1, AS-365N2, AS 365 N3 and SA-366G1 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2011-0551; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-013-AD; Amendment 39-16714; AD 2011-12-07] – Visually inspect the adhesive bead between the bushing and the Starflex star arm for a crack, a gap, or loss of the adhesive bead. Also, inspect the Starflex arm ends for delamination, and replace the Starflex star if any discrepancies are found.
AUSTRO ENGINE E4 engines [Docket No. FAA-2010-1055; Directorate Identifier 2010-NE-35-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to conduct repetitive inspections of the fuel pressure supply for excessive oscillations to determine if the high-pressure fuel pumps have been exposed to damaging pressure oscillations. Pumps that have been exposed to such damaging conditions would have to be replaced before further flight, and the terminating action for the repetitive inspections would be to install a newly designed fuel pump.
KIMBERLY HERRELL has rejoined San Diego-based operator Schubach Aviation as director of charter sales. Herrell originally joined Schubach Aviation in 2005 as a charter sales coordinator and served with the company until January 2010. She also has spent three years as a charter sales coordinator for Million Air Salt Lake City and as a concierge at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City.
Amid mounting evidence that its planned wireless broadband network will interfere with GPS, Reston, Va.-based LightSquared has requested and received a two-week extension to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) June 15 deadline for filing a report on the extent of the interference. The new deadline is July 1.
The International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) has completed a “comprehensive assessment” of the structure and management processes for the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO), says Director General Donald Spruston.
Bombardier Aerospace has increased its customer support efforts with the addition of four field service representatives (FSRs) and two customer support account managers (CSAMs). In the next six months, FSRs will be deployed in different regions, including France, Eastern Europe and South Africa, while the additional CSAMs will support operators in Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Africa. The Canadian manufacturer says it will have 25 FSRs and CSAMs supporting business aircraft customers in Europe.
Bilateral aviation safety agreements (BASAs) can lower the cost of certifying Part 145 repair stations in foreign countries by up to three times, says a new report from aerospace consulting firm AeroStrategy and the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA).
MT (Metalcraft), which acquired the assets of Emivest Aerospace from bankruptcy in April, is renaming the operation SyberJet Aircraft and has reaffirmed plans to eventually restart production of the SJ30 light jet. In the first public statement since acquiring Emivest for $3.5 million, the new owner of the SJ30 program says it has moved the Martinsburg, W.Va. assembly line to its facilities in Cedar City, Utah, but is continuing operations in San Antonio. SyberJet did not purchase the facilities in San Antonio, but reportedly is leasing the space there.
Gama Aviation, a business aviation services company based in the U.K., has achieved Wyvern approval across its affiliated operating bases in Europe, the Americas and the Middle East. The approval recognizes that Gama maintains strict safety programs, which Wyvern audits annually and monitors throughout the year.
PAUL GOODRUM has joined PAS Technologies as key account manager. Goodrum will be responsible for working with Rolls-Royce and first-tier suppliers in both the original equipment manufacturing and maintenance, repair and overhaul markets. Goodrum has more than 30 years of aerospace experience, most recently as a technical manager at Dunlop Aircraft Tyres. He also has held account management positions at Sermatech International and Praxair Surface Technologies.
