JOHN MORABITO was promoted to senior VP of CIT Aerospace’s Financial Institutions Group. Morabito will manage asset sales, pricing and structuring, investment strategies, and raising capital for CIT Aerospace. He previously was a director in the Financial Institutions Group, where he oversaw third-party financing, loan origination, purchasing secondary market loans and securities, and asset sales. He joined CIT in 2001 as an analyst in the pricing group.
Raisbeck Engineering is sponsoring the first international King Air & PT6A Performance Conference, which will be held May 12 in Johannesburg, South Africa. This event is a continuation of a series that started in Van Nuys, Calif., in February. Raisbeck plans to host and participate in several other King Air-focused events later this year, including conferences in Wichita and Cape Cod, Mass.
Despite the uncertain economy in recent years, the European Business Aviation Association’s membership has more than doubled since 2005. The association picked up 40 new members last year alone, when the European economy was particularly tumultuous. EBAA credits a more proactive membership recruitment approach in 2010—the association gave a trial membership to anyone who attended last year’s European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition. The organization went from 211 full members in 2005 to 458 in 2011, including 23 members from the U.S.
GENERAL ELECTRIC CT7-8, -8A, -8A1, -8E and -8F5 engines [Docket No. FAA-2011-0392; Directorate Identifier 2011-NE-12-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to install an accessory gearbox axis-A oil slinger nut on the axis-A shaft assembly, per the instructions of GE Aircraft Engines CT7-8 Turboshaft Engine Service Bulletin (SB) No. CT7-8 S/B 72-0033 (dated Feb. 11, 2011).
May 11—American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ 2011 Aerospace Spotlight Awards Gala, Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington, D.C., (703) 264-7511, www.aiaa.org May 12—Society of Experimental Test Pilots’ Northwest Regional Symposium, Future of Flight Aviation Center, Paine Field, Everett, Wash., (661) 942-9574, www.setp.org May 16-17—“Introduction to Jet Engines, A Practical Perspective,” Ohio Aerospace Institute, Cleveland, (970) 887-3155, www.practicalaero.com
The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has directed Hawker Beechcraft to pay about $14.2 million to Airbus to settle a two-year dispute over Hawker Beechcraft’s purchase volume of fuselages, wings, track kits and spare parts, Hawker Beechcraft says. Airbus filed a request for arbitration with the ICC in April 2009, seeking up to nearly $60 million in damages from Hawker Beechcraft for breach of its purchase obligations.
U.K.-based Securus Escrow has seen growth in the number of inquiries from the international business aviation market. “We’ve seen a rise in demand covering a variety of aviation sectors, including aircraft brokers, engine repairs, helicopter sales and even training schools,” says Managing Director Geoff Gates. One driving force is the rapid business aviation growth in areas like Asia, the Middle East and India, says Gates.
STACY JACKSON was promoted to director of contracts and risk management for regional fractional aircraft ownership provider Executive AirShare. Jackson, who joined Executive AirShare in 2008, previously was manager of contracts. She has more than 10 years of experience in risk management, paralegal and contract management.
Aviation market intelligence consultancy Jetnet will hold its first Global Business Aviation Summit June 6-7, in New York, based on the theme “Igniting Ideas. Provoking Change.” “We wanted to hold the summit to discuss economic details in business aviation,” says Paul Cardarelli, Jetnet’s director of sales and marketing. “We wanted thought leaders to raise the dialog.”
Empire Aviation Group (EAG) in Dubai has announced plans to begin operations in India, with a new branch office opening in Mumbai by mid year. The new branch will eventually offer the full range of EAG services on the subcontinent, with an initial focus on aircraft sales and management.
The European Commission (EC) says it is ready to explore with the U.S. how to expand the scope of a new aviation safety agreement and wants issues such as flight crew licensing and aircraft operations to be included rapidly. The agreement on cooperation in the regulation of safety between the European Union and the U.S. went into effect on May 1.
Air Works India Managing Director Vivek Gour has set his sights on acquiring a medium-sized maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility. Gour joined the company in 2010, about two years after it started going after commercial MRO work and a few months after it made its first big acquisition: U.K. aircraft paint services provider Air Livery.
A pre-European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) workshop is designed to help keep safety at the forefront as the industry continues to grow rapidly in Europe. The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) are partnering on the convention, as well as the daylong workshop, which will be held on Sunday, May 15 in Geneva, Switzerland, the site of EBACE.
MARK WULBER has joined Executive AirShare as director of training and FAA compliance, based at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport. Wulber, a 20-year aviation veteran, formerly was manager, audit and flight safety programs for Executive Jet Management. He began as a flight follower and dispatcher for Mid Pacific Air Corp., and later served as an instructor pilot, chief pilot and flight officer before joining Executive Jet Management in 2005.
The state-run Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd. (PHHL) has been is looking to upgrade its fleet, but first must face increasing scrutiny following two high-profile accidents. The wreckage of a Pawan Hans Eurocopter AS350 B3 Ecureuil helicopter that was carrying an Indian minister and four others was found May 4 after the aircraft went missing for nearly five days. The Indian government indicated that Chief Minister of the northeastern state of Arunachal, Pradesh Dorjee Khandu, was killed in the crash, along with the four others aboard.
GAMA’s board next week plans to continue its work with FAA on improving the Organization Delegation Authority (ODA) and other designee processes. GAMA met with FAA in April and has had an ongoing dialog about making the designee processes more efficient. Both FAA and industry officials believe this becomes particularly important as FAA grapples with limited resources. FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt continues to warn that tight budgets could hamper certification projects (BA, March 28/1).
A youngster who pointed a laser at a helicopter has been arrested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. A 16-year-old Los Alamitos, Calif., teenager was charged with endangering the flight of a sheriff’s department helicopter by pointing a laser from a car near Interstate 5. Deputies from a local police station stopped the suspect’s automobile on the 605 freeway and found a green laser pen light in the juvenile’s possession.
Hawker Beechcraft posted its first jump in backlog since 2008 and reported a significant increase in overall deliveries during the first quarter. But a decline in jet deliveries and soft prices kept revenues down and contributed to an increased loss in the Business and General Aviation segment, the company reported last week.
MIKE KAHMANN was named managing director, CIT Aerospace, Business Aircraft. Kahmann will oversee the Business Aircraft team based in Dallas. He formerly was senior VP, transport finance at CIT, responsible for the Financial Institutions Group. Before joining CIT, he was president of Emigrant Business Credit Corp.
DASSAULT Falcon 7X airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-1207; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-140-AD; Amendment 39-16680; AD 2011-09-18] – Install dedicated fuses on the weight-on-wheels (WOW) proximity sensors, per the instructions of Dassault Mandatory Service Bulletin 7X-065 (dated July 24, 2009). This AD, which resulted from an MCAI originated by the European Aviation Safety Agency, is designed to prevent a short circuit in one WOW proximity sensor from causing a simultaneous loss of power to all WOW sensors on that part of the system.
Nextant Aerospace has named three business aviation veterans to oversee its field sales effort in the U.S. Mark Whitman will have responsibility for the Southern U.S., Tom Chapman will oversee the Northeast and John Frevola will be responsible for the Western U.S. Whitman most recently managed the Midwest sales effort for fractional operator Avantair. Chapman came from XoJet, where he most recently served as a senior sales director. Frevola most recently served as VP and general manager for Flightcraft.
CitationAir by Cessna has formed a strategic alliance with The Boathouse, a private club located on Martha’s Vineyard. CitationAir customers and their immediate family members have free access to The Boathouse and its amenities for up to three days per year. The Boathouse has extended a trial membership to CitationAir customers planning to spend more than three days a year on the Vineyard by waiving its $125,000 membership fee.
Cessna recently celebrated the 20th anniversary of the first flight of the CitationJet prototype. Piloted by Bob Leonard and Bob Carnahan, the CitationJet prototype took off on April 29, 1991, from Wichita’s Mid-Continent Airport, reached an altitude of 10,000 ft. and checked basic handling and response. The aircraft was certified in 1992. Cessna, which announced the aircraft during the National Business Aviation Association annual meeting and convention in 1989, has since delivered more than 1,450 CitationJet series aircraft.
Embraer posted increased first-quarter 2011 earnings, with net income jumping from $24.1 million in the first three months of 2010 to $105.1 million in the most recent quarter. The improved results come in spite of a precipitous drop in its business jet business. Embraer delivered two large business jets and six light jets in the first quarter, which the company said was in line with expectations. This compares with 17 light jets and two large jets in the same quarter last year. The company declined to reveal the aircraft types.
