Rizon Jet’s base in Doha, Qatar, has won Qatar CAA certification as a Part 145 line-maintenance and repair station. Rizon Jet holds approvals for Bombardier Challenger 604/605 and Hawker 900XP aircraft. The center also provides support on wheels, tires and batteries. The new Rizon Jet facility can also support some selected U.S.-based Bombardier business aircraft types, as well as Hawker 700 and 900XP aircraft registered in Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and Isle of Man.
Hawker Beechcraft tapped Absolute Aviation in Lanseria, South Africa, to serve as its exclusive Beechcraft distributor in Sub-Saharan Africa. “Africa represents a huge opportunity for us as travel around the continent is becoming increasingly important,” says Sean McGeough, Hawker Beechcraft president, Europe, Middle East and Africa. “We have already seen strong interest in our aircraft from a number of organizations, including multinationals based there.”
FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt fears that funding levels in the House reauthorization bill “would degrade the safe and efficient movement of air traffic today and in the future.” Also speaking during the Chamber’s Aviation Summit last week, Babbitt stressed as budgets tighten, “we will prioritize even more as we go forward. We will carefully choose and deliver the technologies and programs that will most help us improve safety and efficiency.” FAA will review and restructure projects as needed to save money.
An aviation consultant who announced a potential bid to buy Duluth, Minn.-based Cirrus Industries has put that attempt on hold to see if the offer from China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co. Ltd. (CAIGA) comes to fruition.
STEPHEN LAMBRIGHT has joined Xojet as senior VP, marketing and business development. Lambright has more than 20 years of experience introducing new products and services to the market at companies including Autodesk, Narus, Informix, Apprion and NetObjects. Most recently he founded and was VP of marketing and customer services for Apprion, which designs, deploys and manages industrial wireless systems.
Gulfstream Aerospace does not appear to be neither the leader nor the laggard compared with its closest business jet peers with the pace of its recovery, says a new report from JP Morgan. “Bombardier [has seen] the strongest rebound thus far (though aided by the launch of the Global 7000/8000), and Dassault is still reporting net cancellations for the second half of 2010,” writes analyst Joseph Nadol. He predicts that Gulfstream will deliver 78 large-cabin aircraft this year, but 72 next year. “We still have concerns about G450 demand,” he adds.
Bun Air Corporation, a fixed-base operation and aircraft management company based at Bedford County Airport in Pennsylvania, has joined the Avfuel network of fuel providers. Founded in 1974 as a training service for GIs returning home, Bun Air provides a ranging of training, sales, management and line services. In addition, Bun Air is an authorized Cessna Service Center.
Michael Turner has rejoined Hawker Beechcraft as senior product marketing manager for global customer support. Turner will help develop and market new aftermarket programs for the Wichita airframer. Turner, who has more than two decades of media, communications and marketing experience, formerly served as senior manager of public relations for Hawker Beechcraft from September 2005 to December 2007. Most recently he was director of marketing and corporate communications for StandardAero in Tempe, Ariz.
The National Air Transportation Association is calling a bill that passed a California Senate panel last week as the first step in getting much-needed relief from looming flight training regulations. The regulations, to take effect July 1, include a $5,000 registration fee, an annual fee equal to 0.75% of gross revenue, requirements for facilities to maintain a 1:1 current liabilities to current assets ratio and numerous other administrative and recordkeeping requirements, NATA says.
John Burton, who has served as president of Sun ’n Fun in Lakeland, Fla., will take over as president of the Florida Air Museum (FAM), effective June 1. Sun ’n Fun is launching a national search to find a successor for Burton, who managed the annual fly-in and expo. “John came to Sun ’n Fun more than 10 years ago and raised the profile of our event to a world-class aviation expo,” says FAM Board Chairman and Sun ’n Fun Executive Committee member Pat Hill. “Now we are asking him to repeat his success with the Florida Air Museum.
PACIFIC AEROSPACE 750XL airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0379; Directorate Identifier 2011-CE-007-AD; Amendment 39-16670; AD 2011-09-08] – Inspect the left-hand and right-hand rudder pedal assemblies for cracks and modify the assemblies if any cracks are found, per the instructions of Pacific Aerospace Limited Mandatory Service Bulletin PACSB/XL/050, Issue 1 (dated Dec. 15, 2010). This AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by the aviation authority of New Zealand, was prompted by a report of cracks in rudder pedal assemblies at the quadrant attachment.
Canadian manufacturer Heroux-Devtek is the latest aerospace company to move part of its operations to Mexico. The company last week announced plans to build facilities spanning up to 150,000 sq. ft. at Queretaro Aerospace Park in Mexico, saying the project has received all the necessary approvals from local authorities.
Nearly 160 Kansas aviation leaders assembled in Wichita last week, renewing a call for more favorable tax policies and the elimination of unnecessary regulations that could hamper the industry. Those sentiments were expressed during an Economic Summit held April 25 at the National Center for Aviation Training (NCAT).
May 17–19—11th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, Geneva, Switzerland, www.ebace.aero May 20—European Aviation Club luncheon featuring Siim Kalas, VP-European Commission and European Commissioner for Transport, Cercle de Lorraine, Brussels, e-mail [email protected] June 3—National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Taxes Seminar, San Francisco, (202) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org
SICMA AERO SEAT 88xx, 89xx, 90xx, 91xx, 92xx, 93xx, 95xx and 96xx series passenger seats [Docket No. FAA-2010-0040; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-203-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to visually inspect the seat backrest links for cracks, per the instructions of Sicma Aero Seat Service Bulletin 90-25-013, Issue 4 (dated March 19, 2004). If any cracks were found, operators would need to replace both backrest links of the affected seats with new, improved backrest links.
Degree-seeking aviation students in Arizona can apply for the 2011 Angel MedFlight Scholarship for Excellence in Aviation. Angel MedFlight Worldwide Air Ambulance will award this college scholarship in August, and the recipient will receive $3,000 toward tuition for a relevant program at an Arizona college or university. All entries must be postmarked by June 30 to be considered for the 2011 award. To learn more about this program or to download an application, please visit http://www.angelmedflight.com/azbaascholarship.html.
India wants to introduce 100 seaplanes into service in the next 10 years to support tourism and essential services to its coastal and island territories. The federal government has allowed 100% foreign direct investment in the seaplane sector and has urged overseas operators to take advantage of the offer. India is looking for more foreign direct investment in this sector so seaplanes can be introduced on a large scale not only for tourism, but also to provide essential services such as medical aid during floods and other emergencies.
Major U.S. aviation industry groups are urging congressional lawmakers to continue to support the FAA contract tower program as the legislators begin work on the fiscal 2012 budget. In a letter to House and Senate appropriators, the nine groups ask that the program be fully funded in the Transportation Department’s fiscal 2012 budget. Full funding, as requested by the Obama administration, would be $121.8 million for the FAA contract tower program and $10 million for the contract tower cost-sharing program.
Missouri has become one of the latest states to honor the general aviation industry, with Gov. Jay Nixon (D) issuing a proclamation declaring March as “General Aviation Appreciation Month.” Missouri is the 21st state to officially recognize the value of GA and business aviation. The proclamation was made during the fifth annual “State Aviation Day” in the state capitol of Jefferson City. Across the country, business aviation contributes some $150 billion to the economy. Missouri has 131 public-use community airports, 15,882 active pilots and 6,814 GA aircraft.
Professional Resources In System Management (PRISM), a unit of Argus, has teamed with Honeywell to provide its Flight Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) through the flight planning module on Honeywell’s Global Data Center (GDC) website. “We are very pleased that the Honeywell GDC has selected the PRISM Flight Risk Assessment Tool to be their integrated solution,” says Bill Yantiss, PRISM executive VP.
Gulfstream Aerospace has delivered its 500th PlaneView glass cockpit, 8 yr. after the flight deck was first delivered. The Savannah, Ga., plane maker reached the PlaneView milestone with the delivery of the 209th G450 aircraft. Additionally, the company has delivered 200 synthetic vision systems and more than 100 enhanced navigation systems. Gulfstream was the first original equipment manufacturer to obtain FAA certification of synthetic vision in 2008. FAA certified Gulfstream’s enhanced navigation system in 2010.
Gulfstream Aerospace has expanded its Airborne Product Support (APS) program with the addition of a backup G100 aircraft, three pilots and two technicians to provide aircraft-on-ground support. Gulfstream launched the airborne aircraft maintenance and support program in May 2002 to provide around-the-clock service for customers in North America and the Caribbean. In addition to two aircraft, Gulfstream has dedicated four flight crews, a full-time manager and nine technicians to APS.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Thomas Donohue continues to voice his opposition to FAA’s effort to limit the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program, which enables operators to ask FAA to withhold their registration information from flight tracking agreements. “It poses a security threat to users of business aviation,” Donohue told the Chamber of Commerce’s 10th annual Aviation Summit last week.
OTTO WRIGHT was named manager of KaiserAir’s fixed-base operation in Oakland, Calif. Wright will be responsible for KaiserAir’s 24-hr., 365-day-a-year line service operation, along with the executive terminal and aircraft storage facilities of more than 115,000 sq. ft. and a ramp area of 16 acres. He was previously director of North America business development with Jetex Flight Support and director of sales and marketing with Far East Russia Aircraft Services.
