PilotAway.com is hoping to help pilots make reservations for hotels, car rentals and fixed-base operators (FBOs). PilotAway.com is the brainchild of founder and CEO Chase Larabee. “Right now, the only application that offers nationwide web reservations is Flight Aware, but it’s a completely different model,” he says. “It’s a fuel application that can offer some services.”
European aerospace giant EADS has completed the acquisition of Canadian maintenance, repair and overhaul company Vector Aerospace. The business is becoming part of Eurocopter, which has a mandate to increase services. EADS has been looking for deals across a range of areas, including in the services sector. Growth in that business is part of CEO Louis Gallois’ Vision 2020 strategy. Another core element is growth in the U.S., where EADS is also considering acquisitions.
ANTHONY MORELAND was appointed VP-Americas for Sikorsky Aircraft. Moreland will be responsible for commercial and foreign military sales in the Americas. Formerly regional sales direct-India for Sikorsky, Moreland also has served with Med-Trans and Bell Helicopter.
Rotorsim, a consortium established in 2003 by CAE and AgustaWestland, is adding a CAE 3000 series full-flight simulator for the AW139 helicopter. The simulator, to be developed jointly by CAE and AgustaWestland, will be delivered in 2012 and meet Level D qualification. The simulator will provide mission training for offshore oil and gas, law enforcement, corporate VIP and other operations. The CAE 3000 will be designed for training in low-level flight, confined area operations, autorotation and landing on platforms.
The pilots of the ExcelAire Embraer Legacy 600 that collided with a Gol Boeing 737 in 2006 testified in Long Island, N.Y., last week as part of their ongoing criminal trial in Brazil. The pilots, Joe Lepore and Jan Paladino, each testified for about six hr. using a video-conferencing system to connect with the Brazilian proceedings.
The National Transportation Safety Board, along with the AOPA Foundation’s Air Safety Institute and the Air Care Alliance, recently discussed key safety issues with more than 200 pilots involved in volunteer missions. The March 25 event included presentations by NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman and AOPA Foundation President Bruce Landsberg, among others. Topics discussed included “mission mindset,” weather, instrument approaches and use of NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System.
The American Association of Airport Executives has scheduled its General Aviation & Security Conference June 26-28 in St. Louis. The conference, hosted in cooperation with a number of the general aviation and state aviation organizations, will focus on GA security issues such as the Transportation Security Administration’s proposed Large Aircraft Security Program and General Aviation Airport Vulnerability Assessment. The conference also will discuss industry trends, best practices and the latest advancements in the search for a replacement for leaded fuel.
KEVIN CARTER has completed the transition to the position of CEO of Timco Aviation Services. Carter shared the position with Robert Utecht, who now has taken a senior advisor role. Carter has held a number of positions with Timco, including chief financial officer and chief administrative officer.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model SA330F, SA330G and SA330J helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2010-0891; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-055-AD; Amendment 39-16585, AD 2011-03-02] – Conduct a functional test of the pedal-unit adjustment system following the instructions of Eurocopter Emergency Alert Service Bulletin No. 67.18 (dated Aug. 3, 2009). If any non-conformity is found, modify the pedal-unit adjustment system before further flight by incorporating Eurocopter MOD 330A779820.00. Even if no non-conformity is found, modify the pedal system within three months.
SimCom Training Centers, which has specialized in King Air simulator training since 1991, recently marked its 23,000th King Air pilot training event. The company has provided initial, recurrent, second-in-command and instrument refresher training for the King Air at its Orlando, Fla., headquarters, as well as at its locations in Scottsdale, Ariz., and Dallas/Fort Worth Airport (DFW). The DFW facility, part of SimCom’s PrestoSIM acquisition completed earlier this year, has added a ninth King Air simulator.
DIAMOND AIRCRAFT DA42 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-0231; Directorate Identifier 2011-CE-003-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to conduct repetitive inspections of the Main Landing Gear (MLG) damper-to-trailing-arm joints and eventually replace those aluminum parts with ones made of steel, per the instructions of Diamond Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin No. MSB 42-088/2 (dated Feb. 3, 2011).
The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) set a number of new goals, including an expansion of its campaign against illegal charter flights and the creation of a regulatory help desk for members, during its recent Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Eurocontrol in Brussels. During the meeting, the association looked back at achievements from five years ago and ahead with a list of items to help members.
GREGORY SAHR has joined Moline, Ill.-based business aviation services company Wynn Aviation as VP, sales, marketing and business development, where he will manage technical sales and business development programs. He will also oversee marketing communication support, including advertising, direct marketing and public relations. He comes from StandardAero, where he served as regional sales director for the Western U.S.
The Flexjet 25 Jet Card Program is offering a seasonal 10-hr. summer jet card. The program, operated by Jet Solutions, provides flight time that is redeemable anytime between May 16 and Sept. 15, 2011, on any of its Learjet and Challenger aircraft. This includes travel on any day within the four-month period, including heavy-demand days.
Garmin International has unveiled the Garmin G2000, a touchscreen-controlled integrated flight deck designed for high-performance piston aircraft. The G2000 is designed to enable pilots to tailor the information presented to them.
Activities at the Sun ’n Fun International Fly-In & Expo resumed April 1, a day after a storm and high winds ripped through Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, Fla., damaging dozens of aircraft, tents and other structures. Sun ’n Fun organizers had suspended activities March 31, as police ordered people to find shelter.
Gulfstream Aerospace’s service center in Westfield, Mass., recently was named an approved maintenance organization by the Cayman Islands. The designation clears the facility to provide maintenance, repairs, alterations and inspections of aircraft registered under the Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands. The certificate covers all Gulfstream aircraft (except the GI); Hawker Beechcraft 125s and Hawker 4000s; Dassault Falcon 10, 50/50EX, 900/900EX and 2000s; and Bombardier Challenger 600/601/604 aircraft.
Two Kansas lawmakers are urging House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) to request a U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) investigation into the global competitiveness of the U.S. business jet industry. The request comes as Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback (R) reiterated his concerns about potential foreign subsidies backing competitor business jet programs.
Cutter Piper Sales has moved its offices into the Jet Source facility in Carlsbad, Calif. Cutter, recently appointed to sell Piper aircraft in Southern California and Hawaii, has leased about 2,450 sq. ft. in the Jet Source fixed-base operation. Cutter named Phillip Scharber and Alexander Kuzmanovic regional sales managers representing Piper at the Carlsbad base. Jet Source provides FBO, charter, management, maintenance and avionics services at the San Diego-area facility.
More than 400 comments, most of them negative, have been submitted in response to FAA’s proposal to impose strict limits on the use of the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program. The National Business Aviation Association has asked the agency to shelve the proposal, saying it would “seriously damage the public interest.” NBAA has launched a petition in opposition to the proposal, in addition to urging its members to file comments. The comment deadline is April 4.
April 5-7—National Business Aviation Association 26th Annual Maintenance Management Conference, San Diego, (202) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org/mmc April 14—National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Regional Forum, Dallas, (202) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org April 19-21—Flight Safety Foundation/National Business Aviation Association 56th Annual Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar, San Diego, www.flightsafety.org or www.nbaa.org
Duncan Aviation’s facility in Provo, Utah, was named an authorized service center for Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 aircraft. The authorizations include scheduled and unscheduled maintenance, aircraft-on-ground support, troubleshooting, engine and auxiliary power unit removal and installation, warranty work, modifications and repairs, and component replacement. The facility expects to obtain a similar authorization for the Legacy 600.
Quest Aircraft Company has named Wichita, Kan.-based Sojourn Aviation as its exclusive international sales representative for the Kodiak single-turboprop aircraft. Sojourn will oversee the development of a Kodiak dealer network in areas where the aircraft is certified or pending certification, including South Africa, Brazil, Australia and the Pacific Rim. Sojourn also will be responsible for distribution and certification activities in other target markets. The appointment comes as Quest moves to increase its presence both domestically and internationally.
XtremeAir has secured European Aviation Safety Agency type approval for its Sbach 342 two-seat aerobatic aircraft. The German company says the approval marks a number of firsts, including the first certified all-carbon fiber aerobatic aircraft. The company completed full occupant-crash testing and full airframe-fatigue testing before type certification, the first aerobatic aircraft to undergo such testing.
