SAAB 2000 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-1198; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-145-AD; Amendment 39-16623; AD 2011-05-13] – Conduct a detailed visual inspection for corrosion in the left-hand and right-hand horizontal stabilizer rear spar adjacent to the inboard elevator hinge and the harnesses installed in the adjacent areas. If corrosion is found, repair it before further flight.
Landmark Aviation has added seven airplanes to its fleet of managed aircraft. The additions include a Beechcraft King Air B200 and 350, Citation CJ3 and Bravo, Hawker 850XP, and Gulfstream 450 and 550. Landmark is offering the CJ3, Bravo and Hawker 850XP for charter. The CJ3 is based in Chicago, the Bravo is located in Raleigh-Durham, N.C. and the Hawker is based in Charlottesville, Va. The additions increase Landmark’s managed fleet to 75 aircraft.
Solairus Aviation was selected as the preferred provider of private aviation services for the destination club Inspirato. Inspirato members will receive discounted pricing on charter flights to any of Inspirato’s 10 current destinations using the Solairus fleet. In addition, Solairus clients will receive special pricing on the Inspirato membership fee through March.
The ongoing series of short-term authorization extensions and an uncertain budget have prompted FAA to halt most new certification activity, says agency Flight Standards Director John Allen. Speaking during the 2011 Air Charter Safety Symposium in Ashburn, Va., last week, Allen confirmed industry reports that FAA is accepting new certification applications, but for the most part only working on existing certification projects. FAA also has stopped most travel and placed a freeze on most hiring, Allen says.
Delta Private Jets increased its managed fleet with six more aircraft: a Hawker 800XP, Learjet 60, Citation X, Citation Excel, Challenger 300 and Challenger 601-3R.
Several industry groups have begun to work together and nearly 300 comments have flowed into the docket, mostly in opposition to an FAA plan to limit participation in the Block Aircraft Registration Request (BARR) program. The comments have increased as the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), which administers the BARR program, has issued a “Call to Action,” urging members to weigh in on the proposal.
Clay Lacy, a National Aviation Hall of Fame inductee, will be the featured speaker at the March 22 Wichita Aero Club luncheon. Lacy, a Wichita native, learned to fly at age 12 and has since logged more than 50,000 hr. His resume included flying for United Airlines (beginning at age 19), serving as Western U.S. representative for Bill Lear, and being the longtime owner of charter company Clay Lacy Aviation. A past winner of the Reno Air Races, he has flown more than 300 different types of airplanes.
North Dakota Gov. Jack Dalrymple (R) issued a proclamation in support of aviation. The proclamation, announced at the Upper Midwest Aviation Symposium in Minot, N.D. earlier this month, acknowledges the important role that aviation plays in the state. The proclamation drew praise from a number of aviation groups. The Alliance for Aviation Across America notes that general aviation drives more than $248 million in economic activity and supports more than 2,500 jobs across the state. “We commend Gov.
Export controls and lack of credit availability continue to hamper exports, Cessna Chairman Jack Pelton says. Testifying before the House commerce, manufacturing and trade subcommittee last week, Pelton endorsed efforts to streamline export licensing, but said in the near term, more needs to be done to simplify and clarify the regulations. “Many of the existing unilateral controls and policies have slowed our globalization and sales efforts,” he says. As for the credit constraints, Pelton notes the Export-Import Bank of the U.S.
FAA Flight Standards Director John Allen calls concerns over potential GPS jamming “a very, very big issue right now.” FAA is working with the Federal Communications Commission on the potential ramifications of the recent conditional approval for LightSquared to provide terrestrial broadband services using frequencies reserved for mobile satellite communication. The agency “is all over this,” he says, adding, “They’re in the middle of a food fight right now.” See article on Page 8.
CHAD WHITE was promoted to regional manager for international field service for Cessna Aircraft. White has relocated to Singapore to direct expansion of Cessna resources in the Asia-Pacific region, including additional field service personnel and service facilities. White has served with Cessna for 11 years, holding roles of increasing responsibility within the customer service organization.
RON GOTTSCHALK has joined Dallas Airmotive as regional sales manager for the company’s Pratt & Whitney Canada engine services. Gottschalk will sell PT6A, JT15D, PW500 and PW306C engine repair and overhaul services to customers in Montana, North and South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska and New Mexico. He has more the 20 years of business and general aviation sales and business development experience, including as general manager of Raytheon Aircraft Charter Management. Most recently, he ran his own aircraft brokerage.
BELL HELICOPTER Model 427 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2010-0866; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-065-AD; Amendment 39-16586; AD 2011-03-03] – Inspect both sides of the tail-rotor driveshaft hanger bearing bracket for cracks, per the instructions of Bell Helicopter Alert Service Bulletin No. 427-09-29, Rev. A (dated Nov. 17, 2009). If no cracks are found, rework both sides of the hangar bracket before further flight. If any cracks are found, replace the hangar bracket with a new one that has been reworked, per the aforementioned service bulletin.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model AS-365N2, AS 365 N3, and SA-365N1 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2010-0781; Directorate Identifier 2007-SW-49-AD; Amendment 39-16590; AD 2011-03-06] – Replace the aluminum tail-rotor blade-pitch control shaft with a steel tail-rotor blade-pitch control shaft. This AD was prompted by an incident in which there was a loss of control of the tail rotor due to a broken shaft.
Garmin International recently unveiled new audio panels that will incorporate features such as voice recognition, three-dimensional spatial audio processing, advanced auto squelch and ambient-noise-based volume adjustment. The panels include the GMA 350 for fixed-wing aircraft and GMA350H for rotorcraft. “As the GA industry’s first truly all-digital audio panels, we’re able to provide pilots many capabilities that have never been available in the cockpit,” says Gary Kelley, Garmin’s VP of marketing.
Business aircraft flight activity in February essentially was flat compared with January levels, according to the latest Argus TRAQPak data. The numbers indicate that February activity increased only 0.1% over January. By operational categories, the fractional segment saw a month-over-month increase of 3.3%. Part 91 essentially inched up 0.6%, while Part 135 charter activity was down 1.9% from January.
Nashville, Tenn.-based Social Flights, LLC has launched a web-based service that enables travelers to reserve seats on private aircraft using social media tools including Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
FAA, moving ahead with a proposed rulemaking that would require safety management systems (SMS) for Part 121 operators, last week withdrew an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) that explored SMS programs for a range of certificate holders. In a notice in the March 17 Federal Register, FAA notes it is under congressional mandate to complete an SMS rulemaking for Part 121 by July 2012 and says it is withdrawing the ANPRM “to redirect its resources to complete the SMS for Part 121 final rule by the ... deadline.”
The House Ways and Means Committee last week approved the taxes portion of the comprehensive, long-term FAA reauthorization bill, eliminating the expected tax increases to jet fuel and aviation gasoline. Separately, the Science, Space and Technology Committee also last week passed the research and development (R&D) piece of the FAA reauthorization bill. The approval of the taxes and R&D portions clear the four-year FAA bill, the FAA Reauthorization and Reform Act (H.R.658), for a vote on the House floor.
Eastway Jet Services in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., was appointed as an Embraer service center for Phenom 100 and 300 aircraft. The authorization covers a range of maintenance services, including scheduled inspections, warranty repairs and aircraft-on-ground service. Eastway provides services for a variety of other aircraft, including the Embraer Legacy and Gulfstream, Hawker, Dassault Falcon and Bombardier Global business jets.
The Alliance for Aviation Across America has added the Helicopter Association International (HAI) to its board of directors. “We and HAI share a common goal of helping to educate the public about the value of all types of general aviation aircraft, particularly when it comes to providing disaster relief, medical care, law enforcement and a host of important services,” says Alliance Executive Director Selena Shilad.
CHARLES CELLI was named vice president of Gulfstream Aerospace’s service center operations in Savannah, Ga. Celli oversees day-to-day operations at Gulfstream’s 680,000-sq.-ft service facility. He moves to Savannah from Basel, Switzerland, where he was senior VP, completions services—Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) and Asia, and general manager of Jet Aviation Basel. He also has served as VP and general manager of Gulfstream’s facility in Dallas.
Bell Helicopter’s share in the BA609 civil tiltrotor will be sold to AgustaWestland, the Italian company’s CEO Giuseppe Orsi reported at Heli-Expo. A year ago, AgustaWestland’s frustration over Bell dragging its feet on the program prompted Orsi to set a deadline of June 30 to determine the program’s fate. A sale agreement was reached, but negotiations have been stymied by difficulties in transferring assets from Bell to AgustaWestland. These problems revolve around separating the intellectual property rights for the civil tiltrotor from the U.S.
