DALE APPLEBY was appointed technical sales manager for West Star Aviation. Appleby will be based in Dallas. He has 18 years of sales, operation and business ownership experience.
Loss of control has replaced controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) as the number one aviation accident cause in recent years. Overall, the airline industry also has stopped improving its safety performance in the past decade, but as the Flight Safety Foundation’s European Aviation Safety Seminar in Istanbul concluded last week, it would be relatively easy to change that.
JDA Aviation Technology Solutions has signed a deal with Dragonfly Aviation, LLC, a Laredo, Texas-based helicopter wildlife survey and capture operator, to help it obtain FAA Part 133, 135 and 137 certifications. JDA will use its 135Pro certificate support program for all three efforts. The 135Pro support program is designed to simplify and lower costs associated with obtaining a Part 135 certificate. The program, which also supports Part 133 and 137, includes manuals tailored for the charter applicants, as well as coaching, mentoring and training assistance.
The National Air Transportation Association is expressing concern that FAA is suspending action on most new certification applications. The agency recently announced the suspension to field offices, NATA says, adding the move is in response to budgetary constraints. FAA field offices are accepting applications and placing them “in queue,” the association says, “but applicants should not expect further action to be taken at this time unless the particular [Flight Standards District Office] believes it has sufficient manpower and resources to complete the certification.”
BP Products North America has completed the sale of its interest in Epic Aviation to Downstream Aviation. BP and Downstream have entered into exclusive brand and supply agreements, and Epic will continue to operate under the Air BP brand as Air BA Aviation Services. Founded in 2002, Epic supports fuel and business needs for a branded dealer network of nearly 400 fixed-base operations in the U.S. and Canada. The management team will remain based in Salem, Ore.
The airport and airport industrial center in Salina, Kan., support nearly 8,700 public- and private-sector jobs and generate more than $280 million a year in annual payroll, according to a new report. The Salina Airport Authority commissioned Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development and Business Research to conduct the study. The study found that aviation is thriving in the community, home to the former Schilling Air Force Base. The base closed in 1965, taking 5,000 jobs with it.
Hawker Beechcraft has named Patrick Kelly interim CFO and principal financial officer. Kelly formerly served as interim CEO for Express Jet Airlines in Houston, and before that was CFO for Vignette Corporation in Austin, Texas. He also has served with Dell, Trilogy Software, Sabre Holdings and American Airlines. He succeeds Sid Anderson, who left the company early this year after taking the position in late 2008. The company did not discuss the details of his departure.
HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND Model 247F propellers [Docket No. FAA-2009-0113; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-25-AD; Amendment 39-16602; AD 2011-04-02] – Remove affected propeller blades from service. This AD, which was prompted by reports of blades with corrosion pits in the tulip area, is intended to prevent cracks in the tulip area of the blade from causing separation of the blade and possible loss of airplane control. FAA estimates that this AD will affect 10 propellers installed on ATR 72-210 and ATR 72-210E airplanes on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S.
The Mundus Group, an aerospace technology consortium that is involved in vertical takeoff and landing technology for unmanned air vehicles, has acquired machining specialist LKKO. The acquisition includes the Goki Manufacturing Group. LKKO and Goki operate a CNC prototyping facility and have more than 40 years of machining, fabrication and assembly experience.
ALEX JOYA was promoted to vice president, business development for TWC Aviation, where he will oversee the aircraft sales and acquisitions department, spearhead strategic business development initiatives, and identify potential business opportunities. Joya previously was TWC’s manager of business operations and supervisor of the aircraft maintenance department.
The Chicago Department of Aviation is seeking a Projects Administrator – Environmental Management to plan, initiate and manage environmental management and sustainability programs to ensure compliance with applicable regulations for O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport. The City of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. For full details and to apply go to: https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/100/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en
SAC Swiss Aviation Consultants, an independent aviation advisory group, has been awarded International Standard for Business Aviation Operations (IS-BAO) accreditation. IS-BAO is a code of best practices designed to help flight departments worldwide achieve a high level of safety and professionalism.
Three California congressmen are proposing to ban nighttime flights at both Bob Hope Burbank Airport and Van Nuys Airport. Reps. Adam Schiff (D), Brad Sherman (D) and Howard Berman (D) last week introduced the Valley-Wide Noise Relief Act, H.R.842, to permit both airports to adopt curfews between 10 p.m.-7 p.m. “Valley residents living under the flight path and near Bob Hope and Van Nuys airports should be able to enjoy a restful night without the roar of jet engines waking them up,” says Sherman.
Garmin International, a pioneer in GPS technology, and I.D. Systems, a Woodcliff Lake, N.Y. provider of tracking systems, have released SafeNav Powered by Garmin, a GPS-based navigation and alert system for airport vehicle operators. The system, which provides real-time situational awareness, is designed to help airport operators avoid runway incursions, Garmin says. SafeNav provides a “moving map” of the vehicle’s location on the airport.
Signature will expand its chain of fixed-base operations to 104 locations under an agreement to acquire the assets of Yellowstone Jetcenter at Gallatin Field Airport in Bozeman, Mont. Yellowstone Jetcenter, which has been in business for 10 years, will retain its name but operate as part of the Signature network. The acquisition will give Signature a foothold in southwestern Montana and Big Sky Country, and expands the company’s footprint in the Northwest Mountain region. The facility, which operates round-the-clock, includes seven hangars totaling 100,000-sq.-ft.
March 7-10—Composite Airframe Structures, UCLA Extension Building, www.uclaextension.edu/shortcourses March 14-18—Structural Integrity of New and Aging Metallic Aircraft, UCLA Extension Building, www.uclaextension.edu/shortcourses March 15–16—The Air Charter Safety Foundation, Air Charter Safety Symposium, NTSB Training Center, Ashburn Va., www.acsf.aero/symposium March 21-24—National Business Aviation Association, 38th Annual International Operators Conference, San Diego, (202) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org/events/ioc/2011/
New York City-based private jet and charter flight service Jet Partners Worldwide, Inc. has unveiled a new website that offers instant charter quotes. Most charter websites offer the same basic information, says Jet Partners Managing Partner John Henry Logan. “Most companies make promises offering instant quotes, but what you really wind up getting is a message along the lines of ‘a representative will contact you shortly,’” he says, adding that the response may take a day or two.
The European Business Aviation Association and National Business Aviation Association are taking nominations for the 2011 European Business Aviation Award, which will be presented at this year’s European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) May 17-19 in Geneva. The award honors companies and individuals who have made a significant contribution to the advancement of business aviation in Europe. Nominations are due April 12. Contact EBACE at +322-766-0073 or [email protected].
The Chicago Department of Aviation is seeking a Director of Project Development to direct the implementation and evaluation of planning, engineering, and environmental projects for O’Hare International Airport and Midway International Airport. The City of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. For full details and to apply go to: https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/100/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en
Fractional pioneer NetJets, which has returned to profitability, is reversing course on its large-cabin fleet with last week’s announced order for up to 120 Bombardier Global business jets. The order, valued at as much as $6.7 billion, is the largest Bombardier has ever received for its business jets. It also is the first such deal between NetJets and Bombardier, which operates a competitor fractional company, Flexjet.
Embraer’s Legacy 650 was granted FAA certification. The FAA approval follows Brazilian and European Aviation Safety Agency certifications last fall. “This important approval of our new long-range, large-cabin Legacy 650 executive jet opens the way for the company to better serve not only the U.S. market, but also several other countries that require FAA certification,” says Luís Carlos Affonso, Embraer executive VP, Executive Jets. Derived from the Legacy 600, the 650 has a 3,900-nm-range with four passengers and NBAA IFR reserves.
The Kansas Department of Transportation’s (KDOT) Division of Aviation has created a Google Earth-based Airspace Awareness Tool designed specifically to increase the awareness of airspace around the state’s airports.
BOB WHETSELL was named project leader for the Flight Safety Foundation’s (FSF) helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) project. Whetsell is VP of sales at Aerobytes, the U.K.-based supplier of flight data management software and services. FSF launched the HEMS project in 2009 to study flight operations quality assurance in HEMS and will conduct a pilot program on flight data management.
The Chinese are continuing to increase their reach into the aviation industry, most recently with the acquisition of Duluth, Minn.-based single-engine plane-maker Cirrus Industries. The acquisition, announced last week, is expected to close by midyear. Terms of the transaction were not released.
