Despite signs of order recovery in the turboprop market, ATR expects another year of treading water this year before deliveries and revenue experience a step change in 2012. Revenue is expected to jump to $1.8 billion from the current level of around $1.35 billion, in part based on the strength of $2.4 billion in new orders (80 firm and 33 options) that the turboprop maker booked in 2010, says CEO Filippo Bagnato.
Bell Helicopter has launched the Magellan program to develop an unspecified new product as part of an effort to revitalize its commercial rotorcraft business. The news is contained in a memo released by Bell Helicopter Textron Canada, which develops and assembles the company’s commercial helicopters in Mirabel, Quebec. Bell previously has talked of following the all-new Model 429 light-turbine twin by launching a new medium twin to supersede the Model 412 and potentially compete with the AgustaWestland AW139 and Eurocopter EC175.
PILATUS PC-6 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0622; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-034-AD; Amendment 39-16570; AD 2009-18-03 R1] – Inspect the upper wing-strut fittings and the spherical bearings, per the instructions of Pilatus PC-6 Service Bulletin No. 57-005, Rev. No. 2 (dated May 19, 2008. If any cracks are found in the upper wing-strut fitting, or if the spherical bearing is not in conformity, replace the cracked strut fitting or the nonconforming bearing before further flight.
Piper Aircraft has appointed Cutter Piper Sales, Carlsbad, Calif., as its dealer for new aircraft sales in Southern California. Cutter Piper Sales is a division of Phoenix-based Cutter Aviation, which has been Piper’s dealer in the southwest U.S.
Cessna Aircraft has named Van Bortel Aircraft as an authorized sales representative for the Caravan. The authorization expands the existing affiliation with Van Bortel, a long-time Cessna sales and service representative. Based at Arlington Municipal Airport in Arlington, Texas, Van Bortel will sell Caravans to customers in Texas and New Mexico.
Reports of lasers pointed at aircraft nearly doubled in 2010 to more than 2,800, FAA says, adding that this total is the highest number of laser events recorded since the agency began keeping track in 2005. Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) recorded the most number of laser events, with 102 reports. The greater Los Angeles area accounted for a total of 201 reports. Chicago O’Hare International Airport followed LAX with 98 reports. Since FAA began keeping track, laser event reports have increased from 300 in 2005, to 1,527 in 2009 and 2,836 in 2010.
GEOFF HILL was named director of communications and editor of Avionics News for the Aircraft Electronics Association. Hill previously has managed communications, media relations and marketing for the University of Missouri-Kansas City intercollegiate athletic department, and has served as a public relations assistant for the Kansas City Royals baseball organization. Most recently, he spent the past seven years as director of sales for Paradise Park Inc., a family entertainment center in Lee’s Summit, Mo.
FAA maintains that its decision to grant American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to build an apron for a new fixed-base operation at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) is consistent with existing law and past practices.
West Star Aviation’s facility in Dallas notes a marked increase in Embraer Phenom activity as the Brazilian plane maker continues to spool up deliveries of the very light jet Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 light jet. West Star has been a service center for Embraer Phenoms since 2006, and in October 2008, the Dallas center was named exclusive maintenance provider for the Phenom 100 initial pilot-training program. West Star Aviation has performed maintenance on 25 different Phenom 100s, just more than 10% of the entire fleet.
Sales of pre-owned business jets increased in 2010, compared with 2009 and 2008, according to a report from AircraftPost.com. “Taking a random sampling of medium and long-range aircraft, the number of transactions was up an average 30% over 2008, although selling prices dropped an average of 56%,” the report says. “One reason for the increase in transactions could be the result of prices going from ridiculously high levels to a level that makes sense again.” Affordability is an attractive metric right now, the report adds.
RASTISLAV “RUSTY” VALKO was promoted to chief operations officer for Angel MedFlight Worldwide Air Ambulance. Valko will oversee company-wide operations. He was hired by Angel MedFlight in February 2009 as information technology manager and subsequently was promoted to chief information officer.
Embraer’s Phenom 300 has received Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency, FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency certifications to use Garmin’s Synthetic Vision Technology (SVT). SVT recreates a visual topographic landscape from the system’s terrain-alerting database via sophisticated graphics modeling, which simulates what the pilot would see with the naked eye in broad daylight.
SHORT BROTHERS SD3 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-0225; Directorate Identifier 2009-NM-203-AD; Amendment 39-16525; AD 2010-24-06] – Revise the “Airworthiness Limitations” section of the “Instructions for Continued Airworthiness” by incorporating new fuel-system maintenance tasks into the aircraft’s manuals. This new AD, which supersedes an existing directive (AD 2006-12-18) and was prompted by an MCAI issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, is intended to reduce the probability of ignition sources within the fuel system.
Signature Flight Support has promoted three of its executives to key leadership roles. Joe Gibney, a 12-year Signature employee who most recently was vice president of sales, was named vice president and managing director—Europe, Middle East and Africa. Gibney will be based at Signature’s London Luton facility. Alicia Rodites, who joined Signature in October 2008 as director of revenue management, was appointed vice president of revenue management. Rodites, who is based in Orlando, Fla., also has served as director of financial reporting and accounting for BBA Aviation.
JORGE PEREZ has joined Gulfstream Aerospace as a field service representative based in the U.S. He formerly had been a contract field service representative for Gulfstream, providing support to customers in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Azerbaijan. He also has been a Gulfstream technician in Savannah, Ga., a line maintenance supervisor for Jet Aviation in Palm Beach, Fla., and chief of maintenance for a Florida-based Gulfstream operator.
FAA last week released a new rule requiring Part 135 operators to include crew resource management (CRM) training for pilots and flight attendants. The rule, the agency says, stems from a recommendation made by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) in 2003, as well as a recommendation from the Part 125/135 Aviation Rulemaking Committee.
MD HELICOPTERS MD900 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2010-1301; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-008-AD] – This proposed AD would supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD 2008-22-53), retaining the earlier directive’s limitations on use of the Vertical Stabilizer Control System (VSCS) and autopilot and stipulating that aircraft be operated at a reduced speed until each VSCS tube adapter is replaced with an improved tube adapter. This proposal is intended to prevent loss of yaw control and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE SA-365N, SA-365N1, AS-365N2, AS 365 N3, and SA-366G1 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2010-1303; Directorate Identifier 2010-SW-049-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to conduct recurring inspections for cracks in the inner angles and flanges of the 9-deg. frame on the right-hand and left-hand sides. If any cracks were found, repairs would need to be made before further flight.
Abu Dhabi-based charter operator Royal Jet has appointed Qurum Business Group (QBG) as the Oman General Sales Agent (GSA) for all their private charter and medical evacuation services. The Oman GSA, Qurum Business Group, established in the 1990s, has a spectrum of businesses and industries in the country.
Elliott Aviation has added an Astra 1125SP jet aircraft, based at Forest City, Iowa, to its charter certificate. The Astra joins a fleet of 15 jet and turboprop aircraft at its locations at Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Ill.; Eppley Airfield in Omaha, Neb.; Des Moines International Airport; and Flying Cloud Regional Airport in Eden Prairie, Minn.
Bahrain Airport Co. (BAC) has signed an agreement with MENA Aerospace to build and operate a major private and business aviation hangar complex at Bahrain International Airport. Development is already underway on the northwest corner of the airport. When complete, the first phase’s footprint will be 26,362 sq. meters (6.5 acres), with a hangar, private taxiway and ramp, plus office and workshop areas, making it one of the largest general aviation facilities in the region.
RONALD FREDERICK , president and CEO of M7 Aerospace, has been named vice chairman of the company and a member of its board. He previously held senior executive positions with General Electric, Williams International, Goodrich, Johnson Technology and UNC Manufacturing. During his time at GE, he was president of Garrett Aviation Services.
Cessna Aircraft has delivered more than 30 Skycatchers to date and plans to ship a total of 150 models of the light sport aircraft this year, including the first versions featuring the McCauley two-blade, fixed-pitch composite propeller. In a report issued last week, Cessna says it has received more than 60 Skycatchers from China’s Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, which builds the airplanes and ships them to Yingling Aviation in Wichita for reassembly and subsequent distribution by Cessna.
