Nearly a year after receiving certification for the 400XT remanufactured Beechjet, Cleveland-based Nextant Aerospace is expanding facilities to ramp up production, working on the next series of product improvements for the 400XT and looking at adding a second airframe to its lineup. Nextant, the sister company of fractional ownership provider Flight Options, is moving over the next couple of weeks into its recently acquired 125,000-sq.-ft. facility, where it hopes to begin production by the end of the month.
Honeywell’s business and commercial aviation products were top performers among its four business sectors in the third quarter and will remain so through 2013, despite expectations for a continued slowdown in the global economy, the company says. Sales for the Aerospace division, which includes business and commercial aviation, as well as defense and space, were up 4% to $3 billion year-over-year in the third quarter due to a 9% increase in commercial product sales. Defense and space revenue decreased 1%.
The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) expanded its Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) to include N-Jet and Priester Aviation, both of Wheeling, Ill. ACSF launched the ASAP pilot last summer with Best Jets International of Minneapolis and Bemidji Aviation Services of Bemidji, Minnesota. The ACSF ASAP is designed to encourage employees to report safety issues to management and FAA to help monitor safety trends. The program is designed for small and mid-sized companies that do not have the resources to establish their own programs.
LYCOMING (L)O-360, (L)IO-360, AEIO-360, O-540, IO-540, AEIO-540, (L)TIO-540, IO-580, and IO-720 series reciprocating engines [Docket No. FAA-2006-24785; Directorate Identifier 2006-NE-20-AD; Amendment 39-17196; AD 2012-19-01] – supersedes an AD that currently requires replacing certain crankshafts in the affected engines. This AD continues to require replacing certain crankshafts, corrects the start date of affected engine models in Lycoming Mandatory Service Bulletin (MSB) No. 569A to the start date in Supplement No. 1 to Lycoming MSB No.
When turnaround specialist Robert S. “Steve” Miller was appointed CEO of Hawker Beechcraft in February, he waved off rumors that the struggling manufacturer of business jets, turboprops and military trainers would be sold to a Chinese entity. “There is no plan in my kit bag here to sell this company or any of its pieces,” he told Aviation Week. Three months later, Hawker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
Air Charter Service announced this week that Empyrean, its new jet card division, is launching the world's first truly global jet card, the Lindbergh Card in the Middle East.
The U.S. unmanned aviation system (UAS) commercial market could be boosted as the Afghanistan war cools and new federal mandates spur business interest in the platforms, according to a leading aviation law firm. “Today, over 300 businesses produce over a 1,000 different unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) ranging in size from a medium-sized passenger jet to a small winged insect,” notes a paper released this month by Michael Goldman of the firm Silverberg, Goldman and Bikoff. “They are mostly banned in U.S.
A research advisory group is cautioning the FAA “to avoid the temptation to compromise safety” as the agency attempts to meet a congressionally mandated 2015 deadline to integrate unmanned aircraft into the national airspace system (NAS). The observation highlights what appears to be growing frustration with the FAA over a range of research and organizational issues as the mandate nears.
Rizon Jet is planning for future growth at its London-based facility at Biggin Hill Airport, which was named Best Handling Agent/FBO in the aviation industry's leading Excellence Awards last week.
Following the launching of the PBO Academy in the Middle East during May 2012 - and from the growing interest received from the UAE and GCC stakeholders - AVTECH ME/GCAS have decided to run the executive and operational PBO workshops for the second time in UAE, at the GCAS Centre, Al Bateen Executive Airport, Abu Dhabi (27-29 November).
FAA is urging transport category aircraft operators and repair stations to check inventories and maintenance records for windows and other glass parts that may have been part of an elaborate records falsification scheme by a former repair station in Florida.
Business Jet Center (BJC) has added a 61,505-sq.-ft. hangar to it its facility at Oakland International Airport (OAK) in California. The hangar, previously a cargo handling facility, is one of the largest in the region, capable of accommodating multiple large aircraft such as the Gulfstream 650. The structure increases BJC’s space at OAK to more than 155,000 sq. ft. BJC, which recently completed $250,000 upgrade of a separate 14,500-sq.-ft. business aviation hangar at OAK, is investing $5 million in renovating the newest hangar.
The Westchester Aviation Association (WAA) sponsored a luncheon Oct. 4 attended by more than 250 people who were members of flight departments at Westchester County Airport (HPN), area business representatives and local government officials. Held at in a Million Air hangar, the “Westchester Business Takes Flight” gathering was designed to highlight the major economic, convenience and safety contributions the airport makes to the county and its surrounding areas.
A team of aviation communication veterans are partnering to launch Conventional Wisdom (CW), an effort to provide small- and mid-sized exhibitors expertise on planning their presence at aviation trade shows and conventions.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701, & 702), CL-600-2D15 (Regional Jet Series 705), and CL-600-2D24 (Regional Jet Series 900) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0142; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-275-AD; Amendment 39-17188; AD 2012-18-11] — requires an inspection for part numbers; repetitive inspections for any cracking of certain hydraulic system accumulators, and replacement, if necessary; and revising the maintenance program to include a life limit for certain hydraulic system accumulators.
The Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation elected John Petersen as its new chairman, succeeding Larry. Williams, who has completed his three-year term. Petersen, who has served on the foundation board for seven years, is the founder and CEO of The Arlington Institute.
Sao Jose dos Campos, BRAZIL — Embraer expects the business aviation market to remain down for the rest of the year, despite record corporate profits and a record number of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs). But Embraer Executive Jets President Ernest Edwards, speaking to reporters in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, believes those trends will position the industry to take off in the future.
This month’s National Business Aviation Association 65th Annual Meeting and Convention in Orlando, Fla., is shaping up to come close to last year’s event in Las Vegas. The 2011 show drew 26,077 attendees and a total of 1,106 exhibitors. The latest NBAA report estimates that some 25,000-plus are expected in Orlando and more than 1,000 exhibitors have booked space.
Astronics Corp, which recently acquired enhanced vision system (EVS) specialist Max-Viz, handed over the 600th Max-Viz unit for installation on Cirrus SR22 airplanes. Cirrus offers the Max-Viz Model 600 as an option on SR22 aircraft, and more than 60% of customers have selected the system. The system relies on infrared technology to improve visibility in haze, fog, smoke, mist, rain and night.
Cleveland-based fractional ownership provider Flight Options is laying the groundwork to expand globally, beginning with a few long-range aircraft, and also is looking to add a new midsize type to its fleet. Flight Options, which has the second-largest fractional fleet—after NetJets—at nearly 90 aircraft, has been phasing out older models and building its base on the Embraer Phenom 300, Nextant 400XT, Cessna Citation X and Embraer Legacy 600.
PIPER Models PA-31, PA-31-325, and PA-31-350 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0983; Directorate Identifier 2012-CE-001-AD] – proposes to supersede an existing AD that currently requires a detailed repetitive inspection of the exhaust system downstream of the turbochargers and repair or replacement of parts as necessary. Since FAA issued that AD, forced landings of aircraft have occurred due to exhaust system failures upstream of aircraft turbochargers and between recurring detailed inspections.
The Transportation Security Administration is warning the general aviation community to remain vigilant in its security, saying it “is everyone’s responsibility.” TSA released a broad General Aviation Security Awareness Bulletin warning that “While there is no known credible threat to general aviation, it is still considered by many to be a target of opportunity.” The bulletin urges use of the 1-866-GA Secur number or law enforcement contact if operators see something out of the ordinary.
