While the severe falloff in sales has been disastrous for Mooney and other lightplane makers, a supplier integral to their products seems better, ahem, propped, for the downturn.
To help reverse the decades-long decline in the pilot population—there are 617,000 ticket holders in the U.S., down 25% from 1980—the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is investing $1 million-plus to foster and support flying clubs. These are popular in Europe, where sharing costs and post-flight pints help make lightplane ownership more affordable and enjoyable.
The FAA in August 2013 will flight test a prototype of its next generation traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) on a Convair 580. Called the airborne collision avoidance system X (ACAS X), the system is designed to allow for next generation air transportation system (NextGen) air traffic changes that include reduced separation procedures, while improving the number of resolution alerts that airlines are already experiencing with current separation criteria.
Lessons learned from the fatal crash of a G650 test aircraft in Roswell, N.M., could bolster safety for airframers and flight test departments globally.
Crash investigators looking into the fatal accident involving the Gulfstream G650 during the flight test programme, has said the “aggressive” push to certification may have contributed to the event.
The FAA will contract with Pratt & Whitney to modify an F117 turbofan engine—the military version of the PW2000—for a volcanic ash study involving NASA and the U.S. Air Force (USAF). P&W’s F117 powers USAF’s C-17 four-engine military transport aircraft, one of which will be used for the study, which is scheduled to start in March. The ground will inject ash into the modified engine.
The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA ) has entered into a mutual agreement with the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) of the United Kingdom on cooperation relating to aircraft accident and incident investigation.
The head of the Ayla aviation academy in Jordan, Marwan Atalla has called on investors in the Levant countries to look at the aviation sector for future wealth and national prosperity.
Communications Integrated Services (DCIS) contract in September, would like to accelerate the disbursement of $80 million in avionics aid for select airlines to begin demonstrating benefits of the data communications (datacomm) technology to the broader community by 2015.
MARTYN LEWIS was appointed senior regional director, EMEA and India, and vice president, marketing for CIT Aerospace. Lewis, who most recently was vice president, marketing focused on European markets, retains his current accounts, in addition to planning and executing CIT Aerospace strategy for India and the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. He joined CIT in 2001.
BEN CLOUSE joined Executive AirShare as vice president of finance and chief financial officer. Clouse most recently was assistant vice president, audit services for H&R Block. He has 16 years of experience in finance, including serving as an assurance and advisory services manager with the Kansas City office of Deloitte & Touche, and vice president of finance and corporate controller for Gold Bank Corporation, along with 10 years with H&R Block.
Business aviation is playing a key role in helping with the economic recovery in Europe, a new study finds, saying that each passenger flown on a business aviation flight generates the same gross domestic product as nine business passengers on a scheduled flight.
MARKUS WEINSEISS was appointed managing director and head of planning and strategy for CIT Aerospace. Weinseiss will continue to serve as managing director of CIT Aerospace International. He joined CIT in 2000 as a credit officer, and most recently was chief credit officer.
Hawker Beechcraft, while working through its financial struggles through Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, is continuing to invest in one of the strongest areas of the company – customer support – with the opening of a new factory service center in Mexico. The company late last month celebrated the grand opening of the facility based at the Aeropuerto Internacional del Norte (MMAN) in Monterrey. The 48,000-sq.-ft.
FAA issued special conditions for installation of enhanced flight vision systems (EFVS) on some older model Bombardier Challengers, including CL-601-3A, CL-601-3R and CL-604. The special conditions apply to aircraft that incorporate an Atlantic Aero modification for the EFVS. Atlantic Aero applied for a supplemental type certificate in October 2011 for the installation and operation of a head-up display (HUD) and EFVS in the Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16, including the -3A, -3R and 604 variants.
PIAGGIO Model P-180 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0634; Directorate Identifier 2012-CE-016-AD; Amendment 39-17182; AD 2012-18-06] – requires the installation of a covering cage on the screwjack, as a temporary corrective action, which does not allow the disengagement of the affected gear. The AD stems from mandatory continuing airworthiness information from the European Aviation Safety Agency that cites reports of failures of the Main Wing Outboard Flap external actuator.
JENNIFER VILLA-TENNITY was named chief credit officer for CIT Aerospace, where she will oversee the risk function for the business. Villa-Tennity joined the company in 1998 as an analyst. Most recently, she served as director, credit/risk management with responsibility for the Americas.
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) secured another short-term extension – through March 31, 2013 – of its “Small Aircraft Exemption” that was set to expire Sept. 30. The exemption – for NBAA members – permits operators to use small aircraft under certain conditions and receive cost reimbursement under Part 91, Subpart F. Originally written for aircraft that weigh more than 12,500 lb., multi-engine aircraft or fractional aircraft, Part 91, Subpart F permits the use of time sharing, interchange, joint ownership and other cost-sharing agreements.
SIKORSKY Model S-92A helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2009-1088; Directorate Identifier 2008-SW-76-AD] – revises an earlier proposal that calls for a revision of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM), Operating Limitations section, to prohibit Class D external load operations, including human external cargo (HEC), because this model helicopter was not certificated to one-engine inoperative performance standards for carrying Class D external loads.
Democratic opposition has made it unlikely that a Senate bill barring U.S. carriers from participating in the EU’s emissions trading system (ETS) will be considered by the House of Representatives before the Nov. 6 general elections, industry and Capitol Hill sources say.
