FAA is proposing a $160,000 civil penalty against aviation spare parts, support services and inventory products provider Parker Aerospace of Irvine, California. The agency alleges the facility violated drug and alcohol testing regulations, hiring two people for safety-sensitive positions before conducting pre-employment drug tests and receiving results. FAA further claims the company transferred an employee into a safety-sensitive position before conducting drug tests and receiving results. Parker has until late December to respond to the allegations.
The U.S. House passed the Tax Increase Prevention Act of 2014 (H.R. 5771) on Dec. 3, renewing provisions to encourage capital investment. But the move only served to kick the can down the road, and not very far at that. Nevertheless, business aviation organizations see passage as a step forward. “NBAA applauds this action by the House to renew bonus depreciation and other tax incentives that encourage businesses to upgrade equipment and invest in assets such as aircraft,” National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen says.
Dassault rolled out its three-engine Falcon 8X on Dec. 17 at a special ceremony at its Bordeaux-Merignac production facility. The first flight will follow in the next few weeks. The 6,450-nm ultra-long-range jet is powered by improved Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307D engines, it will build on the strengths of the fast-selling Falcon 7X, adding 500 nm to that aircraft’s range and 3.5 ft. to its cabin length.
PAC Seating Systems has been selected by San Antonio cabin completion specialist GDC Technics to provide all seating products for two wide-body BBJ787 programs. The two BBJ787 contracts mark the first time the Palm City, Florida-based company has received a multiple aircraft order. It is the third BBJ787 seating order for PAC, and the company also has a fresh seating contract for a Boeing Business Jet.
Dassault Falcon Service plans to build a heavy maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport in southwestern France, adjacent to the Dassault Aviation manufacturing plant. The 7,200-sq.-meter facility will serve Falcon 7X, 8X and 5X large cabin aircraft. The six-bay facility is expected to open in mid-2016, in time to handle initial C Checks for the Falcon 7X, of which more than 230 are now in operation.
Concerned that the air taxi sector accounted for 65% of all commercial aviation fatalities over the past 10 years, the Transportation Safety Board (TSB) of Canada is planning an in-depth “Safety Issues Investigation” on those operations. Announced last week by TSB Chairman Kathy Fox, the study is set to begin in early 2015, and will cover historical data and case studies in Canada as well as accidents and incidents in other countries.
Airbus has started selling off its share of French combat aircraft and business jet manufacturer Dassault Aviation. The company sold 4% of its share in Dassault back to its majority holder GIMD (Groupement Industriel Marcel Dassault) after trading in Paris closed on Nov. 28. The deal raised €794 million ($987 million) with the share valued at €980 per share, roughly a 9.2% discount over the last trading price of the day, according to Dassault.
Cirrus added a second conforming-prototype Vision SF50 personal jet to the flight test program as the company progresses toward certification and delivery in late 2015. The second prototype, C1, first flew on Nov. 25 from Duluth, Minnesota. The flight occurred as the company was in the final stages of adding a third aircraft to the flight test program. The initial proof-of-concept single-jet Vision SF250 flew in July 2008, but the program gained momentum after Caiga, the general aviation manufacturing subsidiary of China’s AVIC, acquired Cirrus in 2011.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) may not restrict Stage 3 aircraft from departing to the east, or over the city, during overnight hours, FAA ruled. FAA, in a decision dated Nov. 7, denied the airport’s Part 161 application seeking permission to impose the restrictions. FAA found the restrictions would create undue hardship on airlines in the overnight hours and were not legal under the Airport Noise and Capacity Act of 1990. According to the filing, FAA had concerns that LAX’s application was both unreasonable and arbitrary.
Rectrix Aviation opened a new flagship FBO at Hanscom Field Airport (KBED) in Bedford, Massachusetts. The opening culminates a two-year effort to develop the new facility that will also house the company’s headquarters. The new FBO includes 60,000 sq. ft. of hangar space and 20,000 sq. ft. of guest and office space, including a lobby, conference and meeting rooms, pilots’ lounge, snooze room and flight planning center.
The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped lens at the front of the eye. One of the most-common changes with age to the eye’s structure is the loss of flexibility in the cornea. In a young person, the eye’s lens is clear and pliable, which is important since it aids in focusing on objects of varying distance.
The surge of laser usage to correct vision problems has led to the creation of an entire industry. When used properly by credentialed specialists, this form of treatment can result in remarkable improvements to eyesight. However, LASIK and other forms of vision corrective surgery have potentially adverse effects that could be incompatible with flying duties. According to the FAA’s online “Pilot Medical Certification Questions and Answers,” these include: Corneal scarring or opacities;
They say that Murphy does not discriminate. Ask any maintenance manager and they will swear that he has a special affinity for airplanes. If there can be a worst-possible location for the aircraft to break down, that is where it will happen. It is bad enough to break down at home, at least you have some comfort knowing your staff and support structure is in place and you can pay your full attention to the problem. Now, put the airplane half a world away in a remote location and that same problem magnifies in complexity and aggravation by a factor of 10 (or more).
‘FOB Only’ I liked your Viewpoint on TFRs (“Temporary Abuse,” October 2014). We all have to pay the price for someone to have a fundraiser!!? You left out the additional costs to fly to, land and take off from a gateway airport. The extra gas, landing fees, cycles on the gear, duty day issues.
For as little as $5 million, you can buy a IAI Galaxy/Gulfstream G200. It’s the original super-midsize business jet, able to fly eight passengers 3,200 nm and land with NBAA IFR reserves. The aircraft has nearly GII cabin dimensions, albeit with a shallow dropped aisle, but it has close to midsize jet fuel consumption and direct operating costs.
Business aircraft manufacturers finding that size matters, as offering multiple mid- and large-size cabin models is critical to success as market rebounds.
Expanded Tables Online Download expanded specifications on in-production and business aviation aircraft and search more than 3,100 other systems at AviationWeek.com/specs
1. You have built a foundation for a chain now with five facilities. What are your long-term plans? Levesque: We started the year with two and added facilities in Chicago, Atlanta and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. We would like to grow to 15 or 20 facilities. But we want to grow smartly and in the right way. We are not in a rush. We have looked at a lot more than we have attempted to acquire. 2. What do you look for in a potential acquisition?
