Keith Plumb, president and COO of regional fractional ownership provider Executive AirShare, added the title of CEO on Jan. 1. Plumb is succeeding Bob Taylor as part of a succession plan that began in early 2013. Taylor, who has been chairman and CEO, will become chairman emeritus, focused on various sales and business development projects. Taylor, who turns 67 shortly, jointly founded Executive AirShare with Plumb in 2000 in Wichita.
Although cleared, the driveway was snow crusted. So, I watched with keen interest as my daughter made her way up its steep incline, her all-season tires going slower and slower until just inches from the summit, they stopped. Not good. Hustling up, I told her to take a back seat. Daddy would get it over the top. A perfect Papa Berenstain Bear* moment: Don't be upset getting stuck on a hill, Driving cars through snow takes know-how and skill
Priester Aviation, Wheeling, Ill., hired William (Bill) L. McNease as vice president and director of Flight Operations. Kevin Brink was named sales director, North American Sales responsible for sales in Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Hawaii, Nevada eastern Oregon, Saskatchewan and Washington. Scott Clarey joined the company as sales director, North American sales for Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Utrak. He is based in Tempe, Ariz.
Biggin Hill Airport, London, appointed Robert Walters as director. He spent seven years as business development manager for the airport and will continue to lead sales and marketing but will also manage customer service.
Raisbeck Engineering's Swept Blade Turbofan Propellers are now being delivered after their FAA certification covering the entire King Air C90 and E90 family. When added to the Raisbeck EPIC Performance Package for the C90/E90 aircraft, the Swept Blade Propellers deliver performance increases across the board, according to Raisbeck. The EPIC Package is priced at $99,864 plus installation and includes Raisbeck Dual Aft Body Strakes and FAA-Approved Airplane Flight Manual Supplement.
ExecuJet Africa, which is exhibiting at Mining Indaba 2014 from February 3-6 in Cape Town, South Africa, is expanding its charter fleet with the addition of an Embraer Phenom 300 business jet.
Embraer's business aviation sales and marketing teams in Africa, the Middle East and Europe will have new leadership following the resignation of vice president EMEA, Colin Steven.
With just three months to go until Africa's first ever dedicated Business Aviation exhibition, AfBAA Expo, taking place in Marrakech 23–26 April 2014, the organisers - the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) and IEC - have announced the participation of leading aircraft Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) alongside a number of business aviation services.
CAE and Dassault have announced an agreement naming CAE as the exclusive Dassault-Approved Training Provider (DATP) for the newly-launched Dassault Falcon 5X.
INCREASINGLY MEXICAN: Bombardier Aerospace (BA) has a goal to boost local suppliers. According to investment advisors at National Bank Financial, about 30% of the supply of BA’s components comes from Mexican sources, with the goal over the next five years to reach 70%. That means going from eight local suppliers now to 12-15. “If BA is able to achieve this level of local content, the cost savings will become much more meaningful,” the advisors say. The Canadian-based OEM is also relying more on Mexican locals for management.
LONDON — Investigators conducting an inquiry into the loss of an Airbus Helicopters—formerly Eurocopter—AS332L2 Super Puma in the North Sea in August have recommended changes to emergency equipment and pre-flight briefings. Four oil workers died when the CHC Scotia-operated helicopter crashed on approach to Sumburgh Airport on the southern tip of the Shetland Islands, after a flight from the Borgsten Dolphin drilling platform on behalf of the oil company Total, on Aug. 23. Fourteen others—including the two crew—were rescued.
Canada’s Transportation Safety Board says the risk of runway incursions at Canada’s airports will not be reduced until “additional strategies” are put in place, including safety systems that directly alert crews of an impending high-speed collision.
Ameriflight President and CEO Gary Richards, who founded the cargo operator more than 45 years ago, has sold the operation to Pebbles Aviation, LLC. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
SIKORSKY S-70, S-70A and S-70C helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2013-0636; Directorate Identifier 2012-SW-065-AD; Amendment 39-17709; AD 2013-25-13] – establishes a new life limit based on a prorated formula for certain identified components (parts) installed on Model S-70, S-70A, and S-70C helicopters after being previously installed on certain military model helicopters.
Jan. 30, 2014—National Business Aviation Association Regional Forum, Signature Flight Support, Boca Raton Airport, Boca Raton, Fla., www.nbaa.org Feb. 4-6, 2014—MRO Middle East, Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE, www.aviationweek.com/events Feb. 5-7, 2014—National Business Aviation Association Business Aircraft, Finance, Registration and Legal Conference, St. Pete Beach, Fla. www.nbaa.org Feb. 10, 2014—ATW’s 40th Anniversary Airline Industry Achievement Awards, Pan Pacific Singapore Hotel, Singapore, speednews.com/all/conference
TURBOMECA ASTAZOU XIV B and XIV H [Docket No. FAA-2013-0575; Directorate Identifier 2013-NE-21-AD; Amendment 39-17718; AD 2013-26-09] – requires replacement of the second-stage turbine disk. This AD was prompted by reports of cracks on the second-stage turbine disk. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent disk cracking, uncontained second-stage turbine blade release, damage to the engine, and damage to the helicopter. FAA estimates that this AD will affect about six engines on the U.S. Registry at a cost of $41,910. The AD takes effect Feb. 14.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model EC225LP helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2013-0635; Directorate Identifier 2012-SW-081-AD; Amendment 39-17720; AD 2013-26-11] – requires inspecting the swashplates for corrosion or a crack, and making the appropriate repairs or replacement of parts. This AD was prompted by the discovery of corrosion on the swashplates when the main rotor hub (MRH) assemblies were reconditioned. The actions of this AD are intended to detect corrosion or a crack in the swashplates, which could lead to failure of the swashplates and subsequent loss of helicopter control.
TAC Air reached an agreement in principal with the Omaha Airport Authority to build a new Customs and Border Protection facility next to the fixed-base operator’s executive terminal at Eppley Airfield in Nebraska (OMA). Construction of the 2,200-sq.-ft. facility is slated for completion in the second half of this year.
Vertis Aviation’s London charter broker business continues to rapidly grow as it celebrates its first anniversary since opening in January 2013. The Kensington office of Vertis Aviation UK Limited, headed by Managing Director and Vertis Aviation Partner Julian Burrell, brokered several hundred charters since launching, and is experiencing growth for charters to and from Russia and the Middle East. Vertis is also seeing a pickup in business from the oil and gas sector in West Africa, along with Central America and Mexico.
General Dynamics (GD) is crediting its Aerospace group, including both Gulfstream Aerospace and Jet Aviation, for serving as its primary growth engine for both earnings and revenues as the group posted significant gains both in the fourth quarter and on the year, and continued to receive strong bookings.
ROBERT RANDALL was appointed sales manager, U.S. for Universal Avionics. Randall will manage the company’s regional sales manager and oversee all authorized dealers in the U.S. He joined Universal Avionics in September 2008 as Midwest regional sales manager before becoming OEM sales manager in 2012. He came to the company with more than 30 years of avionics maintenance, testing, sales and management experience.
Bell Helicopter’s independent representative Heli-Charter signed an agreement for Wiltshire Air Ambulance Charitable Trust to operate the Bell 429. The helicopter will be equipped for air ambulance operations – the second such equipped 429 to be operated in the U.K.
ROLLS-ROYCE RB211-524G2-19, RB211-524G3-19, RB211-524H-36, and RB211-524H2-19 turbofan engines [Docket No. FAA-2013-1004; Directorate Identifier 2013-NE-34-AD; Amendment 39-17719; AD 2013-26-10] – requires a one-time reduction in the cyclic life of certain high-pressure (HP) compressor rotor stage 1 and stage 2 discs, and removal of discs that exceed the reduced cycle life. This AD was prompted by a review by RR of the cyclic life of life-limited parts (LLPs) for RB211-524 series engines.
