Bombardier is stepping up its links to Singapore’s support industries with a plan to open a new regional refurbishment center for its business jets. Simon Wayne, general manager at Bombardier’s existing Singapore Service Center, tells Aviation Week that the firm has well-developed plans to open a new workshop “within months” that will offer “a very important regional facility to offer complete interior refurb capacity to regional customers.
While Beechcraft Corp. delivered only a few residual jet products in 2013, the Wichita airframer completed its first year as a stand-alone company with a 35% jump in its civil aircraft deliveries, which increased to 211 last year, compared with 157 in 2012. But of the 157 deliveries in 2012, 32 involved Beechcraft’s now-shuttered jet product lines. Last year there were just six shipments of the remaining Hawker 4000s.
Duncan Aviation has been awarded a three-year contract to maintain Reva’s fleet of air ambulance aircraft. The contract builds upon an ongoing relationship that Duncan has had for the past several years with Reva, a medical transportation services company operating throughout North America. The contract covers 29 scheduled Honeywell TFE731 engine events, AOG engine Rapid Response support, avionics satellite services, component repair and overhauls and aircraft paint.
The ambitious schedule to build Jet Aviation’s new mega hangar and merge it with its existing hangar and fixed-base operation at Singapore’s Seletar Aerospace Park is on schedule for completion by the end of March. This marks a significant achievement, given that the facility triples Jet Aviation’s footprint there, and groundbreaking only took place in April 2013.
LEARJET Model 45 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2014-0010; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-218-AD] – proposes to require doing a fluorescent penetrant inspection of the metallic components of the thrust reverser’s attach flange for any corrosion; inspecting the thrust reverser flange for damage to the sealant, as applicable; installing sealants and gaskets, as applicable, to the thrust reverser flanges and service island flanges; and related investigative and corrective actions as necessary.
Part 135 operations, which posted a “banner year” in 2013, are on pace to carry that momentum into 2014, but Part 91 and fractional operations are expected to remain flat to down in the early part of 2014, business aviation analyst Argus forecasts. Argus, which tracks business aircraft arrival and departure information in the U.S. and Canada, found that despite a strong end to 2013, flight operations for the year were still down overall 0.3% from 2012.
DANIEL IRESON was promoted to assistant chief pilot for Executive AirShare. Ireson, a captain in Executive AirShare’s Phenom 100 and 300 aircraft, most recently was base manager for the fractional ownership company. He is based at its facilities at Fort Worth Meacham Airport (FTW) and Love Field in Dallas (DAL). He was formerly a contract pilot for Business Air in Denton, Texas and owned a Part 141 flight school.
Bell Helicopter completed the first delivery of a Bell 407GX to a customer in India. The helicopter was handed over to charter operator SpanAir. SpanAir took delivery of its first Bell, a 407, in 1996, a year after the operator was established. It also had since added a Bell 429. The 407GX incorporates the Garmin G1000H flight deck.
ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND BR700-725A1-12 turbofan engines [Docket No. FAA-2013-0882; Directorate Identifier 2013-NE-29-AD] – proposes to require removal of the affected fuel metering units (FMUs). This proposed AD was prompted by reports of wear on the receptors of the double-ended unions in FMU housing on BR700-725A1-12 engines, causing fuel leakage. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent failure of the FMU, which could lead to damage to one or more engines and damage to the airplane.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model EC225LP and AS332L1 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2014-0039; Directorate Identifier 2013-SW-058-AD; Amendment 39-17737; AD 2014-02-09] – requires, before the next overwater flight, inspecting the strap installation on the hinged rods of the emergency flotation gear on both rear cradles for correct installation. If a strap is installed under the hinged rod median plate rather than over it, reinstalling the strap is required. The AD is prompted by incorrect routing of the straps on the hinged rods of the emergency flotation gear rear cradles.
AgustaWestland’s AW189 and the Airbus EC175 super-medium have been certified within days of each other. The 7.5-metric ton EC175 was the first to get EASA’s nod, receiving its certification two days after the company announced at its annual press conference on Jan. 28 that the aircraft had completed the certification process. EASA awarded the documentation to the EC175 on Jan. 30.
FAA has finalized a rule codifying that its long-standing “sterile cockpit” mandate applies to pilots using personal electronic devices (PEDs) for anything not directly related to operating aircraft—at least for Part 121 operators. The rule, set for publication Wednesday and effective in 60 days, leans heavily on the agency’s 1981 sterile cockpit rule. The changes add a paragraph to Part 121 specifying that PEDs are not permitted and defining the term “PED.”
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has delivered a lukewarm review of the FAA’s efforts to accelerate the delivery of performance-based navigation (PBN) procedures as part of the NextGen program. The assessment comes as Congress reviews the agency’s progress in implementing the 2012 FAA Modernization and Reform Act, elements of which were designed to boost PBN availability to help convince airlines of the fuel- and time-savings they can attain by equipping with NextGen avionics to use the procedures.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model EC 155B and EC155B1 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2013-0501; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-036-AD; Amendment 39-17732; AD 2014-02-04] – requires repetitively inspecting the lower and upper front and rear fittings that attach the upper fin to the fenestron for a crack and, if there is a crack, removing all four fittings from service. This AD also requires, within a specified time, removing all fittings from service, and the fittings would not be eligible to be installed on any helicopter. This AD was prompted by the loss of an upper fin in flight.
TAG Farnborough Airport in the U.K. has begun soliciting public input on an “Airspace Change Proposal” (ACP) that would introduced some areas of controlled airspace in the vicinity, which currently is Class G (uncontrolled) airspace. The airport, which is undertaking the formal Civil Aviation Authority to implement the plan, is accepting public feedback through May 2 on the airspace redesign. Airport officials say the changes will provide more predictable and consistent operations while reducing noise and emissions.
FAA plans to divvy up to 1,721 flight “allocations” among Grand Canyon air tour operators that incorporate quiet aircraft technologies. In a Feb. 3 notice in the Federal Register, FAA outlines a plan to use the first six months of 2014 to establish a baseline for dividing the allocations among qualified operators that fly in the restricted Grand Canyon airspace.
FAA is calling “implausible, if not simply preposterous,” the city of Santa Monica, Calif.’s arguments on why its lawsuit over control of Santa Monica Airport (SMO) should continue. The city on Oct. 31 filed a lawsuit with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California seeking to control the fate of SMO, saying it has “unencumbered title to the airport property and its availability ... to use the airport property as it chooses.” If successful, the city would have the option to close the airport after July 2015.
Blackhawk Modifications Inc. of Waco Texas, working with St. Paul, Minn.-based Wipaire, received FAA certification of the Blackhawk XP42A engine upgrade for Cessna Model 208 and 208A Caravans equipped with Wipline floats. The Blackhawk upgrade replaces the standard 600-hp PT6A-114 or 675-hp PT6A-114A turboprop engines with the new 850-hp PT6A-42A engines on the Caravan. Blackhawk says the increased horsepower will provide more versatility to float-equipped Caravans.
Air Greenland has canceled an order for two Airbus Helicopters EC225s because the offshore market around the island has not developed as expected. The company ordered the aircraft as part of a DKK380 million ($69 million) deal announced in December 2011. It planned to use them on search-and-rescue missions and passenger-carrying duties with an expected influx of oil and gas companies exploring for oil around the huge country. But on Feb. 3 the company confirmed that its board had unanimously decided to cancel the Airbus Helicopters contract.
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is urging FAA to rethink its approach to aircraft weight and balance requirements, saying the new approach is better suited for scheduled carriers.
The Transportation Department watchdog is criticizing FAA’s policy on aircraft registration, saying the agency still does not have the information it needs on non-U.S. citizen trusts (NCTs). FAA in June released a policy clarification that culminated a multiyear effort to tighten the use of NCTs to improve the accuracy, transparency and timeliness of aircraft registration information.
Business jet operations topped 4 million for the first time since 2008 last year, according to preliminary FAA data. FAA reports operations reached 4.072 million in 2013, a 2.26% increase over 2012. Since the data is preliminary, this is likely to increase slightly once FAA finalizes December operations. Business jet operations peaked at 4.825 million in 2007 before falling 11% in 2008 to 4.291 million. Operations plunged almost 20% the following year to a decade-low 3.449 million. They have been on the rise every year since, but recovery has been slow.
CHRIS HANCOCK was appointed sales manager for Dassault Falcon Jet covering the Northeastern U.S. Hancock has held business aircraft sales positions for more than a decade. He formerly served with Bombardier and Hawker Beechcraft.
Honeywell and Inmarsat have completed the critical design review of the GX aircraft avionics that will accommodate Inmarsat’s high-speed, inflight connectivity service that will provide data rates of up to 50 mbps. Initial product certifications are expected later this year with products entering the market in the first half of 2015. The critical design review marked the final development evaluation, keeping the program on schedule, the companies say. Inmarsat recently launched the first of three Ka-band satellites to provide the service.
