Business Aviation

Conklin & de Decker recently expanded its business jet valuation capabilities through the acquisition of the Aircraft Cost Analysis program and software. Developed and supported by Samuel L. Miller, Aircraft Cost Analysis assists in the pricing of managed, fractional, joint ownership, rental, charter and agricultural aircraft, as well as helicopters. Conklin & de Decker will support the program for existing and new users, as well as develop future product improvements. Conklin & de Decker has retained Miller to provide support during the transition.

Arthur E. Wegner, the longtime aerospace executive who held senior roles with both United Technologies Corp. (UTC) and Raytheon Aircraft, died Jan. 27 from lung cancer. He was 76. Wegner spent 20 years at UTC in a number of key positions including president of Pratt & Whitney and then president of the UTC Aerospace and Defense Sector, which included Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky and Hamilton Standard.

BEECHCRAFT Models 1900, 1900C, and 1900D [Docket No. FAA-2013-0611; Directorate Identifier 2013-CE-019-AD; Amendment 39-17731; AD 2014-02-03] – supersedes AD 2011-27-51, which required inspecting the elevator bob-weight and attaching linkage for correct installation and for damage or deformation to the weight and/or weight bracket with corrective action as necessary. This AD requires installation of the secondary elevator bob-weight stop bolt.

The number of used business jets available for sale has dipped to the lowest levels since the business aircraft market downturn began and finished well below the 20-year average last year, according to business aviation market analyst Amstat.

NATCA National Air Traffic Controllers Association CFS: Communicating For Safety National Aviation Leaders Come Together Join Aviation leaders at Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas, March 24-26, 2014 for Communicating for Safety. Hosted annually by the national Air Traffic Controllers Association, this three-day conference focuses on safety, technology and building industry relationships.

BELL Model 206L, L-1, L-3 and L-4 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2013-0525; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-063-AD; Amendment 39-17730; AD 2014-02-02] – requires measuring each main rotor (M/R) blade spar space to determine whether it is oversized and reidentifying the M/R blade and reducing the life limit of the blade if the spar spacer is oversized. This AD was prompted by the manufacture of certain blades with an oversized spar spacer and the determination to reduce the life limits of those blades.

EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND Model EC135P2+ and EC135T2+ helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2013-0634; Directorate Identifier 2012-SW-023-AD; Amendment 39-17725; AD 2014-01-02] – requires inspecting the mechanical air conditioning system compressor bearing block upper bearing (upper bearing) for corrosion, leaking grease, condensation, or water. This AD was prompted by metallic debris from an upper bearing found in the air inlet areas of both engines in a Model EC135P2+ helicopter.

Gilbert W. Speed, the founder of SpeedNews publications and conferences, a sister business of Aviation Week, died Jan. 27 after a long illness. He was 81. Speed’s career in the aviation and aerospace industries stretched more than 60 years. He started as a student apprentice at the Bristol Aeroplane Co. —now part of BAE Systems —in 1952. Five years later, he moved to New York to work for Eastern Airlines as a development engineer for the DC-8 and Lockheed Electra.

FAA is incorporating changes that will streamline certain letters of authorization (LOAs) for Reduced Vertical Separation Minimums (RVSM) approval. The streamlined procedures are designed to ease and expedite the LOAs in cases of basic administrative changes, says Mark Larsen, the National Business Aviation Association’s senior manager, safety and flight operations.

SOCATA TBM700 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2014-0031; Directorate Identifier 2013-CE-054-AD] – proposes to supersede AD 99-07-11, which required repetitive inspections of the fittings and, depending on findings, corrective action. That action stemmed from several reports of cracks in the outboard hinge fittings of the horizontal stabilizer. After that AD was issued, Socata determined that the cause of the cracks was a wrong installation of the fittings during production, inducing stress.

Jim Roche, deputy CEO of Pilatus Aircraft, explains how the Swiss company expects to expand its presence in both defense and general aviation markets in India, in an interview with AW&ST Contributing Editor Jay Menon. AW&ST: What are the short- and long-term business plans for Pilatus in India?

Westchester County Airport (HPN), 30 mi. due north of Times Square, is one of business aviation's global hubs. Fittingly, it has always been home to five fixed-base operators (FBO) that fuel and pamper the based and visiting business jets, and those who fly and ride in them. But no more.

This month, the FAA will begin a series of “contaminated” runway tests with a retired Boeing 727 at its William J. Hughes technical center in Atlantic City, N.J. Taxiing on 230-300-ft.-long “test strips” of 2-in.-deep “manufactured snow,” created by feeding ice blocks into a gasoline-powered chipping machine, the 727 will test a variety of new technologies aimed at providing pilots more information and training to deal with compromised surfaces.

Abu Dhabi's executive airport, Al Bateen, is continuing to see growth. Abu Dhabi Airports announced today an 18% increase in visiting aircraft traffic and 6% increase in commercial aircraft traffic during 2013, compared to 2012.

I just finished “A Classic Accident Chain” (Cause & Circumstance, December 2013) and have a completely different perspective. I think its should be retitled, “Don't leave well enough alone!!”

“Serving Up Liability” (Point of Law, January 2014) was a good article. I'm also aware of airline liability under the old saloon keeper liability (dram shop liability in Illinois). Airlines were sued for accidents involving over served passengers after they got off the plane. I'm aware of a suit some years ago wherein an intoxicated passenger wandered out into the “Bloody Bayshore” in San Francisco and was killed; his estate sued the airline. Keep up the good work!

A decade after Congress mandated that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) adopt new repair station security rules, the agency is finally issuing them and effectively lifting a five year ban on certification of new foreign repair stations. In that time, the number of repair stations awaiting FAA certification had grown to more than 90. The final rule applies to some 4,700 Part 145 FAA-certified repair stations. But in a major concession to both industry wishes and general practicality, not all of its elements apply to every facility.

Greenpoint Technologies has been tapped by an undisclosed customer for a second time to outfit a Boeing 787 Dreamliner with a VIP interior. The Kirkland, Wash., outfit says it spent five years learning about the airplane and visiting the nearby Boeing plant in preparing to work on the new model. Now 25 years old, Greenpoint works on Boeing aircraft exclusively. The company provides all-encompassing completion service including in-house engineering and design to manufacturing and installation of VIP interiors.

Wheels Up, the membership-based private aviation company founded last summer, remains “slightly ahead of plans” with 150 members signing on in its first few months of operation and finishing the year with nine aircraft in service, says founder and CEO Kenny Dichter. The company launched with a firm order for 35 Beechcraft King Air 350s and options for up to 70 more, the largest commercial order ever for the twin turboprop aircraft.“We're just getting started,” says Dichter, who believes the company is on pace to top 250 members shortly.

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), Frederick, Md., named James W. Coon as senior vice president of Government Affairs and Advocacy. He will be based in the Washington office where he will manage the association's advocacy team on issues including medical certification, FAA funding and avgas alternatives.

Next month the FAA is expected to issue a draft request for proposals for private companies to operate the agency's 252 contract control towers for the next five years. The current contract expires in September. The towers use a civilian workforce to handle operations at visual flight rules airports in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Saipan.

The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) was founded in 1984 to act as an advocate for its members, provide regulatory compliance assistance and act as an industry advocate before government bodies and the media. It also provides training, advisory materials, news services, and regulatory expertise to help members remain compliant in a heavily regulated industry. The organization also offers technical and legal expertise to analyze and respond to government actions.

Textron, parent of Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter, plans to add Beechcraft to its corporate stable in $1.4 billion acquisition. The initial plan appears to maintain Beechcraft as a separate unit and keep its leadership intact. The acquisition is expected to conclude by mid-2014. Beechcraft's equity holders have already approved the agreement.

Airbus Group, Toulouse, announced that Sean O'Keefe, chairman and CEO of the company's North American business unit will resign as of March 1. Alan McArtor, currently chairman of Airbus Americas will be his successor. O'Keefe is stepping down in order to address ongoing medical issue due to injuries he sustained in a 2010 aircraft accident in Alaska. He will continue with the company on special assignment to oversee and facilitate the compliant transition of the company's ongoing security agreement with the Department of Defense to the new U.S. Group.

Fly Comlux, the VIP operator of Comlux Aviation Group, announced that its Boeing 767BBJ widebody aircraft is now available for charter, having come back into the market after a major mandatory maintenance check and significant upgrades to the cabin. Upgrades include reupholstered seats, a new humidification system, SwiftBroadband and GSM throughout the cabin. Comlux, The Aviation Group Hergiswill, Switzerland