GE Aviation has named China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co. (Caiga) as an authorized service center for the H80 turboprop engine family in China. The Caiga Customer Service Center will perform line maintenance inspections and routine engine maintenance for H75, H80, and H85 engines and engine components. The authorization builds on an existing relationship between GE and Caiga, which select the H85 to power its new five-seat, light single-engine turboprop under development.
Icon Aircraft earned a 250-lb. weight exemption from the FAA for its Icon A5 LSA amphibian, enabling the firm to grow the aircraft from 1,430 lb. to as much as 1,680 lb., Kirk Hawkins, company founder and CEO, said during EAA AirVenture 2013 in Oshkosh. “Credit FAA for getting this done. We needed enough of a weight increase to not compromise weight for safety. There are arbitrary and tight weight standards for LSA [light-sport aircraft]. But, you can’t get for free. There’s no free lunch in aircraft design,” says Hawkins.
Airspace access is the holy grail for an unmanned-aircraft industry seeing wartime demand winding down and looking to civilian uses for continued growth.
Mention over-the-wing engines, and aeroskeptics are quick to remind you of the commercial failure of Germany's VFW 614 small airliner of the 1970s. But as designers look ahead to future fuel-efficient ultra-high-bypass (UHB) turbofans, over-wing engine configurations are again being considered.
Qatar Airways' private jet division Qatar Executive has strengthened its position in maintenance services for Bombardier aircraft in Qatar and the Middle East after the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority granted regulatory approvals for the airline's subsidiary to conduct Base Maintenance services for Bombardier Challenger 604 and 605s and the manufacturer's Global series of aircraft.
Daher-Socata is encouraged by an uptick in orders for its TBM 850 single turboprop, selling out all but one delivery slot this year and building a backlog to 39 aircraft. The company credits the improved results in part to its “Elite” version of the 850, which incorporates a tailored cabin with flexible seating arrangements, and the incorporation of the L-3 Avionics Trilogy ES-2000 electronic standby instrument.
German light-sport aircraft (LSA) manufacturer Flight Design continues to make progress on its first Part 23-certified aircraft with the selection of a Garmin avionics package, negotiations for a diesel engine and plans to assemble the C4 in both the U.S. and China.
EADS has decided to make significant changes to its corporate structure and put the entire company under the Airbus brand. The board of directors approval followed a proposal put forward by CEO Tom Enders to change the company’s name to Airbus Group. Defense and space units Cassidian and Astrium will be merged and called Airbus Defense and Space. Eurocopter also will lose its current brand and be re-launched as Airbus Helicopters.
The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) opened its 2013 AirVenture on July 29, welcoming FAA controllers to help bring in the thousands of aircraft to the week-long event. But the effects of sequestration were apparent without any military flights on the air show schedule, or any forums involving the heads of either the FAA or NTSB.
Cessna Aircraft has logged nearly 200 hr. on its Jet A-fueled Turbo Skylane JT-A aircraft since it first flew in May, and company executives say the aircraft remains on track for delivery in the third quarter. The manufacturer unveiled plans to develop the diesel-powered Skylane at EAA AirVenture 2012 in Oshkosh, hoping to tap into a growing demand for alternatives to light aircraft powered by aviation gasoline, particularly in parts of the world where aviation gasoline (avgas) is not readily available.
June 21 — At 1240 EDT, a Cessna 172M (N9926Q) crashed during takeoff at the Oakland County International Airport (KPTK), Waterford, Mich. The pilot and three passengers were fatally injured and the airplane was destroyed. The Cessna was registered to and operated by Flight 101, LLC, Waterford, Mich., as a FAR Part 91 personal flight. It was operating VFR with no flight plan and the local flight was originating at the time of the accident. Control tower personnel saw the airplane lift off from Runway 09L and attained an altitude of about 100 ft.
Jet Professional is commemorating its 30th anniversary by launching a new global website with enhanced capabilities, user-friendly features and a streamlined presentation of information on the company's extensive line-up of human resources and staffing solutions. It features a new browse feature to view and apply to open positions and register a candidate profile for future consideration. There is quick access to pertinent documents such as time sheets, payroll cut-of dates and expense forms. There are also links to social media accounts.
Long before super-midsize aircraft became so popular, Dassault jumped into this market segment with the large-cabin Falcon 2000, a twin-engine, slightly shortened, 3,000-nm variant of the Falcon 900 tri-jet. First deliveries began in early 1995 and 231 units were delivered until early 2006 when the aircraft was superseded by the second-generation Falcon 2000EX.
RUAG Aviation has completed its first EASy II flight deck upgrade on a Falcon 900EX at the company's Geneva, Switzerland facility. “The aviation team completed this integration in record time during a standard A/A+ check, significantly minimizing the impact on the customer's operating schedule,” said Bernd Heinrich, general manager of the Geneva facility.
Cirrus Aircraft is expanding its Grand Forks, N.D., facility to accommodate a new autoclave oven that will be used in manufacturing the Vision SF50 personal jet. Delivered in late June, the autoclave should be operational by mid-August and will cure the carbon fiber main spar of both the SR-2X series piston engine aircraft and the SF50. The autoclave pressurizes nitrogen gas up to 125 psi during the cure cycle, which more effectively compresses the composite part, enhancing its strength and durability properties. The oven has is an 8.5 ft .diameter, is 40 ft.
With the introduction of new HIRF regulations in 2007, the FAA published Advisory Circular AC 20-158, “The Certification of Aircraft Electrical and Electronic Systems for Operation in the High-Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF) Environment.” This document also provides some good information for ensuring aircraft protection from radiated fields. You can download this document at www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/advisory_circulars/ and then search for 20-158.
Jeppesen completed upgrades to its JetPlan flight-planning engine to enhance flight planning capabilities for business and commercial aviation operators within Europe. The European Route Availability Document (ERAD) and route optimization functions work to quickly comply with Eurocontrol routing requirements and determine flight plans that maximize efficient fuel consumption and flight scheduling. The JetPLan engine powers Jepp's flight planning solutions, including the JetPlanner application and FlitePlan Online tools. Jeppesen
