NASA has awarded $38 million in contracts to four companies to address “system technology gaps that are exposed by the operational challenges” of the next-generation air traffic control system (NextGen).
AGUSTA Model A119 and AW119MKII helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0695; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-031-AD; Amendment 39-17448; AD 2013-09-06] – supersedes an existing AD that currently requires inspecting the pilot and co-pilot engine rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT) control box assemblies to determine if the control gear locking pin is in its proper position. Since FAA issued that AD, Agusta has developed a terminating action for this inspection. This AD requires the same actions as the existing AD as well as modifying the RVDT control box assemblies.
NICK LEONTIDIS was named group president, civil simulation products, training and services for CAE. Leontidis replaces Jeff Roberts. Leontidis has served with CAE for 25 years, most recently as executive vice president, strategy and business development. He has held roles of increasing responsibility since joining the company in 1988 as a software engineer. Leontidis has also served as vice president of marketing and sales for the civil business; vice president of simulation products and executive vice president of civil aviation training and equipment.
Used market trends, slowing flight operations and plummeting aircraft values are pointing to continued market woes as the summer approaches, industry data shows.
BILLY MITCHELL was appointed vice president of operations for OAS Aircraft Support and Alabama Aircraft Support. Mitchell has 10 years of maintenance, repair and overhaul experience, and most recently held technical and senior leadership positions for Vector Aerospace in Vancouver, British Columbia.
While the health of the business jet market is frequently tied to corporate profits, analyst Bernstein Research stresses that they are necessary, but not enough to turn the market. “If profits rise due to cost cutting, they do not create demand for business jets,” the analyst says. Bernstein points to the fact that corporate profits doubled from 1994 to 1995, but business jet deliveries remained below 1984 levels. “Now as then, profit growth was led by margin improvement supported by cost reduction,” Bernstein says, noting corporate profits have jumped 55% since 2008.
Jet Aviation was appointed the exclusive maintenance provider for the Art Aviation fleet of aircraft. Founded in 2012 with offices in Vienna and Moscow, Art Aviation operates two Bombardier Global XRS aircraft, two Global 6000s, a Boeing BBJ1, a Dassault Falcon 900Ex and a Falcon 7X. Jet Aviation will provide scheduled base maintenance from its facilities in Geneva and Basel, Switzerland, and line maintenance from its Moscow Vnukovo facility.
Thales is planning to make its touchscreen-driven avionics human interface system available for integration into aircraft and helicopters by 2020. The manufacturer’s “Avionics 2020” vision, which was unveiled at this week’s Paris air show, uses technologies developed from its Avionics 2030 ideas displayed in 2010.
StandardAero Business Aviation received approval as an authorized testing facility for the latest Honeywell TFE731 engine, the -50. StandardAero is offering the testing at its facility in Houston, the only facility outside of the manufacturer currently with TFE731-50 test capability. The approval comes as the fleet approaches its first scheduled, major periodic inspections. StandardAero estimates that more than 350 of the engines are currently in service. The TFE731-50 powers Hawker 900XP aircraft.
FAA took a concrete step toward replacing leaded aviation gasoline, asking fuel producers to submit proposals by July 1, 2014 for possible options to transition to an unleaded fuel. The agency released a request for proposals June 10 for data packages for potential replacement fuels that could be developed by 2018.
The business aviation industry is approaching the fifth year of its recession—the failure of Lehman Brothers on Sept. 15, 2008, is cited by many as its unhappy birthday. That half-decade of woe has been marked by massive layoffs, collapsed aircraft values, slowed or halted production lines, political caterwauling and corporate bankruptcies. And yet the stalwarts of its community not only hold out hope for the segment's revival and growth, but are betting heavily on it.
Europe's industry is marshaling its arguments to defend proposals seeking a substantial increase in funding for aeronautics research even as the recession-hit region scales back once-ambitious plans to boost government support for R&D to increase competitiveness. Proposals are being finalized for a follow-on to Europe's Clean Sky public-private research program that would increase funding to €3.6 billion ($4.7 billion) from €1.6 billion, with half to come from the European Commission (EC) and half from industry and academia.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is assembling a variety of “pressurizable” commercial airliner fuselages to be used for live-fire testing at the U.S. Army’s Aberdeen Test Center in northern Maryland. The work is part of a long-running Army and DHS program to study cabin locations or designs that will yield the least damage if a bomb found onboard an aircraft detonates.
June 17-19—National Air Transportation Association 2013 Air Charter Summit, Marriott Dulles, Dulles, Va., 703-845-9000, www.nata.aero Jun 21–22—National Business Aviation Association Flight Attendants/Flight Technicians Conference, Washington, D.C., (703) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org July 11—National Business Aviation Association, Business Aviation Regional Forum, Denver, Colo., (703) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org July 29-Aug. 4—2013 EAA Airventure Oshkosh, Wittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, Wis., www.airventure.org
The business aviation market remains shaky, according to a number of leading indicators. The inventory of in-production business jets for sale increased (40 bps) in May, while pricing marked the steepest decline (3.6%) since the first half of 2009, reports industry analyst J.P.Morgan. “A single month does not make a trend, but May used market data…suggest that business jet demand will remain weak.” The analyst calls pricing an “important ingredient for recovery” and says low residual values are holding back market improvements.
A group of 28 senators are appealing to FAA Administrator Michael Huerta to drop the agency’s plan to charge the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) for federal air traffic controller expenses during next month’s AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis. In a June 6 letter, the senators say the plan marks a “shift in policy by the FAA to charge for air traffic services [that] is tantamount to an imposition of a new user fee on general aviation.”
Pilatus plans to establish a manufacturing facility in India, as the country looks at acquiring more aircraft from the Swiss aircraft maker. The facility will initially manufacture airframes for its single-engine turboprop PC-12 aircraft. “This will be our third support facility for PC-12 aircraft, the other two being in Portugal and Poland. It will be part of our offset commitment in India,” says Pilatus Vice President Jim Roche.
FlightSafety International held a groundbreaking last week to expand and renovate its Teterboro, N.J., facility. The expansion will increase the size of the center by 50%, providing space to accommodate up to eight full flight simulators and facilities for emergency training that requires a pool and other specialized equipment. The renovated center will include classrooms, aircraft cabin training facilities and office areas. The project is slated for completion in early 2014. The center offers training for a range of Dassault Falcon Jet models.
Renovations of the Jet Centre at London City Airport are now complete and a Border Force officer has been installed, supporting the facility’s pledge to whisk business aircraft passengers from plane to car within 60 sec. The airport-owned FBO now features an improved reception area, large passenger lounge, private meeting room, ground floor crew rest area and security screening area, as well as the border checking station. The privately-owned, single-runway, airline-served airport, located just 3 mi. from Canary Wharf and 7 mi.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association continues to expand its commercial service offerings, this time in the financing arena, which has been a significant drag on growth in some market niches. The association hopes to provide its members greater access to financing for both new purchases and upgrades through its newly launched brokerage: AOPA Aviation Finance Company (AAF).
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON Model 206A, 206B, 206L, 206L-1, 206L-3, 206L-4, 222, 222B, 222U, 230, 407, 427, and 430 helicopters. [Docket No. FAA-2013-0400; Directorate Identifier 2009-SW-48-AD] – proposes to require inspecting each bearing to determine if it has been properly staked and replacing the bearing or assembly if it has not been staked properly. This proposed AD is prompted by bearings not being staked as required and migrating out of their proper position, which may limit the functionality of the affected part.
