Universal Avionics, Tucson, Ariz., announced the Corey Wilkinson has been appointed to the newly created position of sales manager for the Latin America sales region. He will be responsible for developing the business aviation market for the company in Latin American, including Mexico. He will be based in St. Louis, Mo.
FAA will give industry 60 additional days to weigh in on the agency’s request for information that is expected to help shape a new drug and alcohol testing policy for certain foreign repair stations. Industry representatives, including the Aeronautical Repair Station Association, Airlines For America, the International Air Transport Association, and Lufthansa asked FAA to add 120 days to the comment period, which was set to expire May 16. FAA split the difference, pushing the comment deadline out to July 17.
Air BP, Sunbury on Thames, U.K., announced the appointment of Norbert Kamp as Global Sales and Marketing director. He will report to Air BP CEO David Gilmour. The appointment follows the retirement of Peter O’Callahan earlier this year.
The onion and celery bits in the chocolate mousse were surely cautionary signs, but ones I chose to ignore, along with the dessert. Our ersatz flight-attendant-by-default had inadvertently presented our catered boxed meals upside down, which quite literally made a mess of lunch. But otherwise I was heady with anticipation.
Business aviation advocates are hopeful that the IRS is moving forward on new guidance on taxing aircraft management fees, but are still awaiting firm word on whether they will be treated as commercial or noncommercial activities. The IRS in 2012 released a memorandum that called management fees commercial activity and stated they should be treated for tax purposes accordingly. That memorandum spurred a large number of audits resulting in hefty tax assessments — some in the “high six figures” or more — on management companies and their customers.
The Corporate Angel Network has logged its 45,000th cancer patient flight. The milestone mission took place in late April when a business jet operated by Bank of New York-Mellon carried Todd Blake, a 22-year-old Hodgkin’s lymphoma patient, and his mother Nancy, from New York City where he’s been receiving treatment back to their home in Jacksonville Beach, Fla. There were also six BNY-Mellon passengers aboard traveling to Orlando; the bank has been flying CAN patients for more than 30 years.
While the 8X is essentially an iteration of the three-engine model one digit removed, its additional cabin space and increased fuel load make it the French planemaker’s most comfortable long-ranger.
Aviation Management Systems (AMS), Portsmouth, N.H., announced that Jeffrey J. Troccolo has joined the company as senior vice president. He will be based in Connecticut.
St. Kitts has opened a new private terminal with a YU Lounge at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport. The YU Lounge services both private and commercial customers as part of an effort by the St. Kitts & Nevis government to encourage tourism. Located west of the main airport parking apron, the facility includes arrival and departure lounges, along with a dedicated crew lounge. It also offers ground handling services for aircraft operators. The terminal is a joint venture between the St. Kitts & Nevis government, the St.
Gulfstream’s G280 continues to rack up speed records, gaining two more while en route to Shanghai for ABACE. The latest records, which bring the total number to 47, were established in two legs between Friedrichshafen Airport in German and Hong Kong. The G280 flew 2,751 nm from Germany to Dubai International Airport in 5 hr. and 49 min. The aircraft averaged a speed of Mach 0.84. The second leg involved a 7-hr., 7-min. flight covering 3,449 nm from Dubai to Hong Kong International Airport, averaging Mach 0.82.
When queried about a possible stretch of the widebody Falcon 5X now in development, Olivier Villa, Dassault’s senior vice president for Civil Aircraft, blunted the question saying such a derivative “is not in the picture at this point.” That response naturally resulted in a follow up, and Villa accommodated, saying, “There will be derivatives of the 5X, but let us finish the first one.”
CareFlite, which provides integrated medical transportation services in North Texas, is increasing its fleet with four Bell 407GX helicopters. The first two have been delivered with the remaining two preparing to enter service later this year. The aircraft will transport patients. The 407GX incorporates the Garmin G1000H flight deck, which includes technologies designed to improve situational awareness such as the Helicopter Terrain Avoidance Warning System, Helicopter Synthetic Vision Technology, Traffic Information Systems and more.
Cabin Innovations, Lewisville, Texas, named Gary Stephens Engineering manager. He will be responsible for leading the engineering team and advancing the design and development capabilities for VIP galleys and interiors.
