Vector Aerospace Corp. completed acquisition in December 2009 of a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A maintenance and overhaul facility in Johannesburg, further expanding the Toronto-headquartered MRO firm’s operations in South Africa.
More than 80 Bombardier Global Express XRS business jets have entered service since December 2005 and operators say the aircraft has matured into a rock-solid reliable transportation asset with increased range and even better cabin comfort than the original Global Express.
Joseph G. Gavin Jr. and Eugene F. (Gene) Kranz, both of whom played critical roles in the Gemini and Apollo space programs, will receive the 2010 Godfrey L. Cabot Award by the Aero Club of New England, June 11 at Boston’s Seaport Hotel. A leader in the Lunar Landing Module design team, Gavin later helped adapt the Grumman-made vehicle to serve as a lifeboat for the Apollo 13 astronauts after an oxygen tank aboard the service module exploded, forcing the shutdown of the Command Module.
The Civil Aviation Authority Of Singapore (CAAS) unveiled plans to drive the development and growth of the aviation industry in Singapore, including creating a $100 million Aviation Development Fund (ADF) to fund incentive aviation-related programs over the next five years.
Stanley Proto introduced a new standalone Torque Tester that streamlines the calibration process by combining all three functions in one tool. It can be used to test all types of torque wrenches in settings where full-scale calibration is needed or where a quick Pass/Fail check is required. The tester offers accuracy of +/-1 percent of indicated value in clockwise and counter-clockwise direction over a range of 10 to 100 percent of full scale and an LCD with large digits and a dial display that rotates for easy viewing. Price: Contact vendor
Sabreliner Corp., St. Louis, named Walt Sirmans to the newly created post of chief operating officer. John F. White was appointed vice president, Human Resources.
Proposed Rules Challenger 300 airplanes — Revise the “Limitations” section of the aircraft flight manual to include new procedures to address proximity-sensor electronic unit failures. Bombardier Challenger 604 airplanes — Conduct repetitive fluorescent-penetrant inspections of the Air Driven Generator (ADG) strut. In addition, perform a fluorescent-penetrant inspection of the strut after each unscheduled inflight deployment of the ADG, and a visual inspection after each unscheduled on-ground deployment of the ADG.
Airbus will tag many rotable parts in the A350 XWB with passive radio-frequency identification (RFID) devices, becoming the first manufacturer to require high-memory RFID tags on flyable parts. The tags will be used on more than 1,500 parts to be installed in pressurized and non-pressurized areas of the aircraft including seats, entertainment-system screens, life vests and oxygen bottles, as well as components in the aircraft’s wing and engines.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Conn., appointed Shane Eddy as vice president of Sikorsky Global Helicopers, responsible for strategic leadership and general management.
There’s a trail — a former rail bed — behind my house popular with joggers, strollers and one canine in particular. And when we walk it, taking in the woods and wildflowers, watching for hawks and deer — “Get him, Boomer!” — I often wonder where the agony befell poor William Horan.
There’s a tiny ray of light illuminating a possible improved relationship between the TSA and general aviation. In an interview with National Public Radio Feb. 5, TSA general aviation manager Brian Delauter said the agency plans to collaborate more with the industry than in the past. Speaking to the LASP issue, which generated a torrent of objection last year, he said the TSA will convene a new general aviation advisory panel with industry representatives in March. “We’re going to be 10 times more successful in partnership than . . .
Montreal-headquartered CAE reported continued profitability through its third fiscal quarter, which ended Dec. 31. Net earnings were $37.7 million (Canadian), compared to $52.1 million in the third quarter of last year. Excluding a restructuring charge of $3.9 million recorded during the quarter, net earnings were $40.3 million ($0.16 per share). Consolidated revenue this quarter was $382.9 million compared to $424.6 million last year. “Our performance in the third quarter resulted from our diversification between military and civil markets and our broad global reach.
Wavepilot, LLC, has launched an online markektplace in which aircraft operators and FBOs buy and sell fuel. According to the company, the service operates similar to eBay except it is a reverse auction where sellers compete for the buyer’s business. It works like this: An aircraft operator posts a request for quote (RFQ) that invites FBOs to submit their best prices for fuel and services. FBOs post their quotes online and update them to remain competitive. The aircraft operator then reviews the quotes, awards the RFQ to an FBO and schedules the trip online.
Kaman Aerospace Corp., Bloomfield, Conn., has reorganized around product group and named Tim Bates general manager of the Blade Center of Excellence and Subcontract Product Group; Terry Fogarty has been appointed general manager for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Group; Bob Manaskie has been appointed general manager of the Helicopter Aftermarket Group and John Shelanskas has been named acting director of the Operations support organization.
An experienced businessman pilot and four passengers boarded a company-operated Malibu An experienced businessman pilot and four passengers boarded a company-operated Malibu Mirage Jetprop DLX (PA-46-350P) shortly before 0730 on March 28, 2008, and departed from Edmonton, Alberta, on an IFR flight plan to Winnipeg, Manitoba, a distance of about 950 nm. Thirty-five minutes after takeoff, the aircraft (C-FKKH) broke up in flight and crashed into a hillside 16 miles northeast of Wainwright, Alberta. There were no survivors.
Universal Avionics Systems Corp., Tucson, announced that Donald D. Berlin, senior vice president and board of directors member, is retiring. Berlin has been in senior management positions since the introduction of the company’s first product in 1982 and has been instrumental in guiding the company’s evolution from a small company to the large multinational corporation it is today. He will continue to advise Universal Avionics in business development on a consulting basis.
NBAA President Ed Bolen said the threat of aviation user fees seems to be dead “at least for this term of Congress,” and that the FAA’s reauthorization bill could advance within the next “four to eight weeks.” The fact that the Obama administration’s 2011 budget proposal, issued Feb. 1, contained no mention of user fees to help fund the FAA was a “milestone” event, Bolen told BCA.
Second-story jetways let passengers get quickly and comfortably aboard United DC-8s at San Francisco International Airport. Self-powered, telescopic loading corridors are by PI Iron and Steel, Los Angeles. President Lopez Mateos of Mexico is shown a Beech Twin Bonanza and an Aero Design Alti-Cruiser at the 50th Anniversary of Flight in Mexico City, elevation 9,000 feet.
Pratt & Whitney Canada held a special ceremony at its engine manufacturing facility in Longueuil, Quebec, Jan. 21 to mark delivery of its 500th PT6A turboprop engine to Blackhawk Modifications Inc. of Waco, Texas Founded in 1999, Blackhawk specializes in replacing engines on five aircraft models, including Raytheon King Air 90, Cessna 425 Conquest and Cheyenne turboprop aircraft with factory-new PT6As. The ceremony included Dan Rogers, owner of DuoTech Services of Franklin, N.C., whose Cheyenne II was the 250th aircraft to receive a Blackhawk upgrade.
The FAA published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in February inviting input on whether current eligibility, training and qualification requirements for commercial airline pilot certification need improvement. The notice asks if all FAR Part 121 pilots should be required to hold an Air Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate, which requires a minimum of 1,500 hours of flight time. Currently, airline first officers must hold a Commercial Pilot license, which requires a minimum of 250 hours’ flight time.
The FAA plans to develop a performance specification that airports can use to competitively procure bird radar systems using AIP grants. So far, avian radar systems have been, or are, intended to be deployed at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Chicago O’Hare, New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. Additionally, negotiations are underway to install a system at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in this year.
Bombardier Aerospace announced Feb. 3 that the 100th Challenger 605 had entered service. With over 800 aircraft manufactured, the Challenger 600 series had accumulated over four million flight hours with a dispatch reliability of over 99.8 percent as of September 2009.
Wayfarer Aviation, Rye Brook, N.Y., named Wendy Burton director of Industry Charter, focusing on wholesale and internal charter. She will manage relationships with aircraft operators, brokers and vendors in the United States and overseas.
