After Honeywell executives won the contract to power the Bombardier Challenger 300, they then spent five years trying to find another aircraft platform for its HTF7000 engine line before Embraer selected the HTF7005-E for the new Embraer MSJ and MLJ business jets. But Rob Wilson, president of Honeywell's Business and General Aviation unit, speaking with David Collogan, Editor of our affiliate publication, The Weekly of Business Aviation, expressed confidence last week that other OEM contracts are in the offing. "There will be more," he said with a broad smile.
Shadin Avionics, St. Louis Park, Minn., announced that Eugene (Gene) Gray has joined the company as director of business development and marketing. Cari Herman is the new software engineering manager.
FlightSafety International, La Guardia Airport, N.Y., announced that Amparo Calatayud has rejoined the company as assistant manager, Dallas/Fort Worth Learning Center. Steve Sparks has been named to the newly created position of director, NetJets programs. Daniel Greenhill was promoted to manager, FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, Fla. Rick Bedard has been promoted to director, training operations. He replaces Robert Stephenson, who is retiring after 19 years of service with FSI.
Life Mist Technologies, Inc. of Paoli, Pa., announced that it has a product development and license agreement with Pacific Scientific's Kin-Tech Division of Duarte, Calif., to develop a new environment-friendly aircraft fire suppression system based on Life Mist's acoustic water mist/nitrogen technology. A Life Mist system nozzle creates extremely fine droplets of water mist by channeling water through acoustic shock waves generated by ultrasonic flows of a gas, usually compressed air or nitrogen, at very low pressure.
M7 Aerospace, San Antonio, has named Charles C. (Chuck) Miller to the position of vice president, government business development, with responsibility for expanding M7's government logistics support business activity. Todd P. Lazar has been promoted to vice president, quality assurance.
Aviation Research Group/U.S. (ARG/US) has compiled a report of the results of their 2007 on-site safety audits in a comprehensive Audit Recommendations Report. The report focuses on areas of Safety Management Systems (SMS) and Emergency Response Planning that were found by auditors to have the highest number of deficiencies. "Each year we audit Part 91 and Part 135 operators and in so doing gather vast amounts of information on safety programs," said Joseph Moeggenberg, President of ARG/US.
Granitize Aviation International has announced XW-9M Drywash, a multi-use aircraft cleaning product that can be used on all aircraft types without water. XW-9M Drywash will remove light stains and oxidation leaving painted surfaces with a "like-new" appearance, according to the manufacturer. The product contains mineral spirits (for cleaning), a polish and a wax. It can be used anytime and as often as wanted. XW-9M Drywash has passed Boeing sandwich corrosion tests. Price: Sold through distributors Granitize Aviation International
Some time this month, Cessna's Citation CJ4 is scheduled to make it first flight, marking a significant on-time milestone toward its FAR Part 23 Commuter Category certification and entry into service in the first half of 2010. The fourth and newest member of the Citation CJ family was put on a 45-month, fast-track certification scheduled following its public introduction at the October 2006 NBAA Convention in Orlando, a development cycle virtually unprecedented in the business aircraft industry.
Intelligence | 23 * New Route Over China Will Reduce Emissions, IATA Says * Hawker Beechcraft Hopes to Start Delivers of Hawker 4000 Soon * Next Gen PC-12 Certified * Citation Mustang Reaches 500-Order Milestone * FAA Plans Oversight Changes in Wake of Congressional, IG Investigations * Criminalizing Air Accidents Blocks Safety Progress * Common Sense in Dealing With Climate Change * FAA Wants to Mandate Wiring Mod of EASy Flight Deck
It's not just the EPA. The National Park Service is taking initial steps to restrict aircraft that fly above 18,000 feet msl over Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP). In April, the NPS released a notice clarifying the definition of "substantial restoration of natural quiet" at GCNP. Park officials are working with the FAA to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) covering the Special Flight Rules Area surrounding GCNP. NPS said that the current SFAR 50-2 has not achieved its intended result of a substantial restoration of natural quiet at GCNP.
CIT Group, Inc., New York, N.Y., announced that is has promoted three member of its commercial airline marketing team at CIT Aerospace: Volker Fabian has been promoted to vice president and senior regional director for Asia and the South Pacific; Gwyn Scourfield is vice president and senior regional director for Europe, Africa, India and the Middle East; Mark L. Ebanks is vice president and regional director for The Americas.
Dennis Blackburn, president of Corporate Concepts International (CCI) - a leading aviation services company with more than 30 years experience in aircraft acquisitions, sales, evaluations and consulting - believes the worldwide corporate aircraft market "remains healthy, although it has slowed in the first part of 2008."
CRS Jet Spares, a business aviation aftermarket support facility, announced that it has recently parted out a Premier aircraft thereby providing component and structural items for operators. This inventory includes items such as Rockwell Collins displays, computers, pumps, leading edges, actuators, oxygen mask, inverters, seats and much more.
THE AIRLINES WERE ON the hot seat in Washington last month for several instances of failing to comply with Airworthiness Directives in a timely manner. But the entire aviation community had to shudder about the possible implications of some of the congressional rhetoric expounded during a 10-hour hearing before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
FirstFlight, Elmira, N.Y., has named Stephen J. Meyer as senior vice president of sales. Other new members in the charter sales department are Seth Rothman, Anthony Johns and David Logalbo.
A s a key emerging safety technology in 21st century avionics, few developments can equal Synthetic Vision Systems (SVS), which provide a virtual VFR window on the outside world in conditions of visual obscuration or darkness, thus providing unprecedented situational awareness. Using SVS, pilots can spot terrain and obstacles, among other potential hazards, long before they might have otherwise placed their aircraft in jeopardy.
FAA Assistant Administrator Dan Elwell, the aviation authority's honcho for aviation policy, planning, and environment, presented a perspective on carbon trading in his testimony before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming on April 2. "As ICAO recognized in its work, an emissions trading system is only one approach, and it remains the decision of a state whether to employ such a measure," Elwell said. "Market-based measures can reduce emissions at lower costs."
This is for Mrs. Bill Garvey: Your husband could have inserted my name in his February Viewpoint ("She Knows Her Way Around," page 9) about GPS since I, too, am directionally challenged and decided a nüvi is just what my husband needed for Christmas. (You get the picture. In fact, my husband can find his way out of a dark field in a foreign country, blindfolded.) So, the gift arrived just in time for our 2,002-mile "great circle" route for the holiday.
*Agusta A109E and A119 helicopters - Inspect for interference between the hydraulic lines and the tail-rotor control rod assembly. If interference is found, replace the hydraulic lines. *Bell 214B and B-1 helicopters - Inspect each pylon support spindle assembly for corrosion, nicks, scratches, dents or cracks and replace any unairworthy spindle before further flight.
"When everything old is new again . . ." That's what seems to be today's mantra in business jet charter when David Esler's "New Business Plans for Charter" (January 2008, page 40) is compared with industry history. The original VLJ, Bill Lear's 12,499-pound Lear Jet 23 is now 45 years old. It was an FAR Part 23 "Everyman's Jet," with an eye toward single-pilot operation. The year was 1963.
Just three years ago Embraer announced plans to become a major player in the business jet market and introduced the Phenom 100 very light jet and Phenom 300 light jet. Since then the company has logged orders for hundreds of Phenoms. The manufacturer expects to win certification of the smaller Phenom 100 in the second half of this year and deliver 10 to 15 of those aircraft to customers before year-end. The company's total firm backlog has grown from $14.8 billion at the end of 2006 to $20.3 billion at the end of March.
The nitpickers are here again! Regarding Mike Gamauf's interesting "Radome Repairs: More Than Skin Deep" (January 2008, page 67) there is little doubt that the first use of weather radar in airline operations was in 1947 by the U.S.-backed Peruvian International Airways in service between Lima and New York on their C-54s. After PIA folded in late 1948, four of their six aircraft finished up with the French carrier UAT, about a year later.
