OXFORD-WATERBURY AIRPORT expects FAA to rule on the Connecticut airfield’s proposed noise compatibility program by May 5, 2009. FAA determined Nov. 6 that the noise exposure map for the airport is compliant with applicable requirements of FAR Part 150 and is accepting public comments on the noise plan through Jan. 5. For more information, contact the FAA’s John C. Silva, New England Region, Airport Division, ANE-600, 12 New England Executive Park, Burlington, Mass. 01803.
NETJETS AVIATION INC. signed a wide-ranging agreement with the FAA that will put the fractional jet operator in the forefront of the transformation of the U.S. air transportation system under the NextGen modernization program. NetJets officials and FAA managers from a range of the agency’s functional areas will meet later this month to begin working out the details. NetJets plans to run some test programs in various parts of the U.S. by equipping some of the 550 to 600 aircraft it manages for fractional owners in the U.S. with the required avionics.
DAVID WHITESTONE was elected chairman of the Washington Airports Task Force. He succeeds Stan Harrison, who chaired WATF for 12 years and who will remain a member of the organization’s board of directors. WATF also elected several new board members including: Marion Blakey, president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association and former FAA Administrator; Jeffrey Shane, a partner with Hogan & Hartson, LLP and former under secretary at the U.S.
KATE DOUGHERTY, who has served as director of public relations for Cirrus Design Corp. for most of the past decade “has decided to pursue a new career path outside the company,” Chairman and CEO Alan Klapmeier announced last week. Klapmeier described Dougherty as “a Cirrus original” who “developed so many important relationships in the industry” during her tenure with the Duluth, Minn. manufacturer. Debbie Backlund, who worked closely with Dougherty, will handle public relations matters for the company for the immediate future.
The business aviation community continued to come under a barrage of negative media coverage last week as Ford Motor Co. and General Motors announced plans to close their flight departments. The chief executives of Ford, GM and Chrysler faced blistering criticism both from Congress and in the media for their decision to use “luxury corporate jets” to travel to Washington, D.C. late last month to ask for billions of dollars in emergency government loans (BA, Nov. 24/237).
Business jet deliveries are expected to peak this year or next, before falling into a four-year decline, according to Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis for the Teal Group Corp., who addressed the initial meeting of The Wichita Aero Club last week.
January 11-15, 2009 – American Association of Airport Executives: 23rd Annual Aviation Issues Conference, Kona, Hi. For more information contact AAAE at (703) 824-0500 or go to www.aaae.org/products/allmeetings.html January 20 – NATA Environmental Compliance Seminar, Sheraton North Houston Hotel, Houston, Texas. For more information call (703) 845-9000
JET AVIATION BASEL completed a 35,520-square-foot hangar extension. The CHF 6 million project was completed in seven months. The new hangar space is designed to accommodate the Dassault Falcon completions lines. Jet Aviation provides completions for the Falcon 2000, 900 and 7X. Jet Aviation said the additional space not only will help the company increase production, but also free up space in the other hangars.
Aircraft manufacturer Airbus is contributing $6 million to the National Air and Space Museum over the next two years, money that will be used to help pay for construction of Phase II of the Udvar-Hazy Center facility adjacent to Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C.
BOMBARDIER Model BD-700-1A10 and BD-700-1A11 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-1238; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-181-AD; Amendment 39-15753; AD 2008-24-12] – Inspect for damage and wear and lubricate all elevator power control unit (PCU) attachment joints, in accordance with Bombardier Alert Service Bulletin A700-1A11-27-024, Rev. 01 (dated Oct. 3, 2008) or A700-27-066, Rev. 01 (dated Oct. 3, 2008), as applicable. If any damage is found, replace the affected parts in accordance with Bombardier Service Bulletin 700-1A11-27-025 (dated Oct.
Hangar Space for Lease at the Van Nuys Airport Maguire Aviation is in the process of developing hangar and offices for single and multiple tenant occupancy. Please contact Mike McDaniel or Tim Wray for more information at 800-451-7270. Click here to view the pdf
The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a series of clarifications, which the FBO community had been anticipating, to the agency’s Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure (SPCC) final rule released in December 2006 and pushed back the compliance deadline for newer facilities until Nov. 20, 2009. EPA said the changes are designed to streamline and tailor the requirements to industry sectors. “With these changes, EPA expects to encourage greater compliance with SPCC regulations,” the agency said. The deadline extension applies to facilities built after Aug.
The National Transportation Safety Board is attempting to determine what caused the loss of engine power in a Beech A36 Bonanza that subsequently crashed near the New Coalinga, Calif. Municipal Airport (C80), resulting in the death of a passenger. The aircraft, N3058Y, was registered to Sofiair, Inc. of Long Beach. The accident flight departed from the Long Beach Airport (LGB) at about 1900 local time on March 30 for a flight to the Harris Ranch Airport (308) in Coalinga.
AVFUEL added Destin Jet in Destin, Fla. and Million Air in Rome, N.Y. as branded dealers. The fixed-base operations will offer Avfuel’s AVTRIP rewards program and Avfuel Contract Fuel. Destin Jet this year opened a new 6,000-square-foot executive terminal that provides round-the-clock passenger and crew services.
AVIONS DE TRANSPORT REGIONAL ATR42-200, -300, -320 and -500; and ATR72-101, -102, -201, -202, -211, -212 and -212A airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-1237; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-125-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to inspect the electrical wires in the bulkhead area and repair them if any chafing or contact between cable bundles and the airframe structure is found, per the instructions of ATR Service Bulletin ATR42-92-0015 or ATR72-92-1016 (both dated Feb. 11, 2008).
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA JT15D-5, -5B, -5F and -5R engines [Docket No. FAA-2008-0752; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-22-AD; Amendment 39-15750; AD 2008-24-10] – Replace the existing compressor air to Hydro Mechanical Unit (HMU) delivery tube with a serviceable tube, per the instructions of P&WC Alert Service Bulletin No. JT15D-72-A7611, Rev. 1 (dated June 16, 2008).
B/E AEROSPACE Founder, Chairman and CEO Amin Khoury was selected as the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2008 national award winner in the Distribution and Manufacturing category. Khoury, who received the award during the Entrepreneur Of The Year gala in Palm Springs, Calif., was recognized for building B/E Aerospace into a major manufacturer of aircraft cabin interior products and components. He purchased Florida-based Bach Engineering in 1987. Since that time the company grew from $3 million in annual revenues to $1.7 billion.
KENNETH (KEN) DANDY, whose career began in the early days of the business jet industry in Canada, has retired from Innotech-Execaire Aviation Group after 44 years with the company. The longtime vice president and general manager of the company’s operations in Western Canada was responsible for fixed-base operations, technical services and marketing and sales efforts in the western part of the country.
The business aviation community continued to come under a barrage of negative media coverage last week as Ford Motor Co. and General Motors announced plans to close their flight departments. The chief executives of Ford, GM and Chrysler faced blistering criticism both from Congress and in the media for their decision to use “luxury corporate jets” to travel to Washington, D.C. late last month to ask for billions of dollars in emergency government loans (BA, Nov. 24/237).
The National Transportation Safety Board is attempting to determine what caused the loss of engine power in a Beech A36 Bonanza that subsequently crashed near the New Coalinga, Calif. Municipal Airport (C80), resulting in the death of a passenger. The aircraft, N3058Y, was registered to Sofiair, Inc. of Long Beach. The accident flight departed from the Long Beach Airport (LGB) at about 1900 local time on March 30 for a flight to the Harris Ranch Airport (308) in Coalinga.
THE FRACTIONAL AIRCRAFT PROVIDER also may form a joint venture with Jeppesen to develop custom RNP procedures for its use, but NetJets has developed some of its own custom procedures unilaterally in the past. Some of the NextGen tests will probably occur at Teterboro and Westchester County Airports and others at East Coast facilities where air traffic is congested, such as in Florida.
USED BUSINESS JET INVENTORIES were up again in November, “the tenth consecutive month of increases, reaching 12.3 percent of the active fleet, the highest level since our data set began in December 1995,” a J.P. Morgan analysis said last week. Inventories were up in all aircraft categories and 21 of 23 aircraft models tracked showed increases in the number of used aircraft available.
Embraer inched toward receiving the much-anticipated certification of its Phenom 100 Very Light Jet with the formal issuance of special conditions late last month. The Brazilian manufacturer, meanwhile, broke ground Thursday on its first U.S. aircraft assembly plant and design center dedicated to the executive jet business.
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