ONE CHARTER COMPANY EXECUTIVE estimates overall charter business is down approximately 40 percent, with a number of operators trying to sell off part of their fleets because the capacity they have is not being used. The small-cabin end of the market appears to be softer than other segments. Charter is off about 20 percent in the New York area with many “life-style” charter customers apparently switching to airlines or not traveling.
WEST STAR AVIATION is expanding its operations in Colorado by taking over the maintenance operations at Aspen-Pitkin County Airport. Jim Benninger was named Aspen airframe team leader, and West Star plans to position two full-time maintenance technicians on-site. In addition, West Star said the proximity of its Aspen-Pitken and Grand Junction bases will allow the company to draw upon the Grand Junction facility to staff the Aspen-Pitken location as work demands.
IVAN LAUTHIER was appointed vice president of training and flight operations for ATR. Lauthier has more than 20 years of experience as a test and public transportation pilot. His aviation career began in 1984 as a French Air Force pilot and in 1993 he became test pilot and chief of helicopters cabin crew at the Flight Test Center in Bretigny. He subsequently became chief test pilot at the Military Flight Test Center of Istres, and in 2004 became the first test pilot to be appointed program manager for the French Defense Agency, DGA.
SOME CHARTER OPERATORS are reporting that November bookings have been down as much as 75 percent, according to one senior industry official. While other operators say charter business is down only 5 to 10 percent over last November – which is typically a slow month anyway – this month so far is “the most significant in terms of business dropping” off, he said. The upper Midwest has been particularly hard hit, he added.
MERCURY AIR GROUP, INC. said its Maytag Aircraft Corp. unit won contracts to provide bulk fuel storage services at 19 U.S. military bases around the world. All the contracts are currently under way. The government owned/contractor operated contracts “represent a significant win for Maytag Aircraft,” said Joseph A. Czyzyk, chairman and CEO of the parent company. The 19 locations include bases in the eastern and southern U.S., the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy.
CIRRUS AIRCRAFT is suspending new aircraft production during December and furloughed 500 of its 1,100 employees. The affected workers are expected to be back on the job Jan. 5. Cirrus officials said the company generally produces about a dozen aircraft during December. Cirrus will continue to pay medical and other benefits to the 500 workers being temporarily laid off.
AGUSTA S.P.A. A109A and A109A II helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2008-0834; Directorate Identifier 2007-SW-78-AD; Amendment 39-15746; AD 2008-24-06] – Perform initial and recurrent dye-penetrant inspections of each tail-rotor blade for cracks, following the instructions of Agusta Technical Bulletin No. 109-110, Rev. A (dated Dec. 12, 2005). Also, before the first flight each day, visually inspect each tail-rotor blade for cracks using a 3X to 5X power magnifying glass. If any cracks are found, replace the cracked blade with an airworthy one before further flight.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE AS355E, F, F1, F2 and N helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2007-28691; Directorate Identifier 2006-SW-22-AD; Amendment 39-15744; AD 2008-24-04] – This AD, which supersedes an existing directive, requires using an improved procedure, detailed in Eurocopter Alert Service Bulletin No. 05.00.51 (dated July 9, 2007), for detecting wear in the main gearbox oil pump. It mandates checking the magnetic-chip detector plug and the main gearbox oil-sight glass, as well as the lubrication pump.
Officials of AAI Acquisition, Inc. (AAIA), which took over the A700 twin-turbine development program earlier this year, have spooled down development work on the aircraft while attempting to market their expertise in composite design and technology. AAIA is talking with companies in the aerospace industry as well as firms in the custom automotive sector, green energy developers and others that can benefit from the application of proven composite design and construction.
MIKE TURNER was promoted to marketing and corporate communications director at StandardAero. Based in Tempe, Ariz., Turner will oversee strategies and branding initiatives for all StandardAero marketing communications, corporate communications, public relations and trade shows. Turner most recently was corporate communications manager for the company. Before joining StandardAero, he held marketing and communications posts with Elliott Aviation, Sullivan Higdon & Sink and Hawker Beechcraft Corporation.
BEDE ROCKS joined Vector Aerospace as director business development – Australasia. Rocks will be responsible for Vector Aerospace’s fixed-wing and helicopter business development and customer services activities throughout Australasia. Rocks has nearly 40 years of industry experience in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, India, China, Angola, Nigeria, South Africa and the Pacific Rim.
General aviation and other aviation industry representatives last week urged Obama transition team members to emphasize the importance of moving quickly on a comprehensive, long-term FAA reauthorization package, warning that a consensus on funding may be hard to maintain long term. Former FAA Administrator Jane Garvey and former Airline Pilots Association President Duane Woerth held a roundtable at the Transportation Department with about 20 association executives to cover a range of issues confronting the industry.
Boeing met with the U.S. Defense Contracts Management Agency (DCMA) Nov. 24 to find out what needs to be done before production of CH-47 helicopters and V-22 tiltrotor fuselages can resume at its Philadelphia plant. Both lines were halted Nov. 21 when the local DCMA representative issued a Level 4 corrective action report (CAR) after a Boeing employee found debris in a V-22 fuselage during a quality-assurance inspection.
AAI ACQUISITION, INC., which previously suspended most certification activities related to the Adam A700 aircraft, is now offering its expertise in composites to other businesses. The Englewood, Colo. company said it will provide engineering and manufacturing services “to companies and organizations seeking composite design and technology expertise.” See article on Page 249.
SENTIENT FLIGHT GROUP formed an alliance with The Trump Organization under which Trump clients will have special access to Sentient’s aviation services. Trump clients will be able to fly “one-off” trips to and from Trump locations and receive preferred access to the Sentient Jet Membership Program. Sentient members in return will receive certain benefits at Trump properties.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION is working to fight a proposal before the Loudoun County, Va. Board of Supervisors to substantially raise aircraft personal property tax rates. Proposals floating before the board could swell the rates from the current $.01 per $100 of aircraft value to $4.20 per $100. NATA noted that the potential increases “would present an enormous financial strain” for operators with aircraft based at Dulles International Airport or Leesburg Executive Airport.
EMBRAER received an order from Falcon Aviation Services (FAS) in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates for two Legacy 500 jets. Embraer valued the order at $36.8 million and expects to deliver the aircraft in 2014. FAS first ordered Embraer business jets a year ago and received its first Legacy 600 in August. The latest contract increases the number of Embraer business jets that FAS has ordered to 11: four Phenom 300s, two Legacy 500s, three Legacy 600s and two Lineage 1000s. Embraer also appointed FAS as its first authorized service center in the Middle East.
HOMELAND SECURITY Secretary Michael Chertoff last week discussed a number of new efforts that DHS has under way to tighten general aviation security, including an agreement with the Irish Minister of Transport for full pre-clearance of commercial and private flights destined for the U.S. The agreement broadens the scope of ongoing cooperation between the U.S. and Ireland to include customs, immigration and agricultural laws as well as aircraft screening for radiological and nuclear threats.
London Mayor Boris Johnson has chosen engineer Doug Oakervee to lead the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) preliminary feasibility study into a new airport in the Thames Estuary. Johnson has been vocal about building a new London airport to take pressure off overcrowded Heathrow. Oakervee is currently executive chair of Crossrail, an effort to expand underground rail throughout London. He was also one of the principals in the development of Hong Kong International Airport.
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT CORPORATION Model 390 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0492; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-023-AD; Amendment 39-15734; AD 2008-23-13] – Requires removal of the current pre-formed packing, elbow fitting and jam nut from the left-hand and right-hand hydraulic pump pressure output port and replacement with new parts. Also, install a hydraulic pump case drain check valve.
JAY W. TREES was named director of sales and marketing for the Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) unit of M7 Aerospace in San Antonio, Texas. Trees has more than 25 years of aviation program management, market and sales experience, having previously held senior positions with Avchem, Aerospace Products International, Inc. and ERIKS Aerospace, Inc. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Trees holds a marketing degree from the University of North Texas and a master’s degree in management from Troy State University.
DASSAULT Falcon 900, 900EX and 2000 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0729; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-052-AD; Amendment 39-15700; AD 2008-22-05] – This AD requires inspecting the air gasper installation in the third crewmember control panel of the left-hand and right-hand crew closet for interference. If interference is found, replace the flexible hoses and install roundit insulation sleeving to the wires near the rheostat, in accordance with the instructions of Dassault Mandatory Service Bulletin F900-360, Rev. 1; F900EX-261, Rev. 1; or F2000-316, Rev.
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 February 11-12 – Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE Forum 2009), Hong Kong April 1-4 – Aircraft Electronics Association: AEA 52nd Annual Convention & Trade Show, Dallas, Tex. For more information contact Debbie McFarland at (816) 373-6565 or go to www.aea.net/convention
GARMIN INTERNATIONAL earned Organizational Delegation Authorization (ODA) from the Federal Aviation Administration. The ODA supplants and combines Garmin’s Organizational Designation Airworthiness Representative and Designated Alteration Organization authorities. The ODA allows Garmin to conduct certain activities on behalf of FAA such as supplemental type certificate work. It also was extended to include Garmin’s Salem, Ore. facility.
A new U.S. Customs and Border Protection rule calling for electronically-submitted private aircraft manifest information was little changed from the proposal that generated substantial opposition from the GA community, but does ease requirements to facilitate travel to areas where the Internet may be unavailable.
