FRASCA INTERNATIONAL won a contract from FAA to provide a Cessna Citation Mustang flight training device (FTD). The FTD will be qualified to FAA Level 5 standards and will replicate the Mustang flightdeck, including the Garmin G1000 avionics. The FTD also will include the Frasca TruVision Visual System with 220-degree display system, high fidelity sound, TruFeel electric control system, auto-test, Graphical Instructor Station and a debrief station. FAA will station the FTD at the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.
GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION was pleased last week that the Senate added an extension to the expired research and development tax credit to the $700 billion economic recovery/Wall Street bailout bill. The R&D credit expired in December, but the Senate measure would renew the credit through 2009. “General aviation manufacturers invest heavily in research and development in order to stay at the forefront of technological innovation,” GAMA said.
The addition of financially powerful Tata Group of India to the ownership group of Piaggio has increased speculation that the Italian aircraft manufacturer may now have access to the financial resources necessary to pursue development of a business jet.
Despite widespread economic concerns in recent months, Honeywell forecasters are anticipating a continuing boom in the business jet industry with sales from 2008 through 2018 expected to total approximately 17,000 new aircraft valued at $300 billion.
EMBRAER ERJ 170 and 190 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0361; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-279-AD; Amendment 39-15681; AD 2008-20-02] – This AD requires replacement of certain hydraulic system tube attachment clamps located inside the wing fuel tanks, per the instructions of Embraer Service Bulletin 170-29-0006, Rev. 01 (dated Feb. 22, 2008) or Service Bulletin 190-29-0003 (dated Oct. 4, 2006), as applicable. This AD was issued after damaged tube attachment clamps were found inside the wing fuel tanks.
BJETS, the startup fractional and charter aircraft company that ordered dozens of business jets earlier this year, is launching operations in India and Singapore after taking delivery of its first four aircraft.
JET AVIATION BASEL received letters of intent from customers in Asia to complete the first two Airbus A350-900 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) Prestige jets with VIP interiors. Work on the first A350-900 is slated to begin in 2014 and the second in 2015. Jet Aviation estimated that each completion will take 18 months. BAA Jet Management Ltd. of Hong Kong will manage and operate both aircraft. Jet Aviation occupies nearly 840,000 square feet in Basel, including a completions hangar designed to accommodate widebody aircraft such as the Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8.
BOMBARDIER DHC-8-400, -401 and -402 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0730; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-055-AD; Amendment 39-15674; AD 2008-19-07] – Modify the spoiler cable disconnect sensing circuit in accordance with the instructions of Bombardier Service Bulletin 84-27-33 (dated June 6, 2007) or Service Bulletin 84-27-28, Rev. B (dated Sept. 25, 2007). This AD is designed to ensure that both the inboard and outboard caution lamps will light in the event of a spoiler fuselage cable disconnect. The FAA estimates that this AD will affect 20 aircraft on the U.S.
The Aviation Command of the Maryland State Police began returning its remaining fleet of 11 Aerospatiale 365/Eurocopter Dauphin II helicopters to service last week, following the midnight crash of one helicopter on Saturday, Sept. 27.
KEITH RASH joined West Star Aviation as a regional sales manager. Rash will be responsible for sales in Texas. He formerly held posts with Wing Aviation and BizJet and has a sales background in Gulfstream, Hawker, Learjet and Falcon aircraft.
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GLOBALAIR.COM released a new route planning Web application, Max-Trax, that the company said will help pilots “get the most for their fuel dollars.” Max-Trax combines fuel pricing data supplied by participating fixed-base operators with specific aircraft range data and departure and destination information to map out itineraries. The Web site also provides information on airports and FBOs. Max-Trax is designed for use by pilots, schedulers and dispatchers for FBOs, fractional ownership operators, and charter and corporate flight departments.
TEXTRON is expanding its operations in Mexico with a new manufacturing facility in the State of Chihuahua. The new facility will operate as Textron International Mexico and house manufacturing of minor assemblies, structural elements and wire bundles for the Bell 429 commercial helicopter. Parts produced at the facility will be shipped to Textron helicopter manufacturing operation in Canada for final assembly. Textron expects the Chihuahua facility will ultimately employ 375 workers.
October 6-8 – National Business Aviation Association, 61st Annual Meeting & Convention (NBAA2008), Orlando, Fla. For more information, contact NBAA www.nbaa.org/2008 October 16-18 – Chevron Global Aviation Advanced Safety Training, Richmond, Calif. Contact Chevron Customer Service at (866) 557-3456 or e-mail to [email protected]
THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION released a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) and scheduled a public information workshop and hearing for a new runway (9R/27L) at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida. The DEIS discusses the proposed runway, modification of existing runways and taxiways, relocation of general aviation support facilities, installation of navigational aides, implementation of Global Positioning System approaches, and other associated developments.
FOKKER F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0676; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-280-AD; Amendment 39-15676; AD 2008-19-09] – Requires replacement of the upper torque link pin of the main landing gear with a new fuse pin, per the instructions of Fokker Service Bulletin SBF100-32-148, Rev. 1, (dated Feb. 26, 2007). This AD is designed to prevent shimmy vibration caused by faulty/empty dampers or excessive free play in the torque link apex joint from causing the main landing gear to collapse.
CENTURY CRM won FAA approval to offer its NBAA Professional Development Course, “Research Management for Aviation Leaders,” as an inspection authorization refresher-training course for maintenance professionals. FAA designated the course as human factors, safety management systems and technical training for maintenance professionals. Based in Peachtree City, Ga., Century CRM provides human factors and crew resource management training for charter and corporate flight crews as well as for single pilots.
The number of accidents involving U.S. business turbine aircraft jumped substantially during the first nine months of 2008, according to data compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates, Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla.
ALPHONSE LARIVIERE was named vice president finance for Kaman Corp. Since July 2004, he has been vice president, finance for Kaman’s Helicopters Division. Before joining Kaman, Lariviere spent 17 years with Goodrich/Coltec Industries.
HONEYWELL’S annual business jet forecast is denoting a new market niche, observing that “a Very High Speed segment of the Ultra Long Range Aircraft has been launched with the advent of the Gulfstream 650 and other potential entrants. This segment adds another 500 plus aircraft to the demand for Ultra Long Range aircraft through 2018,” Honeywell said.
President Bush last week signed two stopgap bills that will keep the Federal Aviation Administration operating into March. Bush signed into law a bill that temporarily extends FAA’s spending authority and the aviation excise taxes that were set to expire Sept. 30 (BA, Sept. 29/141). The bill, H.R.6984, was the seventh extension of FAA’s authorization in the past year. H.R.6984 continues the FAA reauthorization and taxes through the end of March.
DEREK BLOOM opened a new office in Moscow, Russia for the Washington, D.C. law firm of GKG Law (formerly Galland, Kharasch, Greenberg, Fellman and Swirsky), which specializes in aviation tax law. In his new capacity, Bloom will focus on “representing Russian business aircraft owners, and the business aircraft industry,” GKG said. Bloom previously practiced with the Business Aircraft Group in Washington for two years. Before that, he spent 10 years in Moscow practicing law. GKG said Bloom is fluent in Russian and well versed in the Russian culture.
