NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) is calling on the next Congress and presidential administration to make quick decisions about the leadership of NASA when they take office next year. “The ASAP continues to offer its counsel to NASA, but at this significant point in national affairs, the panel will also seek to convey several views to the incoming Presidential administration and Congress,” the group says in its 2007 annual report.
Eclipse Aviation last week began laying off 38 percent of its work force to reduce costs and conserve cash as the process by which the company’s EA-500 Very Light Jet won FAA certification a couple of years ago is coming under increasing scrutiny from federal regulators and a key congressional committee. Friday’s decision to cut 650 workers is “a result of its operational excellence strategy introduced by CEO Roel Pieper at AirVenture in Oshkosh,” the company said in a statement.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-400 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0864; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-120-AD; Amendment 39-15644; AD 2008-17-06] – This new rule, which supersedes an existing directive (AD 2007-12-03), requires operators to revise the Airplane Flight Manual to include additional procedures for ensuring that the “PTU CNTRL” switch is normal, the “PTU CNTRL ON” advisory light is out, and the “HYD PWR XFER” circuit breaker is pulled in the event of the illumination of the “2 HYD ISO VALVE” caution light.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week reduced the number of hourly slots available for unscheduled flight operations at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) from six to three, saying the move will guard against an increase in unscheduled operations that would otherwise occur with new operational restrictions at Newark and Kennedy airports.
The National Transportation Safety Board expressed concern that poor pilot training, lack of weather information and inadequate oversight is hampering the safety of air tour operations in Southeast Alaska. Ketchikan and Southeast Alaska have become popular destinations for cruise ships – some 900,000 cruise ship passengers visited Ketchikan in 2007, the safety board noted, saying this volume of travelers who may take air tour flights increases the urgency for FAA to take steps to improve safety.
BOMBARDIER CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0888; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-084-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to modify the fuel tank bonding jumpers inside the wing and center fuel tanks in accordance with the instructions of Bombardier Service Bulletin 601R-28-055, Rev. E (dated March 17, 2008).
EMBRAER EMB-135, -145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP and -145EP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0642; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-039-AD; Amendment 39-15643; AD 2008-17-05] – This AD, which supersedes an existing directive (AD 2007-12-17), expands the applicability of the earlier rule, which required replacement of the metallic tubes enclosing the vent and pilot valve wires in the left- and right-hand wing fuel tanks with non-conductive hoses.
APPH HOUSTON broke ground on a new 62,000-square-foot facility that will permit the company to consolidate all its Houston operations in one location. When completed in March, the new facility will include a sheet-metal shop, landing gear, accessory and pneumatic shops, parts sales, inventory and administration and shipping departments. The building also will include a dedicated training area that can accommodate up to 12 students.
JET AVIATION employees at the company’s new fixed-base operation in China, were expecting a busy final weekend at Beijing’s Capital International Airport as visitors and participants departed from the Olympic Games. The FBO opened Aug. 5 following several months of hectic preparation (BA, Aug.
ECLIPSE AVIATION said Friday it is cutting 650 of its employees, 38 percent of a workforce that had recently numbered nearly 2,000. The Albuquerque, N.M. company also is undergoing a special certification review by FAA, which is examining the processes and procedures the agency used when it certificated the Eclipse 500. The difficult outlook for Eclipse has attracted the notice of other aircraft manufacturers who are seeking employees.
TERRY ROLFE was promoted to co-leader of the aviation practice of Integro Insurance Brokers. Rolfe has 18 years of aviation industry experience. Before joining the practice in April 2006, Rolfe was senior vice president and national operations manager for Marsh’s Aviation Practice.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE received an order from Synergy Aerospace Corp. for a Learjet 85. The Learjet 85 will be operated by Synergy Sao Paulo, Brazil-based unit OceanAir for charter. Synergy Aerospace also owns PAS and Helicol in Columbia. Launched in October 2007, the Learjet 85 aircraft will be Bombardier’s first all-composite business jet. The aircraft will be designed to cruise at Mach .82 and have a 3,000-nautical-mile range.
BAE SYSTEMS Jetstream 41 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0622; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-064-AD; Amendment 39-15642; AD 2008-17-04] – Requires modifying the left-hand and right-hand wing fuel boost pump wiring in accordance with the instructions of BAE Systems Service Bulletin J41-28-014, Rev. 1 (dated Dec. 21, 2007). It also requires inspecting the left-hand and right-hand wing fuel high-level sensor wiring in accordance with the service bulletin. If excess or damaged wiring is found, replace and/or remove it.
BECKY JOHNSON was named vice president and general manager of the Gulfstream facility in Long Beach, Calif. Johnson joined Gulfstream in 1998 and most recently was director of product support at Long Beach. Before joining Gulfstream, Johnson served as a senior manufacturing manager at McDonnell Douglas Corp.
GROB AEROSPACE filed for insolvency last week, raising questions about the future of the G180 SPn business jet and leaving Bombardier seeking another supplier for the composite-construction Learjet 85 prototypes that Grob has been working on.
BARRY RUSSELL was appointed vice president of customer support for Gulfstream Aerospace. A 31-year Gulfstream veteran, Russell will be responsible for the worldwide Customer Support organization as well as services provided at Gulfstream facilities in Savannah, Ga. and Luton, England and the General Dynamics Aviation Services facility in West Palm Beach, Fla. Russell formerly was vice president and general manager of the Gulfstream’s facility in Long Beach, Calif., and before that was general manager of the Brunswick, Ga. facility.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE added Morro Vermelho Taxi Aereo Ltda. (MVTA) in Sao Paulo, Brazil, to its product-support network. MVTA will distribute parts to Gulfstream operators throughout South America. There are more than 80 Gulfstream-built aircraft based in the region. MVTA is the sixth facility to join Gulfstream’s international parts-distribution network. The others are the Gulfstream London-Luton service center in London; the MetroJet maintenance facility in Hong Kong; and the Jet Aviation maintenance facilities in Dubai, Moscow and Singapore.
The planned acquisition of Jet Aviation’s far-flung MRO, FBO and aircraft management and charter businesses by General Dynamics is a bold strategic move that will expand the reach of GD’s existing business aviation activities and immediately add proven aircraft service capability in international markets, which are accounting for a growing share of aircraft orders at GD’s Gulfstream Aerospace unit.
DEALING WITH SECURITY CONSTRAINTS in Beijing could have been a big challenge, but Edwards said impressive cooperation from airport authority officials helped “turn it into a great success.” Beijing “has been a difficult city [for business jet operators] to fly in and out of and get handled in a way they are used to,” Edwards said. But he expressed confidence that the smooth inauguration of FBO service during the Olympics “will make it easier for everyone” flying private aircraft into Beijing in the future.
Van Nuys, CA VNY CRS #DWHR329D NOW OPEN St. Louis, MO SUS CRS #DELR158D Philadelphia, PA MQS CRS #U7JR551L Dallas, TX DAL COMING SOON Growing in Scope. Keeping our Focus. MAINTENANCE, COMPONENTS, AVIONICS AND INTERIORS AOG 314.602.5366
SATCOM DIRECT, a Satellite Beach, Fla.-based provider of satellite voice, fax and Internet data services, is expanding its Internet reach thanks to the launch of a new Inmarsat satellite. Satcom Direct said the Aug. 18 launch of the Inmarsat-4 F3 satellite will allow the company to provide mobile broadband Internet services to business, general aviation, military and government markets worldwide. Before the launch, the company’s mobile broadband services covered 85 percent of the world’s landmass. The network now covers the globe, including aircraft in flight.
CHARLES WOOD was named program manager, Lean Six Sigma for Gulfstream Aerospace. Wood will implement Lean Six Sigma throughout Gulfstream and General Dynamics Aviation Services facilities. Wood has spent 22 years with General Dynamics in quality assurance and process engineering, most recently as a value stream manager at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Conn. Before that, he was senior manager, initial phase quality control, at Gulfstream.
JACOB WARD was appointed regional sales manager for Southeast region for Avidyne. Ward is a commercial, multiengine and instrument pilot who graduated Magna Cum Laude from the CAPT graduate program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He served as a regional sales manager at Aerospace Products International and Iviation. He most recently was a business development officer for Farr Associates, a leadership and organizational development company.
EMBRAER CHINA’S warehouse for spare parts has been certified by Brazil’s Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). This approval qualifies Embraer China’s quality technicians to issue spare part airworthiness certificates through their own quality system in China, broadening the range of services for customers. Embraer says this certification also enables Embraer China to optimize its supply chain and providing shorter turnaround-times for parts.
Brazilian plane-maker Embraer formally kicked off the joint definition phase for its midlight Legacy 450 and midsize Legacy 500 executive jets with more than 20 key suppliers selected for the programs. The work on the business jets progressed as Embraer reached another milestone in its Very Light Jet program with the first flight of the second Phenom 300.
