China’s two main aircraft-making groups, Avic 1 and Avic 2, will merge back together, nine years after they were separated, industry executives say. The merger is the next step in China’s long campaign to turn its aircraft sector into an internationally competitive industry that operates on a fully commercial basis. The combined business will be heavily involved in making aircraft parts, while the new Commercial Aircraft Corp. of China (CACC) separately pursues the national project of building a mainline airliner to complement the current ARJ21 regional jet.
JEFFREY SHANE, an attorney and former Transportation Department executive, has rejoined the Washington, D.C. law firm of Hogan & Hartson as a partner. He plans to focus on aviation and surface transportation. Shane left private practice for the government in 2001 and has held a number of senior-level posts, including deputy assistant secretary for transportation affairs at the State Department and assistant DOT secretary for policy and international affairs. Most recently he was the first under secretary for policy at DOT.
THE DECISION to move UAV operations to the Canadian border comes just 25 months after a CBP-operated Predator B, which has a gross weight of 10,000 pounds and a 66-foot wingspan, went out of control and crashed near the Arizona/Mexico border on April 25, 2006. As a result of its investigation of that accident, the National Transportation Safety Board issued nearly two dozen safety recommendations calling for safeguards and changes in the way UAVs are allowed to operate in domestic civil airspace (BA, Oct. 22/182).
EADS affiliate Socata says it is close to launching a new twin-engined light aircraft, if it can complete financing and come up with a firm business plan. Officials expect to decide early next year whether to go ahead. CEO Jean-Michel Leonard says Socata has identified a market of more than 1,000 units for the new 6-8 passenger aircraft. Drawing heavily on new technologies, notably an all-composite fuselage developed in the Fuscomp ground-demonstrator program, the plane would be significantly bigger than the existing TBM 850 single-engine turboprop.
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EMBRAER Model ERJ 170 and ERJ 190 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0562; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-010-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to visually inspect the left-hand bulkhead blowout panel of both the forward and aft cargo compartments to determine whether the pressure equalization valves are installed. If any valve is not present, install the valve in accordance with instructions of Embraer Service Bulletin 170-21-0032 or 190-21-0019 (both dated Aug. 10, 2007), as applicable.
JET AVIATION’S Skylliance charter alliance program this month added two more members, JetNetherlands and Elite Jets. Based at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, JetNetherlands operates a Cessna CJ1, CJ2, Citation XLS and Falcon 2000EX. JetNetherlands was formed in March 2001. Elite Jets of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates was founded in January 2004. The operator flies a Cessna CJ3 and Hawker 850XP. The latest additions increase Skylliance’s total fleet to 30 aircraft and membership to eight carriers.
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA and MTU Aero Engines GmbH signed a five-year memorandum of understanding “to jointly pursue business opportunities in the growing unmanned aerial vehicle market in Europe,” the companies announced last week. “The emerging UAV market has a strong demand for commercial off-the-shelf engines, mainly out of the business aviation segment,” said Michael Schreyoegg, senior vice president of defense programs for MTU Aero Engines.
Aviation fuels experts will debate next week in Warsaw whether the specifications for Jet A aviation fuel should be opened up to include biofuels, or be limited to allowing coal-to-liquid and gas-to-liquid synthetic fuels to be used as alternatives to petroleum-based jet fuel.
THE HOUSE AVIATION SUBCOMMITTEE this month will delve into issues surrounding congestion management in the New York Airspace. The hearing, scheduled for June 18, comes as FAA proposed a number of new mechanisms, including slots for scheduled and “reservations” for unscheduled operations to cope with congestion at New York Kennedy and Newark Liberty International Airports (BA, May 19/233). FAA already had proposed scaling back the number of unscheduled operations at LaGuardia Airport (BA, April 21/177).
STANDARD AERO named Mike Turner manager of communications, responsible for internal communications and media relations. Turner has held a number of aviation communications posts with companies including Hawker Beechcraft Corp., Elliott Aviation and Sullivan Higdon & Sink. Turner earned a master’s degree in public administration and a bachelor’s in aviation administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
VICTORIA GARMY joined the Aviation Services team of Mead & Hunt. Garmy will be responsible for the marketing efforts of the West Coast team, including creating an annual marketing plan, coordinating with the various aviation business units, meeting with potential clients and tracking projections. She formerly was a systems engineer for Lockheed Martin and also was business development manager for Aerojet in California.
The Burbank-Pasadena-Glendale, Calif. Airport Authority next week plans to close the comment period on a Part 161 study that proposes to impose a nighttime curfew at Bob Hope Airport for all aircraft except in cases of medical, emergency or military flights. The curfew would be in effect from 10 p.m. to 6:59 a.m., but would include a one-hour grace period after 10 p.m. for mechanical or weather delays.
DASSAULT Model Falcon 2000EX airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0557; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-364-AD] – This proposed AD would require a wiring modification of the Generator Control Units to increase the electrical system robustness, per the instructions of Dassault Service Bulletin F2000EX-141, Rev. 1 (dated Nov. 26, 2007).
EXCELAIRE’S terminal at MacArthur Airport in Islip, N.Y. was approved as a gateway to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Excelaire’s facility is the 21st gateway approved for travel into DCA. The company has been flying charter into DCA for the past two years and underwent an additional series of Transportation Security Administration checks and clearances to qualify for the latest designation.
The legal maneuverings continued last week over a large business jet ban at Santa Monica, Calif. Airport (SMO) as the Federal Aviation Administration issued an initial “Director’s Determination” that the City of Santa Monica is in violation of its federal obligations, and Santa Monica city officials decided to forge ahead with an appeal of an injunction against the ban.
U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION (CBP) plans to base a Predator B unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on the border with Canada in a month or two, according to Michael Kostelnik, the Air and Marine chief and assistant commissioner of the Department of Homeland Security agency. During a recent appearance before the House Homeland Security Committee, Kostelnik said CBP plans to move one of its four Predators – now based at Sierra Vista, Ariz. – to a base in Grand Forks, N.D. that opened last fall.
PILATUS BUSINESS AIRCRAFT handed over the first PC-12 NG to a customer. Pilatus announced the “NG” upgrade to the PC-12 during the 2006 National Business Aviation Association annual meeting and convention. The aircraft includes a number of enhancements over the original PC-12 model, including the integrated Honeywell Primus Apex avionics system, revised cockpit designed by BMW Group Designworks USA, and an upgraded Pratt & Whitney PT6A engine. The PC-12 NG earned Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency certification in March.
3M AEROSPACE AND AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT plans to build a factory in Wroclaw, Poland to increase the company’s manufacturing capacity for structural bonding adhesives and surface protection products. 3M expects the new facility will be operational by late 2009. “The expansion into Poland is our response to the ongoing needs of our global aerospace customers, many of whom are located in Europe and Asia,” said Brian Young, general manager of 3M Aerospace and Aircraft Maintenance Department.
June 7 — Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, 18th Annual AOPA Fly-In and Open House, Frederick, Md., (800) 872-2672 June 8-11 — American Association of Airport Executives, 80th Annual Conference and Expo, New Orleans, La. Contact AAAE at (703) 824-0500 June 9-11 — Florida Aviation Trades Association, 62nd Annual Meeting & Trade Show, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Contact Paula Raeburn at (407) 383-8619
ECLIPSE AVIATION will begin taking orders for the Eclipse 400 single-engine jet, the Albuquerque, N.M. manufacturer announced late Friday. The E-400 will be a production version of the V-tail Eclipse Concept Jet displayed last summer during the Experimental Aircraft Association convention in Oshkosh, Wis. (BA, July 30/41). “Ten months of quantitative and qualitative Eclipse Concept Jet research has convinced us that this is absolutely the right airplane for the emerging single-engine jet market,” said Vern Raburn, Eclipse president and CEO.
– After nearly two years of drama about the possible relocation of Piper Aircraft from Florida to another state, company and government officials announced agreement on a package of incentives that will keep the light aircraft manufacturer in Vero Beach, Fla.
JOHN WAGONER was promoted to director of operations of aviation services for Wing Aviation LLC in Houston, Texas. Wagoner is responsible for all maintenance functions, safety and security procedures, production, quality assurance and other aspects of the company’s operations.
GKN Aerospace and engine maker Rolls-Royce established a joint venture company to research and develop the use of composite materials in aircraft engine fan blades. Ownership stake and funding contribution is split 51 percent Rolls-Royce and 49 percent GKN. Total funding for the project will be approximately $20 million.
The National Air Transportation Association last week appealed to FAA acting Administrator Robert Sturgell for fairness in the agency’s approach to regulating Part 135 certificate holders, charging that air taxi operators can no longer rely on guidance or approvals from their local FAA officials because personnel from FAA headquarters or regional offices so frequently overrule their local counterparts and file enforcement notices against the operators.
