ROLLS-ROYCE DEUTSCHLAND LTD. & CO. KG. Tay 650-15 turbofan engines [Docket No. FAA-2007-0037; Directorate Identifier 2007-NE-41-AD; Amendment 39-15521; AD 2008-10-14] – Requires inspection of the Stage 2 and Stage 3 low-pressure turbine disks for corrosion in accordance with Rolls-Royce Deutschland Alert Service Bulletin Tay-72-A1524, Rev. 1 (dated Sept. 1, 2006).
SHANE BUTTCHEN joined the Aviation Architecture team of Mead & Hunt as an architectural CAD technician. Buttchen will prepare architectural and engineering documents, and work with specifications, planning and schedules for design projects for Mead & Hunt, an architectural, engineering, and planning consulting firm. Formerly an AutoCAD maintenance project leader for a medical manufacturer, Buttchen has a bachelor’s degree in interior architecture from the University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point with additional training in Lean, SQL/AutoLISP, and Oracle.
DORNIER Model 328-100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0584; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-315-AD] – This proposed rule would supersede an existing directive (AD 2005-13-24) that requires modifying the electrical wiring of the fuel pumps, installing insulation at the hand flow-control and shut-off valves and other components of the environmental control system, and installing markings at fuel wiring harnesses.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT has undertaken an initiative to nearly double Citation parts inventories at its Paris Citation Service Center and other authorized service facilities throughout Europe. The inventory expansion is an effort to build up support for the more than 930 Citations in the region, Cessna said. The Wichita, Kan. plane-maker already has completed the initiative at the North American Cessna Citation Service Center network and plans to concentrate on its part supply globally.
The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the city of Santa Monica, Calif. from enforcing an ordinance that bans large business jets at Santa Monica Municipal Airport (SMO). The preliminary injunction, granted May 16, was the latest step in legal action the Federal Aviation Administration has taken against Santa Monica for attempting to implement the ordinance over the agency’s objections.
EUROPEAN officials recently completed the definition phase of the Single European Sky Air Traffic Management Research (SESAR) project, after investing about 60 million euros over the past two years into the project. SESAR is designed to create a Single European Sky that will incorporate the new generation air traffic management system.
The European business aviation market demonstrated its increasing strength during last week’s European Business Aviation Convention and Exposition (EBACE), with several major business jet makers announcing orders from European customers that amounted to billions of dollars. EBACE further marked a number of other international orders from growing regions such as the Middle East and Asia.
GKN AEROSPACE is developing new techniques that it says will further automate and increase production for composite materials. The techniques will increase deposition rates by a factor of 40, GKN said, evolving automated processes for complex structures for airframes and engines. GKN is using new Automated Tape Lay-up (ATL) equipment for development of material on the Airbus A400M wing spar. The ATL can lay composite tapes 150 mm or 300 mm wide at rates of about 40 pounds of tape per hour. This compares with traditional rates of between one and three pounds an hour.
EXCELAIRE has opened a new international services “gateway” at its facility in Islip, N.Y. ExcelAire will provide a range of services, including on-site U.S. Customs clearance, fuel, maintenance, concierge services and helicopter service to the New York City metro area. The helicopter service is offered in association with HeliFlite, which flies Bell and Sikorsky helicopters.
PIAGGIO AERO plans to offer two Aircell broadband options aboard P.180 Avanti IIs equipped with the new “.it” technology option package. Beginning in the third quarter of 2009, P.180 buyers will be able to choose either a U.S. or global high-speed Internet service that will enable e-mail, Web surfing and corporate VPN access in flight. The Piaggio accord is Aircell’s first broadband system selection by a major business aviation OEM since the airborne communications company began taking orders less than a month ago.
May 27- June 1 — Berlin International Air Show (ILA2008), Berlin, Germany, sponsored by the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI) and managed by Messe Berlin. For more information, call (609) 987-1202; fax (609) 987-0092 or e-mail (www.ila-NA.com) 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
XOJET, the Northern California-based on-demand charter and aircraft ownership services company, secured $2.46 billion in debt and equity financing agreements that the company said will fund its operations in North American and plans for global expansion. Last week’s announcement follows orders that XOJET unveiled during the National Business Aviation Association’s annual meeting and convention last fall for 110 new Bombardier and Citation jets valued at $2.5 billion (BA, Oct. 1/146).
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Hawker Beechcraft Corporation has launched the Beechcraft Premier II light business jet, which will feature composite winglets, new engines, and higher cruise speeds and payload capability than the Premier IA. The twin-turbofan, swept-wing, all-composite light jet will offer standard seating for up to six passengers.
GROB AEROSPACE is hoping to achieve certification of its spn business jet by yearend, but is facing a shortage of flight testing and development engineers that could further delay the program. The spn program already has grappled with delays stemming from a prototype crash (BA, Dec. 4, 2006/253) and slow flight trials. CEO Niall Olver said the goal of reaching certification by yearend would be “challenging,” but that the company is trying to quickly increase its work force. The company planned a recruitment drive for the ILA Berlin Airshow.
MOONEY AIRPLANE COMPANY named Air Touring Ltd. as its sales representative for the United Kingdom and Ireland. Based at London Biggin Hill Airport, Air Touring distributes a range of new and used personal and business piston, turboprop and jet aircraft throughout the U.K. Air Touring also provides scheduled maintenance, repair service, avionics upgrades and installation, parts sales, and technical assistance.
TAILWIND CAPITAL LLC and its investment partner, Global Principal Finance Co., unveiled the Hemisphere 200XR, an executive conversion of Bombardier’s CRJ-200 regional jet, at last week’s EBACE show. The aircraft, which is being transformed at Georgetown, Del.-based completion specialist PATS Aircraft, is equipped with auxiliary fuel tanks that give the former airliner a range of up to 3,000 nautical miles. The first Hemisphere 200XR is to be delivered to a European customer in June, and Tailwind expects to have a total of five aircraft converted by the end of this year.
JET AVIATION formally dedicated a new 103,330-square-foot hangar designed to accommodate widebody aircraft at its Basel, Switzerland facility. The hangar, one of the largest in Europe, can accommodate an Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8 simultaneously along with a range of midsize aircraft. Jet Aviation invested about CHF 65 million in the new hangar, which will be dedicated to outfitting or refurbishing aircraft, while the other eight hangars primarily will be used for maintenance services. Jet Aviation also plans to hire 350 to 400 more people at the facility.
CAE has begun expanding its North East Training Center in Morristown, N.J. from six simulator bays to 15. The expansion is slated for completion in 2008, and will accommodate plans to increase the company’s corporate aircraft training business. CAE recently added a Hawker Beechcraft 800XPi full flight simulator to the facility and began training on a Gulfstream G450/550 full flight simulator. The center also offers training for the Dassault Falcon 7X, Falcon 900EX EASy/2000EX EASy, Gulfstream IV and Sikorsky S76B C+.
ENGINE COMPONENTS cylinder assemblies installed in Lycoming Model 320, 360 and 540 series engines [Docket No. FAA-2008-0052; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-01-AD] – This proposed AD would require engines with certain cylinder assemblies to undergo repetitive visual inspections and compression tests to detect cracks at the head-to-barrel interface. Cracked cylinders would need to be replaced.
EADS SOCATA won an order from European aircraft fractional owner provider JETFLY for two new TBM 850s equipped with the Garmin G1000 cockpit. Established in 1999 in Luxembourg, JETFLY operates a fleet of TBM 850s, Pilatus PC-12s and Piaggio Avantis for more than 90 co-owners.
AVIDYNE CORPORATION is opening a new International Customer Support Center and OEM Sales office, based in Weißenhorn, Germany. Avidyne-Europe will provide customer support services to European customers, distributors, and service centers. Support staff will process Return Material Authorizations, verify warranty status, and address general customer support questions and concerns.
Aerion, the Reno, Nev. engineering firm that has been marketing its proposed Aerion supersonic business jet, says it has received more than 40 letters of intent, backed up by refundable deposits of $250,000, for the $80 million airplane.
EUROPEAN BUSINESS AVIATION grew approximately 10 percent in 2007, according to statistics released by Eurocontrol during EBACE. The number of European-registered business jets has increased from 1,100 two years ago to 1,900 today and could reach 4,000 by 2017, according to a forecast produced by the air traffic control service. Those projections were evident by a number of orders announced during last week’s show. See article on Page 236.
FAA Friday was working to fix a technical glitch that brought down the Notice to Airmen system on the eve of the holiday weekend. The NOTAM system went out of service at 10:36 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time Thursday, preventing the posting of any new NOTAMS. The problem stemmed from a disc crashing in FAA’s system, the agency said. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association recommended that pilots contact the local fixed-base operation, air traffic control tower or flight service station to obtain the most up-to-date information.
