Hawker Beechcraft Corp., continuing to add new talent to its management ranks, named three men to key manufacturing/quality control jobs last week, including two with extensive experience in the automotive industry. Henry Davis was named vice president, aircraft manufacturing and assembly. Dean Jones is the new vice president, quality compliance and performance excellence, and Ken Rohling was appointed director of Wichita flight completions and paint operations.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld a district court decision in favor of Raytheon Aircraft Company, agreeing with the lower court that the 18-year statute of repose in the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994 (GARA) barred the plaintiffs’ from suing the aircraft manufacturer.
CHARLIE HOLOMEK was named vice president-customer support for the North American business operations of EADS Socata. An engineer with more than 35 years of aeronautical experience in the U.S. and abroad, Holomek previously held various positions in aircraft design, manufacturing and customer support with companies that include Cessna Aircraft, Bombardier Learjet and Boeing Military Aircraft. “Our focus is on further increasing the level of customer service in the U.S.
THE AIR CHARTER SAFETY FOUNDATION issued a Call for Papers for the 2009 Air Charter Safety Symposium. The symposium will be held Feb. 24-25 at the National Transportation Safety Board Training Center in Ashburn. The 2008 event attracted 100 industry leaders who discussed issues surrounding the development of a healthy corporate safety culture. For more information, visit the ACSF Web site at www.acsf.aero.
House lawmakers last week introduced a bill that aims to ban all mobile voice communication – including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) – on domestic airline flights. Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) and John Duncan (R-Tenn.) introduced H.R. 5788, the HANG UP (Halting Airplane Noise To Give Us Peace) Act, citing overwhelming public support for preventing airlines from allowing inflight mobile phone use.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week proposed reducing the number of reservation slots available for unscheduled operations from six per hour to three per hour at New York LaGuardia Airport (LGA). FAA in December 2006 called for a reservation system for nonscheduled operations as part of a larger interim action to manage congestion at the airport. The interim order set aside the six unscheduled reservations per hour, but FAA said currently those reservations “are not fully utilized.”
General aviation and Part 135 flight operations were involved in more accidents in 2007, but the number of GA fatalities hit historic lows, according to National Transportation Safety Board preliminary aviation accident statistics for 2007. “The U.S. aviation industry has produced an admirable safety record in recent years,” said NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker. “However, we must not become complacent. We must continue to take the lessons learned from our investigations.”
SAAB/SAAB-FAIRCHILD SF340A and 340B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-29331; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-136-AD; Amendment 39-15459; AD 2008-08-07] – Requires conducting repetitive ultrasonic inspections to detect cracking in the axle adaptor, replacing the axle adaptor, if necessary. Eventually, the AD also mandates inspecting and modifying the main landing gear shock strut and axle adaptors. This AD was prompted by a crack in an axle adaptor that was discovered during fatigue testing.
ROBBIN L. (ROB) HIGBY joined Avidyne Corp. of Lincoln, Mass. as vice president of sales and marketing. He will oversee the growth of the company’s global sales and marketing operations and will be responsible for expanding Avidyne’s relationships with core OEM partners, as well as its network of distributors and dealers. Higby previously worked for EqualLogic, where he served as director of product marketing and then headed that company’s Channel Sales organization.
FOKKER F.28 Mark 0070, 0100, 1000, 2000, 3000 and 4000 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-29030; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-284-AD; Amendment 39-15432; AD 2008-06-20] – Requires revising the “Airworthiness Limitations” section of the “Instructions for Continued Airworthiness” for certain airplanes and amending the FAA-approved maintenance program for other airplanes to incorporate new limitations for fuel tank systems. The FAA estimates that this AD will affect 18 aircraft on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S. operators a total of $1,440, or $80 per airplane.
Ross Aviation acquired the majority interest in Bradley Pacific Aviation, a chain of five fixed-base operations in Hawaii. The newly acquired FBOs – located at Honolulu International Airport, Kahului International Airport, Lihue Airport, Keahole-Kona International and Hilo International Airport – will continue to operate under the Bradley Pacific Aviation name.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION is proposing to cut in half the number of unscheduled operations at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in part, the agency said, to prevent general aviation operators from opting for LGA when the agency releases new caps on unscheduled operations at John F. Kennedy and Newark Liberty International Airport. The agency made the move as general aviation and airlines move to fight congestion pricing as another mechanism to discourage operations at busier airports. See article on Page 179.
SHIP IT AOG was named a factory-authorized distributor for Unitron’s new aircraft ground power units (GPUs). Ship it AOG has worked with Unitron to sell and lease used GPUs since 2002. The latest agreement calls for Ship it AOG to market and warehouse Unitron’s 400 Hz GPUs and PwrKart frequency converters. Addison, Texas-based Ship it AOG provides marketing, warehouse space and distribution of business aircraft parts, ground-support equipment, and specialized tooling. The company also provides technical services and maintains technical documentation.
KEYSTONE HELICOPTER CORP., Coatsville, Pa., won Organization Designation Approval from FAA after demonstrating to the agency that Keystone has the expertise, facilities, experience and qualified employees to issue Supplemental Type Certificates for work on aircraft certified under Parts 23, 27 and 29 of the Federal Aviation Regulations. The ODA covers a range of work including cockpit instrument modifications and installation of exterior features such as searchlights. It excludes work on major spinning components such as engines and rotors.
BOMBARDIER CL-600, -601, -601-3A, -601-3R, -604, -605 and RJ100 and 440 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0408; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-068-AD; Amendment 39-15458; AD 2008-08-06] – Requires a revision of the Airplane Flight Manual to modify the cold-weather operations limitation and include additional limitations and procedures.
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
Providence, R.I.-based Textron Inc., parent company of Bell Helicopter and Cessna, reported strong first-quarter results, with a 19.2-percent increase in earnings per share from continuing operations on a revenue increase of 18.7 percent. During the first three months of the year, the company’s Cessna unit booked new orders for 235 business jets, as Textron’s aircraft and defense backlog swelled to a record $22 billion, up from $18.8 billion at the end of 2007.
AIRCRAFT KITS previously determined to be eligible for certification as amateur-built aircraft won’t be reevaluated by the FAA unless a safety problem is identified. FAA had announced in February its intent to temporarily suspend amateur-built aircraft kit evaluations.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT completed the initial round of a human factors training program tailored for its nearly 1,400 Citation Service Center employees in the U.S. The training was designed to help employees identify and ward off errors. The curriculum includes initial and recurrent training for airframe and powerplant mechanics, avionics technicians, inspectors and administrative personnel.
HIRING SENIOR EXECUTIVES with backgrounds in the automotive industry is becoming the new “in thing” within the business aviation industry as original equipment manufacturers attempt to boost production rates to meet customer demand for new business jets. Bombardier joined the parade Friday, naming a former General Motors executive as president and chief operating officer of Bombardier Aerospace. Hawker Beechcraft Corp.
The Department of Transportation’s proposal to allow certain airports to impose congestion pricing during peak hours drew strong opposition from operators, but large airports endorsed the concept as an alternative solution to congestion in cases where airport expansion is not possible.
JET PROFESSIONALS added technical staff recruitment services to its portfolio of offerings from its newly established office in Dallas. Jet Professionals previously recruited technical personnel, but said technical staffing recruitment efforts now will be formally defined and more focused. Jet Professionals will concentrate on business aviation requirements, including avionics installers, A&P technicians and EASA B1 and B2 license holders.
