French plane-maker EADS Socata last week took the wraps off the next generation of its TBM 700 single-turboprop aircraft, a six-seat TBM 850 sporting a new Pratt &Whitney PT6A-66D engine that will fly at a maximum cruise speed of 320 knots at Flight Level 260. Last week's announcement of the TBM 850 follows more than a year of development and testing that culminated in European certification on Nov. 28. FAA certification is expected shortly and Socata hopes to hand over the first TBM 850 to a customer during a Feb. 23 ceremony in Florida.
A group of airport officials, Sound Initiative - A Coalition for Quieter Skies, has been lobbying for months for an end to the use of noisy Stage 1 and Stage 2 business jets at U.S. airports. Organizers of the group say Stage 1 and 2 aircraft total somewhere between 800 and 1,100 airplanes. While accounting for only about seven percent of all U.S. business jets, the older noisy models are responsible for generating an inordinately large portion of all airport noise complaints nationwide, according to Sound Initiative.
Industry teams vying for the U.S. Army's Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) program are expected to conduct demonstration flights in the January-February period. Competitors are the AugustaWestland North America/L-3 Communications US139, the Bell 412EP, the EADS North America/Sikorsky UH145 and MD Helicopters MD Explorer. A contract award is expected in the spring.
Excel-Jet, Ltd. reached a financial agreement with the Guthrie, Okla. Industrial Development Authority under which the company will relocate its operations to Guthrie. Excel-Jet is developing the Sport-Jet, a five-place aircraft to be powered by a single Williams FJ33 turbofan engine. Excel-Jet officials say the aircraft "will sell for about $1 million, cruise at 340 knots at 25,000 feet and can carry four persons over 900 nautical miles."
Saint-Gobain Flight Structures is introducing a new nose radome for the Bombardier Challenger business jet and CRJ regional jet aircraft. The design features internal lightning diverters, lightweight composite components and the incorporation of Norton Armor (TM) and Stormview (TM) radome technologies. Saint Gobain said the Stormview system provides enhanced radar vision through better signal transmission, while Norton Armor provides protection from in-flight erosion and damage.
Executive Jet Management placed five new aircraft on its charter fleet this fall, increasing its management fleet to 102 aircraft in more than 60 locations. The new aircraft include a Citation Sovereign based at Aurora Municipal Airport in Chicago, Ill.; a Falcon 900EX at Centennial Airport in Denver, Colo.; a Citation X at Yosemite International Airport in Fresno, Calif.; a Gulfstream 200 at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, Nev.; and a Learjet 60 at La Crosse Municipal Airport in La Crosse, Wis.
General Dynamics, the parent company of Gulfstream Aerospace, said it plans to pay in excess of $2 billion to acquire two information technology firms. GD will pay about $2.2 billion for Anteon, including the assumption of about $100 million in debt. GD is headquartered in Falls Church, Va. and Anteon is based in nearby Fairfax. Anteon has about 9,500 employees in more than 100 offices around the world. It has a current backlog of $6.6 billion and expects sales of $1.7 billion in 2006.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. signed a five-year contract to provide four S-92 helicopters to CHC Helicopter Corp. to perform commercial search-and-rescue missions for the United Kingdom Maritime and Coastguard Agency, beginning in July 2007.
January 8-12 - American Association of Airport Executives Aviation Issues Conference, Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, Kona, Hawaii, (703) 824-0504, www.airportnet.org January 25-27 - National Business Aviation Association Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference, San Antonio, Texas, (202) 783-9000 February 26-28 - Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2006 Annual Convention and Exposition, Dallas, Texas, (703) 683-4646
CANDY JOHNSON was promoted to chief operating officer for Mayo Aviation. Johnson joined Mayo in 1998 and most recently was human resources manager. In her new position, Johnson will direct the company's day-to-day operations as well as coordinate internal communications.
French aircraft manufacturer Dassault and U.S. avionics manufacturer Honeywell have apparently buried the hatchet and resolved their dispute over alleged delivery delays of Honeywell EPIC avionics for the Falcon 900EX and 2000EX business jets. Dassault had filed a $60 million damage suit against Honeywell (BA, Dec. 5/259).
HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND Model 14RF-19 propellers [Docket No. FAA-2005-21691; Directorate Identifier 2005-NE-13-AD] - proposes to require replacing certain actuator yokes with improved actuator yokes. This proposed AD results from certain propeller system actuator yoke arms breaking during flight. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent actuator yoke arms breaking during flight, which could cause high propeller vibration, requiring the pilot to feather the propeller, and could contribute to reduced controllability of the airplane.
The U.S. aerospace industry has shaken off its post-9/11 downturn and is posting consistently higher sales and earnings, AIA President John Douglass said last week.
Corporate and business aircraft users of Love Field in Dallas may soon see an increase in airline flights at the airport. The airport is home to Southwest Airlines headquarters and has long seen plenty of that carrier's 737 fleet in evidence there, but now American is headed to Love as well. Because of recent changes to the Wright Amendment, which had placed restrictions on the number of airline flights at DAL, American said it plans to add 16 daily flights there while cutting 31 flights from its Dallas/Fort Worth hub.
EMBRAER Model EMB-120, -120ER, -120FC, -120QC, and -120RT airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22631; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-183-AD; Amendment 39-14394; AD 2005-25-01] - requires modifying electrical harnesses located at the left-and right-hand wing roots; and re-routing and modifying the harness of the right-hand outboard flap actuator. This AD results from fuel system reviews conducted by the manufacturer.
General Dynamics elected Deborah Lucas as a director of the corporation and appointed her to serve on the board's Audit, Benefit Plans and Investment committees. Lucas is the Donald C. Clark/Household International Distinguished Professor of Finance at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. She previously was chief economist of the Congressional Budget Office and senior staff economist of the Council of Economic Advisers.
SHORT BROTHERS Model SD3 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-23173; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-190-AD] - proposes to require installing additional fuel tank bonding jumpers, performing an in-place resistance check of the float switches, inspecting certain internal components of the fuel tanks, and performing related corrective actions if necessary.
B/E Aerospace plans to make a public offering of 13 million shares of its common stock at a price of $19 per share. The offering is being handled by Credit Suisse First Boston and UBS Investment Bank as book-running managers and Friedman Billings, Ramsey, Stephens, Inc. and SG Cowen & Co. as co-managers. B/E Aerospace said it plans to use the proceeds of the stock sale to redeem a portion of its $250 million in senior subordinated notes due 2008.
Helicopter Association International is attempting to fill two positions on its Washington staff, a director of safety and flight operations and a director of regulations. To apply or to receive more information, contact Libby Meade, Executive Vice President, Helicopter Association International, 1635 Prince St., Alexandria, Va. 22314 or e-mail to [email protected].
Sikorsky last week formally opened a new MH-92 helicopter fly-by-wire system integration lab. The lab will be used to develop, integrate and test the fly-by-wire and avionics integration systems for the MH-92, the military variant of the S-92 helicopter. Officials from the Canadian Maritime Helicopter Project, the first customer for Sikorsky's new fly-by-wire system, along with BAE Systems, which partnered with Sikorsky on the system, attended Tuesday's ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Liberty Aerospace delivered its first XL2 equipped with a Teledyne Continental Motors PowerLink full-authority digital engine control to a U.S. customer. The aircraft was handed over to Thomas Sams, a retired airline captain from South Lake, Texas.
