Permira, a private equity firm headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, won the bidding last week to acquire Jet Aviation, the worldwide aircraft maintenance, refurbishment and fixed-base operations service provider. The Hirschmann family of Switzerland, whose patriarch, the late Carl Hirschmann, started the business in 1967, opted for Permira's offer over one from The Carlyle Group of Washington, D.C. (BA, Aug. 8/55).
The assertion by user-tax opponents that FAA does not have a demonstrated, long-range funding problem is being disputed by the agency. In a fact sheet accompanying its Draft Flight Plan for 2006-2010, FAA acknowledged arguments that the agency's funding concerns will be alleviated through increased passenger ticket tax revenues and the general fund. "But unfortunately, the funding gap is very real," the agency said.
JUDE ZIMMERMAN was named interior manager for Elliott Aviation. He will lead the interior team from concept through completion and delivery. Zimmerman has 29 years of corporate aviation experience, spending 17 years as interior and cabinet shop manager at Raytheon Aircraft Services in Houston, Texas.
FRANCISCO PICORNELL was named director of market processes and solutions for Jet Aviation. He will be based in Central Florida. Picornell has 20 years of aviation industry experience, and previously was vice president of information systems and business operations support for BAE Systems Asset Management.
FOKKER Model F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20870; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-180-AD; Amendment 39-14174; AD 2005-13-37] - requires repetitive inspections for damage of the drive rod assembly of the aileron tab on each aileron actuator; repetitive measurements of the clearance between the aileron hydraulic lines and the drive rod; and related investigative and corrective actions if necessary.
Bombardier received an order from Tokyo carrier Global Wings, Inc. for a Learjet 45 XR business jet, boosting the number of recent contracts the Canadian plane-maker has received from Asian operators to four, valued at $80 million (U.S.). Global Wings will base the Learjet 45 XR in Osaka, Japan. The carrier already operates a Learjet 45 XR, which received Civil Aviation Administration of China certification in January.
Inventory Locator Service reached agreement with Forecast International to offer a series of new products that combine ILS's pricing and supply/demand data for aircraft and engine parts with Forecast International's 10-year forecasts and existing fleet data. The companies hope to provide current and future market trends to help airlines, manufacturers, suppliers and maintenance companies develop better strategies and pricing models.
Raytheon Aircraft Company teamed with Hainan Airlines of China to establish an authorized service center to service and maintain Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft. The center is based in Haikou City, China. The center will be capable of performing all maintenance on Beechcraft Premier I and Hawker 800XP aircraft.
Honeywell won a contract from Airservices Australia, the Australian air navigation service provider, to supply its Ground-based Regional Augmentation System (GRAS) to enhance the accuracy and integrity of the global positioning navigation system. GRAS uses a network of very-high-frequency radio stations that transmit radio signals to correct for inherent GPS navigation errors.
LEARJET Model 23, 24, 24A, 24B, 24B-A, 24C, 24D, 24D-A, 24E, 24F, 24F-A, 25, 25A, 25B, 25C, 25D, 25F, 28, 29, 31, 31A, 35, 35A (C-21A), and 36 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20872; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-271-AD; Amendment 39-14173; AD 2005-13-36] - requires a one-time inspection of the center ball of the aileron control cable or cables for a defective swage, and corrective actions if necessary. This AD is prompted by a report indicating that an aileron cable failed on one affected airplane when the cable underwent a tension check.
September 18-21 - Airports Council International-North America, 16th Annual Conference & Exhibition, Metro Toronto Convention Center, Toronto, Ontario (202) 293-8500, e-mail [email protected] September 19-23 - Aviation Conference and Exhibition (ACE), Connecticut Convention Center, New Haven, Conn., www.aerospace-na.com/ace2005.asp September 21-25 - Aviation Expo/China 2005, Beijing, www.beijingaviation.com
SCOTT KUECHLE was named chief financial officer of Goodrich Corp. Kuechle formerly was vice president and controller. He has served with Goodrich for 22 years in various finance and accounting roles.
PENTASTAR NAMES SEEBER CEO - Waterford, Mich.-based Pentastar Aviation promoted Thomas Seeber to president and chief executive. Seeber has been with Pentastar Aviation since September 2000, initially as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Pentastar parent company Lakeshore Capital. He was later named president and chief operating officer.
BOMBARDIER EXPANDS CAPABILITIES IN ASIA-PACIFIC - Bombardier Aerospace is hoping to strengthen its presence in the Asia-Pacific area with a new team of sale representatives and added support capabilities in the region. The company is opening new regional sales offices in Singapore and New Delhi and appointed four new sales directors. In addition, the company plans to add line maintenance facilities in India and China.
International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) and the National Business Aviation Association released a new supplement to the International Standard of Business Aviation (IS-BAO) and a generic operations manual designed to enhance safety of very light jet and other aircraft operations. The supplement provides a set of best practices for flight departments that operate VLJs. The practices cover safety management systems, flight operations procedures and training.
Philip J. Klass, 85, an electrical engineer by training who spent most of his career writing articles about avionics, died Aug. 9 in Merritt Island, Fla. Klass was born in Des Moines, Iowa, grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and graduated from Iowa State University in Ames in 1941 with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. Following graduation, he joined General Electric in Schenectady, N.Y. as an engineer. After 11 years in industry, Klass joined Aviation Week & Space Technology as a technical journalist.
Wencor, the Springville, Utah-based producer of portable in-flight entertainment (IFE) systems, terminated its letter of intent to buy IMS, citing "irreconcilable differences on several key issues" between the two companies. Wencor said the decision was mutual and that they would cease discussions and continue in their roles independently in the IFE marketplace. Wencor announced plans last month to acquire IMS (BA, July 25/39).
Airwolf Filter Corp. earned FAA certification for its 400 series wet vacuum pump for piston aircraft fitted with de-icing boots. The new 400, a follow-on to the 200 series, drives the vacuum system that activates an airplane's deicing boots. The 400 and 200 series are the only certified new wet pumps available on the market and certified for piston aircraft. The 400 series is in production and will be ready for shipment beginning next month.
American Legend Aircraft Company was granted FAA approval for its two-place, single-engine Legend Cub aircraft. FAA issued a Special Light-Sport Aircraft (S-LSA) certification for the Legend Cub, signifying that the aircraft meets the requirements under the Light-Sport Rule released a year ago. The Legend Cub is powered by a 100-horsepower Teledyne Continental O-200 engine. The aircraft has an empty weight of 850 pounds and has optional floats for water takeoffs and landings.
WILLIAM TANIS was named director of charter sales for Raytheon Aircraft Charter & Management (RACM). Tanis has more than 20 years of aircraft management, charter sales and business development experience. He most recently was president/owner of an aviation consultancy, IdealAir, Inc. Before that, he was general manager of sales and marketing at Million Air in Teterboro, N.J.
HARTZELL, MCCAULEY and SENSENICH propellers [Docket No. 2003-NE-53-AD; Amendment 39-14188; AD 2005-14-11] - requires maintenance actions amounting to an overhaul of the affected propellers. This AD results from the investigation of a failed propeller blade and subsequent inspections of various propeller models returned to service by Southern California Propeller Service, of Inglewood, Calif. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent blade failure that could result in separation of a propeller blade and loss of control of the airplane.
