FAA, pledging to reduce air traffic control outage-contingency response times from “days to hours,” created a three-phase plan that includes making better use of current options and leveraging NextGen capabilities for more rapid reactions.
LONDON – Helicopter operator Bristow Group confirmed it purchased two AgustaWestland AW139s as part of a contingency plan against delays in certification of the search-and-rescue capable AW189. The two aircraft were built by AgustaWestland in Italy as concerns grow about the availability of the new, intermediate heavy AW189 to service Bristow’s so-called Long SAR contract with the U.K. Department of Transport.
Global business aviation flight hours are inching up on the strength of an uptick in the Middle East, South America and Europe, according to hourly cost maintenance provider JSSI. JSSI’s Business Aviation Index tracks business aircraft flight hours by region, industry and aircraft. In the third quarter, global flight hours edged up 2%, and through the first three quarters business aviation activity is up 2.2%.
Stevens Aviation is joining with LoPresti Aviation to offer high-intensity discharge (HID) landing lights to Stevens customers who operate King Airs, Beechjets, Learjets, Citations, Gulfstreams and other aircraft. The HID “BoomBeam” provides 500% more light and has a five-year, 5,000-hr. warranty. The lighting systems are engineered specifically for each aircraft type and carry a Supplemental Type Certificate and Part Manufacturing Approval.
Paradise USA, a Brazil-based light-sport aircraft manufacturer, is leasing a 5,000-sq.-ft. hangar at Florida’s Sebring Regional Airport (SRA) in order to manufacture and distribute its new P1-NG aircraft. The P1-NG is the follow-on to Paradise’s P1, with an added cargo door as well as modifications to improve speed and create more space. The aircraft incorporates a NASA-designed wing for enhanced stability.
Fixed-base operator Winner Aviation is expanding its offerings by joining the Avfuel Corp. dealer network. As a result, Avfuel-branded programs—including Avtrip rewards and jet fuel-savings program Avfuel Contract Fuel—will be made available at Winner’s Ohio base at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. Winner this is incorporating Avfuel’s training and systems. To celebrate the partnership, Winner Aviation will offer triple Avtrip points on qualifying services through year-end.
Argus added Transplant Transportation Services, Inc. to its initial list of certified brokers. Argus’ certified charter broker program rolled out earlier this year, The broker completed the evaluation process to win certification. Argus awarded its first rating in October to Apollo Jets, followed by Stratos Jets in November. Transplant Transportation Services is the first medical program to achieve the rating. Based in Petaluma, California, the broker specializes in transportation for organ transplant teams.
Stevens Aviation is joining with LoPresti Aviation to offer high-intensity discharge (HID) landing lights to Stevens customers who operate King Airs, Beechjets, Learjets, Citations, Gulfstreams and other aircraft. The HID “BoomBeam” provides 500% more light and has a five-year, 5,000-hr. warranty. The lighting systems are engineered specifically for each aircraft type and carry a Supplemental Type Certificate and Part Manufacturing Approval.
Paradise USA, a Brazil-based light-sport aircraft manufacturer, is leasing a 5,000-sq.-ft. hangar at Florida’s Sebring Regional Airport (SRA) in order to manufacture and distribute its new P1-NG aircraft. The P1-NG is the follow-on to Paradise’s P1, with an added cargo door as well as modifications to improve speed and create more space. The aircraft incorporates a NASA-designed wing for enhanced stability.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) may not restrict Stage 3 aircraft from departing to the east, or over the city, during overnight hours, FAA ruled. The vast majority of LAX departures take off the ocean, but occasionally pilots of heavy aircraft—mostly bound for Asia—ask instead to depart to the east. Nearby residents have complained, and Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) sought FAA’s permission in 2013 to ban over-city departures between midnight and 6:30 a.m.
NORAH LENARDIC was named vice president of management sales and client services for Executive Jet Management. Based in Chicago, Lenardic will oversee the Midwest territory. She brings 25 years of Part 91 and 135 experience to her new role, including helping launch and manage corporate shuttles, working with patient transfer and organ procurement programs, facilitating aircraft acquisition, obtaining commuter authority and managing operations.
BRIAN GOODSITE was promoted to manager of FlightSafety International’s Cessna aircraft maintenance training center in Wichita, Kansas. Goodsite joined FlightSafety in 2005 as an instructor and later became supervisor of maintenance training. He most recently was regional director of regulatory affairs for maintenance training, managing the regulatory approval process for the company’ training programs and overseeing quality and compliance.
AGUSTAWESTLAND Model AB139 and AW139 [Docket No. FAA-2014-0971; Directorate Identifier 2014-SW-055-AD; Amendment 39-18035; AD 2014-24-02] – supersedes AD 2014-07-51 for Model AB139 and AW139 helicopters with certain main rotor (M/R) rotating scissors installed. AD 2014-07-51 required repetitively inspecting the M/R rotating scissors for play of the lower half scissor spherical bearing and removing the bearing if there was play beyond allowable limits. AD 2014-07-51 also required removing all affected bearings.
PATTI SULLIVAN was named vice president of management sales and client services for Executive Jet Management. Sullivan will be based in Boston and focus on the Northeast states. She has more than 20 years of corporate aviation finance experience, beginning with Key Bank’s aircraft finance group. She also has served as an aviation finance specialist at Textron Financial Corporation, DaimlerChrysler Capital and Aviation Resource Group International.
DAVE RICHTER was appointed vice president of management sales and client services for Executive Jet Management, Richter is joining EJM from a large aircraft brokerage firm, where he managed aircraft sales and acquisitions in the Northeast. He previously worked for the CitationAir division of Cessna Aircraft and has served with Smith Barney and Magnum Portfolio Management.
Upcoming Events Dec. 4-5—2014 ACI-NA International Aviation Issues Seminar, Washington, D.C., http://aci-na.org/event/3222 Dec. 8-10—MEBA, Dubai World Central, Dubai, UAE, www.meba.aero Dec. 9—Positioning The U.S. Airline Industry For Success, Washington Hilton, Washington, D.C., http://thefutureofaviation.alpa.org
DAVE RICHTER was appointed vice president of management sales and client services for Executive Jet Management, Richter is joining EJM from a large aircraft brokerage firm, where he managed aircraft sales and acquisitions in the Northeast. He previously worked for the CitationAir division of Cessna Aircraft and has served with Smith Barney and Magnum Portfolio Management.
ExcelAire added another Gulfstream to its growing charter fleet, this one being a GIV-SP that can seat 18 passengers. Based at Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) in New York, ExcelAire operates a range of light, medium, supermid and heavy jets. It is the anchor charter and management company for Hawthorne Global Aviation Services, which is a growing chain of fixed-base operations.
Congressional leaders are negotiating over bonus depreciation and research and development tax breaks, but are running into resistance from the White House.
