AgustaWestland is planning a final assembly line for its new twin light-intermediate category AW169 helicopter at its Philadelphia facility. Assembly of the helicopter in Philadelphia will begin in May 2014, with first customer delivery in early 2015. AgustaWestland expects to ramp up Philadelphia production to 20 helicopters per year by 2017. The new line will be scalable based on demand. AgustaWestland’s facilities in Vergiate, Italy and Yeovil, U.K. will also be involved in AW169 production.
Cessna Aircraft has flown the first production model of the new Citation Sovereign, beginning the production flight-test program about six months after unveiling the upgraded aircraft. Cessna introduced the new Sovereign during the National Business Aviation Association’s annual meeting and convention in Orlando, Fla., in October, but the program had long since been under way.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model EC120B and EC130B4 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2013-0341; Directorate Identifier 2012-SW-025-AD] – proposes to require, for affected helicopters with certain emergency flotation gear installed, inspecting the float for chafing of the fabric covering and adding protectors to the float installation to prevent contact between the float and the protruding sections of the installation. This proposed AD is prompted by a report of a float that would not inflate during overhaul because one of the float compartments was punctured due to chafing.
CAV Ice Protection has named AirNet Systems an authorized installer of the CAV TKS aircraft ice protection system. The authorization covers AirNet’s headquarters facility at Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus, Ohio, along with facilities in St. Louis and Tampa, Fla. Installation work has begun at the 53,000-sq.-ft. Rickenbacker facility. The appointment is part of a strategy to make TKS installation more accessible to customers, says Ken Weaver, CAV Ice Protection vice president – sales and marketing.
Embraer’s results slid in the first quarter thanks to sagging commercial sales, but an improved mix of business jet sales helped buffer the results and an improving backlog positions the company to gain strength throughout the year.
Jet Aviation completed a refurbishment of its fixed-base operation (FBO) in Geneva. The company plans to hold an opening celebration of the updated facility during the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition (EBACE). The project nearly doubled the facility’s size to 648 sq. meters and includes a new Jet Aviation brand design that is being incorporated throughout Jet Aviation’s FBO and maintenance, repair and overhaul network.
DASSAULT Model Falcon 7X airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2013-0306; Directorate Identifier 2013-NM-049-AD; Amendment 39-17417; AD 2013-07-13] – requires revising the aircraft flight manual (AFM); performing operational tests of the oxygen mask oxygen assembly; and replacing affected stowage boxes, which terminates the AFM revision and operational tests. This AD was prompted by failure of the flight crew oxygen supply due to a potentially defective flight crew mask oxygen assembly.
SUSAN ASELAGE was promoted to president for Sabreliner. Aselage also serves as vice chairman and vice president, secretary and assistant treasurer. She was the second employee to join Sabreliner when it was established in 1983. She most recently had managed the corporation’s risk insurance program and maintenance of all corporate records. Her duties have expanded to include supporting current customers and generating new business, while overseeing operational efficiencies and improvements.
SHARI JONES was named senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Xojet. Jones will be responsible for developing integrated brand strategies for the San Francisco-based operator. Jones has more than 15 years of corporate brand management and marketing experience, most recently holding a consumer marketing position at Levi Strauss & Co. She has also served as a consultant with Bain Co., where she worked with clients in the consumer products, health care and private equity sectors.
The Santa Monica Airport in California is more than doubling its aircraft landing fees of $2.07 certified maximum gross landing weight per 1,000 lb. to $5.48 beginning Aug. 1. The Santa Monica City Council approved the change last week in an effort to cover what city officials have said has been a continuing shortfall that’s been ongoing for years. The fees will be applied both to transient and based aircraft.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2013-0216; Directorate Identifier 2012-NM-206-AD] – proposes to require revising the maintenance program by incorporating new airworthiness limitation tasks. This proposed AD was prompted by a determination that certain flap actuators require restoration by installing a redesigned flap actuator inboard pinion seal. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent flap system failure, and consequent reduced landing performance of the airplane.
California lawmakers are pushing Congress to adopt legislation that would mandate helicopter operating restrictions over Los Angeles, but FAA Administrator Michael Huerta is backing voluntary measures that he says would provide relief much more quickly.
DAVID WELCH was promoted to manager of FlightSafety International’s facility in Lafayette, La. Welch has served with FlightSafety since 1995 as a senior analyst and program manager. He moved to the West Palm Beach, Fla., center in 2005 to serve as an instructional technologist and Sikorsky S-70 instructor and was promoted to his most recent position as director training at the Lafayette center in 2008.
FAA is soliciting input in an effort to update and streamline airman training and certification standards. The effort is one of a number of initiatives under way to help find ways to reduce the fatal general aviation accident rate. The agency in 2011 charged an Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to evaluate possible changes that could be made to testing and training materials to help improve the accident rate.
DIAMOND Models DA 42, DA 42 M-NG, and DA 42NG airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-1148; Directorate Identifier 2012-CE-039-AD; Amendment 39-17405; AD 2013-07-01] – requires modification of certain affect main landing gear (MLG) shock absorbers and prohibits installation of unmodified shock absorbers. This AD stems from mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the European Aviation Safety Authority, which cites reports of incident in which a DA 42 experienced MLG extension problems during approach that stemmed from overextension of the MLG shock absorber.
The U.S. House of Representatives April 26 moved to avert the FAA’s air traffic controller furloughs and closure of 149 contract towers with the passage of a bill to permit the agency to shift funds within its budget. Passage followed similar action in the U.S. Senate late April 25. The White House has indicated that President Barack Obama will sign it.
GIL SCHNABEL was appointed regional director, regulatory affairs for FlightSafety International. Schnabel will monitor and direct compliance efforts and participate in the design, development and updating of regulatory compliance standards for FlightSafety’s training programs, courseware, standards policies, and ISO 9000 guidelines, as well as the implementation and maintenance of the company’s quality management and safety management systems and processes.
Bombardier and Gulfstream are among the few manufacturers that have succeeded in overcoming mainland Chinese customers’ strong disinclination to buy secondhand business aircraft. But that success is rare and involves like-new aircraft. A few users — not many — have been willing to buy a used Bombardier aircraft from the manufacturer itself with a manufacturer’s warranty, says Bob Horner, senior vice president for sales. Gulfstream, too, has sold two used aircraft to Chinese buyers, says Roger Sperry, senior vice president for international sales.
The Transportation Security Administration is continuing to look at means to improve access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) while still providing the same level of security, Kerwin Wilson, manager of TSA’s General Aviation Branch, said during last week’s National Air Transportation Association’s 2013 Aviation Business and Legislation Conference.
Flight Options is expanding its Jet Membership Club program to include access to the Nextant 400XT business jet as the fractional ownership provider finds that the year-old program is drawing back customers who have remained on the sidelines since the economic downturn. Flight Options a year ago unveiled the Jet Membership Club as a hybrid between fractional, in which the customer owns a portion of the plane, and jet cards, in which a customer buys a block of hours.
Executive AirShare is continuing its rapid expansion coming off its third consecutive year of double-digit growth in 2012. The regional fractional ownership program called 2012 its most successful year yet, increasing its shareowners to more than 140 and adding 36 more members in equity charter, lease and management programs, including Launch, Launch Premium and EMBark 32. The company has gone from 75 shareowners in 2009 to more than 130 by last fall. The company introduced the Launch and Launch Premium programs late last year.
April 29-30—Aircraft Electronics Association Regional Meeting, Munich, Germany, www.aea.net/events.asp April 30–May 2—National Business Aviation Association 2013 Maintenance Management Conference, Ft. Worth, Texas, (703) 783-9000,www.nbaa.org May 3—National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Taxes Seminar, Washington, D.C., (703) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org May 21–23—13th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2013), Geneva, Switzerland, (703) 783-9000, www.ebace.aero
EUROCOPTER FRANCE EC130B4 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0630; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-010-AD; Amendment 39-17409; AD 2013-07-05] – requires visually checking the center windscreen panel for a crack and replacing the center windscreen if there is a crack, if the windscreen distorts during flight, or within 12 months. This AD was prompted by inflight cracking and failure of a center windscreen.
Deer Jet has begun offering China’s first fractional ownership service, partly responding to requests from business aircraft users who have found they were getting little use out of their aircraft. In its first stage, the company is offering shared ownership of Gulfstream G450s, G550s and Dassault 7Xs, beginning with one of each type, says Wu Wending, deputy general manager of Deer Jet’s aircraft asset management department. For the second stage, the offerings will be Bombardier Global 6000s and 5000s, Challenger 605s and Gulfstream G280s.
AMPARO CALATAYUD was named manager of FlightSafety International’s training center in West Palm Beach, Fla. Calatayud joined FlightSafety in 1997 as an instructor at the San Antonio facility, and was promoted to assistant manager in 1998 and then manager in 1999. Most recently she has been manager of the FlightSafety facility in Lafayette, La.
