PHILIP ANSON has taken the role of CEO of STS Aviation Group in Jensen Beach, Fla. Anson, who has been with STS since 1997, previously was president, where he helped develop the company from a mechanic staffing specialist to a diversity aerospace support firm. In his new role, he will identify new prospects for acquisitions, steer overall growth and be responsible for the vision of the company.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) has established the metric that will be used to measure emissions for the first global aviation carbon-dioxide standard. Developed by the International Coordinating Council of Aerospace Industries Associations, along with ICAO member states, intergovernmental agencies and nongovernmental organizations, the metric will be based on fuel used per unit distance at three different cruise conditions. It will allow for varying aircraft sizes.
The Aviation Security Advisory Committee’s General Aviation Working Group later this year is expected to release updated guidelines for general aviation airports. TSA worked with the committee in 2003 and 2004 to issue the original guidelines. The effort is one of “several important actions” that TSA and the general aviation industry have taken to improve general aviation security, the Government Accountability Office says in a new report.
JEFF TABERNER has joined Latitude Technologies as senior account manager for the U.S. market. He formerly was director of sales for the Honeywell Technologies Sky connect brand. He has 12 years of aviation sales and services experience, working with offshore air fleet operators, law enforcement agencies and emergency medical transport operators. He also has served with EDMO Distributors.
TOM COVELLA was promoted to group president of STS Aviation Group’s Component Solutions unit. Covella has steered the division’s revenue, product lines, customer base, staff and inventory offerings.
EMBRAER Model EMB-505 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0441; Directorate Identifier 2012-CE-011-AD; Amendment 39-17106; AD 2012-13-04] – requires visually inspecting the control surfaces (rudder, elevator, and aileron) and their tab surfaces for the existence of required drain holes and modifying the control surfaces by drilling drain holes.
AGUSTA Model A119 and AW119 MKII helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0695; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-031-AD] – proposes to supersede an existing AD that requires inspecting the pilot and co-pilot engine rotary variable differential transformer (RVDT) control box assemblies to determine if the control gear locking pin is in its proper position. Since FAA issued that AD, Agusta has developed a terminating action for this inspection.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is planning to issue a notice “shortly” that explores potential options for strengthening regulations and/or standards surrounding the use of emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) on general aviation aircraft, an FCC official told the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) last week. The safety board held a two-day forum on general aviation search and rescue that members hope will highlight the agency’s decades-long concerns about the adequacy of current search and rescue policies.
July 23-29—Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture, Oshkosh, Wis., www.airventure.org Aug. 13-16—Airports Council International-North America, 2012 Public Safety & Security Fall Conference, Arlington, Va., www.aci-na.org/event/1753 Aug. 16—4th Annual BALA Summit, Business Aviation in Latin America, LABACE, Sao Paulo, Brazil, www.aeropodium.com/cp/bala.html Aug. 18-22—54th NEC/AAAE Annual Conference, Providence, Rhode Island, www.necconference.org
DASSAULT Falcon 7X airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0265; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-216-AD; Amendment 39-17098; AD 2012-12-18] – supersedes an AD that currently requires revising the Abnormal Procedures and Limitations sections of the Dassault Falcon 7X Airplane Flight Manual. This new AD requires a test of the power distribution control units (PDCU) cards and generator control units (GCU) cards to detect faulty components, and if any faulty components are found, replacing any affected PDCU or GCU card.
Now that the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has secured the tactical and strategic airlift that it wanted, the service airlift group’s next procurement is for VIP air transportation.
An FAA sequencing system and resource issues are delaying certification projects by up to 18 months, General Aviation Manufacturers Association President and CEO Pete Bunce tells lawmakers. Testifying before the Senate aviation subcommittee last week, Bunce says FAA’s certification processes “have led to missed business opportunities that restrict industry growth.” He adds the problem will become more acute as the need for certification of NextGen technologies increase.
Cessna Aircraft has established a mobile service unit (MSU) at Atlantic Aviation in Birmingham, Ala. Cessna’s MSU network provides on-site technical expertise and support for Cessna Citations. MSUs include specially outfitted trucks that carry a number of tools and equipment found in Cessna Citation Service Centers and can perform a range of work, including engine exchanges. The Birmingham MSU increases the number of Cessna MSUs in the U.S. to 18. In all, Cessna has 22 MSUs, including units in Canada and Europe.
SAAB Model 340A and 340B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0672; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-261-AD] – proposes to require replacing the stall warning computer (SWC) with a new SWC, and modifying the airplane for the replacement of the SWC. This proposed AD was prompted by reports of stall events during icing conditions which were not accompanied with a prior stall warning. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent natural stall events when operating in icing conditions, which if not corrected may result in loss of control of the airplane.
BILL NUGENT was promoted to vice president, government contracts and training for FlightSafety International. Nugent will be responsible for the training that FlightSafety provides to government and military organizations for business aircraft. He joined FlightSafety in 1983 in marketing, was promoted to director, marketing administration in 1986 and director, government contracts and training in 1994. Most recently, he was executive director, government contracts and training.
Citing increased sales of Cessna Citations and Bell commercial helicopters, Textron on July 19 reported second-quarter revenue of $3 billion and a $288 million manufacturing profit, increases of 10.7% and $59 million, respectively, over the same period in 2011. “The payoff from investing in new products and services is reflected in our double-digit revenue growth,” said Textron Chairman and CEO Scott Donnelly, “and our focus on operational execution is driving solid results.”
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA PW118, PW118A, PW118B, PW119B, PW119C, PW120, PW120A, PW121, PW121A, PW123, PW123B, PW123C, PW123D, PW123E, PW123AF, PW124B, PW125B, PW126A, PW127, PW127E, PW127F, PW127G, and PW127M turboprop engines[Docket No. FAA-2012-0416; Directorate Identifier 2012-NE-13-AD; Amendment 39-17078; AD 2012-11-14] – requires initial and repetitive inspections of certain serial numbers (S/Ns) of propeller shafts for cracks and removal from service if found cracked.
FAA is proposing to permit Part 121 or 135 carriers that also operate an air tour business to combine their drug and alcohol testing programs into a single program. Carriers that run air tour operations are currently required to conduct separate programs for each side of their business as if they were separate companies, FAA says, adding this results in “an unnecessary duplication.” FAA already has granted 50 petitions from companies seeking an exemption from the requirement for separate programs.
LISA COOPER was appointed regional sales manager for BBA Aviation Engine Repair and Overhaul (ERO). Cooper will be responsible for company sales in the U.K., Spain, Ireland and Portugal. She has spent 20 years with H+S Aviation Ltd, a BBA Aviation ERO company.
Hawker Beechcraft is beginning exclusive negotiations to sell most of the company to Superior Aviation Beijing after receiving approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on July 17. HBC on July 10 formally sought court clearance to begin the negotiations after receiving a $1.79 billion proposal from the Chinese firm for all but the defense business.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. has enrolled more than 140 aircraft in its Flight Operations Risk Management Service (FORMS) program, a flight operations quality assurance/flight data program that has been modeled after airline programs. FORMS compares data collected from a quick access recorder with parameters for takeoff, climb, descent, approach and landing. It provides operators access to operation data that can identify potential hazards and is used to improve training. The data also can be used to analyze airport-specific approach procedures that can challenge pilots.
EUROCOPTER DEUTSCHLAND Model MBB-BK 117 C-2 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2012-0659; Directorate Identifier 2011-SW-061-AD; Amendment 39-17101; AD 2012-12-21] – supersedes an existing AD that requires revising the “Emergency and Malfunction Procedures’’ and “Performance Data’’ sections of the Rotorcraft Flight Manual (RFM) by inserting three temporary pages into the RFM to alert pilots to monitor the power display when a generator is deactivated and provides procedures to prevent failure of the remaining generator.
Flexjet, the fractional ownership arm of Bombardier, placed orders for three Learjet 70 aircraft for delivery in 2013. The operator announced plans to add Bombardier’s newest Learjets – the 70 and 75 – to its portfolio shortly after the Canadian manufacturer unveiled them during the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition. But at the time, Flexjet did not have details of its initial plans to fold the new jets, the successor to the Learjet 40XR and 45XR, into its fleet. Flexjet says it is purchasing at least three of the 70 model for 2013.
Constant Aviation opened a new landing gear repair and overhaul facility at its Birmingham, Ala. location. The facility initially will service Beechjet 400A/XP landing gear, but add Embraer Legacy 600 and the Hawker 800A/XP landing gear in the coming months. The company invested more than $500,000 in tooling, equipment and inventory for the Birmingham services. The new facility is part of Constant’s strategy this year to expand its accessory offerings on the Beechjet, Legacy and Hawker airframes. The company also recently added a 25,000-sq.-ft.
