Former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt is expected to continue an aviation consulting career following the May 10 dismissal of drunk driving charges that led to his resignation from the agency in December. A district court judge in Virginia dismissed the charges, ruling that the police had stopped him without sufficient reason.
Bombardier Aerospace is ramping up deliveries of its Global aircraft now that transition to the Vision flight deck is nearly complete, but the slowdown in the quarter, combined with continued sluggishness in the commercial sector, led to a $700 million drop in first-quarter revenues.
STACEY BECHDOLT has joined the Regional Airline Association as director-safety and technical affairs. Bechdolt most recently served as manager-training compliance and AQP coordinator for Comair. In addition to her background in the airline industry, she is an aviation attorney specializing in aviation regulation, operations and safety.
NetJets and FlightSafety International helped bolster revenues of Berkshire Hathaway’s services businesses in the first quarter, Berkshire Hathaway says. Both NetJets and FlightSafety posted higher revenues and NetJets earnings improved in the first quarter, Berkshire Hathaway says. NetJets earnings were hampered a year ago by fees the fractional ownership provider incurred by canceled aircraft purchases, along with lower foreign currency exchange losses, Berkshire Hathaway says.
The Experimental Aircraft Association is stressing that it did not decide to cancel the AirVenture Cup race, but that decision was made by the organizers of the annual event. Organizers late last week opted to scrap the race this year, but the reasons were unclear. The race is organized by a group of EAA volunteers, and EAA has provided volunteer benefits and exhibit space. Air racing has come under public scrutiny since last year’s crash at the Reno Air Races.
THOMAS REDDER has joined Spectrum Aeromed as account representative in the company’s office in Germany. Redder will be responsible for international sales, serving customers in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Redder began his aviation career at Hapag Lloyd as a Boeing 737 co-pilot. He most recently was with Beechcraft Vertrieb under Service GmbH and has held roles of head of airworthiness, head of avionics, assistant technical manager and technical manager.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2012-0422; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-177-AD] – proposes to require replacing the affected pushrod assembly. This proposed AD was prompted by reports that various pushrods had been manufactured with tubes having the incorrect heat treatment. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent loss of rudder control, reduced directional control of the airplane on the ground, or a jammed nose landing gear (NLG) door that could prevent the NLG from retracting or extending. FAA estimates the AD will affect 171 aircraft on the U.S.
JOSEPH WEISS was selected to become president and CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). He succeeds Itzhak Nissan, who is retiring. Weiss has spent the past six years as corporate vice president and general manager of IAI’s Systems, Missiles & Space Group. He also has led the marketing of IAI system-of-systems in Israel and internationally. Before joining IAI, Weiss served in the Israel Navy for 27 years.
ROBERT (BOB) RUDZIK has joined Stevens Aviation as a technical sales consultant. Rudzik will represent both of the company’s Greenville, S.C. facilities. A Marine Corps veteran, he has more than 35 years of aviation experience with a background in avionics, maintenance sales and customer support. He has worked with companies, including Beech, Soltis, Signature, Landmark and Horizon.
Dassault has received approval from the FAA for steep approaches on all Falcon 900 EASy and Falcon 2000 EASy series models. Both model series had already received steep approach certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). With the most recent approvals, the entire current production Falcon fleet is now certified for steep approaches, which permits aircraft to operate at restricted airports with approach angles of up to 6 deg.
SAAB Model 2000 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2011-1410; Directorate Identifier 2011-NM-033-AD; Amendment 39-17038; AD 2012-09-03] – requires replacing certain hydraulic accumulators with stainless steel hydraulic accumulators, and structural modifications in the nose landing gear bay. This AD was prompted by reports of hydraulic accumulator failure. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent failure of hydraulic accumulators, which may result in damage to the airplane and injury to occupants. FAA estimates the AD will affect eight aircraft on the U.S.
General aviation market doldrums have continued into 2012 as billings dropped 8% and aircraft shipments dipped 2.1% in the first quarter, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) reported last week.
Hawker Beechcraft (HBC) and the Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC)/Embraer team competing once again for a contract to supply light-attack aircraft to Afghanistan may both have reasons for concern with the U.S. Air Force’s revised request for proposals. An amended RFP for the Light Air Support (LAS) program was issued on May 4 after the Air Force decided to restage the competition following its decision to terminate the $355 million contract awarded to SNC in December to supply 20 Embraer AT-29 Super Tucanos.
Rockwell Collins has begun modifying a Hawker Beechcraft King Air 250 for flight testing of the touchscreen embedded display system (EDS) versions of its Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics. The aircraft will fly later this year and supplemental type certification of the EDS as a display upgrade to Pro Line 21-equipped King Airs is scheduled for 2013. The system also has been selected as original equipment by an aircraft manufacturer in the turboprop/light jet segment.
BRUCE WHITMAN , president and CEO of FlightSafety International, was elected to the board of directors of the Corporate Angel Network. Whitman, who has served with FlightSafety since 1961, has more than 50 years of aviation industry experience. He was appointed to his current position in 2003.
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA PT6A-38, -41, -42, -42A, -61, -64, -66, -66B, -110, -112, -114, -114A, -121, -135, and -135A series turboprop engines [Docket No. FAA-2012-0417; Directorate Identifier 2012-NE-11-AD; Amendment 39-17045; AD 2012-09-10] – requires removal from service of certain part manufacturer approval replacement Timken Alcor Aerospace Technologies Inc. (TAATI) first-stage sun gears and planet gears installed in the reduction gearbox. This AD was prompted by failures of certain first-stage sun gears manufactured by TAATI.
May 14—16 12th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE2012), Geneva, Switzerland, www.ebace.aero May 14—24th Annual Greater Washington Aviation Open, Lansdowne Golf Resort near Leesburg, Va., email [email protected], www.gwao.org June 7—National Business Aviation Association Business Aviation Regional Forum, Teterboro Airport (TEB), Teterboro, N.J., (202) 783-9000, www.nbaa.org
AgustaWestland has logged the first flight of the 4.5-metric-ton, light intermediate AW169 helicopter that it hopes to start delivering to customers in 2015. The first of four flight-test aircraft flew on May 10 at the company’s Cascina Costa plant in Italy. The AW169 was flown by AgustaWestland’s Chief Test Pilot, Giuseppe Lo Coco, Test Pilot Giuseppe Afruni, and Flight Test Engineers Massimo Longo and Stefano Rognoni. Two more prototypes are to fly this year, with a fourth next year in 2013. AgustaWestland aims for civil certification in 2014.
Hawker Beechcraft has secured initial court approval that the company says will enable it to continue its ordinary business while the company moves forward with its prearranged Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. The court approval enables the Wichita airframer to pay employees, vendors and suppliers. The company is using $400 million in debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing to meet its obligations.
The Senate could begin consideration this week of a bill pushed by general aviation manufacturers to authorize funding for the Export-Import Bank for three more years. The bill, which cleared the House last week, also would raise the Ex-Im Bank’s lending cap to $140 billion by 2014. The bill, a compromise negotiated by House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), was hailed as a reasonable compromise by both sides of a long-running dispute over the bank. The bank’s charter is set to expire on May 31.
Max-Viz recently shipped its 250th forward-looking infrared Enhanced Vision System (EVS) for helicopters. The system helps provide improved vision at night, in bad weather and through smoke, smog and haze. The system is in service on helicopters used for emergency medical, military, Coast Guard and fire-attack purposes. Max-Viz increased shipments for helicopters by 35% in 2011 and expects as much as 50% growth this year.
A year after placing general aviation safety on its “Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvements,” the National Transportation Safety Board is planning to take a more in-depth look at the causes surrounding a higher number of accidents during a two-day forum. Scheduled for June 19-20 in Washington, the forum will delve into a range of safety issues, from pilot training, performance and access to weather information, aircraft design and certification. Light-sport and experimental aircraft will also likely be covered as part of the forum.
Europe’s business jet fleet total is down and likely to remain diminished for possibly another year due to slow new aircraft sales and used bizjets sold out of Europe to buyers on other continents, aviation consultant Brian Foley says. During the past 12 months, 50 European business jets – about 2% of the total fleet – were sold to buyers on other continents. Outside Europe, the fleets have grown an overall 3%, Foley says. A vast majority, 79%, went to buyers in North America, mostly in the U.S. and Canada. Africa customers took the next highest total, 7%.
