Dec. 15—The Wings Club Luncheon, featuring Gary Kelly, Chairman, President & CEO of Southwest Airlines, The Yale Club, New York, (212) 867-1770, [email protected] Dec. 15—Future of Aviation Advisory Committee Meetings, Washington, D.C., http://www.dot.gov/faac Jan. 20-21, 2011—European Business Aviation Association Regional Forum “One Europe: A Roadmap for Aligning East and West,” Hilton Vienna, www.ebaa.org Feb. 7-8, 2011—National Air Transportation Association FBO Leadership Conference, Savannah, Ga., (703) 845-9000, www.nata.aero
Last week’s fourth annual Middle East Business Aviation (MEBA) show was likely to be the biggest ever. According to show organizers, 338 companies signed on as exhibitors – a 40% increase over the previous gathering – and hailed from 33 countries. Additionally, 55 aircraft – including for the first time an Embraer Lineage 1000 – were on view in the static display. The three-day event drew some 7,000 visitors from more than 70 countries. Some 2,500 VIPs received personal invitations to attend and more than 300 accepted before the opening date.
Dassault’s Falcon 2000LX was recently granted approval to operate out of London City Airport. The approval means European-registered 2000LXs can fly from London City. Dassault is developing a program to gain FAA steep-approach certification, which will allow U.S.-registered aircraft to operate at London City. To obtain approval to use London City’s short runway (4,327 ft. on landing and 3,934 ft. on takeoff), the aircraft must demonstrate certain performance capabilities.
Financial analyst JPMorgan paints a mixed picture for business aviation’s fledgling recovery in its December edition of Business Jet Monthly report. During November, inventories of used business aircraft decreased for the first time in three months, to 11.7% of the active fleet. But demand for airplanes remains weak, and average asking prices continue to slide, says JPMorgan. Another sign of the tepid market is that growth in business flight operations moderated in October, and the fractional fleet continued to shrink that month, albeit by only two aircraft.
Of the roughly 550 business jets based in Middle Eastern countries, nearly 90% are considered medium- or large-size jets, says Brian Foley of Brian Foley Associates. “This fleet perspective is significant, because the worldwide average is closer to 60%,” he says. “And it is a measure of utility, not just luxury and prestige. All these Gulfstreams, Falcons and Globals (along with the occasional Boeing and Airbus models) fill a need for range and comfort reaching far beyond the Middle East that smaller jets can’t match.”
FAA is extending the comment period on a proposed policy to clarify the term “actively engaged” for the purposes of inspection authorization (IA) applicants. FAA requires IA applicants to have been “actively engaged” in maintaining aircraft for at least two years before they apply for the authorization. On Nov. 5, FAA proposed the clarification, citing “widespread confusion and inconsistent interpretation” of the term by agency inspectors.
Delays in the Boeing 747-8 program “are quite disconcerting, to say the least,” says Peter Edwards, president of Jet Aviation. The company has won the contract to complete the first VIP 747-8 and is bidding to do more. “Delays cause us to rejuggle completion slots and capacity, and may involve some resequencing. They do have quite a knock-on effect,” he says. “At that point, there will be people we have to say ‘no’ to, and some of them will be very difficult to say ‘no’ to.” See related article on Page 9.
The Chicago Department of Aviation is seeking a Projects Administrator - Noise to manage noise mitigation projects for the Chicago Airport System. The City of Chicago is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. For full details and to apply go to: https://chicago.taleo.net/careersection/100/job-search.ftl?lang=en Click here to view the pdf
Qatar-based Rizon Jet will become an operator of an Airbus Corporate Jetliner, which it will manage on behalf of a new customer from the Gulf region. The aircraft, which will be completed using the designs of London-based Andrew Winch Design, will be delivered in 2011 and handed over to the customer in 2012.
Rizon Jet has opened its new hangar at London Biggin Hill Airport. The Rizon facility has received approval to provide maintenance on the Citation 560 series; Hawker 780, 800, 800XP, 850XP, 900XP and 1000; plus the Bombardier Challenger 600 series. Rizon says it is in talks with several original equipment manufacturers to offer support on a number of other aircraft types. The company also plans to open a two-level fixed-base operation in April, just ahead of the European Business Aviation Convention & Exposition in Geneva in May.
MICHAEL FRAZIER has joined Dallas Airmotive as regional engine manager, selling engine services for Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A, JT15D, PW500 and PW306C engines. He will cover the Northeast U.S. from Pennsylvania through Maine. He spent nearly 20 years working for Pratt & Whitney Canada Engine Services, starting as an assembly and test inspection supervisor, then customer service manager, technical sales, service center operations manager and customer service manager/mobile repair team coordinator.
Italy’s Iacobucci HF, which has traditionally concentrated on building galley insets for business and commercial aviation customers, has decided to go into the VIP aircraft seat market.
FAA has determined that the noise exposure maps submitted by Florida’s Naples Airport Authority for Naples Municipal Airport (APF) are in compliance with FAR Part 150 requirements. The approval of the maps is a prerequisite for the airport authority to submit for FAA approval a noise compatibility program. Copies of the noise exposure maps and documentation, as well as FAA’s evaluation of the maps, are available at FAA’s Orlando Airports District Office.
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA PW305A and PW305B engines [Docket No. FAA-2010-0892; Directorate Identifier 2010-NE-23-AD; Amendment 39-16524; AD 2010-24-05] – Update the “Airworthiness Limitations” section of Engine Maintenance Manual to incorporate Temporary Revision AL-8 (dated Jan. 20, 2010), which specifies reduced in-service limits for engine impellers. This AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by an aviation authority of another country, was issued to prevent failure of the impeller, which could result in an uncontained event and possible damage to the airplane.
Business jet production, which has dropped sharply since late 2008, will continue declining through 2011, while a recovery in overall business jet build rates will not occur until 2012, according to a new report by Newtown, Conn.-based aviation consultancy Forecast International (FI). The report’s conclusions are not unlike those made recently by several business jet maker executives.
New Jet International, an aircraft and charters sales company based in Monaco and Milan, Italy, confirmed that it has ordered a Bombardier Global 7000 for an undisclosed Swiss customer. This is the first international order for the new Global 7000 after the launch of the long-range jet in October at the National Business Aviation Association annual show, the company says.
DIAMOND AIRCRAFT DA 40 and DA 40F airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-0845; Directorate Identifier 2010-CE-044-AD; Amendment 39-16534; AD 2010-25-01] – Change the emergency open-doors procedure by incorporating a temporary revision into the FAA-approved Airplane Flight Manual. Also, on certain airplanes, replace the passenger-door retaining bracket with an improved retaining bracket. This AD was prompted by several reports of the rear passenger door departing the airplane in flight. FAA estimates that this directive will affect 699 airplanes on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S.
DORNIER 328-100 and -300 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-1163; Directorate Identifier 2009-NM-233-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to conduct repetitive eddy-current inspections of the left-hand and right-hand wing panel rear trailing edges from Rib 3 to Rib 9, modify those wing panels and report inspection findings to the type certificate holder, 328 Support Services GmbH.
The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) welcomed FAA’s decision to return Mexico to its Category 1 safety rating, but warned the same fate could befall other countries throughout the region. “ALTA recognizes the hard work and commitment of Secretary Juan Molinar, Director General Hector Gonzalez, along with Mexico’s aviation industry, in achieving this recovery in just a few short months,” says the organization’s executive director, Alex de Gunten, in a statement.
The Lancair Evolution will be offered with a speed control system manufactured by Safe Flight Instrument Corp. The system, which interfaces with the single-engine, kit-built aircraft’s Garmin G900x avionics, provides stall warning and angle-of-attack information to help optimize the aircraft’s performance throughout the flight profile while supplying critical lift information to the pilot.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has opened the public accident docket as part of the safety board’s continuing investigation into a 2009 Pilatus PC-12 accident that killed all 14 people aboard when the single-engine turboprop crashed on approach to Bert Mooney Airport (BTM) in Butte, Mont. The airplane (N128CM), which was owned and operated by Eagle Cap Leasing of Enterprise, Ore., was flying under Part 91 rules at the time of the crash. The docket includes various factual reports, and additional material will be added as it becomes available.
Nextant Aerospace has completed research and development flight testing for the 400XT, a substantially upgraded version of the Hawker Beechjet 400A/XP. Nextant has flown more than 120 flight test hr. toward the certification of the Pro Line 21 avionics and Williams International FJ44-3AP engine installations on the 400A/XP airframe. “The aircraft is exceeding our expectations in all key performance and handling aspects,” says James Miller, president of the Richmond Heights, Ohio-based remanufacturing company.
