Anticipating a heavy influx of business jets for February’s Super Bowl, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is moving business aviation operations to a refurbished airline passenger terminal. The switch is to occur on Dec. 9. “It was time to improve our facilities as a regional operation,” a DFW spokesman says.
London-based business aviation consultancy Oriens Advisors has partnered with Barcelona, Spain-based architecture firm Cesar Martinell & Associates to create “Flexible Based Operations,” temporary structures for new and existing fixed-based operators. The original Flexible Based Operations structure was designed by Martinell’s team for an air taxi operation based close to Barcelona that wanted an “instant” FBO while the operator developed its business, says a company spokeswoman.
FAA is proposing to harmonize four additional standards for Part 25 transport category airplanes. The proposal would harmonize requirements for takeoff speeds, static lateral-directional stability, speed increase and recovery characteristics, and the stall warning margin for the landing configuration in icing conditions. The Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee’s Flight Test Harmonization Working Group recommended most of the changes to eliminate differences between U.S. and European performance and handling characteristics standards.
Rockwell Collins recently won a supplemental type certificate to install Pro Line 21 integrated display systems (IDS) in the King Air 350. The avionics maker recently won a supplemental type certificate to install IDS in the twin turboprop while retaining the aircraft’s existing APS-65 autopilot and Pro Line II radios and sensors. The IDS system features three 10-in. by 8-in.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has asked for a formal investigation into the practice of some states attempting to use federal disaster relief and emergency development assistance to attract companies such as Hawker Beechcraft from other states. The IAM wrote Attorney General Eric Holder that such use of funds “is a waste and misuse of federal dollars to finance deals that strip established businesses out of communities only to put them somewhere else.”
CHRISTOPHER FORSHIER was appointed director of business development for global airline operations for Metron Aviation, a developer of air traffic management capabilities, including Air Traffic Flow Management and Collaborative Decision Making. Forshier has 18 years of commercial aviation experience, including operations analysis and planning, customer service, ground operations and technical program management. Most recently, he was manager of operations strategy and implementation for Continental Airlines.
BELL HELICOPTER TEXTRON CANADA Model 206L, L-1 and L-3 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2008-1242; Directorate Identifier 96-SW-13-AD; Amendment 39-16511; AD 96-18-05 R1] – Per the instructions of Bell Helicopter Textron Alert Service Bulletin No. 206L-87-47, Rev. C (dated Oct. 23, 1989), perform repetitive visual inspections for cracks and corrosion of the tailboom skin around the nutplates and the tailboom driveshaft cover retention clips until the tailboom is replaced with an airworthy tailboom.
The Kansas City Aviation Department has completed a five-year, $70-million refurbishment of Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (MKC). The refurbishment program included a $28 million project to raze and resurface both airport runways and add runway safety materials, a $20-million hangar project, $17 million for runway safety projects and construction of a $1-million general aviation terminal.
Dassault Falcon has recently made two moves to bolster its presence in China. The company has added Shanghai Hawker Pacific Business Aviation Service Center (a joint venture between Shanghai Airport Authority and Hawker Pacific) to the manufacturer’s authorized service center network. In addition, the French airframe maker has established in Beijing a sales and marketing office that will be led by Jean-Michel Jacob, vice president of international sales.
KEVIN HUTTON , the founder, CEO and chairman of Golden Hour Data Systems, was re-elected to a fifth one-year term as chairman of MedEvac Foundation International. Golden Hour is a San Diego-based information system and revenue management company that supports emergency medical transport operations. Hutton also is a practicing attending emergency physician at two level-one trauma centers in San Diego.
FOKKER F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-0479; Directorate Identifier 2009-NM-220-AD; Amendment 39-16472; AD 2010-21-12] – Conduct detailed inspections for wear of the brake quick-disconnect couplings, per the instructions of Fokker Service Bulletin SBF100-32-156, Rev. 1 (dated June 29, 2009). Before further flight, replace any worn coupling with an improved unit. Eventually, replace all existing couplings with improved ones, an action that terminates the requirement for repetitive inspections of the couplings.
The National Air Transportation Association’s recently concluded 2010 Aviation Business Roundtable drew more than 70 aviation business leaders, who discussed a range of issues affecting the aviation community. The event included discussions with NetJets Chairman and CEO David Sokol, Hawker Beechcraft Chairman and CEO Bill Boisture, TSA Administrator John Pistole and retiring Senate aviation subcommittee Chairman Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.), among others.
FAA has begun to outline a template for the future of safety management system (SMS) requirements, but that template comes as the Nov. 18 international deadline for SMS was missed. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had set a Nov. 18 deadline for non-commercial operators and certain aviation organizations to have an SMS program in place. ICAO previously set a Jan. 1, 2009, deadline for member states to adopt SMS requirements for commercial operators.
SIMON CALDECOTT was named vice president of operations for Piper Aircraft. Caldecott will be responsible for manufacturing operations, manufacturing engineering, sustaining engineering and supply chain. He joined Piper in 2009 as chief of production for the new jet, now called Altaire. He has 36 years of aviation experience, including as vice president of assembly operations with Hawker Beechcraft. He also was vice president of assembly integration and testing for the Hawker Beechcraft predecessor company, Raytheon Aircraft.
Embraer’s new Legacy 650 executive jet demonstrator recently completed a nonstop flight from Dubai (UAE) to London’s Farnborough Airport. The aircraft covered an equivalent still-air distance of 3,500 nm. in 8 hr. with three crew and seven passengers. Launched one year ago at the 2009 National Business Aviation Association Annual Meeting and Convention, the large Legacy 650 can fly up to 3,900 nm. with four passengers, or 3,840 nm.
Avic’s helicopter manufacturer Avicopter aims to achieve certification of its light commercial helicopter, the AC311, late next year and also begin first deliveries before the end of 2011. The helicopter, which had its first flight on Nov. 8 near the Avicopter Tianjin assembly plant, already has secured orders from Chinese customers, Avicopter President Wang Bin said during last week’s Airshow China. The customers are the Guizhou city police force and the Tianjin Binhai police force, each with an order for one AC311, he says.
StandardAero is offering upgrades for Dassault Falcon 20s that have undergone the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 major retrofit. StandardAero has received FAA approval for the amended supplemental type certificate. New features offered through the upgrade include dual multi-function displays, an integrated engine indication system and the ability to view video on the system’s multi-function display.
Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.), who is expected to become the next chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, calls FAA’s proposal to require photos on pilot certificates “embarrassingly inadequate.” On Friday Mica asked FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt to “immediately amend its proposed pilot license rulemaking” to comply with congressional mandates for biometrics. “Biometrically enabled pilot licenses will allow for identification, improve security and result in greater screening efficiencies,” Mica says.
BOMBARDIER Regional Jet Series 700, 701, 702, 705 and 900 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-1106; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-237-AD; Amendment 39-16508; AD 2010-23-19] – Conduct repetitive detailed inspections for damage to the main landing gear (MLG) fairing and seal, MLG door and adjacent structures, per the instructions of Bombardier Alert Service Bulletin A670BA-32-030, Rev. A (dated Oct. 22, 2010). Repair any damaged parts, as necessary.
Van Nuys, Calif.-based TWC Aviation has expanded its base on the West Coast and reinforced its reach on the East Coast with the acquisition of charter and management firm ACM Aviation. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
FlightSafety’s Bell 407 flight training device has been qualified to Level 7 by FAA. The new unit, which is located at FlightSafety’s learning center in Lafayette, La., is being used for initial type training, recurrent training, inadvertent IMC training, and a variety of mission-specific and scenario-based programs. The Bell 407 device is equipped with FlightSafety’s advanced Vital X visual system. Night-vision goggle capability will be added in the near future. The Lafayette learning center also offers training for the Bell 206 and Sikorsky S-92, S-76 C+ and S-76 C++.
PILATUS PC-6 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-1011; Directorate Identifier 2010-CE-047-AD] – This proposal would require operators to incorporate into their FAA-accepted maintenance program new Pilatus-developed maintenance requirements and airworthiness limitations, including ones for the wing strut fittings and spherical bearings. This proposal resulted from an MCAI originated by an aviation authority of another country. FAA estimates that this proposed AD will affect 50 aircraft on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S. operators a total of $4,250, or $85 per airplane.
The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) has appointed three members to its executive committee. William Haberstock, president and CEO of Million Air Aviation in Salt Lake City, was elected vice chairman. A 35-year aviation veteran, Haberstock formerly was treasurer for ACSF. John Grillo, president of Executive Fliteways in Ronkonkoma, N.Y., is treasurer. Grillo has 36 years of aviation experience. Bryan Burns, who had been ACSF executive director, was elected president of the foundation.
NEIL BACKHOUSE was tapped to oversee Ocean Sky’s new office in Dubai. Backhouse previously served with ExecuJet Middle East, where he was charter sales manager for the company’s managed aircraft fleet. He moved to Dubai in 2001 to introduce the Bombardier Skyjet brand to the region.
