Netherlands-based Fokker Aerostructures handed the 500th tail section for the Gulfstream GV/G550 program to Savannah, Ga.-based Gulfstream Aerospace last week. The company builds the tail section in Papendrecht, while the composite and machining components are produced in Hoogeveen.
EMBRAER EMB-120, -120ER, -120FC, -120QC and -120RT airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0715; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-211-AD; Amendment 39-16432; AD 2010-19-04] – Conduct a detailed external inspection for corrosion of the auxiliary power unit (APU), its auxiliary and center mounting rods, and rod ends. If any corrosion is found, remove it, apply anticorrosive treatment to the affected components and replace the mounting rods, if necessary, before further flight, per the instructions of Embraer Service Bulletin 120-49-0023, Rev. 01 (dated June 30, 2008).
Conklin & de Decker’s 11th Aircraft Acquisition Planning Seminar is planned for Nov. 30-Dec. 1 at the Scottsdale Cottonwoods Resort & Suites in Scottsdale, Ariz. The event is designed for people who are involved in the acquisition and operation of business aircraft. For details, contact Christine Preston via e-mail at [email protected] or by phone at (602) 404-1854.
Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton anticipates that his company will not see “any significant growth” in deliveries and production rates until 2012. Noting the recent round of layoffs (BA, Sept. 27/1), he tells BA, “The recovery is not coming on the timetable we all thought. It’s getting pushed out.” See related article on Page 3.
Tooele County-Wendover Airport of Utah has joined the Avfuel network of branded fixed-base operators. Tooele County-Wendover Airport is participating in Avfuel Contract Fuel and AVTRIP rewards programs. Based at the Wendover Airbase (ENV), Tooele County-Wendover Airport draws traffic from the entire Intermountain West region. The facility includes a new passenger terminal designed to complement the existing World Was II hangars. A World War II bomber museum also is located at the airport.
GROB-WERKE G120A airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-0926; Directorate Identifier 2010-CE-024-AD; Amendment 39-16435; AD 2010-20-01] – Before the first flight each day, inspect the right-hand (RH) and left-hand (LH) flap ribs for cracks, per the instructions of Grob Aircraft Service Bulletin No. ASB1121-113/1, Part A (dated May 18, 2010). If any cracks are found, repair them in accordance with the instructions of Grob Aircraft Repair Instruction No. RI-1121-017 (dated April 1, 2010), Grob Aircraft Repair Instruction No.
FAA has approved full-scale, nationwide deployment of the Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) satellite-based surveillance system, the agency announced Sept. 24. The OK follows the successful rollout of the system in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, Louisville and Philadelphia, the agency says. The initial sites were selected because they reflected the complexity of the nation’s airspace, FAA says, adding “this approach ensured that ADS-B was tested in the most extreme environments.”
JEREMY ANDERSON was named Great Lakes regional sales manager for Constant Aviation, a maintenance, repair and overhaul facility based at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Anderson formerly was a sales manager for Toledo Jet Center. Before that, he served with a Cessna-owned facility in Toledo, Ohio.
ROLLS-ROYCE AE 3007A engines [Docket No. FAA-2009-0811; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-41-AD; Amendment 39-16429; AD 2010-19-01] – Remove certain high-pressure turbine (HPT) Stage 2 wheels from service or perform repetitive eddy-current inspections or surface-wave ultrasonic test inspections of the wheels to determine if they are cracked. Also, reduce the approved life limits of certain HPT Stage 2 wheels. This AD, which resulted from reports of cracked HPT Stage 2 wheels, is intended to prevent uncontained failures of the wheels and subsequent damage to the airplane.
Colt International, a contract fuel and trip support provider, has moved into the aviation insurance business with the establishment of Colt Risk Management Services. The company says the new unit will leverage Colt’s knowledge and relationships within the industry. “Risk management is about much more than just placing insurance policies,” says Colt International President Malcolm Hawkins. “It requires a complete understanding of the challenges unique to aviation.
A sluggish market over the summer has taken its toll on Cessna Aircraft, as the Wichita plane maker announced plans to reduce employment by another 700 workers and scale back its production schedules. Those announcements came Sept. 21, just a day after the company implemented a new seven-year contract with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) that provides no wage increases for the first four years.
Nextant Aerospace recently completed the first flight of a fully-equipped 400XT aircraft with Williams International FJ44-3AP engines (BA, Sept. 6/3). The engines replace the Pratt & Whitney JT15D-5 engines on the original Beechjet 400A. The flight took place Sept. 8 from Cuyahoga County Airport in Cleveland. Nextant says the supplemental type certificate for the installation of the Williams engines is on track for early 2011. “The 400XT operated flawlessly and exceeded our expectations for the first flight,” says Nextant President James Miller.
The House of Representatives Sept. 23 passed the final version of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, which includes an extension of the bonus depreciation tax incentive for general aviation aircraft purchases and components, including engines and avionics. Last week’s House approval clears the bill, H.R.5297, for President Obama’s signature since the Senate passed the legislation earlier this month (BA, Sept. 20/2).
The TBM Owners and Pilot Association’s (TBMOPA) recent annual convention in Hot Springs, Va., drew more than 200 participants and 61 TBM aircraft, Daher-Socata says. The aircraft landed at Ingalls Field, a mountaintop airport near the TBMOPA convention site at the Homestead Resort. The convention offered technical sessions and safety seminars, along with vendor displays. Attendees included owners from across the U.S. and Canada, as well as overseas destinations including Australia and Belgium. The fleet of 530 TBM 850s and 700s has accrued more than 800,000 flight hr.
The Air Charter Safety Foundation has added former longtime FAA official James Ballough to its Board of Governors. Ballough, former director of the Flight Standards Service, has 40 years of aviation and aeronautical experience both in government and industry. A graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, he spent 24 years with FAA. He is currently president of JBallough Global Aviation Solutions, LLC.
An Embraer Lineage 1000 recently flew a ground distance of 4,015 nm. on a trip from Mumbai, India to London Luton Airport, marking the farthest trip ever flown by an Embraer aircraft, the Brazilian plane maker says. The demonstrator aircraft made the trip in 9 hr. and 15 min. and was accomplished in compliance with Indian Directorate General of Civil Aviation fuel-reserve requirements. The aircraft carried three crew members and four passengers. Embraer also recently delivered a Lineage to the Al Habtoor Group of Dubai.
The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) has increased its reach in the European region with the addition of five new affiliate national associations representing the local interests of business aircraft operators in the region. The Russian United Business Aviation Association, Spanish Executive Aviation Association, EBAA Belgium, Malta Business Aviation Association and the Austrian Business Aviation Association have joined forces with EBAA and the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC).
Cessna Aircraft has become one of the initial aviation companies to participate in the Transportation Security Administration’s Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP) for parts shipments, the Wichita plane maker says.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE Galaxy and G200 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-0555; Directorate Identifier 2010-NM-053-AD; Amendment 39-16438; AD 2010-20-04] – Revise the “Limitations” section of the Airplane Flight Manual to prohibit deploying the air brakes above 360 KIAS/0.79 mi. This AD, which resulted from an MCAI originated by an aviation authority of another country, is intended to prevent high-cycle fatigue failure of the airbrake in-board hinge, which can result in loss of the airbrake and reduced controllability of the airplane.
MICHAEL KUHN was named CEO and head of operations for Germany’s DC Aviation. Kuhn previously was the company’s chief financial officer. Before coming to DC Aviation, he held management positions at the Goodyear Corporate group. Prior to that, he was a sales and marketing manager in the automobile industry.
AARON KEMPHAUS was named sales manager for StandardAero’s Component Services business unit. Kemphaus will manage sales and support efforts with the broker community. He has spent 10 years with StandardAero, holding a variety of customer service and operations positions within the company.
40 Years Ago Sept. 28, 1970 — National Business Aircraft Association and National Aviation Trades Association study the feasibility of merger. 30 Years Ago Sept. 29, 1980 — Gulfstream American Corp. receives FAA certification for its $9 million Gulfstream III jet. 20 Years Ago Sept. 17, 1990 — Industry is alarmed by talk at a White House/congressional summit of a 10% luxury tax on certain items, including furs, boats and private aircraft.
Honeywell-CAE Training Alliance has expanded its course offerings for technicians in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The alliance provides technical training at the Honeywell Aerospace Academy in Phoenix, CAE’s training facilities worldwide, at selected partner locations and at customer facilities. New offerings cover engine, flight management systems and weather.
Gulfstream Aerospace last week celebrated the 25th anniversary of the first flight of the venerable Gulfstream IV large-cabin, long-range business jet. The aircraft took off Sept. 19, 1985, three months ahead of schedule and eight days after it rolled out from Gulfstream’s facilities in Savannah, Ga. Lee Johnson and Ted Mendenhall were the pilot and co-pilot, respectively, for the one-hr. flight.
General aviation advocates welcomed House approval of a resolution that recognizes the importance of backcountry airstrips, saying the measure is a key endorsement for helping preserve their use. The measure, H.Res.473, passed the House Sept. 15 by voice vote. Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) introduced the measure and gathered 10 co-sponsors, many of whom are members of the House General Aviation Caucus.
