The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) has added Gama Charters of Stratford, Conn., and Hop-A-Jet Worldwide Jet Charter of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to the ACSF Industry Audit Standard (IAS) Registry. Gama and Hop-A-Jet have completed the IAS audit and join 14 other operators that have successfully qualified for the registry. The audit, valid for two years, provides a comprehensive, independent review of an operator’s compliance with safety and security regulations and implementation of a safety management system.
The economic downturn has helped boost online pilot-contract service Flycontract.com’s business as more employers lay off pilots even though they still need the staffing, says President Terry Cooper.
Taipei Songshan Airport expects to begin developing a business aviation base around the end of this year when it takes control of a former military hangar. The downtown airport will follow up with a customs, immigration and quarantine facility for users of private aircraft next year while seeking a fixed-base operator to build a business aviation center, says airport Deputy Director Chen Jauyuh.
New Mexico has become the latest state to officially recognize the importance of aviation. Gov. Bill Richardson (D) declared September “Aviation and Aerospace Appreciation Month.” The proclamation discusses the importance of New Mexico’s 51 publicly-owned airports and more than 4,000 general aviation pilots to supporting tourism, police, firefighting, agriculture and business. The Alliance for Aviation Across America praised the move, saying the proclamation highlights “the immense value that general aviation provides to not only New Mexico, but the entire country.”
Hawker Beechcraft this month debuted its Hawker 4000 and Beechcraft King Air 350i in Mexico. The debut was part of a demonstration tour after the recent Latin American Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Starbase Aviation has been granted additional operational authority from FAA to conduct Part 135 operations on an expanded international basis. In March, Starbase Aviation earned International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations Stage 1 registration, which recognizes a company’s implementation of best practices and a safety management system.
DIAMOND AIRCRAFT DA 40 and DA 40F airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-0845; Directorate Identifier 2010-CE-044-AD] – This proposed AD would change the emergency open-door procedure by incorporation of a temporary revision into the FAA-approved Airplane Flight Manual. This proposal also would require replacement of the passenger-door retaining bracket with an improved-design bracket on certain airplanes. This proposed AD was issued following multiple reports of the rear passenger door departing the airplane in flight.
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT Model 390 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-0523; Directorate Identifier 2010-CE-018-AD; Amendment 39-16407; AD 2010-17-15] – Replace certain starter-generators that have deficient armature-insulating materials, per the instructions of Hawker Beechcraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 24-3963 (dated May 2009) and AMETEK Advanced Industries, Inc. Mandatory Service Bulletin 2009-0414 (dated April 2009). FAA issued this AD to prevent the loss of one or both starter generators, which could result in the loss of all non-battery electrical power.
The International Association of Machinists (IAM) is planning another rally this week in downtown Wichita to protest the outsourcing of aerospace manufacturing jobs to Mexico and China. The rally follows one held last week and comes as the union is in the midst of contract negotiations with Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft management teams. The IAM has indicated plans to fight certain initial contract proposals from Cessna, including a 4.2% wage reduction and an end of future pension plans and accrual. The current contract with Cessna ends Sept. 19.
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA PW530A, PW545A and PW545B engines [Docket No. FAA-2010-0860; Directorate Identifier 2010-NE-28-AD; Amendment 39-16422; AD 2010-18-09] – For engines that have an intercompressor bleed valve (BOV) servo valve with fewer than 50 hours time in service since new or overhaul, remove the valve from service. For engines that have a BOV servo valve with 50 or more hours but fewer than 250 hours time in service since new or overhaul, test the engine as specified in Pratt & Whitney Canada Alert Service Bulletin PW500-72-A30421 (dated June 29, 2010).
While the U.S. market is expected to strengthen, Bombardier still finds an overwhelming majority of its orders coming from outside the U.S. Last year, says Bombardier Aerospace President and COO Guy Hachey, 30% of the company’s business-jet orders came from the U.S., 70% outside the U.S. In the most recent quarter, ending July 31, only 10% of the new orders came from the U.S. and the remaining 90% coming from other markets, including Asia and the Middle East, he estimates.
SheltAir Aviation Services expanded its service agreement with The Hiller Group-Chevron network to cover seven additional fixed-base operation locations. With the agreement, The Hiller Group now will supply fuel to 10 SheltAir-branded facilities. The new FBO locations include Daytona Beach (DAB), Fort Lauderdale (FLL), Panama City (ECP), St. Petersburg-Clearwater (PIE) and Jacksonville (JAX) in Florida; LaGuardia (LGA) in New York, and Savannah, Ga. (SAV).
Aviation advocates continue to make inroads with state legislators as a growing number of states adopt proclamations recognizing the contributions of aviation. The latest, New Jersey, is designating Sept. 29 Aviation Awareness Day. Also joining the list is New Mexico, which deemed September as Aviation and Aerospace Appreciation Month (see item on Page 7). This pushes the number to at least 14 states that have officially recognized aviation over the past year.
JOE HIGGINS was named service team manager for General Dynamics Aviation Services in West Palm Beach, Fla. Higgins will oversee customer service visits, including pre-planning, project management and manpower. He has 12 years of experience as an avionics and electrical technician at General Dynamics Aviation Services in Dallas, Las Vegas and West Palm Beach, Fla. He also spent 20 years in the U.S. Navy, holding positions as an aviation electrician, maintenance control chief petty officer and manager of 100 work centers that performed maintenance on F/A-18 aircraft.
The civilian rotorcraft market is expected to remain diverse, with the bulk of all new deliveries arriving from mature production lines, says a new report from Frost & Sullivan. The World Commercial Helicopter Market notes that the industry witnessed unprecedented growth in the global sales of civil rotorcraft from 2004 through 2008. “However, as 2008 ended, the economic slowdown saw rotorcraft utilization and new orders decrease significantly, and financing became increasingly difficult,” it says.
An Arizona proposal that would have regulated flight training conducted under Part 61 as a “private vocational program” was defeated last week after industry protests.
John and Martha King—two of general aviation’s most familiar faces—were rousted from a Cessna-owned 172 Skyhawk last week after Santa Barbara, Calif., police, guns drawn, ordered them to exit their aircraft with their hands up. The McKinney, Texas, police had been notified by the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC), a federal multi-agency operation, that an aircraft stolen from McKinney was on an IFR flight plan and destined for the Santa Barbara airport. The Santa Barbara police were notified.
SOCATA TBM 700 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-0862; Directorate Identifier 2010-CE-040-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to insert Page 3.13.5 of Temporary Revision No. 3 (dated March 2009) into the “Emergency Procedures” section and the “Limitations” section of the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH) before further flight. Also, operators would need to replace the existing oxygen-generator release pin with a new open pin, per the instructions of DAHER-SOCATA TBM Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 70-168 (dated December 2009).
Eclipse Aerospace is moving ahead with another facet of customer support with the recent FAA Level D approval of EA500 full-motion simulators based at SimCom Training Centers in Orlando, Fla. Eclipse announced its partnership with SimCom earlier this year to provide pilot training for the EA500, including plans to relocate two simulators to SimCom’s Orlando facility. In the interim, Eclipse Aerospace has continued to provided initial, recurrent and differences in-flight training.
A Formula 1 race pilot intends to beat a speed record set by Hoot Gibson and help promote a “green” fuel. Richard “Smokey” Young says he believes a new unleaded biomass fuel will give him the extra performance to easily set a new world record for a closed 100-km. course. The attempt is scheduled for Sept. 11. Gibson, a former astronaut, set a record of 238 mph. in 2004. Young, a former F-111 pilot who runs the aviation program at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif., believes his Swift fuel-powered racer will reach 260 mph. flying out of Thermal Airport.
Derco Aerospace was selected to distribute Universal Synaptics’ intermittent fault detection (IFD) products, which identify intermittent faults in aircraft electrical components. A Milwaukee-based subsidiary of Sikorsky Aerospace, Derco will distribute the Universal Synaptics IFD systems worldwide. The IFDs can isolate and detect intermittent faults, enabling repair of components that otherwise would be scrapped, Derco says.
Daher-Socata has named Stephane Mayer as its new CEO. Mayer returns to Socata after three years at turboprop maker ATR. Mayer ran Socata for four years prior to its sale by EADS to Daher, and was instrumental in pushing the development of the TBM850. Mayer also will be in charge of future projects in the aerospace arm of the Daher company. Mayer, in his previous stint at Socata, was pushing for an extension of the company’s product range, but lack of interest from parent EADS meant funding was scarce.
The National Business Aviation Association is reminding members that FAA phraseology “taxi into position and hold” will change to “line up and wait” on Sept. 30. The new phraseology is in line with the International Civil Aviation Organization phraseology. “Pilots need to be familiar with the new phraseology and be ready to read back and accept instructions from air traffic control,” NBAA warns.
