SUSAN COTTEN was named manager of patient transport development for the Corporate Angel Network. Cotten will work to increase the number of corporations that donate empty seats to cancer patients on their business flights. She also will visit major cancer treatment centers to increase the awareness of Corporate Angel Network services. Cotten previously was a corporate flight attendant for the American Express Company, as well as a contract employee for New York area flight departments. She also has marketing and sales experience in the travel industry.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has asked the government to make changes to the aviation policy that currently waives landing and parking charges for aircraft with less than 80 seats operated by domestic scheduled operators and helicopters of all types. AAI believes the charges will give a boost to the development of regional airports construction and upgrade projects. Some private regional airports are losing money, including five in Maharashtra set up by the Reliance Group.
40 Years Ago Aug. 10, 1970 – Swearingen Aircraft receives FAA type certification for Merlin III twin-turboprop business aircraft. 30 Years Ago Aug. 4, 1980 – The General Aviation Manufacturers Association lobbies for tax incentives for commuter aircraft development to help U.S. compete against foreign rivals such as Embraer. 20 Years Ago
STAN ROSE has joined Helicopter Association International as director of safety. Rose has 40 years of helicopter experience, beginning as a U.S. Army pilot in Vietnam and later holding positions as a line pilot in the Gulf of Mexico, a lead pilot and program director for air medical operations and chief pilot of a law enforcement helicopter support unit.
FAA is requiring Cirrus to complete function and reliability (F&R) tests on its new Model SF50 Vision single-engine personal jet as part of special conditions for completing the certification process. The agency proposed the F&R special conditions in June, saying the conditions were necessary because the Vision would have complex design and performance features typically found with larger airplanes (BA, June 7/3).
SaxonAir has received a 10-year contract as the preferred handling agent to supply ground-handling services at Norwich Airport in the U.K. for all non-scheduled business, private and general aviation aircraft. SaxonAir recently was given full planning permission for its new business aviation center at Norwich Airport and construction is under way.
Era Training Center (ETC) has obtained Agência Nacional de Aviação Civil (ANAC) approval for its CFR 142 Training Center, making the facility the first foreign helicopter training center certified by Brazil, the company says. “ANAC approval is a fundamental step toward providing regulatory approved courses for Brazil and Latin American countries,” says Paul White, general manager of ETC.
CHRISTOPHE NURIT was appointed vice president of sales and marketing for MD Helicopters, Inc. Nurit previously spent more than 11 years with Bell Helicopter, most recently as marketing and sales director for the Middle East and Africa. He also served as sales manager for Europe and the CIS for Bell.
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT Model 390 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-0523; Directorate Identifier 2010-CE-018-AD; Amendment 39-16407; AD 2010-17-15] – inspect for installation of certain serial number (S/N) starter generators and replace the starter generator if one with an affected serial number is found. This AD results from reports that starter generators with deficient armature insulating materials may have been installed on certain airplanes. FAA is issuing this AD to detect and replace starter generators with defective armature insulating materials.
The National Business Aviation Association’s 63rd Annual Meeting and Convention, to be held Oct. 19-21 in Atlanta, has been tracking closely to last year’s event in terms of exhibitors and attendance. The 2009 event, held in Orlando, Fla., marked the second-lowest level of attendance in 15 years and some key exhibitors missing on the convention floor, notably Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft. But the event still drew 23,000 attendees, 1,075 exhibitors and nearly 100 aircraft on static display.
DOWTY R408/6-123-F/17 propellers [Docket No. FAA-2009-0776; Directorate Identifier 2009-NE-32-AD; Amendment 39-16403; AD 2010-17-11] – Apply sealant between the bus bar assemblies and the backplate assembly, per the instructions of Dowty Propellers Alert Service Bulletin No. D8400-61-A66, Revision 5 (dated June 16, 2010).
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA PW617F-E engines [Docket No. FAA-2010-0246; Directorate Identifier 2010-NE-16-AD; Amendment 39-16391; AD 2010-17-01] – Replace the Fuel Oil Heat Exchanger (FOHE) fuel filter bypass poppet valve with a larger, improved-design fuel filter bypass poppet valve, per the instructions of Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. Alert Service Bulletin No. PW600-72-A66021, Rev. 1 (dated Jan. 7, 2010). This AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by Transport Canada, is designed to prevent uncommanded power reduction caused by a worn poppet.
The Transportation Security Administration hopes to release details on the revised Large Aircraft Security Program this fall, says Brian Delauter, general aviation general manager. “It still has to go to the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget, then out for public comment,” he says. “We’ve been really careful because we don’t want to make the same mistake twice.” TSA has been reviewing more than 7,000 comments on LASP.
NetJets Inc. tapped Vice President Robert Garrymore to take the helm of its Cincinnati-based subsidiary Executive Jet Management (EJM). Garrymore succeeds Albert Pod, who led the charter and management firm since 2000. Pod recently became president of JetFlite International, a charter and management firm with offices in Long Beach, Calif., and Farmingdale, N.Y. Garrymore has 18 years of aviation experience, eight of which were with EJM. Before his role as vice president with NetJets, Garrymore was senior vice president with EJM.
AIR TRACTOR Models AT-802 and AT-802A airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2010-0827; Directorate Identifier 2010-CE-029-AD; Amendment 39-16412; AD 2010-17-18] – supersedes AD 2010-13-08, which currently requires repetitively inspecting (using the eddy current method) the two outboard fastener holes in both of the wing main spar lower caps at the center splice joint for cracks and repair or replace any cracked spar cap.
Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton will deliver the keynote address Sept. 2 during the second annual convention of the Citation Jet Pilots owner and pilot association this week in Colorado Springs, Colo. Other scheduled speakers include National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen and Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association President ad CEO Craig Fuller. The convention, scheduled Sept. 1-5, will include academic sessions, vendor displays and networking. About 160 people are expected to attend.
Rolls-Royce is alleging that Pratt & Whitney’s fan design for the PW1000G geared turbofan and Engine Alliance GP7200 infringes on a Rolls patent, and is seeking damages and injunctions in a Virginia district court.
While general aviation shipments have continued to struggle, Cirrus Aircraft has seen several positive signs of growth, including increased sales and dealer activity and improving used aircraft sales, the company reports. Cirrus deliveries grew 5% in the first half, versus a 9.8% decline for the overall industry in the recent General Aviation Manufacturers Association report (BA, Aug. 9/1).
Charter operator Averitt Air recently obtained approval from the Transportation Security Administration to operate into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) from its base at Nashville International Airport (BNA). BNA became a gateway airport into DCA effective last week. TSA has designated 30 airports to serve as gateways for business aircraft to fly into DCA.
Honeywell last week unveiled its latest moving map upgrade, JetMap III, which provides enhanced graphics and three-dimensional perspective views of terrain, ocean topography and polar ice. JetMap III includes real-time flight data, passenger situational awareness information, and data services for news, business, weather and sports. JetMap III is designed for the Honeywell Ovation C-Series cabin management system, but can be adapted for other systems. JetMap II users can upgrade to JetMap III by replacing the removable compact flash memory card.
Tampa, Fla.-based Avianis has unveiled Clarity Operations Management Suite, a web-based, integrated management application for charter, corporate and private aviation operations. The system is a secure business-optimization application that consolidates aviation operations—including maintenance, scheduling and financial reporting—with one interface.
TAC Air has officially opened its new 12,000-sq.-ft. executive terminal at Blue Grass Airport (LEX) in Lexington, Ky. TAC Air invested $11 million in terminal and hangar improvements and built the facility from the “ground up,” the first in TAC Air’s 13-location fixed-base operation chain. A replica of a Beechcraft Staggerwing is suspended from the atrium of the facility, which includes amenities such as a high-definition movie theater, exercise facilities, wireless printing capability, showers and a pilot lounge with private sleep rooms.
India’s Cochin International Airport Ltd. in Nedumbassery is about to launch an Aircraft Maintenance Engineering School. The school, which will provide education and training in aircraft maintenance and repair, will open Sept. 1. The facility has received mandatory Director General of Civil Aviation approval. Initially, there will be two classes of 30 students who will study avionics. The school, which has one Learjet 25 and two Iskra aircraft, is situated near the Airport Museum, which is expected to open by year-end.
