It seems that every few months or so, the scientific or medical community discovers that a particular chemical, compound or food item that was once considered perfectly healthy actually poses a threat to our health and thus should be avoided. In aviation maintenance, we technicians have more than our share of exposure to dangerous substances and need to be cautious and take preventive measures to prevent long-term health problems.
Textron reported second-quarter revenue of $3 billion and manufacturing profit of $288 million, increases of 10.7% and $59 million, respectively, over the same period in 2011, buoyed by increased sales of Cessna Citation business jets and Bell commercial helicopters.
The U.S. Senate has passed the Pilot's Bill of Rights sponsored by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and a bipartisan group of 65 cosponsors. The legislation contains a number of provisions that would make the FAA and NTSB appeals process more transparent, including NTSB review of FAA enforcement actions and provide for federal district courts to review appeals from the NTSB. The provision requires that the FAA undertake a NOTAM improvement program and a mandatory GAO review of the airman medical certification process. The measure now goes to the House of Representatives.
The U.S. and Canadian business aircraft summer travel season has gotten off to a slow start, with both year-over-year and month-over-month operations declining in June, according to the latest data released by business aviation safety expert and industry analyst ARGUS. Business aircraft operations slowed across the board by 3.2% in June, compared with May, and by 1.3% compared with a year earlier, ARGUS reports. Operations involving all aircraft segments — from turboprops to large jets — were down month-over-month, with mid-cabin operations declining the most at 5%.
For many companies, the security provided by a private jet is as important as its utility. But what are the benchmarks for security? Since corporations can take tax deductions for security expenses, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) created a standard for a “bona fide business-oriented security concern” to measure against personal flights being written off as necessary for security.
Hawker Beechcraft used July's Farnborough Airshow to gauge the market for an ISR-configured Baron G58. The company displayed a model of its Beechcraft Baron airframe outfitted with mockups of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) sensors, including an electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) camera and data link, at its chalet during the airshow. The aircraft's basic surveillance package includes an EO/IR camera package with a 9-in. or 10-in.
I have been a subscriber to BCA for a relatively short time, but I have been greatly impressed with the depth and quantity of the very fine articles — all researched and written extremely well. I never cease to be pleasantly surprised at just how jam-packed each issue is with information I need, one article after the next. This is just a short note to say “Well done!” Pass it along to your staff and writers. They are making you look very, very good!
Cessna Aircraft has introduced another Mobile Service Unit (MSU) based at the Atlantic Aviation FBO at Birmingham International Airport in Alabama. MSUs provide on-site technical expertise and immediate support for over 6,000 Cessna Citation jets in operation worldwide. There are now 18 MSUs in the U.S., with 22 in service overall covering the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Hawker Beechcraft's proposed sale to a Chinese firm was not a complete surprise. But the fact that the smaller Superior Aviation Beijing emerged as the possible bidder instead of the larger AVIC or CAIGA leaves some industry experts wondering whether the deal will close at the $1.79 billion asking price. In announcing the sale (see above), Hawker Beechcraft Inc.
Hawker Beechcraft Defense Company (HBDC) is putting its AT-6 light attack/armed reconnaissance aircraft into low rate initial production (LRIP) in Wichita. The company says it started low-rate production in response to “significant indications of interest around the world” for the attack variant of its PT6-powered T-6 trainer. However, the costly step could also be a move to strengthen its position in the ongoing competition with Sierra Nevada Corporation's (SNC) Embraer A-29 Super Tucano for the U.S. Air Force's Afghanistan Light Air Support (LAS) competition.
Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee are renewing a proposal to extend corporate aircraft depreciation schedules to seven years as a means to help offset the costs of a research and development tax credit. The committee Democrats introduced legislation, the Investing in American Innovation Act of 2012, to renew the 20% credit for certain research expenses, at least through the end of this year. The legislation would help pay for the credit through a two-year extension of the corporate aircraft depreciation schedule, currently at five years.
Calling the past four years an “epic correction” of the business aviation market, industry analyst Brian Foley warns that rather than waiting for an uptick, the industry should view the current situation as the “new normal” and adapt accordingly. “The pessimist in me says we'll be in something of a steady-state situation for the foreseeable future, with occasional setbacks balanced out by spots of growth,” Foley says, adding that companies that have geared for the current time — rather than waiting for an uptick — will have an edge should things pick up.
For more than a decade, Oakland, Calif.-based Center for Environmental Health (CEH) has built a practice winning lawsuits and scoring landmark settlements under its state's Proposition 65. That law, originally entitled the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, is designed “to protect California citizens and the state's drinking water sources from chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and to inform citizens about exposures to such chemicals.”
Russian Helicopters and AgustaWestland (a Finmeccanica company) signed an agreement at the Farnborough International Airshow to jointly develop an all-new 2.5-metric-ton class single-engine helicopter. The agreement was signed by Bruno Spagnolini, CEO of AgustaWestland, and Russian Helicopters CEO Dmitry Petrov. The overall program will be shared on a 50/50 basis, with the new helicopter being designed for a wide range of applications worldwide.
June 24 — About 1155 EDT, a Universal Stinson 108 (N39443), operated by a private pilot, was substantially damaged while ditching in the Atlantic Ocean, following a total loss of engine power during cruise flight near Portland, Maine. The private pilot was fatally injured. No flight plan was filed for the personal flight that departed Twitchell Airport (3B5), Turner, Maine, about 1030 in VFR conditions. According to preliminary data from the FAA, the airplane was in radio and radar contact with Portland International Jetport (PWM) Approach Control. About 10 mi.
Sikorsky's LifePort received a subcontract from L-3 Platform Integration in support of a Boeing 747-8 head-of-state completion project. LifePort will equip the upper deck of the aircraft with customized cabinets, partitions and a lavatory.
Aero Charter, St. Louis, Mo., hired Dustin Stephenson as a charter pilot. He has been a pilot for over eight years and worked as a professional pilot for six. He has experience operating 47 aircraft types.
Rockwell Collins Pro Line 4 avionics, with three or four CRTs, originally were installed in the Beechjet/Hawker 400. Both Nextant and Hawker Beechcraft are offering complete three- and four-screen, 8- by 10-in. Pro Line 21 cockpit upgrades that will provide much more than cosmetic improvements and new display functions.
Flexjet, the fractional ownership arm of Bombardier, placed orders for three Learjet 70 aircraft for delivery in 2013. The operator announced plans to add Bombardier's newest Learjets – the 70 and 75 – to its portfolio shortly after the Canadian manufacturer unveiled them during the European Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition. But at the time, Flexjet did not have details of its initial plans to fold the new jets, the successor to the Learjet 40XR and 45XR, into its fleet. Flexjet says it is purchasing at least three of the 70 model for 2013.
Prime-mover helicopter, the S-64, is described by Sikorsky as akin to a “tractor truck, locomotive or tugboat.” Shown in its first public flight at the Stratford plant, the S-64 carries an 8-by-10-ft. truck trailer. It has cargo fittings (hard point) for passengers, cargo pods or truck bodies and can taxi with containers attached to the airframe. Powered by two P&WA JFTD-12 turbines rated at 4,050 shp each, it has a six-ton lift capacity for 200 nm. Two are earmarked for the West German government.
The FCC is planning to issue a notice “shortly” that explores potential options for strengthening regulations and/or standards surrounding the use of emergency locator transmitters (ELTs) on general aviation aircraft, an FCC official told the NTSB on July 17 at a forum on general aviation search and rescue that members hope will highlight the agency's decades-long concerns about the adequacy of current search and rescue policies. The NTSB chiefly is concerned about the lack of a mandate for general aviation aircraft to install updated ELTs.
AIA says the effect of sequestration on the FAA could amount to $1 billion in cuts, which would cripple NextGen initiatives, says Richard Efford, a legal affairs chief at the Aerospace Industries Association. “AIA believes that as a result of sequestration, NextGen could lose 30-50% of its funding, not the 8% many believe,” Efford said.
ARGUS International Inc. (ARGUS) is a specialized aviation services company with global expertise whose mission is to provide the aviation marketplace with the information needed to make informed decisions and manage risk. ARGUS services include the CHEQ proprietary charter operator rating and due diligence program, TRAQPak market intelligence data and research services, and aviation consulting.
