NetJets Europe is investing upwards of $28 million in a new building to house its operations and administrative headquarters in Lisbon. The current 30,000-square-foot facility, in which the firm says it has invested some $300 million over the years, is being replaced, with staff moving into the new one in December. ``We're going into something with three times the capacity,'' says Lisbon-based Chief Operating Officer Dave Marcus. Current employment of about 350 people will increase by about 60 this year, and by a like amount annually in years to come, he says.
On April 29, Cutter Aviation, the aircraft sales and support organization that has facilities at six airports throughout the Southwest, broke ground for a new building at El Paso International Airport (ELP) in Texas.
The House's version of the fiscal 2006 Homeland Security Department authorization bill (H.R. 1817), passed in May, approved appropriating just $10 million for research and development of technologies to counter the MANPAD threat to airliners. President Bush had requested $110 million, or $49 million above the FY 2005 enacted level.
The June Viewpoint, ``A Time for Action, for Opportunity'' (page 7) is both interesting and useful. Revival of the user fee issue by the air carriers reminds me of a visit to Ziff-Davis (former publisher of both B&CA and Flying magazines) headquarters, by Gen. Clifton Von Kann, then of the Air Transport Association, and his minions to discuss congestion at major airports and related problems. Bill Ziff and his top executives including E. Dixon Muhlfeld, Bob Parke, Jim Holahan and I, among others, attended.
Six months after RVSM airspace was implemented over the United States, a large number of certain types of older turbine-powered business aircraft remain non-RVSM compliant. That now may pose a problem for operators of these airplanes since the FAA declared that preflight coordinated conditional approvals for non-RVSM aircraft to cruise in RVSM airspace would be eliminated effective May 12.
AirMech Innovations, Inc. (AMI) of San Jose, Calif., has announced the development of the AMI Model 104 Flap Asymmetry Tester. The tester is designed for use on the Gulfstream GII, GIII and GIV, and variants. The handheld unit is about the size of a multimeter and performs all of the functions necessary to facilitate the calibration, testing and adjustment of the aircraft's left and right wing flaps.
Arlington, Wash.-based Twin Commander Aircraft has received an FAA STC for several RVSM equipment packages for Twin Commander turboprops. The company anticipated completing final documentation covering installation and flight and maintenance manual supplements in June, thereby clearing the way for properly equipped and approved aircraft to begin operating at RVSM altitudes.
Summit Aviation, East Farmingdale, N.Y., named Eric Petersen as the company's vice president of aircraft management sales. He joins Summit's aircraft management sales team with over 20 years of experience in the industry.
The unveiling of a custom-built, specially themed Learjet chopper, created by the famed Teutul family of the cable t.v. show ``American Chopper,'' was the featured pre-race attraction at the Bombardier Learjet 500 IndyCar Series event on June 11 at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. The one-of-a-kind Learjet-themed chopper features design cues and materials based on
Montreal-based Innotech Aviation has been approved as a line service center for Honeywell's HTF 7000 turbofan engine. Under the agreement, Innotech will perform engine removal/replacement, hot-section inspections, major periodic inspections and line maintenance. The agreement expands Innotech's maintenance capabilities for Honeywell's TFE engines and APUs. In addition to the TFE731-2 through -5 engines, Innotech supports the GTCP30-92, GTCP36-6, GTCP36-100 and GTCP36-150.
Officials at Pilatus Business Aircraft in Broomfield, Colo., the U.S. arm of the Swiss airframe manufacturer, report that a program to retrofit all PC-12s with a new fuel control unit is set to be completed by the end of July. The program, launched in late April, was expected to take three months to complete, according to Pete Wallach, vice president of customer service.
The market's appetite for late-model, previously owned aircraft that are ``ready to go'' has changed perceptions on what features are expected to be included on certain types of newer turbine-powered airplanes. Buyers may now expect such equipment to be included at no extra charge.
The FAA directed its inspectors to increase their oversight of FAR Part 135 operations to ensure that those using a ``d/b/a'' (or doing-business-as) name are doing so properly and complying with regulations. That direction came in a five-page notice issued to all Part 135 principal operations inspectors (POIs) that clarifies the use of a d/b/a and focuses attention on who has operational control of an aircraft (see Point of Law, page 89).
Aero Toy Store issued letters of intent to purchase two Challenger Corporate Shuttles. Shown here celebrating the launch order are Aero Toy Store President Morris Shirazi with Peter Edwards, president, Bombardier Business Aircraft; James Bell, sales director, Bombardier Corporate Shuttle Solutions; and a host of Bombardier corporate flight attendants.
``The boss is going to China.'' ``What airline?'' ``Our airline. The Gulfstream.'' ``You're kidding.'' ``Nope. He wants you to call. Tell him how to set it up, what needs to be done, what clearances, visas -- the works. He's counting on you.''
When the time comes to overhaul, you may want to have an experienced person at your side to help guide you through the process. TurbineWorks, LLC, based in Canaan, N.Y., is one of several companies that provides professional advice when it comes to saving money when overhauling PT6 and JT15 series engines. John Burgess, president of the company, has decades of experience managing the intricacies of the overhaul game, having worked both on the technical and sales side with various overhaul providers.
Backers of reopening DCA were to demonstrate their support at a ``Celebrate General Aviation'' event there Jun 23, chaired by Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), a proponent of getting business aviation back to DCA. Organizers of the event -- which was being sponsored by the Washington Airports Task Force, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the NBAA and Signature Flight Support -- had hoped to have half a dozen business aviation aircraft on display.
Epps Aviation marked its 40th year in business in late May with a birthday party that drew several hundred celebrants to the 20-acre facility at Atlanta's DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK). Hosted by Pat Epps, the gentleman-adventurer who founded the FBO, the party included music by the Pilatus Band, which he brought over from Stans, Switzerland, for the occasion.
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) and Cessna have jointly developed an expanded pay-by-the-hour maintenance program for Cessna Citation operators. PowerAdvantage Plus (PA+) will provide participating operators of Citation Bravos, Encores, Sovereigns and Mustangs -- powered respectively by PW530A, PW535A, PW306C and PW615F engines -- with coverage of parts, rental engines and engine shop labor. Certain consumables and Engine Condition Trend Monitoring are also included.
On a warm summer evening just after sunset, a Cessna 500 taxied out to the end of Runway 22 at Rawlins, Wyo., Municipal Airport (RWL). The density altitude at high elevation RWL (6,813 feet msl) was nearly 8,200 feet. Loaded with 800 pounds of electronic equipment as cargo and 325 gallons of Jet-A, the airplane had a gross weight of 11,703 pounds. The flight crew determined the required takeoff distance using a dry, level runway with no wind was 6,530 feet; the takeoff runway was 7,008 feet long.
The breadth of the Cessna Citation line, along with the aircraft's long production history, makes it difficult to generalize about the market for previously owned models of these popular light jets. However, a survey of brokers and dealers who have bought or sold Citations recently revealed a number of trends.
THE ASSIGNMENT WAS CLEAR: The thingamajig at the bottom of the kitchen sink drain had corroded to the point that the brass catchall cross had disappeared altogether. Since the kids for some reason keep removing the catch baskets, the drainpipes were filling with spaghetti scrapings, broccoli bits, soggy fries and other decaying detritus. It was gross.
Gulfstream Aerospace has divided its Appleton, Wis., facility into three separate units, one of which will be dedicated to servicing older Gulfstreams and business jets produced by other manufacturers. Two of the operating units of the Wisconsin facility will be dedicated to completion and product support of Gulfstream aircraft. However, the third group, which will operate under the General Dynamics Aviation Services name, will provide a one-stop capability for maintenance and refurbishment of Raytheon, Bombardier, Dassault and Gulfstream business jets.
B&CA: Some long-time shareholders who have stayed with the same aircraft types for the duration of their contracts and who routinely fly to the same destinations from their home fields are reporting that their trip times seem to be increasing. Please respond to this allegation. NetJets: NetJets' company policy is to fly at high-speed cruise unless the mission dictates to fly otherwise to increase range and/or to avoid inconveniencing the owner with a fuel stop.
