Honeywell signed a contract with AltoBridge, Ltd. to provide software technology for a new Honeywell system that will enable aircraft passengers to place and receive calls on their cell phones in flight. AltoBridge CEO Mike Fitzgerald said, ``Our technology enables full incoming and outgoing voice and text messaging without interference with aircraft systems or the ground cellular network.
Raytheon Aircraft showed continued improvement in its financial results, posting higher sales and a significant jump in operating earnings for 2004. The Wichita manufacturer had sales of $2.42 billion last year, up 15.9 percent over 2003's total of $2.08 billion. Operating income soared from just $2 million in 2003 to $63 million in 2004. The company's funded backlog increased 15.7 percent during the year to $2.63 billion.
Dallas Airmotive's Carpenter Freeway production facility in Dallas added overhaul level authorization to its existing Honeywell 36 series Authorized Service Center agreement. The new authorization covers all Honeywell 36-6,
The Gulfstream V could serve as a classic example of market competition and product differentiation taught at any graduate level business school. In the general aviation market, the GV proves that business aircraft buyers are willing to give up cutting-edge airplane technology in favor of rock-solid dispatch reliability and top-notch customer support, as we discovered during our recent survey of GV operators in North America, Europe and the United Kingdom.
Millennium Aviation has selected FirstFlight Management to market and sell charter services for all aircraft on Millennium's certificate, currently a Learjet 55, Learjet 35 and two King Air B200s based at the company's headquarters in Reading, Pa. FirstFlight offers a full range of aircraft management, charter management, aircraft acquisition and sales, and maintenance management services. FirstFlight is headquartered in Elmira, N.Y. You can get more information from FirstFlight's Mike Cardellichio at (607) 739-7148 or [email protected].
Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI), Chicago, appointed Marjorie K. DeLong to the position of marketing services director. Most recently DeLong was marketing communications manager for L-3 Communications Avionics Systems.
Raytheon Aircraft Co. rolled the 400th Hawker 400XP off the assembly line. Formerly called the Beechjet 400A, the aircraft was renamed the Hawker 400XP in May 2003 as part of a larger effort to reestablish the Beech and Hawker brands. RAC credited the success of sales of the aircraft in part to the fractional market. NetJets in late 2003 ordered 50 of the aircraft and added an order for 20 more six months later. Raytheon's affiliate fractional operator, Flight Options, also plans to standardize on the model to replace earlier 400s in its light-jet fleet.
Alberth Aviation manufactures ground support equipment and provides maintenance and logistics services to the aviation industry. One day a customer asked Alberth to build a tire cage to protect its technicians. ``The only available devices came from the trucking industry, the jail-cell type with bars,'' recalled Rudy Alberth, cofounder of the Cypress, Texas-based company. ``We started off building a box type device out of heavy-gauge steel. On our first test, the explosion ruined the device and our test facility. It was more than we expected.''
Aviation Partners Inc., Seattle, appointed Gary Dunn to the position of vice president of sales. Dallas Airmotive, Anaheim, Calif., added two regional engine managers to its North American rotary-wing sales team. Greg Houston was appointed Western regional engine manager, and John (Tony) Bagley was appointed Southeast regional engine manager. Both will provide sales and service support for Rolls-Royce Model 250 and P&WC PT6T engines.
Avemco Insurance Co. provides the Aviators' Model Code of Conduct free of charge to its policyholders. The document provides recommendations for improving safety and good judgment. It is authored by Michael S. Baum, JD, MBA, CISSP, of Los Altos, Calif. The AMCC contains seven principles: General Responsibilities of Aviators, Passengers
Jet Works Air Center in now accepting reservations at its brand-new paint facility at Denton Municipal Airport, Texas. The state-of-the-art, environmentally controlled paint hangar can accommodate up to Gulfstream IV-size aircraft. Industry veterans Trey Bryson and Mark Haggard lead Jet Works' paint management team. Jet Works was formed in fall 2004 by a merger of Jet Works Aviation of Fort Worth and the Business Air Center of Denton, an aircraft modification specialist.
The NBAA has developed recommended training guidelines for very light jet (VLJ) pilots that outline a minimum curriculum the association believes is necessary for VLJ transition and recurrent training programs. The guidelines were produced by the association's Safety Committee. ``The introduction of the very light jet into the general aviation community marks the beginning of a new era in business travel,'' said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen.
The AOPA alerted its members to an aircraft-buying scam that has surfaced recently. According to the association, someone posing as a buyer typically offers above the asking price for an aircraft and then asks the seller to forward the excess funds to a third party. The buyer pays with a bogus cashier's check.
As AOPA President Phil Boyer is fond of saying, a mile of asphalt on a roadway gets you a mile down the road, while a mile of asphalt on an airport gets you to the world.
The GAMA board of directors selected Col. Peter Bunce, a career U.S. Air Force officer, as the association's next president and CEO, effective April 1. Ron Swanda, senior vice president of operations for the association, has been serving as acting president since former president Ed Bolen became president of the NBAA in September 2004. Bunce had a 26-year career in the Air Force and currently serves as director of the Air Force Congressional Budget and Appropriations Liaison.
Operators praised Gulfstream for superb product support. ``On three different occasions, we needed them here now,'' reported Greg Kesel, who flies a GV for Rochester Aviation. ``And they were here now.'' For folks within two or three hours of Savannah, Gulfstream dispatches its dedicated G100 with parts for critical AOG situations. A premium price tag accompanies such top-notch support, operators said. While Gulfstream reduced prices on 2,700 items in April 2002 and 7,000 more parts in October 2004, operators still wince when they look at invoices.
Midcoast Aviation is now an authorized DVRSM installation center for Avcon Industries, of Newton, Kan., for Learjet 20 series aircraft and for West Star Aviation, of Grand Junction, Colo., for Learjet 31, 35 and 36 aircraft. Midcoast also can support the Learjet 55 through Bombardier's STC and the Learjet 60 per Service Bulletin compliance.
Seacor ordered 20 AB 139 medium twin helicopters from Bell/Agusta, the companies announced at Heli-Expo. It is the largest single order placed for the AB 139 and raises the order backlog to 100, said Bell/Agusta. The aircraft are currently scheduled to be deployed in support of Seacor's offshore oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico.
Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich outlined his stance on building a third Chicago-area airport in Peotone -- dubbed Abraham Lincoln National Airport -- when he delivered his State of the State message. With one in four flights delayed, Chicago O'Hare needs to be expanded, but that won't be enough, the Democratic executive said. ``We need another airport,'' he continued.
The aircraft, a Canadair Challenger Model 600, s.n. 1014, N370V, was attempting to take off on 6,013-foot Runway 6. After accelerating to near takeoff speed, the Challenger ran off the end of the runway, went through a fence, crossed Route 46, striking several cars on the busy, multi-lane commuter route, and crashed partially through the wall of a brick warehouse. The airplane then caught fire as it sat with its forward fuselage sticking into the warehouse. Within minutes, the scene was televised live nationally from at least three New York City TV traffic helicopters.
Airports railed against the Bush administration's proposed $600 million slashing of Airport Improvement Program (AIP) funding announced Feb. 8. According to the Airport Legislative Alliance (formerly AAAE/ACI-NA Legislative Affairs), the cuts to the AIP and FAA's air traffic modernization program, ``if adopted, would have a significant impact on critical capacity, safety and security-related projects at airports across the country. . . .
The Vref Midsize Jet Index -- a compilation of quarterly prices recorded for the Astra SP, Cessna Citation III and VII, Hawker 800A and Learjet 60 over the past 10 years -- shows that the values of these medium business jets began turning north during second quarter 2004 and have been creeping upward ever since.
In October 2003, two soldiers were changing a tire on a Army Black Hawk helicopter near Ballad, Iraq, some 50 miles north of Baghdad, when a sudden explosion caused deadly shrapnel to lash out everywhere. One of the soldiers, a 19-year-old private, was killed instantly. His comrade, a 31-year-old sergeant, was severely wounded and ended up losing his entire right arm and much of his left.
When questioned whether IAI might make a very light jet, Moshe Keret, IAI president and CEO, said, ``We have been checking this market and are still in the process of evaluating it.'' He said there are two potential groups of VLJ operators -- business users and air taxis. While the former market is quantifiable, he said, ``no one can give you a clear answer'' regarding the real potential of FAR Part 135 use.
