To commemorate the King Air's 40th year in production, Raytheon Aircraft is transforming a King Air 350 -- s.n. 400, N40TH -- into an anniversary showcase. Already featuring new Collins Pro Line 21 avionics, s.n. 400 will receive a special paint scheme and interior treatments. Raytheon also created a special Web site for the anniversary featuring owners' stories and King Air facts and photos. The celebration will culminate at NBAA 2004 in Las Vegas with the delivery of s.n. 400 to its new owner. Beech Aircraft announced the King Air on Aug. 14, 1963.
Air Methods has placed an order for 15 Bell Model 427 IFR twin-engine helicopters. The aircraft are scheduled for delivery beginning in late 2007. The agreement provides for a minimum delivery of three aircraft per year. As the launch customer, the agreement provides for special incentives, including a trade-in option for up to 15 Bell 222 twin-engine aircraft, with minimum guaranteed trade-in values. Air Methods currently operates 22 Bell 222s.
Avfuel Corp. announced that Ratliff Aviation, at Tucson International Airport (TUS), has signed on as a dealer. Founded 20 years ago, Ratliff Aviation's services and amenities include ramp capacity up to Gulfstream V, FAR Part 135 charter and maintenance, passenger lounge, business center, limo and hotel service flight planning room, weather and crew cars.
For maintenance technicians to keep their skills sharp -- particularly in light of increasingly complex aircraft systems and changing regulations -- they need to undergo regular recurrent training. Fortunately, the instructional choices available to business aviation maintainers today are probably the most diverse ever.
The National Air Transportation Association is urging its members to carefully examine new Department of Labor overtime regulations that cover exempt and nonexempt employees. FAR Part 135 air carriers typically would not fall under the overtime rules since air carrier labor laws are covered under the Railway Labor Act of 1926. However, other aviation personnel, including those involved in Part 91 operations and Part 145 repair stations, are covered under the DOL rules.
TAG Aviation USA has named former B/CA Publisher Gil Wolin as its vice president of corporate communications. Wolin will be based at TAG's office at Westchester County Airport, N.Y. (HPN). Reporting directly to TAG Aviation USA President and CEO Jake Cartwright, Wolin will act as TAG's ``client responsible officer'' in the Northeast and have overall responsibility for the company's internal and external communications and media relations nationwide.
Robert E. Breiling Associates reported that accidents and fatalities involving the U.S. business jet and turboprop fleet were down during the first half of this year. However, the second half of the year got off to a bad start with the crash of an Israel Aircraft Industries 1124 Westwind medical evacuation flight on July 2 that claimed seven lives in Panama (see below). Breiling said there were 27 accidents, including eight that resulted in 15 passenger and crew fatalities during the first six months of the year.
Domestic RVSM is slated to become effective in the U.S. national airspace system at 0901 Universal Coordinated Time (UTC) on Jan. 20, 2005. Canada and Mexico are expected to follow suit.
``What is the perceived threat of small planes?'' asked Rep. Pete DeFazio (D-Ore.), pressing both the FAA's Schuessler and Jonathan Fleming, chief operating officer for the TSA, for an explanation of what is spurring the continuing airspace restrictions in the nation's capital. ``What are we defending ourselves against out there?'' he reiterated. Fleming responded that the restrictions are a response to a concern that terrorists could use aircraft in an attack. But DeFazio noted that the Customs aircraft primarily used to deflect and escort violators in the D.C.
Jet Aviation, Teterboro, N.J., appointed David Heydt as director of maintenance and Stephen Wilson as senior vice president and general manager of Jet Aviation U.S. Charter Services. At Jet Aviation's Zurich, Switzerland location, Colin Bond was appointed chief financial officer for the company's worldwide operations.
An FAA AD proposes checks and calibration of the low-pressure-turbine (LPT) Stage 1 disks on Honeywell TFE731-2 and -2C engines and replacement of the LPT disks on TFE731-3, -3A, -3AR, -3B, -3BR and -3R engines. The proposal would require work to be completed at the next major periodic inspection (MPI), or within 2,200 hours time-in-service since the last LPT Stage 1 inspection for the -2. For the -3, the FAA is calling for the replacement at the next MPI or within 1,500 hours time-in-service since last inspection.
More unintended consequences. The NBAA hosted a meeting with FAA and DOT officials on the treatment of FAR Part 91 operators who contract their airplanes and crews to Part 135 operators for on-demand charter service. The NBAA and the National Air Transportation Association are hoping to further educate the agencies about the long-standing practice.
CAE won an exclusive contract from Dassault to provide the factory-sponsored training for pilots, maintenance personnel and cabin crews for the new Falcon 7X. Under the terms of the contract, announced at Farnborough on July 19, CAE commits to develop two Falcon 7X full-flight simulators and complete training programs for the aircraft. CAE also commits to build two full-flight simulators convertible between the Falcon 2000EX EASy and Falcon 900EX EASy as well as complete training programs for those aircraft.
Proposed Rules Bell 222 and 230 helicopters -- Inspect the main-rotor yoke for a crack, fretting or buffer deterioration. If such damage is found, replace the yoke with an airworthy one before further flight. Dassault Falcon 20 airplanes -- Inspect and test the vertical posts of window frames in the flight compartment for fatigue cracking due to stress corrosion.
NAC Aviation, the U.K. distributor of Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft, has relocated its sales office from Farnborough Airport to Oxford Airport near London.
Although sales of previously owned, turbine-powered aircraft traditionally take a break during July and August, the market upturn experienced during the spring is expected to continue even after many used-aircraft dealers and brokers return from their summer vacations.
Forecast International projects Cessna to be the market leader in unit production during the 2004-2013 forecast period, with production of 3,268 business jets, representing a market share of 30.2 percent. Next in volume will be Bombardier with 1,699 aircraft and a 15.7-percent share, and then Eclipse Aviation with 1,317 jets and a 12.2-percent share. Gulfstream and Raytheon are expected to tie for fourth place, with production of 1,083 business jets each, which translates into a 10-percent market share for each. When the market is measured in U.S.
Despite its Washington ADIZ proposal, the FAA said it would deny the DOD's request to convert 11 TFRs over military establishments into permanent prohibited areas. The FAA had already released two NPRMs to establish prohibited areas over submarine facilities in Bangor, Wash., and Kings Bay, Ga., before making the about face. The AOPA has been pushing the FAA to make the TFRs ``national security areas,'' which pilots would be advised to avoid.
AvCraft, which took over the rights of the Dornier 328 turboprop and jet, is to restart full-scale production of the 328JET in January 2005 with the first roll-out scheduled for April and first delivery in June. ``We have moved from a survival situation into pre-production mode, and have financing in place to produce 15 aircraft in 2005,'' said CEO Ben Bartel. So far the company has booked orders for eight Envoy 3 corporate jets and six options from the United Kingdom's Bookajet and Hainan Airlines of China's follow-on order for 20 328JETs.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla., has added Fulbright Scholar Siobhan Tiernan to its faculty for the 2004-2005 academic year. Tiernan is a lecturer in aviation management in the Kemmy Business School at the University of Limerick, Ireland. In addition, Embry-Riddle has promoted three administrators to newly created vice president positions to form a university-wide External Relations unit: John Metzner is vice president of External Relations; Darryl Niemeyer is vice president of Corporate Relations; and Dr.
The next time somebody asks you about general aviation, use this! GAMA has launched a Web-based Media Guide to General Aviation and Its Airplanes. The association intends the guide to be a research tool for the news media and others -- the others are all of us when the neighbor asks that particular question. It includes detailed information on nearly every airplane model since 1946 including range and speed, the total number of airplanes shipped to date, and the date it received FAA certification. Photos are available for leading current production models.
Cessna Aircraft has been preparing for the rebounding market described by Forecast International (see page 11), gradually recalling its bargaining unit employees who had been furloughed during the economic downturn. Cessna will have recalled the last of the bargaining unit employees by the end of this month and plans to increase its employment base to 11,000 by year-end. Cessna employment had dipped below 10,000 when the company slowed production.
There are now 92 G200s in service, and Gulfstream, which expects to deliver the 100th aircraft later this year, is continuing to enhance the systems offerings on the airplane (see side column). The Gulfstream 200 got off to a slow start as the namesake airplane of Galaxy Aerospace, but it is finding broader market acceptance as part of the Gulfstream product line. When General Dynamics, Gulfstream's parent, agreed to buy Galaxy three years ago, fewer than 20 Galaxy business jets had been delivered. *
