The Xian MA 60, 56-seat twin turboprop made its first trip outside China to attend the Singapore Air Show. According to the manufacturers, the MA 60 (MA for Modern Ark) has now entered service with launch customer Sichuan Airlines of China.
An eight-seat Gippsland GA 8 Airvan flew into Asian Aerospace, Singapore in late February to make its international debut. Airvan deliveries started just over 12 months ago to operators in the manufacturer's native Australia. According to the Victoria-based company, 20 aircraft have been ordered by scenic/tourist flight operators in the last six months. The first export machine will soon start operations in Belize.
The NAL Hansa side-by-side two-seat trainer is in production and certified by DGCA under FAR Part 23 via JAR-VLA. The aircraft is India's first all-composite aircraft to be certificated. Three production aircraft are flying with two Indian air academies. The company says that the turbocharged 100-hp Rotax 914F3-powered aircraft is being offered to the country's National Cadet Corps.
Edited by David RimmerMike Vines, in Birmingham, England
BBA Group's profits appear to have been dented, but not entirely erased by the 9/11 tragedy. As one of the biggest corporate aviation players, its 2001 Preliminary Audited Results give a glimpse of the aftereffects of this tragedy on the corporate aviation scene. The company that owns Signature Flight Support and which acquired ASIG, the Barret Turbine Engine Co. and Priester in 2001, says in its annual report that the closures of U.S. airspace immediately after Sept. 11 affected both its business aviation and commercial divisions.
Guns in the cockpit is a contentious subject that has generated nearly 7,000 comments to a recalcitrant Transportation Security Administration and DOT. Attempting to break the logjam, the Air Line Pilots Association's (ALPA) president, Capt. Duane Woerth, signed and filed a formal petition for rulemaking with the DOT.
The National Aviation Hall of Fame will induct four pilots during ceremonies in Dayton, Ohio. Honorees will be: Frank Piasecki, who made America's second successful helicopter flight in 1943 and started Piasecki Helicopter Corp. in 1946; James Stockdale, U.S. Naval aviator and a prisoner of war in North Vietnam from his shootdown in 1965 until 1973, who was a U.S.
The FAA presented Ken Forester, founder of Million Air Teterboro, with the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic award. Named after a mechanic for the Wright Brothers airplane, the Charles Taylor award recognizes aviation maintenance personnel who have at least 50 years of experience in the industry. Forester earned his private pilot's license in 1939 and a mechanic's license in 1946 after serving as a test pilot in the Army Air Corps. He started Mallard Air Service in the 1940s and founded General Aviation in Teterboro, N.J., in 1958.
Women in Aviation International's (WIAI) annual conference convened in Nashville in mid-March with a hopeful group of members, exhibitors and recruiters. Some 3,000 people attended -- roughly the same number as in 2001. In the aftermath of 9/11 and furloughs across many aviation businesses, the mood was hopeful this year that hiring would soon return to previous levels. The theme of this year's meeting was, appropriately enough, ``Keys to the Changing Dynamics of Aviation.
If you feel that corporate aviation maintenance technicians do not receive national recognition for all of their advanced training, then you might want to attend the Westchester Aircraft Maintenance Association (WAMA) meeting on May 9 in Mount Kisco, N.Y. A proposal will be presented to attendees for the formation of a coalition of associations, OEMs and training providers that would recognize the corporate technician who continuously attends maintenance training.
Saying air traffic levels would remain depressed through the remainder of the year, the FAA forecast a strong recovery among airlines and business aviation operators in 2003 and beyond. The outlook was contained in the agency's annual Commercial Aviation Forecast, released in mid-March. According to the report, the agency expects the number of turbine aircraft to increase 3.5 percent annually through 2013, with the number of flying hours to increase at a rate of 4.1 percent.
The first of five Bombardier ASTOR Global Express aircraft for the United Kingdom's airborne stand-off radar program is in Greenville, Texas, for airframe modification and equipment installation, expected to be completed in 2003. The remaining four aircraft will be modified and completed in Great Britain.
Air Charter Guide's latest survey showed another 17-percent increase in charter bookings in January, which continues the trend begun after service recommenced following 9/11. The survey covers 102 U.S. charter operators and brokers.
For the second time this year, the FAA has proposed a substantial fine against American Eagle for alleged safety violations. The proposed $1 million penalty results from the airline ``operating nine aircraft on 514 flights . . . when they were not in compliance with the company's oil consumption monitoring program.'' According to the agency, the Saab 340B flights took place between May and August 1998 and may have led to 11 takeoffs being aborted ``as a result of low oil pressure . . . caused by low oil quantity.''
Stuart Oran, the founding president of Avolar, United Airlines' fractional ownership startup, resigned suddenly in March, with the parent company assigning two senior executives to begin ``pursuing a new business plan'' for the company. A newcomer to business aviation, Oran spent seven years as a United executive, most recently as senior vice president -- international.
In an attempt to broaden the market for transcontinental charters using heavy jets, Jet Aviation has launched 1-Way Coast-to-Coast, offering one-way, on-demand charter flights between Teterboro and Van Nuys, Calif., for a fixed price.
UVglobal Network's new agreement with AVEMEX, located at Mexico's Toluca International Airport (MMTO), adds the FBO to Universal Weather and Aviation's approved international representation network. UVAVEMEX includes a hangar facility with more than 50,000 square feet that can house up to 20 transient and based aircraft. The FBO will provide weather forecasting, trip services, flight tracking, crew accommodations and full ground services. The UVair contract fuel program, UVdatalink air-to-ground communication and several other Universal services also will be available.
The DOT announced an action plan to address GPS vulnerability and reliability issues raised by the department's Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in a report issued in September 2001. In a telephone briefing, Mike Shaw, the DOT's director of radio navigation, stated that the department embraced the report's concern about using GPS as a sole source of ``safety of life'' navigation without a backup. Shaw further stated that the DOT accepted all of the report's recommendations and was launching an action plan to address them.
Edited by David RimmerMike Vines, at Coventry Airport, England.
Midwest Executive Aviation Ltd. has taken over operation of the former Atlantic Executive Aviation FBO located on the south side of Coventry Airport, West Midlands, United Kingdom. With the acquisition, Midwest has become the only FBO on the airport. ``Since the change of ownership, we've already handled four BBJs, Gulfstream IVs, some KLM Fokker 50s and Fairchild Dornier 328Jets,'' said Craig Middleton, Midwest's operations director.
In a mid-March vote, the ICAO Council passed a resolution condemning the destruction of Gaza International Airport (LVGZ). In December 2001 and January of this year, Israel used bulldozers to damage the airport's single runway, although the airport had already been closed to air traffic since February 2001 as violence in the Middle East escalated. Prior to the closure, LVGZ was home to Palestine Airlines, which operated two 48-seat Fokker 50s and a single Boeing 727-200. The airline had also ordered two Bombardier Q300s and two CRJ 200s.
The Chinese-made Y-12E powered by PT6A-135A engines has been certified by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), according to an announcement by Pratt&Whitney Canada. Over 100 Y-12s of various flavors have been delivered to users in China and 20 other countries. The -135A version of the engines gives the Y-12E improved hot-and-high performance over previous models. P&WC engines power two other versions -- the U.S.-certified Y-121V and the U.K.-certified Y-12II. Y-12s are designed and manufactured by Hafei Aviation Industry Co. of Harbin, China.
DeCrane Aircraft has announced that it will phase out production at its Stuart, Fla., plant that manufactures the Dettmers brand of aircraft seating, tables and hinge products, and move production to its Peshtigo, Wis., facility, which currently makes DeCrane's Omniglide seating models and other products. DeCrane Aircraft claims its executive and specialty-seating products are on 75 percent of the world's business aircraft.
Edited by David RimmerMike Vines, in Birmingham, England
A question being asked in the United Kingdom is, ``Is it a good idea to have a group of seven airlines running the country's national air traffic control system?'' The answer is, ``maybe not.'' The Airline Group, which paid the U.K. government more than $1 billion for 46 percent of National Air Traffic Services (NATS) in 2001, is now asking the same government department (the Department of Transport Local Government and the Regions) for an estimated $85 million ``bridging loan,'' less than 10 months after their operations began.
The Iowa legislature is considering eliminating all funding for state aviation programs in the 2003 budget. After hearing of the budget cuts, Michelle McEnany, director of the Iowa DOT Office of Aviation said, ``I put on my battle gear and we stormed the capital, demanding that they add in funding for our programs.'' In fiscal year 2000, aviation in Iowa generated more than $8 million for the general fund through sales/fuel taxes and registration fees. Out of that, the state paid $2.5 million for aviation programs.
Now looking to the long-term future after its failed merger with General Electric, Honeywell has named TRW chief David M. Cote to serve as president, CEO and member of the company's board of directors. Cote succeeds Lawrence A. Bossidy, who will remain chairman and a board member until June 30, when he will relinquish both positions and Cote will become chairman.
