Category: BizJet

Win a Refurbished 1975 Cessna 150M in Puget Sound Flyers Sweepstakes

Puget Sound Flyers is giving away a fully refurbished 1975 Cessna 150M. The group is raising money to help young people go to school helping those who have survived maybe cancer.

The imagine that child living in a family of limited means who financially took a big hit with their child going through treatment. Children and families who are not so fortunate are “why we are building our charity to help these young people get to college or trade schools with scholarship money,” the group says.

Their goal this year is $10,000.00 scholarships to the neediest but hardest working young people who beat the odds.

You can purchase a ticket at this link:

https://go.eventgroovefundraising.com/e4e313

Buy one for $20 or six for $100 and maybe you’ll be flying your own 150 for that magic $100 hamburger!

Peterson Awarded ND Aviation Mechanic of the Year

Erik Peterson, lead maintenance technician for Bismarck Aero Center, has recently been awarded the ND Aviation Mechanic of the Year. The award was voted on by the ND Professional Aviation Mechanics Association (NDPAMA) and awarded to Peterson during the Hall of Fame Banquet at the annual Upper Midwest Aviation Symposium in Minot, ND. He is the 5th aviation maintenance technician for Bismarck Aero Center to win the award.

Peterson is a former graduate of the University of North Dakota and has been a licensed A&P (airframe and powerplant) mechanic for 16 years. He has been with Bismarck Aero Center for the nine years where he earned his Inspector Authorization (IA) rating. In 2014, he was promoted to Lead Maintenance Technician and oversees maintenance technicians at the Bismarck Airport as well as the Mandan Airport.

“Erik has been a key piece of our success over the years,” states Bismarck Aero Center CEO Jon Simmers. “He is an outstanding co-worker and developed himself into a leader for our region’s aviation industry. I am very proud of what he has been able to accomplish and happy that all his hard work is being recognized.

Duncan Expands Airframe AOG Teams

Duncan Aviation has announced that the company has developed larger and dedicated Airframe Aircraft On Ground (AOG) teams at each of its main facilities in Lincoln, Nebraska; Battle Creek, Michigan; and Provo, Utah. In Lincoln, there are eight airframe rapid response technicians ready to respond “at a moment’s notice” the company says.
“The team is capable of going on road trips just about anywhere with a moment’s notice,” Tyler Spurling, Lincoln AOG airframe team leader, says. Team members travel by road or air to assist their customers as quickly as possible. They bring the tooling and supplies necessary for the job and focus on getting the customer back in the air as quickly as possible.
At the Battle Creek, Michigan, facility, Duncan Aviation has six total team members who are part of the AOG team. Four focus on airframe, one is an engine technician and there is an avionics technician. The team cross-trains with one another whenever they can. Five of the six currently are 91.411/413 Certified, which allows them to work on altimeter system and altitude reporting equipment tests and inspections, and can handle a wide variety of avionics AOG services. This team consists of veteran Duncan Aviation team members with 130 years of combined Duncan Aviation experience. Forrest Ferdon is the BTL AOG Team Leader and has been with Duncan Aviation for 30 years.
Regarding the equipment and capabilities for the trips involved, Ferdon says, “The team has three vehicles for road trips, two portable mules, and an Air Data tester, so plenty can be handled without impacting a customer’s hangar.”

The FAA General Aviation Survey is Open Now

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) 42nd Annual General Aviation (GA) and Part 135 Activity Survey is open February 24 to July 10, 2020. This voluntary survey is distributed by mail to a representative sample of GA and on-demand Part 135 aircraft owners and operators. Survey participants may complete the survey online or by mail.
The survey estimates the size, primary use, and flight hours of the 2019 general aviation fleet. This information enables the FAA to track the success of our safety initiatives and to better serve the GA community by evaluating pilot’s access to the equipment and services that they rely on to navigate and fly safely.The survey is four pages long and takes 10 to 30 minutes to complete. Individual responses are kept confidential to the extent permitted by law. The FAA receives and publishes only data aggregated to a level where individual responses are no longer identifiable. The independent research firm, Tetra Tech, is conducting the survey on the FAA’s behalf. Tetra Tech will mail out the surveys, process responses, analyze the results, and maintain custody of individual responses.

Survey results will be posted on the public website by January 2021.

If you have questions, contact the GA Survey help line, at 1-800-826-1797, or email: infoaviationsurvey@tetratech.com or the FAA at GASurvey@faa.gov.

Air Plains Services to Feature New Avionics Lines at AOPA Fly-In in San Marcos

Air Plains Services, a world leader in general aviation engine and avionics upgrades, will feature its newest avionics packages as well as its industry leading line of Cessna engine upgrade STCs at the AOPA Fly-In in San Marcos, Texas, May 29-30.

“We’ve added new lines of avionics components in the past year as well as new parts and services we are eager to share with customers in San Marcos,” said Katie Church, head of marketing for Air Plains. “We are very excited to showcase our new online store. The design makes it easy for people to see at a glance our FAA PMA parts, along with a photo and a list of approved models, making it easy for customers to make a decision while purchasing replacement parts.”

The company will have a flight line exhibit featuring two aircraft: a Cessna 180XP with a 300 hp upgrade, a new custom instrument panel, and a new composite propeller that is expected to gain STC approval in the near future (watch for more news soon); and a Cessna 182XP, also featuring a 300 hp upgrade along with a tip-to-tail refurbishment that was managed by Air Plains Services.

The 182XP on display, N182AP, was a milestone aircraft for Air Plains as its 500th 300 hp XP upgrade. The complete story of the project written by owner Mike McRobert was featured in a three-part series in Cessna Flyer in 2018.

In the past year, Air Plains added Dynon, Guardian and BendixKing (including TruTrak) avionics to its array of avionics suppliers including Avidyne, Genesys, Appareo, L3 and Aspen, giving Air Plains advisors even more options to pair with a customer’s unique requirements.

Air Plains recently gained Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) from the Federal Aviation Administration to manufacture new replacement airboxes for a variety of Cessna 180, 182 and 188 aircraft. The airbox, Part Number APS0750144-33, is certified for use on Cessna 180s produced since 1960 (C thru K), Cessna 182s produced from 1959 thru 1986 (B thru R), and Cessna 188s produced from 1966 thru 1975 (thru B).

Earlier this month, Air Plains launched an online store for many of its STC and PMA parts including the new PMA certified airboxes. The store is at https://shopairplains.com/.

Air Plains is well-known for its popular 180, 260 and 300 horsepower engine upgrades for Cessna 172, 180 and 182 aircraft which can be installed by Air Plains or shipped worldwide.

The XP line of upgrades consists of a 300 hp upgrade for Cessna 182 H through R model aircraft, a 300 hp upgrade for Cessna 180s, a 300 hp upgrade for Cessna retractable gear models R182, and two 180 hp upgrades for a large number of Cessna 172 models. The company also offers STCs for a 260 hp upgrade for Cessna 182 S and T model aircraft and a 260 hp upgrade for Cessna RG182.

AviationManuals Starts 2020 with 62 Fortune 100 Flight Departments and Expanded Services

AviationManuals ended 2019 with an expanded product line, record revenues and now supports a client base that operates over 4,500 aircraft worldwide, including 62 Fortune 100 company flight departments. Leading the surging interest were new digital operations manual offerings and a growing engagement with ARC, the company’s iPad app for Safety Management System (SMS), according to the company.

“We are adding around 700 new clients per year and we’ve had double digit revenue growth now for four consecutive years,” said CEO Mark Baier. “Not only was 2019 another great year, but AviationManuals also began the new year with a nearly 90 percent increase in January 2020 sales volume compared to January 2019,” he added.

ARC SMS App Popular with Part91 Operators

“The iPad app for our ARC Safety Management System was downloaded 1,500 times in 2019 alone, and we have twice as many ARC users now as two years ago,” Baier said. “Flight departments use us and our software to make managing their manuals and SMS easy.”

With a current active client base operating around 4,500 business aircraft, AviationManuals says it has established itself as a dominant provider of aviation operations manuals and digital support for worldwide business aviation. The number of digital subscribers to the company’s popular International Operations/Procedures Update service now tops 1,000.

2019 an Active Year

In 2019, AviationManuals joined forces with the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) to make IS-BAO certification more convenient, expanded its offerings with a new FBO manual, released an LOA guide, and unveiled an EFVS package for pilots. Additionally, the company increased its staff over 30 percent during the year and moved into its new larger headquarters near Washington, D.C. to help support its expanded product line and additional clients.

 

Hartzell Engine Technologies’ Plane-Power “FlySafe” FS Series Alternators Available for Immediate Delivery

Representatives of Hartzell Engine Technologies (HET) announced that the popular Plane-Power FS Series (FS1-14/FS1-14B), lightweight alternators are in-stock and available for immediate delivery.

“We are very happy to again be able to deliver this proven and extremely popular FlySafe FS Series alternator to the experimental aircraft market,” Keith Bagley, president, Hartzell Engine Technologies said. “So many builders today are installing full-digital avionics suites including autopilots, so they need a reliable source of backup electrical power. The FS1-14 is the solution they want.”

“Its lightweight (6.0 pounds), compact size and flexible installation, on either Continental or Lycoming engines, makes it the ideal alternator solution for a wide variety of kit-built aircraft,” he said. “Another feature that customers like is, depending on the builder’s needs and aircraft configuration, the FS1-14B alternator can be used as the aircraft’s primary power source.”

About the FS Series alternator:

  • Power rating for the FS1-14B: 14.2 volts
  • Power rating for FS1-14: 13.6 volts
  • 30 amps continuous power output at actual Continental or Lycoming engine cruise power settings
  • Internal regulators and over-voltage protection
  • Simple installation on any AND 20000 pad (vacuum pad) on Continental and Lycoming engines.

For more information about the Plane-Power FS Series alternators visit: https://planepower.aero/product/experimental-aircraft-alternator-kits/

Superior Air Parts’ Response to the NPRM Issued by FAA Regarding Certain Crankshafts in Lycoming-360 style Reciprocating Engines

Representatives of Superior Air Parts, Inc., announced today that the company is aware of the FAA’s recent notice of proposed rulemaking (NRPM) concerning a proposed airworthiness directive (AD) for Superior Air Parts (SAP) model O-360, IO-360 reciprocating engines, and certain Lycoming Engines model AEIO-360, IO-360, and O-360-series reciprocating engines.

“Unfortunately, we were only informed of the proposed rule two-weeks ago. Since then, we have been in contact with the FAA regarding their findings to fully understand the issue and identify the most likely cause of the failures,” stated Scott Hayes, VP of sales and marketing Superior Air Parts, Inc. “Our engineering team is currently reviewing all of the available information, and once we have determined the actual cause, we can work with the FAA to determine the most logical course of action.”

Hayes said that the FAA estimates the AD would affect 115 crankshaft assemblies installed in U.S. registered certified aircraft.

“All I can say for certain is that it is still just too early to form any type of conclusion about what caused these three crankshafts to fail the way they did,” stated Bill Ross, VP of product support, Superior Air Parts, Inc. “We want every one of our customers to know that we put safety ahead of everything and will do everything in our power to find the root cause as soon as possible.”

Hayes said that the affected crankshafts were all produced by a specific Superior Air Parts vendor between 2012 and 2014, with the following parts numbers: (P/N) SL36500-A20 or P/N SL36500-A31, with serial numbers 82976-01; 82976-02; SP12-0003 through AP12-0089, inclusive; SP13-0034 through SP13-0150, inclusive; or SP14-0151 through SP14-0202, inclusive.

The crankshaft assemblies were installed as original equipment on new Superior Air Parts Model O-360 and IO-360 engines, and as replacement parts under Parts Manufacturer Approval (PMA) on certain Lycoming Model AEIO-360, IO-360, and O-360 engines.

Click here to see the FAA NPRM.

For more information, please contact:

Scott Hayes, VP Sales and Marketing: 972.215.6992 or Bill Ross, VP Product Support: 214.395.9183

Gulfstream to Build Service Center at Fort Worth, Texas Alliance Airport

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced it will expand its operations in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area with the construction of a service center at Fort Worth Alliance Airport. The facility, which will complement Gulfstream’s presence at Dallas Love Field, is expected to open by the fall of 2021 and will create approximately 50 new jobs.

To help meet the needs of its growing customer fleet, Gulfstream will invest more than $35 million to build a nearly 160,000-square-foot/14,864-square-meter maintenance, repair and overhaul facility at Alliance. The building will include hangar space, back shops and employee and customer offices. Groundbreaking is scheduled for the third quarter of 2020.

Approximately 150 to 200 of Gulfstream’s 230 Customer Support employees at Love Field are expected to relocate to Alliance, about 35 miles away, while about 30 to 80 employees will remain at Love Field to continue to provide on-site and transient operators with maintenance and service. Gulfstream’s midcabin aircraft completions business in Dallas, which includes about 350 employees and five hangars, will remain at Love Field.

“Alliance Airport is a great location,” said Derek Zimmerman, president, Gulfstream Customer Support. “It is an established airport for business aviation operators, has an outstanding infrastructure and is appropriately sized for our operations. It is also the home of a growing aviation school, which will help us continue to develop both new and existing employees.

“The additional maintenance capacity we can provide at Alliance, the state-of-the-art facility and substantial job creation are great news for our customers, our employees and the community.”

“We warmly welcome Gulfstream to the AllianceTexas aviation and aerospace community,” said Mike Berry, president of Hillwood, developer of AllianceTexas. “As one of the world’s most respected aerospace companies, Gulfstream becomes part of Fort Worth’s storied history of aviation and aerospace innovation. Their expansion here will allow them to leverage specialized area aviation training programs and provide them with access to a sizable talented workforce in a unique environment that fosters further growth. We look forward to a long relationship and sharing in their continued success.”

Attending the expansion announcement event at Alliance were state and local dignitaries, including U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, as well as personnel from Tarrant County College’s Erma C. Johnson Hadley Northwest Campus Center of Excellence for Aviation, Logistics and Transportation. The school’s 163,500-sq-ft/15,190-sq-m facility at Alliance is home to a Federal Aviation Administration-approved maintenance program.

Gulfstream opened maintenance facilities in 2019 in Appleton, Wisconsin; Savannah; and Van Nuys, California; and will open two more this year in Palm Beach, Florida; and Farnborough, England. The company’s in-service fleet is more than 2,900 aircraft worldwide. More than 50 Gulfstream aircraft are based in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Alliance, the site of major Amazon and FedEx shipping operations, was considered the country’s first industrial airport when it opened in 1989. More than 300 flights a day come in and out of the airport, including business jets, military, cargo and general aviation traffic.

Alliance Airport is part of AllianceTexas, a 26,000-acre development in northeast Fort Worth and home to more than 500 companies.

DOT Office of Drug and Alcohol Release Policy and Compliance Notice about CBD Products

With changes to the laws regarding the hemp plant and the rise in popularity in products containing CBD extract, Cannabidiol, the Department of Transportation has released a notice giving guidance in their use.

The notice says that while “hemp-derived products containing a concentration of up to 0.3% tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) are not controlled substances” any product with a concentration of 0.3% THC remains classified as marijuana which is a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act.

Anyone working in safety-sensitive positions are still subject to drug testing specified under 49 CFR part 40 (Part 40). There are also cards which help people buy medical marijuana when needed. If you have found a medical marijuana card, you can easily give the card to a physician tracing it back to its owners. These positions include pilots, school bus drivers, truck drivers, train engineers, transit vehicle operators, aircraft maintenance personnel, fire-armed transit security personnel, ship captains, and pipeline emergency response personnel, among others. The guidance implies that using products such as CBD oil for pain could result in a positive drug test for THC/marijuana including CBD Lotion. It also cautions those in safety sensitive positions to verify the contents of all products prior to use as some new products that contain CBD may not clearly indicate that on the label.

The Muse Treatments drug rehab programs also says, “The labeling of many CBD products may be misleading because the products could contain higher levels of THC than what the product label states. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not currently certify the levels of THC in CBD products, so there is no Federal oversight to ensure that the labels are accurate.” And that it “remains unacceptable for any safety-sensitive employee subject to the Department of Transportation’s drug testing regulations to use marijuana. Since the use of CBD products could lead to a positive drug test result, Department of Transportation-regulated safety-sensitive employees should exercise caution when considering whether to use CBD products.” CBD products include oils, supplements, lotions, healthcare items and food products and are being sold in grocery stores, health food stores, salons and spas and online.