CHICAGO FIRM FIRST WITH PART 135 ECLIPSE VLJ
North American Jet Charter Group at Chicago Executive Airport in Wheeling, Ill., on Tuesday received FAA approval as the first U.S. Part 135 very light jet (VLJ) operator using an Eclipse 500. Operations are expected to begin Wednesday under the company moniker “Q,” for Quintessential Traveler service that offers an air limo at half the traditional charter rate, according to North American Jet. "Today begins a new chapter in aviation history," said North American Jet Charter Group President Ken Ross. "With the operating efficiency of a VLJ like the Eclipse, the flexibility and productivity benefits previously available only to company presidents and CEOs are now available to virtually any business traveler." Pricing has initially been based on one-way fares with no daily minimums for aircraft usage or overnight charges. North American Jet claims that up to three travelers will enjoy all the benefits of first-class travel on their Eclipse 500s for about the same rate as a one-way first-class airline ticket. More...

GARMIN: G1000 STILL SAFE TO FLY
Garmin is aggressively working with suppliers and OEM partners to resolve an issue with the G1000 unit and resume deliveries, the company said in a statement on Tuesday. The problem stems from a sudden increase in failure rates during recent flight tests of new GRS 77 AHRS (Attitude Heading Reference System) units used in G1000 installations, the company said. A component failure in the GRS 77 results in a continual "red-x" of attitude information on the primary flight display. "After communication with Garmin's OEM partners and the FAA, it was determined that in all G1000 installations, continued safe flight can be conducted with the stand-by attitude indicator and other available instruments," the company said in a statement. "If pilots should experience a failure of the GRS 77 AHRS, they should follow standard procedures and refer to the standby attitude indicator." At Cessna, production has continued despite the G1000 problems, director of corporate communications Doug Oliver told AVweb on Tuesday. More...

SPECTRUM UPGRADES S-33, FAST TRACKS S-40
Spectrum Aeronautical's S-33 Independence very light jet will be even faster, roomier and have a better than 2,725-nm range mostly due to a switch in powerplants from the Williams International FJ33A-4A-12 to the more powerful FJ33-4A-19. The airplane is also now scheduled for certification behind its larger GE Honda HF120-powered sibling, the S-40 Freedom. According to Spectrum, the engine upgrade increases the eight-place S-33's thrust-to-weight ratio (which had already been projected to be the highest of any business jet) and improves efficiency through better fuel specifics. A cabin redesign accounts for increased cabin space, upsizing the maximum diameter from 58 inches to 60 inches. More...

NETJETS NAMES NEW EJM HEAD, EYES CHINA MARKET
On Tuesday, Berkshire Hathaway-owned NetJets named Benjamin Murray as president and CEO of its aircraft charter and management subsidiary Executive Jet Management (EJM). Murray replaces Albert Pod, who held the top spot at EJM since 2000. A spokesman told AVweb that NetJets has made the decision to explore the concept of expanding its business to China, and Pod will manage this project full time. "Mr. Pod has been deeply involved in NetJets' previous explorations of the China market and brings expertise and relationships to his new role," the spokesman said. Before his latest appointment, Murray spent two years as the vice president for new business development at fractional provider NetJets, and the four previous years as vice president of sales for EJM. According to NetJets Chairman and CEO Richard Santulli. More...

TAIWANESE LAWMAKER: SELL SINO SWEARINGEN
Lin Yu-fang of Taiwan's Nationalist Party this week has demanded that his government sell its majority share of Sino Swearingen Aircraft. The San Antonio-based aircraft manufacturer received FAA certification for its SJ30 twinjet in November 2005, some nine years after the Taiwanese government acquired a stake in the company. However, Sino Swearingen has experienced numerous production problems and to date has delivered only one airplane. Yu-fang maintains that investing in the company was a big mistake, but the irony is that Taiwanese officials' influence in placing homegrown executives with little or no aviation experience at Simo's helm actually caused many problems at the airframer, according to sources. So far, Sino Swearingen has failed to raise additional money and the Taiwan legislature is unlikely to approve further funding. More...

VIVA LA LABACE
The Latin American Business Aviation Conference and Exhibition (LABACE) made a comeback late last week after the 2006 event was canceled due to airport construction at Congonhas Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Like the previous three LABACE shows, this year's three-day event was held in Sao Paulo and jointly organized by the U.S. National Business Aviation Association and Associacao Brasileira de Aviacao Geral (ABAG). According to the two groups, a record 33 business airplanes and helicopters were on display at the static area, and 69 Brazilian and foreign exhibitors showed off their wares in the exhibit hall. Aircraft at the static display ranged from a Cirrus SR22 piston single to larger jets such as the Gulfstream G550. At least 4,000 visitors -- mostly business aviation industry professionals -- were expected to attend, though no official attendance number is yet available. In 2005, nearly 5,000 people attended the event. More...

BOMBARDIER EXPANDS LATIN AMERICAN SERVICE NETWORK
Bombardier Aerospace last Friday officially opened a new spare parts depot near Sao Paulo, Brazil’s busy Congonhas and Guarhulos International Airports to better serve Latin American operators of its Learjet, Challenger and Global business jets. The new 3,000-sq-ft depot, operated by Armazéns Gerais Columbia, will house some 2,300 individual high-demand parts, totaling over 75,000 pieces worth about $7 million. According to Bombardier, the facility ­ the fourth new parts facility to be opened in the past two years after Chicago, Frankfurt and Dubai -- will also support the company’s commitment to improving counter-to-counter AOG parts delivery worldwide. The Bombardier network also includes parts depots in Montreal, Beijing, Sydney and Singapore. More...

FAA UPDATES ICING RULES FOR NEW TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT
The FAA has published a final rule that introduces new airworthiness standards for evaluation of performance and handling of Part 25-certified airplanes in icing conditions. The FAA through this action intends to require "the same maneuvering capability requirements at the minimum operating speeds in the most critical icing conditions defined in appendix C of Part 25 as are currently required in non-icing conditions" and make the U.S. and European airworthiness standards more synchronous. The amendment requires manufacturers to investigate during airworthiness certification the susceptibility of designs to tailplane stall due to ice contamination, with particular attention paid to flap and gear configuration changes. More...

DASSAULT EXPANDS LIT CENTER, MULLS BRAZIL FACILITY
Dassault Aircraft Services on Tuesday announced expansion plans for its Little Rock (Ark.) Service Center that will double the facility's square footage when completed later next year. Groundbreaking for the nearly $10 million project will be in the third quarter, and the new hangar will be able to accommodate up to six additional aircraft and will feature a new "back shop" capacity -- light refurbishments of aircraft interiors and structures. Meanwhile, on Friday Dassault said it has convened a development team to explore building a company-owned Falcon service center in Brazil that would include full technical support capabilities, maintenance, parts, training and engineering support. The company says no timeline for a final decision has yet been set, but notes that several sites are being considered. More...

FAA OFFERS RISK ASSESSMENT TOOL
The FAA is advising operators to become familiar with risk assessment tools [as described in Advisory Circular (AC) 120-92], which "create numerical thresholds that trigger additional levels of scrutiny prior to a go/no-go decision for the flight." The tool works by facilitating the identification of known hazardous parameters particular to the flight and assigning a fixed associated risk value for each parameter. For example, if a flight is assigned to a captain with less than 200 hours in type, that adds a risk value of five. If the flight will be flown to an airport with no published approaches, that adds four to the overall risk value. More...

SAINT-TROPEZ MUZZLES HELICOPTER OPERATIONS
According to reports from Reuters, French authorities have limited helicopter flights to Saint-Tropez after receiving numerous aircraft noise complaints. The decision to close the helipad that accounts for about 30 percent of helicopter traffic to the exclusive resort came after a voluntary agreement failed to curb the number of flights, local official Francoise Souliman told Reuters. Helicopters are frequently used to avoid traffic jams in the resort town, as well as provide transport to villages and marinas along the coast. "There's a shocking noise at all times of the day and they're quite often flying over the marinas at Gassin, so you've got helicopters flying very low," Souliman said. The voluntary agreement drafted last year allowed approximately 1,200 flight movements a year and regulated flying times during the day. However, Souliman claims that 5,000 flights had been registered between June and August last year. More...

IJM STRETCHES WEST, ACQUIRES PYLON
International Jet Management (IJM) has acquired Pylon International, expanding IJM's operations to the West Coast. IJM provides charter, management, sales and maintenance services, while Pylon is a Part 135 charter operator based out of Van Nuys, Calif. IJM hopes to use Pylon's fleet of light through large-cabin jets to create cost savings for its combined East and West Coast operations while incorporating the aircraft management skills established by Pylon. Pylon executives will "play key roles in the day-to-day operations of IJM's new West Coast operations," with Andrew Kane acting as executive vice president and director of IJM Holdings. More...

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