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It seems difficult to imagine that so much could happen in a
single 12-month span. Not surprisingly, this review only scratches
the surface, touching on highlights that have punctuated the last
year's ups and downs in Business Aviation.

Players like Eclipse Aviation and Adam Aircraft, looking strong
as contenders in the industry, failed to reach their full
potential. But there were successes, despite the economy's fickle
roller-coaster ride, particularly Embraer and Socata, who proved
their mettle in going the distance...
January
- Eclipse Aviation
rang in the New Year with the announcement it has produced
and certified 104 Eclipse 500 very-light jets since December 31,
2006, making Eclipse the fastest general
aviation jet aircraft manufacturer in history to produce its first
100 airplanes...
- A Piper PA-31
Navajo went down shortly after takeoff from Alaska's Kodiak
Airport, impacting in a harbor just off the end of the
runway; six of the ten persons aboard perished. Reports indicate
the aircraft may have been attempting to turn back to the airport
when it went down...
- Adam Aircraft completed a
successful series of environmental tests of the
A700 very light jet at the McKinley Climatic
Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. During the five day
testing exercise, the A700's Williams FJ-33 turbofans were exposed
to freezing fog, freezing rain and blowing snow...
- The 2008
TBM 850 six-seat business aircraft was unveiled by Chairman
and CEO Jean-Michel Léonard during a "Discovery
Show" held at the company's factory in Tarbes, France. Upgrades to
the latest TBM 850 variant included its Integrated All-Glass Flight
Deck, based on the last-generation Garmin G1000 system...
- Bombardier
announced the Learjet 85, formerly known as the Learjet
NXT, will be built by Grob Aerospace in Germany --
starting with three prototypes. It will be the first Bombardier jet
to feature an all-composite structure, and will also be the first
all-composite business jet designed for type certification under
FAR Part 25...
- Hawker Beechcraft Corporation announced the
FAA certification of the new Beechcraft King Air
C90GTi, the latest evolution of the popular
twin-turbine Beechcraft King Air 90 series aircraft. It features an
advanced, fully-integrated, Collins Pro Line 21 avionics
suite...
- After receiving
numerous comments from both private and commercial
operators of the Mitsubishi MU-2B turboprop -- as well
as owner representatives, and the plane's manufacturer -- the FAA
intends to go forward with its call for a Special Federal Aviation
Regulation calling for new pilot training, experience, and
operating requirements for the speedy aircraft...
- Cessna Aircraft Company announced it will
proceed with developing a large cabin, intercontinental
aircraft to add to the top of its line of Citation business
jets. The Textron Board of Directors gave Cessna the
approval for the program during the board's first meeting of
2008...
- In an updated factual report,
the National Transportation Safety Board says
poorly-coordinated maintenance practices by overworked maintenance
personnel may have contributed to the fatal March 27, 2007 downing
of a Robinson R44 operated by Silver State
Helicopters. The NTSB noted the helicopter had just
come out of maintenance, and was missing attachment hardware to its
control system...
February
- A Rockwell
Sabreliner 265 bizjet struck the propeller of a Cessna
Caravan while taxiing on the ramp at Fort Lauderdale
Executive Airport, setting off a chain of events that resulted in
four wrecked aircraft, covered in fire-fighting foam...
- Cessna revealed
details of its recently-announced large cabin,
intercontinental aircraft, the Model 850 Citation
Columbus, designed for intercontinental travel with a target range
of 4,000 nautical miles at Mach .80, carrying eight passengers...
- Adam Aircraft Industries
suspended operations at its facilities in
Colorado, due to the inability of the company to come
to terms with their lender for funding necessary to maintain
business operations...
- Hawker Beechcraft Corporation
achieved FAA certification for the newest aircraft in the
Hawker family, the new light-midsize Hawker 750. It
utilizes the fuselage and wings of the midsize Hawker 800-series,
providing the largest cabin in the light-midsize aircraft
segment...
- The National Transportation Safety Board released its preliminary report on the February 1
crash of a Cessna Citation near Augusta, ME. The
accident claimed the lives of businesswoman Jeanette Symons, and
her 10-year-old son, Balan. NTSB investigators said Symons appeared
to be confused about her surroundings from the time she started
taxiing for takeoff until her final radio call to controllers just
before the crash...
- Former Cessna exec
Russ Meyer III joins Hawker Beechcraft
Corporation as director of new product development. In
his new role, he will be responsible for a number of new product
development programs, including the management of risk sharing
partners...
- Dassault announced its
sales and financial results for 2007. For the
third consecutive year, Dassault set a record for Falcon business
jet sales with 212 firm orders worldwide...
- Eclipse Aviation announced the
FAA has certified the new Eclipse Aviation Weather Radar
System, a color radar system designed by Eclipse and
Japan Radio Co., Ltd...
- Police in Albuquerque, NM
apprehended two men on charges of pointing a high-intensity
laser at a department helicopter, the second time in
three years a police helicopter has been targeted over the
Southwestern city...
March
- Enstrom Helicopter Corporation
announced the latest addition to its North American dealer
network, Travland Helicopters of Austin, TX. Enstrom
noted Travland already sold and delivered its first aircraft, a
fully loaded 280FX Shark, to a private customer in Dallas...
- Honda Aircraft Company
announced the expansion of sales of its HondaJet throughout
North America, with a direct sales and US service
support plan for Canada, and the selection of a retail sales and
service representative for Mexico...
- TrueNorth Avionics, Inc.
completed its first MagnaStar upgrade on a Gulfstream
aircraft, working with Duncan Aviation to install the
Simphone (pronounced 'symphony') airborne telecommunications system
at Duncan's Battle Creek, MI, facility. The Simphone Duo system
included three easy-to-use, menu-driven handsets, along with PBX
functionality and two all-digital channels of integrated Iridium
service for worldwide voice and data...
- Gulfstream Aerospace
announced the introduction of its all-new Gulfstream
G650 ultra-large cabin business jet, which offers the
longest range (7,000 nautical miles), fastest speed (0.925 Mach),
largest cabin and the most-advanced cockpit in the Gulfstream
fleet...
- Western Aircraft began work to launch a
full-service "Interior Re-Completion Center" this
spring at its Boise, ID facility by spring 2008. The
shop will provide interior upgrades on large business jets and
turboprop aircraft...
- Dassault announced
the delivery of the first new Falcon
2000DX to a customer in the Western United
States. The standard-equipped Falcon 2000DX has exceptional airport
performance, with a low approach speed of 112 kts and the ability
to land with the fuel tanks nearly full -- allowing short hops from
city to city to pick up passengers and then continue on long
missions without refueling...
- A Bombardier Challenger
made haste back to Colorado's Grand Junction Regional
Airport after the cabin door fell off the aircraft
shortly after takeoff. According to the FAA Preliminary Report, the
aircraft entered downwind for Runway 29 at the airport, squawking
7700. Tower controllers were apparently caught a bit off guard at
first, but things became clearer when "as [the plane] rolled past,
the tower noticed the main cabin door was missing..."
- It was one year ago that
Hawker Beechcraft Corporation took the helm of two leading
aircraft manufacturers, obtaining the storied Beechcraft and Hawker
aircraft lines from former owner Raytheon. The company
reports a record backlog in 2007, record international sales, an
increased workforce to over 9,000 employees, and an expanded
product line with five new aircraft certified during the year...
- Reports of the
downing of a Cessna Citation 501 business jet in
Farnborough, England said two former automobile racers
were among the five victims onboard the stricken aircraft. The
Citation I had departed Biggin Hill Airport in Kent, bound for Pau,
France. The jet was less than five miles away when the pilot issued
a mayday call, and attempted to steer the plane back to Biggin
Hill...
April
- Less than two months after
Adam Aircraft Industries announced it would enter Chapter 7
liquidation, a possible buyer has emerged that might
allow the A500 inline piston twin aircraft and its A700 VLJ sibling
to return to the skies...
- Cessna announced it
will build the Citation Columbus plant in
Kansas, a $780 million investment that will create
1,010 new direct jobs with an annual payroll of $74 million...
- Pilatus Aircraft
announced the receipt of EASA and FAA certification for its
PC-12 NG. The NG features a fully integrated Honeywell
Primus Apex avionics system, a completely new cockpit designed by
BMW Group DesignworksUSA, and a more powerful Pratt & Whitney
Canada PT6A-67P engine...
- Embraer
formally introduced its new midsize Embraer MSJ and the new
midlight Embraer MLJ. An estimated $750 million will
be invested in research and development for the new models,
expected to enter service in the second semester of 2012 and 2013,
respectively...
- Business Jet Technologies
announced its 60th Quiet Technology Aerospace Stage 3 Hush
Kit installation was completed on a Gulfstream IIB
business jet. Now free to access airports with Stage 2 noise
abatement restrictions, the aircraft equipped with the QTA kit will
also provide passengers with a quieter cabin than ever
before...
- A subpoena was filed by the
Superior Court of California in Santa Clara County ordering
Google to provide information about 29 anonymous posters to the
"Eclipse Aviation Critic NG" attack blog, hosted by
Google Blog service. Eclipse wants to know if some or all of those
posters are current or former employees or others bound by
non-disclosure agreements with the company...
- The
FAA took legal action to overturn a ban on Category C and D
jets at California's Santa Monica Municipal Airport.
The ban was passed unanimously by Santa Monica City Council in
November, and would include many popular business aircraft --
including the Gulfstream IV, Challenger and Citation X -- with
approach speeds of 121 knots or more...
- Employees at
Cessna celebrated the roll out of the first production
Citation XLS+ at the company's primary design and
manufacturing facilities in Wichita, KS. FAA certification is
expected by mid-year, with deliveries starting before the end of
2008...
- Embraer's
Phenom 300 successfully took to the air on its maiden
flight from the company's Gavião Peixoto test
runway. In the coming months, the first Phenom 300 will participate
in the flight test campaign along with three additional Phenom 300
jets and is expected to enter service in the second semester of
2009...
May
- Eclipse Aviation announced it has
received certification to register and operate the Eclipse
500 in India and Australia, and anticipates receipt of
EASA certification later this year...
- The NTSB issued its
preliminary report on a Citation Mustang runway
accident at McClellan-Palomar Airport, Carlsbad,
California. After landing long, the plane sustained substantial
damage following the pilot's intentional ground loop maneuver. The
pilot said the PFD and the autopilot failed en route, and he was
'fatigued' on landing...
- A
University of Wisconsin Hospital Med Flight crew was
lost when their helicopter crashed in LaCrosse, WI
shortly after takeoff...
- Embraer
announced plans to invest an estimated $50 million for the
establishment of a new facility in Melbourne, FL
dedicated to its executive jets business, and creating
approximately 200 skilled positions by 2011...
- XOJet Inc.
bucked the recent trend of fledgling aircraft operations
experiencing problems with obtaining investment
capital after securing $2.5 billion in financing from Canada and
the Middle East...
- The
2008 NATA Air Charter Summit on June 10 will provide
exclusive insight into emerging threats to charter
operators from the illegal drug trade. William C. Brown, Special
Agent in Charge of the US DEA Aviation Division, will discuss the
increased focus on air charter, and how operators can best ensure
they are not targets of drug runners...
- FlyRight Inc. received
FAA certification as the country's newest 142 Flight
Training Center. FlyRight's 142 Training Center
certification enables the company to offer initial, ATP, and
recurrent training programs entirely in-house, using its King Air
B200 and Raytheon 1900D Level-C full motion simulators...
-
Effective immediately, new orders for the Eclipse 500 are
priced at $2.15 million, in June 2008 dollars. The
planemaker blamed the hike in part on escalating costs to produce
the 500, many tied to the current slump in the US dollar, and
production issues to date...
- At the company's
10th Anniversary "E-rrival" owners gathering,
Eclipse Aviation announced the single-engine Eclipse Concept Jet,
rebranded the Eclipse 400, will be brought to market in late 2011,
and current customers will have the first shot at reserving their
own jets...
June
- As part of the
Optimal and Friendcopter program, primarily
concerned with the reduction of noise pollution, Eurocopter
conducted research into the reduction of aerodynamic noise through
the development of active noise control systems for main rotors,
and reduction of engine noise through studies on engine
integration, the shape, position and design of tail pipes and the
air intake...
- With FAA approval in hand,
construction will begin August 1 on runway 10L/28R at
Flying Cloud Airport in Eden Prairie, MN as part of a
$20 million project to improve accommodations for corporate
jets...
- The FAA granted
type certification to Cessna's Citation XLS+. The
plane features a fully integrated Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21
avionics suite and electronically controlled (FADEC) engines from
Pratt & Whitney Canada...
- North American Jet Charter Group, LLC
announced the delivery of its first Florida-based Eclipse
500 very light jet, available for on-demand air-taxi
and charter. Based at Boca Raton Airport, the two pilot / four
passenger VLJ offers service to the Bahamas and other regional
destinations...
- The NTSB
formally issued two urgent recommendations to the
FAA to address a safety issue, concerning a failure
that resulted in uncontrollable engine thrust in an Eclipse 500 and
the lack of emergency procedures developed for that failure...
- Hawker Beechcraft announced the first delivery of its flagship Hawker 4000 super-midsized
business jet to customers Gary and Donna Hall, one
week after the composite-bodied bizjet received final certification
from the FAA...
- On June 5,
all static load testing was successfully completed on the
first Proof-Of-Concept airframe, bringing the PiperJet
one step closer to its first flight...
- The IAM, up in arms over
alleged plans by Hawker Beechcraft to establish a full
aircraft assembly plant in Chihuahua, Mexico,
criticized the company's five-year plan, dubbed "Project Pelican,"
decrying plans to conceal the scope of the plan from the public,
the press and employees at Hawker Beechcraft's Wichita, KS assembly
plant...
- Linear Air announced the
launch of its Eclipse EA500 flight service in the greater
New York City area, touting the economy of the Eclipse
500 as a major selling point to potential customers. In addition to
cost-savings, Linear Air said it serves 10 times more airports than
traditional commercial airlines...
July
- An investigation underway by the
DOT Inspector General involves allegations that the FAA's
certification of the Eclipse 500 very light jet in
2006 came despite safety concerns raised by the engineers and test
pilots who evaluated the plane...
- Pratt & Whitney's
Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine has completed Phase II
ground tests, and has been cleared for flight testing
on Pratt & Whitney's 747SP flying testbed. Reductions in
fuel burn, engine noise, environmental emissions and operating
costs make the Geared Turbofan engine a viable solution for the
next generation of commercial aircraft...
- ANN's
Aero-TV crew caught up with Vern Raburn right after he gave
the public go-ahead for the Eclipse 400 program, and
got some juicy details in a VERY FRANK discussion...
- The NTSB released its
preliminary report on the June 29 midair
collision of two emergency medical service helicopters
near a hospital in Flagstaff, AZ. Four persons onboard one Bell 407
and three aboard the second 407 were killed when the aircraft
collided on approach to land at Flagstaff Medical Center...
- Funded by a
grant from the FAA, the National Air Transport
Association announced the availability of a toll-free
hotline for certificated operators to report suspected illegal
commercial activity...
- For planemakers,
the bad news is that demand for private jets in the United
States has measureably softened as the US dollar's
value has fallen, and credit tightened. The good news is that other
markets have grown at a rate that is lessening the impact of
declining sales in the US...
- Vern Raburn
left the helm at Eclipse Aviation accompanied by a
two-minute standing ovation from those in attendance
at a press conference at AirVenture 2008. "These things happen in
the world of business," Raburn told ANN after the applause wound
down...
- At least
seven people are reported lost following the crash of an
East Coast Jets Hawker 800 on landing at Owatonna
Degner Regional Airport in Minnesota. FAA officials identified the
flight as East Coast Jets 81, inbound from Atlantic City,
NJ...
- An
Eclipse 500 VLJ involved in a crash near Brandywine Airport
near West Goshen, PA was attempting to land when it
overshot the runway, and skidded into a treeline off the departure
end of runway 27. The two persons onboard, the pilot and his young
daughter, were not injured...
August
- AAI Acquisition,
the Russian-backed successor to the former Adam Aircraft
Industries, announced at AirVenture 2008 it plans to
resume efforts to certify the A700 twin-turbofan, very-light jet --
at the expense of the A500 piston twin...
- The situation was tense
outside the gates at Hawker Beechcraft's plant in Wichita,
KS, with over 100 machinists on strike, working to
prevent employees from crossing the picket line...
- Embraer,
seemingly on a roll lately, confirmed it eliminated some
250 management and administrative jobs, as part of a
larger restructuring effort...
- Boeing
completed work on the first BBJ 3, a larger
business jet based on the Boeing Next-Generation 737-900ER. Next
stop is at DeCrane Aircraft in Georgetown, DE, where it will
receive its long-range auxiliary fuel system and a heads-up
display...
- German planemaker
Grob Aerospace filed for insolvency, citing
delays in the development of its all-composite Grob spn very light
jet. "Under the circumstances, our current loan provider has
elected to discontinue their support..."
- A
Congressional hearing will be held next month to review the
type certificate issued to Eclipse Aviation for the
EA500 VLJ, following claims by some certification workers the jet
was issued its TC by the FAA long before it was ready...
- A tragic
accident killed all 10 persons on board as a Beech King Air
A-100 impacted the ground close to the runway shortly
after departure from the Canyonlands Field airport, approximately
18 miles northwest of Moab...
- Nearly 5,000 members of the
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace
Workers in Wichita and Salina, KS will soon return to work at
Hawker Beechcraft, after winning a new contract that
increases pay by four percent each year, while preserving health
care benefits and the rights of new hires...
- Gulfstream Aerospace
recently became the first Original Equipment Manufacturer
to receive approval from EASA for all of its aircraft equipped with
the Gulfstream Enhanced Vision System to obtain
operational credit for continuing approaches to 100 feet..
September
-
Enstrom's 480B, a carefully updated and accomplished
turbine helicopter may be one of the industry's best
kept secrets, but Aero-TV was pleased to see that the secret seems
to be finally giving way to more attention for a solid
rotorcraft...
- A Bell 212 helicopter
carrying foreign contractors crashed on takeoff from an
offshore oil platform off the coast of Dubai, claiming
all seven people onboard and sparking a fire on the platform that
halted production indefinitely on the Rashid oil field, one of four
located off the coast of the United Arab Emirates...
- The FAA agreed to
act on the recommendations of a team that reviewed the
agency's certification of the Eclipse 500 very light
jet. The team found the airplane was certificated in accordance
with safety regulations, but said policies and communication
procedures used during the VLJ certification process could be
improved...
- There's little argument that
Cessna Aircraft Company has been good to Wichita,
KS, and on the Wichita City Council has returned the
favor, by authorizing a $5 million loan to assist with the
planemaker's Citation Columbus business jet...
- Bombardier announced it has
opted to build the upcoming composite jet on its
own, "given the uncertainty surrounding Grob's
insolvency" Grob Aerospace has "accepted" that Bombardier has
cancelled the agreement with the company to continue the
development of the Learjet 85 primary and secondary structure...
- Details are
sketchy about the downing of a Learjet 60 business jet on
takeoff from Columbia Metropolitan Airport in South
Carolina. Both of the business jet's pilots were lost
in the accident, as were two of the four passengers onboard.
Officials said the two survivors of the crash are former Blink 182
drummer Travis Barker, and Hollywood party DJ Adam Goldberg...
- The
Queen of England is reportedly in the market for a private
jet, for exclusive use by the Royal Family... and its
pets. For a price tag of seven million Pounds (nearly $13,000,000
US), designs from four major aircraft manufacturers -- Learjet,
Hawker Beechcraft, Cessna and Gulfstream -- have reportedly been
requested...
- A
Maryland State Police medevac helicopter crashed outside
Washington, DC, claiming the lives of four people
onboard, including the pilot... but a fifth passenger survived. The
helicopter was attempting to return to Andrews Air Force Base to
avoid inclement weather, instead of continuing on to a
hospital...
- Despite
tremendous growth in the business aircraft market in recent
years, the question on the minds of nearly everyone in the industry
concerns how long the good times will last. Experts
say warning signs are appearing that seem to indicate that a market
downturn is on the way...
October
- A
Gulfstream G-IV was seized in a July 16 raid at John Wayne
Airport. The FBI said the plane was used to distribute
ecstasy, cocaine, methamphetamine and other controlled substances
from 1999 to 2007...
- Embraer will display its
upcoming Phenom 100 VLJ and Phenom 300 light jet at NBAA
2008. The two new aircraft will join Embraer's Legacy
600 on the ramp at the Orlando Executive Airport...
- Gulfstream Aerospace announced at
NBAA 2008 the introduction of its newest super mid-size
business jet, the Gulfstream G250. An update to the
Israel Aerospace Industries-sourced G200, the G250 will offer the
largest cabin and the longest range at the fastest speed in its
class...
- Diamond Aircraft
has flown its D-Jet for the first time with the new
Williams FJ33-5A engine, "an important milestone for
the D-Jet program," said Peter Maurer, President of Diamond
Aircraft...
- In a
follow-up report on a recent Learjet 60 crash, the NTSB
noted tire debris was found along the 8,600-foot runway at Columbia
Metropolitan Airport, further supporting a working
theory the Learjet's flight crew may have attempted to abort
takeoff due to a blown tire...
- Pilot
John Downhower and photographer Dave Garrett were
killed when their Bell 206L-4 Long-Ranger helicopter
crashed as it flew to the scene of a police-involved shootout near
Magnolia, TX. Both were employed by Houston ABC affiliate
KTRK...
- The
Airship Ventures Zeppelin NT, on its way from Texas to
California, will be the largest airship flying in the
US. Once in the San Francisco Bay Area, the airship will offer the
only passenger airship flight service in America, offering
"Flightseeing" tours...
- An
orphaned fleet of 28 Eclipse 500 jets parked in
Gainesville, FL following last month's collapse of air taxi company
DayJet may soon have new homes. Light aircraft
fractional provider OurPLANE tells ANN it has submitted a bid to
purchase the aircraft...
-
Forecast International has projected that production of the
Eclipse 500 will soon end. The research firm believes
the aircraft's manufacturer, Eclipse Aviation, will not attract new
investment necessary to allow it to continue making the aircraft
beyond the first quarter of 2009...
November
- Aero-News has confirmed
Eclipse Aviation has pulled its planned booth and static
display from this year's AOPA Expo in San Jose, a sign
the company is circling the wagons as it continues to search for
badly needed investment funding...
- The rush hour
downing of a Lear business jet into a crowded Mexico City
neighborhood claimed the lives of all onboard,
including two prominent officials in the Mexican government...
- Aerospace workers who may have
recently been let go from their jobs at Cessna or Hawker
Beechcraft in Wichita, KS were encouraged to attend a
job fair to be held by Piper Aircraft, currently in search of
experienced engineers to work on the PiperJet...
- Since 1938,
Executive Beechcraft, Inc. has been an integral part of the
Kansas City and St. Louis communities. In recognition of the firm's
70-year anniversary, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius
and Missouri Governor Matt Blunt declared November 15, 2008 to be
Executive Beechcraft Day...
- Aero-News has
obtained court documents from a filing for Chapter 7
liquidation made by now-defunct air taxi operator
DayJet...
- Top
executives from Detroit's Big Three automakers appeared
before Congress to ask for a $25 billion industry
bailout... but instead were dressed down for their lavish travel
expenses to Washington, arriving in private jets...
- A complaint filed with the
Department of Transportation's Office of the Inspector
General has sparked a FAA investigation into the
operation and maintenance of helicopters used by the Maryland State
Police...
- Eclipse Aviation
announced it is seeking court approval for
debtor-in-possession financing and procedures for the
sale of most of its assets under Section 363 of the US Bankruptcy
Code...
- EADS Socata CEO Jean-Michel Léonard
ceremonially placed the first stone for the industrial
center of EADS Socata's Moroccan subsidiary, Socaero.
The 54,000 sq.ft facility will work on elements for the Airbus A320
and A340, Eurocopter's AS 350/355 helicopters, the Dassault
Aviation Falcon 7X business jet, and Socata's own TBM 850 business
aircraft...
December
- Executives at
Ford Motor Company and General Motors caved in and bowed to
public pressure and announced they will sell off their
business jet fleets...
- Embraer
broke ground on its first US aircraft assembly plant and
customer center at Florida's Melbourne International
Airport. Present at the ceremony were Florida Governor
Charlie Crist, Melbourne City Mayor Harry Goode, along with Embraer
President & CEO Frederico Fleury Curado...
- The Brazilian Air Force investigation into the September 29, 2006 mid-air collision of a
Gol Airlines 737 and an Embraer Legacy 600 put much of the blame
squarely on the two American pilots of the Embraer,
stating they had inadvertently switched their transponder to
standby mode...
- For the first time in over a year,
there's been an accident involving a Mitsubishi MU-2
turboprop aircraft. The pilot, who was injured in the
crash, had problems shutting one engine down. It took several
firefighters, spraying foam into the nacelle, to bring the turbine
to a halt...
- Embraer
announced the FAA has certified the Phenom
100, and first deliveries will begin next week...
- Customers of
Eclipse Aviation announced the formation of an Ad Hoc
Customers Committee to represent owners and position
holders...
- The NBAA
announced its inaugural Light Business Airplane Conference
that will take place in San Diego, CA has been scaled back from a
three-day conference to a two-day conference in
response to the strained economy...
- The NBAA announced that
economic conditions have led to the cancellation of the
Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition in
2009, originally scheduled to take place in Hong Kong
in February...
- Ed Bolen,
president of the NBAA, wrote a carefully-worded rebuke to
Associated Press writer Stevenson Jacobs, whose
December 21 article questioned the wisdom of corporate execs
continuing to fly on business jets, over more 'economical'
options...
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