AKERS...EUROPE’S ETS PROVES TO BE A FIASCO FOR OPERATORS...NEWSMAKERS...PLATINUM JET EXECS, EMPLOYEES INDICTED...NEWSMAKERS...START-UP FRAX JET REPUBLIC F O L D S . . . N E W S M A K E R S . . . F A A A C T S Q U I C K L Y I N NEWSmak2009ers

INSIDE:

I Sully’s splashdown pg 22

I The recession takes its toll pg 22

I Santulli ejects from NetJets pg 23

I Negative portrayal of bizjets pg 23

I Northwest pilots overfly MSP pg 23

I Europe’s ETS proves a fiasco pg 24 S R E

T JetDirect collapse pg 24

U I E R / D I SULLY’S SPLASHDOWN: TSA revises LASP proposal pg 24 M I R E D C M

Colgan crash ignites questions pg 26

N I A

D A story of redemption for pilots N E

R pg 26

B I NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR I Hudson River midair pg 28

K C I Platinum Jet workers indicted pg 28

N I P

hen Capt. Chesley “Sully” going to be in the Hudson.” E O K Sullenberger brought the aft Only a fellow pilot, aware of the slim odds Jet Republic collapses pg 30 M I I belly skin of his US Airways for putting an down in water without J Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger (left) and FAA approves Waas upgrades pg 30 WAirbus A320 into contact breaking apart in the process, can fully appre- brought some glory I with the cold water of New York’s Hudson ciate the enormity of what confronted Sully to the pilot profession. River on January 15 and pulled off a mag- and his first officer, Jeffrey Skiles. nificent emergency ditching after Canada Was it the Airbus’s fly-by-wire flight then TEB would be out of reach. FBW became fixtures in the media and the image geese had choked the life out of both control system that saved the day, as couldn’t scrutinize the cliffs of the Palisades of the airline pilot enjoyed renewed luster. engines, he restored to the piloting profession William Langewiesche asserts in his latest or the towers and span of the George Wash- But it was at an NTSB hearing in June that an aura of cool skill and professionalism book? Perhaps it helped, but sorry, old ington suspension bridge or the densely 57-year-old Sullenberger tackled the more that had been sullied by decades of acci- friend, I firmly believe that many a lesser populated region over which this predica- serious task of telling the harsh truths dents blamed on pilot error. Indeed, within airline pilot would have made a hash of that ment was unfolding. Two pairs of human about his deteriorating profession in an era months of Sully’s splashdown, an accident emergency, FBW or no FBW. Along with eyes surveyed that grim array of options and of longer working hours, lower pay and (the Colgan Q400 disaster near Buffalo in Skiles, Sully deserves all the praise he has Sully’s vision illuminated the decisions that corporate disregard for the intangible qual- February) and an incident (the Northwest received for an unmitigated feat of superb saved the lives of 153 people in the back. ification known as “experience.” No one in “laptop affair” Minneapolis overshoot) judgment and airmanship. Fly-by-wire Satisfying the public’s yearning to meet 2009 was more qualified to occupy that swiftly tarnished the fresh luster. didn’t make the decision that first LGA and the “Hudson Heroes,” Sully and Skiles pulpit than Sullenberger. –N.M. But God bless Sully for showing a world wearied by bad news what good old-fash- ioned piloting can achieve in an era when among the massive inventory of pre-owned the profession of airline pilot has been dis- The recession takes its toll business jets. tilled to a job centered more on monitoring From Bombardier came news that more automation than on stick-and-rudder finesse. By November 2008, it was obvious that for new , and flight hours fell further. than 100 employees will avoid layoffs next Like the pilot who deadsticked an Air Canada despite the best efforts of the drivers and Among the manufacturers, who were year following a job-sharing agreement 767 onto the disused runway of a former most ardent wishes of the passengers, the the last industry segment to feel the blow, with the union. And Greenwich, Conn.- RCAF base in Gimli, Manitoba, in July 1983 economic bus was headed over the cliff. healthy order backlogs began to wither in based private jet travel specialist Citation- after a fueling dipstick error at the departure And as weeks passed, it became appar- December as credit became scarce and Air has announced it will recall 16 of 85 airport silenced both engines en route, Sully ent that with the bus still falling and no customers canceled orders. pilots placed on furlough. counted gliding among his flying experience. bottom in sight, the business aviation As the recession deepened, business But the bottom is still there, and it’s The engines of the A320 sucked in Canada industry was facing a recession–one that activity fell 10 percent, then 20 percent, still bumpy. geese at 2,800 feet scant seconds after takeoff quickly spread across the Atlantic to and in some cases as much as 30 percent. In a late November release, Forecast from New York La Guardia Airport. With Europe, then to , India and China Aircraft manufacturers began cutting pro- International predicted production of ap- power severely compromised, Sully alerted and most recently into the Middle East. duction, followed by implementing layoffs proximately 825 aircraft in 2009, 738 in controllers that he would be returning to La On-demand charter hours had begun to and furloughs in unprecedented numbers. 2010 and 716 in 2011. The Guardia but soon realized those runways were drop, even as early as the summer of Now, some 15 months into the reces- Manufacturers Association third-quarter out of reach. “What’s over to our right? Any- 2008, and that drop continued into 2009, sion, signs of a recovery remain elusive. numbers show deliveries down thing in New Jersey, maybe Teterboro?” he as did interest in fractional ownership. But they are there, however slight. 37.8 percent compared with the same period asked. With his altitude dwindling, that, too, A decision by the big three automobile Since September, the number of total in 2008, and numbers from Berkshire Hath- soon vanished as an option. manufacturer CEOs to fly to Washington, flight hours has increased. The improve- away showed its NetJets subsidiary suffered After some discussion by controllers D.C., on their company jets in November to ment has not lasted long enough to be a loss in revenues of 42 percent (about $1.5 about rolling the crash trucks at TEB, Sully ask for bailout money from the federal gov- called a trend, but it is encouraging billion) in the first nine months of 2009. said, “We can’t do it.” ernment resulted in a public black eye as nonetheless. And used aircraft brokers One thing with regard to the economic “OK, which runway would you like at Congress and the media piled on. The fall- have watched as anxious buyers who are state of the industry is certain: it will Teterboro?” asked a controller. Sully calmly out was predictable and flight departments able to obtain credit, or who have sufficient remain a major story through this year and announced in his last transmission, “We’re began closing, companies canceled orders liquidity, have begun slowly cherry-picking probably well into next. –K.J.H.

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and built a successful helicopter leasing Frax founder company called RTS Helicopters. Buying EJA, a company run by ex-military brass with a passion for record- Hello? Hello? Northwest pilots Santulli keeping, gave Santulli access to a treasure trove of data for every flight the company overfly Minneapolis destination ejects from had operated in the past 20 years and allowed him to devise the fractional con- cept–a model that has fueled a 20-year Not long after Capt. Chesley “Sully” air traffic controller twice asked the NetJets bonanza for the OEMs but in the context Sullenberger helped restore the good pilots why they hadn’t answered radio of the current economy is now under name of the piloting profession with his calls for more than an hour. The pilots Individually last year there was no taller scrutiny as being flawed. extraordinary water landing in the Hud- first simply blamed “cockpit distrac- toppling in business aviation than that of Speculation at the time of his depar- son River, a pair of Northwest tions.” When asked to elaborate, one of NetJets founder and chairman Richard ture from NetJets was that Warren Buf- pilots did their part to remind the general the pilots responded that they were “deal- Santulli, who on August 4 announced his fett was distressed by Santulli’s reluc- public of its shortcomings with perhaps ing with some company issues.” resignation from the fractional tance to bring costs in line an equally extraordinary act of distrac- The pilots later said that they became company he had been building with revenues by letting go tion while flying 144 passengers between involved in trying to determine how to since he acquired Executive the people who had built his San Diego and Minneapolis. use new software for submitting work Jet Aviation in 1984. company, and the layoffs Although the October 21 incident schedule requests. Northwest employees The kid from Brooklyn that followed the appoint- remains under investigation and the two have had to learn Delta Air Lines proce- who had taken his first air- ment of Berkshire Hathaway pilots have appealed the FAA’s revoca- dures instituted as a result of Delta’s plane ride at the age of 21 (en stalwart David Sokol to re- tion of their licenses to fly, the flight’s takeover of Northwest last year. During route to his honeymoon in place Santulli lent credence captain, Timothy Cheney of Gig Harbor, the flight, Cole had been attempting to Puerto Rico), and whose goal to this theory. Wash., and first officer, Richard Cole of explain the software program to Cheney, in life then was to make the In March last year, in an Salem, Ore., admitted to investigators they said. L

lofty sum of $25,000 a year, L interview with Plum TV’s Be- that they became distracted while work- Since the incident, the Senate intro- O M

eventually sold his company L yond the Boardroom, Santulli ing on their laptop computers, causing duced two separate bills to ban the use E G I

to Warren Buffett for $725 N singled out his greatest achieve- them to fly past their destination air- of laptops in cockpits. Although the pro- million in 1998–and kept his Richard Santulli ment at NetJets as “inspiring port–Minneapolis-St. Paul International– posals include exemptions that would job running the show. the culture of the company.” by 150 miles. Not until a flight attendant allow electronic devices and computers In the interim since his first airplane He also recalled his mother’s advice contacted them on the intercom to ask used to operate the aircraft or to ride, Santulli had been a Brooklyn Poly- that “God will not be outdone in generos- about the flight’s status did they realize enhance safety, the Air Transport Asso- technic math professor and worked for ity,” a credo that inspired Santulli to be what they had done. ciation opposes such legislation and Shell Oil, but he balked at relocating to the driving force behind the Intrepid By then, the Airbus A320 had trav- FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt has Houston and quit the oil company to join Fallen Heroes Fund, which enlisted radio eled to a point 37,000 feet over warned against overzealousness on the investment bank Goldman Sachs as a personality Don Imus to shame the gov- ; only then did the pilots turn part of lawmakers. quantitative analyst, writing computer pro- ernment into greatly boosting the the airplane around and finally land Pilots and the airlines alike have grams for corporate acquisitions, leasing compensation paid to the families of mil- safely in Minneapolis. raised concerns that such laws could aircraft to airlines and arranging helicopter itary personnel killed in action, and Transcripts and audio files released by stifle technological innovation and hin- financing. He left Goldman because “I funded a rehab center in San Antonio for the FAA in November indicated that an der safety. –G.P. wanted to see if I could do it on my own” injured vets. –N.M.

message that business aircraft are good for improving image of business jets as reporters Alphabets and OEMs tackle business. Behind the scenes, Bolen and who only a year ago might have followed GAMA president Pete Bunce pressed the the bizjet-bashing crowd today are writing politicians to stop bashing the industry, editorials pointing out how companies can negative portrayal of bizjets pointing out that it generates $150 billion a benefit from corporate aircraft. NBAA, year and supports more than a million U.S. GAMA and the manufacturers deserve a The coordinated response by NBAA, continued “lavish” lifestyles even as their jobs. Leaders for the trade groups and busi- good deal of the credit for helping to sway GAMA and business jet manufacturers to companies failed lay in tatters as politi- ness jet makers even asked White House public opinion by presenting their side of critics who chose to make business aircraft cians and other news outlets latched onto officials to tone down the rhetoric. the story. –S.P. a high-profile symbol of all that’s wrong on one of the bigger side stories to emerge The result has been a slowly but steadily newsmakers continues on next page u Wall Street ranks as one of the biggest sto- from the financial meltdown. ries we covered in the last year–in part After the hearings on Nov. 18, 2008, because of how successful the counter p.r. Ross peppered the CEOs with questions HANDOFFS uuu effort turned out to be. about the companies’ airplanes. “Are you PIPER: JOHN BECKER HAWKER BEECHCRAFT: The trouble all started with a report by prepared to sacrifice your private jet, sir?” ABC News correspondent Brian Ross the he asked of Ford’s Alan Mulally, who to KEVIN GOULD SCHUSTER to BOISTURE day after chief executives for Detroit’s ducked out of the room without respond- This past year has been tumultuous for Piper Hawker Beechcraft tapped industry veteran embattled automakers flew to Washington, ing. “You’ve got your big jet parked here,” Aircraft, starting with sale of the company Bill Boisture Jr. as its new chairman and CEO in by American Capital on May 1 to Imprimis, a March, replacing Jim Schuster, who retired after D.C., to ask for federal bailout money. The Ross said to GM CEO Rick Wagoner. corporate finance and invest- an eight-year stint at the segment lasted less than four minutes, but “Could you not have flown commercial?” ment management firm that Wichita-based aircraft manu- by the time it was over the reputations of Wagoner muttered something about an ear- operates from offices in Bang- facturer. Boisture’s business “luxurious private jets” and the CEOs who lier meeting before exiting. kok, Singapore and Brunei aviation career includes turns The criticism didn’t stop with the Darussalam. On December 1, as president of fractional automakers as the corporate jet fleets of Piper CEO Kevin Gould took provider NetJets and aircraft other distressed firms came under intense on the role of president, fol- manufacturers Gulfstream and Kevin J. Gould Bill Boisture Jr. media and political scrutiny. lowing the resignation of John Hawker predecessor British In March last year NBAA and GAMA Becker. Imprimis’s plans for Aerospace Corporate Jets. He resurrected the “No Plane, No Gain” ad- Piper include expanding the was also chairman and CEO of vocacy program, launching a series of company’s market penetra- Butler Aviation, the forerunner S S E E L L tion in the Asia-Pacific market of Signature Flight Support. A A television and newspaper ads that made the S S O O R R and supporting continuing More recently, he was the

case for business aviation in terms the pub- O O N N development of the single- president of aircraft lessor A A I

I lic could understand. NBAA president Ed R R A A John Becker engine PiperJet. –M.T. Intrepid Aviation. –C.T. Jim Schuster M M Bolen was a frequent guest on TV news Ed Bolen Pete Bunce programs, where he hammered home the

www.ainonline.com • January 2010 • Aviation International Newsaa23 2009 NEWSmakers u continued from preceding page TIMELINE... Europe’s ETS proves to be a fiasco for operators I 2008 Dec. 18 Schweizer 434 makes first flight. Twelve months ago many of the busi- The ETS is based on the fairly straight- to have made no preparations whatsoever ness aircraft operators who had any forward principle of “polluter pays.” Yet to handle the MRV registration process. So I 2009 intention of flying in European airspace somehow, Europe’s bureaucrats have misman- when operators tried to contact them they Jan. 4 A PHI-operated Sikorsky S-76C++ were probably still blissfully unaware of the aged the introduction of ETS with an array of found, quite literally, that no one would crashes near Morgan City, La., killing continent’s new emissions trading scheme confusing, self-contradictory claptrap that answer the phone or respond to e-mails. eight of nine people aboard. (ETS), despite the fact that the European even the finest minds in the U.S. Internal Rev- One of the shortcomings in the ETS reg- Jan. 5 Eric Hinson, who served as president Commission had given at least a couple of enue Service would struggle to deliver. istration process is the fact that the EC’s lists and CEO of Piaggio America, years’ notice of its intention to extend the Having set a deadline for registering MRV of aircraft and operators–supposedly drawn leaves the company to become cap-and-trade system to aviation. Begin- plans by August 31, the European Com- from Eurocontrol flight-planning data–are executive vice president at ning this month (Jan. 1, 2010), ETS mission then dragged its feet until August inaccurate and confusing. For example, FlightSafety International. becomes a reality with the start of a bench- 22 before publishing the actual lists of many aircraft are shown as being registered Jan. 6 White House names Lynne Osmus marking period for measuring and reporting operators subject to ETS and to which of the to the service provider who files the opera- acting FAA Administrator, replacing carbon emissions. The full process of moni- 27 European States they would be required to tors’ flight plans on its behalf. The EC is Bobbie Sturgell. toring, reporting and verification (MRV) report. Authorities in the UK, Sweden, Italy preparing to issue revised lists of operators coupled with the requirement to trade in and Germany at least extended the deadline and aircraft next month. Operators hope this Jan. 7 Embraer Lineage 1000 gets FAA approval. carbon credits to cover actual emissions for a few more weeks. The other national will clear up much of the confusion, but

does not start until January 2012. However, agencies and the EC itself maintained a based on the performance of European offi- Jan. 8 Daher Group confirms that French and significant numbers of business aircraft wall of silence and left operators baffled by cialdom during 2009 this remains doubtful German antitrust authorities have operators have failed to meet deadlines the requirements and fretting over the pos- at best. In the meantime, officials are quietly approved its taking over 70 percent of Socata, with EADS retaining the just to register their MRV plans with Euro- sibility of being fined and, ultimately, having conceding that they don’t actually intend to remaining 30-percent share; Embraer pean authorities and theoretically could their aircraft seized for noncompliance. follow through with the threat of fines for receives FAA type certificate and already be facing hefty fines. (See article Another major problem was that author- noncompliance, further undermining confi- supplemental type certificate for on page 1.) ities in several EU member states appeared dence in the ETS process. –C.A. the Lineage 1000.

Jan. 11 Marcus Schrenker, a 38-year-old The new Wayfarer Aviation hired 300 financial manager under investigation of the former 700 JetDirect employees. On by the SEC, tries to fake his own New companies emerge from death by parachuting from his Piper September 30, Wayfarer Aviation an- Meridian before it crashed near Milton, nounced that Bill Koch had been appointed Fla. He survives and later pleads guilty the collapse of JetDirect CEO. Koch has an extensive background to the charges. in the charter business, having begun his ca- Jan. 14 Public auction takes place for the The fallout from the failure of JetDirect Aviation and Sentient Jet. reer at AMR Combs. He served as president assets of bankrupt . Aviation earlier this year reverberated The assets of JetDirect were purchased and COO of SevenBar Enterprises, then throughout the aviation industry, magnify- by investors led by former JetDirect own- became president and CEO of Imaginaire Jan. 15 Capt. safely ditches ing the effect of the recession on dozens of ers, and they formed a new company called Private Jet Charter before joining Wayfarer. US Airways Flight 1549 in the Hudson aircraft owners and operators and the peo- Wayfarer Aviation. JetDirect left hundreds The Wayfarer name has a long history River after a dual engine failure, saving the lives of all 155 crewmembers and ple who fly, maintain and support the of former employees owed money for in aviation. Wayfarer Ketch Aviation was passengers on board. aircraft that were, for a brief time, under unpaid salary, benefits and expenses. Ven- formed from the Rockefeller family flight the JetDirect umbrella. dors that provided services to JetDirect department then sold to Tag Aviation in 1999. Jan. 20 U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District JetDirect attempted to create a national were also left with unpaid invoices. Man- JetDirect came to own the Wayfarer name of Delaware approves the sale of Eclipse Aviation’s assets to EclipseJet charter company brand by acquiring agement clients of JetDirect were offered after buying the Tag assets. Under Koch’s Aviation International, an affiliate of nearly a dozen charter companies as the repayment of money they had deposited , Wayfarer is building a global Etirc Aviation. aviation industry soared into 2008. Most with JetDirect if they signed up as clients presence in the charter/management industry. of the acquired companies–many of them of the new company. Those who did not JetDirect’s attempt to build a national Jan. 21 Senate panel confirms Ray LaHood well known–have disappeared since JetDi- become clients lost all the money they had charter brand failed due to overly ambi- as DOT secretary. rect shut down on April 17 and liquidated deposited for payment to pilots, prepaid tious expansion plans that coincided with Jan. 23 Platinum Jet Management executives on May 1. But other companies managed insurance and other expenses. JetDirect a nasty recession. Meanwhile, JetDirect are issued a 23-count indictment to extricate themselves from the JetDirect also never paid all the money it owed to survivor Sentient Jet, which brokers char- related to the 2005 Challenger 600 debacle and resume growing independ- some of the charter companies it bought, ter and sells jet cards, has built a national crash at Teterboro Airport. ently. Survivors include Solairus Aviation including $31.5 million that was still due for brand and is prospering in what has been a Feb. 1 406-MHz ELT requirement (formerly Sunset Aviation), Presidential the purchase of assets of Tag Aviation USA. challenging marketplace. –M.T. takes effect.

Feb. 4 Platinum Jet Management executives Napolitano said the TSA received 8,000 are arrested in connection with the TSA revises LASP proposal comments in response to the initial NPRM. 2005 crash of a Challenger 600 NBAA enlisted members to testify be- following an aborted takeoff at Teterboro (N.J.) Airport; Dutch very While the business aviation community Napolitano told the Senate aviation fore Congress about their concerns with light jet operator Bikkair shuts down, may have been hoping that the Transporta- subcommittee that the TSA will incorporate LASP. In July, Martha King, co-owner of citing inability to secure the capital it tion Security Administration’s controversial the input from GA stakeholders that it has association member King Schools, told the needed to fund its development. Large Aircraft Security Program (LASP) sought throughout its rulemaking process House subcommittee on transportation Sikorsky S-76D makes first flight. would go away, Homeland Security Secre- for the SNPRM, including five public meet- security and infrastructure protection that Feb. 7

tary Janet Napolitano testified last month ings, and hold “additional comment out- general aviation operators are concerned Feb. 12 crashes into a that the TSA plans to issue a supplemental reach sessions” with affected stakeholders about security measures that sacrifice lib- house in Buffalo, N.Y. suburb Clarence notice of proposed rulemaking (SNPRM) to gain further input and feedback. erty without benefit to society. Center, killing all 49 aboard and one “before the end of 2010.” Late last summer, the agency re-engaged “This proposal does not recognize the resident in the house. LASP, as originally proposed in October its aviation security advisory committee significant differences between airline opera- Feb. 17 NBAA and GAMA resurrect No Plane, 2008, would require all operators of Part 91 (ASAC), a part of the TSA that is charged tions and noncommercial operations, which No Gain campaign. aircraft with an mtow of more than 12,500 with recommending improvements in secu- do not carry members of the general public,” pounds to create a TSA-approved security rity methods, equipment and procedures for she explained. “General aviation operators Feb. 18 Eclipse Aviation furloughs most of its program (see article page 12), put all flight civil aviation. personally know everyone on their aircraft. I remaining 800 employees to conserve cash and allow more time to complete crew through FBI criminal history back- Government and industry officials re- believe general aviation security would be the bankruptcy court-approved sale ground checks, compare all passengers ceived an update on the proposed LASP best enhanced by having the TSA establish a to EclipseJet International, an affiliate against the TSA’s watch lists and impose that was rescinded earlier in the year after a rulemaking committee to address the ques- of Etirc Aviation. new restrictions on carriage of certain storm of overwhelming negative comments, tions and concerns raised by industry and Feb. 23 Rolls-Royce launches RR500 items in the cabin. which some have estimated at nearly 7,400. the public on the LASP.” –P.L. turboshaft. newsmakers continues on page 26 u 24aaAviation International News • January 2010 • www.ainonline.com 2009 NEWSmakers u continued from page 24 TIMELINE...

Feb. 24 Eclipse Aviation files for Chapter 7 DCA09MA027/423395.pdf) and heed its bankruptcy liquidation. Colgan Air crash ignites message about the need for professionalism. Ironically, the Colgan pilots’ cockpit Feb. 25 JetDirect Aviation places subsidiary chat included the copilot’s statements company Regal Aviation of Dallas troubling questions for regionals into Chapter 11 bankruptcy; Bill Herp about the scariness of the unknowns of launches Eclipse Services and Support icing–the very hazard that is suspected to help support the jet fleet; When a Colgan Air Q400 crashed on a pursuing an airline-pilot career, and the of playing a role in their imminent Pogo Jet axes air-taxi plans. winter’s night in February, killing all 49 accident record over the past few years sug- demise. The fares in back surely deserved Feb. 27 Deadline for comments on TSA’s Large people on board and one on the ground, gests that, despite the FAA’s pronounce- more expertise than this from a system Aircraft Security Program (LASP). icing was an early subject of spec- ments about “one level of safety” for the their government had assured them ulation. Reviving memories of Roselawn in entire airline industry, a passenger is safer offered “one level of safety.” As portrayed March 6 JetDirect Aviation places subsidiary 1994, when an American Airlines ATR fell riding on a major airline. by the NTSB thus far, the captain’s han- Sunset Aviation into Chapter 7 abruptly from a wintry sky while preparing Since August 2003, regional airlines dling of a stick-shaker warning further liquidation. to land, the Q400 crashed into a house on have accounted for five of the last six fatal betrayed the trust of the passengers and March 12 A Cougar Helicopters S-92 crashes the approach to Buffalo from an altitude of accidents involving Part 121 passenger-car- sealed the fate of all aboard. into the off about 2,000 feet on a cold, damp night. rying operations in the U.S. This disparity Revelations that the copilot felt under Newfoundland, killing the two-man Long before the NTSB published its has become a larger issue now that regional the weather and had commuted to her flight crew and 15 oil rig workers. final report on the accident (it has yet to be airlines operate more than half of the flights Q400’s right seat in Newark, N.J., from March 13 Eclipse 500 owner Mike Press and released), however, the focus of the investi- in the U.S. airline system. her parents’ home in the Pacific North- deposit holder Mason Holland launch gation broadened beyond icing to include In an unusual move involving an acci- west, where she lived because McDonald’s a new company called Eclipse Jet the pilots’ professionalism–or, as revealed dent still under investigation, FAA Ad- pays its workers more than regionals pay to bid on the assets of bankrupt Eclipse Aviation, restore Eclipse 500 by the cockpit voice recorder transcript, ministrator Randy Babbitt, speaking at a their first officers, did nothing to burnish product support and return the their lack of it. hearing late last summer in Washington, the reputations of Colgan and the like and VLJ to production. The cockpits of regional have encouraged all pilots to read the Colgan CVR brought harsh criticism about the whole long been a training ground for those transcript (www.ntsb.gov/Dockets/Aviation/ concept of “commuting pilots.” –N.M. March 16 JetDirect Aviation and JDA Acquisition Company (JDAAC) solidify agreement for JDAAC’s purchase of JetDirect’s assets. owner and reseller of Eclipse positions and jets, to form Eclipse Aerospace and bid on March 20 JetDirect Aviation sells JetCorp to the assets. Although Holland and Press Flying Colours. won’t identify the investors who funded March 22 A Pilatus PC-12 crash in Butte, Eclipse Aerospace, Alfred Mann, an early Mont., kills 14 people. backer of Eclipse Aviation founder Vern Raburn, is believed to be part of the March 23 Hawker Beechcraft names Bill Boisture investor team. its new chairman and CEO, replacing retiring Jim Schuster; the FAA issues The many investors who helped fund an emergency airworthiness directive Eclipse Aviation spent roughly $1.3 billion grounding all S-92s that have titanium on the program before it went bankrupt. main gearbox oil bowl mounting studs. Hundreds of deposit-holders received no compensation for their orders, and many March 25 A group of former Eclipse Aviation workers launches Eclipse 500 Service vendors were left unpaid for parts they to provide maintenance for Eclipse manufactured and services they provided 500 very light jets. for Eclipse Aviation. As part of the resurrection of the March 26 Directional Capital, an investment firm led by Flight Options chairman Kenn Eclipse brand, Eclipse Aerospace bought a Ricci, along with private equity firm Eclipse Aerospace rises from maintenance provider in Chicago, and that Resilience Capital Partners and key is now the company’s primary service cen- members of the Flight Options ter. The Chicago facility is capable of management team, makes an additional investment in Flight Options. the ashes of Eclipse Aviation upgrading those early EA-500s that still had not been modified with the larger tip April 2 EBAA CEO Eric Mandemaker leaves The prognosticators may claim that the selling used Eclipse EA-500s and providing tanks and aerodynamic improvements the organization by “mutual consent.” very light jet era is over, but the investors parts and support for the fleet, which num- as well as flight-into-known-icing and who paid $40 million (half in cash up bers about 260 of the diminutive twin- AvioNG 1.5 avionics upgrades. Eclipse April 6 Obama Administration ends funding for the presidential helicopter front) for the assets of bankrupt Eclipse engine jets. Aerospace also reopened the service center replacement program. Aviation think otherwise. The new Eclipse Mason Holland, a deposit-holder who at Albuquerque. The company is planning Aerospace, headquartered at Eclipse’s orig- lost hundreds of thousands of dollars when to restart simulator training, too, and April 9 Epic Escape turboprop makes first flight. inal Albuquerque (N.M.) International Airport Eclipse went bankrupt early last year , part- recently signed an agreement with Global facility, is busy refurbishing, upgrading and nered with Michael Press, an EA-500 Jet Services, the company that held the April 12 Doug White, a fixed-wing single- engine-rated private pilot, safely lands previous contract with Eclipse Aviation, to a King Air B200 in which he was a provide maintenance training. passenger after pilot Joe Cabuk Jr. HANDOFFS uuu Refurbished EA-500s are now avail- becomes incapacitated. able, and the Eclipse Aerospace Web site EBAA: MANDEMAKER to CIRRUS: ALAN KLAPMEIER listed 10 in early December, ranging from April 17 JetDirect ceases operations. HUMPHRIES to DALE KLAPMEIER S/N 5 through 214 and with various lev- The European Business Aviation Association The Cirrus board of directors April 21 NetJets and its pilots union develop R

E els of equipment. Number 5 had 112 a voluntary furlough-mitigation opted for the hand of experience in April fol- opted not to renew company B R

U hours logged, and number 214 just 65 program in an attempt to reduce the H

lowing the departure of CEO Eric Mandemaker cofounder and chairman Alan T threat of crew job cuts in the face of T

T hours total time. The fleet available for after six months on the job. Klapmeier’s contract and instead A reduced flying demand; Farnborough M President Brian Humphries agreed to resume installed his brother, Dale, the Dale Klapmeier resale will include 28 former DayJet EA- Aircraft rescued from bankruptcy; Epic the CEO role he had held be- other cofounder, as the new chair- 500s that eventually were repatriated to Aircraft launches Elegance turboprop twin and Genesis twinjet. fore Mandemaker’s appoint- man. This announcement came Eclipse Aerospace following DayJet’s ment. At the same time, the just one week after Alan failed in own bankruptcy.

R April 23 Dassault Falcon 2000LX receives E

group promoted European af- his bid to acquire the SF50 Vision B While VLJ air-taxi companies have yet

R EASA certification; Eclipse investor U

fairs manager Pedro Vicente Jet program from Cirrus. Since H to prove themselves in the market, the air- Etirc files for bankruptcy. T

T T

Azua to the new position of late September, Dale and com- A plane itself remains a legitimate market M COO and Carine Jacobs to chief pany president and CEO Brent Alan Klapmeier segment, albeit not to the tune of the 2,500 April 24 The FAA releases its entire birdstrike database to the public. Brian Humphries administration officer. –C.A. Wouters have been running . –C.T. or more orders that Raburn once claimed to have on Eclipse Aviation’s books. –M.T. newsmakers continues on page 28 u

26aaAviation International News • January 2010 • www.ainonline.com 2009 NEWSmakers u continued from page 26 TIMELINE...

April 29 announces suspension of the FAA acts quickly in wake of Hudson River midair Citation 850 Columbus program. April 30 Dassault Falcon 2000LX receives On August 8, a tour helicopter climbing detected potential traffic conflicts in the Hud- specified frequencies; carry current charts FAA certification; AAI Acquisition, the company formed to buy the assets of from a Hudson River heliport in son River area and displayed them on the and be familiar with them; and report air- Adam Aircraft Industries, announces collided with a Piper PA-32 Lance piston controller’s screen, but he did not alert the craft type, position, direction and altitude at it has closed its doors at Centennial single. In the ensuing crash, both aircraft Piper’s pilot to these conflicts before handing charted mandatory reporting points while Airport in Colorado. were destroyed, and all nine people–three off the airplane to Newark control. Twenty flying along the New Jersey shore south- May 1 American Capital sells its entire on the Piper and six on the Eurocopter AS seconds before the crash, the radar system bound and along the Manhattan shore stake in Piper Aircraft to Imprimis; 350BA–were killed. The incident directed detected a conflict between the two aircraft flying northbound. Transiting pilots must Pogo Jet withdraws registration a spotlight on the busy Hudson River corri- and triggered aural alarms and warnings on fly between 1,000 and 1,300 feet, while statement for an IPO. dor and within days local politicians were the radar displays at both Teterboro and local traffic must remain below 1,000 feet. denouncing the FAA’s “Wild West ap- Newark. One second before the collision, the “There were some growing pains there May 8 Embraer delivers first Lineage 1000. proach” to the regulation of the airspace. Teterboro controller ended his phone call. at the beginning because we switched the May 11 Steve Taylor appointed new president Further clouding the issue were irregulari- In response to the accident, the FAA airspace and we switched the frequencies, of Boeing Business Jets, succeeding ties in the tower operations at Teterboro convened a special task group to recom- but it’s working out quite well,” said Jeffrey Steven Hill, who retired. Airport, where the Piper’s flight originated. mend changes to operations in the airspace. Smith, chairman of the Eastern Regional Accident investigators discovered that the on- The resulting regulations–which went into Helicopter Council, which was a member May 12-14 Boeing Business Jets reveals cabin (EBACE) modification to the 747-8 VIP, adding duty controller made a personal phone call effect on November 19–state that pilots of the FAA working group. “We always an extra 807 sq ft of floor space above while he was handling the flight and that the using the corridor must fly at no more than believed that it was a safe area of operation the main deck of the aft cabin area; controller’s supervisor was absent from the 140 knots; turn on anti-collision and posi- beforehand, and these enhancements just Dassault unveils new interior tower at the time. FAA data showed that radar tion/nav lights; announce their position on make it a little bit safer.” –C.E. for its Falcon 7X.

May 18 Compliance with the electronic advanced passenger information HANDOFFS uuu system (eApis) becomes mandatory. Platinum Jet execs, employees The system requires pilots of all aircraft TEXTRON: LEWIS CAMPBELL to arriving in or departing the U.S. to SCOTT DONNELLY transmit manifest information to indicted on conspiracy charges Customs and Border Patrol at least Scott Donnelly took the 60 minutes before arrival or departure. helm as CEO of Textron on December 1, replacing retiring When a Challenger 600 operated by charged the “conspirators” with operating June 1 Randy Babbitt is sworn in as FAA Lewis Campbell, who had been Administrator; TSA begins requiring Platinum Jet Management crashed on take- Platinum Jet as an on-demand commercial background checks and security with Textron for 17 years, 11 of off from Teterboro Airport in February jet charter company without having a Part badges for pilots based at airports them as CEO. Donnelly moved served by airlines. Scott Donnelly to the COO spot at Textron in 2005, the accident attracted intense FAA 135 certificate. It also accused the Platinum scrutiny of the issue of operational control. Jet employees of routinely undertaking and 2008 from GE Aviation, where June 5 Rich Lucibella, the buyer and builder he had been president and CEO, In addition, it resulted in the indictment concealing dangerous fueling and weight of an Epic Aircraft LT single-engine and was given the additional this year of seven executives and employ- distribution practices, one of which existed turboprop under the corporate name ees of the now-defunct charter operator on the Challenger that crashed at Teterboro. Blue Sky Avgroup, files a lawsuit title of Textron president last against Epic Aircraft. January. Donnelly flies a Cessna and conviction of two of the group. In June, Andrew Budhan, a cofounder of Indicted in February 2009 on charges Platinum Jet, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to 206 but told AIN late last year June 12 EASA suspends Eclipse Aviation’s Lewis Campbell he was eying a Caravan. –N.M. of conspiracy and making false statements defraud charter customers and brokers and European type certificate; Sikorsky were Platinum Jet Management president to impede and obstruct the FAA. He is announces agreement with India’s FAA: ROBERT STURGELL to Michael Brassington, 35; his brother and scheduled for sentencing on February 2. Tata Advanced Systems to build cabins for its S-92 in India. LYNN OSMUS to RANDY BABBITT v-p Paul Brassington, 29; managing mem- Singh pleaded guilty on July 7 to “a con- Former Air Line Pilots Association presi- ber Andrew Budhan, 42; director of main- spiracy to defraud charter customers and June 16 L-3 Avionics files a lawsuit seeking dent Randy Babbitt was confirmed for a tenance Brien McKenzie, 42; director of brokers and to impede and obstruct the FAA.” $18.7 million from Cirrus related to five-year term as FAA Administrator on May 21, charters Joseph Singh, 42; and pilot Fran- He is scheduled for sentencing on April 5. the cancellation of an order for taking the reins from acting FAA Administrator SmartDeck cockpit systems and an cis Vieira, 59. A superseding indictment Most recently, John Kimberling, as well Lynn Osmus. She had replaced acting FAA additional $3 million L-3 claims it is handed down on November 22 included as the Brassingtons, McKenzie and Vieira, owed for Stormscope and other Administrator Robert Sturgell, who resigned stand-alone products. January 16 after failing to win Senate confirma- Platinum Jet contract pilot John Kimberling. were named in a 27-count superseding tion to become permanent Administrator. Kimberling and Carlos Salaverria were indictment adding charges to the original June 22 Workers at Bombardier’s de Havilland Babbitt hit the ground running, backing pilot at the controls of the ill-fated twinjet, which indictment. All five have been arraigned plant in north Toronto ratify a three-year training reforms and new fatigue rules. –P.L. failed to lift off, left the end of Runway 6, and pleaded not guilty. labor contract, averting a strike that crossed Route 46, hitting cars along the According to U.S. Attorney Paul Fish- stood to affect 2,750 workers and halt way, and slammed into the side of a clothing man, Kimberling was charged with joining production of the Q400 turboprop. warehouse, where it burst into flames. Five a conspiracy “to defraud charter flight cus- June 24 Rolls-Royce BR725 (the engine E

W of the eight passengers, along with “cabin tomers, jet charter brokers and the FAA chosen to power the G650) receives O L

L aide” Angelica Calad-Gomez, escaped with through interstate wire communications, EASA certification; EASA suspends U A

P Eclipse 500 type certificate. Randy Babbitt Lynn Osmus Robert Sturgell minor injuries, as did a warehouse employee. and to defraud the by imped- The original indictment alleged “a con- ing and obstructing the FAA’s regulation of NTSB: MARK ROSENKER to June 26 Alan Klapmeier, chairman of Cirrus spiracy to commit continuous willful vi- commercial aircraft in the United States.” Aircraft, forms a team to raise funds DEBORAH HERSMAN olations of regulatory requirements for the A trial date for the five has been set for to purchase the Vision SF50 single- NTSB sitting member Deborah Hersman operation of commercial charter aircraft” and January 20. –K.J.H. engine jet program from majority was sworn in as the 12th Cirrus owner Arcapita Bank. chairman of the NTSB at the end of July, taking over from June 30 Sikorsky X2 makes first flight with propulsor. acting chairman Mark Rosenker, E

W who had held the position of O

L July 7 Joseph Singh, former director of

L chairman or acting chairman U charters for now-defunct charter A P Deborah Hersman since 2005. Days later, former operator Platinum Jet, pleads guilty member Christopher Hart re- to “a conspiracy to defraud charter customers and brokers and to turned to the Board for another N impede and obstruct the Federal O

term. Meanwhile, at press time, S

M Aviation Administration.” A R

international fatigue expert T R

Mark Rosekind was awaiting A U July 10 Cessna formally cancels Cessna T S Senate confirmation to join / Citation Columbus; Dassault Falcon O T

Mark Rosenker the NTSB. –P.L. O delivers 2,000th Falcon at its H P

Bordeaux-Merignac facility to P A Istanbul-based Loc Holding. newsmakers continues on page 30 u 28aaAviation International News • January 2010 • www.ainonline.com 2009 NEWSmakers u continued from page 28 TIMELINE...

July 18 Russ Meyer, former CEO of Cessna, is Block charter, lease and even whole-air- inducted into the National Aviation Hall Start-up frax Jet Republic folds, craft terms were made available and the of Fame. company kept up the drum-beat that the first aircraft would be in service by the July 21 Stratos begins taking deposits for leaving many questions single-engine Stratos 714 very light jet. fall of 2009. When the end did come, the official July 22 A six-week strike at Bell Helicopter’s The sudden collapse in August of frac- Days before its sudden collapse into reason given before Breeze and his fellow transmission and rotor blade component tional ownership startup Jet Republic insolvency, Jet Republic’s high-profile directors exited the stage without further plants in Fort Worth, Texas, ends after probably convinced anyone in CEO, Jonathan Breeze, was comment was that prospective customers union members ratify a revised four-year contract. Europe who still failed to ac- still issuing press releases pro- had not been able to secure financing to cept that business aviation’s claiming the recession to be buy aircraft shares. Not once had the need July 27 Hawker Beechcraft launches King Air bubble had burst. For reasons exactly the right time to be get- for financing ever been raised as a factor C90GTx, a turboprop twin with best known to themselves, the ting into fractional ownership. in Jet Republic transactions; indeed, the composite winglets. company and its financial back- While steadfastly refusing to company had insisted that the credit July 10 American Eurocopter commemorates ers launched an audacious disclose any sales figures, the crunch was a singularly advantageous its 40th anniversary in the U.S. challenge to market leader Net- company implied that it was environment in which to be selling frac- Jets–which itself was already doing a brisk trade selling tions of aircraft, rather than whole new or July 28 Debbie Hersman takes over as NTSB struggling in tough trading shares in the 25 Bombardier used aircraft. chairman, replacing Mark Rosenker. conditions–in September 2008 Learjet 60XRs that it had on However, the company told employees Aug. 1 Bell delivers first 429 to launch just as the financial crisis was Jonathan Breeze order (plus options for up to 85 that an investor had failed to honor a customer Air Methods. going truly global with the col- more). All sorts of new bells commitment to provide further invest- lapse of Lehman Brothers and other banks and whistles were heralded for Jet Repub- ment that presumably would have paved Aug. 4 NetJets founder, chairman and CEO looking into the abyss. Going into the first lic’s prospective clients, including the the way for the first aircraft delivery. (See Richard Santulli resigns from the company; an ATR 72-212 operated by and second quarters of this year, Europe’s world’s most expensive coffee machine, article on page 10.) It is unclear whether Thailand’s Bangkok Airways crashes executive charter operators experienced a which would mysteriously serve cups of Jet Republic ever sold a single share into a disused ATC tower, killing the debilitating dip in demand as companies java at rates less than Starbucks when on before Bombardier annulled its contract aircraft’s captain and injuring the and individuals reined in their spending. board their jets. on August 20. –C.A. copilot and six passengers.

Aug. 6 Cirrus Aircraft decides not to renew the contract of cofounder and board while their airplane is in the shop for sched- chairman Alan Klapmeier; Epic Aircraft’s FAA OKs uled maintenance. To meet the eligibility facility in Bend, Ore., has been locked shut and company founder, chairman requirements set down by the FAA, air- and CEO Rick Schrameck seems to field approvals planes are required to be registered in the have disappeared. U.S. and the Universal FMS installation More than 1,000 must already be approved for 3-D coupled Universal FMS Aug. 8 A Piper PA-32R and Liberty for Waas LPV “pseudo-ILS” procedures. The field ap- units are eligible Helicopters Eurocopter AS 350B2 collide over the Hudson River in provals can be done only on an existing for LPV field approval. New York City, killing nine. upgrades FMS installation, meaning operators cannot switch from another manufacturer’s FMS to Aug. 13 FAA and the National Air Traffic a Universal FMS or add a second Universal Controllers Association reach tentative Universal Avionics spent much of the FMS and do the basic field approval. last few months talking with dealers and labor agreement. last year working with FAA officials trying Stevens Aviation in Greenville, S.C., customers about how they too can take Aug. 20 FAA reinstates the air carrier operating to come up with a way to upgrade the cus- was the first to complete the Waas LPV advantage of the relaxed FAA guidance. certificate of Air Trek of Punta Gorda, tomers’ flight management systems for upgrade under the new rules, signing off on Other FMS makers are watching the devel- Fla., after the charter operator fought Waas LPV approach capability under a an FMS modification in a customer Learjet opment closely, but so far none has struck a the FAA’s suspension and subsequent emergency revocation of its Part 135 basic field approval rather than having to 31 on September 9. Universal has spent the similar agreement with the FAA. –S.P. certificate for more than a year; fractional submit to the cumbersome supplemental firm Jet Republic suspends operations type certification process. The result of that in its Portuguese subsidiary and in HANDOFFS uuu conjunction Bombardier Aerospace effort was an agreement struck in Septem- cancels Jet Republic’s firm orders for ber that clears a path for more than 1,000 25 Learjet 60XRs worth $340 million. business jet operators to take advantage of DOT: MARY PETERS to RAY LAHOOD tration and experience as a BBJ the new guidance. Despite his role in the im- salesman under Borge Boeskov Aug. 31 Cessna Aircraft delivers the first winglet- peachment of President Clinton (BBJ’s first president), as chief equipped Citation X; AgustaWestland Universal Avionics was the first FMS R E and PZL-Swidnik sign preliminary pilot of Michael Chowdry’s Atlas B and support for Sen. John McCain R

maker to obtain TSO C146b approval for U agreement for the sale of 87.6 percent H

Air (a BBJ operator) and as a T in the election, former congress- E

Waas-capable flight management sys- T of the Polish company’s shares. The W T A man Ray LaHood became the O captain with Boeing’s corporate

L deal will bring AgustaWestland’s M tems, but the FAA requirement that the L Steven Hill second Republican to sit in Presi- U flight department. He said he ownership to 93.8 percent. A

Waas LPV upgrade be done under an P Ray LaHood hoped to select a new BBJ chief pilot before the STC that often involved the submittal of dent Obama’s Cabinet when he was confirmed as Transportation end of last year. “The good news is that there are Sept. 1 Eclipse Aerospace reopens shuttered “issue papers” for each airplane meant Albuquerque, N.M. facility; NTSB issues lots of highly qualified pilots who want to work for few operators could take advantage of the Secretary in January. He suc- 19 recommendations for helicopter ceeded Mary Peters, who served BBJ,” Taylor told AIN. –R.R.P. lower Rnav approach minimums. At last emergency medical services (HEMS). as DOT secretary from 2006 to E

count the FAA had created 1,884 Rnav W 2009. LaHood retired from Con- O SIGNATURE: BRUCE VAN ALLEN to NetJets announces layoff of about L Sept. 11

procedures with Waas LPV (lateral preci- L gress in December at the end of U 350 nonunion employees. A MICHAEL SCHEERINGA P sion with vertical guidance) minimums, his seventh term. –P.L. Mary Peters Under new president Michael Scheeringa, who Emivest Aerospace, formerly Sino which are similar to Category I ILS mini- took over from Bruce Van Allen early this year, Sig- Sept. 23 mums yet don’t require the installation of Swearingen Aircraft, delivers its BOEING BUSINESS JETS: STEVEN HILL nature Flight Support has changed its approach to first SJ30. airport-specific ground equipment. The to STEPHEN TAYLOR the FBO market. With 102 FBOs worldwide (81 FAA is bringing the satnav capability to Rarely does the chief pilot of an OEM become wholly owned), Signature was perceived as in- Sept. 24 EASA certifies Bell 429. airports around the U.S. as part of a plan the president, but it happened at Boeing Business flexible when it came to pricing fuel and in the way to begin phasing out many ILS installa- Jets last year when Steve Taylor it charged ramp fees. The com- Sept. 29 Gulfstream rolls out G650 in Savannah. tions and provide precision approach took over from Steve Hill, who re- pany tackled those issues with a Marc Parent succeeds Robert Brown capability at thousands of airports that tired after five years as BBJ pres- new value pricing system, and Oct. 1 as president and CEO of CAE; ATR

until now relied on VOR, NDB and basic ident and 35 years with Boeing. S during the recession Signature F unveils ATR 72-600 during a L E

Taylor brought with him degrees D Flight Support outperformed the ceremony in Toulouse, France. Rnav approaches. Y L L Upgrading for Waas LPV using the in mechanical engineering, eco- I rest of the industry, according B Form 337 field approval process will allow Steven Taylor nomics and business adminis- Michael Scheeringa to Scheeringa. –M.T. Oct. 9 CitationShares announces a rebranding and a name change to many operators to have the work completed CitationAir by Cessna. newsmakers continues on page 32 u 30aaAviation International News • January 2010 • www.ainonline.com 2009 NEWSmakers u continued from page 30 TIMELINE...

Oct. 6 Gulfstream rolls out G250 in Israel.

FINAL FLIGHTS Oct. 14 Former Eclipse 500 deposit holders file lawsuits in New Mexico, alleging various wrongdoings by Eclipse Aviation exec- utives before the company’s bankruptcy. Amb. Edward Stimpson Barbara Robinson Ed Stimpson, 75, the first and long-time head of the Barbara Robinson, 53, former vice Oct. 18 Honeywell releases bizjet forecast that General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), president of Robinson Helicopters and predicts a sharp contraction in business jet deliveries through 2010 but a gradual died on November 25 at his home in Boise, Idaho. Fol- wife of company founder and president return in demand starting in 2011. lowing a career at the FAA, Stimpson led GAMA for a Frank Robinson, died on August 13 after a quarter century and was one of the driving forces behind long battle with breast cancer. She began Oct. 19 Embraer launches Legacy 650; (NBAA) Garmin unveils G3000 integrated the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994. He was working at Robinson Helicopter in 1978 cockpit with touchscreen technology; then nominated by President Clinton to be the nation’s and was instrumental in marketing the Piaggio Aero confirms the company’s ambassador to ICAO, and later served as chairman of the company’s R22 trainer and developing the follow-on aircraft to the Avanti II turboprop will be a jet. Flight Safety Foundation. (See article on page 36.) –C.E. company’s worldwide dealer network. Robinson remained active with the com- Oct. 21 Pilots of Northwest Flight 188 from pany until 1995. –A.Y. San Diego to Minneapolis overshoot John Winant Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport by 150 John Winant, NBAA’s first president, died on January miles, blaming the distraction on using their personal laptops and discussing 13 at the age of 85. Elected to the association’s board of Charles “Charlie” Morris new scheduling procedures. directors in 1957, he became its first full-time head in Charles “Charlie” Morris, a former NBAA board member 1971. During his 15-year leadership, NBAA’s membership and long-time head of Mobil’s corporate flight department, died Oct. 23 Online charter broker Virgin Charter on June 17 in Norwalk, Conn. He was 90. Morris joined Mobil ceases active operations due to tripled to almost 3,000 companies, and its annual meeting insufficient sales; Greenville, S.C- and convention became one of the world’s largest aviation in 1951 as a DC-3 pilot and served as head of its flight depart- based SR22 air taxi firm SATSair events. He was instrumental in drawing together business ment from 1957 to 1984. In addition to his 12-year stint on unexpectedly shuts down operations “due to circumstances.” aviation associations from around the world to form the NBAA’s board of directors, he flew for several airlines, including

International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). –C.E. Pan American World Airways, and was a distinguished World War II pilot. –J.C. Oct. 26 NetJets announces furlough of 500 pilots, effective Jan. 15, 2010.

Sam Williams John Spoor Broome Oct. 30 FAA vetoes Burbank noise curfew. Dr. Sam Williams, founder and chairman of engine Nicknamed the “Flying Rancher” for his frequent use of Nov. 12 Bernard Madoff’s charter company, manufacturer Williams International, died on June 22 at a Mitsubishi MU-2, John Spoor Broome was a former BLM Air Charter, files for Chapter 11 the age of 88. Best known in business aviation for his NBAA board member, pilot and philanthropist. Broome bankruptcy, with Embraer Aircraft small turbofan engines, Williams envisioned a new cate- soloed at age 17 and served in World War II as a pilot Customer Service and Rolls-Royce holding the largest unsecured claims. gory of small personal jets. His FJ44 engine spawned the instructor for the Army Air Force’s Air Transport Command. N development of aircraft such as Cessna’s CitationJet series He commemorated his 50 years of flying with a solo A Nov. 16 Cessna rolls out first production H C

Citation CJ4. L and the Emivest SJ30. A recipient of many prestigious avi- roundtrip across the Atlantic. Broom died at his home in N L A O Y M R

ation awards, he was also an inductee into the National Ventura County, Calif., on April 10 at age 91. –J.C. B L FAA publishes safety enhancement E Nov. 19 G I

Aviation Hall of Fame. –C.E. N plans to modify the airspace over the Hudson River in response to the Sydney “Sid” Baker August 8 midair; the FAA’s computer- Durrell Unger “Dee” Howard Sydney “Sid” Baker, former head of Eastman Kodak’s flight ized system for loading flight plans fails, causing widespread traffic delays Business aviation pioneer Dee Howard died on department and a business aviation veteran for nearly 30 years, and some airline flight cancellations. February 11 in San Antonio. He was 84. Howard died on February 27. He was 63. Baker also worked for Bell Heli- started his own company, Howard Aero, in 1947 copter, IBM’s flight department and served as vice chairman of Nov. 19 A settlement is reached in one of a number of lawsuits stemming from and began converting Lockheed B-34/PV-1 Ven- the Flight Safety Foundation’s corporate advisory committee. A the September 2008 crash of a Learjet turas into an executive transport known as the How- former Marine Corps pilot, he was awarded the Distinguished 60 in which Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein ard 250. His Super Ventura mod became the Flying Cross and Silver Star for his service in Vietnam. –J.C. was injured. Howard 350, and then he turned his attention to Nov. 24 GAMA and International Business the Howard 500, a pressurized nearly scratch-built Aviation Council (IBAC) team on radial-engine twin that competed with Grumman’s HANDOFFS uuu business aircraft emissions plan. Gulfstream turboprop twin. Howard was one of Nov. 25 Gulfstream G650 makes first flight. the key pioneers involved in the development DHS: MICHAEL CHERTOFF of thrust reversers for the Learjet. –A.Y. to JANET NAPOLITANO Nov. 26 JetBird delays launch of its air-taxi network, saying it needs to raise fresh Two-term Arizona governor Janet capital to support the new operation Napolitano became the third secretary using Embraer Phenom 100s. of Homeland Security last January 21, replacing Michael Chertoff as Nov. 30 FAA issues a final rule that prohibits head of the massive agency. With Tim Mahoney Rob Gillette Part 91K, 135 and 121 operators from taking off with “polished frost.” more than 200,000 employees, in- cluding the Transportation Security HONEYWELL: ROB GILLETTE Dec. 1 Scott Donnelly succeeds Lewis Administration, the DHS is the third to TIM MAHONEY Campbell as Textron CEO; Piper largest of the Cabinet departments. In September, Tim Mahoney Aircraft president John Becker Chertoff, who has known Napolitano succeeded Rob Gillette as presi- announces his resignation. since both were prosecutors, sug- dent and CEO of Honeywell’s aero- Dec. 3 Embraer Phenom 300 receives Brazilian gested that her biggest challenge space division. Gillette served 13 certification. John Kimberling, the would be confronting “deeply embed- years with the company, and was captain of the chartered Challenger 600 ded special interests” from industry, named head of its aerospace busi- that crashed on takeoff from Teterboro labor and elsewhere. –P.L. ness in 2005. He resigned to be- Airport in February 2005, is arraigned as part of a 27-count superseding come CEO of solar technology firm indictment. The new charges cite him First Solar. Mahoney–who joined and his co-conspirators, all members of Honeywell in 1997–was most re- now-defunct charter operator Platinum Jet, with a series of crimes. Henry “Hank” Beaird Jr. cently the aerospace division’s chief technology officer. Former Lear Jet chief test pilot Henry “Hank” Beaird Jr. died February 2 at E EC 175 makes first flight.

W Dec. 4

O Before that, he served as presi- L the age of 84. Beaird was a World War II aviator, flying fighters and transports L

U dent of Honeywell’s air transport A Dec. 11 Gulfstream G250 makes first flight. for the U.S. Army Air Force. After a stint at Chance Vought, Beaird joined Lear P Janet Napolitano Michael Chertoff and regional unit. –C.E. Jet, where he made the first flights of the Lear 23, 24 and 25. He also made first Dec. 15 Boeing 787 Dreamliner makes flights on the Lear Fan and OMAC aircraft. –A.Y. first flight flight.

32aaAviation International News • January 2010 • www.ainonline.com