The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association reported on Dec. 16 that the Transportation Security Administration has issued a directive requiring background checks for general aviation pilots based at airports served by airlines, starting next year. Pilots who pass the background check will receive an ID badge allowing them access to the airport where they are […]
News
LaHood to be Secretary of Transportation
Rep. Ray LaHood (R-Ill.) has accepted an offer to become President-elect Barack Obama’s transportation secretary and the nomination will be made official in coming days, two senior Democratic officials told The Washington Post in time for its Dec. 18 editions. LaHood is retiring from the House of Representatives after representing a rural Illinois district in […]
Rolls-Royce marks 50-year partnership with scholarship
Rolls-Royce marked 50 years of partnership with Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. by establishing a 50th Anniversary Partnership Scholarship Program for eligible children of Gulfstream employees. Rolls-Royce will provide an annual stipend of $1,500 for each of the winners’ four years of college. The program is offered through the National Merit Scholarship Program, an annual academic competition […]
Hawker Beechcraft donates $50,000 to Wichita Children’s Home
Hawker Beechcraft donated $50,000 to the Wichita Children’s Home during a special ceremony held on Dec. 17. Hawker Chairman and CEO Jim Schuster presented the check to Sarah Robinson, Executive Director of the Wichita Children’s Home, continuing a tradition of corporate giving during the Christmas season. The company and its employees have donated nearly $500,000 […]
FAA makes Special Flight Rules around Washington permanent
Airspace restrictions and procedures implemented around Washington, D.C., after the 9/11 terrorist attacks now are permanent, under a final rule issued by the Federal Aviation Administration on Dec. 15. The FAA justified the permanent Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) – now re-named Special Flight Rules – as necessary “in order to make the region safer […]
Eclipse granted Chapter 11 protection
A federal bankruptcy judge in Delaware approved Eclipse Aviation’s plea for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Dec. 15, according to Albuquerque television station KRQE. That protection could help to save the Albuquerque jet builder and its 945 employees, but the company’s future remains uncertain, the station reported. Eclipse now has to find a buyer and […]
Flying to inauguration? NBAA says plan now
The National Business Aviation Association is urging operators planning to be in the Washington, D.C. area during President-elect Obama’s inauguration to start planning now and stay up-to-date on any new rules that may apply. According to the association, one or more TFRs will be issued, restricting general aviation aircraft operations in the area surrounding Washington. […]
Two buyers reportedly interested in Grob
The AINalerts newsletter reported on Dec. 17 that two companies have expressed interest in taking over German aircraft manufacturer Grob. Grob Aerospace insolvency administrator Dr. Michael Jaffé reportedly made the announcement. The two interested parties are “little known H3 Aerospace from Munich, headed by Johann Heitzmann; and Chinese manufacturer Guizhou Aviation Industry Corporation (GAIC), part […]
Warbird Beer Show defends business aviation
As corporate flight departments shake their heads over the furor created by U.S. auto executives flying in corporate jets to Washington, D.C., support for business aviation came this week from an unusual source: The Warbird Beer Show. Internet radio talk show hosts Dave Holmes and Greg Muir usually get more kudos for their banter than […]