Also Noted...

Daher-Socata is kicking off activities to celebrate the company’s 100 years in aviation this week at Sun ’n’ Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, Fla., where it is displaying a TBM 850 with a centennial paint scheme. The special-edition model-year 2011 TBM 850 turboprop single, S/N 571, carries a distinctive “waves of time” livery, symbolically representing the 100 years of continuous aircraft production that traces its roots to predecessor company–Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier.

SimCom Training Centers recently completed its 23,000th King Air pilot training event, the Orlando, Fla.-based company announced yesterday. It trains King Air pilots at its facilities in Orlando; Scottsdale, Ariz.; and at its new training center in Dallas/Fort Worth. The 23,000 simulator training events include initial, recurrent, second-in-command and instrument refresher training, which are available at all three locations. SimCom offers training for the King Air 90, 100, 200, 300 and 350 series.

Gulfstream Aerospace is now accepting nominations for its third annual Outstanding Flight Award, which recognizes Gulfstream operators for significant real-world business and special-mission aviation operations. The award, known as the Alber-Rowley Trophy, is named for Carl Alber and Fred Rowley, who in 1958 made the first flight of what would come to be known as the Gulfstream I. Last year’s winners include Phoenix Air Group, a Cartersville, Ga.-based Part 135 operator; and the U.S. Navy Executive Transport Detachment Pacific, based at Hickam AFB, Hawaii.

The Tampa Bay Aviation Association (TBAA)–in cooperation with the FAA, Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, Pinellas County Aviation Authority and Leading Edge Aviation–is holding the Tampa Bay Safety Standdown on April 16. This educational event will cover initiatives to improve general aviation safety through presentations with knowledge- and skill-based training targeting the areas producing the most aviation fatal accidents. Those interested can sign up at FAASafety.gov or at TBAA’s website.

NBAA was among 33 aviation organizations and companies that sent a joint letter to leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives last week, urging swift passage of H.R.658, the FAA reauthorization bill. The letter notes, “H.R. 658 contains many provisions important to the aviation community, including strengthening the ability of the FAA to implement the procedures, policies and technology necessary for the success of NextGen.”

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Diamond Aircraft Suspends D-Jet Program
Diamond Aircraft temporarily suspended its D-Jet single-engine jet program yesterday after a $35 million loan from the Canadian government failed to materialize. The company also laid off 213 employees associated with the program at its London, Ontario facility. “We are disappointed and frustrated in the extreme to have to take this action,” said Peter Maurer, president of Diamond Aircraft’s North American division. “We had deferred these cost-cutting measures as long as possible, while awaiting a positive response to our request for a federal government loan. At this time we are still awaiting a formal response.” According to the OEM, the D-Jet program is more than 60 percent complete, but increased program costs and delays coupled with the recent downturn in the general aviation industry have forced the company to seek additional external funding. The Canadian government loaned Diamond $19.5 million for the jet program in 2008, but the manufacturer needs the additional $35 million to push the program to the certification finish line, Maurer said. London, Ontario mayor Joe Fontana complained earlier this month that the House of Commons is dragging its feet in approving the loan, which helped to move the issue to the foreground. The government is now reviewing the $35 million loan, but has yet to approve it. Maurer said the laid-off workers could be recalled and the D-Jet program reinstated if the federal government comes through.

Touchscreen Control Comes to New Garmin G2000
The move to touchscreen control of avionics gained speed today with Garmin’s announcement of the G2000 integrated flight deck, featuring its GTC 570 vehicle management system (touchscreen controller). The G2000 is aimed at Part 23 piston-powered aircraft and will see its first installation in Cessna’s Corvalis TTX, branded by Cessna as the Intrinzic avionics system. The G2000 doesn’t replace the G1000 flight deck but adds a more capable system for high-performance piston aircraft, featuring 12- to 14-inch WXGA displays coupled with the GTC 570. Pilots will be able to customize the view on the MFD’s multi-pane display, allowing simultaneous viewing of multiple pages of weather, chart, synoptic, Taws, traffic, video and other information. The GTC 570’s infrared touchscreen controller has its own 5.7-inch display, allowing the pilot to run radios, the G2000’s 3-D audio system, flight planning, weather data, system synoptics and other aircraft systems. Other G2000 features (some optional) include a dual-channel, fail-passive autopilot with Garmin’s new electronic stability and protection system, GSR 56 Iridium transceiver for global weather and connectivity, synthetic-vision technology with highway-in-the-sky display, SafeTaxi charts and Jeppesen or AeroNav electronic charts. Garmin expects certification of the G2000 this year.

Operators Push to Meet Looming ETS Deadline
Hundreds of aircraft operators in Europe and around the world are scrambling to meet this Thursday’s deadline to complete the requirements for monitoring, reporting and verification of 2010 engine emissions under the European Union’s emissions trading scheme (ETS). Their efforts to complete the burdensome process have been made harder by delays and lack of clarity on the part of the authorities responsible for administering ETS in each of the 27 European Union member states. Many national authorities have given approval to the independent verifiers required to complete the reporting process only within the last few weeks, causing a verification bottleneck. Operators assigned to report to authorities in the UK and Ireland found that these states are requiring reports to be filed via online portals that contain software errors, necessitating that the emissions data be entered manually. Other states allow operators to upload emissions in the standard Excel spreadsheet format used by the ETS support facility. This support facility, which is supposed to make ETS compliance more straightforward for so-called small emitters, was launched only on March 1–less than a month ahead of the deadline. Spain unilaterally brought forward its reporting deadline to February 28. It remains to be seen whether European authorities will exert their powers to penalize operators who don’t meet the deadline. Ultimately, aircraft can be barred from landing at or taking off from European Union airports if their operators have not met their ETS obligations.

Embraer’s Bizav Market Share Continues To Grow
In its 2010 results, released on Friday, Embraer reported net sales for its executive aviation division of $1.1 billion and delivery of 144 aircraft, compared with 115 business jet deliveries in 2009. The Brazilian aircraft maker’s year-end results show recovered stability, with business jets expected to repeat their 20-percent contribution to this year’s overall revenue, which is expected to rise 5 percent. While overall backlog has stabilized at three years, executive aviation is softer. Embraer compensated for cancellations by bringing customers up the queue, but is also slowing production. At the high end, Embraer CEO Frederico Curado told AIN, “All but one of our Lineage 1000 sales have been to the Middle East,” but he considers that continued instability in the region would have a greater indirect effect through higher fuel costs. During a state visit next month, Brazil’s president could announce an agreement to retool Embraer’s facility in Harbin, China, for the Legacy 650, which is based on the same ERJ-135 airframe as the regional jets now ceasing production there.

King Air 250 Makes Public Debut at Sun ’n’ Fun Fly-In
The Hawker Beechcraft King Air 250 made its public debut today at the Sun ’n’ Fun International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, Fla. The upgraded turboprop twin is part of the company’s largest-ever display at the annual gathering, which also features a Premier IA, King Air 350i, King Air C90GTx, Baron G58 and Bonanza G36. The show runs through Sunday. “Sun ’n’ Fun provides a great opportunity to launch a new year with excitement as we proudly debut our new King Air 250,” said Keith Nadolski, Beechcraft Americas president. “We are looking forward to a great turnout and successful show.” Hawker Beechcraft unveiled the $5.79 million King Air 250, a replacement for the King Air 200GT, at the NBAA Convention in October. The King Air 250 incorporates three major changes over the 200GT: new Hartzell composite propellers, BLR Aerospace composite winglets and a Raisbeck ram-air recovery system to increase engine performance. These improvements give it better short-field and high-and-hot landing and takeoff capabilities. Deliveries of the King Air 250 are slated to start later this year.

Embraer To Decide on Next Commercial Project This Year Embraer will decide on whether to develop a new five-abreast single-aisle aircraft by the end of this year, company CEO Frederico Curado said Friday during his company’s fourth-quarter earnings call... More...   Controller at Reagan National Asleep on Duty The air traffic controller at the center of the controversy surrounding a pair of flights that had to land at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport early Wednesday morning without clearance from DCA tower told NTSB investigators that he had fallen asleep, the Safety Board reported Thursday evening... More...

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