Aviation International News
May 2015
PUBLICATIONS Vol. 47 No.5 $9.00
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Despite roadblocks that endure, bizav holds faith in China market by Ian Sheppard & Chad Trautvetter If anything was revealed at last month’s ABACE show in Shanghai, it was that the Chinese government’s anti-corruption and austerity campaigns appear only to have changed the way the business aviation sector is behaving outwardly. The underlying excitement about the potential for bizav growth in the People’s Republic seems undimmed, even if there has been a dip in charter demand and aircraft deliveries. At the same time, businesses
in Greater China are becoming increasingly aware of the value of business aircraft as tools. This sentiment might help reshape the image of these aircraft from luxury toys to workhorses that save time and add value for corporations. “The anti-corruption cloud [in China] is really targeting high-end luxury items, and sadly business aircraft fall into that,” Charlie Mularski, chairman of the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA),
told AIN. “But the point is that it is not a luxury item. It’s a tool, so how can we persuade the authorities and the public of this?” He recognized that the austerity measures and anti-corruption campaign have had an impact on orders and deliveries in China, but said AsBAA is determined to have its own “No Plane, No Gain” drive. “The reason for it here is to fight the stigma,” he explained.
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Intimidation of airline mechanics AIN columnist John Goglia, a former member of the NTSB, has been looking into reports of airlines intimidating mechanics who flag safety-offlight issues. NASA’s Aviation Safety Reporting System provided Goglia with access to reports filed by airline mechanics, and his findings make for a sobering read. The NASA reports reveal instances of supervisors exerting pressure on mechanics to violate FAA safety rules, from reusing damaged hardware and overlooking airframe damage to classifying a lightning strike as chipped paint. Among the more disturbing, one report describes how a lead mechanic directed his colleagues to “strip parts from the scrapped [A320] thrust reverser and use acetone to remove the scrapped red lettering.” NASA told Goglia that the reports represent “the lower measure of the number of such events that are occurring.” See “Torqued” on page 76.
Kestrel and Eclipse merge, rebranding as One Aviation by Rob Finfrock
DAVID McINTOSH
Last month’s ABACE, the biggest ever, featured some 40 aircraft on static display at Shanghai Hongqiao.
VLJ manufacturer Eclipse Aerospace merged with Kestrel Aircraft, developer of the K350 turboprop single, to form One Aviation, the new company announced on April 15 at Aero 2015 in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Kestrel founder Alan Klapmeier is CEO of One Aviation, and Eclipse Aerospace chief executive Mason Holland is One Aviation’s chairman; Eclipse Aerospace president Ken Ross is president of the new company. “The concept of One Aviation started coming together quite a while ago,” Ross told AIN during Aero 2015. “Mason, Alan and I
Pilot report
Safety
Accidents
Special Report
Citation Latitude
First-quarter accident stats
New details in Bedford GIV crash
FBO Survey: Eastern Hemisphere
Cessna introduces the first new Citation fuselage cross section in four decades, but the airplane will feel familiar: excellent handling, intuitive avionics and a super-quiet cockpit. page 46
There were no business jet fatalities anywhere in the first quarter, but the sector experienced more nonfatal crashes in the first three months than in the same period last year. page 6
A flight control issue, possibly the position of the gust lock, is one theory the Safety Board is considering to explain why the aircraft ran off the runway at Bedford in May last year. page 14
Business aviation traffic has not bounced back everywhere the way it has in the U.S. as the industry faces myriad challenges. However, FBOs continue to look ahead to a rebound. page 20
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have been friends for many years, and we’ve talked for some time about [bringing] together the most innovative products with the best sales, service and support.” The newly formed company will be headquartered at Eclipse’s primary facility in Albuquerque, Continues on page 54 u