Archive for December, 2009

Textron late last month said that subsidiary Cessna was expected to see about $1.1 billion in cancellations in the fourth quarter from a “large customer,” which is believed to be fractional provider NetJets. None of these aircraft was planned for delivery before 2012. At the same time, Textron said Cessna continues to see stabilization in [...]

When Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger brought the aft belly skin of his US Airways Airbus A320 into contact with the cold water of New York’s Hudson River on January 15 and pulled off a magnificent emergency ditching after Canada geese had choked the life out of both engines, he restored to the piloting profession an [...]

In September, Tim Mahoney succeeded Rob Gillette as president and CEO of Honeywell’s aerospace division. Gillette served 13 years with the company, and was named head of its aerospace business in 2005. He resigned to become CEO of solar technology firm First Solar. Mahoney–who joined Honeywell in 1997–was most recently the aerospace division’s chief technology [...]

Two-term Arizona governor Janet Napolitano became the third secretary of Homeland Security last January 21, replacing Michael Chertoff as head of the massive agency. With more than 200,000 employees, including the Transportation Security Administration, the DHS is the third largest of the Cabinet departments. Chertoff, who has known Napolitano since both were prosecutors, suggested that [...]

Under new president Michael Scheeringa, who took over from Bruce Van Allen early this year, Signature Flight Support has changed its approach to the FBO market. With 102 FBOs worldwide (81 wholly owned), Signature was perceived as inflexible when it came to pricing fuel and in the way it charged ramp fees. The company tackled [...]

Rarely does the chief pilot of an OEM become the president, but it happened at Boeing Business Jets last year when Steve Taylor took over from Steve Hill, who retired after five years as BBJ president and 35 years with Boeing. Taylor brought with him degrees in mechanical engineering, economics and business administration and experience [...]

Despite his role in the impeachment of President Clinton and support for Sen. John McCain in the election, former congressman Ray LaHood became the second Republican to sit in President Obama’s Cabinet when he was confirmed as Transportation Secretary in January. He succeeded Mary Peters, who served as DOT secretary from 2006 to 2009. LaHood [...]

NTSB sitting member Deborah Hersman was sworn in as the 12th chairman of the NTSB at the end of July, taking over from acting chairman Mark Rosenker, who had held the position of chairman or acting chairman since 2005. Days later, former member Christopher Hart returned to the Board for another term. Meanwhile, at press [...]

Former Air Line Pilots Association president Randy Babbitt was confirmed for a five-year term as FAA Administrator on May 21, taking the reins from acting FAA Administrator Lynn Osmus. She had replaced acting FAA Administrator Robert Sturgell, who resigned January 16 after failing to win Senate confirmation to become permanent Administrator. Babbitt hit the ground [...]

Scott Donnelly took the helm as CEO of Textron on December 1, replacing retiring Lewis Campbell, who had been with Textron for 17 years, 11 of them as CEO. Donnelly moved to the COO spot at Textron in 2008 from GE Aviation, where he had been president and CEO, and was given the additional title [...]

The Cirrus board of directors opted not to renew company cofounder and chairman Alan Klapmeier’s contract and instead installed his brother, Dale, the other cofounder, as the new chairman. This announcement came just one week after Alan failed in his bid to acquire the SF50 Vision Jet program from Cirrus. Since late September, Dale and [...]

The European Business Aviation Association opted for the hand of experience in April following the departure of CEO Eric Mandemaker after six months on the job.President Brian Humphries agreed to resume the CEO role he had held before Mandemaker’s appointment. At the same time, the group promoted European affairs manager Pedro Vicente Azua to the [...]