B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 Day 2 - (Page 8)

N BA A 2007 He Liked the SJ30 So Much He Bought the Company, Making Sure It Carries On Hamish Harding liked the Sino Swearingen SJ30 light jet so much that he bought the company. In a deal signed late Sunday evening and announced here yesterday, Harding, chairman of Action Aviation, and California-based ACQ Capital, together injected sufficient capital into Sino Swearingen to see the aircraft to volume production and profitability. In buying a controlling share of the company the new owners displace a Taiwanese interest as major shareholders. Taiwan, and particularly the Taiwanese government, had Hamish Harding. supported the program since 1995 and held 90% of Sino Swearingen. But their patience and money ran out as the company faced the transition from type certification to full production. The program was originally announced at NBAA 1986, and the Taiwanese became investors 12 years ago. Harding chuckled when asked if Sino Swearingen will go down in history as the company that took the longest time to produce the fewest planes. That’s about to change, Harding says. The second customer airplane was delivered here yesterday—to himself. Action Aviation has a vested interest in seeing the SJ30 through to full production, as it has ordered 159 of them. Harding fell in love with the airplane a couple of years ago. “I’ve been living this for a long time,” he said, after realizing that the Taiwanese faced a monumental task in reaching production and that he could help. “They are very committed to the airplane,” he explained, but they realized that developing a company in a different country is perhaps not the best use for government money. “For us it is an opportunity,” he said. “You always want to be the last money into a company.” —John Morris Posthumus Platinum Wing Award to Ewald The late Dave Ewald, long-time publisher of B/CA magazine who was recently a consultant, was recognized by NBAA with this year’s Platinum Wing Award at the annual breakfast for journalists. Gary Worden, who was Ewald’s right-hand man at B/CA for several decades, accepted the award on behalf of Ewald’s family. NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen noted that Ewald devoted over 50 years to aviation journalism and mentored many new people entering the field. In addition, NBAA has renamed this award the David W. Ewald Platinum Wing Award for Lifetime Achievement and Excellence in Journalism. NBAA also has created a new scholarship in Ewald’s honor to support people seeking careers in journalism, preferably with an aviation focus. Chad Robert Mumm, a student at the University of Georgia, and David Kenneth Wilson, a South Connecticut State University student, received the first awards. Spectrum Is Fired-up About PhostrEx When Eclipse developed the PhostrEx aircraft fire-suppression system for its Model 500 light jet, it represented a major stop forward in the elimination of harmful Halon gas in aerospace. Now, the word is spreading, and Eclipse is finding customers for its significantly lighter and environmentally friendly system. First of such is Spectrum, whose Linden Blue joined Vern Raburn on the podium at a Monday press conference to declare adoption of PhostrEx for the emerging S-33 Independence and S-40 Freedom twin-jets. VistaJet Orders Three ACJs Three is the magic number for VistaJet. Celebrating the company’s order for three Airbus ACJs announced Tuesday were (l to r): Richard Gaona, Airbus vice president for executive and private aviation; Thomas Flohr, chairman VistaJet; Bing Chen, group CEO VistaJet; Christophe Pelet, contracts director Airbus Corporate Jets. Indian Success for Cessna’s Latest Jet Continuing its growth in India, Cessna has received an order for four more Citation business jets, to be formalized by a ceremony scheduled for 2 pm Wednesday in the Mustang Conference Room at the convention. Salil Taneja will sign an agreement for four Citations: two CJ2+ and one XLS+ for Taneja Aerospace & Aviation Limited (TAAL) and one XLS+ for Indian Seamless Metal Tubes Limited (ISMT), the parent company of TAAL. The XLS+—an upgrade to the mid-size Excel/XLS—conducted its maiden flight as recently as August 2. Certification and first delivery are expected before the end of 2008. A Pair of A330s From Lufthansa Technik Lufthansa Technik’s completion center has signed Letters of Commitment with undisclosed customers for the completion of two VIP Airbus A330-200s. They will be both outfitted in Hamburg. The first A330 will arrive for completion at the beginning of 2008. The second aircraft is scheduled for end-2009. While Lufthansa declines to identify the clients it notes that both aircraft are for different owners and both are brand new 200s. Epic Announcement Due Today The delayed arrival of an airliner bringing a foreign representative to Atlanta has only increased speculation as to the future of hyperactive, Oregon VLJ and turboprop manufacturer, Epic Aircraft. An announcement has been postponed until today, but joint-founder, Rick Schrameck, has admitted he can’t deny unofficial reports that Kingfisher Airlines chairman, Vijay Mallya, will invest $200 million in the company. 8 September 26, 2007 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 Day 2

Contents Spectrum Stresses Freedom Adam Shows A700 Cabin User Fee War of Words Execujet Boosts Services Saab's Got Your Back CAE Covers the Field London Airports Roundup Pratt & Whitney Canada Another Show! A More Digital Jeppesen CMC Rides Bizjet Wave Thales Weighs In We Fly the Eclipse 500

B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 Day 2

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