Popular Refrain: 'It is what it is'

sagem avionics — (Safran group) of Grand Prairie, TX and Wayfarer Aviation, Inc. are combining efforts to establish an industry-leading Corporate Flight Operational Quality Assurance (CFOQA) program, based on the Sagem AGS Software package and FDM Suite (Flight Data Management). C-FOQA provides information about flight safety issues, allowing operators to enhance flight safety and efficiency. By collecting and analyzing recorded flight data, unsafe and abnormal operations can be detected and addressed.

sextant advisory — in collaboration with Analytical Management Techniques Corp., develops Financial IQ for Aviation, which provides detailed, fully allocated profit and loss data for each

flight segment -- both looking forward (for developing quotations) and looking backward (for business analysis); www.sextantadvisory.com.

signature flight support — appoints David Best as its chief commercial officer, Steve Lee as chief operating officer and Mark Johnstone as chief financial officer. All three roles are new executive level positions at Signature.
• Signature also triples AVTRIP points at U.S. locations through the end of the year when a customer “tops off” the aircraft. Promotion will be active at participating Signature Flight Support and Executive Beechcraft locations.
• Signature London Gatwick (LGW) completes a renovation of its dedicated fixed base operation, adding two VIP lounges and a crew lounge with a business center. Amenities include WiFi Internet access and a new convenient service for VIP passengers transiting to and from the commercial terminal.

skybuyhigh — announces the launch of its e-boutique service on-board private and charter aircraft and for use in FBO locations, creating a new stream of revenue for the aviation industry. Charter operators and brokers earn commissioned income from items purchased on SkyBuyHigh systems placed on their aircraft, and FBOs earn revenue by offering the system in their lounge or by loaning out the system to be placed on-board charter and private flights that frequent their location. No set-up fees or other charges; www.skybuyhigh.com.

standard aero — A DAE company of Tempe, AZ and Wayfarer Aviation, Inc. of Rye Brook, NY sign a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a fleet savings program to support Wayfarer’s fleet of managed aircraft.

3m — announces its Mobile Advanced Passenger Information System (APIS) solution, a system which offers charter companies, general aviation, and FBOs with an accurate, portable, and flexible way to collect, store, validate, and transmit APIS data for Customs and Border Protection passenger screening with forwarding to TSA for vetting; www.3m.com.

west star aviation, inc. — of East Alton, IL announces that Aviation Partners, Inc. (API) has named it their newest Blended Winglet installation center for the Falcon 2000 series aircraft. STC’s have been received for U.S., Europe, Canada, and Brazil.

Light Business Aircraft Conferences on Tap

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) announce that, beginning in 2010, AOPA and NBAA will each host Light Business Aircraft Conferences as part of their annual conventions.

Comments NBAA president and CEO Ed Bolen, “This new collaborative effort to address the needs of a vital sector of the industry – the small businesses which use aviation – will enhance the value of each organization to our members and can help businesses that do not yet take advantage of business aviation understand why it would be in their interest to do so.”
The AOPA Aviation Summit and NBAA’s Annual Meeting and Convention are often on opposite sides of the country; thus, say the associations, the jointly hosted Light Business Aircraft Conferences will be able to reach more pilots each year.

Online Resource

NBAA and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) unveil a new online resource to help businesses of all types and sizes calculate and explain the value a business aircraft brings to a company’s overall business objectives.

The new Business Aircraft E-Valuation Toolkit identifies five basic resources every company in business aviation should have for measuring an aircraft’s value – regardless of the size or type of the business involved, which are: