Sierra Industries' tells ANN that their FJ44 Citation II retrofit testing continues, nad boasts an accumulation of more than 14 hours of flying time since their first flight on September 19, 2007. More than 11 hours in the FJ44-3A powered aircraft, known as the "Sierra Super II", have been conducted in Class A airspace above 25,000 feet and more than 5.5 hours have been in excess of 40,000 feet.

NBAA Cites "Wake Up Call"

Following the FAA's Emergency Order Of Revocation against AMI Jet Charter, Inc., of Burlingame, CA, the industry has responded with suspicion and concern. On October 4, 2007, the FAA issued an emergency order suspending AMI's air carrier certificate "until such time as AMI demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Acting Administrator, with documentation, that it had sufficient management personnel  and the management structure, management systems and record systems, including  record systems that show the qualifications of its pilots and the airworthiness status of its aircraft, in place to maintain effective and safe operational control and ensure the safety of its Part 135 operations."

NATA Sends Letters To Members Expressing Anger

The following letter was sent to NATA members by President Jim Coyne concerning the recent Certificate action undertaken by the FAA against AMI Jet Charter, Inc., of Burlingame, CA. Coyne really took the FAA to task here and describes their actions as, "...driven more by arrogance and a failure to understand how Part 135 is different from Part 121 than by true concerns about the safety of operations conducted on AMI aircraft. "