GE Sells Garrett Aviation to Carlyle

General Electric is exiting the corporate aircraft maintenance arena, having announced the planned sale of its Garrett Aviation Services unit to The Carlyle Group. The transaction is expected to be completed during the third quarter 2004.

The Carlyle Group will combine Garrett Aviation with its Piedmont Hawthorne FBO chain, which has 32 facilities. Garrett currently operates nine bases in the U.S., providing corporate aircraft maintenance, refurbishing, avionics, and engine services. The Carlyle Group also owns Associated Air Center, which specializes in large VIP aircraft maintenance and refurbishment.

"We are excited about what the future holds for Garrett," said Frank Klaus, Garrett president. Klaus will be CEO of the combined Garrett Aviation/Piedmont Hawthorne.

FAA Issues Rules for New Sport Aircraft Mechanics

The Federal Aviation Administration issued the Sport Pilot, Light-Sport Aircraft rule on July 20, 2004. The rule sets forth new certification requirements for light-sport aircraft, pilots, and repairmen including establishing specific requirements for maintenance and inspections. The rule also designates two new airworthiness certificates: special light-sport aircraft and experimental light-sport aircraft.

The new rule, which was revised from the proposal, requires maintenance on special light-sport aircraft to be performed in accordance with Part 43 of the FAA regulations. The FAA will not be using airworthiness directives on special light-sport aircraft, but will issue them on type-certificated aircraft that have been incorporated into the special light-sport designation. A Piper J-3 Cub, for example, falls into this group as an already type-certificated aircraft that now fits into the light sport arena because of its performance. A new term, safety directive, is being introduced as well. This term will be applied to documents that a special light-sport aircraft manufacturer issues to make changes that are needed to correct conditions that may adversely affect safety of flight for aircraft that are in service.

The rule calls for two new maintenance certificates. For both of these certificates the applicant must meet the following requirements: be at least 18 years old, read, speak, and understand English, demonstrate the requisite skill to determine whether a light sport aircraft is in a condition for safe operation, and be a citizen of the U. S. or a legal permanent resident.

One certificate is called the repairman certificate--maintenance. This certificate applies to the maintenance, repair, and performance of annual condition inspections on the two new airworthiness categories, special light-sport and experimental light-sport aircraft. This certificate requires completion of an FAA-approved 80- to 120-hour training course depending on the type of light-sport aircraft. The other certificate is called the repairman certificate--inspection. This certificate applies only to the performance of annual condition inspections on experimental light-sport aircraft owned by the certificate holder. According to the rule, "a repairman is not authorized to conduct any maintenance on an aircraft issued a standard airworthiness certificate in a category other than light-sport."

This new rule groups aircraft into several different types of light-sport aircraft and then designates the requirements for maintaining them. The groups include experimental light-sport aircraft, special light-sport aircraft, amateur built, and ultralights. An experimental light sport aircraft can be owner maintained and the owner can perform the annual inspection if they hold the repairman certificate--inspection. The annual inspection could also be accomplished by an A&P or a Part 145 repair station. The FAA expects to issue guidelines for light sport repairman training in October, and the first repairman certificate in January. -- By Joy Finnegan