William Fern, assistant maintenance supervisor for R.O.P. Aviation in Teterboro, received the Maintenance Technician Award for professionalism from the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association and Aircraft Technical Publishers. The award was presented at PAMA's spring trade show in Phoenix.
DaimlerChrysler Aviation at Oakland County International Airport in Waterford, Mi., won a gold award in Exxon Co. USA's Tiger Spirit program for providing ``superior customer service''
Pilots who operate several different aircraft types can meet the FAA's night currency requirements in one aircraft, according to an amendment to FAR Part 61. Before the rule change, pilots were obligated to perform three takeoffs and landings every 90 days in each type of aircraft they fly, resulting in higher costs for operators. ``The new regulation addresses the FAA's concerns for currency while virtually eliminating the need for flight departments to perform additional flights,'' says NBAA President Jack Olcott.
Edited By Paul RichfieldRichard N. Aarons FSF to Coordinate Safety Efforts
The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the NBAA are placing new emphasis on preventing approach and landing accidents (ALAs), a major accident type for air carriers and corporate operators.
The organization announced its newly elected officers: president, Katha House, chief pilot for A C Aviation Services of Nashua, N.H.; vice president, June Spencer, product marketing manager for FlightSafety International; and to treasurer, Helen Williams, a Hawker captain. Gail Julien, regional aviation manager for Multi Service Corp. of Overland Park, Kan., was named interim secretary.
There are only a dozen or so major airports in the United States with weather that goes below Category I approach minimums more than three percent of the time. So why would an increasing number of U.S. business aircraft operators seek to obtain CAT II operational approval?
The FAA has commissioned a new ILS for Runway 13 at Reading Regional/Carl A. Spaatz field. The new ILS is Reading's second, and offers pilots the option of an instrument approach to the airport's longest runway. Runway 13 is 6,350 feet long, and locals say it faces the prevailing wind during inclement weather. Minimums for the new ILS are a 200-foot ceiling and 3/4 mile visibility. The visibility minimum will be reduced to 1/2 mile once approach lights are installed, the FAA says.
The NTSB has called for the installation of a Terrain Awareness and Warning System (TAWS) on all turbine-powered aircraft with six or more passenger seats within three years. If adopted, the recommendation would push forward an FAA proposal requiring TAWS in those aircraft within four years. Industry groups have resisted the initiative, saying its benefits are not justified by its cost, which could be as much as $100,000 per aircraft.
McCauley Propeller Systems has established the McCauley Training Center at Dayton International Airport to familiarize propeller mechanics with the company's products
Recently, B/CA flew the first Boeing Business Jet, YG001, which had been fitted with Aviation Partners Inc. winglets for a series of proof-of-concept (P-O-C) tests. The flight was one of 20 missions flown to evaluate the changes in aerodynamic characteristics and structural loads. Prior to BBJ certification in late 1998, Boeing also flew five test missions in a B737-800 fitted with winglets, because the BBJ uses the -800 wing.
The FAA and NTSB will co-sponsor a committee to examine how new technology can be used for flight data collection and use. The initiative was triggered by recent NTSB aircraft accident investigations, which highlighted the limitations of current-generation flight data recorders. The committee will draw members from the U.S. and international safety boards, manufacturers, pilot unions and regulatory agencies, and will be asked to submit a final report by spring 2000.
Reid Psychological Systems of Chicago publishes a 50-question Service Relations Scale that is validated specifically for use in selecting employees for service-intense businesses. Applicants respond to items on a four-point scale varying from ``definitely yes'' to ``definitely no.'' Two selected items from the test are: ``You get tremendous satisfaction out of serving others.'' ``It bothers you when people ask stupid questions.''
Fatigue cracks around bolts in some Bell 222 rotor hubs prompted the FAA to issue an emergency airworthiness directive (AD). To comply, operators of 88 Bell 222, 222B and 222U helicopters must verify the torque of the bolts on the helicopters' main rotor hub within 10 hours of service, and replace any damaged parts. ``If not corrected, this condition could result in the loss of the rotor system, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter,'' the FAA says.
BFGoodrich and Coltec Industries have challenged a court injunction that stalled their proposed merger. The appeal is a response to AlliedSignal, which filed suit in an effort to keep its competitors apart. Terrence G. Linnert, BFGoodrich's general counsel, says the facts do not warrant an injunction, and AlliedSignal's claims should be resolved in arbitration. AlliedSignal says the merger violates its contracts with Charlotte, N.C.-based Coltec, and breaks federal anti-trust laws. The U.S.
Robert Johnson is the newly restructured company's president and CEO. Those reporting to him are Steven R. Loranger, president of Engines&Systems; Francis W. Daly, president of Avionics&Lighting; and James D. Taiclet, Jr., president of the Aerospace Services unit. Robert L. Ruck heads the business and general aviation market segment.
If you think summer in Europe is a congestion nightmare, consider Sydney during the 2000 Summer Olympics. According to Sydney Airports Authority's Philip Cash, 250,000 international and 600,000 domestic passengers are expected to congregate in Australia's largest city between September 15 and October 1, 2000, to attend the Games.
The National Aviation Hall of Fame will induct former test pilot Fitzhugh ``Fitz'' Fulton, aviatrix Louise Thaden (posthumously) and EAA founder Paul Poberezny on July 24 at its 38th annual ceremony in Dayton, Ohio. Attendees in 1998 included Scott Crossfield, Frank Borman, Wally Schirra, James Lovell, Tom Stafford, Sam Williams, Dr. Bernard Shriever, Dr. John Stapp, Burt Rutan and Joe Kittinger. Actor and pilot Cliff Robertson will emcee this year's ceremony. Chartered in 1964 by an act of Congress, the Aviation Hall of Fame has enshrined 163 aviation and space pioneers.
Vaisala, maker of aviation weather-observing equipment, received a contract from the state of Maryland to install seven Automated Weather Observing Systems
Express Airlines I will operate 42 new Bombardier Canadair Regional Jets (CRJs) on behalf of parent Northwest Airlines. The disclosure follows the signing of a six-year contract by Express I's pilots, who were in the midst of a labor dispute when Northwest ordered 54 CRJs in February 1999, with options for 70 more. The Memphis-based regional will take delivery of one 50-seat CRJ per month from April 2000 to January 2001, when the delivery rate will increase to two aircraft per month.
Radio provider ARINC has agreed to support Inmarsat's Aero-I/H+ satellite communications (satcom) service. ARINC will fund Inmarsat ground stations and incorporate the Aero-I/H+ service with its existing GLOBALink/Satellite service. Aero-I/H+ is based on Inmarsat's earlier Aeronautical High Gain (Aero-H) service, which catered to operators of long-haul aircraft. Aero-I will use a lighter and less-expensive system tailored to short- and medium-range aircraft, but both new products will decode voice at twice the speed of Aero-H.
Edited By Paul RichfieldPaul Richfield FAA Plans for GA Growth
The FAA expects general aviation to grow at the rate of one percent over the next 10 years, based on world economic trends and the industry's apparent rebirth since the mid-1990s. To match this growth, the agency has pledged to make better use of its $10 billion annual budget and streamline its regulatory process, to make general aviation accessible to a broader slice of the U.S. population.
Edited By Paul RichfieldPaul Richfield Nav Canada Prepares for Traffic Surge
Canada's provider of air navigation services anticipates continued growth in the world's air traffic over the next decade, with Canada playing a larger role as an ``airspace crossroads'' for Europe, North America and Asia. Nav Canada expects the total number of flight movements in Canadian controlled airspace to rise from 5.5 million in 1998 to 7.0 million in 2008, a 30-percent increase. ``This may well be a conservative forecast,'' said Nav Canada President John Crichton at the company's annual meeting in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Getting down to the wire on its goal of 300 pilot/ volunteers, Cessna told B/CA at press time that 260 operators of Citation business jets will fly a total of 1,850 athletes to the 1999 Summer Olympics World Games. Cessna's goal is to airlift 2,000 athletes in 300 Citations to the event being held from June 26 through July 4 in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area of North Carolina.
