Model SR20 and SR22 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-28246; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-048-AD; Amendment 39-15367; AD 2008-03-16] - Following the instructions of Cirrus Service Bulletin No. SB 2X-27-14 R3 (dated Oct.10, 2007), inspect the rudder, aileron and rudder-aileron interconnect rigging. Correct any out-of-rig condition, and replace the attaching hardware for the rudder-aileron interconnect arm. Report to the manufacturer any out-of-rig condition found.
March 10-11 - Federal Aviation Administration, 33rd Annual Aviation Forecast Conference, Washington, D.C. Contact Linda Baranovics at (202) 267-5370; or e-mail [email protected] March 10-12 - Flight Safety Foundation 20th European Aviation Safety Seminar - EASS, Bucharest, Romania; Contact FSF at (703) 739-6700 March 13-15 - Aeronautical Repair Station Association, Annual Repair Symposium, Washington, D.C.; Contact ARSA at (703) 739-9543
Falcon 2000 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0116; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-257-AD] - Requires removal and modification of the wing anti-ice telescopic tubes in accordance with Zodiac Service Bulletins 5035-30-001 and 5035-30-002 (both dated April 15, 2002). This proposed AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, was prompted by reports of temperature-induced cracking of certain older sealant rings used in the ball joints of the telescopic tubes.
EADS SOCATA won a contract to upgrade 28 TBM 700s for the French armed forces. The five-year contract, valued at 1.7 million euros, calls for installation of a Mode S transponder with antenna diversity, the hardening of VOR receivers and replacement of the chemical oxygen system by a gaseous oxygen system with a quick-drop mask. The aircraft are operated by the French Air Force, French Army Aviation and the French National Flight Test Center. The French military TBM 700 fleet passed the 130,000-flight-hour mark in 2007.
ALERION, INC. teamed with Aviation Facilities Security Group (AFSG) to provide personally tailored security for Alerion customers. Through the partnership, Alerion will offer clients a range of security offerings from extra assistance while traveling to detailed information and security preparation for travel in high-risk areas. AFSG provides security tools and resources for corporate, general aviation and fixed-base operators. AFSG assists with pre-flight analysis and security preparation, and provides advance teams and additional security personnel as needed.
Model G150 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0120; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-327-AD] - This AD requires inspections for chafing and arcing damage of the feeder cable terminal lug and ground point. If any damage is found, repair it, install new heat-shrink tubing if the tubing is missing or damaged, and reposition the feeder cable in accordance with Gulfstream Alert Service Bulletin 150-24A-046 (dated Oct. 31, 2007).
The wealthy pilot of a Cessna CitationJet and her young son were killed Feb. 1 when the airplane crashed shortly after taking off from the Augusta State Airport in Augusta, Maine - in freezing precipitation that had convinced the regional airline serving Augusta to suspend flight operations. The pilot of the 2001 Model 525 CitationJet was identified as Jeanette Symons, 45. Symons had been a pilot for nearly two decades, according to friends. She was the founder of Ascend Communication in 1989, a company she later sold to Lucent Technologies for $24 billion.
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT CORP. won FAA certification for the company's new King Air C90GTi, the latest evolution of the twin-turboprop. The C90GTi is equipped with the fully-integrated Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite that also is used on a number of other King Air and Hawker models. The company delivered 10 C90GTi models in December. In addition to FAA approval, the new model has won certification from Brazilian airworthiness authorities. HBC is seeking C90GTi certification from authorities in Europe, Mexico, Canada, Venezuela and Guatemala.
Mike Shih, a veteran of nearly 20 years with Cessna Aircraft in Wichita, Kan., was named director of Cessna China Operations. The aircraft manufacturer announced plans late last year to have its SkyCatcher Light Sport Aircraft (LSA) built by Shenyang Aircraft Corp. in China (BA, Dec. 3/251). Shih will oversee production of the Model 162 SkyCatcher and support business development opportunities for Cessna in China.
AVJET CORPORATION moved its East Coast offices to the Dulles Jet Center corporate hangar complex at Dulles International Airport (IAD) outside Washington, D.C. Avjet Corp. provides a range of aircraft sales, acquisitions, charter and management services, including oversight of aircraft completions and refurbishments. The company's new East Coast office address is: 3800 Wind Sock Drive, Suite 250, Dulles, Va. 20166. The new telephone number is (703) 661-4848; the fax number is (703) 661-4949.
Virgin USA, the North American affiliate of British-based Virgin Group, is slated to enter the charter market next month with a new online booking service. Virgin unveiled plans for Virgin Charter in June, saying its service will provide a centralized marketplace that "will revolutionize private aviation by providing tremendous efficiencies to what has been a highly fragmented industry," (BA, June 18/271).
Named staff vice president, external communications, for the American Association of Airport Executives, which is based in Alexandria, Va. Broderick has been involved in the aviation industry for 16 years, including 11 years as a reporter/editor for various aviation trade publications, including several owned by McGraw-Hill. Most recently, Broderick served as editor of AAAE's Airport Magazine and product manager for the ANTN Digicast, the association's Web-based training and video content delivery.
Named director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Aviation Weather Center in Kansas City. Maxson most recently was a research pilot with the National Science Foundation in Boulder, Colo. The Aviation Weather Center issues warnings, forecasts, and advisories of hazardous weather for aircraft in flight. Maxson has 30 years of aviation weather experience as a NOAA Corps officer and pilot. He joined NOAA in 1978 in Kings Point, N.Y.
Model 525, 525A and 525B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-28956; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-068-AD; Amendment 39-15360; AD 2008-03-10] - Requires inspection of the lower wing skin structure, forward wing spar, lower fuselage skin, fairings and the external fairing frames for corrosion. Repair any damage found and apply a corrosion-inhibiting sealant to the fuselage fairings before reinstalling. Also, disable the cockpit-mounted pilot relief tube. This AD resulted from leaks of the cockpit-mounted pilot relief tube, which caused corrosion of the airplane structure.
THE FIRST MEETING of NATA's newly formed Environmental Committee late last month drew nearly three dozen NATA members from a cross-section of industry. The committee agreed to move forward with a carbon offset program and hopes to have initial details in time for the next meeting in March. The committee also wants to establish a set of industry best practices and explore joint partnership possibilities with the Environmental Protection Agency.
SOLOY AVIATION SOLUTIONS won approval from Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) for conversion of AS350BA and B2 helicopters with Honeywell engines. Soloy has supplied more than 75 conversion kits to customers in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the U.S. over the past 24 months. The latest approval clears the way for installation of the kits for Brazilian customers. The kit involves installation of LTS101-600A-3A engines on the AS350BA and the LTS101-700D-2 on the B2.
BRIAN RILEY, vice president of government affairs, for the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, is joining Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. this week as director of federal and state affairs. Riley, 41, will continue to be based in Washington, D.C., but will be doing a lot of traveling to deal with the issues in the eight states where Goodyear has major facilities.
GKN AEROSPACE delivered the first blended winglet for the Boeing 737-300/500 under an agreement with Aviation Partners Boeing (APB). GKN will provide 200 of the winglets, which are seven feet long, under the multi-year agreement. APB is a joint venture between The Boeing Company and Aviation Partners, Inc., which developed the winglet technology for the 737 and a number of business jet aircraft.
EMBRAER won an order from JJH Capital for six Embraer 195 jets with purchase rights for another six. Embraer valued the firm order at $237 million. The aircraft will be operated by Spanish start-up Universal Airlines for domestic and intra-European routes. Deliveries of the 122-passenger aircraft are scheduled to begin in May.
Model TFE731-2C, -3B, -3BR, -3C, -3CR, -3D, -3DR, -4R, -5AR, -5BR, -5R, -20R, -20AR, -20BR, -40, -40AR, -40R and -60 series engines [Docket No. FAA-2007-27891; Directorate Identifier 2007-NE-14-AD; Amendment 39-15349; AD 2008-02-19] - Requires removing from service certain high-pressure (HP) turbine rotor assemblies and returning them to Honeywell for curvic root radius inspection.
AS 355 F2 and AS 355 N helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2008-0043; Directorate Identifier 2007-SW-31-AD; Amendment 39-15340; AD 2008-02-10] - Following the instructions of Eurocopter AS 355 Emergency Alert Service Bulletin No. 67.00.29, Revision 1 (dated April 27, 2007), inspect the aircraft to determine if the correct load compensator lever and hydraulic actuator assembly are installed. Replace them if incompatible parts are found.
THE NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION last week praised FAA for working with the industry to address MU-2B safety concerns, and noted the agency changed language in a Special Federal Aviation Regulation to address compliance time with a new required training regimen. But NATA added that the MU-2B SFAR released last week retained training requirements that will cause significant increases in costs that could devalue and result in early retirement of the MU-2 fleet. See article on Page 49.
French engine manufacturer Snecma is 35 hours into core testing of its planned Silvercrest family of turbine engines, "achieving all expected performance objectives" to date, officials said during a press conference last week.
