Federal Aviation Administration today is expected to release a report on a three-day meeting that FAA Air Traffic Organization Chief Operating Officer Russell Chew held with about 70 aviation representatives this month to discuss expected summer traffic problems. The meeting was moderated by two non-aviation facilitators, who urged people to ponder far-reaching ideas to solve the problems. Some of those ideas, such as establishing "high-occupancy" lanes reserved for airliners, initially generated stomach acid among business aviation representatives.
Federal Aviation Administration's proposal to adopt new Stage 4 noise standards has attracted dozens of comments from airport authorities and anti-noise activists urging the agency to expand the rule to include more far-reaching noise restrictions, including a ban on Stage 2 aircraft (BA, March 8/101).
Jet And Propjet 2004, the detailed corporate aircraft directory of turbine-powered business aircraft, is now available. The latest edition lists more than 14,500 jets and 11,500 turboprops built by 45 manufacturers and operating in 144 countries. The directory, now in its 26th year, includes 454 new jets that were added to the worldwide file last year and 1,261 jets that changed hands. Compiled by Peter Simmonds and Dave Richardson, the 520-page paperback lists aircraft by registration number, make and model, serial number, owner and previous registration number.
GULFSTREAM G550 WINS JAA/EASA APPROVAL, COLLIER TROPHY - Gulfstream Aerospace's G550 business jet won validation by the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) and a type certificate from the new European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The G550, which features the PlaneView cockpit and Gulfstream Enhanced Vision System, won FAA certification in August. The manufacturer said the combination of the JAA recommendation letter and the EASA type certificate enable the G550 to be certified and registered within 37 European and neighboring countries.
Embraer delivered the first two Embraer 170 airliners to U.S. launch customer US Airways and another 170 to Poland's LOT Polish Airlines. Delivery of the aircraft follows certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the Brazilian Centro Tecnico Aerospacial late last month (BA, Feb. 23/82). US Airways ordered 85 of the 170s, the first in Embraer's new family of jets spanning the 70- to 100-seat market. The airline, which also took options on 100 more, plans to place the Embraer 170 into service early next month.
TAG Aviation Usa Inc. established an on-line resume-posting process to accept applications from prospective employees. Officials said that once a resume has been posted, the new system allows TAG Aviation to quickly recall a prospect's information to match hiring requirements. "TAG manages and operates aircraft at locations throughout the United States," said Karl Johnson, chief pilot and director of flight standards.
SAE Aerospace will hold its 2004 General Aviation Technology Conference and Exhibition April 20-22 at the Century II Convention center in Wichita, Kan. The three-day event provides a forum for corporate executives, engineers, researchers and production personnel to discuss key general aviation issues and the latest technology. The conference includes more than 150 presentations on certification, aircraft icing, flight test avionics, government updates and a host of other subjects.
GAO CALLS FOR IMPROVED BANNER-TOWER CHECKS, WAIVER PROCESSES - The Transportation Security Administration should improve its background check procedures and standardize its waiver processes for aerial advertisers if Congress lifts restrictions on advertising flights over large stadiums, the General Accounting Office recommended.
March 15-17 - Helicopter Association International Heli-Expo 2004, Las Vegas, Nev., (703) 683-4646 March 22-23 - American Association of Airport Executives, ACI-NA, Spring Washington Conference, Loews L'Enfant Plaza Hotel, Washington, 703-824-0504, www.airportnet.org March 22-25 - National Business Aviation Association 31st Annual International Operators Conference, Anaheim, Calif., (202) 783-9000 March 22-25 - Society of Manufacturing Engineers, WESTEC 2004, Angeles, Calif. Convention Center, (800) 733-4763 or www.sme.org/westec
MARINE CITATION CRASH CLAIMS FOUR IN SAN DIEGO - All four people aboard a U.S. Marine Corps Citation Encore business jet were killed Wednesday night when the aircraft crashed while on approach to the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station near San Diego, Calif. Authorities said the airplane, designated as the UC-35D in Marine Corps service, was on a training flight from Grand Junction, Colo. when it crashed about 8:45 local time. The aircraft hit the ground about 1.5 miles from the Marine base, east of Interstate 15 and burst into flames. All four aboard perished.
Piedmont Hawthorne customers now can make use of free access to high-speed Internet wireless technology at all the company's fixed-base operations. The service will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be accessed throughout FBO lobbies, pilot lounges, crew rest areas and weather/flight planning rooms. "In today's information-driven society, going wireless was the most comprehensive solution available to general aviation and Piedmont Hawthorne," said Bill Thrift, senior vice president of fixed-base operations.
General Aviation Manufacturers Association's drive to get Congress to support extension of bonus depreciation legislation appears to be hitting a roadblock in the deficit-wary Senate. Supporters say the Joint Committee on Taxation and the Congressional Budget Office "scored" the effect of extending accelerated depreciation as a $12 billion loss in government tax revenues over 10 years. Supporters of the extension argue that keeping accelerated depreciation in place actually will increase tax revenues and create jobs because it will boost sales of capital goods.
CAE promoted Jeff Roberts to group president of its Civil Simulation and Training (CS&T) business. Roberts was chief executive officer of SimuFlite Training International when CAE acquired the unit in 2002. He then became executive vice president of aviation training in the CS&T unit. Roberts also serves as a director of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association, he is a trustee of the United States Aerobatic Foundation and he is a former trustee of the University Aviation Association. He will continue to be based in Montreal in his new position.
Duncan Aviation has renamed its parts distribution network, formerly known as AVPAC (the Aviation Parts and Components) network, to Duncan Aviation Parts Support Services. The change is designed to more closely identify the business as a parts supplier and to emphasize its connection to the parent company, Duncan Aviation.
Operations began last week at American Eagle's new maintenance base at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) near Fayetteville, Ark. (BA, Nov. 24/235). The facility, which will specialize in maintaining the airline's fleet of 70-seat CRJ-700s, has 27 mechanics now, a number that is expected to rise to about 60 later this year.
SIMON ABBOTT joined Aviation Insurance Services as vice president. Abbott will be based in the company's Las Vegas corporate headquarters. He formerly was an aviation deputy underwriter at Lloyds, London.
FAA RELEASES GUIDANCE FOR FIELD APPROVAL STANDARDIZATION - Federal Aviation Administration last month released an advisory circular that provides guidance intended to help further standardize the field approval process. AC 43-210, Standardized Procedures For Requesting Field Approval of Data, Major Alterations and Repairs, provides standardized procedures for requesting field approvals. FAA noted that the guidance is not regulatory and it does not establish minimum standards.
Cirrus Design Corp., which set several records for monthly aircraft sales last year, is expected to announce that February was another record-setting month as the Duluth, Minn.-based light aircraft manufacturer logged orders for 74 more airplanes.
