Congress likely won't act on any aviation security legislation until after the Nov. 5 elections. The House and Senate last week approved a stop-gap spending bill to tide the federal government over until Nov. 22. While not officially recessed, neither the House nor the Senate is expected to tackle any major issues until after the elections. When Congress returns, the House and Senate will have to finish work on almost all the appropriations bills, including the fiscal 2003 transportation appropriations, in a lame-duck session.
Jet Aviation Kassel received a German LBA supplemental type certificate to install new radar and a flight management system on a Citation II. The Citation will be equipped with a new Honeywell RDR 2000 weather radar system and a new Universal UNS-1L FMS, a navigation system with additional memory and a high-speed microprocessor.
The TSA Chief was much more enthusiastic about the National Business Aviation Association's proposed Transportation Security Administration Access Protocol (TSSAP) idea, however. Loy reiterated earlier comments that TSSAP procedures - under which pilots who met certain requirements could be pre-cleared - seems like a reasonable approach for permitting flights into airports covered by a TFR or instead of the current waiver process for international flights (BA, Oct. 7/159).
EC FIGHTS BELGIAN HUSHKIT BAN; TRANSATLANTIC DISPUTE RETURNS - The European Commission is taking aim at a new Belgian law that would ban hushkitted aircraft from landing or taking off at Belgian airports between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., beginning July 2003. In the first step of the so-called infringement procedure, the EC formally notified Belgium's government that the ban contradicts existing European Union hushkit legislation. Those rules were crafted in April to address a long-running transatlantic dispute the U.S.
Despite pleas from the helicopter industry, TSA Chief James Loy didn't offer much encouragement last week about lifting temporary flight restrictions at large sporting events like auto races. During a meeting between senior TSA officials and members of the General Aviation Coalition Wednesday, helicopter interests said helicopter operators needed access to race venues to pick up and deliver VIPs, sponsors and drivers at the tracks.
Smaller airports are losing more service than larger ones, according to an Oct. 7 report on airline industry metrics from DOT's Office of the Inspector General. Since early 2001, OIG said non-hubs lost nearly 16 percent of scheduled passenger seats versus a nine percent cut for larger airports. That disparity could be reduced by the end of this year, OIG said, noting that airline schedules project that by December non-hubs will be down 10 percent and larger airports down seven percent compared with December 2000.
FAA signed a letter of intent to exercise options for 21 Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE-X) systems and associated equipment and services from Sensis Corp. in a deal potentially valued at about $100 million. ASDE-X provides traffic management for the airport surface environment using a combination of surface movement radar, transponder multilateration and automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast sensors to display aircraft position.
Business Aircraft Manufacturers presented a mixed outlook for the industry last week as they released their third-quarter financial figures. Honeywell is talking about additional layoffs, Gulfstream's business jet deliveries were off sharply and Dassault is considering a reduction in production rates next year. Most OEMs remain cautiously optimistic, however, with Textron reporting that its Cessna Aircraft unit has sold about 70 percent of the 250 business jets it plans to produce in 2003. See articles below.
CMC Electronics won a contract from Marshall Aerospace of Cambridge, England, to supply its global positioning system-based flight management system, the CMA-900, for three C-130 aircraft that Marshall Aerospace will upgrade for the Australian Air Force. The aircraft are slated for delivery in February 2003. The CMA-900 is in service on aircraft operated by more than 40 airlines as well as on the P-3.
Model SR20 and SR22 airplanes (Docket No. 2002-CE-41-AD; Amendment 39-12908; AD 2002-21-02) - requires replacement of the self-locking retaining nut on the roll and yaw trim cartridges with a new self-locking retaining nut with a higher axial load capability. This AD is the result of a report that, during a production flight test, the self-locking retaining nut on the yaw trim cartridge came off.
Mark Larsen was named chair of the National Air Transportation Association's Aircraft Maintenance and System Technology Committee. He is the engine program sales manager and regional sales manager for Garrett Aviation Services, based at Knoxville's McGee Tyson Airport in Alcoa, Tenn. Larsen, who has 20 years of business aviation experience in operations, sales and customer support, succeeds Karl Florian.
Business Aircraft Manufacturers presented a mixed outlook for the industry last week as they released their third-quarter financial figures. Honeywell is talking about additional layoffs, Gulfstream's business jet deliveries were off sharply and Dassault is considering a reduction in production rates next year.Most OEMs remain cautiously optimistic, however, with Textron reporting that its Cessna Aircraft unit has sold about 70 percent of the 250 business jets it plans to produce in 2003. See articles below.
TIMCO BUYS AIRCRAFT SEATING UNIT FROM DUOCOMMUN - Timco Aviation Services, a major provider of aircraft overhaul and maintenance services, acquired Brice Manufacturing Co. of Pacoima, Calif. from Duocommun, Inc.
Keystone Helicopter Corporation selected Component Control to provide a $1 million upgrade to its business software, including the addition of the Quantum Control e-business package for maintenance, repair and overhaul operations and inventory control as well as core finance and accounting. Keystone said it chose Quantum Control after reviewing more than 20 aviation enterprise resource planning software providers.
Aviall Services, Inc. signed an agreement with Honeywell Engine Systems and Accessories that expands Aviall's worldwide aftermarket parts distribution rights for the manufacturer. Aviall said the latest agreement "significantly broadens the product line offering" of the Honeywell Engine Systems and Accessories parts that it can distribute. The Dallas-based parts supplier estimated that the agreement will boost its sales by more than $20 million per year.
Mark Larsen was named chair of the National Air Transportation Association's Aircraft Maintenance and System Technology Committee. He is the engine program sales manager and regional sales manager for Garrett Aviation Services, based at Knoxville's McGee Tyson Airport in Alcoa, Tenn. Larsen, who has 20 years of business aviation experience in operations, sales and customer support, succeeds Karl Florian.
Vector Training Systems received FAA approval for its aircraft reference data for the Piper Warrior. The approval, granted by the agency's National Simulator Program, clears the path for flight schools operating Vector's Piper Warrior flight training devices (FTDs) to seek FAA Level 3 approval. Vector delivered two Piper Warrior FTDs to the Odegard School at the University of North Dakota, and FAA Level 3 approval is expected later this month.
Jet Aviation Kassel received a German LBA supplemental type certificate to install new radar and a flight management system on a Citation II. The Citation will be equipped with a new Honeywell RDR 2000 weather radar system and a new Universal UNS-1L FMS, a navigation system with additional memory and a high-speed microprocessor.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University won a $2.7 million, three-year contract to provide flight safety management and mishap investigation instruction to the United States Air Force, Air National Guard and international flight safety officers. Under the contract, 700 flight safety officers will be trained annually at the Air Force Safety Center at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, N.M.
Model A119 helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-46-AD; Amendment 39-12910; AD 2002-21-04) - supersedes an existing emergency airworthiness directive for Agusta Model A119 helicopters. EAD 2002-17-52 issued on August 21, 2002 and sent to all known U.S. owners and operators of Agusta Model A119 helicopters by individual letters.
The TSA Chief was much more enthusiastic about the National Business Aviation Association's proposed Transportation Security Administration Access Protocol (TSSAP) idea, however. Loy reiterated earlier comments that TSSAP procedures - under which pilots who met certain requirements could be pre-cleared - seems like a reasonable approach for permitting flights into airports covered by a TFR or instead of the current waiver process for international flights (BA, Oct. 7/159).
The First Annual Latin American Business Aviation Conference&Exhibition (LABACE) was rescheduled from the originally planned January date to March 13-15, 2003. "The new dates for LABACE2003, which resulted when space became available at Sao Paulo's Transamerica Expo Center in March, will provide enhanced opportunities to interface with officials from the new Brazilian government that will be in place from January 1st on," said Jack Olcott, president of the National Business Aviation Association.
