September 8 - National Aircraft Resale Association Fall Meeting, Peabody Hotel, Orlando, Fla. September 10-12 - National Business Aviation Association 55th Annual Meeting and Convention, Orlando, Fla., (202) 783-9000 September 22-24 - National Association of State Aviation Officials, 71st Annual Convention and Trade Show, Sheraton Burlington, Burlington, Vt., (301) 588-0587 Oct 24-26 - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Expo 2002, Palm Springs, Calif., (301) 695-2000
SABRETECH CASE ENDS WITH REVISED FINE ON CONVICTION - The final chapter of the criminal proceedings against SabreTech concluded last month when a U.S. District Court judge issued a revised fine of $500,000 on the single upheld conviction in the case. "SabreTech is a defunct corporation with no assets, no operations and more than $22 million in negative net worth," said SabreTech attorney Martin Raskin. "We argued there should be no fine, since sentencing guidelines make it clear that financial resources are key elements in imposing a sentence."
While TSA is giving charter operators of aircraft weighing 95,000 pounds or more until the end of September to review proposed compliance guidance on new security requirements, the agency has yet to begin distributing the guidance. TSA plans to use FAA Principal Operations Inspectors to get the material to operators, as it did with proposed guidance for security requirements imposed on commercial operators of aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more.
CONTROLLER-PILOT DATA LINK ENTERS SERVICE IN OCTOBER - FAA will begin operational use of controller-pilot data link communications (CPDLC) in its Miami en route center in October, and the system is expected to be in use nationwide by 2006. The system, which uses a new ARINC network to enable digital exchange of data between aircraft and controllers, will reduce frequency congestion and controller workload by replacing some voice communications.
The government's proposal to impose sweeping temporary flight restrictions next week over the Washington, D.C. and New York metropolitan areas as well as Somerset, Pa., could ground hundreds of aircraft and hamper operations at major general aviation airports including Westchester County Airport, Teterboro, and Leesburg, Va., business aviation officials warn.
FlightSafety's Sikorsky Learning Center in West Palm Beach, Fla., won JAA approval for its Sikorsky S-76 pilot training program. The center is a factory-approved training organization for the Sikorsky S-76.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model EC 155B helicopters (Docket No. 2002-SW-26-AD) - proposes to require inspecting and adjusting, if necessary, the position of the locking pins on each pilot, co-pilot, and passenger-hinged and sliding door initially and each time a door is replaced. This proposal is prompted by two reports of inadvertent opening of the passenger-hinged doors in flight due to improper adjustment of the door-locking mechanism.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model SA-365N, SA-365N1, AS-365N2, and AS 365 N3 helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-34-AD) - proposes to require inspecting the 9-degree frame for the correct edge distance of the two attachment holes for the reinforced latch support and for a crack and repairing the frame if necessary. This proposal is prompted by the detection of a fatigue crack on the left-hand side of the frame during maintenance.
Honeywell signed an agreement to team with Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management of Rockville, Md. to provide FAA with Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS) hardware and support. FAA expects to award a contract in September for the initial production units and installation at six airports, with options for another 15-40 per year over five years. LAAS is an airport-based ground system that uses Global Positioning System satellites to provide aircraft with exact local navigational data to permit them to execute precision approaches.
DynCorp of Reston, Va. won an eight-year, $59 million contract to support the Air Force Armament Center's 46th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. DynCorp will perform aircraft maintenance services, including back shop and heavy maintenance, phase inspection and aircraft recovery services. The work will be done by DynCorp. Technical Services LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of DynCorp.
FlightSafety International expanded its Savannah, Ga. Learning Center to include a new maintenance technician training center. The 18,000-square foot facility, located next to the FlightSafety Gulfstream Learning Center, includes nine multi-media classrooms, a high-bay workspace and an exterior parking ramp for aircraft to be used in training.
Piedmont Hawthorne Aviation added a Hawker 800XP to its charter fleet. The aircraft, which is configured for eight passengers and two pilots, is based at the Norfolk, Va. International Airport (ORF).
National Air Transportation Association and the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association have sold the Aviation Services and Suppliers Super Show (AS3) to Cygnus Business Media. The company previously acquired the GSE International Expo, which focuses on ground support equipment and services. Cygnus said it plans to collocate the two events next spring and operate them as separate but concurrent shows.
Parker Hannifin Corporation's Nichols Airborne and Aircraft Wheel&Brake divisions introduced its fuel pump and wheel and brake conversion kit rebate program for its Airborne and Cleveland brands. The rebates apply to Hawker, Raytheon, Mitsubishi, Cessna and New Piper fleets and include a $200 savings on 24 different Airbone fuel pumps and a $400 savings on 10 Cleveland conversion kits. The rebates, which will be available through authorized Airborne and Cleveland distributors as well as on the Parker websites, are effective Sept. 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003.
Gary Freeman was named regional sales manager, maintenance at CAE SimuFlite, covering the Dallas-Fort Worth area and states west of the Mississippi River. He was most recently a regional sales manager at Gulfstream. A certified A&P, Freeman has experience in sales, technical services and as a maintenance technician.
Keith D. Rash was named regional sales director at Wing Aviation in Conroe, Texas. He most recently worked in sales and customer service at BizJet International Sales and Support. Based in Tulsa, Okla., Rash will sell maintenance, avionics upgrades, installations, paint and interior.
FlightSafety International expanded its Savannah, Ga. Learning Center to include a new maintenance technician training center. The 18,000-square foot facility, located next to the FlightSafety Gulfstream Learning Center, includes nine multi-media classrooms, a high-bay workspace and an exterior parking ramp for aircraft to be used in training.
MEXICO DROPS TEXCOCO AIRPORT AFTER REPEATED FARMER PROTESTS - The Mexican government has backed off plans to build a new airport for Mexico City in Texcoco, citing intense local opposition.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-346-AD; Amendment 39-12853; AD 2002-16-14) - requires inspection of certain installed electrical relays to determine whether they have certain manufacturing date codes, and replacement of the electrical relays with those date codes with new relays with different manufacturing date codes. This action is necessary to prevent the failure of an electrical relay due to a defective moving blade assembly, which could result in the inability to generate electrical power from the emergency system, if needed.
Eclipse Aviation rolled out its first Eclipse 500 six weeks ago amid expectations that a first flight would follow shortly (BA, July 15/21), but the entry-level jet had not made it into the air by the end of last week. A spokeswoman said test pilots have conducted low- and medium-speed taxi tests, and officials still anticipate a first flight this summer. She emphasized, however, that officials do not want to do anything to jeopardize the program by rushing a first flight before they are sure the aircraft is completely ready.
The Federal Aviation Administration is planning a comprehensive review of rules governing aircraft that operate under Parts 135, 125, 119 and 91, the agency confirmed last week, saying "there is a significant possibility of major revision to Part 135 and 125 to reflect today's environment." FAA's Kathy Perfetti first detailed the agency's plans to a gathering of the National Air Transportation Association's Fractional Aircraft Business Council earlier this month, saying a recent memorandum on the use of certain large aircraft under Part 135 could serve as a springboar
Conklin & De Decker will hold its second annual Aircraft Acquisition Planning seminar in Scottsdale, Ariz., November 14-15, 2002. The seminar will covers topics such as how to determine the best aircraft for the mission, financing and leasing arrangements, ownership alternatives and depreciation.
COMMISSION EXAMINES AVIATION CHALLENGES - The Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry convened its fourth public meeting last week, hearing testimony from industry leaders about the need for more air traffic controllers, expanded runways and prioritizing aviation programs.
Avfuel recently added two new fixed-base operators to its dealers network. Executive Air Center of Orlando, Fla. is an authorized Cessna Service Center. The company offers hangar space, maintenance and repair services and aircraft detailing. Avion Jet Center, located on the southwest side of Orlando, specializes in aircraft rental and sales, charter service, maintenance, line service and fueling. The FBO also houses the Avion Air Academy, which offers private pilot training, college credit courses and professional pilot programs.
