In the latest of a series of initiatives to improve customer service, Raytheon is launching monthly online chat sessions to give aircraft owners a chance to "talk shop" with product experts. The new chat room for Beech, Hawker and Raytheon Premier I aircraft operators will go live next month on the company's website: www.RaytheonAircraft.com.
David L. Taylor, 50, an 18-year veteran of Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., will take over as president and chief executive officer of the Broomfield, Colo. company June 1. He will succeed Donald W. Vanlandingham, who will become chairman of the board and will serve in that position until he retires at the end of the year. Taylor most recently served as senior vice president and chief operating officer of Ball Aerospace.
Docket No.: FAA-2002-11939 Petitioner: Civil Air Patrol Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR Subpart F of Part 91 Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit the Civil Air Patrol to operate small aircraft under Subpart F of Part 91 and receive limited reimbursement for certain flights within the scope of and incidental to the Civil Air Patrol's corporate purposes and U.S. Air Force Auxiliary status. Grant, April 24, 2002, Exemption No. 6485C (Previously Docket 28454)
Bombardier won an order valued at $68.7 million from Atlantic Southeast Airlines for three CRJ200 regional jets. The order converts three options the Delta Connection carrier held for the CRJ. Bombardier will deliver the aircraft to ASA in the summer of 2003. ASA and Delta Connection affiliate Comair have combined to order 237 Bombardier CRJ100 and 200 aircraft, of which 191 have been delivered and 46 remain on backlog.
The wreckage of a Robinson R-22 helicopter, N7194J, was found by a hiker May 22 in mountainous terrain near Mammoth Lakes, Calif. The initial FAA report said it was unknown when the helicopter crashed. Both people on board suffered fatal injuries.
Regal Aviation added a Gulfstream IIB and two Hawker 700s to its managed-aircraft fleet, which now totals 20 aircraft. The G-II and one of the Hawkers are based at Regal's headquarters at Dallas Love Field. The second Hawker will be operated out of Regal's facility at Houston Hobby Airport.
Aerospace America Airshow's Aviation Conference and Exposition is scheduled for June 13-14 at The Westin Oklahoma City, Okla. The two-day event is designed for general aviation pilots, aviation owners and managers, schedulers and dispatchers, maintenance personnel and flight attendants and other companies interested in general and business aviation.
Docket No.: FAA-2002-11487 Petitioner: Bombardier Aerospace, Learjet, Inc. Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 145.45(f) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Learjet to assign a copy of its repair station inspection procedures manual (IPM) to key individuals within departments and make the IPM available to all other repair station personnel rather than give a copy of the manual to each of its supervisory and inspection personnel. Grant, March 26, 2002, Exemption No. 7240A
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University graduated 30 in its first class of students from the new Aviation and Space Technology Academy. The academy, which was started by the university to address the nation's shortage of aircraft maintenance technicians, offers a 16-month program leading to certification of airframe and powerplant technicians. An additional four-month certification program in avionics maintenance also is offered. The academy will produce 180 new A&P technicians annually, said Program Director Stan Mackiewicz.
LUSCOMBE CRASH BLAMED ON LOSS OF CONTROL CONTINUITY - Both persons aboard a Luscombe LL-8-E single-engine aircraft were killed May 17 when the aircraft crashed after the pilot was unable to pull the aircraft out of a dive because an elevator control cable became detached.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) promised to make every effort to bring the National Aviation Capacity Expansion Act, (S.2039), to the Senate floor for a vote. The bill would enforce at a national level last fall's pact between Chicago Mayor Richard Daley (D) and Gov. George Ryan (R) to add runways and expand Chicago O'Hare, explore a new airport in Peotone, Ill., and keep Meigs Field operating.
HOUSE KEEPS REMAINING AIR CARRIER COMPENSATION INTACT - The House early Friday morning passed its version of an emergency spending bill, but eliminated a controversial provision that would have rescinded the remaining portion of direct compensation that had not already been handed out to air carriers under the Air Transportation Safety and System Stabilization Act.
Docket No.: FAA-2000-8468 Petitioner: Yankee Air Force, Inc. Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 91.315, 119.5(g), and 119.21(a) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Yankee Air Force to operate its B-25, in addition to its already approved Boeing B-17, for the purpose of carrying passengers for compensation or hire on local flights for educational and historical purposes. Grant, March 14, 2002, Exemption No. 6631D
Hamilton Sundstrand and Woodward Governor Co. signed a memorandum of understanding last week and will seek to establish a joint venture in China to overhaul and repair jet engine accessories, including flight controls. The joint venture would be based at Hamilton Sundstrand's existing Xiamen overhaul and repair facility.
Shawn Etheridge was appointed publisher of AC-U-KWIK at Primedia Business Directories and Books. AC-U-KWIK is a pre-flight planning resource for the corporate aviation industry. Etheridge will be responsible for AC-U-KWIK products and services including three annual directories, a website and a mobile Palm application for flight information. Along with his new position, Etheridge will continue as publisher of Primedia Price Digests.
Nearly 90 percent of fractional aircraft owners are happy with the service they receive from their fractional providers, according to the latest Fractional Aircraft Ownership Experience Study conducted by Aviation Research Group/US, Inc. (ARG/US). "Overwhelmingly, fractional customers (87.6 percent) indicate they are satisfied with their current fractional program," said ARG/US President Joe Moeggenberg. He added that the majority of survey participants (84.8 percent) plan to renew with their current fractional provider.
State of Iowa is still considering eliminating all aviation funding to help ease its budget crunch. The state legislature earlier this year proposed cutting the $2.5 million in aviation funding, but agreed to restore $500,000 for aviation programs. State aviation officials fought for the restoration, noting "aviation in Iowa has been operating in donor mode for many years." Aviation activities generate in excess of $8 million, in aviation taxes, but the most money the state has ever returned is $2.5 million, a state official said (BA, March 4/105).
Jim Gregory, director of corporate affairs and communications for Raytheon Aircraft Company, is retiring May 31. Gregory began his public relations career at Boeing Wichita in 1974 and spent three years there before moving to Gates Learjet in 1977. He joined Beech Aircraft in 1980 and has headed communications operations for the Wichita manufacturer since it became part of Raytheon. Gregory told BA he plans to open a public affairs consultancy in Wichita this summer.
CESSNA 550 DAMAGED DURING OVERRUN ACCIDENT - A Cessna Citation 550 business jet was substantially damaged May 20 when the aircraft ran off the end of the runway after the pilot aborted the takeoff. The aircraft, N13VP, was registered to Airlease, Inc. of Oklahoma City, Okla. and was operated by Avalon Correctional Services, Inc., also of Oklahoma City. The aircraft was attempting to take off from Oklahoma City shortly after 0800 local time for a flight to Greeley-Weld County Airport in Greeley, Colo.
Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation i n, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
Stephen Zaidman, a veteran FAA executive who recently reversed his decision to retire from the agency, was named director of the Airway Facilities Service. He had been associate administrator for research and acquisition before announcing his retirement in April. Zaidman has been with FAA since 1974. In his new post he succeeds Alan Moore, who is retiring.
Honeywell says its single-channel AIRSAT 1 global satellite communication system has been expanded to include a data link for information transmission. The data link is a 2.4 kilobit per second system that interfaces with either a business or home server, or it will connect to the Internet. "Business and general aviation operators with AIRSAT 1 equipment and Honeywell's OneLink transmission services for their global communication needs will now have data link capability for e-mail and direct Internet access," said Gene Ronsick, AIRSAT 1 marketing manager.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-322-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection of the aft edge of the left and right main windshields to determine whether a certain placard is installed, and corrective actions if necessary. This action is necessary to prevent failure of the main windshields due to stress-related cracking, which could cause cabin depressurization and emergency descent, and adversely affect continued safe flight of the airplane.
A Cessna Citation 550 business jet was substantially damaged May 20 when the aircraft ran off the end of the runway after the pilot aborted the takeoff. The aircraft, N13VP, was registered to Airlease, Inc. of Oklahoma City, Okla. and was operated by Avalon Correctional Services, Inc., also of Oklahoma City. The aircraft was attempting to take off from Oklahoma City shortly after 0800 local time for a flight to Greeley-Weld County Airport in Greeley, Colo.
