General aviation security continues to come under criticism from key legislators as two senators last week appealed to FAA Administrator Jane Garvey to beef up protection around private aircraft operations. During a Senate transportation appropriations subcommittee hearing Tuesday, Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.) called fixed-base operations the "biggest weakness" in the national transportation system. Campbell charged that there is "no consideration at all" given to securing FBOs and private aircraft operations.
BOMBARDIER REGIONAL AIRCRAFT has shuffled assignments in its customer service operation, naming Jeff Mihalic vice president and general manager, customer services. Barry MacKinnon, formerly director of marketing strategy, was named vice president, marketing and airline analysis. Chris Beaton, formerly vice president, customer support, was named vice president, international sales, replacing John Howarth. Howarth was appointed senior adviser to John Giraudy, president of Bombardier Regional Aircraft.
GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) is stepping back from its order for the Fairchild Dornier 728 regional jet. A GECAS spokesman confirmed to BA affiliate Aviation Daily. "We have notified Fairchild Dornier that we have canceled our order according to the terms of our agreement." He noted that "the uncertainty surrounding the situation" was too great to keep the contract on the books. GECAS had ordered 50 728s, plus options for an additional 100 aircraft, for a total list value of $1.5 billion.
The House Appropriations transportation subcommittee Wednesday angrily demanded that the Transportation Security Administration, which according to DOT Inspector General Kenneth Mead will run out of money by the end of May, justify its $4.4 billion budget supplemental request. The subcommittee also said TSA should not plan to get the 72,000 employees it wants. Subcommittee Chair Harold Rogers (R-Ky.) chided TSA for lack of budget accountability because it justified only about half its supplemental budget request.
Models (ERCO) 415-C, (ERCO) 415-CD, (ERCO) 415-D, (ERCO) 415-E, (ERCO) 415-G, (Forney) F-1, and (Forney) F-1A airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-79-AD) - proposes to revise an earlier proposed airworthiness directive that would have superseded AD 86-22-09 and would have applied to all Univair Aircraft Corporation Models (ERCO) 415-C, (ERCO) 415-CD, (ERCO) 415-D, (ERCO) 415-E, (ERCO) 415-G, (Forney) F-1, and (Forney) F-1A airplanes with the gascolator connected to the side of the carburetor.
A new real-time, in-flight weather information service developed under the NASA Small Business Research program is expected to hit the market later this year, NASA announced Friday. ViGYAN, Inc., of Hampton, Va., developed the service, the Pilot Weather Advisory system, and sold it to WSI Corporation, which will introduce it to the market. The service provides a continuous satellite-based broadcast of weather information to aircraft cockpits.
BOISTURE HAD COMMENTED a couple of months ago that the Fortune 100/Fortune 500 firms were remaining on the sidelines in regard to aircraft purchases (BA, Feb. 18/81). Last week he acknowledged that in the fourth quarter of 2001 and first quarter of 2002 "we had experienced some pricing pressure in particular with respect to the [Gulfstream] V product" as a result of pre-owned inventory and some new inventory buildup at Gulfstream's competitors.
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 in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
The Justice Prisoner and Alien Tranportation System (JPATS) is looking to update its fleet of aircraft, which is used to transport 1,000 prisoners and illegal aliens daily throughout the U.S. and Central America. JPATS, a division of the U.S. Marshals Service, had a budget of $80 million last year but the program is looking to cut costs by replacing and standardizing its fleet with newer, more efficient aircraft this year, said Kent Pekarek, chief of JPATS.
AIRSHOW has expanded its audio-video line of AirPlay products for the business aviation market. The new products include a DVD player, a five-disc CD player, a multi-standard video cassette player and a five-channel audio amplifier. The products have met FAA standards, Airshow said, adding that it is slated to receive parts manufacturing authority for the new equipment. Airshow also has extended its standard warranty for its Tailwind 100 TV system from three to five years.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-10800 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 91.9(a) and 91.531(a)(1) and (2) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit certain qualified pilots of its Cessna Citation Model 500 series airplanes, equipped with certain supplemental type certificates, to operate those aircraft without a pilot who is designated as second-in-command. Grant, March 11, 2002, Exemption No. 5517F (Previously Docket No. 26734)
Air Methods Corporation signed a non-binding letter of intent to buy a major air medical service provider, the company announced last week. Terms of the agreement and identity of the other party have not been disclosed but the companies have agreed on a price and some key conditions, Air Methods said. Final negotiations for a binding agreement are expected to take place during the second quarter of this year, according to the letter of intent. The deal is scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2002.
Varian Medical Systems Inc. makes X-ray tubes used to screen cargo in Britain and the Netherlands, and company officials see a market in America's war against terrorism. But Varian and other companies trying to pitch their homeland security ideas often face a daunting maze of governmental bureaucracy. "It's a little confusing, not knowing who to talk to," said Amy Waters, a product manager for the Palo Alto, Calif.-based company.
Docket No.: 29969 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 91.313(e) Description of Relief Sought: To permit NAAA members to ferry restricted category agricultural aircraft and authorize operations over densely populated areas, on congested airways, or into busy airports where passenger transport operations are being conducted, without previously issuing a waiver or operation limitations. The exemption, if granted, would apply only to aircraft being ferried from one location to another without a dispensable load.
General Dynamics' Gulfstream Aerospace unit reported flat operating profits for the first quarter, but GD Chairman Nicholas Chabraja said the Savannah-based aircraft manufacturer "had a very good quarter on new orders," logging $1 billion in new customer orders.
Lufthansa Technik AG and LHT Acquisition Corp. have completed their tender offer for shares of Hawker Pacific Aerospace stock, the companies announced April 9. Lufthansa Technik, of Hamburg, Germany, announced its intention to acquire Hawker Pacific Aerospace of Sun Valley, Calif., last month. Before the tender offer, Lufthansa Technik AG owned about 73 percent of Hawker Pacific Aerospace. As of April 5, when the tender offer expired, the company and LHT Acquisition Corp. had nearly 97 percent of the stock.
TAG AVIATION teamed with Air Routing International to develop a new fuel management program. Under the TAGFuel program, Air Routing will help TAG purchase fuel at negotiated, discount prices for customer aircraft. The program includes a TAGFuel Desk to allow TAG crews to communicate directly with personnel negotiating the fuel discounts. Air Routing named Kim Ratcliff director of TAGFuel, with responsibility for oversight of the program. Ratcliff will be based in Houston, Texas.
Model 600N helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-57-AD; Amendment 39-12706; AD 2001-24-51) - publishes an amendment adopting AD 2001-24-51, which was sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of MD Helicopters, Inc. (MDHI) Model 600N helicopters by individual letters. This AD requires, within five hours time-in-service, inspecting both upper tailboom attachments, nutplates and both angles for a crack or thread damage and repairing or replacing any cracked or damaged part before further flight.
Citing concerns that low visibility during twilight contributed to the March 29, 2001 crash of a Gulfstream III in Aspen, Colo., the National Transportation Safety Board last week urged FAA to expand nighttime flight restrictions in mountainous terrain. The Gulfstream III, N303GA, operated by Avjet Corporation on a charter flight from Los Angeles, hit the ground about 2,400 feet short of Runway 15 at Aspen-Pitkin (ASE), killing three crew members and all 15 passengers on board.
THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT completed its regulations for flight training companies to submit the names of foreign student applicants who are seeking training on aircraft that weigh at least 12,500 pounds, but it may be months before new foreign students can begin flight training in the U.S. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act requires flight schools to notify the Department of Justice when they receive applications from foreign nationals for flight training in aircraft weighing 12,500 pounds or more.
The aviation maintenance community is renewing efforts to establish an industry-set standard that would recognize corporate aircraft technicians who meet certain requirements. Efforts to establish such recognition in the past have proven unsuccessful, but the latest effort is focused solely on the corporate maintenance technician and involves the building of a coalition of organizations to develop the series of standards that the maintenance technician would meet.
TWO PERSONS were killed last week when their Model 35 Beech Bonanza, N4487D, crashed near Willows, Calif. A preliminary FAA report said "witnesses on the ground reported seeing a wing come off of the aircraft prior to the crash."
WALTER BERCHTOLD was appointed vice president-refurbishment and completions at Jet Aviation West Palm Beach, Fla. He was most recently vice president-SAP implementation for operations. Berchtold joined Jet Aviation in 1981 and has more than 20 years of business aviation experience.
