SOCATA Model TBM 700 airplanes (Docket No. 2001-CE-10-AD; Amendment 39-12644; AD 2002-03-03) - requires installation of a new strainer draining system in the cabin fuselage. This AD is the result of mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for France. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent water from accumulating in the fuselage, then freezing and interfering with or causing the elevator controls to seize. This could result in loss of elevator control with consequent loss of airplane control.
BE A PILOT, the industry supported learn-to-fly program, adopted a $1.8 million budget for 2002, with plans to increase advertising purchases if additional funding becomes available. President Drew Steketee said board members adopted alternative spending plans for a $2 million and $2.5 million level of contributions. AOPA President Phil Boyer is chairman of the program this year, Cessna Aircraft's Phil Michel is heading the Communications Committee and Steve Loranger, president of Honeywell's Engines and Systems Group, is chairing the Finance Committee.
JULIA KRAUSS was named vice president of legislative affairs for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, where she will oversee a four-person staff of legislative specialists in AOPA's downtown Washington, D.C. office. Krauss, who was a staff member on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee in 1999 and 2000 before joining AOPA, also worked for Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.) for three years. A former resident of Summerville, S.C.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL obtained Level D approval for its Bombardier regional jet full flight simulator, located at the company's Cincinnati, Ohio training center. The Cincinnati center has five FAA Level D simulators to train Comair/Delta Connection pilots on CRJ 100/200 aircraft.
AVBASE CHARTER of Cleveland, Ohio received FAA approval for worldwide charter operations. "The demand among our clients for secure international travel by charter jet has expanded significantly in recent months," said John DePalma, Avbase president and CEO. "This new authorization and the availability of the Gulfstream 200 allow us to respond to these changing customer needs." In addition to a fleet of Learjet and Citation aircraft, Avbase operates two Gulfstream 200 business jets and is planning to add more G200s this year.
THE NEWLY FORMED Transportation Security Administration released its first two rules this month. One transfers security governance of civil aviation from FAA to TSA. The other is an attempt by TSA to comply with a congressional mandate to tighten security rules for charter operators. But that rule was so unclear it took TSA a week of legal review after the rule was released before it determined that on-demand air taxis are included. See article below.
PILATUS LIMITED BN-2, BN-2A, BN-2B,BN-2T, and BN2A MK. III series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-CE-31-AD; Amendment 39-12645; AD 2002-03-04) - requires replacement of the emergency exit window sealant. The AD is intended to correct problems with emergency exit windows failing to open. Such failure could lead to the inability to exit the airplane in an emergency. FAA estimates that this AD affects 118 airplanes on the U.S. Registry at a total cost of $160 per airplane or $18,880 for the fleet. This AD becomes effective on March 29.
D. ROY GOLDSMITH was named group vice president, manufacturing operations, at Barnes Aerospace. Goldsmith has more than 30 years of industry experience. He joined Barnes Aerospace in 1997 and was most recently president of the Windsor division.
The recently formed Transportation Security Administration is calling for certain charter operators to strengthen their security efforts under a new rule that requires more extensive criminal history record checks and restricted access to the flight deck. In one of its first regulatory acts, TSA released the rule at the direction of Congress to cover commercial operators left uncovered by other security mandates. Sen.
RAYTHEON AEROSPACE won an $8.2 million contract option to provide logistics support for the T-1A aircraft through September 2002. The Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio is the contracting authority.
CAE pulled in $11.3 million in new business with orders from WestJet and Bombardier. CAE sold Canadian carrier WestJet a Boeing B737-700 full flight simulator equipped with a CAE Maxvue visual system for $9.4 million. The FAA Level D certified simulator will be installed at WestJet's training facility in Calgary, Alberta at the end of 2003. CAE also won a $1.9 million upgrade contract from Bombardier Aerospace.
PATTERSON/BACH COMMUNICATIONS, an advertising and public relations agency in Winter Park, Fla., has formed a specialized division focusing on the aviation industry and named Chuck Wheeler to head the new enterprise. Wheeler has more than 32 years of aviation experience and holds a commercial pilot's license with instrument and multi-engine ratings. Patterson/Bach currently handles marketing projects for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Kissimmee Gateway Airport.
CURTISS-WRIGHT CORP. entered into an agreement to acquire the stock of Penny and Giles Controls Ltd., Penny&Giles Controls Inc. and Penny and Giles Aerospace, Ltd., plus the assets of Autronics Corp. from Spirent plc, a British company. Penny and Giles is a leading designer and manufacturer of proprietary position sensors and control hardware for both military and commercial aerospace application and industrial markets. Products include position sensors, flight recorders, maintenance recorders and primary air data computers.
REGIONAL AVIATION PARTNERS signed on six new members for its now 54-member organization representing small community air service interests. Pierre Regional Airport of South Dakota; Diversified Business Enterprises of Milwaukee, Wis.; Page Municipal Airport of Arizona; Durango Mountain Resort/Destination Durango of Colorado; The Perry Company, LLC of Utah and Elite Services Group of California are the newest RAP members.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Shanghai Little Eagle Science&Technology Co. (SLEC) and Schweizer Aircraft Corp. announced plans to manufacture a version of the Schweizer Model 269 series helicopter for the Chinese market. The selection of the Model 269 "is a major step toward finalizing" an agreement announced last September between Sikorsky and SLEC to create a joint venture, Shanghai Sikorsky Helicopter Co.
RAYTHEON plans to present its Wide Area Augmentation System for FAA acceptance testing soon. WAAS, which Raytheon installed for testing on Wind River System's Tornado to validate compliance with the DO-178B standard, is a system that improves the accuracy of global positioning system signals to pilots. Raytheon plans to have WAAS certified for commercial flight navigation after FAA acceptance, the company said.
JACK AREHART was appointed senior vice president of business development at Aviation Sales Company. He will be responsible for the company's sales, marketing and new business development. Arehart was most recently vice president, program development, at The Nordam Group, where he worked for 14 years.
CESSNA'S Citation Sovereign completed its first engine run test. The Sovereign is powered by two Pratt&Whitney PW306C engines that each produce 5,686 pounds of thrust, allowing cruise speeds of up to 444 knots. The aircraft is on target for first flight later this quarter, FAA certification in late 2003 and first customer deliveries in early 2004.
EUROCOPTER Model EC120B helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-68-AD) - requires installing front and side covers to protect the yaw control. This proposal is prompted by the report of a mobile phone falling between the windshield canopy and the cabin floor jamming the yaw control pedal. The actions specified by this proposed AD are intended to prevent an object from sliding between the canopy and the cabin floor, loss of yaw control, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. FAA estimates that this proposed AD will affect 44 helicopters on the U.S.
EAGLE AIRCRAFT consolidated its manufacturing operations in Malaysia. Production scheduling, spare parts control, expediting, research and development as well as customer and distributor support will be run centrally from Eagle Aircraft's Melaka plant in Malaysia. The manufacturer plans to finish assembly of two Eagle 150B aircraft at its Perth, Australia plant and then transfer equipment to Malaysia by midsummer 2002. Eagle employs 150 workers in Malaysia and 44 in Australia.
EMBRAER conducted a successful first flight of its Embraer 170 regional jet Feb. 19 at company headquarters in Sao Jose dos Campos. The Brazilian manufacturer said certification of the 70- to 108-seat had been anticipated by the end of 2002, but the company said it is reassessing the impact of a two-month delay in the start of the flight test program. Officials plan to "reevaluate the program schedule in the coming days to determine if this is still feasible."
BAe Model HP.137 Jetstream Mk.1, Jetstream Series 200, and Jetstream Series 3101 airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-58-AD; Amendment 39-12643; AD 2002-03-02) - supersedes AD 98-13-03, which currently requires repetitive inspections of the main landing gear hinge fittings, support angles, and attachment bolts. AD 98-13-03 also requires eventual installation of improved design MLG hinge fittings as terminating action for the repetitive inspections of the hinge fittings and attachment bolts.
A slimmed-down New Piper Aircraft has trimmed production in anticipation of another soft sales year, but the company is continuing to invest in customer service, product and manufacturing improvements in an effort that President and CEO Chuck Suma said will help it emerge as a strong company once the economy picks up. "It's going to be a rough year for everybody but I believe the market will flatten out," Suma told BA.
AIRCRAFT OWNERS AND PILOTS ASSOCIATION petitioned FAA Friday to require that pilots carry government-issued photo identification cards, such as a driver's license or passport, with them whenever they pilot an aircraft. AOPA said that ID, matched with the information on an FAA pilot certificate - which does not carry a photo of the license holder - would positively identify the legitimate pilots.
THE IRISH AIR CORPS is negotiating the purchase of three Sikorsky S-92 helicopters, powered by GE CT7-8 turboshaft engines, for search and rescue missions. The order would include an option for two more aircraft for military transport. The S-92 is a 25,000-pound-class medium helicopter designed for various civil and military missions.
