Docket No.: FAA-2001-10017 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 135.251, 135.255, 135.353, and appendixes I and J to Part 121 Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit FCPA to conduct local sightseeing flights at the Fairfield County Airport, Lancaster, Ohio, for compensation or hire, without complying with certain anti-drug and alcohol misuse prevention requirements of Part 135. Grant, 7/12/2001, Exemption No. 7570
Dulles International will begin using one mile of Washington Reagan National's airspace for a 30-day trial scheduled to start today. "It's a trial to see how much more effectively Dulles can use their airspace," said Captain Doug Phifer, manager of air traffic control (ATC) and flight technology for United Express' Atlantic Coast Airlines. The extra mile will allow more room for downwind traffic and give Dulles "more room to breathe," he said. Atlantic Coast Airlines, which is based out of Dulles, is the airport's lead carrier for flight management systems, or FMS.
The Federal Aviation Administration approved the deployment of Raytheon's latest early display configuration of the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) at 11 sites. Airports in Memphis, Tenn., and Hartford, Conn., will install STARS Early Display System Phase 2 (EDC-2) during this quarter. El Paso, Tex. and Syracuse International Airport, which have been using an older version of the system, the EDC-1, now have been upgraded to EDC-2. The remaining seven sites will be determined at a later date.
THE UNITED STATES AIR TOUR ASSOCIATION asked FAA Administrator Jane Garvey to suspend operational caps and curfews on air tour flights at the Grand Canyon, arguing that it makes no sense to penalize air tour operators who are using quiet technology aircraft at the same time FAA is developing an incentive program for operators who opt for quieter aircraft.See article on Page 117.
MIKE DRILLER was appointed general manager flight operations at Avbase Aviation, Cleveland, Ohio. Driller will oversee charter scheduling, sales and operations. He also will focus on developing the company's customer services department. Driller previously managed charter services for Raytheon Travel Air.
With aircraft noise regulations becoming increasingly stringent, NASA's three aeronautical research centers are partnering with industry, academia, and FAA to make sure future air travel growth doesn't get shouted down.
AVIATION WORLD'S FAIR officials broke ground last month at Newport News/Williamsburg, Va., Airport in preparation for the event scheduled April 7-27, 2003 in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the Wright Brothers' first flight. Organizers expect the 21-day celebration to include halls tracing the history of manned flight, commercial, military and recreational displays, daily flying demonstrations and a static line of aircraft. For more information, contact Aviation World's Fair at (201) 251-2600 or visit the web site at www.aviation-worlds-fair.com.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association asked the Federal Aviation Administration to investigate the operation of MacArthur Airport in Islip, N.Y. after the town proposed a $50,000 nighttime landing fee at the facility. The proposal follows a letter that the Town of Islip sent to airport tenants earlier this year reminding them of an ordinance that "essentially prohibits aircraft operations at Long Island MacArthur between the hours of 11 p.m.
ELLIOTT AVIATION received an FAA supplemental type certificate to install the Honeywell Mark VI and Mark VIII Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems in the Beechjet 400, making the aircraft compliant with FAA's terrain awareness and warning system mandate.
Air Canada landed a major maintenance contract last week that calls for it to support Atlantic Coast Airlines' fleet of Canadair Regional Jets for the next 16 years.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-9029 (previously Docket No. 27601) Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 145.47(b) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit ALA to substitute the calibration standards of the Instituto Nacional de Technologia Industrial, Argentina's national standards organization, for the calibration standards of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, formerly the National Bureau of Standards, to test its inspection and test equipment. Grant, 6/28/2001, Exemption No. 6651B
AGUSTA Model AB412 helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-22-AD; Amendment 39-12425; AD 2001-17-33) - prohibits use of the hoist until certain modifications are accomplished. This amendment is prompted by the loss of a hoist hook during flight due to an uncommanded firing of the cable cutter cartridge caused by wire chafing. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent wire chafing, inadvertent firing of the cable cutter cartridge, loss of a hoist hook and section of cable, impact with the main or tail rotor, and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter.
Chief executives from airlines including FedEx, United and American have written to FAA Administrator Jane Garvey asking her to quickly approve Massport's planned commuter runway at Boston Logan airport, a project airport officials say is urgently needed to ease congestion. Long-standing foes remain bitterly opposed to the project. At least two of the airline executives have urged Garvey to ignore requests to link runway approval to new conditions such as peak pricing.
Docket No.: FAA-2000-8498 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 45.11(b) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Sensenich to stamp the part marking information on the propeller hub to meet the requirement for fireproof identification on propellers, instead of attaching a metal tag with the required information. Grant, 6/29/2001, Exemption No. 7559
AGUSTA Model A109E helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-24-AD; Amendment 39-12407; AD 2001-17-16) - amends AD that currently requires visually checking and inspecting each tail rotor blade for a crack at specified intervals. That AD also requires replacing any cracked blade with an airworthy blade. This amendment contains the same requirements but adds another blade to the applicability. This amendment is necessary because the added blade is manufactured using the same process as the blade that failed.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-8862 (previously Docket No. 22706) Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 135.255(e)(1) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Bankair pilots to operate Bankair aircraft at any U.S. military base that has adopted the criteria contained in the U.S. Standard for Terminal Instrument Procedures used for determining lower-than-standard departure minimums using takeoff visibility minimum that are less than one mile and equal to or greater than the landing visibility minimums established for those airfields.
MESA AIR GROUP added another carrier to its list of code sharing partners last week, signing an agreement with Denver-based Frontier Airlines, Inc. Mesa will begin providing service as Frontier JetExpress in the first quarter of next year, operating a minimum of five, 50-seat Bombardier CRJ 200 regional jets from Denver International Airport to new and existing markets. Mesa Air Group currently has code sharing agreements with America West, US Airways and Midwest Express.
Julie Nichols has been named DOT deputy assistant secretary for governmental affairs, responsible for DOT's congressional affairs oversight, DOT Secretary Norman Mineta announced. She will coordinate "all legislative and non-legislative relationships" between DOT and Congress, and will direct "the presentation of the department's legislative program," DOT said.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-9103 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 36.9(e)(1) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To allow Embraer the 1g stall speed currently used for the 14 CFR Part 25 airworthiness certification to also be used for the 14 CFR Part 36 noise certification for the approach reference and test limitations on the Embraer EMB-135KE/KL and -135BJ Model airplanes. Grant, 6/29/2001, Exemption No. 7554
DRUCELLA (DRUCIE) ANDERSEN, most recently director of strategic communications services for the Federal Aviation Administration, departed the agency to take a senior post with the Federal Transit Administration. Formerly deputy assistant administrator for public affairs, Anderson coordinated communications on key issues, including airspace congestion and runway incursions.
Docket No.: 29434 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 21.325(b)(3). Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To allow Boeing to issue export airworthiness approvals for Class II and Class III products that are located at and manufactured by Bowing Arnprior as an approved supplier to Boeing under Boeing's PC No. 700. Grant, 6/26/2001, Exemption No. 7552
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. began a series of flight tests last month with a Gulfstream V-SP test article, the latest iteration of the Gulfstream line that features the company's new Plane View cockpit (BA, Oct. 16/177).
FAA issued an airworthiness directive requiring replacement of some 300 Goodyear Flight Eagle tires installed on several Gulfstream business jet models. The AD, effective Sept. 24, requires operators of Gulfstream II, GIIB, GIII and GIV to inspect the tires of their aircraft to find certain serial numbered units. Suspect tires must be removed and replaced.
