The Boeing Co. will lead an international team to pursue the second phase of the Coast Guard's lucrative Deepwater Capability Replacement Project contract, the company announced. Boeing's team for the second phase of the Deepwater program competition includes the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) as well as Construcciones Aeronauticas S.A. (CASA) of Spain and Eurocopter of France, both of which are owned by EADS. Domestic partners include John J. McMullen Assoc. Inc. of Alexandria, Va. and Litton Avondale Industries of New Orleans.
Docket No.: ANM-2001-6919 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 25.813(e) Description of Relief Sought: To allow the petitioner to install a latchable sliding door which can be stored in a cabin partition during takeoffs, landings and emergency conditions on its Falcon 900 and 900EX aircraft operated in accordance with Part 91 and Part 135. When latched, the door permits totally free access to the cabin aisle and emergency exits.
SINO SWEARINGEN AIRCRAFT CORP. named Carroll Beeler chief test pilot. Beeler joined the company in 1997 as a test pilot. He made the first flight in the first conforming SJ30-2 production prototype last year and has been in command of the majority of the 30 flights that airplane has made in the FAA certification program.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce, frustrated by the impact of transportation inefficiencies on the bottom line of businesses, launched a coalition to ensure that trust fund monies collected and intended for modal budget needs are not diverted in the appropriations process.
Docket No.: FAA-2000-8255 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 91.319(a)(1) and (2) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Stallion 51 to receive compensation for the use of its L-39C for initial and recurrent training of applicants for an LOA in the L-39C; instrument and formation flight training to remove restrictions from current LOAs, or to satisfy the initial instrument training requirement for original issuance of an LOA; and upset and unusual attitude recovery training for holders of type ratings or LOAs of turbojet aircraft.
ROBBIE MCGREGOR was named director of corporate communications for the European Regions Airline Association. The newly created post is designed to strengthen the organization's profile before government and regulatory bodies. Before joining the association, McGregor had been business development director, Africa for Servisair.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION said Thursday that Trinidad&Tobago does not comply with International Civil Aviation Organization safety standards, giving the country a Category 2 rating.
Docket No.: FAA-2000-8527 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 91.9(a) and 91.531(a)(1) and (2) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Pan Am and operators of Cessna Citation Model 550, S550, 552, or 560 airplanes to operate those airplanes without a pilot who is designated as second-in-command. Grant, May 29, 2001, Exemption No. 7487A
Atlantic Southeast last week named Baton Rouge, La., as the location for a 41,600-square-foot regional jet maintenance facility. The new facility will be the airline's primary overnight maintenance base for Canadair regional jets serving the Dallas/Fort Worth hub. Construction of the hangar is expected to begin this summer and will last about a year. The facility will be built next to the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport and will employ about 55 mechanics and support staff when it opens in summer 2002.
Model AS332L2 helicopters (Docket No. 2001-SW-04-AD; Amendment 39-12271; AD 2001-12-16) - requires, at specified time intervals, visually inspecting the main rotor blade sleeve yoke for cracks, corrosion, fretting, or bonding separation; the bearing surface of the metal bushing for fretting or cracks; and the sleeve-to-damper attachment bolt for corrosion and deterioration of the fluorimid varnish coating. Replacing any cracked or nonairworthy sleeve, bushing, or bolt is also required before further flight.
Model Falcon 10 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-191-AD; Amendment 39-12291; AD 2001-13-11) - requires an inspection to verify proper installation of the pins in the dual non-return valves of the fire extinguishing system for the engines, and replacement of any defective valve with a new valve. This action is necessary to prevent failure of a fire extinguisher bottle to discharge, which could result in the inability to extinguish a fire in an engine. The AD is effective July 12, but FAA will accept comments for inclusion in the docket until July 27.
Model G-1159, G-1159A, G-1159B, G-IV, and G-V series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-83-AD; Amendment 39-12191; AD 2001-08-13) - corrects and clarifies information in an existing AD, applicable to certain Gulfstream Model G-1159, G-1159A, G-1159B, G-IV, and G-V series airplanes, that currently requires an inspection to determine if certain door control valves of the landing gear are installed, and modification of the valve, if necessary.
Accidents and fatal accidents involving jet and turboprop aircraft flown by business operators were up in the first half of 2001, according to data compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates, Inc., of Boca Raton, Fla. The Breiling report listed 38 accidents, including 17 fatal accidents, which resulted in the death of 43 passengers and 19 crew members, during the first six months of 2001. That compares with 29 accidents and eight fatal accidents that claimed 25 passengers and 14 crew members in the first half of 2000.
DAN BUZZ was named vice president of modifications and completions at Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Neb. Buzz will oversee the avionics installation, engineering, and interior completions areas. He has 24 years of experience in aviation, most recently as engineering assistant manager at Duncan.
The Federal Aviation Administration has formally certified enhanced Rockwell Collins avionics installed on an American Airlines Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, laying the foundation for the practical implementation of digital air/ground communications. The certification will enable aircraft operators to start using the Aeronautical Telecommunications Network (ATN) for ATC communications.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-9690 (previously Docket No. 28830) Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 145.47(b) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Embraer to use the calibration standards of Instituto Nacional de Metrologia, Normalizacao e Qualidade Industrial in lieu of the calibration standards of the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology to test its inspection and test equipment. Grant, May 29, 2001, Exemption No. 6616B
THE CORNING INC. FLIGHT DEPARTMENT has flown more than 1,500 missions for Corporate Angel Network, a non-profit charitable organization that provides free flights for cancer patients traveling to treatment centers by using the empty seats on corporate aircraft. "Corning, Inc. has been the ideal 'Corporate Angel' from the day the company joined our organization in 1983," said Thomas Robertazzi, Corporate Angel Network's executive director. "Corning always goes the extra mile for our patients.
The European Commission rejected the proposed acquisition of Honeywell by General Electric last week, touching off a management shakeup at Honeywell that could continue for weeks.
PRECISION CASTPARTS CORP., Portland, Ore., signed a five-year agreement with FiatAvio of Turin, Italy to manufacture aerospace and aeroderivative investment castings. The contract is valued at $130 million through 2005.
The 2000 Annual Business Turbine Aircraft Accident Review has been published, and is available from, Robert E. Breiling Associates, Inc., the Boca Raton, Fla. firm that has been compiling and analyzing business aircraft accidents for decades. The only publication of its kind, this comprehensive review presents a complete analysis of worldwide business jet, turboprop and helicopter accidents, including accident rates of individual aircraft and operator types (corporate, business, charter, fractional, air carriers, etc.)
The Association of Flight Attendants is asking the Department of Transportation to block approval of UAL's application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity to launch Biz Jet Services, Inc. until UAL resolves disputes with AFA over contractual obligations.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-9547 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 135.143(c)(2) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Century Aviation to operate certain aircraft under Part 135 without a TSO-C112 (Mode S) transponder installed in the aircraft. Grant, 06/12/2001, Exemption No. 7543
CESSNA AIRCRAFT COMPANY expanded the hours of operation and increased staffing for its European Citation Service Center at the Le Bourget airport near Paris. Cessna also added $7 million worth of spare parts to the facility's inventory. "We have expanded our capacity rapidly to meet the demands of the growing Citation fleet in Europe. Our service volume has grown to the point where we see 60 to 70 Citations each month," said Jim Morgan, vice president, service facilities.
Model F27 Mark 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-24-AD) - proposes to require a one-time inspection for correct installation of the left- and right-hand fuel differential pressure (FDP) switches and for correct connection of the pressure sensing lines to the switches. It would also require corrective action, if necessary. This action is prompted by reports of incorrect installation of the FDP switches and the resulting cross-connection of the pressure sensing lines to those switches.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-9102 (previously Docket No. 29419) Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 43.9(a)(4), 43.11(a)(3), Appendix B to Part 43, and 145.57(a) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit ACSC to use computer-generated electronic signatures to satisfy approval for return-to-service signature requirements. Grant, May 29, 2001, Exemption No. 6926A
