CitationShares, the Cessna Aircraft/TAG Aviation fractional aircraft joint venture, will alter one of its founding tenets and significantly expand its operating area this summer. When the program was launched a year ago, officials said they weren't trying to be "all things to all people" and were going to focus their sales and operations on customers residing east of the Mississippi where an estimated 60 to 70 percent of all fractional aircraft arrivals and departures occur (BA, July 17/23).
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION reported that runway incursions are up slightly through the first five months of this year, with 162 incidents reported, compared with 158 during the same period last year. The number of incursions last month, however, declined to 32 incidents, compared with 44 in May 2000.
A new circuit breaker technology could one day help prevent wiring-related disasters, as well as significantly cut down on inspection and maintenance costs for aging aircraft. The arc fault circuit breaker (AFCB), currently under development at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, is designed to detect and prevent electrical arcing caused by breaks in wire insulation before that arcing can lead to a fire or other catastrophe.
Adam Aircraft Industries (AAI) has found buyers for the first 20 M-309 aircraft and is adding employees as it begins the process of winning FAA certification for the new centerline thrust twin-piston.
DAVID DEITCH was appointed vice president of business development for Executive Jet Management Inc. Deitch has 20 years of aviation experience, most recently as director of sales and marketing with Panolam Industries, a distributor of aviation products and services.
A PASSENGER who had been seated in the rear of a Bell 407 helicopter was killed May 22 when he was struck by the main rotor blade upon exiting the aircraft. The National Transportation Safety Board said the helicopter, N5259N, had just landed on private property in Schoolcraft, Mich. The private pilot at the controls of the helicopter was not injured. Investigators said the pilot was preparing to depart for Scotts, Mich. when the accident occurred.
MESA AIR GROUP named Benet Wilson director of corporate communications and community affairs. Wilson had been editor of Commuter/Regional Airline News for the past eight years. She will relocate from Baltimore to Phoenix.
AE 3007 series turbofan engines (Docket No. 99-NE-46) - proposes to supersede an existing AD, applicable to certain Rolls-Royce AE 3007 series turbofan engines. That AD currently requires removal of certain compressor cone shafts from service before exceeding new cyclic life limits and replacement with serviceable parts. This proposal would require increasing the cyclic life limit for certain serial numbers of new compressor cone shafts, Part Number (P/N) 23070729, used on AE3007A1/3 and AE3007A1P engines.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-9166 (previously Docket No. 30076) Petitioner: TACA International Airlines Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 121.344(b). Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit TACA to operate five Airbus A300 airplanes (Registration Nos. N59106, N59107, N59139, N59140, and N68142) without installing the required DFDR on each airplane until Aug. 20. Grant, April 17, 2001, Exemption No. 7350A
Garrett Aviation Services is in the midst of a "rebranding" in an effort to build a reputation in the marketplace for offering a comprehensive package of services including completions, refurbishments, modifications and maintenance. Originally founded as AirResearch Aviation by Cliff Garrett, the 55-year-old company is best known for its service of the venerable Garrett TFE731 engine line. But the company has 12 locations nationwide offering a variety of specialties, including its new center in Santa Barbara, Calif. dedicated to completions activity.
Docket No.: FAA-2000-8419 (previously Docket No. 26478) Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 91.209(a)(1) and (b). Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit USAF to conduct counternarcotics aircrew flight training operations in support of drug law enforcement and drug traffic interdiction, without lighted aircraft position or anti-collision lights. Grant, April 19, 2001, Exemption No. 5305D
Federal Aviation Administration plans to issue guidance shortly to help aircraft owners and repair and maintenance shops comply with new procedures required to obtain a supplemental type certificate, the agency said last week. FAA last summer proposed an advisory circular that provided advice on a new rule requiring STC applicants to meet the latest certification standards or supply supporting documentation to justify an exception (BA, Sept. 4/109).
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION is expected to decide next month on the schedule and parameters of implementing Domestic Reduced Vertical Separation Minimums. Business aviation operators are concerned that FAA's plans to begin implementing DRVSM by 2004 could cause backlogs and operational problems for business jet operators seeking DRVSM approvals for their aircraft. See article below.
RAYTHEON COMPANY named a former Honeywell executive, David O'Blenis, president of Raytheon Systems Canada Ltd. Based in Ottawa, Ontario, O'Blenis will serve as the company's principal interface with Canadian defense and other government agency customers. He joined Raytheon from Honeywell Canada, where he was president and chairman of Honeywell and AlliedSignal companies in Canada.
PILOT UNIONS are mounting efforts to get Congress involved in setting flight and duty time standards. The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations on Thursday called on Congress "to step in and investigate the FAA's delay in stipulating new regulations on the flight and duty time of pilots." CAPA, a coalition of unions representing 26,000 airline pilots, said it has urged FAA on numerous occasions over the past six years to follow up on a 1995 notice of proposed rulemaking it issued on flight and duty times.
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.
GARY GENNARI was named director of sales-northeastern and southeastern U.S. for Executive Jet Management, Inc. Gennari most recently was senior account executive-vendor relations at FlightTime. He also spent 10 years with Atlantic Aviation in various roles, including vice president of client relations, and GPI Aviation.
FORMER FAA ADMINISTRATOR Allan McArtor, whose efforts to operate Dallas-based Legend Airlines were thwarted by legal delays, insufficient funding and a strong competitive response from American Airlines, took over June 1 as chairman of Airbus Industrie's North American operations. He succeeded Jack Scofield, who retired two months ago.
INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF AIRCRAFT OWNER AND PILOT ASSOCIATIONS will hold its 21st World Assembly Sept. 23-27, 2002 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The council holds the World Assembly every two years to discuss the state of world general aviation and aerial work activities. The 2002 assembly will be the first held in South America. "The emerging air transportation needs for this vast continent are especially pressing as we enter the 21st century," said IAOPA President Phil Boyer.
MARK WHITMAN was appointed vice president of business development for Executive Jet Management, Inc. Whitman will oversee aircraft management and charter management sales in the South Central U.S., including Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. He joined Executive Jet Management from Galaxy Aerospace, where he was service center sales manager.
Raytheon Chairman Daniel Burnham reshuffled some of the company's senior executives Wednesday, announcing a series of changes that were "effective immediately." James E. Schuster, 48, who had been president of Raytheon's Aircraft Integration Sys-tems business since September 1999, was named chairman and chief executive of Raytheon Aircraft in Wichita.
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE expanded an existing agreement with MedAire, Inc. and now will equip all Gulfstream business jets delivered to customers with Agilent Heartstream FR2 automated external defibrillators (AED). MedAire, which has been providing emergency medical support for Gulfstream crews and customers for a number of years, will provide AED familiarization training for Gulfstream flight crews. "Gulfstream has automated external defibrillators on all its demonstrator aircraft," said Randy Gaston, vice president of flight operations for Gulfstream.
Struggling to deal with a huge debt load and solve problems in the company's operating units, Raytheon Chairman Dan Burnham abruptly shifted a number of his top managers to new jobs last week, including removing Hansel Tookes as head of the Raytheon Aircraft Co. (RAC) unit in Wichita, Kan.
SA26, SA226, and SA227 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-36-AD) - proposes to require a modification of the negative torque sensing test system to allow the igniters to automatically activate when an engine senses low torque. The proposed AD is the result of two instances of a dual engine flameout on the affected airplanes. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent a dual engine flameout on the affected airplanes by providing a system that automatically turns on the engine igniters when low torque is sensed.
