Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association fears a provision in the Federal Aviation Administration's National Parks Air Tour Management proposal will open the door to curbs on other low-flying operations, the association said last week. FAA released the proposal late last month as part of a national policy for governing air tour operations over national parks. That proposal, mandated by Congress, stems from recommendations of a working group involving air tour operators and other general aviation interests, environmentalists, and government representatives.
GEORGE M. PERINIS was named director of aviation business development for Michael Baker, Inc., a subsidiary of Michael Baker Corp. Perinis, who has more than 30 years of experience in planning and designing airports, was a senior vice president of Tasso Katselas Associates from 1980 to 1999. Michael Baker Corp. provides engineering design for the transportation and civil infrastructures markets, among others.
Fresh on the heels of United Airlines' announced plans to establish a subsidiary to offer a fractional aircraft program (BA, April 30/203), Canadian carriers Air Canada and Skyservice said they have forged a "strategic partnership" that will include a business aviation division.
THE CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE (CASS) will bid for a joint stake in several airports around the world for privatization. CAAS, through its wholly owned subsidiary Singapore Changi Airport Enterprise (SCAE), along with Alterra Partners of the United Kingdom, have identified three airports up for privatization: Kingsford Smith in Sydney, Seeb International in Oman and a facility in Cyprus.
Model ATR 42-500 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-66-AD; Amendment 39-12174; AD 2000-23-04 R1) - revises an existing AD that requires revising the Airworthiness Limitations Section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate life limits for certain items and inspections for fatigue cracking in certain structures. This amendment also adds information pertaining to certain material incorporated by reference.
Docket No.: FAA-2000-8186 (previously Docket No. 28455) Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 135.203(a)(1) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit Sound Flight to conduct operations under visual flight rules at an altitude below 500 feet, over water, outside controlled airspace. Grant, March 26, 2001, Exemption No. 6428B
AS AEROSPACE companies struggle to staff key engineering slots, the nation's universities continue to produce fewer prospects. The number of U.S. graduates in aerospace engineering and related fields has dropped 57 percent at the bachelor's level and 39 percent at the master's level since 1990, Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) noted. This is particularly worrisome because the "skilled aeronautics workforce is aging and retiring," he said, adding, "A commitment to education is key to the U.S. technology and aeronautics industries."
FAA officials this week are expected to brief House and Senate leaders on a proposal to adopt a peak-hour pricing proposal at least for congestion-plagued LaGuardia Airport in New York and perhaps for a few other busy airports. Asked during an interview with BA affiliate Airports if peak pricing is legal, FAA Administrator Jane Garvey responded, "We think we're on pretty good legal ground.
GENERAL ELECTRIC'S planned $45 billion acquisition of Honeywell moved a step closer to reality last week, as the U.S. Department of Justice approved the deal on condition that Honeywell sell its military helicopter engine unit. Justice said as originally proposed, the merger would have substantially lessened competition in the production of U.S. military helicopter engines and services for the heavy maintenance, repair and overhaul of certain Honeywell aircraft engines and auxiliary power units. "Without this divestiture, the U.S.
Docket No.: FAA-2000-8319 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 65.104(a)(2) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To allow O'Jala to be eligible to apply for a repairman certificate (experimental aircraft builder) for a Christen Eagle II kit airplane (registration No. N13LD, serial No. O'Connell-0001), without being the primary builder. Grant, March 31, 2001, Exemption No. 7471
AS THE SCHEDULED CARRIERS begin making plans to enter the premium service fractional aircraft business, Congress appears more determined to make them improve service on their scheduled flights. Reps. John E. Sweeney (R-N.Y.) and John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), along with more than 20 co-sponsors, introduced the Airline Passenger Bill of Rights Act last week.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-9034 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 25.1435(b)(1) Description of Relief Sought: To provide Bombardier Aerospace relief from the static pressure test requirement of Sec. 25.1435(b)(1), for the hydraulic system on the Bombardier Continental Business Jet Model BD-100-1A10 airplane.
Most business jets will be exempt from a new Federal Aviation Administration rule requiring design approval holders of certain turbine-powered airplanes "to substantiate that the design of the fuel tank system precludes the existence of ignition sources within the airplane fuel tanks." The rule, which is scheduled for publication in today's (May 7) Federal Register, also requires development and implementation of maintenance and inspection instructions to assure the safety of the fuel tank system.
Docket No.: FAA-2000-8462 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 91.315, 119.5(g), and 119.21(a) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit NWM to carry passengers on local flights for compensation or hire in its limited category Boeing B-17 aircraft in support of the NWM's fundraising efforts. Grant, March 26, 2001, Exemption No. 7474
Docket No.: FAA-2000-8165 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 25.813(e) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit the installation of interior doors between passenger compartments on the Bombardier Global Express airplane, Model BD-700-1A10. Grant, March 7, 2001, Exemption No. 7455
Docket No.: 29003 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 135.175(a) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit CHI to operate Boeing Vertol and Kawasaki Vertol 107II (BV/Bk-107II) rotorcraft in on-demand, passenger-carrying operations, under Part 135, in day VFR conditions, without having approved airborne weather radar equipment installed. Denial, March 8, 2001, Exemption No. 7456
AIRSHOW, INC. and Qualcomm, Inc. are marketing a new broadband terminal for corporate and commercial aviation users that can deliver up to 144 kilobytes per second of bi-directional data over the Globalstar satellite communication system, more than 15 times faster than the 9.6 KPS rate of current aircraft systems, Airshow said.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION late last month confirmed that manufacturers cannot mandate compliance with service bulletins without clearance from the agency. In response to a request from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association to clarify its policy on mandatory service bulletins, Michael Gallagher, manager of FAA's Small Airplane Directorate, wrote, "A statement that bulletin compliance is mandatory must be FAA-approved to be included in the Airworthiness Limitations Section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA).
Docket No.: 29969 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 91.313(e) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To permit NAAA members to operate restricted category aircraft over densely populated areas, in congested airways, or near busy airports where passenger transport operations are conducted.
Docket No.: FAA-2001-8678 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 25.785(j) Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To allow the installation of an interior arrangement that does not provide firm "handholds" in the aft bedroom for Boeing Model 737-700 airplane, serial number 29972. Grant, March 27, 2001, Exemption No. 7475
Docket No.: FAA-2001-8938 Section of 14 CFR Affected: 135.143(c)(2) Description of Relief Sought Disposition: To permit COCAS to operate certain aircraft under Part 135 without a TSO-C112 (Mode S) transponder installed in the aircraft. Grant, March 6, 2001, Exemption No. 7454
Docket No.: FAA-2001-9136 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR Special Federal Aviation Regulation No. 79. Description of Relief Sought/Disposition: To operate a one-time flight to Pyongyang, the capital city of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, on or about April 1, 2001. Grant, March 25, 2001, Exemption No. 7477
Model 328-100 series airplanes (Docket No. 2001-NM-67-AD; Amendment 39-12190; AD 2000-26-09 R1) -- revises an existing AD that requires revising the Airworthiness Limitations Section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate life limits for certain items and inspections to detect fatigue cracking in certain structures. This amendment adds information pertaining to certain material incorporated by reference. This amendment is prompted by the issuance of revisions to the Dornier 328 Airworthiness Limitations Document.
Docket No.: 30110 Section of the 14 CFR Affected: 14 CFR 43.1 Description of Relief Sought: To permit Boeing to perform maintenance on newly manufactured airplanes after the issuance of an airworthiness certificate but before delivery to the customer under Boeing's production certificate instead of its repair station certificate.
BE A PILOT, the industry's learn-to-fly promotional program, plans to award a $10,000 prize to the participating flight school that develops and documents the best local marketing effort. To be eligible to compete for the prize, a school must be a BE A PILOT participant and honor the $49 introductory flight certificates. Competitors will be judged on their record of returning redeemed introductory flight certificates for the program's advertising response analysis. Details will be mailed to participating flight schools in June.
