Model 204B helicopters (Docket No. 2000-SW-16-AD; Amendment 39-12096; AD 2001-02-11) - requires replacing any main rotor mast assembly, part number (P/N) 204-011-450-001, within 25 hours time-in-service (TIS). This amendment is prompted by the crash of a restricted category Model UH-1B helicopter due to failure of a mast, P/N 204-011-450-001. The same mast P/N is used on the Model 204B helicopters. The actions specified by this AD are intended to prevent failure of the mast and subsequent loss of control of the helicopter. FAA estimates that 15 helicopters on the U.S.
Canadian aerostructures maker Avcorp Industries Inc. won a "life of program" contract, with an expected value of more than $100 million (Canadian), to supply wing spar assemblies for Cessna Aircraft's new Sovereign business jet. "This award is extremely important," said Avcorp President and CEO John Nicholson. "It is a breakthrough into a solid, new customer for Avcorp, it increases our backlog by over 30 percent and it will only require modest investment because it will use existing skills, machines and facilities already at our Delta, British Columbia facility."
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION promoted Doug Carr to director of government affairs. Carr helps manage NBAA's legislative and political agenda at the federal, state and local levels. He joined NBAA in 1998 as manager of domestic operations after serving with the National Air Transportation Association. A graduate of Southern Illinois University with a bachelor's degree in aviation management, Carr is a commercial, multi-engine, instrument-rated pilot and certified flight instructor.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION is asking its members to write Congress in support of an effort to throw out the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's massive ergonomics rule issued late last year. See article below.
MARK SJOSTROM was appointed Midwest regional charter sales manager for Jet Aviation. Sjostrom, who will be based in Chicago, Ill., previously has served with Atlantic Aviation Westwind Sales, AMR Corp. Avanti Sales and Darfin Yachts, Ltd.
National Air Transportation Association Friday sent an "Action Call" to its members asking them to appeal to their Senators to throw out the Ergonomics Protection Standard rule the Occupational Safety and Health Administration adopted in November. Various industry lobbyists are working with legislators to draft bills that would overturn the controversial rules. The Senate is expected to consider a joint resolution of disapproval, which would reverse the rule and prevent its reissuance in "substantially the same form," NATA said.
LIMA AIRPORT PARTNERS S.R.L., a consortium of three international companies, took over operation of the Lima, Peru International Airport (LIM) Feb. 15. The Peruvian government privatized the airport in November when it awarded a 30-year contract to the partnership: Fraport AG (Frankfurt Airport Services Worldwide); Bechtel Enterprises International Ltd., the U.S. construction firm; and, Cosapi S.A., a Peruvian construction company.
CENTENNIAL AIRPORT will hold its sixth annual open house May 12. The day-long event, with warbird, vintage, military and corporate aircraft on display, is expected to draw 15,000 attendees.
FAIRCHILD DORNIER named Peter Kellner director of communications-Europe, effective March 2. Reporting to Robert Stangarone, Fairchild Dornier's vice president of corporate communications, Kellner will be based at the company's headquarters in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. Kellner, who had headed corporate communications for DaimlerChrysler's MTU Aero Engines unit, will be responsible for European media relations, company-wide internal communications and other European-based communications initiatives.
RIFTON AVIATION, New Windsor, N.Y., acquired a Citation X and a second Citation Excel. The company's fleet now includes a Gulfstream IV, two Excels and the Citation X, and a Falcon 2000 is scheduled for delivery in June.
THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION'S first budget proposal restores some funding that had been threatened and seeks full funding of $13.3 billion for FAA in fiscal 2002, but some of the language in the budget documents is raising eyebrows in the aviation community.
ATLANTIC AVIATION CORPORATION appointed Joseph Fazio general manager of its facility in Teterboro, N.J. Fazio formerly was vice president and general manager for Jet Systems at Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y. and also has served as general manager for Aero Services International in Morristown, N.J.
GARMIN LTD. appointed Gene Betts, Donald Eller and Thomas McDonnell to its board of directors. The appointments fill existing vacancies and the three new directors will stand for re-election at the shareholders' annual meeting June 8. Betts is senior vice president and treasurer of Sprint Corp., Eller is a private investor and McDonnell is president, chief executive and director of DST Systems Inc.
BOEING unit The Preston Group sold a third Total Airspace&Airport Modeller (TAAM) software license to The MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development. MITRE, the federally funded research and development center, will use the TAAM in its analysis of alternate airspace designs for FAA, particularly in the terminal area. MITRE has used TAAM for several FAA initiatives since October 1998.
Illinois Governor George Ryan (R) proposed $15 million in his fiscal 2002 budget for South Suburban Airport land acquisition in Peotone. Combined with past, unspent amounts that would have to be renewed by the state legislature, the state could have $45 million for land by mid-May, an Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman said. The airport, whose construction is far from certain, would open with a single 12,000-foot runway and a 10-15-gate terminal.
SAFE FLIGHT INSTRUMENT CORPORATION said its N1 computer won FAA certification on the Cessna Citation CJ1 and CJ2. The computer is offered as a factory option or can be retrofitted on the aircraft at Cessna Service Centers. The computer, priced at $10,288, provides real-time target N1 thrust settings for takeoff, climb, cruise and go-around. In addition to the CitationJet models, the computer is installed on Bravo, Citation V, Ultra, Encore, Excel, Beechjet 400A, UC-35A, and Boeing RC-135 aircraft.
JOSEPH MURLI was appointed vice president-manufacturing for Kamatics, a subsidiary of Kaman Corp. Murli most recently was chief operating officer for Sterling Autobody in Natick, Mass., and, before that, was director of U.S. operations for Ensign Bickford. He also has held various manufacturing management positions at Pratt&Whitney Aircraft.
SIM AUTHOR, INC. provided its FlightViz data visualization software to Saint Louis University's Parks College of Engineering and Aviation. FlightViz is a high-resolution, graphics-oriented software that provides actual flight and simulator data. Parks College will use FlightViz for its undergraduate aviation safety classes including its Flight Operations Quality Assurance program coursework. Parks also will couple the software with its flight training simulators for use as a debriefing tool.
Model CL-600-2B19 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-299-AD; Amendment 39-12107; AD 2001-03-04) - requires repetitive ultrasonic inspections to detect damage of the actuator lugs of the flight spoiler center hinge; corrective action, if necessary; and eventual replacement of the flight spoilers with new, improved spoilers. This action is necessary to prevent uncommanded deployment of a flight spoiler, which could reduce controllability of the airplane. This action is intended to address the identified unsafe condition.
Gulfstream V operators would be required to repetitively replace nose wheel steering actuators with new or reworked components, under a proposed airworthiness directive issued by FAA.
JEFF RUTH joined Jet Aviation as a sales associate in its West Palm Beach, Fla. facility. Ruth previously founded Palm Beach Jet Sales, Inc., a Coral Springs, Fla. aircraft brokerage firm. He also has served with Tyler Jet and Universal Jet Trading.
THE EC'S ASSESSMENT was more somber, stating that its first-phase investigation indicates that "the merger may bring about horizontal overlaps (e.g., in the market for large regional jet engines) likely to significantly reduce the existing degree of competition in this market, as well as vertical effects (e.g., to the extent that Honeywell is a supplier of components to competing engine manufacturers) and conglomerate effects (e.g., stemming from the possible bundling of jet engines, avionics and non-avionics) likely to foreclose competition in these markets." The EC's Ph
Manufacturer's service bulletin requirements prohibiting operators from flying Model 45 Learjets into known icing have been adopted by FAA in an airworthiness directive. The restriction resulted from an incident in which a Model 45 aircraft experienced anti-ice system difficulties, generating a warning to the flight crew of an overheat condition of the horizontal stabilizer. Subsequent inspection revealed a fragment of metal from the system's bleed air manifold lodged in a section of the system's ducts.
JET AVIATION is marketing Gulfstream IV interior shells to owners of G-II and G-III aircraft. The retrofit involves removal of the existing interior and installation of the larger G-IV shell into the aircraft fuselage. The new interior, Jet Aviation said, provides a roomier, brighter and quieter cabin.
Cathay Pacific placed a firm order for one new Model 45 Learjet and took an option for a second aircraft for use in the carrier's newly developed advanced pilot training program. The first aircraft, which is scheduled for delivery in the third quarter, will be operated and maintained by BAE Systems Flight Training (Australia) Pty. Ltd., on behalf of Cathay Pacific. BAE Systems operates a flight school at Parafield near Adelaide in South Australia.
