P-180 airplanes (Docket No. 99-CE-34-AD; Amendment 39-12053; AD 2000-03-19) - removes AD 2000-03-19, which currently covers Piaggio P-180 airplanes equipped with pneumatic deicing boots. AD 2000-03-19 requires revising the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) to include requirements for activating the airframe pneumatic deicing boots. Since FAA issued AD 2000-03-19, I.A.M. has shown the language currently included in the AFM and the airplane configuration are satisfactory to address the conditions identified in AD 2000-03-19. Therefore, this action removes AD 2000-03-19.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION promoted Linda Peters to director of exhibits. Peters joined NBAA as manager of exhibits and was named senior manager in early 1998. She also has served as exhibit manager for the Helicopter Association International. Peters oversees all exhibitor activities for NBAA's annual meeting and convention, including sale of space, floorplan design, coordination with service contractors and exhibit management. She also manages exhibits for the association's seminar program.
BETTINA CHAVANNE joined Dassault Falcon Jet as press liaison and senior writer of its publication, The Falconer. She will be based at the corporate headquarters in Teterboro, N.J. Chavanne previously was a conference director with the International Quality and Productivity Center and has been a freelance writer for years.
A PIPER AEROSTAR was destroyed and all four people aboard were killed when the aircraft crashed Dec. 31 in British Columbia. The 602P, N88AT, was registered to Skyline Ranch Investment Co. and was en route from Salt Lake City, Utah. The aircraft had been cleared for an instrument approach to the Penticton, B.C. Airport, but struck terrain at an elevation of about 5,100 feet mean sea level in the Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park north of Penticton. The terrain in the park has a maximum elevation of 5,164 feet.
SIMUFLITE TRAINING INTERNATIONAL last month completed the upgrade of its Citation V simulator, part of a series of simulator upgrades the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas training company has undertaken. The upgrade program involves replacing older visual systems on SimuFlite's 14 FAA Level C simulators with new CAE Maxvue Plus daylight systems and BARCO/EIS monitor replacement projectors. The company also has upgraded its Citation III/VI, Gulfstream III, Hawker 700, Learjet 55 and Westwind simulators.
OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET Wednesday completed its review of a proposed rule that would establish a framework for governing air tours over national parks. The proposal stems from the National Parks Air Tour Management Act that was included in the comprehensive aviation bill, AIR-21, adopted in April. That act reflected many of the recommendations developed by a working group comprising government, industry and environmentalist concerns.
A BEECH SUPER KING AIR that had just taken off from Poplar Bluff, Mo. had to return to the airport Wednesday after the aircraft lost a door while at 900 feet above ground level. FAA said the air taxi aircraft landed without further incident with no injuries reported to the four people on board.
Atlantic Coast Airlines ordered another 32 Fairchild Dornier 328JET aircraft for its United Express operations. The contract, added to the 30 328JETS that ACA agreed to buy for its Delta Connection routes, also increased the number of ACA options for the 328JET to 83, which can be used in either the United Express or Delta Connection operation. ACA accepted its first 328JET in August for the Delta Connection service and took delivery of 14 in 2000. Fairchild Dornier is slated to deliver the remaining 16 in the initial order this year.
The Federal Aviation Administration is working with industry groups to launch a prototype program aimed at significantly reducing the time it takes to obtain a supplemental type certificate for an aircraft modification (BA, Jan. 1/1). The program, in the works for more than a year, stems from a recommendation from RTCA, Inc. that FAA to find a way to streamline its certification workflow. The program could have far-reaching benefits for general aviation shops hoping to overcome a long backlog of STC applications at FAA.
FLIGHTTIME, a charter operator based in Waltham, Mass., signed promotional and marketing agreements with two professional golfers for the company's "Freedom Plan," which "enables travelers to enjoy the benefits of private jet ownership without an up-front, long-term capital investment," FlightTime said. Professional golfers Doug Tewell and Mike Weir bought 75-hour and 100-hour packages, respectively, that permit them to fly that many hours each year.
TONY CIARAVINO was appointed a representative in Flight Services Group's Charter Sales Department. Ciaravino formerly was a sales representative with Million Air Charter.
SIMUFLITE TRAINING INTERNATIONAL last year also completed a major expansion with a 164,000-square-foot addition that doubles the space at its Dallas/Fort Worth International headquarters and opened its second business aviation training center in the Northeast. Bombardier is sharing the new DFW facility with SimuFlite for its own training activities. Also, SimuFlite added a Gulfstream IV-SP simulator, just won FAA qualification for a Citation Ultra and still has simulators on order for eight more business jet models and the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter.
THE U.S. NAVY ordered a sixth Boeing 737-700C (Convertible) for its Navy Unique Fleet Essential Airlift Replacement Aircraft program. The aircraft, designated the C-40A Clipper, will replace the service's aging fleet of C-9 (DC-9) airliners. The C-40As can be configured for up to 121 passengers, carry eight pallets or a combination of up to three pallets and 70 passengers on the main deck.
FAIRCHILD DORNIER named Jay Jenkins vice president-aircraft sales contracts, with responsibility for negotiating aircraft sales contracts from offer tender to purchase agreement. Jenkins will be based at the company's sales and marketing offices in Herndon, Va. and will report to Jim Walsh, senior vice president and chief counsel.
Federal Aviation Administration officials hope to persuade the Naples Airport Authority (NAA) this week to delay its Stage 2 aircraft ban at Naples, Fla. Municipal Airport until the authority addresses the agency's concerns regarding the justification for the ban. FAA officials will discuss its concerns about the ban at an airport authority board meeting Thursday. Airport authority officials met with FAA in Washington, D.C. earlier this month on the Stage 2 ban, but officials said they are powerless to rescind the ban, which took effect Jan.
DASSAULT FALCON JET named Gerald Goguen senior vice president, customer service. Goguen, most recently a vice president, was instrumental in the acquisition of the former Atlantic Aviation facility in Wilmington, Del. and the establishment of that site as a factory service center, John Rosanvallon, president of Dassault Falcon Jet, said. Goguen started an avionics business, Northeastern Aviation, in Westerly, R.I., and later sold that business to Atlantic Aviation.
TAG AVIATION opened an aircraft acquisition and sales office at the company's Palm Beach, Fla. location. Pat Hatch, who had been TAG's Palm Beach base manager, has moved to the company's Acquisitions and Sales Division as regional vice president. He will assist TAG's aircraft management clients in acquiring and selling aircraft, providing similar services for outside clients and assisting with the inventory and resale of aircraft.
KARL J. KRAPEK, president and chief operating officer of United Technologies Corp., was named chairman of the board of governors of the Aerospace Industries Association, effective this month. Marshall O. Larsen, president and chief operating officer of BFGoodrich Aerospace, was named vice chairman.
The Federal Aviation Administration, attempting to find ways to accommodate growing numbers of turbine-powered aircraft in high-altitude airspace, is expected to issue a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the next few months that would require aircraft operators to meet reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) requirements in the U.S., probably beginning in the 2004-2005 time frame.
The U.S. Department of the Interior last month "strongly urged" the U.S. Air Force to transfer much of the former Homestead Air Force Base in Southern Florida to DOI to prevent the airfield from being reopened as a commercial airport.
RON FILLER, 60, a test pilot under contract with S-Tec Corp. who had a 16-year career as an FAA certification test pilot, died Jan. 8 from injuries sustained in the crash of a 1974 Bell 206 JetRanger, N152LA, earlier that day. Filler was on a routine refamiliarization flight with the S-Tec JetRanger when he made an emergency landing in an area covered with mesquite trees two miles west of the S-Tec facilities in Mineral Wells, Texas. S-Tec bought the helicopter from Air Logistics three and one-half years ago and planned to begin autopilot testing operations with it.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE delivered the first of 15 70-seat Q400 turboprops to Horizon Air, the North American launch customer for the airplane. Horizon is expected to take delivery of all 15 Q400s on order by yearend. The first aircraft is expected to go into service in February. The carrier, based in Portland, Ore., also holds options on 15 Q400s.
The number of accidents involving U.S. registered business jet and turboprop aircraft increased last year, according to information collected by Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla. The number of accidents increased by three to 51 and fatal accidents rose from 14 in 1999 to 16 last year. The number of fatalities increased from 51 in 1999 to 56 last year.
Model PC-7 airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-46-AD) - proposes to supersede AD 98-08-22, which currently requires inspecting the elevator and rudder attachment brackets for cracks and corrosion, and replacing any found cracked or corrosion-damaged. AD 98-08-22 resulted from mandatory continuing airworthiness information (MCAI) issued by the airworthiness authority for Switzerland. Since the issuance of AD 98-08-22, Pilatus has redesigned the brackets. Installation of these brackets should eliminate the cause of corrosion, which resulted in cracks or corrosion damage.
RAYTHEON Beech Models A36, B36TC, and 58 airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-06-AD; Amendment 39-12011; AD 2000-24-04) - requires inspection for misrouted rudder control cables; replacement of any worn or damaged guard pins; replacement of any pulley brackets that are damaged or worn; and replacement of any misrouted rudder control cables. This action is prompted by three reports of misrouted cables. The actions specified by this AD are intended to correct the misrouted rudder control cable and consequent guard pin wear or fraying of the cables with loss of rudder control.
