SIKORSKY AIRCRAFT sold two S-76C+ helicopters to the People's Republic of China for search and rescue missions. China's Ministry of Communications will deploy the aircraft from the Shanghai Salvage&Rescue Bureau's new facility. The helicopters will be fitted with a rescue hoist, forward-looking infra-red system, a Nightsun searchlight, four-axis auto hovering system, two interior patient litters and sophisticated avionics designed for offshore search and rescue. The order includes options for two additional S-76+ helicopters.
Rockwell Collins likely will remain independent - at least for the next couple of years - thanks to the decision by parent Rockwell International to spin-off the Cedar Rapids, Iowa communications and avionics manufacturer. Rockwell International announced Dec. 8 that it would split Collins and its Rockwell Automation unit into separate entities and named Clay Jones, currently president of Rockwell Collins, as chairman and chief executive of the new stand-alone Collins (BA, Dec. 11/269).
FAIRCHILD DORNIER began tests on its 728JET flight controls test rig or "Iron Bird" last month at the company's primary design and production facility in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
MICHAEL GREGORY was promoted to senior vice president of FBO Services for Jet Aviation's U.S. fixed-base operations in Bedford, Mass., Dallas, Texas, Teterboro, N.J. and West Palm Beach, Fla. Gregory has served with Jet Aviation since 1987, beginning as a corporate controller in the Bedford facility. Most recently he was vice president and general manager of the West Palm Beach U.S. headquarters.
ROBINSON Model R22 helicopters (Docket No. 2000-SW-51-AD; Amendment 39-11960; AD 2000-20-51) - publishes an AD sent previously to all known U.S. owners and operators of Robinson Model R22 helicopters by individual letters. This AD requires checking the yoke half assembly for any crack and replacing a cracked yoke assembly before further flight. This AD also requires replacing certain yokes with airworthy yokes before further flight after Jan. 1. This AD is prompted by the discovery of cracks in the yoke.
The Environmental Protection Agency is requiring airports to respond by Jan. 29 to update their storm water permits, which regulate the use of deicing materials on airports.
ROBERT KAUFFMAN, president and co-founder of ElectroSonics, a Columbus, Ohio, avionics repair station, retired after 40 years of service. Kauffman founded ElectroSonics in 1958, working on single-engine aircraft instruments from his car trunk. The company now is capable of performing complete cockpit upgrades and entertainment systems on high-end corporate aircraft and has bases in McKinney and Addison, Texas.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION commissioned a year-long study into the processes used to certify large transport planes. A team of technical experts from FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Defense, foreign civil aviation authorities, industry and academia will participate in the Commercial Airplane Certification Process Study. The study will cover processes used in designing, building, certifying and maintaining aircraft.
FAIRCHILD Models SA226 and SA227 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-28-AD) - proposes to revise an earlier proposed AD that would have required replacement of the brake shuttle valves with parts of improved design and installation of a shield over the hydraulic lines. The earlier NPRM resulted from a report of a wheel brake system malfunction caused by a faulty brake shuttle valve on an affected airplane. Evaluation of the public comments on the NPRM reveals the need to also include airplanes that have an anti-skid system in the applicability of the proposed AD.
WARREN PECK was named director of avionics for BIZJET International in Tulsa, Okla. Peck has 20 years of industry experience and previously served as a customer service/sales representative for BIZJET's Falcon program.
TONY KOPRIVNIK was appointed director of Bombardier sales and service for BIZJET International. Koprivnik, a 22-year industry veteran, most recently was maintenance manager for Crow Executive Air, Inc.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which assumed operational control of the Teterboro, N.J. Airport early this month, is embarking on a major effort to improve deteriorating community relations with airport neighbors and is weighing a number of steps - including a ban on Stage 2 business jets and a curfew on nighttime operations - that could cause serious disruption for business and general aviation operators.
Aviation General, Inc. named Mat Goodman senior vice president of marketing and sales at Commander Aircraft Company, the Bethany, Okla. aircraft manufacturer. Goodman joined Commander in 1989 as aircraft sales manager. He was subsequently promoted to vice president of marketing and later to vice president of marketing and sales for the company's general aviation division. Before joining Commander, Goodman was vice president of sales for Kenosha Aero Service, a Cessna dealership and fixed-base operation.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association issued 8,800 "Pilot Alerts" to members in New Jersey seeking help opposing two bills that would block runway expansion under certain conditions. The bills, Assembly Bill 2809 and Senate Bill 1682, are ostensibly aimed at curbing development at one airport in particular, but are written in such a manner that they could capture many more airports, said Bill Dunn, vice president of regional affairs.
Bombardier Aerospace signed an agreement with The Jet Center of Santa Barbara, Calif. to perform interior completions for the Global Express business jet. Bombardier has faced long delays in getting completed airplanes to its Global Express customers. At the end of January, the company had manufactured and delivered 42 "green" airplanes, but only 10 of those had been completed and put into service by end customers (BA, April 10/165). As of last week, a spokesman said there are about 70 Global Express aircraft off the production line and 21 in service with customers.
THE BOEING COMPANY tapped Thomas Pickering, U.S. under secretary of state for political affairs, as senior vice president-international relations. Pickering will join the company in January after he retires from the U.S. government. Boeing called the addition of Pickering "a significant milestone in the company's strategic global efforts." He will oversee the growth and strengthening of Boeing's international relationships, including those with foreign governments.
GARMIN LTD., an avionics manufacturer that specializes in global positioning system equipment, raised $147 million in its initial public offering Dec. 8 and traded between $19 and $21 per share last week, well above its opening at $14 per share. The IPO, underwritten by Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse First Boston, will help fund capital expansion, new partnerships and movement into new markets, a company spokesman said.
RAYTHEON Beech Model 58 airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-42-AD; Amendment 39-11965; AD 2000-22-18) - requires an inspection of the rudder bellcrank interconnect tube for damage; replacement or refinishing of the interconnect tube, if necessary; and modification of the floorboard. Four reports of damage to the interconnect tube prompted this action. The actions specified by this AD are intended to correct the wrong use of screws and consequent wear in the pilot/copilot pedal interconnect tube, which could result in loss of rudder control.
AIA'S DOUGLASS, who is pushing for increased government spending on research and development, mentioned research into supersonic aircraft as one fruitful area. He cited various plans for a supersonic business jet (SSBJ), noting substantial interest, especially from fractional ownership providers in seeing such an airplane reach the market (BA, Oct. 2/147). But with existing technical difficulties, he said, there is "a need for a lot more R&D in NASA and the Air Force" for such plans to become a reality.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION's Board of Directors Friday agreed to sue the Naples Airport Authority, which last month approved a ban on Stage 2 business jets at Naples, Fla. Municipal Airport.NBAA objects to the ban as "inconsistent with the obligation to provide reasonable access to the airport" and also says that Naples took action despite an incomplete Part 161 study, a requirement for new Stage 2 bans (Nov. 20/231). The lawsuit will be the second legal action that NBAA has taken against airport restrictions in the past four months.
THOMAS GRUNWALD was promoted to vice president and general manager of Wood Group Aero, Inc. Grunwald will be responsible for day-to-day operations as well as for market expansion. He joined the company in 1998 and has served as vice president-flight support services and director-field service.
EMBRAER received a contract valued at more than $900 million from South African regional SA Airlink for 30 37-seat ERJ 135 regional jets with options for 40 more that could be converted to ERJ 145s and ERJ 170s. Delivery of the firm order is expected to begin in April 2001 with the options extending over the next 10 years. The contract boosts the ERJ orderbook to 1,236 aircraft, of which 824 are firm orders and 412 are options. SA Airlink, Johannesburg, South Africa, currently operates 16 BAe Systems Jetstream 41 aircraft.
BOMBARDIER Models DHC-6-1, DHC-6-100, DHC-6-200, and DHC-6-300 airplanes (Docket No. 91-CE-87-AD) - withdraws a supplemental NPRM that would have applied to all Bombardier Models DHC-6-1, DHC-6-100, DHC-6-200, and DHC-6-300 airplanes. The NPRM would have superseded both AD 80-13-11 R2 and AD 80-03-08, which currently require repetitive inspections of the flight control rods for cracks on the above-referenced airplanes, with replacement of any cracked flight control rods.
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.
