BOB EAST was appointed vice president of information technology for Piedmont Hawthorne. East, formerly chief information officer for TK Holdings, Inc., also has served with Burlington Industries, AMF Hatteras Yachts and Sara Lee Corp.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL won FAA Level D certification for two new Falcon Jet simulators at its Dallas/Fort Worth Airport learning center. FlightSafety, which plans to install 16 simulators at its new Dallas/Fort Worth location, began training the first customers this month. FlightSafety Simulation in Tulsa, Okla. designed and built the simulators. In addition to Dallas/Fort Worth, FlightSafety provides Falcon business jet training in Teterboro, N.J., Paris, France and Houston, Texas.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION elected John Kuss of Eastman Kodak Co. Aviation Services and Sylvia Jennings of Wotan America, Inc. to three-year terms on the board of directors. Kuss, who served on the NBAA Operations Committee from 1997 to 1999, is serving his first term on the board. Jennings, who was the first woman to be elected to NBAA's board of directors, returns after a three-year absence. Also re-elected for three-year terms were Donald Baldwin of Texaco, Kenneth Emerick of GM Worldwide Travel Services and Kenneth Peartree of Hewlett Packard.
U.S. general aviation manufacturers reached their highest third quarter shipment totals since 1984 with 684 units delivered and continued to set new billings records with $2 billion in sales, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported Wednesday. "This is another great quarter for GA," said GAMA President Ed Bolen. "The enthusiasm that was so evident at the NBAA Convention and AOPA Expo are reflected in these billings and shipment numbers."
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE won a major government contract last week, a $477.3 million firm-fixed-price award to provide five C-37A (Gulfstream V) business jets under the Commanders-in-Chief Support Aircraft Replacement Program.The contract covers a 10-year lease of the aircraft, plus service and maintenance. The new Gulfstreams will replace a number of aging aircraft in the Defense Department inventory, including five C-135s (Boeing 707s).
PORT AUTHORITY OF NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY last week began a 3,700-foot move of the original Airport Terminal Building at Newark International Airport. The Port Authority is moving the 7,000-ton terminal nearly three-quarters of a mile, where it will become the center of a new airport police and administration building. Contractors used 29 hydraulic jacks to slowly lift the building and support structure eight feet into the air. This allowed rubber-wheeled dollies to be slipped underneath the building - which was divided into three sections - for the move.
Model AS-350B, BA, B1, B2, B3, C, D, and D1, and AS-355E, F, F1, F2 and N helicopters (Docket No. 2000-SW-25-AD; Amendment 39-11931; AD 2000-20-19) - supersedes an existing AD that currently requires inspections of the main rotor head components, the main gearbox (MGB) suspension bars, and the ground resonance prevention system components. This amendment requires those same inspections, but also would apply to Model AS-350B3 and AS-355N helicopters. This amendment is prompted by the inadvertent omission of those model helicopters from the previous AD.
Beech Models 35-C33A, E33A, E33C, F33A, F33C, S35, V35, V35A, V35B, 36, and A36 airplanes (Docket No. 99-CE-63-AD) - proposes a new AD for aircraft models that incorporate a certain Teledyne Continental engine configuration. The proposed AD would require replacement of the existing Aeroquip V-band exhaust clamp. The actions specified by the proposed AD are intended to prevent the exhaust stack from detaching from the turbocharger due to failure of the V-band exhaust clamp.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators found damage to gears in the combiner gearbox and a separated transmission oil pump drive shaft in the wreckage of an Aerospatiale AS-355F2 helicopter that crashed in North Carolina Oct. 16 - just three and one-half flight hours after the aircraft's transmission was overhauled.
Model CL-600-2B19 series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-312-AD; Amendment 39-11928; AD 2000-20-03 R1) - revises an existing AD that currently requires installation of shields for the aileron quadrants in the wheel bay of the main landing gear (MLG). This amendment revises the compliance time for the requirements of that AD. The actions specified in this AD are intended to prevent accumulation of water, ice, or slush on the aileron quadrants and control cable pulleys in the wheel bay of the MLG, which could freeze and result in reduced controllability of the airplane.
AOPA AIR SAFETY FOUNDATION teamed with Jeppesen to offer an instructor certificate renewal program online. The program, ASF-Jeppesen CFI Renewal Online, will allow instructors to complete certificate renewal at home. Participants can ask course questions through AOPA's Pilots Assistance Hotline or through e-mail. Jeppesen will file the flight instructor's certificate renewal paperwork with FAA and issue a new temporary certificate. The program, slated to be available early next year, is priced at $149.
Cirrus Design Corp., the Duluth, Minn.-based manufacturer of the SR20, hopes to win certification by yearend for its new SR22, the second product in what the company expects will be a line of general aviation aircraft. "After the overwhelming success of the SR20, the SR22 represents a natural progression for Cirrus," said Cirrus President and CEO Alan Klapmeier.
FAA'S MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COUNCIL held its first meeting last week, spending more than four and one-half hours with FAA Administrator Jane Garvey and acting Deputy Administrator Monte Belger receiving a series of briefings that covered the agency's lines of business, funding stream and historical relationship with the Transportation Department. As its name suggests, the MAC plans to concentrate on improving management within FAA, rather than focusing on policy issues. The MAC plans to meet again in mid-November and early December.
Beech Models A36 and B36TC airplanes (Docket No. 2000-CE-15-AD; Amendment 39-11925; AD 2000-20-14) - requires an inspection for the installation of firewall sealant and installing firewall sealant if not present. This AD is the result of a report that firewall sealant was not found during a routine production inspection. The actions specified by this AD are intended to correct the absence of sealant and prevent the consequent entry of smoke or fire into the flight compartment or cabin in the event of an engine compartment fire.
P-180 airplanes (Docket No. 99-CE-34-AD; Amendment 39-11578; AD 2000-03-19) - proposes to remove AD 2000-03-19, which currently applies to all 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, Piaggio 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.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION last week proposed a $2.5 million civil penalty against Parker-Hannifin Corp. for allegedly violating product alteration reporting requirements. FAA alleged that Parker-Hannifin's Fort Worth, Texas Stratoflex unit made "thousands" of minor changes to its aircraft fluid connectors over 12 years without reporting those changes to FAA, as required by the manufacturer's own quality control system.
Dallas/Fort Worth-based SimuFlite Training International plans to move into the Northeast with a new business aviation training center and, in a separate action, expand its training portfolio to cover seven more aircraft and helicopter models. The company expects to announce before yearend details on a new center that will house six simulators, multimedia classrooms, an aviation library and dining room. Officials have narrowed the site selection down to three locations in the Northeast, where rival FlightSafety International is headquartered.
GALAXY AEROSPACE plans to survey Westwind operators to develop a package of potential upgrades for their aircraft. Cincinnati, Ohio-based ARG/US will conduct the surveys, which will ask Westwind owners about possible upgrades to engines, avionics, interiors and aircraft systems. Galaxy said it would use the data to analyze market feasibility for enhancement programs and decide on whether to offer individual improvements or upgrade packages. Galaxy expects to announce its findings early next year.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, noting that medical issues have become more critical to its members, formed a new medical advisory board to tackle those issues. The board, which held its first meeting at AOPA's Expo 2000 in Long Beach, Calif., will provide expert advice and help the association work through medical issues. "Medical issues are a growing concern for AOPA members and the issues are getting increasingly more complex," said AOPA President Phil Boyer.
JOHN WILLIAMS was named chief executive officer for eBizJets. Williams, who spent eight years with American Express, most recently was president and CEO for Biztravel.com, Inc.
ACCUFLEET INTERNATIONAL formed a new business unit, SIDA Systems, to provide services for companies that must meet employee screening requirements to operate in secure identification display areas of airports. AccuFleet said SIDA Systems would provide pre-employment verifications and background investigations for employers.
STEVE CRAWFORD was promoted to regional vice president of technical services for Bombardier Business Aircraft. Crawford, who has served with Bombardier for 24 years, has held positions within surveillance systems, core engineering, regional jet and Challenger customer support.
Model Astra SPX and 1125 Westwind Astra Series airplanes (Docket No. 2000-NM-10-AD; Amendment 39-11935; AD 2000-21-03) - requires a one-time inspection of the position of the aileron autopilot servo and attachment arm; follow-on actions; corrective actions, if necessary; and installation of a stopper angle on the servo bracket. This action is necessary to prevent the control link of the aileron autopilot servo from being driven overcenter, which could result in roll oscillations when the autopilot is engaged.
HOW GOOD A VENUE for selling airplanes is the annual National Business Aviation Association convention? According to the CEO of one business jet manufacturer, the three-day NBAA show "is clearly the best show for the money," and "ten-fold better" than major international shows such as Farnborough and Paris. Noting that North America remains the source of three-quarters of business jet customers, he believes the NBAA format is more customer friendly than the larger international shows.
A national air and space museum capable of housing nearly 300 aircraft and space vehicles came a large step closer to reality Wednesday as government officials and the principal donor broke ground for the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center on the grounds of Dulles International Airport (IAD) outside Washington, D.C.
