Reducing human error in the maintenance field is the aim of the FAA's Human Factors Guide for Aviation Maintenance, a set of guidelines underpinned by research that has been conducted during the past five years. In preparing the guide, the FAA interviewed maintenance technicians, supervisors and human factors experts, and examined work places, shift records and accident records, and set up laboratories in repair facilities. The guidelines are available in hard copy and on CD-ROM. For details, contact the FAA at (202) 366-6910.
The FAA's Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) in Oklahoma City now has an advanced general aviation research simulator (AGARS) to support the agency's GA human-factors research programs. This high-fidelity, reconfigurable device will represent complex interactions of environment, hardware, communications, crew resource management (CRM), situational and risk variables in simulated general aviation flight protocols.
About four aircraft each night break New York, Westchester County Airport's voluntary ``restraint from flying'' period between midnight and 0630, according to HPN's noise abatement office. Most offenders claim they didn't know about the policy. Therefore, as a reminder to operators, the following message has been added to the ATIS that is played after the tower closes at 2300: ``The voluntary restraint from flying program begins at midnight and ends at 0630.''
TPI International Airways won a victory in its continuing battle with the FAA, DOT and U.S. Air Force. . . well, almost. The DOT in early September turned over to TPI the controversial report on the inspector general's office (DOTIG) review of an investigation into the FAA shutdown of the Brunswick, Georgia-based carrier in August 1990. Roughly one-half of the document, however, was ``redacted''-blacked out.
Walk through Raytheon Aircraft's Plant III in Wichita, and you might well miss an innocuous-looking gray door in the middle of the building. Indeed, the door is almost invisible to the employees who bustle around computer-controlled machine tools, rather strange-looking composite test structures and two-story-high autoclaves big enough to swallow a city bus.
Revised nighttime departure and approach procedures to help relieve noise have been implemented on a test basis at Denver International Airport (DEN). Details on the procedures, aimed at curbing noise northeast of DEN, are contained in a bulletin available from the airport manager: (303) 342-2200. FAA officials claim that noise is a bigger problem than originally anticipated, in part because the airport was built with five runways instead of the planned six (B/CA, February 1994, page 44).
Both houses of Congress have completed work on their respective versions of Fiscal Year 1996 FAA appropriation legislation. House and Senate appropriations committees were resolving the differences between the bills at press time.
The FAA is in the midst of a six-month evaluation of Mode S transponder datalink equipment intended to provide flight information to general-aviation pilots throughout the United States. The project involves providing information to selected aircraft equipped with datalink-capable Mode S transponders and a control display unit (CDU) with specified software.
Litton's Aero Products division is developing a computer program aimed at overcoming deficiencies of GPS. Litton says its Autonomous Integrity Monitored Extrapolation (AIME) computer continuously monitors and analyzes GPS signals for errors, outages and geographical gaps, and integrates those data with the company's Flagship system's inertial data to maintain precise navigational accuracy. Litton also claims AIME is immune to GPS signal jamming.
Heads Up Technologies, the Carrollton, Texas company known for its digital voice checklists, has developed a system that reports the status of up to 12 anomalies or activities. For example, in the case of a left-engine fire, the checklist would announce ``left-engine fire,'' and would immediately follow up with the engine-fire emergency checklist. ``Autopilot disconnect'' would mean some sort of an abnormal event occurred, and ``flaps warning'' would indicate the flaps were not properly set for takeoff. Uninstalled price of the new CMS400C is $9,205.
Embraer's EMB-145 regional jet recently entered test flying. First flight of a prototype of the Allison-powered, 50-passenger aircraft occurred in mid August, more than three years behind its original schedule (B/CA, June 1991, page 44). The delay was due primarily to an extensive change in the engine-placement design, financial challenges and an ongoing, company-wide privatization process that was just completed in December 1994. Embraer, based in Sao Jose Dos Campos, Brazil, hopes to obtain certification of the $14.5-million EMB-145 in 1996.
It wasn't so long ago that calling Flight Service or subscribing to a commercial flight-planning service was the only way corporate and regional airline pilots and dispatchers could get preflight weather briefings.
Earlier this year, NASA officials started conducting telephone interviews with pilots who submit wake-turbulence incident data through the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). The interviews were in support of the FAA's efforts to reduce accidents caused by wake turbulence. To date, nearly 60 interviews have been conducted, but more reports are needed. After receiving an ASRS report, NASA officials will contact the pilot to ask him or her to participate in the interview. For details, contact the ASRS office in California at (415) 969-3969.
France-European Business Aviation Association issued a Member Alert calling for written objections to the proposed closing of Frejus St. Raphael Airport (LFTU) by July 1997. The airport, about 40-nm southwest of Nice and 10-nm northeast of St. Tropez, has a 3,937-foot runway. A second, longer runway was planned to make the airport an important reliever for the area. The closure was ordered by Francois Leotard, Mayor of Frejus, ostensibly to improve the environment by converting the airport to camping sites and leisure parks.
An FAA special task force is scheduled to complete later this month a 60-day review of the agency's efforts to prevent the use of unapproved aircraft parts. The task force was established shortly after the issue came to a head at a Senate government affairs subcommittee meeting in early summer. The FAA said the problem is not serious and has never been identified as a cause of an accident. But, the DOT inspector general, Mary Schiavo, asserted the FAA was not doing enough to prevent the proliferation of bogus parts (B/CA, July, page 11).
Cuernavaca Airport is being touted as an alternate to Mexico City Airport (where general aviation is banned). Officials at Aviones Are, a Cuernavaca FBO, point out that the airport, 45 miles from Mexico City, is 4,200 feet msl (compared to Toluca Airport's 8,450 feet) and offers DME, VOR and NDB approaches to the 9,147-foot runway. Aviones Are says it offers ground transportation, crew discounts at local hotels, a crew rest area, meeting room, helicopter charter, catering and flight planning.
British Aerospace recently purchased the former Carroll Aircraft, an FBO at London's Farnborough Airport. The facility is now known as Farnborough Business Aviation. . . . Jet Aviation Group of Zurich, Switzerland acquired DHP Aviation at Singapore's Seletar Airport. In addition to FBO transient aircraft services, DHP offers interior refurbishing, airframe painting and business jet maintenance. . . . Zimex Aviation, also based in Zurich, received authorization by Russia's Civil Aviation Authority to conduct maintenance on Russian-registered Hawker jets.
Australia-Sydney's Kingsford Smith Airport (ASSY) continues to impose some of the most arbitrary noise regulations of any major international airport. Flights arriving prior to the 0630 hours expiration time of the nightly curfew are ordered to hold. Airlines are then given priority over corporate aircraft regardless of which arrived first. Captain John South, president of the Australian Business Aircraft Association, recommends that flights arriving before the curfew ends should plan their initial stop at another Australian airport.
National Air Transportation Association and other trade groups are opposing legislation that would ostensibly give the U.S. Interior Department the authority to severely limit air-tour operations over national parks. NATA says the FAA would be limited to reviewing and providing advice on airspace access. The measure, H.R. 1954, was introduced by Representative David Skaggs (D-CO).
Employees at Allison Engine Company in Indianapolis now carry laminated red cards in their wallets. The company's ``Quality Bill of Rights'' is printed on those cards, and the employees proudly display it for outsiders.
Investment banking firm Alex. Brown&Sons has been retained by Business Express ``to review future strategic alternatives'' for the New Hampshire-based regional. Alternatives include an initial public offering (IPO), development of strategic alliances, and review of potential merger and acquisition opportunities. The company withdrew an IPO several years ago when expectations were not met.
This past July, more than 40,000 employees, retirees and family members celebrated Douglas Aircraft's 75th anniversary at the company's Long Beach, California plant.
Macau-Macau International Airport (which does not yet have an ICAO identifier) is scheduled to become operational on November 9. Test flying on the 11,000-foot runway was under way at press time. According to Macau Airport agents in Los Angeles, the airport will have dedicated facilities for corporate aviation aircraft, and servicing probably will be handled initially by Air Macau Airlines.
NBAA recently published the Federal Excise Tax Handbook, a 54-page publication explaining various taxes affecting both private and commercial general aviation operations, and providing guidance on dealing with those taxes. The document also provides information on what to expect during an IRS audit, gives IRS rulings on specific cases and lists a taxpayers' ``Bill of Rights.'' For details on obtaining a copy of the handbook, phone the NBAA at (202) 783-9000.
