A federal judge upheld his earlier ruling in favor of CAMP Systems International in a lawsuit brought by Gulfstream Aerospace. The business jet manufacturer had accused the maintenance management provider of copyright and trademark infringement for using Gulfstream maintenance manuals. Judge B. Avant Edenfield ruled in June that CAMP's use of the Gulfstream manuals was permissible, citing the "fair use doctrine" in a 1994 Supreme Court ruling. Gulfstream and GAMA had asked Edenfield to reconsider his opinion.
The Government Accountability Office will conduct a study on helicopter air ambulance safety at the request of Congress. The study will cover the nature and scope of the air ambulance industry; the unique safety concerns, if any; and the efforts by the FAA and others to address those concerns. B&CA contributor and aviation safety researcher Patrick Veillette has been asked to participate.
The FAA has issued a production certificate to Adam Aircraft for the A500, along with an amended FAR Part 23 type certificate covering day/night VFR/IFR flight for the all-composite, pressurized centerline twin-piston aircraft. Adam received provisional certification for the A500 in May 2005. The aircraft must still achieve certification for flight into known icing and its maximum operating altitude is still limited to 12,500 feet. Adam hopes to secure approval to expand the maximum operating altitude to 25,000 feet concurrent with icing certification.
The DOT recently outlined parameters under which Washington-area aviation businesses can seek reparations for lost income stemming from 9/11 and subsequent security restrictions -- a year after Congress called for the department to provide a fund for aviation businesses doing just that. General aviation advocates have long fought for reimbursement to these businesses, particularly since Congress took less than two weeks after 9/11 to come up with billions of dollars to help offset losses the airlines suffered.
A Bell 212 helicopter under contract to the U.S. Forest Service made an emergency landing at Happy Camp Airport, Calif., after the pilot smelled something burning shortly after takeoff. According to initial reports provided by the USFS, when the pilot received an engine fire warning light he observed smoke. He pulled the No. 2 extinguisher and made a rapid descent. He dropped the external cargo and landed without incident. Post-examination of the helicopter revealed a puncture from the inside out in the hot section of the right engine.
GE Infrastructure named Marcus Balmforth to lead its airport work within its GE Commercial Aviation Services unit. Balmforth joins the company from Macquarie Bank London, where he served as division director heading up European airports. Before joining Macquarie, he held senior management positions at London Luton Airport and BAA.
According to the family of Comair Flight 5191 First Officer James Polehinke, who survived the August crash in Kentucky, the copilot has no memory of the accident. The family also said that Polehinke's left leg has been amputated and he faces several more major surgeries. Toxicology testing performed on specimens from both pilots did not detect any illicit substances or alcohol. A low level of an over-the-counter decongestant was detected in the first officer's blood.
PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY will approach the Nov. 7 elections with a wide range of emotions and attitudes. Some will just ignore the entire process because they don't care about politics and don't believe their vote will make a difference.
While on final approach to Runway 9 near Ensenada Airport in Baja California Norte, Mexico, a Beech 35 was destroyed following a loss of control. Local authorities reported that the humanitarian flight collided with an assembly plant about two kilometers short of the landing threshold. A post-impact fire consumed the airplane and two parked automobiles. No injuries were reported on the ground, but the pilot and his two passengers were fatally injured. The flight originated from Brown Field Municipal Airport near San Diego.
BUSINESS AVIATION HAS ALWAYS had a need for a few extra-large aircraft. John Travolta and Donald Trump need private Boeings to fit their personalities. Conoco and British Petroleum need private Boeings to get workers to Deadhorse on Alaska's North Slope. Several sports teams use extra-large planes for their extra-large players. Most of these operations are conducted either under FAR Part 125 or under a "deviation" from some or all of Part 125.
JetDirect Aviation of Berwyn, Pa., announced it has embarked on an ambitious program to acquire premier FBOs and FAR Part 135 charter operators with significant fleets of managed aircraft. The company has acquired FBOs in St. Louis, Dallas and Philadelphia. It also has additional primary Part 135 bases in Farmingdale, N.Y., and in Van Nuys, Calif.
Raytheon Aircraft Charter and Management recently added six aircraft to its charter fleet: a Beechjet 400A in Nashville; a Hawker 800A in Dallas; a Challenger 600 in Atlanta; a new Premier IA at Van Nuys, Calif.; and Premiers based in Temple, Texas, and the Chicago area.
Refurbishment at Signature Flight Support's Le Bourget-based business is continuing after additional recent acquisitions on the field. It now has 13 hangars, three business aviation terminals, over 54,000 square meters of ramp space, and is the largest FBO at airport. A refurbishment of the crew and passenger areas is nearing completion at the terminal purchased from PrivatAir in 2005. It will be re-branded Signature Paris Terminal 1 and used as the main passenger transit handling point.
"What we bring to the table of our clients is that one of the best ways to keep their insurance rates down is for everyone to be safer." The speaker is Eric Barfield of Hope Aviation Insurance, a broker based in Columbia, S.C., who also serves on the NBAA Safety Committee.
With October's $1.1 billion order by NetJets Europe for 24 Falcon 7X jets, Dassault said orders for the new trijet passed 114, making it, a company spokesman said, "the most successful launch of any large-cabin business jet." The purchase is the largest business jet order in European history, the second largest order in business aviation history and is Dassault's largest business jet sale. The aircraft will begin deliveries in 2008 and extend through 2014. Dassault said the transaction signals a coming of age for both NetJets Europe and private aviation in Europe.
-Bombardier Challenger 604 airplanes--Revise the "Emergency Procedures" section of the airplane flight manual to advise the flightcrew of additional procedures to follow in the event of stabilizer trim runaway. For certain airplanes, also revise the "Abnormal Procedures" section of the flight manual to advise the pilots of procedures to follow in the event of mach trim, stab trim and horizontal stabilizer trim malfunctions.
Intelligence | 13 * CBO, GAO Aviation Trust Fund Forecasts Differ * Teterboro Airport Operators Support Voluntary Curbs * Safety Alert Stresses Pilot Responsibility for Complete Weather Awareness * Age 60 Rulemaking Panel Formed * Piaggio's Jet to Be Launched in 2007 Edited by James E. Swickard Commentary 7 | Viewpoint By William Garvey Office Politics 76 | Cause & Circumstance By William Garvey On the Ground, and Dangerous
The U.S. Court of Appeals has ordered the FAA to delay the compliance deadline for the agency's new drug and alcohol testing mandate while the court considers a filing by the Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) seeking a nine-month delay. ARSA is pushing for the delay to seek more time to work with the FAA to hash out some of the association's concerns about the rule. At press time, ARSA also has asked the court to review the legality of the rule, which calls for drug and alcohol testing for maintenance subcontractors at any tier.
Whatever works, as they say. Commander turboprop twins used to have weights, each mounted on semi-stiff stalk to the fuselage frame that allowed them to vibrate passively and absorb the propellers' buzz. Saab put a speaker system in its regional turboprops to create a noise-canceling signal 180 degrees out of phase with the cabin sound.
Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.), the ranking Democrat on the House Aviation Subcommittee, said recently he believes that Congress should review the FAA's tax and financing structure and consider mechanisms such as leasing or bonding.
The FAA has formed a new Age 60 Aviation Rulemaking Committee to look at the ICAO revised standard for boosting the airline pilot retirement age to 65. The ARC will recommend whether the United States should adopt such a standard. Air Transport Association President and CEO James May and Air Line Pilots Association President Duane Woerth are co-chairing the ARC.
Air Security International has been renamed ASI Group to reflect the company's growing non-aviation risk management business. "The bottom line is that we outgrew our name," said Charlie LeBlanc, ASI's vice president of operations. "Last year nearly 90 percent of our clients turned to us for non-aviation related products or services." Founded in 1989 to provide security services for corporate flight departments, the company now provides services for whole corporations, not just their aviation units.
