Business aviation interests have taken the initiative to propose a realistic FAR Part 91 operator security vetting process to the TSA -- which, to its credit, has accepted it on a trial basis. Termed TSAAC (``TEE-sac''), for Transportation Security Administration Access Certificate, the security plan could eventually serve as a template for all Part 91 operations within the National Airspace System (NAS).
Two senior Enstrom Helicopter executives have departed the company. President and CEO Steven P. Daniels and Vice President Frank Gallagher left after ``Significant communication problems had developed with company ownership,'' according to an Enstrom press release. Peter H. Parsinen has been appointed president for an interim period while a replacement search is conducted. Parsinen is the CEO of TPG International, a sales and marketing consulting firm specializing in helicopter products.
FAR Part 91's Subpart K, the new rules for fractional providers, finally arrived at the White House Office of Management and Budget for review. Senior FAA officials signed off on the package in fall 2002, but what was supposed to be a 90-day review at the DOT ran on for more than six months. When asked about the status of the fractional rule last month, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey told The Weekly of Business Aviation it was among several FAA regulatory actions that had gotten hung up, adding that she was attempting to get them cut loose and finalized.
London Heathrow is the first airport to install a system that can detect the smallest traces of explosives on a person and warn security staff within seconds. The Smiths Detection Sentinel II Portal can screen up to 420 people per hour. Air passes over the passenger, releasing any particles naturally absorbed by, or clinging to, the person's clothing or body. The particles are then drawn into the instrument for analysis using ion mobility spectrometry. During the analysis, a digital camera takes up to three pictures of the person, which can be printed as a record.
Life support for the major airlines has been proposed by Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), the ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He recently introduced legislation that would help the airlines with war risk insurance, extend the federal loan guarantee program to provide fuel credits, and reimburse carriers for air traffic losses and security-related activities. Oberstar's bill, the Aviation Industry Stabilization Act of 2003, is cosponsored by Rep.
Piedmont Hawthorne Aviation, Winston-Salem, N.C., has announced several personnel changes. Jim McNeill has been named general manager of the Washington-Dulles, Va. (IAD) location. Andrew Storey was promoted to general manager at the company's Toronto, Canada (YYZ) location (Shell Aero Center). Markus Brucks now fills the position of operational manager at the Toronto location. Bill Shoe has been promoted to general manager at the Winston-Salem (INT) headquarters. Isaac Lee is now general manager of the Norfolk, Va. (ORF) FBO.
Triumph Group, which manufactures components and subassemblies for aircraft and engines, said on April 11 that it is realigning its operating structure to reduce five operating divisions into three. The company also said that effective March 31 it designated its Metals Group as a discontinued operation.
A dizzying array of new technologies, situational awareness capabilities and information are making their way into the cockpit. To help sort it all out, we took a step back (not backward) and looked at how all this stuff is being presented to pilots. We realized that the multifunction display is becoming the centerpiece of modern aircraft situational awareness.
Pans-OPS Software has been developed to enhance the accuracy and safety of instrument flight procedures. The software, which incorporates the updated ICAO Collision Risk Model and other operational features, calculates the probability of collision with obstacles by an airplane on an ILS approach and the possible ensuing missed approach. It has been designed to provide risk computations and minimum parameters acceptable to a specific set of conditions and runway environments.
Jet Aviation Teterboro has set up TSA-approved fingerprinting services to comply with the new ``Twelve-Five'' security regulations. The rule requires FBI criminal history background checks using fingerprints of pilots, flight engineers and flight navigators on private charter or commercial aircraft with an MTOW of 12,500 pounds or more. Jet Aviation arranged for several of its customer service representatives to complete the National Air Transportation Association's TSA-approved training program for fingerprinting.
Officials at the Chicagoland area airport in Gary, Ind. (GYY) lost no time in promoting their facility after Chicago Mayor Richard Daley destroyed the runway at Meigs Field (CGX) in Chicago. The Indiana facility issued a March 31 press release headlined ``Meigs Closes. Gary/Chicago Airport Is the Place to Be.'' GYY officials note that their airport has a 7,000-foot runway, an ILS and ``handling and fuel charges far below Meigs and easy 30-minute expressway access to McCormick Place.''
Deer Horn Aviation Ltd. said it acquired Avion Flight Centre at Midland International Airport (MAF), in Midland, Texas, and secured a 35-year land lease with the city of Midland for 39.5 acres. Combined, the company's assets include 400,000 square feet of hangar and office facilities and 320,000 gallons of fuel farm capacity. The FBO will retain the Avion name. Deer Horn Aviation provides aircraft charter, management, sales and maintenance. The maintenance department is an FAA Class III Repair Station and an Authorized Cessna Service Center.
Wi-Fi (802.11) access, the popular high-speed wireless networking technology, is rapidly spreading among public European locations like airports and hotels. Wi-Fi lets people access the Internet or e-mail from their laptop computers at public locations. Airport operator BAA, Intel and British Telecom in April launched Wi-Fi access in London Heathrow's Terminal One. The service already is available at Gatwick, Stansted and Aberdeen airports.
Considering the potential chaos that can ensue with a hydraulic system failure or malfunction, all possible efforts should be made to verify that the system is in proper working order prior to flight. The pilot's operating handbook (POH) and checklists provide the specific guidance for a particular aircraft, but a few general tips can also be helpful in terms of preflight problem prevention and in recognizing trouble before it becomes serious.
Meanwhile, Blakey met with her executive management team on April 5 to conduct a strategic planning meeting where goals, measures and initiatives for the FAA for the next five years were discussed. Among the agenda items were more than 300 comments from agency employees who responded to the administrator's call for input to the new five-year plan.
The FAA has issued Star Aviation multiple STCs to cover RVSM equipment installation on Cessna Citations. Star's installation kit is based on Innovative Systems & Solutions' analog interface and air data display units. This kit is available for single and dual flight director aircraft equipped with the Sperry SPZ-500 autopilot and encompasses the Citation 500-series line, excluding serial numbers 001--274. Star, which is based in Mobile, Ala., is pursuing Group certification for its kits, which were developed in partnership with Mobile's Southern Avionics.
