JEAN-MICHEL COMTOIS was named vice president of marketing and sales for Esterline CMC Electronics. Comtois previously was vice president, military aviation for the company.
Stepping up its push to become a leading player in global aerospace, South Korea is proposing to build a 90-seat turboprop under an industry development plan that also seeks to press ahead with the KF-X fighter and KAH attack helicopter programs. The 2010-19 plan aims to raise South Korean aerospace turnover tenfold, making the country one of the top seven in the global industry, up from 16th place now.
Honeywell issued an Urgent Safety Letter to operators warning of a problem with a recent database update for 7,100 Bendix King navigation units on general aviation and light turbine aircraft and instructed them to ensure they have the corrected information before further flight.
DAN O’MALLEY was named director of operations, new product development for Gulfstream Aerospace. O’Malley has served as general manager of Gulfstream’s facility in Mexicali, Mexico since July 2001. He will continue to head the Mexicali facility until a successor is named. He joined Gulfstream in 1999 as senior manager of the Composite Manufacturing business unit in Savannah, Ga., and before that, was with Lucas Aerospace in Macon, Ga.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSOCIATION is working with the British Business and General Aviation Association and European Business Aviation Association to draft comments on a proposal to impose new security standards in the United Kingdom. The U.K. Department for Transport, under European directive, released the proposal last month that would cover a number of business aircraft operations. The standards would be similar to those required for commercial airlines. Comments are due March 3, but the U.K. is under an April deadline to implement the standards.
EMBRAER late last month delivered the first of five Lineage 1000 aircraft to Al Jaber Aviation (AJA) of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The aircraft will be operated for on-demand charter service beginning in March. AJA currently operates two Legacy 600s and has firm orders for four additional Lineage 1000s, four Legacy 450s and four Legacy 500s.
GENERAL ELECTRIC CF34-1A, -3A, -3A1, -3A2, -3B and -3B1 engines [Docket No. FAA-2007-27687; Directorate Identifier 2000-NE-42-AD; Amendment 39-16144; AD 2009-26-09] – This AD, which supersedes two existing directives (AD 2007-05-16 and AD 2007-07-07R1), requires inspecting certain fan disks for electrical arc-out indications, removing from service fan disks with electrical arc-out indications, conducting additional inspections of certain disks that have already had a shop-level inspection, and performing repetitive inspections of other fan disks.
TURBOMECA Arriel 1B, 1D and 1D1 engines [Docket No. FAA-2009-0503; Directorate Identifier 2009-NE-12-AD; Amendment 39-16172; AD 2010-02-01] – Replace all reduction gearbox intermediate pinions with pinions incorporating Turbomeca Modification TU 232, per the instructions of Turbomeca Mandatory Service Bulletin 292 72 0276, Ver. B (dated Nov. 6, 2008).
DEUTSCHE POST DHL reached an agreement with the Clinton County Port Authority (CCPA) to donate DHL’s former principal U.S. express hub to the Wilmington, Ohio community for redevelopment as an airport/commerce park. DHL and CCPA hope to complete the transaction by the end of the first quarter. “With the donation, we will close a challenging chapter in our company’s history,” said Frank Appel, chief executive of Deutsche Post DHL.
BOB FITZPATRICK joined Greenwich AeroGroup as senior vice president-government and military business and president of Summit Aviation. Fitzpatrick will be responsible for coordinating all of Greenwich’s government and military business, as well as for the day-to-day operations of Summit Aviation, a Middletown, Del. service provider. He previously was senior vice president of business development and commercial programs with Bell Helicopter.
A Royal Air Freight Learjet 35A had entered a 90-degree bank right turn during a right traffic approach pattern for landing and rolled over before turning nose down and crashing into the Des Plaines River near Chicago Jan. 5, killing both pilots aboard, according to witnesses. The aircraft, N720RA, was on a Part 91 positioning flight from Pontiac, Mich., when it crashed at 1:28 p.m. Central Standard Time while on final approach to Runway 34/16 at Chicago Executive Airport (PWK) in Prospect Heights, Ill. (BA, Jan. 11/15).
TURBOMECA Arriel 1A1, 1A2, 1B, 1C, 1C1, 1C2, 1D, 1D1, 1E2, 1K1, 1S and 1S1 engines [Docket No. FAA-2009-0544; Directorate Identifier 2009-NE-17-AD; Amendment 39-16142; AD 2009-26-07] – Conduct repetitive visual inspections of certain reduction gearboxes (module M05) for oil leakage, repair those gearboxes if leaks are found, and repair all affected modules as an optional terminating action to the repetitive inspections.
COUGAR HELICOPTERS has taken delivery of an Agusta AW139. The 12-seat medium twin helicopter, which will be used for offshore transport in the Gulf of Mexico, is the fourth of its type to operate in the region. To date, more than 440 AW139s have been ordered by more than 120 customers in almost 50 countries.
GENERAL ELECTRIC CF34-1A, -3A and -3B engines [Docket No. FAA-2008-0328; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-44-AD; Amendment 39-16161; AD 2010-01-04] – This AD, which supersedes an existing directive (AD 2009-24-11), requires removing certain fan blades from service, inspecting the fan-blade abradable rub strip on certain engines for wear, inspecting the fan blades on certain engines for cracks, inspecting the aft actuator head hose fitting for correct position, and, if necessary, repositioning the hose fitting.
INTERIOR COMPONENTS for the Mitsubishi MRJ will be provided by Heath Tecna. Under a recently signed agreement with the Japanese aircraft manufacturer, the Bellingham, Wash.-based supplier will make interior linings, galley units, lavatories, emergency escape slides and waste/water systems for the new 70- to 90-passenger regional jet.
MAX-VIZ’S EVS-1500 enhanced vision system has been installed on a Robertson Racing Cessna Citation S550 under the Clifford Development Group supplemental type certificate. The EVS-1500 is a replacement for the original EVS-1000 system, which was previously approved for installation on 500, 550, S550, 552, 560 and 560XL models.
The air medical industry has formed a working group to develop recommendations on handling pressures placed on air medical crew to fly during high-risk conditions. The working group stems from the No-Pressure Initiative that is sponsored by the National EMS Pilots Association and funded in part through a $10,000 Vision Zero award from American Eurocopter.
Erroll Southers withdrew from consideration as the next head of the Transportation Security Administration due to the escalating political attacks against him, which he believed would have followed him and hurt the agency, the former TSA nominee said.
ERA, the Fairfax, Va.-based subsidiary of SRA International, Inc., was selected to deploy a surface surveillance system at Domodedovo International Airport in Moscow. The system will include Era’s MSS multilateration and ADS-B system, as well as 150 Squid vehicle tracking units, and will be integrated into an advanced surface movement guidance and control system. Domodedovo is the largest airport in the Russian Federation.
ANALYSTS continue to supply positive, but measured reports of an improving business aviation marketplace. AMSTAT, which tracks used business aircraft sales, reports the number of worldwide business jets for sale has slid from a peak of nearly 18 percent last summer to 16.2 percent. Turboprops are down from 13 percent to 12.2 percent.
DUNCAN AVIATION completed 35 “C” check inspections on Dassault Falcon Jet aircraft in 2009 at its facilities in Lincoln, Neb., and Battle Creek, Mich. Duncan has six dedicated Falcon airframe teams that perform inspections and maintenance. The C checks, the most comprehensive inspections for the aircraft, were performed on Falcons 10s, 20s 50s, 50EXs, 2000s, 2000EXs, 900s and 900EXs. Most of the C checks were accompanied by upgrade work and/or corrosion repair.
PHI Inc. last month became the first helicopter operator to fly across the Gulf of Mexico using ADS-B, the company said. ADS-B went operational over the Gulf Dec. 17 (BA, Jan. 4/4), and PHI completed an IFR-controlled flight using ADS-B at 7:32 a.m. that day. The flight marked the first time that FAA was able to see aircraft in real time. “Being the first to conduct ADS-B flights over the Gulf of Mexico is a historic achievement and one in which we are proud to have been able to work so closely with the FAA,” said PHI COO Lance Bospflug.
BOMBARDIER DHC-8-400 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-1223; Directorate Identifier 2009-NM-114-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to conduct a detailed inspection of the left-hand and right-hand spoiler unload valves for leaking or weeping, per the instructions of Bombardier Service Bulletin 84-27-37 or 84-27-39 (both dated Feb. 5, 2009). If any leaking or weeping is found, operators would need to replace the affected valve with a new or serviceable valve prior to further flight.
EMBRY-RIDDLE this month began courses for its first Ph.D in Aviation program. The three-year program, which Embry-Riddle said is the only one in the nation, is tailored for working professionals, with online courses and three six-day residencies. Eleven students completed the first weeklong residency this month at the university’s campus in Daytona Beach, Fla. The initial sessions covered critical and scholarly thinking, statistics and research methods, success in graduate school, philosophy of research, online community-building, and a dissertation panel discussion.
