AN AVIATION RULEMAKING COMMITTEE (ARC) tasked with developing recommendations for Safety Management Systems (SMS) met again last week to discuss comments on FAA’s SMS advance notice of proposed rulemaking. The ARC, which has 12 official members but about 100 participants, is expecting to present its initial findings to FAA after its next meeting in March. Business aviation advocates are becoming increasingly concerned about missed deadlines for a formal SMS rulemaking.
FAA’S OFFICE OF AIRPORTS will conduct its biennial Web-based customer satisfaction survey from Jan. 1 to March 31, 2010. Airports sponsors, consultants and other interested parties can register to receive the survey at: https://svy.cfigroup.com/cgi-bin/qwebcorporate.dll?idx=2MBZRS. Industry feedback tells FAA how it can improve customer service, delivery and practices.
GREG LAABS was named vice president and general manager of Gulfstream Aerospace’s Appleton, Wis., facility. Laabs had served as the interim general manager for the Appleton facility since April 2009. He joined Gulfstream in April 2007 as the director of service in Appleton, and, before that, was the general manager of maintenance for Mayo Aviation in Englewood, Colo. Laabs also spent eight years at West Star Aviation in Grand Junction, Colo., rising from director of maintenance to vice president of operations.
GENERAL ELECTRIC CF34-1A, -3A and -3B engines [Docket No. FAA-2009-0328; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-44-AD; Amendment 39-16103; AD 2009-24-11] – Remove from service certain fan blades and inspect their abradable rub strip for wear. Also, inspect the fan blades for cracks. In addition, inspect the aft actuator head hose fitting for correct position, and, if necessary, reposition the hose fitting. This AD was issued to prevent failure of certain fan blades and aft actuator head hoses, which could result in an under-cowl fire and subsequent damage to the airplane.
A BROADBAND SYSTEM FOR THE BBJ recently completed testing, according to ARINC, which integrated the hybrid system in the Boeing Business Jet. The installation combines Rockwell Collins’ eXchange satellite broadband avionics with ARINC’s SKYLink Ku-band satellite service and adds several in-flight communications features not available elsewhere, says ARINC. “The customer for this jet ordered ‘the best of the best’ in terms of onboard communication services,” said Robert Thompson, ARINC’s senior director of SKYLink.
ANDY CEBULA, the former executive vice president of government affairs for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, has joined Sensis Corporation as director of aviation affairs. In his new role, Cebula will work with FAA, aviation stakeholders and Congress on behalf of Sensis, an aviation technology company that provides equipment and services to FAA, airports and airlines. Cebula left AOPA at the end of July after serving with the association for eight years.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association restructured its top management team, creating a chief operating officer’s post for the first time, adding an AOPA Foundation post and filling the senior government affairs position opening. Robert H. Moran was named COO, responsible for day-to-day operations of AOPA. He previously was chief executive of the Ancora Group, LLC, a management consulting firm that has worked with AOPA for more than three years.
SIERRA INDUSTRIES has earned a Canadian certificate for two more of its re-engined Cessna Citations. The Uvalde, Texas-based modification specialist recently received a Transport Canada supplemental type certificate that adds the Citation 550 and S550 models to the list of previously approved Williams International FJ44 engine upgrades of the Cessna Citation 500 and 501.
Purdue University secured a $1.35 million U.S. Air Force grant for a new facility to test aircraft engines and develop alternative fuels. The National Test Facility for Fuels and Propulsion facility, to be housed in the Niswonger Aviation Technology Building at the Purdue Airport, is slated to open in late 2010 or early 2011.
A QUICK-CONVERSION VIP KIT FOR THE A320 has been developed by the Airbus Corporate Jet Center. The kit enables the forward area in the Airbus standard-body airliner to be converted for VIP use by installing two double-VIP and four club VIP seats, along with hi/lo tables. The conversion also includes quality leather upholstery, wool carpets and curtains. The first kit is to be delivered in the second quarter of 2010 to an unidentified Middle East customer, along with provisions for installation of a second kit later next year.
HONEYWELL LTS101 and LTP101 engines [Docket No. FAA-2008-1019; Directorate Identifier 2007-NE-49-AD; Amendment 39-16104; AD 2009-24-12] – Reduce the life limits for certain gas-generator turbine discs. This AD, which resulted from a manufacturing error, is designed to prevent rupture of the gas generator turbine disc, which could result in uncontained engine failure and damage to the aircraft. FAA estimates that this directive will affect 260 engines installed on aircraft on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S. operators $2.1 million. This AD becomes effective Jan. 4.
SOCATA TBM 700 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0886 Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-045-AD; Amendment 39-16109; AD 2009-24-15] – Replace the power lead bolts on R700 and R701 shunts in accordance with Daher-Socata Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 70-169 (dated May 2009). This AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, is designed to prevent elongation of bolts connecting power leads on R700 and R701 shunts, a condition, if left uncorrected, that could lead to heating, electrical arcing or smoke and inflight loss of electrical power.
ExecuJet is expanding service in the Middle East, Europe and South Africa with its SimplyFly membership card program. ExecuJet launched the initial SimplyFly jet membership card in South Africa, where no such programs existed, said Chris Frost, ExecuJet’s charter manager for South Africa. “Although the Middle East region has been offering a similar service for a few years, the SimplyFly membership card is something that has been tailored as a worldwide product. There are very few companies that can offer the cards throughout the world,” Frost said.
EMBRAER EMB-500 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0870 Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-049-AD; Amendment 39-16108; AD 2009-24-14] – Replace the nuts of the right-hand and left-hand elevators’ mass-balance fasteners with new ones of the self-locking type, per the instructions of Phenom by Embraer Service Bulletin No. 500-55-0001 (dated July 24, 2009).
December 8-10 – AVIATION WEEK MRO Asia Conference & Exhibition, Asia World-Expo, Hong Kong, www.aviationweek.com/conferences January 25-26, 2010 – National Air Transportation Association FBO Leadership Conference, San Antonio, Texas, (800) 808-6282 or visit www.nata.aero/fbolc January 27-29, 2010 – National Business Aviation Association 21st Annual Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference, San Antonio, Texas, (202) 783-9000 or visit www.nbaa.org
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION’S Safety 1st program has updated the online training tool for operating into Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. The trainer provides airport information such as location, layout, operations, regulations, and safety and security procedures. The tool also briefs pilots on runway incursion hot spots, scenarios for common pilot errors, aircraft lighting configurations, takeoff procedures and other safety information. The free tool is available at www.airportflightcrewbriefing.com/teterboro.
SOLAIRUS AVIATION added three new aircraft to its charter fleet – a Gulfstream G550, Bombardier Challenger and a Hawker 800XP. The additions come as Solairus recently obtained FAA approval for “10 or more” passenger aircraft operations under Part 135. The Gulfstream is based in San Francisco, the Challenger in Houston and the Hawker at Chicago Midway Airport.
THE AIR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION intensified its lobbying efforts for NextGen funding with a letter sent last week urging the House and Senate leadership to include ATC funding in the next job-growth bill.
FAA is expanding its ban on aircraft takeoffs with polished frost on critical control surfaces to include many business aircraft, charter and other operations. The agency previously had prohibited scheduled commercial carriers from taking off with “polished frost” – frost buffed smooth – or other contaminants on wings, stabilizers and control surfaces. Under a rule published in the Dec. 1 Federal Register, the ban will include Part 91 subpart F, Part 125 and Part 135 operations.
JOHN NELSON joined Air BP’s sales team as Southeast regional manager. Nelson will be responsible for sales in Tennessee, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, South Virginia and Florida. A chemical engineer and pilot, he previously founded a fixed-base operation accounting software company.
EMIRATES-CAE FLIGHT TRAINING (ECFT) will train the pilots of three customers in Dubai and at other CAE centers under several deals recently announced. ECFT, a joint venture formed in 2001 to provide training to commercial and corporate jet operators, will provide simulation-based and other training to AMAC Aerospace, Falcon Aviation Services and Kingfisher Airlines pilots.
SENTIENT JET has relaunched its PrivateJets.com online charter marketplace Web site. The site offers online access to charter quotes, along with information and tips on navigating the private aircraft charter market.
CESSNA Citation CJ2 (Model 525A) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-1096; Directorate Identifier 2009-CE-056-AD; Amendment 39-16105; AD 2009-24-13] – Repetitively inspect the thrust-attenuator paddle assemblies for loose and damaged fasteners and for cracks, per the instructions of Cessna Citation Alert Service Letter ASL525A-78-01, Rev. 1 (dated Oct. 27, 2009). Replace loose or damaged fasteners and replace cracked thrust-attenuator paddles.
POPULAR SCIENCE has given a 2009 “Best of What’s New Award” to Sikorsky’s X2 technology demonstrator program. The science and technology magazine named the X2 technology demonstrator as one of the top technological advancements in its “Aviation & Space” category. This award is the third high-profile recognition for the X2 technology demonstrator by a major consumer magazine.
