THE G8 SUMMIT last week in L’Aquila, Italy addressed international aviation’s role in climate change and steps countries around the world can take to mitigate the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. G8 leaders made two points specific to aviation. First, the summit stressed the need for a coordinated global approach through the International Civil Aviation Organization and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. Second, governments of the world need to engage the private sector to work in partnership toward the goal of greenhouse gas mitigation.
DASSAULT Falcon 2000EX airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0380; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-153-AD; Amendment 39-15959; AD 2009-14-09] – Perform a detailed visual inspection to detect any sharp and unprotected edges of the web of the left-hand Stringer 13 between Frames 7 and 8. Measure the trimmed length of the web. If any sharp or unprotected edges are found, or if the trimmed length is 1.57 inches (40 mm) or greater, before further flight take corrective actions in accordance with the instructions of Dassault Mandatory Service Bulletin F2000EX-178 (dated July 1, 2008).
Used business jet inventories remained unchanged for a third straight month in June, but industry fundamentals remain weak, according to the latest report from J.P. Morgan. The unchanged used business jet inventories reinforce indications that they are “at or near the peak,” J.P. Morgan said in its Business Jet Monthly report. But inventories are still at record levels, prices continue to decline and flight operations are down, the analyst said, adding, “We still expect it to be quite a while before the market turns.”
The Federal Aviation Administration recently released two documents designed to help operators combat fires that occur in flight and those caused by lithium batteries. The agency issued a Safety Alert for Operators outlining proper procedures for fighting fires caused by lithium batteries in portable electronic devices (PEDs). Most PEDs carry either disposable lithium batteries or rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Both are capable of igniting and exploding from overheating, FAA warned. The overheating occurs in “thermal runaway,” the agency said.
GULFSTREAM’S GV and GIV business jet fleets recently reached flight hour milestones. The GV fleet – comprising the G550, G500 and GV – has topped 1.1 million flight hours since entering service in June 1997. The high-time aircraft has amassed 13,107 hours. The GIV family has accrued some 3.5 million flight hours since entering service in June 1987. The GIV fleet consists of 669 G450, G350, G400, G300, GIV and GIV-SP aircraft. The GIV fleet leader has 18,403 hours.
ALI TOUNSI was named regional secretary for Airport Council International’s Africa region. Tounsi, who is based in Casablanca, Morocco, will focus on Africa’s 200 member airports located in 47 countries and coordinate activities with national, regional and international aviation bodies. Tounsi joined ACI in July 2006 but subsequently left the organization to become a safety officer in the ICAO ESAF organization in Nairobi, Kenya.
PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA PW305A and B engines [Docket No. FAA-2009-0046; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-05-AD; Amendment 39-15962; AD 2009-14-12] – Using a borescope, inspect the interiors of certain High-Pressure Compressor (HPC) drum rotor assemblies for cracks, following the instructions found in Pratt & Whitney Maintenance Manual, Chapter 72-00-00. If any cracks are found, replace the HPC drum rotor before further flight.
Cessna’s suspended Citation Columbus program has been canceled due to current market conditions, according to a 8K filing from parent company Textron. And Pratt & Whitney Canada has confirmed it has halted work on the PW810C engine designed to power the Columbus.
GEORGIA Gov. Sonny Perdue is scheduled to speak at the Atlanta Aero Club’s bimonthly meeting July 16. Perdue, an aviation enthusiast and commercially rated pilots, is expected to discuss the new Aviation Authority Program. Lance Toland, the chairman of the board of the Georgia Hall of Fame, also is scheduled to speak. The meeting will be held at noon in the Grand Ballroom of the Capital City Club in Atlanta. For more information, call (800) 878-7555 or e-mail [email protected] .
ANDY CEBULA, executive vice president, government affairs for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, will step down from his post July 31. Cebula will remain in an advisory capacity to AOPA through the end of October. Cebula said he had remained committed to the transition of the new leadership with the appointment of Craig Fuller as president and CEO. “That goal has been accomplished and it is now important for me to look for new challenges and opportunities,” he said.
BOMBARDIER DHC-8-102, -103, -106, -201 and -202 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2009-0609; Directorate Identifier 2009-NM-037-AD] – This proposal would require operators to check the dielectric properties of the fuel tank skin between Yw171.20 and Yw261.00 of the upper and lower wing, looking for the presence of aluminum-loaded primer and aluminum-loaded enamel coating, per the instructions of Bombardier Service Bulletin 8-57-46, Rev. A (dated Feb. 6, 2009).
GEORGINA GRAHAM was appointed director of Airport Council International’s bureau in Montreal, Canada. Graham will help steer ACI’s collaboration with the International Civil Aviation Organization and industry partners. Graham joins ACI from the International Air Transport Association. She also spent nine years with Virgin Atlantic.
An inadvertent encounter with downdrafts that exceeded the climb capability of his Bellanca 8KCAB-180 aircraft was the likely cause of the crash that killed Steve Fossett on Sept. 3, 2007 near Mammoth Lakes, Calif., the National Transportation Safety Board said. The safety board, which last week released the probable cause of the accident, cited mountainous terrain and high density altitude as contributing factors.
WHILE LAYOFFS have continued to mount at general aviation manufacturers, the aerospace and defense sector overall is faring better than other industries. U.S. aerospace and defense companies have dropped some 24,000 jobs since employment peaked at 664,000 in June 2008. But that marks a 3.6 percent decline, far better than the 12.2 percent drop in overall manufacturing employment in the same period. U.S. general aviation jobs, however, account for at least half of the total losses in the aerospace and defense sector.
FAA last week issued a final determination that an ordinance banning certain business jets at Santa Monica Airport in California violates the city’s airport grant assurance agreements. The decision affirmed most of the earlier findings of an FAA hearing examiner in May (BA, May 18/233) and two key findings of the agency’s “director’s determination” (DD) a year ago.
AFTER APPEALS from the Part 135 community, FAA is expected to limit the scope of a new flight time and rest Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) to Part 121 operations. FAA announced creation of the ARC last month, but officials indicated they may consider including Part 135 and 91K in an “all-encompassing” deliberation to “impose a single regulatory standard on all pilots” (BA, June 29/302). This generated significant opposition from a number of the general aviation groups that represent Part 135 operations.
Former Cessna Chairman and CEO Russ Meyer will be inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame this week. Meyer joins a panel of inductees that includes astronauts Eileen Collins and the late Edward White, along with movie legend and aviator Jimmy Stewart. The 48th Annual Enshrinement Dinner & Ceremony will be held July 18 in Dayton, Ohio.
The United Kingdom Department for Transport is delaying the Aug. 31 deadline for submission of emissions and benchmarking plans by foreign aircraft operators intending to comply with provisions of the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), according to the British Business and General Aviation Association (BBGA). The reason for the postponement, the BBGA said, is the European Commission’s delay in publishing a “definitive” list of affected operators.
Embraer’s ramp up of its Phenom 100 very light jet program helped the Brazilian plane maker to deliver 56 aircraft in the second quarter, some 16 more than in the first. The deliveries also were up over Embraer’s second quarter in 2008, when 52 aircraft were shipped.
FAA tapped David Grizzle, a 22-year Continental Airlines veteran, to serve as the agency’s chief counsel. Grizzle has held a number of executive positions with Continental, including senior vice president of customer experience and senior vice president of marketing strategy and corporate development. He left Continental from 2004 to 2005 to serve as the transportation and infrastructure coordinator and attaché for the Afghanistan Reconstruction group in Kabul, Afghanistan.
SENTIENT JET has signed a four-year extension as the Official Private Jet Provider of the PGA Tour and Champions Tour through 2013. The company offers flexibility for tour golfers to access a full range of jet sizes and categories to accommodate specific trip needs.
Bell is expected to begin delivery of its twin-engine Model 429 helicopter this month following the receipt of Transport Canada Civil Aviation certification, the company said. Unveiled during the 2005 Heli-Expo convention, the 429 also has completed all of the requirements for FAA certification. Bell plans to deliver the 14 429s this year.
U.S. business jet and turboprop aircraft were involved in 62 percent fewer accidents in the first six months of 2009, safety consultancy Robert E. Breiling Associates reported last week. The U.S. business turbine fleet experienced 13 accidents, including three fatal accidents that killed 18 passengers and crew members. This compares with 34 accidents, of which 10 were fatal, in the first six months of 2008.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association President and CEO Craig Fuller and National Air Transportation Association President James Coyne have planned Town Hall meetings this month to generate interest in and update operators on the General Aviation Serves America campaign. The meetings, to be held July 18 in Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., and July 20 in Charlotte, N.C., are the first of a series of Town Hall events that will be planned throughout the country.
RECENT CRASHES of Air France and Yemenia airliners could push the airline industry’s insurance claims to about $2.2 billion, insurance broker AON noted in its monthly news update. The crashes of AF447 and IY626 “are likely to set the agenda for the airline insurance market for the rest of the year and potentially well into 2010,” AON said. The year is shaping up to be expensive for insurance providers.
