MIDCOAST AVIATION opened a new $18.5 million, 146,000-square-foot hangar to accommodate narrow-body business aircraft for the company’s growing completions business. The hangar, which took 14 months to complete, includes two 48,000-square-foot bays and a 36,000-square-foot three-story center core. The facility also includes 14,000 square feet of support shop space. Midcoast expects to add 200 workers as part of the expansion within the next two years. The addition increases Midcoast’s total hangar space at St. Louis Downtown Airport near St. Louis, Mo.
AVIONS DE TRANSPORT REGIONAL Model ATR42-200, -300 and -320 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0636; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-324-AD; Amendment 39-15657; AD 2008-17-19] – Perform repetitive eddy current inspections for cracking of the main landing gear side brace, per the instructions of Messier-Dowty Service Bulletin 631-32-191, Rev. 2 (dated Aug. 30, 2007). If any cracks are found, replace the affected side brace before further flight.
CHRISTOPHER DEAN was promoted to the newly created position of charting manager for business and general aviation for Jeppesen. Dean will coordinate Jeppesen’s business and general aviation paper and electronic charting products such as Airway Manual, JeppView and VFR+GPS charts. He joined Jeppesen in 2007 and helped launch the new VFR+GPS charting series for the U.S. market. He also developed Jeppesen RNP product offerings for business aviation. Before joining Jeppesen, Dean spent 10 years with Ford Motor Company in the sales, marketing and credit units.
RICHARD FORSBERG was appointed vice president, contracts management, for Kaman Corp. Forsberg joined Kaman in 1986 and has held positions of increasing responsibility in the contracts arena. He was named assistant vice president earlier this year.
NANCY L’ESPERANCE was named vice president, human resources for Kaman Corp. L’Esperance has served with Kaman since 1983, beginning in the personnel department of Kaman Aerospace. She joined the corporate staff in 2004 as director, human resources – aerospace.
CAE was granted a single Joint Aviation Authorities Type Rating Training Organization (TRTO) certification for five worldwide training centers. CAE said the TRTO certification will provide smooth regulatory transitions for CAE clients throughout its network, recognizing standardized training that uses identical course content and training aids. CAE said a client only needs to obtain one regulatory approval for a training regimen, even if the client receives training in multiple TRTO-approved centers.
EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY established a Center of Excellence as part of the College of Engineering that will be devoted to advanced research in aeronautics and propulsion systems. The new center was created in part with a multiyear grant from the state of Florida. The state is providing $14.5 million over three years to a consortium of four universities – Embry-Riddle, Florida State University, University of Central Florida and the University of Florida – to establish a Florida Center for Advanced Aero-Propulsion.
Aircraft subassembly manufacturer Vought Aircraft last week brought in 250 contract workers to its Nashville, Tenn. facility after nearly 1,000 union workers went on strike Sept. 28. Members of the International Association of Machinists Local 735 voted Sept. 27 to reject a three-year contract proposal covering production and maintenance workers at the Nashville plant.
ACCIDENTS involving business turbine airplanes in the U.S. were up more than 40 percent during the first nine months of 2008, an alarming trend, particularly in light of widespread indications that flight hours by U.S. turbine operators are down significantly this year. See article on Page 156.
DUNCAN AVIATION has begun installation of the first Duncan Design Shell Kit that the company has developed for the Falcon 50EX. Duncan previously designed a shell refurbishment package for the Falcon 50 and has installed 17 of the kits. The Falcon 50EX kit includes an increase in seated headroom, new LED lighting, new ordinance signs and other features. Duncan introduced its Design Collection in 2004, providing new upholstery designs, shell packages, cabinetry and paint schemes.
FOKKER F.28 Mark 0070 and Mark 0100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0675; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-192-AD; Amendment 39-15682; AD 2008-20-03] – This AD, which supersedes an existing directive (AD 2006-06-07), requires repetitive eddy current inspections of the main landing gear main fitting and rework before further flight, as applicable, in accordance with the Instructions of Messier-Dowty Service Bulletin F100-32-111 (dated Dec. 20, 2005).
The Federal Aviation Administration last week reopened the comment period for a proposal that would require most aircraft operators to install equipment for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) by 2020. FAA is providing an additional 30 days for the aviation community to review and comment on recommendations by a government/industry Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) on improving the ADS-B proposal.
AIRCRAFT TECHNICAL PUBLISHERS expanded its agreement with Honeywell to distribute technical publications for Honeywell engines, auxiliary power units, landing gear, avionics and other components. The agreement expands an earlier agreement between Honeywell and ATP, which will distribute the publications through its ATP Navigator platform. ATP’s latest software, NavigatorV Release 7.0, allows weekly updates to technical publications through the online EZ Update service. More than 10,000 maintenance professionals have access to NavigatorV.
The House and Senate last week cleared a six-month extension of the Federal Aviation Administration’s spending authority and existing aviation excise taxes, marking the seventh stop-gap measure adopted by Congress in the past year. The passage came just days before the House and Senate planned to adjourn so members could hit the campaign trail. The previous extension was set to expire Sept. 30.
DASSAULT Falcon 10 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0674; Directorate Identifier 2008-NM-086-AD; Amendment 39-15675; AD 2008-19-08] – This AD supersedes an existing directive (AD 2007-18-08) that requires either revising the Airplane Flight Manual and installing a placard in the flight deck to prohibit flight into known or forecasted icing conditions, or repetitively inspecting for delamination of the flexible hoses in the wing slat anti-icing system and performing corrective actions, if necessary.
GKN AEROSPACE has developed a new method to repair composites that the company says can be used in a range of applications. The company modified its autoclave to incorporate a hot bonder, which enables the use of a “hot bond box” repair process. The process applies heat only to the damaged area of a part, repairing the necessary area while the remainder of the part retains its integrity, GKN said, adding that the process minimizes risk of distortion, reduces turnaround times and limits energy costs. The process also cuts tooling costs.
CHRISTOPHER BIDWELL will join Airports Council International-North America as vice president of security and facilitation in mid-October. Bidwell has spent the past six years with another Washington, D.C. aviation trade organization, the Air Transport Association, where he was managing director of security. In that capacity he has worked closely with the Transportation Security Administration, the Department of Homeland Security and Congress. Before joining ATA in 2002, Bidwell was manager of corporate security for American Airlines.
Two European startups took steps toward launching operations with new fleets of Bombardier and Embraer business jets. Portugal-based Jet Republic officially opened for business last week with plans to offer charter, fractional and jet card programs. The company is immediately offering the jet card program using selected contract aircraft.
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has unveiled an “aggressive” program to demonstrate economical and environmentally friendly conversion of coal-to-liquid (CTL) fuels. DARPA has issued a broad agency announcement (BAA) soliciting research proposals and plans to award 12-month contracts totaling $4.56 million to demonstrate the feasibility of alternative CTL technologies. Already investigating biofuels, the agency says its CTL program is intended to demonstrate processes that could meet Defense Department demand for JP-8 jet fuel from U.S.
October 6-8 – National Business Aviation Association, 61st Annual Meeting & Convention (NBAA2008), Orlando, Fla. For more information, contact NBAA www.nbaa.org/2008 October 16-18 – Chevron Global Aviation Advanced Safety Training, Richmond, Calif. Contact Chevron Customer Service at (866) 557-3456 or e-mail to [email protected] October 22-24 – International Aviation Womens Association (IAWA) 20th Anniversary and the Accomplishments of Women in the Aviation and Aerospace Industries, Chicago. Contact: Karen Griggs at [email protected]
EADS SOCATA TBM 700 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0974; Directorate Identifier 2008-CE-048-AD; Amendment 39-15673; AD 2008-19-06] – This AD, which supersedes an existing directive (AD 2008-0067-E), mandates the removal, as a temporary measure, of the compressor drive belt and the torque limiter of the vapor-cycle cooling system; the conditional replacement of the pulley drive shear shaft; and repetitive inspections for cracks in the pulley drive assembly and the alternator/compressor support.
MOONEY AIRCRAFT, which has gone through several chief executives and an ownership change in the past four years, said Friday it hired a veteran of the recreational marine industry to serve as CEO of the Kerrville, Texas aircraft manufacturer. See article on Page 143.
TURBOMECA S.A. Arrius 2B1, 2B1A, 2B2 and 2K1 turboshaft engines [Docket No. FAA-2008-0461; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-14-AD; Amendment 39-15678; AD 2008-19-11] – Requires modification or replacement of certain electronic control units according to the instructions of Turbomeca Mandatory Service Bulletin No. 319 73 2835, Update No. 1 (dated Dec. 21, 2006). This AD, which resulted from an MCAI provided by the European Aviation Safety Agency, was prompted by short circuits of some tantalum capacitors inside certain electronic control units.
A family of five in Kenosha, Wis. escaped injury last week when a Robinson R44 helicopter crashed through the roof of their home and the upper story, down into the lower level and out the front side of the structure before coming to rest on the lawn of a home across the street. The two occupants of the helicopter died in the crash and ensuing fire.
October 28-29, 2008 American Airlines Training & Conference Center Fort Worth, TX Learn strategies to modernize logistics, control costs and maximize resources. Become faster, cheaper and more efficient than the competition. For more information:
