TRIUMPH GROUP announced the unexpected death June 28 of William O. Albertini, a member of the company’s board of directors. Albertini had been a Triumph director since 1999 and chaired the board’s audit committee. Before joining Triumph’s board, Albertini was executive vice president and chief financial officer of Bell Atlantic Corp. from 1991-1997, and then held the same title with Bell Atlantic’s Global Wireless unit for two years before retiring in 1999.
TURBOMECA S.A. Arriel 1E2, 1S, and 1S1 engines [Docket No. FAA-2008-0681; Directorate Identifier 2008-NE-13-AD] – This proposed AD would require operators to conduct a one-time inspection to ensure that the correct plug is installed on the fuel control unit three-way union and verify that the plug’s torque is set at between 1.3 and 1.5 daN, per the instructions of Turbomeca Mandatory Service Bulletin 292 73 0817 (dated March 13, 2008).
GARY HALE joined Century CRM, LLC as an instructor. Hale began flying in the U.S. Air Force as a pilot in a KC-135 aerial refueling squadron and progressed to aircraft commander, instructor pilot and flight examiner. He left the Air Force to pursue a career in commercial aviation, and currently is a Boeing 737-800 captain. Based in Peachtree City, Ga., Century CRM provides human factors and crew resource management training for charter and corporate flight crews as well as individual pilots.
A commitment from European officials to make significant changes to certification and validation fees helped open the door for U.S. and European officials to sign a comprehensive Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA). The agreement, signed last week by FAA acting Administrator Bobby Sturgell and European Commission Vice President in charge of Transport Antonio Tajani, sets the stage for the FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency to cooperate on a number of key safety issues including aircraft certification, environmental approvals and maintenance.
The National Transportation Safety Board’s investigation into a Delta Connection ERJ-170 runway overrun on a snowy day in Cleveland led the agency to renew its calls for runway landing distance assessments and stronger rest rules and issue a series of new recommendations seeking improved pilot decision-making during landing.
Textron, Inc. named former GE Aviation President Scott C. Donnelly as executive vice president and chief operating officer last week, and GE announced the promotion of 28-year company veteran David Joyce to replace Donnelly as head of its aviation unit.
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ROBERT (BOB) JOHNSON, the former Honeywell Aerospace executive, retired from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise Holding (DAE). Johnson, who joined Honeywell in 1994, retired as president and CEO of that company in early 2005. Johnson, 60, became group chief executive officer of DAE in July 2006. Earlier this year, DAE consolidated the MRO businesses of the former Landmark Aviation; the well-known modification and completion center, Associated Air Center; and Standard Aero under the new StandardAero banner.
STEPHEN THOMPSON was promoted to assistant manager of FlightSafety International’s learning center in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas. A 35-year aviation veteran, Thompson joined FlightSafety in 2000 as an instructor. Since then he has served as a training center examiner, program manager, director of standards and most recently director of training. He also has flown for Business Express Airlines and was a project engineer, marketing specialist and operations analyst for General Dynamics Corp. He spent six years with the U.S. Air Force Tactical Air Command.
THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION formally resubmitted a proposal last week on large private aircraft security to the Office of Management and Budget for review. The notice of proposed rulemaking was first sent to OMB for review late last year, but OMB raised a number of questions, forcing TSA to withdraw the proposal and continue working on it (BA, Jan. 21/23). The proposal, which focuses on private aircraft that weigh more than 12,500 pounds, will include requirements for both operators of the aircraft and airports that serve them.
AVIATION FABRICATORS (AvFab) secured FAA supplemental type certification for installation of its one-, two- and three-place side-facing divans on Cessna 441 aircraft. AvFab, the cabin and interior component specialist based in Clinton, Mo., said the STC provides customers with flexibility to customize their aircraft by using unused space and increasing capacity. The STC includes the removal of existing seats and furnishings along with installation of the divans.
THE AIRPORT AT LHASA, TIBET is accepting night flights for the first time in its 43-year history, thanks to Required Navigation Performance (RNP) approaches and recently installed runway lights. The RNP approaches were created by Naverus and tested by Air China and China’s Aviation Administration. Daytime RNP approaches have been used at Lhasa since 2005.
WAYMAN AVIATION SERVICE, a flight training specialist based at Opa-Locka Executive Airport in Miami-Dade, Fla., installed a Frasca MENTOR advanced aviation training device for general aviation pilot and student training. The MENTOR is based on the Garmin G1000 glass cockpit for use in initial, glass-transition or recurrent training. Wayman noted that the Mentor can be used to satisfy up to half of the 40-hour requirement for an instrument rating, 50 hours toward a commercial pilot certificate and two and one-half hours toward a private pilot certificate.
THE MICHELIN GROUP is raising the prices of its aircraft tires by 9 percent beginning this month, the company announced last week. The price increase was part of a broader price hike that Michelin implemented across several of its product lines, including tires for passenger vehicles, commercial trucks, motorcycles, scooters and bicycles. Michelin said the move was driven by “continuing increases in raw material, energy and transportation costs.” The price increases ranged from 8 percent to 15 percent, depending on the product line.
The U.S. Transportation Department Inspector General is asking FAA to reconsider its position on two of the IG’s recommendations stemming from its continuing audit of FAA’s safety oversight of airlines, regulatory partnership programs and the Air Transportation Oversight System.
The Federal Aviation Administration recently approved an updated noise compatibility program (NCP) for Ohio’s Port Columbus International Airport (CMH), home of fractional aircraft provider NetJets. The revised program, which was submitted by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, is a combination of more than two dozen existing, amended and new actions to mitigate noise, many of which the FAA had approved back in 2001. Notable elements of the revised NCP include:
The Federal Aviation Administration is reviewing proposed noise compatibility programs for Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport (LAS) and Piedmont Triad International Airport (GSO) in Greensboro, N.C. and is accepting public comments on those plans through the first week of August.
The Federal Aviation Administration is coming under yet another Department of Transportation Inspector General investigation, this time for its handling of the certification of the Eclipse 500 nearly two years ago (BA, Oct. 9, 2007/160). The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which has requested at least three reviews of FAA airline oversight in the past year, asked for the IG to examine the Eclipse 500 certification process.
EMBRAER EMB-135BJ airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0194; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-263-AD; Amendment 39-15578; AD 2008-13-15] – Requires revision of the “Airworthiness Limitations” section of the “Instructions for Continued Airworthiness” to incorporate new limitations for fuel tank systems. This AD results from an MCAI originated by the aviation authority of Brazil. The FAA estimates that this directive will affect 41 aircraft on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S. operators a total of $3,280, or $80 per airplane. This AD becomes effective July 30.
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION (TSA) Chief Kip Hawley says he’s ready to leave the agency, no matter who wins the White House in November. On Jan. 20, 2009, Hawley says he will depart TSA, which he has headed for three years – longer than any of his three predecessors. “It’s time for some new blood of whatever [political] denomination. This is long enough,” he said.
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS GROUP successfully tested and integrated its AeroCom 3000, AeroCom 1100 and NxtLink 400 transceivers with Chelton’s high speed data systems for voice and data communications. ICG said the integration will provide greater flexibility and redundancy for executives flying on Chelton-equipped aircraft, allowing use of either Inmarsat or Iridium systems. The NxtLink 400 incorporates four Iridium transceivers with an internal cabin telecommunications unit (CTU) that permits up to 10 telephone connections for voice or data.
STANDARDAERO’S Tilburg facility in the Netherlands achieved European Aviation Safety Agency clearance to perform Pratt & Whitney Canada PW600-series turbine engine maintenance. The approval covers both the PW610 powering the Eclispe 500 and the PW615 on the Cessna Mustang. StandardAero can provide field-level maintenance, on-wing hot section inspections (HSI), and HSI work at the facility.
BOMBARDIER DHC-8-400 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0360; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-368-AD; Amendment 39-15570; AD 2008-13-07] – This AD requires operators to conduct a visual inspection for correct installation of the elevator overload bungees; reinstall the bungees, if necessary; and install labels on the elevator overload bungees to show the correct orientation of the outboard end of the unit.
PUBLIC COMMENTS on a runway extension at FLL are being sought now that a final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has been made available. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport has proposed enlarging Runway 9R/27L, making it 8,000 feet long and 150 feet wide. The ends of the reconstructed runway would be elevated to provide more vertical clearance over a nearby railway, and an arresting system to prevent runway overruns would be installed. Also, several taxiways and a Category I ILS would be built.
SPECIAL CONDITIONS for the Legacy 500 and HondaJet were issued by FAA. The unusual certification provisions for the Embraer EMB-500 (Legacy 500) pertain to the aircraft’s full authority digital engine controls (FADEC), a system not typically found on FAR Part 23 aircraft. Comments must be received by July 25. For more information, contact Peter L. Rouse in the FAA’s Small Airplane Directorate, 901 Locust St., Room 301, Kansas City, Mo. 64106; phone: (816) 329-4135; fax: (816) 329-4090.
