NATIONAL AIRCRAFT RESALE ASSOCIATION President Susan Sheets called "heavy handed" FAA's proposal to cancel aircraft registrations when owners do not respond promptly to FAA registration renewal requests. Sheets's concerns were one of several expressed last week over FAA's recently released proposed changes to aircraft registration requirements (BA, March 3/96). See article below.
REP. JOHN MICA (R-Fla.) last week ratcheted up his call for the Senate to consider the nomination of Bobby Sturgell for a five-year term as FAA Administrator. Mica, the ranking Republican on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, earlier last week wrote Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) urging them to lift their "hold" on the nomination (BA, Feb. 11/57).
ECLIPSE AVIATION secured FAA clearance for a new color weather radar system designed with Japan Radio Co. (JRC). JRC will produce and supply all radar components for the Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet. The system is integrated with the Eclipse 500 Avio NG integrated avionics and provides radar information on the primary flight displays. The VLJ manufacturer also began operations at its third Eclispe Service Center with the opening of a 42,800-facility at Albany International Airport. The facility includes eight maintenance bays in 30,000 square feet of hangar space.
HARBIN AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY GROUP awarded Hamilton Sundstrand a contract to supply the environmental control system (ECS) for the Harbin Y12F 19-passenger multipurpose airplane.
LANE AVIATION, a full-service, fixed-base operator located at Port Columbus International and Rickenbacker International Airports in Ohio, has teamed with Waypoint Corporation to launch a regional air taxi service with Very Light Jet aircraft. Waypoint was founded in 2005 to provide air taxi and VLJ management services in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states. The companies hope to begin operations this summer.
Promoted to vice president, completions and modifications for Midcoast Aviation in St. Louis, Mo. Bates, a 32-year company veteran, will be responsible for overseeing six completions and modifications departments. Since joining Midcoast in August 1976, he has held positions of increasing responsibility, including director, Challenger program, senior program manager, and director, program management. Most recently, he was senior director, maintenance, sales and product management.
March 10-12 - Flight Safety Foundation 20th European Aviation Safety Seminar - EASS, Bucharest, Romania; Contact FSF at (703) 739-6700 March 13-15 - Aeronautical Repair Station Association, Annual Repair Symposium, Washington, D.C.; Contact ARSA at (703) 739-9543 March 13-15 - Women in Aviation International, 19th Annual Conference, San Diego, Calif. Contact WAI at (937) 839-4647.
ARINC DIRECT opened a new 50,000-square-foot aviation maintenance facility in Scottsdale, Ariz. The new facility expands the company's base in Scottsdale, which has grown to 45 employees. The location includes 40,000 square feet of hangar space, 5,000 square feet of office space and 5,000 square feet of shop space for sheet metal, avionics and interior work. ARINC Direct Scottsdale is an FAA-approved Part 145 and EASA-certified repair station that provides A through D checks, Phase 1 through 5 inspections, line maintenance and aircraft-on-ground services.
Several Washington, D.C.-based general aviation associations last week expressed reservations about the FAA's proposed major changes to the Aircraft Registry (BA, March 3/96). Citing a need to increase and maintain the accuracy of data in the Civil Aviation Registry, FAA said it wants to institute new procedures, including reregistration of all current active aircraft and renewal of all registration certificates every three years.
Model EMB-120, -120ER, -120FC, -120QC and -120RT airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-0075; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-171-AD; Amendment 39-15390; AD 2008-04-18] - Requires revising the "Airworthiness Limitations" section of the "Instructions for Continued Airworthiness" to incorporate new maintenance tasks that are intended to prevent fuel tank explosions. This AD resulted from an MCAI originated by the aviation authority of Brazil. FAA estimates that this AD will affect 109 aircraft on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S. operators a total of $8,720, or $80 per airplane.
Encore FBO LLC has taken on the Landmark Aviation name in completing the acquisition of the Landmark Aviation Airport Services division from Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE). DAE decided to sell the Landmark chain of fixed-base operations after purchasing Landmark Aviation and Standard Aero from the Carlyle Group this summer for $1.9 billion (BA, Aug. 6/51).
Model ATR 42 and ATR 72 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-29332; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-172-AD; Amendment 39-15391; AD 2008-04-19] - Requires revising the "Airworthiness Limitations" section of the "Instructions for Continued Airworthiness" to incorporate new maintenance tasks that are intended to prevent fuel tank explosions. This AD resulted from an MCAI originated by an aviation authority of another country. FAA estimates that this AD will affect 84 aircraft on the U.S. Registry and will cost U.S. operators $6,720, or $80 per airplane.
WHILE FAA's proposed mandatory equipment requirements for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) have received criticism, the advancement of the technology is winning praise. The National Aeronautic Association Friday announced the selection of the ADS-B government/industry team as its selection for the 2007 Robert J. Collier Trophy that will be awarded June 12. Aviation Week last week also honored Paul Fontaine, FAA program manager, Safe Flight 21, along with UPS Airlines' Capt. Karen Lee and Capt.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION appointed Kristen Moore director, legislative affairs. Moore formerly was a legislative assistant for Rep. Harold Rogers (R-Ky.), handling transportation and aviation issues. Before that, she served as a Federal Aviation Administration detailee to the House Appropriations Committee. In her new role, Moore will handle all legislative issues for NATA and serve as the primary interface with congressional staff.
BOMBARDIER inaugurated its new manufacturing operations at the Querétaro Aerospace Park north of Mexico City, Mexico. The facility late last year began manufacturing electrical harnesses and structural aircraft components, including the Challenger 850 mid-fuselage, the Q400 aircraft flight control work package (rudder, elevator and horizontal stabilizer) and the aft fuselage for the Global aircraft family. Bombardier Aerospace expects the facility will employ 1,200 by the end of 2008.
BOMBARDIER sold two 70-seat Q400 turboprops to Toronto-based Porter Airlines. The contract converts two of 10 options that Porter placed when the airline ordered 10 Q400s in 2006. Porter began operations in the fall of 2006 from Toronto City Centre Airport with initial flights to Montreal and Ottawa. The latest contract increases the orderbook for the Q400 to 282 firm orders.
A coalition of 35 aviation, government and other organizations sent a joint letter to the Senate last week urging action on long-term reauthorization for the Federal Aviation Administration. The March 5 letter was sent less than a week after Senate aviation subcommittee Chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) blamed general aviation's opposition to user fees for holding up the Senate version of a long-term FAA reauthorization bill, S.1300 (BA, March 3/93).
Named senior quality manager for Alto Aviation. Smith joins the aircraft cabin audio system manufacturer with 25 years of experience in manufacturing, wire harness cable and electro mechanical devices and subassemblies. Smith most recently was with Temp Flex Cable Company. He also has an avionics background with the U.S. Navy.
Named to the newly created position of national vice president of customer service and business development for JetCorp Technical Services. Sanchez will be based in St. Louis and be responsible for JetCorp regional and international sales for maintenance, avionics and interior refurbishment and conversions. He also will work with existing OEM clients. He has more than 25 years of aviation experience, most recently as Technical Sales Manager at SimuFlite.
Model F.28 Mark 0070 and 0100 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-0300; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-191-AD; Amendment 39-15394; AD 2008-04-22] - Following the instructions of Fokker Service Bulletin SBF100-53-101 (dated Sept. 30, 2005), the AD requires inspecting the wing-to-fuselage fairings for indications of incorrect fit, damage or wear. If any incorrect fit, damage or wear is found, before the next flight perform related investigative actions and correct the discrepancies per the instructions of the aforementioned service bulletin.
Model DHC-8-400 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0178; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-366-AD] - This proposal would require revision of the "Airworthiness Limitations" section of the "Instructions for Continued Airworthiness" to incorporate new limitations on fuel tank systems. This proposed AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by Transport Canada, is designed to prevent potential ignition sources inside the fuel system, which could result in a fuel tank explosion. FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 38 aircraft on the U.S. Registry and cost U.S.
PIPER AIRCRAFT appointed High Performance Aircraft, Inc. as the company's exclusive dealer for the state of California. The appointment expands High Performance Aircraft's Piper sales territory to include Northern California. High Performance Aircraft already represented Piper in Southern California, Hawaii, and portions of Nevada. High Performance Aircraft is expanding its facility in San Diego to include a new 15,000-square-foot hangar for aircraft service and also plans to open facilities in the San Francisco Bay area.
