Joined Schubach Aviation as manager of the Hangar ONE Avionics division. Piland will manage day-to-day operations of the newly created department. He has more than 15 years of aviation experience, formerly as avionics manager for Carlsbad-based Jet Source Inc. He also spent four years as an avionics technician for Cinema Air Avionics in Carlsbad, and four years as a helicopter mechanic for the U.S. Navy.
REGIONAL AIR CARGO CARRIERS ASSOCIATION (RACCA) will hold its Spring Conference May 20-22 at the Marriott Westfields Hotel in Chantilly, Va., which is located near Dulles International Airport. For more information, check the RACCA Web site at http://www.raccaonline.org
RTI International Metals, Inc., Niles, Ohio and the United Steelworkers reached agreement on an extension of the current contract, and the company promised to make a major investment in new equipment at the Niles plant.
SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER (D-W.Va.) last week expressed concern that FAA is "facing a crisis" with a reauthorization deadline looming at the end of February. During Thursday's hearing on the nomination of Bobby Sturgell to be FAA Administrator, Rockefeller said FAA would have to furlough some 4,000 employees next month if Congress fails to enact a reauthorization bill or extension by Feb. 29 (BA, Feb. 4/45).
The Helipower show in New Dehli, India reflected a booming market for the helicopter industry. Fifteen Bell 429s already have been booked for the commercial market. Helicopter procurement remains strong, despite lingering problems for the Indian helicopter industry such as poor infrastructure, complicated regulations for rooftop landings, delays and congestion at airports.
Any possibility that Bobby Sturgell will win confirmation for a five-year term as the nation's next FAA Administrator grew dimmer last week as he endured a critical grilling by members of the Senate Commerce Committee. Both New Jersey senators placed a "hold" on the nomination and at least one of them, Frank Lautenberg (D), declared his outright opposition to Sturgell being confirmed.
BUSINESS JET FLIGHTS and fuel sales increased at L.G. Hanscom Field (BED) in Bedford, Mass. last year, according to the Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates the popular Boston area business aviation airport. Since 2000 total operations at the airport have declined, but jet traffic has continued to trend upward, Massport said. In 2007, BED recorded 34,526 jet operations, up 3.4 percent over 2006, while fuel sales jumped 13.3 percent to 10.4 million gallons.
Canadian aircraft simulator training firm CAE signed a contract to become the managing partner of the Indian government's flight training academy: Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Uran Akademi (IGRUA). CAE also formalized a joint venture agreement with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) to develop the Rajiv Gandhi National Flying Training Institute (RGNFTI). The parties previously announced the signing of memorandums of understanding regarding those deals during last summer's Paris Air Show.
Appointed chief pilot for Schubach Aviation. He will oversee pilot hiring, training, standardization and evaluation. Mertz has more than 11 years of aviation experience, most recently as aviation department manager of The Allen Group in Carlsbad, Calif. He also was a first officer with Business Jet Services in Dallas, Texas.
ROCKEFELLER, a strong proponent of implementing an air traffic control user fee and increasing the portion of ATC system costs paid by business and corporate operators, said he plans to address the issue during a hearing the Senate aviation subcommittee will hold Feb. 12. The Senate Democrat warned Sturgell he planned to "come after you really hard on general aviation and what you are going to do about it." Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), however, maintained his opposition to the $25 ATC fee contained in the Senate reauthorization bill.
Falcon 50 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0118; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-289-AD] - Requires inspecting the electrical feeder bundle, repairing any damaged wires found and changing the routing of the wires under the circuit breaker panel by implementing Dassault Modification M3093, the instructions for which are contained in Dassault Service Bulletin F50-483 (dated July 2007).
CANADIAN MANUFACTURER Heroux-Devtek, Inc. won a five-year, $110 million contract to supply structural detail components for the entire line of business and regional aircraft built by Bombardier Aerospace. Under the agreement Heroux-Devtek will fabricate and assemble more than 200 different structural components including spars, ribs, frames and engine mounts. Heroux-Devtek has been supplying components for Bombardier-built aircraft for a number of years.
Cessna Aircraft officials, who have built an impressive record of bringing new aircraft to market on schedule, hope to do the same with the new Citation Columbus even while changing the development process by having vendors perform more of the manufacturing tasks while Cessna focuses on its role as a systems integrator.
Model P180 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-0294 Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-087-AD; Amendment 39-15365; AD 2008-03-14] - This AD mandates modification of the fuselage frame of the emergency door using the newly designed door pan assembly and doubler, as specified by Piaggio Aero Industries S.p.A. Service Bulletin 80-0057, Rev. 1 (dated May 31, 2007). This AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by an aviation authority of another country, is designed to prevent fatigue cracking of the emergency exit doorframe due to pressurization loads.
INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS & SUPPORT, INC. (IS&S) of Exton, Pa. reported a net loss of $4.1 million on sales of $4.7 million for the first quarter of its fiscal year, which ended Dec. 31, 2007. That compares with a net loss of $1.1 million on sales of $3.4 million a year earlier. The loss in the most recent quarter "is principally the result of $3.5 million of legal expenses incurred in connection with the successful trade secret case against Kollsman Inc.
THE FSF SEMINAR is sure to include discussion of the March 7, 2007 landing overrun accident involving a Garuda Indonesia Airways 737-400 that was attempting to land at the Yogyakarta-Adisutjipto Airport in Indonesia. Marwoto Komar, the pilot of that aircraft, was arrested a week ago on manslaughter charges, a move that came under immediate attack from the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations (IFALPA). The Indonesian report on the accident said Komar ignored multiple alerts from instruments and the first officer about landing speed.
FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION will focus on criminal prosecutions stemming from aircraft accidents at its European Aviation Safety Seminar (EASS) March 10-12 in Bucharest, Romania. FSF General Counsel Kenneth Quinn will moderate the EASS panel. Quinn, the former chief counsel for the FAA, is a partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Pillsbury Winthrop. The panel also will include experts from the United Kingdom, France, and Eurocontrol.
A federal appeals court last week vacated its stay of an FAA decision to allow Florida's Panama City-Bay County International Airport to relocate to a parcel of land donated by the St. Joe Company.
Model SR20 and SR22 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-28246; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-048-AD; Amendment 39-15367; AD 2008-03-16] - Following the instructions of Cirrus Service Bulletin No. SB 2X-27-14 R3 (dated Oct.10, 2007), inspect the rudder, aileron and rudder-aileron interconnect rigging. Correct any out-of-rig condition, and replace the attaching hardware for the rudder-aileron interconnect arm. Report to the manufacturer any out-of-rig condition found.
March 10-11 - Federal Aviation Administration, 33rd Annual Aviation Forecast Conference, Washington, D.C. Contact Linda Baranovics at (202) 267-5370; or e-mail [email protected] 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
Falcon 2000 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0116; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-257-AD] - Requires removal and modification of the wing anti-ice telescopic tubes in accordance with Zodiac Service Bulletins 5035-30-001 and 5035-30-002 (both dated April 15, 2002). This proposed AD, which resulted from an MCAI issued by the European Aviation Safety Agency, was prompted by reports of temperature-induced cracking of certain older sealant rings used in the ball joints of the telescopic tubes.
EADS SOCATA won a contract to upgrade 28 TBM 700s for the French armed forces. The five-year contract, valued at 1.7 million euros, calls for installation of a Mode S transponder with antenna diversity, the hardening of VOR receivers and replacement of the chemical oxygen system by a gaseous oxygen system with a quick-drop mask. The aircraft are operated by the French Air Force, French Army Aviation and the French National Flight Test Center. The French military TBM 700 fleet passed the 130,000-flight-hour mark in 2007.
ALERION, INC. teamed with Aviation Facilities Security Group (AFSG) to provide personally tailored security for Alerion customers. Through the partnership, Alerion will offer clients a range of security offerings from extra assistance while traveling to detailed information and security preparation for travel in high-risk areas. AFSG provides security tools and resources for corporate, general aviation and fixed-base operators. AFSG assists with pre-flight analysis and security preparation, and provides advance teams and additional security personnel as needed.
Model G150 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2008-0120; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-327-AD] - This AD requires inspections for chafing and arcing damage of the feeder cable terminal lug and ground point. If any damage is found, repair it, install new heat-shrink tubing if the tubing is missing or damaged, and reposition the feeder cable in accordance with Gulfstream Alert Service Bulletin 150-24A-046 (dated Oct. 31, 2007).
