Transport Canada issued an "Urgent" airworthiness directive Thursday calling for inspections of tail rotor components on various Bell Helicopter Textron models. The safety agency said that there have been three reports of "balance weights departing from the tail rotor blades during flight. The cause has been narrowed down to missing weight screws. This failure can happen at any time," Transport Canada said.
A number of federal agencies have collaborated on a new program to track volcanic ash and report the risks to the aviation community. "This plan will help us detect, track and forecast hazardous ash clouds and adequately warn the aviation community on the present and future location of the cloud," said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad Lautenbacher, undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "Coordinating these activities should significantly reduce danger," he added.
Appointed vice president, aircraft management sales for Executive Jet Management. Hughes will be responsible for EJM's aircraft management sales in the Midwest. He has served with the company for eight years, most recently as vice president, client relations.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey bluntly told the airlines last week they need to do something about their scheduling practices to help reduce air traffic congestion at the nation's busiest airports.
RUSS CHEW, the former chief operating officer of FAA's Air Traffic Organization, was named president of New York-based carrier JetBlue last week. Chew joined JetBlue in March, just about a month after its highly publicized operational meltdown last winter when passengers were stranded for hours on parked flights, and the carrier was forced to cancel hundreds of flights after snow and ice storms raked the Northeast (BA, March 12/123).
Roger Wolfe, who served as chief executive of Landmark Aviation until its recent sale to Dubai Aerospace, was named CEO of DeCrane Aerospace last week. Wolfe will succeed Richard (Dick) Kaplan, who has been associated with DeCrane in one role or another since it was formed in 1989. Kaplan took over as CEO of the Columbus, Ohio-based company in early 2006 following the death of his friend and business associate Jack DeCrane (BA, Jan. 16, 2006/19).
Model 2000 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-29171; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-154-AD] - This proposal would require revision of the "Airworthiness Limitations Section" of the "Instructions for Continued Airworthiness" to incorporate new limitations for fuel tank systems. This proposed AD, which resulted from an MCAI originated by the European Aviation Safety Agency, is designed to reduce possible ignition sources inside fuel tanks, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in fuel tank explosions and consequent loss of the airplane.
The National Transportation Safety Board called on FAA Thursday to require Cessna Aircraft to modify hundreds of Model 525 CitationJets to alert pilots more quickly in the event a runaway trim situation occurs in flight.
FAA DEPUTY ADMINISTRATOR Bobby Sturgell is scheduled to begin his first full week as acting administrator of the agency attending a meeting of the General Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal.
AUSTRALIAN carrier MacAir Airlines began operating the ATR 42-500 in revenue service, marking the first time the aircraft has entered regional aviation service in Australia. MacAir, based in Queensland, operated the aircraft on a flight from the coastal city of Townsville to the regional mining center of Cloncurry. The aircraft will be used to support services to remote mining communities in outback Queensland.
A STUDENT PILOT was fatally injured this month when his Cessna 172M, N1502V, crashed "following a loss of control while maneuvering around a relative's residence in Union Star, Mo.," the National Transportation Safety Board reported. The flight had originated at St. Joseph, Mo. and was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan.
ROCKWELL COLLINS has begun offering a Pro Line 21 avionics retrofit package for corporate operators of the King Air 300. The company secured the supplemental type certificate for the retrofit on FAA's fleet of 18 Beech King Air 300 navaid inspection aircraft (BA, Aug. 20/74). Rockwell Collins said the Pro Line 21 retrofit will reduce weight and power requirements and extend the life of the aircraft.
Is the new managing director for Aon Corporation's national aviation practice. A veteran of 15 years in the insurance business, Toro was previously responsible for the general aviation product line at Marsh's Aviation Practice. In her new role, Toro will specialize in the development of the general aviation line of insurance products for Aon.
Joining Raytheon Technical Services (RTS) in Reston, Va. next week as senior manager of corporate communications. RTS provides logistical, technical and professional engineering services for the defense industry, U.S. government agencies and commercial customers. Most recently, Sullivan was senior manager of corporate communications for Rolls-Royce North America, Inc. in Chantilly, Va.
Falcon 10 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27983; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-192-AD; Amendment 39-15188; AD 2007-18-08] - Requires revising the "Limitations" section of the Airplane Flight Manual and installing a placard on the flight deck prohibiting flights into known or forecasted icing conditions. Also mandates inspections for delamination of the flexible hoses in the wing slat anti-icing system and corrective actions, if necessary.
Eclipse Aviation Thursday formally opened a Customer Training Center at Double Eagle II Airport (KAEG) in Albuquerque, N.M. The 41,500-square-foot, two-story facility will allow Eclipse to transition from in-aircraft customer training to simulator training. The facility will accommodate four simulators, four classrooms and eight briefing rooms. Eclipse has installed the first flight training device and is expected to add a full motion simulator in the next few months. Eclipse plans to have four full motion simulators in operation by the end of 2008.
September 25-27 - National Business Aviation Association 60th Annual Meeting & Convention, Atlanta, Ga., (202) 783-9000 October 4-6 - AOPA Expo Convention and Trade Show, Hartford Convention Center, Hartford, Conn., www.aopa.org/expo October 6-7 - Commemorative Air Force Wings Over Houston Airshow, Houston, Texas. Contact Kay Crites at (432) 563-1000, Ext. 2231 or www.commemorative airforce.org
SaferJett has partnered with Hillwood Development to move forward with its plans to build a "center of excellence" for Very Light Jet training at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas. The company has traditionally focused on crew resource management training for the cargo and corporate aircraft markets, but in 2004 began a transformation from a company that focuses on "soft skills" training to one also involved in full VLJ training, the company said.
Joined Shadin Avionics, St. Louis Park, Minn., as director of engineering. Jamieson has nearly 20 years of engineering experience, previously working for Medtronic and B.F. Goodrich. He will direct the activities of Shadin's engineering department in developing new technologies and products and provide engineering support to the rest of the company's departments.
MACHINISTS UNION MEMBERS at Cessna Aircraft in Wichita, Kan. were scheduled to vote Saturday on a new contract proposal from the company, and it was unclear last week what the outcome would be. Some union members had been outspoken in their opposition to proposed changes in health care coverage and rates, but negotiators reportedly made some changes to the original proposal to give workers more options. The existing contract was due to expire at 12:01 a.m. this morning (Sept. 17). It would require a two-thirds vote by union members to authorize a strike.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection last week released a notice of proposed rulemaking calling for Part 91 aircraft operators to transmit more detailed passenger manifests and other specific information electronically before entering or departing the U.S. (BA, Sept. 10/103). The proposal is part of a "phased approach" to implement increased security for international private aircraft operations, Department of Homeland Security officials said.
THE MALIBU AND MIRAGE will be outfitted with full authority digital engine control (FADEC) units under a retrofit program being conducted by Malibu Power & Propeller International, LLC. FAA recently issued special conditions for modification of the Piper PA-46-310P and PA-46-350P models and is seeking comments by October 12. For more information, contact the FAA's Peter L. Rouse, Aircraft Certification Service, 901 Locust, Room 301, Kansas City, Mo. 64106; phone (816) 329-4135; fax (816) 329-4090.
Promoted to general manager of Landmark Aviation's fixed-base operation in Wichita Falls, Texas. Schledewitz most recently was a customer service representative at the Wichita Falls FBO. Before joining Landmark, she served as a flight officer for DB Aviation and chief pilot for Waukegan Wings.
CF34-8C1/-8C5/-8C5B1/-8E5/-8E5A1 and CF34-10E series engines [Docket No. FAA-2007-29001; Directorate Identifier 2007-NE-36-AD] - This proposal would require a one-time test of the engine's fuel metering units for improperly connected (reversed polarity) input wires to the overspeed solenoid. The FAA issued this proposal to prevent the engine from failing to shutdown as commanded during an overspeed situation, a condition that could lead to uncontained engine failure. The FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 1,055 engines installed on airplanes on the U.S.
