THE U.S. TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY is funding its first-ever project to study China's nascent general aviation market. The study, a component of the U.S.-China Aviation Cooperation Program (ACP) that USTDA oversees, came at the request of the Chinese government, which wants to develop the country's GA market to reach underserved areas and to train pilots for mainline operations. Booz-Allen Hamilton, commissioned by ACP partners Rockwell Collins, Honeywell, UTC, Textron, GE, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, will begin the study this fall.
DESPITE A RECENT SUGGESTION by Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) that FAA Administrator Marion Blakey should stay in that job to ensure passage of FAA reauthorization legislation, Blakey said last week she does indeed plan to step down when her five-year term expires Sept. 13 (BA, July 16/19).
Model DHC-7 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-28619; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-004-AD] - This proposed AD would require inspection of certain SM-200 servo drive units, related investigative action (if necessary) and modification of those units if needed. This proposed AD results from a report that some servo drive units that do not have MOD H incorporated are installed on Model DHC-7 airplanes.
Bombardier's Belfast facility is joining the Environmentally Friendly Engine (EFE) program led by Rolls-Royce. The airframer plans to examine nacelle design - including nacelle shapes to cut drag, thrust reverser configurations, electric ice protection for the nacelle inlet and high-performance acoustic treatments. The EFE is a GBP95 million (US$193 million) program shared by 11 U.K. organizations from both industry and academia.
CLIFFORD DEVELOPMENT expects to conduct a first flight in August of a Cessna Citation II (CE-550) re-engined with 3,000-pound thrust Williams International FJ44-3 engines and equipped with a full authority digital engine control (FADEC) system.
The Federal Aviation Administration is in the beginning stages of coordinating with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to ferret out potential medical certificate fraud, Nicholas Sabatini, associate administrator for aviation safety, told the House aviation subcommittee last week. FAA came under fire earlier this year after the aviation subcommittee released a report that found "egregious" cases of fraud in which pilots have lied or omitted details about a medical condition (BA, April 2/155).
DOUG GRISWOLD was named director of Hawker 400-variants in Hawker Beechcraft's Product Development and Engineering (POE) organization. In the newly created post, Griswold will be responsible for product line integration of the Hawker 400-series aircraft, including new product development, legacy research and development, change management and product sustainment.
Tay 611-8 and -8C, 620-15, 650-15 and 651-54 turbofan engines [Docket No. FAA-2007-27811; Directorate Identifier 2004-NE-11-AD] - This proposed AD, which would supersede an existing airworthiness directive (AD 2004-26-10, Amendment 39-13922), would require initial and repetitive visual inspections of all ice-impact panels and fillers in the low-pressure compressor case and replacement of those panels as needed. This proposed directive results from the engine manufacturerís introduction of improved compressor-case ice-impact panels.
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS GROUP's ICS-200 Iridium Communications System won European supplemental type certification for installation on the Learjet 60. ICG European distributor Aero-Dienst GmbH & Co. is performing the STC work for the system, which provides voice and data communications between the aircraft and ground. The ICS-200 uses dual Iridium transceivers with an internal CTU that permits intercom calling, call transfer, conferencing and follow-on dialing features.
Regional and general aviation industry executives last week appealed to Senate Finance Committee members to drop the proposed $25 air traffic control user fee, expressing fear that the fee would hurt their businesses and drive others out of private aviation.
MILLION AIR broke ground on a terminal at the Tucson, Ariz. International Airport. Owned by Premier Aviation's Ash and Rita Vij, Million Air Tucson will be the first terminal for the Million Air franchise chain in Arizona. The $5 million project includes a 20,000-square-foot, two-story executive terminal and another 20,000 square feet of hangar space. The facility is slated for completion in May 2008.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week lifted several limitations on Quest Aircraft's Kodiak, clearing the way for the new plane-maker to begin delivery of the 10-place single-engine turboprop utility aircraft later this quarter. Quest quietly secured type certification for the Kodiak in late May, but that TC came with nine restrictions, including day-only flight under visual flight rules. FAA last week lifted all but a couple of those restrictions - one involving airframe fatigue life and one involving cold weather operation.
THALES launched a Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) radio that augments the company's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) product line. Thales, a partner on the ITT team bidding for the U.S. ADS-B program, said the development of the UAT comes from the investment in the U.S. program. The UAT radio expands the Thales ADS-B capabilities to provide broadcast services for en route, terminal and surface applications.
Model 750XL airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27863 Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-037-AD; Amendment 39-15126; AD 2007-14-04] - Conduct initial and repetitive inspections of the rudder trim tab upper pivot for any lateral movement of the bushing. If any lateral movement is detected, install, before further flight, modification PAC/XL/0267, following the instructions set forth in Pacific Aerospaceís Mandatory Service Bulletin PACSB/XL/023 (dated February 15, 2007) and Pacific Aerospace Ltd Drawing No. 11-03131, Drawing (dated February 17, 2007).
Honda Aero, Inc. will construct a $27 million facility in Burlington, N.C. to build engines developed and marketed by GE Honda Aero Engines LLC, the joint venture established in 2004 to build a family of small jet engines in the 1,000 pounds to 3,500 pounds of thrust class.
Appointed fueling business manager for U.S. Bank Corporate Payment Systems. During the past five years, U.S. Bank has purchased several companies that specialize in providing fuel-related services in the automotive and aviation industries, including Multi Service Aviation and Voyager Fleet Systems. "We see exciting opportunity for growth and synergy among our fuel products," said Wilkins. "I look forward to leveraging the bank's scale and resources in payments." Wilkins has been with U.S. Bank since 1992, most recently as large money market manager for U.S.
SIGMA-TEK INSTRUMENTS is introducing a new electric attitude indicator, the Sigma-Tek 5000EG, at this week's Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis. The 5000EG is certified by FAA as a primary or standby gyro, approved to replace turn coordinators, available in both 14- and 28-volt models, the company said. The new unit retails for $2,850, but the manufacturer said it will provide a $175 incentive for buyers at Oshkosh.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION raised the aviation safety rating for Guatemala from Category 2 to Category 1, saying that country now meets the international safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization following a recent reassessment.
AEROEXPO, the European general aviation show, will be held June 13-15, 2008 at Wycombe Air Park just outside London. This year's event drew 11,514 visitors, more than double the number that attended in 2006, and attracted 136 exhibitors and featured 52 aircraft on static display.
KANSAS CITY AVIATION CENTER (KCAC) was named a regional distribution center for Diamond Aircraft Industries line of aircraft. KCAC is based at the Johnson County Airport in the Kansas City metropolitan area and recently opened a second Part 145 repair station and sales facility at the Spirit of St. Louis Airport. The Diamond Aircraft product line runs from the two-seat, single-engine DA20 to the five-seat, single-engine D-Jet, which is currently in development.
Saying that "demand is off the charts" for the Falcon winglets introduced by Aviation Partners earlier this year, Joe Clark, the company's CEO, predicted recently that his Seattle-based firm could eventually provide its range-enhancing, fuel-saving airfoils for as many as 800 Falcon business jets. Clark added that his company, which has provided winglets for more than 1,600 airliners through a joint venture with Boeing, also could apply its patented technology to as many as 20 additional types of business aircraft, including possibly some turboprops.
BACK AVIATION SOLUTIONS, in partnership with the Official Airline Guide, recently developed a new Carbon Emissions Calculator designed to allow airlines to "calculate their carbon footprints by equipment type, airline, airport, route, country or world region." A carbon footprint is defined as the amount of greenhouse gases - measured in units of carbon dioxide (CO2) - released by an activity or entity such as airline flights.
