THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION plans to assemble an industry-based rulemaking group to develop recommendations for addressing safe runway landing distance margins, James Ballough, director of the FAA's Flight Standards Service, said at NATA's Air Charter Summit. The runway landing distance issue got a lot of attention after the Southwest Airlines runway overrun at Midway Airport in December 2005 in which a 737 slid off a snowy runway and struck two vehicles on a nearby road, killing a 6-year-old child.
ERJ 170 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27508; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-252-AD; Amendment 39-15117; AD 2007-13-13] - Install a debris strainer at the cargo compartment fire extinguisher system drier metering unit (DMU) inlet according to the detailed instructions described in Embraer Service Bulletin 170-26-0002 (dated Nov. 11, 2005). This AD results from an MCAI issued by the airworthiness authority of Brazil and is designed to prevent the DMU from being obstructed and thereby preventing the fire extinguishing system from operating properly.
GKN AEROSPACE completed the acquisition of aircraft engine systems supplier Teleflex Aerospace Manufacturing Group (TAMG). TAMG produces structural components in the engine, blisk/integral bladed rotors, outlet guide vanes, combustor cases, compressor and turbine blades. The company specializes in electro-chemical machining, which removes material from hard and soft metals. GKN Aerospace CEO Marcus Bryson called the acquisition "an excellent strategic fit for us" with a complementary product line.
Bruce R. Kennedy, 68, a longtime executive with Alaska Airlines and the chairman of startup manufacturer Quest Aircraft, was killed late last month when his Cessna 182 crashed during a landing attempt at the Cashmere, Wash. airport. An initial FAA report said Kennedy's plane, N735KP, clipped a tree on final approach to the 1,800-by-50-foot asphalt runway and was destroyed by the impact and post-crash fire. The accident occurred late on the evening of June 28. Weather does not appear to have been a factor in the accident.
Was promoted to manager of the FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, Fla., where he succeeds Dick Skovgaard, who is retiring. Jhagroo joined FlightSafety International in 1998 and held a number of positions with increasing responsibility at the Academy since then. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and is a certified flight instructor. Jhagroo has flown corporate and commercial aircraft and had flight instruction and management posts with aviation training organizations and operators in Florida, Guyana, Turks and Caicos and Trinidad.
Was promoted to vice president for research and institutional effectiveness and was named a professor of human factors and systems at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Fla. In her new role, Frederick-Recascino will lead efforts to increase ERAU's funded research activities, graduate enrollments and graduate programs. She also will oversee strategic planning and the university's development of a 77-acre research and technology park focused on aviation and aerospace.
PILATUS recently celebrated a milestone by one if its top distributors, Aviation Sales, Inc., which last week delivered its 100th PC-12 aircraft. Based at Centennial Airport in Denver, Colo., Aviation Sales has been selling and servicing aircraft since 1971. The company became an authorized Pilatus dealer and service center in 1994, and was the first PC-12 distributor in the U.S. Aviation Sales is responsible for sales in the Southwest, including Colorado, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California. More than 700 total PC-12s have been delivered worldwide.
Joined the Aerospace Industries Association as director of legislative affairs. Elson was previously associate director of governmental affairs in the Office of the Secretary at the U.S. Department of Transportation where he served as a liaison to congressional offices on matters dealing with FAA and the Office of Aviation and International Affairs, including the Next Generation Air Transportation System program. Before joining DOT, Elson worked for an aviation management consulting group in Colorado and on political campaigns.
ARINC, Inc., the Maryland-based firm that has been providing communications for the scheduled airlines and other users for more than 75 years, is being purchased by The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm, the two companies announced late Thursday. Financial details were not disclosed.
Operators of U.S. business and corporate turbine-powered aircraft were involved in 25 accidents during the first six months of the year, down slightly from the 29 accidents in the same period in 2006, according to information compiled by Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla. The eight fatal accidents through June resulted in 21 passenger and crew fatalities. That compares with nine fatal accidents that claimed 22 lives during the first half of 2006.
The National Air Transportation Association is urging the Federal Aviation Administration to clarify that Safety Alerts for Operators (SAFOs) are voluntary. NATA said it supports the use of SAFOs to distribute important safety information, which usually include recommended - but not required - actions.
THE SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE will hold a hearing this week to discuss aviation taxes and the Airport and Airway Trust Fund. FAA Administrator Marion Blakey is one of four witnesses on the schedule for Thursday with other witnesses including Congressional Budget Office Director Peter Orszag, Government Accountability Office Director of Civil Aviation Issues Gerald Dillingham and Mark Hansen, professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.
FIRSTFLIGHT, an aviation services company based at Elmira/Corning Regional Airport in New York, added a Gulfstream G200 and Beechjet 400A to its fleet. The G200 is based in Elmira, and will be used for charters to and from the New York metropolitan area and throughout the Northeast. The Beechjet is based in Stuart, Fla. and will be used for FirstFlight's growing client base in Florida as well as for connections to the Northeast. The G200 and Beechjet follow the recent addition of a Learjet 60 and Hawker 1000 to the company's fleet.
Joined Shadin Avionics as regional sales manager, Western U.S. Griffitts has more than 15 years of sales and marketing experience, most recently as marketing communications manager with Chelton Flight Systems. She also served as MARCOM manager for Oce Groupware, a print management software company, and was an account supervisor for Creative Source International, a marketing firm.
NASA, the contractor team and Delta II Heavy launch managers at Cape Canaveral will decide by July 3 whether preparations for the Dawn mission to launch between July 7th and 11th will proceed or whether technical or advanced weather predictions will delay the launch to September. The flight will be the first NASA planetary mission totally dependent on solar electric propulsion and the first planetary mission ever launched that will orbit two separate bodies in deep space.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Donna Thomas at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) July 10 - 11 -- Precision Strike Summer Forum, "Joint Perspectives on Precision Engagement," Virginia Beach Resort Hotel, Virginia Beach, Va. For more information go to www.precisionstrike.org. July 8 - 10 -- ALA Miami 2007, Aeronautical Convention & Exposition, Doral Golf Resort & Spa, Miami, Fla. For more information call (817) 284-0431, www.ala.aero.
NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION NEW REVENUE SOURCE FOR DFW - Dallas/Ft. Worth International Airport stands to receive hundreds of millions of dollars from a natural gas producer that is drilling for gas on airport property.
KAREN GEBHART was named executive vice president of communications for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. She replaces Jeff Myers, who is leaving AOPA to relocate to the Cape Cod area and resume operation of his own company, Myers Communications. In her new role, she will be responsible for AOPA publications, AOPA e-publishing, public and media relations and the creative services group.
ENHANCED A-10 WING: The U.S. Air Force will award Boeing a $2.02 billion contract for engineering services of an "enhanced A-10 wing" through September 2018, the Defense Department said June 29. To date, $74.2 million has been obligated. The contract's maximum ranges up to the engineering services plus 242 wings.
Joined the staff of Tampa International Jet Center as customer service manager. Silberman previously worked for Galaxy Aviation at two Florida locations and was employed in the hospitality industry in Florida for many years before entering the aviation business. She recently relocated to Tampa, where she previously lived for more than 20 years, from the West Palm Beach area. TIJC President Phil Botana cited Silberman's strong communications skills, outgoing personality and knowledge of the FBO industry in announcing her appointment.
EMB-145XR airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-27981; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-021-AD; Amendment 39-15107; AD 2007-13-03] - Install a bonding jumper between the pilot valve line tube and the pressure refueling system tube after removing ventral fuel tank access panel 196FR, as described in Embraer Service Bulletin 145-28-0026 (dated May 16, 2006). This AD stems from an MCAI originated by the aviation authority of Brazil.
The U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command has chosen BAE Systems Land & Armaments' Ground Systems Division for a $212.4 million order of more Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles, the Defense Department said late June 28. The firm-fixed-priced delivery order is for 271 MRAP Category I vehicles, 16 CAT II Ambulances and 154 CAT Is for the Special Operations Command, as well as "sustainment integrated logistics support."
