AOPA INITIATIVE FOCUSES ON PILOT CAREERS - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association rolled out a new effort to generate interest in learning to fly among would-be pilots, but this time the initiative is focusing on professional pilot careers. The program, AOPA Career Pilot, uses a range of print and Web-based resources to serve as a guide for anyone contemplating a career as a pilot.
Promoted to chief of staff for the Air Transport Association. Higginbotham joined ATA in 1997 as assistant general counsel and was later named associate general counsel, litigation and regulatory affairs. She was promoted to vice president, policy in June 2006. She formerly was a senior attorney at Federal Express and a senior district attorney in Dekalb County, Ga. She earned a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Arkansas, and a law degree from Emory University of Atlanta.
Headed by Defense Minister A.K Antony, India's Defense Acquisition Council has given the final go-ahead for the much-awaited procurement of 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft for the Indian air force. Issues holding up the release of the Request for Proposal (RFP) - including transfer of technology, licensed production and lifetime maintenance support - are said to have been resolved. The RFP, according to a government statement "is planned to be issued in the near future."
ATR received an order from Malaysia Airlines for 10 ATR 72-500s. The order, valued at $183 million, includes options for 10 more aircraft. Malaysia Airlines will use the new aircraft to expand its Firefly subsidiary and establish hubs in Penang, Subang, Yohoar Baharau, and Kota Kinabalu. The ATR aircraft also will replace the carrier's Fokker 50 aircraft fleet. The Malaysia Airlines sale boosts the ATR order book to the 900-aircraft milestone (416 ATR 42s and 484 ATR 72s). Since the beginning of the year, ATR has sold 63 new aircraft.
CESSNA SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH GERMAN DIESEL ENGINE MAKER - Cessna Aircraft signed an agreement Wednesday with German engine maker Thielert Aircraft Engines GmbH "to collaborate on future programs centered on the Thielert diesel engine." The brief announcement said details of the program would be released later.
SR20 and SR22 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-28246; Directorate Identifier 2007-CE-048-AD] - This proposed AD would require inspection and, as necessary, adjustment of the aileron and rudder rigging. Also, the proposed directive would mandate inspection, and, as necessary, adjustment or modifications of the rudder-aileron interconnect system. This proposal was made in response to the on-the-ground jamming of the aileron and rudder controls of an SR20. The FAA estimates that this proposed AD would affect 2,387 airplanes on the U.S.
HONDA AIRCRAFT COMPANY broke ground Wednesday for its 369,000-square-foot headquarters and manufacturing center at Piedmont Triad International (PTI) Airport in Greensboro, N.C. where research and development, sales, marketing and manufacturing of the HondaJet will be housed. The first phase of construction, which will include more than 200,000 square feet of space, is scheduled to be completed next spring. Honda Aircraft said it will spend about $100 million on the new headquarters and production facility, including equipment.
Alexander Strekalov, director of RSC Energia's Experimental Engineering Plant, will take over as acting president of Energia after Nicolai Sevastiyanov was tentatively ousted as president and general designer of the Russian human spaceflight concern. The Russian Federal Space Agency (Roscosmos), which controls 38 percent of Energia's stock, and the company's board of directors dismissed Sevastiyanov on grounds he failed to coordinate with them on "realization of manned spaceflight programs and international projects," Roscosmos says.
Appointed vice president, product development for the Hawker product line for Hawker Beechcraft Corp. He will be responsible for new product development, legacy research and development and change management. Hinderberger previously spent nine years with Gulfstream, most recently as chief engineer, advanced aircraft. He also served with Rolls-Royce Deutschland, where he was Global Express certification, powerplant, flight test team leader and engine development manager.
Lawmakers are intent on ending Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman's joint position as lead systems integrator (LSI) for the U.S. Coast Guard's Deepwater modernization program, although not as fast as House authorizers originally outlined. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee's recent Deepwater reform bill would require the Coast Guard to take over LSI duties from the Lockheed-Northrop joint venture Integrated Coast Guard Systems (ICGS), and bar any private sector entity from managing Deepwater by the fall of 2011.
ERJ 170 and ERJ 190 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2007-28377; Directorate Identifier 2007-NM-063-AD] - Perform an operational check of the firewall hydraulic shutoff valve in accordance with Embraer Service Bulletin 170-29-0013 or 190-29-0008 (both dated Dec. 13, 2006). If the valve does not operate properly, before further flight, replace the faulty valve with another one. This proposed AD results from an MCAI originated by the aviation authority of Brazil. The FAA estimates that the proposed directive would affect 126 aircraft on the U.S.
MEANWHILE, quality supplemental charter lift is becoming harder to find for fractional providers and established charter operators because of rising calls for on-demand flights from customers trying to avoid airline travel and higher aircraft utilization by owners who have their airplanes on a management company's certificate.
NAVY UAVs: As the Air Force continues to make a grab for oversight of all the Defense Dept.'s high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programs, the Navy is restructuring management of its own UAV offices at NAS Patuxent River, Md. The office responsible for all Navy/Marine Corps UAVs, headed by a single captain, is being restructured into three separate management offices, each headed by its own captain.
Named to the newly created position of rotorcraft sales manager for Shadin Avionics. Before joining Shadin in May 2006, Butero served with Chelton Flight Systems. She has more than 17 years of sales experience.
NAVEL-GAZING: Panelists at the Brookings Institution discussed "The State of the Military Today" on June 29, three days after another set at the American Enterprise Institute mulled over "Can We Afford the Military We Need?" The Washington think tanks follow a series of hearings in the House Armed Services Committee about the Defense Department's management and, increasingly, how the Cold War-organized DOD might readjust as global antiterrorism and counter-insurgency operations continue to dominate and spending tightens.
NPOESS SENSORS: The Senate Appropriations Committee is recommending an additional $30 million be allocated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in fiscal 2008 for the restoration of the climate sensors that were cut from the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) during its Nunn-McCurdy recertification by the Pentagon last year.
Appointed customer service support manager for Shadin Avionics, where he will manage customer support technicians. Mahoney formerly was a research and development electronic technician for Shadin. He also has worked as a civilian military technician for the state of Minnesota.
GD UNIT TO TEST GROUND-BASED ANTI-MANPADS SYSTEM - General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products unit plans to conduct a fully integrated system demonstration of its ground-based Counter Man-Portable Air Defense System (CMAPS) against man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) next month. The system demonstration, which will take place at the China Lake, Calif. test facility in August, will follow what GD said was CMAPS' successful detection and tracking of more than 30 missiles during tests held at Tonopah Test Range, Nev.
SOCOM STUMBLES: Congressional auditors say that the majority of the U.S. Special Operations Command's acquisitions go as planned, but when they don't, they tend to be the larger, costlier projects. About 40 percent of SOCOM's acquisitions have not progressed as planned or have experienced modest to significant cost growths and schedule delays, they tell senators. While a minority in number, problematic programs still account for half of SOCOM's acquisition budget.
SIGNATURE FLIGHT SUPPORT opened a new $13 million facility at Boston Logan International Airport. The facility includes a two-story 13,000-square-foot terminal building with passenger and crew lounges, administrative offices and a VIP center. The opening of the Boston facility took place as Signature broke ground on its next project, a new executive terminal at Palm Springs International Airport.
Model SA-365 N1, AS-365N2, AS 365 N3, SA-366G1, EC 155B and EC155B1 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2007-28448; Directorate Identifier 2006-SW-24-AD] - This proposed rule would supersede an existing AD that requires a one-time inspection for end play in the pitch-control rod assembly double bearing for the tail-rotor hub control plate. The current AD requires replacing the bearing before further flight if end play is found. This new AD would require checking the tail-rotor gearbox oil level before the first flight of the day and maintaining the oil at the maximum level.
