The Weekly of Business Aviation

Staff
Model 206A, B, L, L-1, L-3, and L-4 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2005-22696; Directorate Identifier 2005-SW-22-AD; Amendment 39-14877; AD 2007-01-06] - Supersedes an existing AD that currently requires certain inspections and checks of the tail rotor blade for a deformation, a crack, and a bent or deformed tail rotor weight. Also, that AD requires, before further flight, replacing each blade with an airworthy blade if a deformation, a crack, or a bent or deformed weight is found.

Staff
TIM WILLIAMS was appointed vice president for Textron Six Sigma at Cessna Aircraft. Williams will be responsible for the acceleration of the continuous process improvement within Cessna using Textron Six Sigma and Lean Methodology. He joined the company in 2004 after spending nine years with General Electric in inventory/delivery management, Six Sigma and engineering. He also has worked for a first-tier supplier and manufacturer in the automotive industry.

Staff
HILLSBORO AVIATION delivered a retrofitted Bell 206L-4 helicopter to the City of Chicago. The helicopter was acquired from the Chicago Fire Department and will be operated as part of the Chicago Police Department/Cook County Sheriff's Department joint Helicopter Task Force. Hillsboro equipped the helicopter with an Avalex Moving Map, two 12.1-inch LCD monitors, a digital video recorder and FLIR pointing system in combination with a FLIR Ultra 8500XR thermal imager/camera.

Staff
House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders last week organized the committee's structure, naming Rep. Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) chairman of the aviation subcommittee. Rep. Thomas Petri (R-Wis.) is the ranking Republican on the committee. The aviation subcommittee, which will be crafting a major FAA reauthorization bill in the next several months, is the largest of the T&I subcommittees with 48 members. Costello, an 11-term congressman, formerly served as the ranking Democrat on the committee and was expected to take the chairmanship.

Staff
ELLIOTT AVIATION was selected by Garmin International to perform aftermarket installations of the G1000 integrated avionics suite in King Air C90 aircraft. The retrofit package is expected to win certification on the C90 in the second half of 2007. The G1000 system uses 10-inch primary flight displays, a 15-inch multi-function display and dual integrated radio modules that provide IFR-approved WAAS GPS, VHF navigation with ILS and VHF communication.

Staff
HILLSBORO AVIATION delivered a retrofitted Bell 206L-4 helicopter to the City of Chicago. The helicopter was acquired from the Chicago Fire Department and will be operated as part of the Chicago Police Department/Cook County Sheriff's Department joint Helicopter Task Force. Hillsboro equipped the helicopter with an Avalex Moving Map, two 12.1-inch LCD monitors, a digital video recorder and FLIR pointing system in combination with a FLIR Ultra 8500XR thermal imager/camera.

Staff
Avitat Westchester officials have completed their move into the company's remodeled and expanded facilities at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y. following a $9 million renovation and expansion program by the longtime fixed-base operator.

Staff
A FATAL CESSNA CITATION 560 crash nearly two years ago in Pueblo, Colo. will be the subject of a public meeting before the members of the National Transportation Safety Board tomorrow (Jan. 23). The Feb. 16, 2005 crash claimed both pilots and all six passengers. The aircraft was one of two Citations owned by Circuit City Stores that were attempting to land in Pueblo for fuel. The pilots of the second Citation, which landed safely, reported light to moderate icing in the area (BA, Feb. 21, 2005/86).

Staff
BOMBARDIER'S Bob Agostino will be the opening speaker at the Greater Washington Business Aviation Association's Safety Standdown March 8 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Agostino has been the driving force behind the successful safety standdown hosted each year by Bombardier/Learjet in Wichita, Kan. The DCA event also will feature presentations by government and industry experts on fatigue training, flight attendant training, accident prevention and security regulations. For more information, contact GWBAA President Bob Blouin at [email protected].

BAE

Staff
Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-25851; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-133-AD; Amendment 39-14872; AD 2007-01-01] - Requires determining the part number of the lift spoiler actuators/jacks. The AD requires determining the date of manufacture of certain lift spoiler jacks, repetitively inspecting the eye-end assembly of the affected lift spoiler jacks to detect discrepancies of the assembly or associated parts, and performing corrective actions if necessary.

Staff
BRAZILIAN AUTHORITIES continue to adopt contingency measures to keep the nation's troubled air traffic control system together. The government plans to recycle emergency ATC plans implemented over the Christmas and New Year's holidays to avoid cancellations and flight delays during the Carnival holiday next month. Carnival Week, Feb. 15-20, traditionally generates the heaviest air traffic of the year in Brazil.

Staff
(Aviation subcommittee members noted with asterisk) Democrats * James Oberstar (Minn.), chairman of com- mittee, ex officio member of aviation sub- committee * Jerry Costello (Ill.), chairman of aviation subcommittee * Nick Rahall (W.Va.) * Peter DeFazio (Ore.) * Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.) * Corrine Brown (Fla.) * Bob Filner (Calif.) * Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas) * Juanita Millender-McDonald (Calif.)

Staff
TIM WILLIAMS was appointed vice president for Textron Six Sigma at Cessna Aircraft. Williams will be responsible for the acceleration of the continuous process improvement within Cessna using Textron Six Sigma and Lean Methodology. He joined the company in 2004 after spending nine years with General Electric in inventory/delivery management, Six Sigma and engineering. He also has worked for a first-tier supplier and manufacturer in the automotive industry.

Staff
January 25 - Coping With Crisis 101 - Managing an Aviation Disaster, Alexis Park Resort, Las Vegas, Nev. Register at www.thecommunicationsworkshop.com February 6-7 - NBAA: Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE) 2007, Hong Kong. Contact Linda Peters at (202) 783-9000, email: [email protected], www.abace.aero. February 15-17 - Women in Aviation International Conference, Orlando, Fla. Contact Connie Lawrence, WAI, (937) 839-4647.

Staff
Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22559; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-076-AD; Amendment 39-14879; AD 2007-01-07] - Supersedes an existing AD that currently requires repetitive inspections for cracks, sealant damage, and corrosion of the main fittings of the main landing gear (MLG), and corrective actions if necessary. This new AD reduces the compliance times for inspecting certain low-utilization airplanes, and provides a terminating action for the repetitive inspections.

Staff
KEITH MARKLEY was promoted to chief operating officer of Liberty Aerospace, with responsibility for most of the Melbourne, Fla. light aircraft manufacturer's domestic operations. Markley joined Liberty Aerospace in September 2005 as vice president of sales and marketing. Anthony Tiarks, CEO, said Markley "has a tremendous track record with both sales and production." Markley previously held senior executive posts with communications firms and also served two terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives.

Staff
Fractional operator NetJets, which already operates the world's largest fleet of Raytheon Aircraft Company (RAC) Hawker business jets with 119, has doubled the size of an existing order for the new Hawker 750 and 900XL.

Staff
Cessna Aircraft will build a new Citation business jet service center at the Williams Gateway Airport in Mesa, Ariz. The new facility will replace Cessna's existing Citation service center in Long Beach, Calif.

BAE

Staff
Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-25851; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-133-AD; Amendment 39-14872; AD 2007-01-01] - Requires determining the part number of the lift spoiler actuators/jacks. The AD requires determining the date of manufacture of certain lift spoiler jacks, repetitively inspecting the eye-end assembly of the affected lift spoiler jacks to detect discrepancies of the assembly or associated parts, and performing corrective actions if necessary.

Staff
GENERAL AVIATION MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION is concerned that the Federal Aviation Administration's certification staff continues to shrink, with little chance the situation can be corrected this year. FAA is funded through Feb. 15 via a continuing resolution passed in the waning days of the 109th Congress. The new 110th Congress is expected to begin work soon on a bill that would fund the agency through the remainder of fiscal 2007.

Staff
Avitat Westchester officials have completed their move into the company's remodeled and expanded facilities at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y. following a $9 million renovation and expansion program by the longtime fixed-base operator.

Staff
BRETT FORRESTER was promoted to sales manager for General Aviation Services, L.L.C. Forrester, who joined GAS in 1994 as a market researcher, most recently headed the aircraft acquisitions department.

Staff
Models EMB-110P1 and EMB-110P2 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26598; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-87-AD] - Proposes to require inspections for corrosion in the following areas: the wings-to-fuselage attachments, vertical stabilizer to fuselage attachments, Rib 1 half-wing, and passenger seat tracks, and repair, if necessary. This proposed AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the aviation authority of Brazil, citing cases of corrosion found in the affected areas.