Part 135 charter operators will begin receiving notification soon from Federal Aviation Administration inspectors that they must adhere to a new Operations Specification, OpSpec A008, designed to ensure that operators have clear operational control of their aircraft. The long-awaited OpSpec was released in late December after months of close collaboration between the agency and industry.
A FINAL National Air Tour Safety Standard is expected to be published this week by FAA, and a large segment of the aviation community hopes the agency has substantially modified its initial proposal. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, unveiled in October 2003, quickly drew a wave of protest from organizations representing the general aviation community as well as air tour operators. Opponents said the proposal was misdirected and overreaching, and thousands of people submitted critical comments to the rulemaking docket (BA, May 17, 2004/225).
Model EMB-145XR airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-24440; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-058-AD; Amendment 39-14862; AD 2006-26-04] - Requires replacement of certain segments of the passenger seat tracks with new, improved seat tracks. This AD results from instances in which the shear plungers of the passenger seat legs were not adequately fastened. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent inadequate fastening of the seat leg shear plungers, which could result in failure of the passenger seat tracks during emergency landing conditions and consequent injury to passengers.
FORMER NBAA EXECUTIVE William (Bill) Horn, Jr. died Dec. 14 of complications from Parkinson's Disease. Horn was a retired Air Force colonel. He was manager of airspace/air traffic control for NBAA from late 1972 through the early 1980s. Arrangements are being handled by the Demaine Funeral Home in Old Town Alexandria, Va., where visitation will be held Jan. 18. Burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery at 9 a.m. Jan. 19.
L'Avion, a French startup carrier, began offering all-business flights in a Boeing 757 fleet last week between Orly Airport in Paris and Newark, N.J., the fourth scheduled carrier to begin offering business-class flights in the past two years. The French carrier plans to operate six weekly frequencies with Boeing 757-200s leased from Lufthansa in a 90-seat configuration. Roundtrip fares range from 1,600 to 3,000 euros (about US$3,935), and the airline claims its lowest fares are half what traditional carriers charge for business-class seats.
ELLIOTT AVIATION was named an authorized service center for Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 aircraft. The authorization covers a range of services, including routine inspections, scheduled and unscheduled airframe, engine, avionics and other systems maintenance and repairs. The six-passenger Phenom 100 is slated to enter service in mid-2008. The aircraft is priced at $2.85 million. The nine-passenger Phenom 300 is priced at $6.65 million and will enter service in mid-2009.
UNITED BUSINESS MEDIA PLC said Thursday that its Commonwealth Business Media (CBM) unit acquired U.K.-based Aviation Industry Group Ltd. (AIG) for about $11 million. AIG is the organizer of 21 annual exhibitions and conferences for the aviation industry, supported by three print titles and associated Internet products. The exhibitions are held in the U.K., while the conferences are held at sites around the world. The acquisition will extend CBM's geographical reach and enhance its product portfolio for the aviation industry, the company said.
A package of ethics reform measures pushed by the the new Democratic Party leadership bans House members from using "official, personal or campaign funds to pay for the use of privately owned airplanes," but at least one House member said the wording of the measure also will prohibit members of Congress who are private pilots from flying their own airplanes.
UTILICRAFT AEROSPACE INDUSTRIES, INC., which is developing a new twin-engine turboprop for the short-haul air cargo market, signed a letter of intent with R&D Development Corp. of Swansea, Ill. for construction of a 55,500-square-foot flight test hangar and office facility on Utilicraft's leasehold at the Double Eagle II Airport in Albuquerque, N.M. Utilicraft is developing the FF-1080-300ER, an all-aluminum, high-wing, twin-engine, unpressurized, fixed-gear twin turboprop specifically for use in the short-haul air cargo market.
Model CL-600-2B16 (CL-604) airplanes and Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26378; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-230-AD] - Revises an earlier proposal that would have superseded an existing AD that currently requires revising the Emergency Procedures section of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) to advise the flightcrew of additional procedures to follow in the event of stabilizer trim runaway.
BN-2, BN-2A, BN-2B, BN-2T, and BN-2T-4R series (All individual models included in Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) A17EU, Revision 16, Dated Dec. 9, 2002), and BN-2A-Mklll Trislander Series (All individual models included in Type Certificate Data Sheet (TCDS) A29EU, Revision 4, Dated Dec. 9, 2002) airplanes [Docket No.
Model TBM 700 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26235; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-65-AD] - Proposes to require for MLG with forging body totaling more than 1,750 landings but less than 3,475 landings since new: Inspecting the forging body for cracks within 100 landings after the effective date of this AD in accordance with the accomplishment instructions of EADS SOCATA TBM Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 70-130, ATA No. 32, dated January 2006. If no cracks are detected, the proposal would require repetitive inspections every 175 landings.
The Federal Aviation Administration last month revised its guidance for issuing Letters of Deviation Authority (LODA) for large aircraft operators who want to fly under certain Part 91 provisions rather than obtain Part 125 certification. The agency early last year made a policy determination that large aircraft operators were required to obtain Part 125 certification and decided to stop issuing blanket waivers (BA, April 17/173).
STEVEN CHEALANDER was sworn in last week as a member of the National Transportation Safety Board. The Senate confirmed Chealander shortly before adjourning last month (BA, Jan.1/4). Chealander fills the final slot on the five-member board. He is taking the seat vacated by Ellen Engleman Connors, who resigned earlier in 2006. Chealander joins the board with a 33-year background in aviation.
OPERATORS of Socata TBM 700 turboprops could be looking at expensive landing gear repairs. FAA published an airworthiness directive that requires detailed inspections of the landing gear on TBM 700s that have made more than 1,750 landings, and "possible landing gear repair or replacement" if cracks are detected. FAA, which said the AD applies to more than 270 aircraft on the U.S. Registry, estimated the total cost of compliance could be more than $125,000 per aircraft or more than $34.5 million for the fleet. See additional information on Page 22.
Mooney Airplane Company secured certification from the Federal Aviation Administration for the Kerrville, Texas plane-maker's speediest aircraft yet, the M20 TN Acclaim. Unveiled during Sun 'n' Fun in April in Lakeland, Fla. (BA, April 17/176), the Acclaim will cruise at a true air speed (KTAS) of 237 knots at its service ceiling of 25,000 feet. Powered by a 280-horsepower Teledyne Continental TSIO-550-G, the aircraft will exceed 200 KTAS at 10,000 feet and is 20 percent faster than its predecessor, the Bravo.
Joined the Washington, D.C. office of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott LLC as an associate specializing in aviation and aerospace. A 1992 Juris Doctorate graduate of the University of Illinois, Wadsworth received a master of laws degree in international and comparative law from Georgetown University Law Center in 2001. She most recently spent four years as an associate at another Washington law firm.
Dassault Falcon's Little Rock, Ark. completion center recently accepted its first Falcon 7X (Aircraft No. 5/F-WWUB) for interior completion and painting. Four large hangars totaling 99,000 square feet have been dedicated for 7X completion work in Little Rock, where all 7X completion will be done. The facility has 1,800 employees, making it Dassault's largest, and another 200 workers are expected to be hired in coming years as 7X deliveries/completions ramp up.
Model CL-600-1A11 (CL-600), CL-600-2A12 (CL-601), and CL-600-2B16 (CL-601-3A and CL-601-3R) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-25645; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-201-AD; Amendment 39-14857; AD 2006-25-16] - Requires implementing a corrosion prevention and control program (CPCP) either by accomplishing specific tasks or by revising the maintenance inspection program to include a CPCP. This AD results from the determination that, as airplanes age, they are more likely to exhibit indications of corrosion.
January 7-11, 2007 - American Association of Airport Executives, 21st Annual Aviation Issues Conference, Kauai, Hawaii. Contact AAAE at (703) 824-0500. January 25 - Coping With Crisis-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.
National Air Transportation Association President James Coyne believes 2007 will be a pivotal year for the charter industry with a number of different business models emerging to draw new customers into the market. He believes the charter market is in the middle of a decade of rapid growth that could result in a 10-fold increase in passengers. "I'm looking forward to a really big year for charter" in 2007, he said.
Wichita, Kan.-based aviation services company Yingling Aviation has launched a Joint Ownership Program to sell shares in refurbished Cessna Conquest twin turboprops and light jets. Yingling, which has been an authorized Cessna service center for 60 years, initially is offering joint ownership in Model 441 Conquest II and Model 425 Conquest I turboprops.
AmSafe Aviation, the Phoenix-based maker of restraint products, hopes to win certification in March of a safety belt with an integrated inflatable airbag for use in the Pilatus PC-12. The first application will be for a military customer, but the system is eventually expected to be offered to civilian operators of the single-engine turboprop as well.
The European Aviation Safety Agency is taking steps to develop and alter rules that govern building and use of replacement parts, or parts manufacturer approval parts. Various stakeholders have supplied EASA with information of PMA part use, the agency said, and how that use could affect EASA. That information, coupled with "the current state of negotiations" between the U.S. and the European Union regarding a future bilateral agreement, is driving the agency's review.
