Model TBM 700 Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26232; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-62-AD] - Proposes to require, unless already done, the following actions.
FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION has delayed release once again of a new Operations Specification (A008) addressing aircraft operational control issues. The agency had targeted the end of November for release, but now is expected to issue the document this month (BA, Oct. 30/195). An FAA official cited "internal coordination" issues for the delay. Operators are expected to be given 60 days to demonstrate compliance.
NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD announced the appointment of John Clark to the post of chief scientist for aeronautical engineering. He had been director of aviation safety for NTSB. Also, Tom Haueter, deputy director of aviation safety, was named acting director of the office. The appointments were announced by NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker. Clark has been with NTSB since 1981, while Haueter joined the agency in 1983.
Jeanne Cook, the chief pilot for Columbia, S.C.-based Bankair, Inc., was elected last month to chair the board of directors of the Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association. She replaces David Corey, the president and CEO of AirNow, whose two-year term recently expired.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION promoted Jacqueline Rosser to director, regulatory affairs and Lindsey McFarren to manager, regulatory affairs. Rosser joined NATA in 1997 and most recently had served as senior manager, regulatory affairs. Rosser, a graduate of Southern Illinois University, has handled regulatory and security issues affecting the charter industry for the association. McFarren, a graduate of Embry-Riddle University, joined NATA in 2005 as manager, research and special projects.
Starting Jan. 23, citizens of the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Bermuda will be required to present a passport when arriving by air in the U.S. from any part of the Western Hemisphere, the U.S. State and Homeland Security departments announced.
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] - Proposes to supersede an existing AD applicable to certain Bombardier Model CL-600-2B16 (CL-604) airplanes and Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes. These models may be referred to by their marketing designations as RJ100, RJ200, RJ440, CRJ100, CRJ200, CRJ440, and CL-65.
A VETERAN TEST PILOT was killed in Germany last week when the No. 2 prototype of the Grob G180 SPn business jet he was flying crashed during a demonstration flight, putting the immediate future of the program under a cloud. See article on Page 253.
Teterboro, N.J.-based aircraft operators last week continued to hear noise complaints from area residents as they reiterated their promise to honor a series of voluntary restrictions developed by the Teterboro Airport Industry Working Group. The working group, comprising fixed-base operators, aircraft operators, tenants and aviation associations, unveiled a series of initiatives in October to improve safety and community relations at Teterboro Airport (BA, Oct. 9/162).
ENGINE MAKER Rolls-Royce said Friday it has begun "considering options for potential new facilities around the world," with all four of the company's global business sectors - Civil Aerospace, Defense Aerospace, Marine and Energy - having identified growth opportunities. The company said it had issued a Request for Qualifications to eight states - Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia. The company has 37,000 employees worldwide, including 8,000 at 66 locations in the U.S. and seven sites in Canada.
Grob Aerospace's second SPn test aircraft crashed Wednesday during a demonstration flight, killing the company's chief test pilot, Captain Gerard Guillaumaud. The aircraft, D-CGSP, crashed shortly after takeoff from Grob's Mattsies-Tussenhausen, Germany facility at 1315 local time. The aircraft, also known as the G-180, was on the second flight of the day.
Opening its doors to the public for the first time on Monday, Nov. 20, Honda Aircraft Company chose the occasion to introduce its recently appointed vice president for international sales, Yoshiaki Ikehata, and to provide visiting reporters with a tour of its Greensboro, N.C. facility. Ikehata was described as multi-lingual, with extensive sales experience globally.
Piper Aircraft realigned its sales territories in the Great Lakes and Western regions. Long-time Piper dealers Muncie Aircraft Sales and Des Moines Flying Service will help represent the Great Lakes region. Muncie will be responsible for Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and southern Illinois and Des Moines Flying Service will cover the Chicago area, Wisconsin, Iowa, Minneapolis, eastern North Dakota, South Dakota and Nebraska. Piper also added Central California and Hawaii sales and service to the coverage area of Southern California Piper.
Columbia Aircraft delivered its 500th aircraft, a Columbia 350, to Sherry Nesbitt Gettinger, during the Aircraft Owner and Pilot Association's Expo this month in Palm Springs, Calif. Eight years ago Columbia was presented with the FAA type certificate for its first aircraft, the Columbia 300, during the 1998 AOPA Expo, which also was held in Palm Springs.
The National Transportation Safety Board is concerned about the ability of pilots to restart high-bypass turbine engines in flight, and last week urged the Federal Aviation Administration to mandate a series of certification requirements to ensure restart capability. The recommendation stems from the Oct. 14, 2004 crash of a Pinnacle Airlines Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jet that was on a repositioning flight from Little Rock National Airport in Arkansas to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.
Model TBM 700 Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26234; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-64-AD] - Proposes to require, within the next 100 hours time-in-service (TIS) or 12 months, whichever occurs later after the effective date of this AD, and thereafter at intervals not to exceed 100 hours TIS, a detailed inspection of the area of Frames C18 BIS and C19 and application of corrective actions as necessary by doing all the applicable actions in accordance with the accomplishment instructions of the EADS SOCATA TBM Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 70-129, ATA No.
The chairmen and ranking members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees sent a letter to the director of the Office of Management and Budget this month urging that the fiscal 2008 budget documents now being prepared "not include proposals - whether they are fee increases, changes to mandatory programs, or similar authorization proposals that are not within the jurisdiction of the Appropriations Committee - that have the effect of lowering the discretionary spending top line while having little or no chance of being enacted into law." The letter does not specif
The Department of Transportation inspector general believes that finding consensus on funding the national airspace system is among the top management challenges the Federal Aviation Administration faces this year, but said the agency must reconcile the varying views to move forward with reauthorization. FAA also must better define its funding needs and more tightly control its costs, the IG said.
Named senior vice president of operations for AirSure Limited, a division of Van Gilder Insurance Corporation. Carr has more than 17 years of claims, underwriting, regulatory, marketing and operations management experience in the property and casualty insurance industry.
Model TBM 700 Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-26191; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-60-AD] - Proposes to require, within the next 100 hours time-in-service (TIS) or 12 months, whichever occurs first, after the effective date of this AD, verifying that there is no lateral play for both elevator trim tabs and correct, as necessary, by installing a setting washer as instructed in the EADS SOCATA TBM Aircraft Mandatory Service Bulletin SB 70-135, ATA No. 55, dated December 2005.
Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-25437; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-136-AD; Amendment 39-14828; AD 2006-23-16] - Requires modifying the nose landing gear. This AD results from reports of loss of the nose wheel assembly. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent the nose wheel nut from loosening, and consequently, the nose wheel assembly detaching from the airplane; and to prevent the nose wheel clamping loads from applying to the machined radius at the root of the stub axle, which could result in damage to the nose landing gear.
Regional Turboprop manufacturer ATR selected Servigistics, a leading strategic service management solutions provider, to manage ATR's global and worldwide service parts inventory. The addition of Servigistics is part of the aircraft manufacturer's (ASTRE) project - ATR Spares Total Re-Engineering.
