EMBRAER and BNP Paribas signed a line-of-credit agreement valued at $500 million that is designed to permit the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer to reduce its overall debt load.
Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-25657; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-187-AD; Amendment 39-14735; AD 2006-17-14] - Supersedes an existing AD that requires inspecting contactors 1K4XD, 2K4XD, and K4XA to determine the type of terminal base plate, and applying sealant on the terminal base plates, if necessary. This new AD revises the effective date of the existing AD. This AD results from incidents of short circuit failures of certain alternating current (AC) contactors located in the avionics bay.
COLUMBIA AIRCRAFT SALES, based in Groton, Conn., was named an exclusive distributor for Diamond aircraft in New England, New York and New Jersey. Diamond produces the DA20 trainer, the DA40 Diamond Star that is equipped with a Garmin G1000 glass cockpit and the turbo-diesel DA42 Twin Star. Diamond also is developing a five-place personal jet, the D-JET.
Brazilian manufacturer Embraer announced an agreement valued at nearly $3 billion to provide a Chinese carrier with a fleet of regional jets, half of which will be built in China.
Model MD900 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2006-24631; Directorate Identifier 2005-SW-01-AD; Amendment 39-14739; AD 2006-18-01] - Supersedes an existing AD that currently requires reducing the life limit of certain Notar fan system tension-torsion (TT) straps. That existing AD also requires, at a specified time interval, removing each affected TT strap from the helicopter, doing a visual and X-ray inspection, and replacing any unairworthy part before further flight.
The Federal Aviation Administration has backed away from mandating new runway distance calculations next month, instead making the runway margins voluntary while the agency goes through a formal rulemaking process to implement the requirements. The agency Thursday issued a "Safety Alert for Operators" (SAFO), saying that the runway distance margins were recommended and operators should voluntarily adopt them.
The Pentagon plans to remove some manned aircraft from Air National Guard units and replace them with unmanned aerial vehicles by year's end. An initial group of crews from the California ANG's 163rd Air Refueling Wing, which has operated KC-135s, has been flying missions in Iraq from cockpits at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. The 163rd has sent 13 crews, each comprising a pilot and a senior operator, through MQ-1 Predator training.
A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) released last week will ease the process for international flights entering the U.S., canceling the waiver and "portal" country requirements that were put in place after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The NOTAM, issued Aug. 23, codifies the National Security Flight advisory released Aug. 18 (BA, Aug.
Conklin & De Decker released the latest version of its Life Cycle Cost software, which helps detail the costs of owning and operating an aircraft. The software, which uses Microsoft Excel, tracks acquisition cost, operating costs, taxes, the final aircraft residual value and revenues for commercial operations. The software also analyzes the various methods of acquisition (lease, finance, purchase, shared and fractional ownership) as well as different ways to operate (corporate, commercial and managed).
Model ATR 42-500 airplanes and Model ATR72-212A airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-25610; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-260-AD; Amendment 39-14727; AD 2006-17-06] - Supersedes an existing AD, which requires repetitive inspections for cracking of the upper closing rib of the vertical fin, related investigative actions, and corrective actions if necessary. This new AD requires modifying the installation of the vertical leading edge fairing at the fin tip, which ends the repetitive inspections.
The National Air Transportation Association has scheduled its 10th annual Day On The Hill Sept. 13. The event will provide an opportunity for NATA members to discuss issues affecting the industry with members of the House and Senate. For more information, contact the association at (800) 808-6282.
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] - Proposes to require 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 proposed AD results from the determination that, as airplanes age, they are more likely to exhibit indications of corrosion.
September 25 - Greater Washington Business Aviation Association Golf Tournament, Herndon, Va., Centennial Golf Course, email: [email protected] October 17-19 - National Business Aviation Association 59th Annual Meeting & Convention, Orlando, Fla., (202) 783-9000 October 27 - 64th annual Wings Club Dinner-Dance honoring Al Ueltschi, Chairman FlightSafety International, Inc. with its Distinguished Achievement Award; Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, New York, 212-867-1770, email: [email protected].
FAA also signed off on long-awaited guidance for Organization Designation Authorization. Beginning in November, the agency will phase out other delegation programs, such as the Designated Alteration Station, Delegation Option Authorization and Organizational Designated Airworthiness Representatives, in favor of the ODA. The guidance provides the template for organizations to obtain ODA status.
The National Transportation Safety Board Friday issued an "Urgent" recommendation for the Federal Aviation Administration to require Beechjet 400 pilots to activate ignition and anti-ice systems in wet conditions at high altitude to protect against dual engine flameouts.
John M. (Jack) Gallagher,, 70, the former director of flight operations for the Gannett Company, died Aug. 23 in Leesburg, Va. after a brief illness. A native of Scranton, Pa. and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, Gallagher worked for the Gannett Company for 30 years before retiring in 1998. He resided in Rochester, N.Y. for many years before moving to Oakton, Va. in 1984. He had lived in Ashburn, Va. since 2001. Survivors include Jean, his wife of 45 years, four children, six grandchildren and four sisters.
Flight Safety Technologies (FST), Mystic, Conn., said the Securities and Exchange Commission has terminated an informal investigation of the company. FST said it was notified in December 2003 that SEC staffers were conducting an investigation "that appeared to be looking into certain analyst reports about the company, and its press releases," although the SEC did not assert that the company had acted improperly or illegally. FST said last week it was notified Aug.
St. George, Utah, is one step closer to getting a new airport now that FAA has completed its environmental impact analysis on a new site five miles southeast of the city's downtown area. The new site was chosen out of six potential sites. In its Record of Decision (ROD), FAA said the city's plans to build an airport with a 9,300-foot runway on 1,300 acres met all environmental and safety guidelines, and would not have an adverse effect on local parks. The new airport would be able to accommodate regional jets flown by hometown carrier SkyWest Airlines.
Brazilian manufacturer Embraer plans to make a splash next week at the New York Stock Exchange. Scheduled for Sept. 5, the day after Labor Day, the Embraer event will include a press conference and the opportunity to visit a full-scale mockup of the company's Phenom 300 light jet, which is currently in development.
Slots and more slots: FAA last week published a proposal and a final rule capping operations at two of the nation's busiest airports, New York LaGuardia (LGA) and Chicago O'Hare (ORD). The proposed LGA "operating authorizations" would limit scheduled carrier use of regional jets with fewer than 100-plus seats. Non-scheduled operators would continue accessing LGA under a slot reservation system similar to the one currently in effect.
Model EMB-135BJ airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-24366; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-040-AD; Amendment 39-14716; AD 2006-16-16] - Requires inspecting for missing fire blocking material on the left- and right-hand partitions of the forward baggage compartment door; replacing the seal on both partitions; and performing corrective action if necessary. This AD results from a report indicating that certain airplanes were delivered with the fire blocking material missing and the seal improperly installed on the partitions of the forward baggage compartment door.
The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command will host a Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Industry Day next month in Maryland. The session will be held Sept. 14 at the Maryland Higher Education Center in California, Md., not far from the Navy's test center at Patuxent River Naval Air Station. The event, open to members of the aerospace industry as well as the public, will discuss the future of naval aviation flight training and opportunities for future industry involvement.
A cross-section of industry and government officials has begun to draft education standards for technicians who specialize in avionics installation and integration. The effort is part of a larger government-sponsored project, the National Center for Aviation Technician Training (NCATT), which was created to promote aircraft maintenance professionalism.
