JSSI (Jet Support Services, Inc.) named KuBase Aviation Pvt. Ltd. as a sales representative for India and the Indian subcontinent. KuBase will oversee JSSI sales in India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bangladesh and Pakistan. In addition to India, JSSI has a sales and customer support presence in Europe, South Africa, North, Central and South America.
Cathay Pacific is so anxious to reduce the weight of its aircraft to save fuel that the carrier has decided to strip all the paint from the freighter aircraft in its fleet. Its first Boeing 747 freighter returned to service recently with a new silver polished livery. With the paint removed, the 747 is about 200 kilograms lighter and saves more than HK$1.5 million in annual fuel costs. Cathay Pacific consumes nearly two percent of all jet fuel used by the world's airlines because most of its flights are long-haul, the carrier said.
Lycoming (L)O-360, (L)IO-360, AEIO-360, O-540, IO-540, AEIO-540, (L)TIO-540, IO-580, AEIO-580, and IO-720 series reciprocating engines [Docket No. FAA-2006-24785; Directorate Identifier 2006-NE-20-AD] - Proposes to require replacing certain crankshafts. This proposed AD results from reports of 23 confirmed failures of similar crankshafts in Lycoming Engines 360 and 540 Series reciprocating engines. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent failure of the crankshaft, which will result in total engine power loss, in-flight engine failure, and possible loss of the aircraft.
Model Galaxy and Model Gulfstream 200 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-23478; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-175-AD; Amendment 39-14602; AD 2006-10-18] - Requires revising the Limitations section of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM) by incorporating revised takeoff performance tables. This AD results from a correction of the power setting logic and table limits in the performance model by the engine manufacturer.
Cessna Aircraft continues its steady march toward anticipated certification of the Citation Mustang business jet later this year. On Thursday S/N 0003, the first Mustang assembled in Independence, Kan., made a first flight lasting 2 hours and 20 minutes. That aircraft, the fourth produced to date, is slated to go into service in December as the company's first Mustang demonstrator. The Mustang prototype and S/Ns 0001 and 0002 have logged more than 1,250 test flight hours.
Model SAAB-Fairchild SF340A and SAAB 340B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-24075; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-235-AD; Amendment 39-14589; AD 2006-10-05] - Requires a one-time inspection to see if a faulty uplock axle for the shock strut of the main landing gear (MLG) is installed, and replacing the uplock axle with a new uplock axle if necessary. This AD results from a report of a cracked uplock axle caused by hydrogen embrittlement during the manufacturing process.
The Honeywell GTCP36-150 (CL) auxiliary power unit is now available as a retrofit option on Bombardier Challenger 604 and Challenger 601 business jets. The -150 model offers numerous improvements over the -100 units originally installed in those aircraft, Bombardier said, including higher temperature margins, resulting in an increased hot section interval of 2,400 hours, increased reliability and lower maintenance costs.
The fiscal 2007 FAA funding legislation passed by the House retains a measure barring FAA from lifting aircraft weight limitations at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. The measure has been included in recent FAA budget bills at the request of Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.), who wants to ensure that large aircraft such as the Boeing Business Jet are not permitted to use the airport. While Rothman has in the past expressed a desire to further curb operations at TEB, he did not include any other language to that effect in the budget bill.
Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-23841; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-214-AD; Amendment 39-14613; AD 2006-11-09] - Requires revising the Airworthiness Limitations section of the Instructions for Continuing Airworthiness of the Maintenance Requirements Manual to include revised threshold and repeat inspection intervals for the cargo door skin cut-out. This AD results from a report that a crack was discovered at the lower forward corner of a cargo door skin cut-out during fatigue testing.
Model DHC-8-102, -103, and -106 airplanes, and DHC-8-200 and DHC-8-300 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-24867; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-064-AD] - Proposes to require performing a one-time inspection for non-conforming chain links of chain assemblies of the elevator trim system and gust lock system, and corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD also requires temporary revisions to the Airplane Flight Manuals of the affected airplanes, which describe procedures for elevator trim checks.
Model S-92A helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2006-24875; Directorate Identifier 2006-SW-03-AD; Amendment 39-14618; AD 2006-11-14] - Requires inspecting each main transmission assembly mounting bolt for wear or corrosion, and if wear or corrosion is found, replacing the bolt, bolt barrel nut, and cage. This amendment is prompted by a report of a failure of a bolt that was discovered during a routine maintenance inspection.
Named director of sales for aviation communication systems specialist Wingspeed Corp. Grace will oversee sales of Wingspeed's XLLink Communications System product line. He previously was the program manager for new and existing commercial data link products/programs at Rockwell Collins. Before that, he was technical director for data link hardware and software development projects for Rockwell Collins.
Raytheon Aircraft expects the King Air C90GT to win certification from Transport Canada this month, followed by certification of the Premier IA in the third quarter.
CHC Helicopter Corp. said it was awarded a contract to continue providing helicopter services for offshore oil producers in Brazil with a larger fleet of helicopters. Working with Brazilian Helicopter Services Taxi Aereo (BHS), Vancouver-based CHC said it received a new five-year contract to provide eight Sikorsky S-76C+ helicopters to support Petrobras' operations in the Brazilian offshore market. The addition of the new aircraft will double the CHC fleet in Brazil to 16, the company said.
The Stumpf Group, an Austria-based company with wide-ranging industrial and real-estate investments, ordered an A319 Airbus Corporate Jet from the manufacturer. The ACJ will be powered by CFM International CFM56-5 engines. A decision on where the aircraft will be outfitted/completed is pending.
San Jose Jet Center, a full-service fixed-base operation and charter and management company, issued a request for proposals for the operation of an on-site aviation catering business. The jet center, which averages 1,200 departures a month, has scheduled a site visit June 28. Proposal deadline is July 31. The RFP can be accessed at http://www.sjjc.com/temp/SJJC_Catering_RFP.pdf.
Rolls-Royce broke ground for a new $42 million jet engine test facility at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. Rolls-Royce will use the facility to test development and prototype jet engines for performance, noise and systems validation. Initially, the center will test the Trent 1000 and Trent 900, under development for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A380, respectively. Work is expected to begin at the site in late 2007. The center is the first Rolls-Royce test facility outside the United Kingdom.
Capacity at Chicago's Midway Airport will be curtailed beginning today (June 19) because of a summer-long runway construction project there. Runway 13L/31R is being closed today and will remain out of service until Sept. 5. NBAA's GA Desk warned that the standard airport arrival/departure rate will be reduced while the construction project is under way. "We can expect some arrival delays when volume exceeds the reduced rate.
A U.S. district court ruled against Gulfstream Aerospace in a suit brought by the manufacturer against CAMP Systems International involving CAMP's use of Gulfstream maintenance manuals in its maintenance-tracking business. In a suit filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia in Savannah, Gulfstream had charged CAMP with copyright and trademark infringement, and sought damages. CAMP responded that Gulfstream's copyright claims were invalid and that CAMP's use of the Gulfstream maintenance manuals had been a "fair use" under the law.
A Gulfstream GV operated by a Swiss charter company recently surpassed 10,000 flight hours. Gulfstream said GV Executive AG, based in Zurich, Switzerland, achieved the 10,000-hour mark June 9 during an overnight flight between Lilongwe International Airport in Malawi and London-Luton Airport in England. The aircraft had accrued 2,411 takeoffs/landings when the flight arrived in Luton. G5 Executive took delivery of the airplane, S/N 517, on May 5, 1998. The company also operates three other Gulfstreams - two G550s and one G450.
Model S-76A, B, and C helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2006-24587; Directorate Identifier 2006-SW-05-AD] - Proposes to require inspecting all installed HR Textron main rotor servo actuators for a high rate of leakage and also inspecting for contaminated hydraulic fluid. The AD would also require reducing the time-in-service (TIS) interval for overhauling the servo actuators.
SATSair continued to expand its services, adding Manassas, Va. and Atlanta, Ga. as domiciles in the air taxi network. The air carrier is basing pilots and a Cirrus SR22 aircraft in both areas. Based in Greensville, S.C., SATSair is building a domicile network throughout the eastern U.S. The company dispatches aircraft from the nearest domicile to pick up customers at any airport in the service area that has a runway longer than 2,500 feet.
Honeywell NT5311A, T5311B, T5313B, T5317A, T5317A-1, and T5317B series turboshaft engines and Lycoming former military T53-L-11B, T53-L-11D, T53-L-13B, T53-L-13B/D, and T53-L-703 series turboshaft engines [Docket No. 98-ANE-72-AD; Amendment 39-14620; AD 2006-11-16] - Supersedes an existing AD that currently requires repetitive engine fuel pump pressure tests of certain fuel control regulator assemblies to determine if both fuel pumps in the fuel control regulator assemblies are producing fuel pressure.
