South Carolina Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer and a friend were able to escape from a crashed Mooney M20E last week moments before the wrecked airplane caught fire and burned. Bauer, 37, who has been a pilot since 2003, was attempting to take off from a dirt airstrip in rural Cherokee County just south of the North Carolina border shortly after 1800 Tuesday night. He was accompanied by John M. Leonhardt Sr., 70, a friend and the former owner of the aircraft, who frequently flew as a co-pilot on Bauer's flights.
House Democrats are gaining momentum in their campaign to force a vote on legislation that would stymie FAA's ability to impose a controller contract, but the crucial Republican support that the Democrats need is proving elusive.
Model EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-24696; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-038-AD] - Proposes to require replacing the electrical bonding clamps inside the fuel tanks and adjacent areas. This proposed AD results from a report of a failure of a fitting clamp of an electrical bonding cable for the fuel tubing. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent loss of bonding protection in the interior of the fuel tanks or adjacent areas, and a consequent potential source of ignition in a fuel tank and possible fire or explosion.
Bombardier will likely debut its touted 900X before a stretched Q400 turboprop as the airframer firms up the necessary design changes and discussions with potential customers continue. The company has put more emphasis on stretching current aircraft models since scaling back its plans for the new C-series aircraft family earlier this year. Previously, Bombardier said it was evaluating a 100-seat version of the 86-seat CRJ-900 and a 90-seat version of the Q400 turboprop, which is currently offered in a 70- to 76-seat configuration.
Joined AirCell as European sales manager. Based in Cortaillod, Switzerland, Rosenfeld will lead AirCell's European sales effort and manage the company's network of dealers and installation facilities. He previously was European GA sales manager for DAC International, where he represented a range of aviation products in the region, including AirCell. He also has held positions with companies including Silicon Graphics and EM Micro-Electronique Marin.
Hillsboro Aviation won a contract to retrofit a Bell 206L-4 helicopter with new security, communications and surveillance equipment for the Chicago Police Department. The retrofit will include an Avalex Moving Map, a 12-inch LCD monitor, digital video recorder and FLIR pointing system and a FLIR Ultra 8500XR thermal imager/camera. Other airborne police equipment will include a microwave radio downlink system and a Spectrolab SX-5 Nightsun.
Named interiors manager for Elliott Aviation, the Moline, Ill.-based aviation services company. Ball will oversee all interior completion and refurbishment projects at the company's Completion Center at Quad Cities International Airport. He has nearly 30 years of aircraft interior completions experience, previously serving with Bombardier Aerospace in Tucson, Ariz., where he was responsible for overseeing interiors installations in Challenger 300 and Global Express aircraft.
Conklin & De Decker will hold its 4th annual Commercial Operators and Management Tax Course June 22-23 in Dallas, Texas. The two-day course is designed to discuss tax issues involving aircraft management and charter companies. Sessions cover management and charter agreements, workers compensation, financial options, federal excise taxes, SEC reporting requirements, international fees, insurance and state tax planning. Registration costs $895. For more information, contact Christine Preston at (480) 922-3540.
MU-2B series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-23883; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-12-AD] - Proposes to require incorporating power assurance charts into the Limitations Section of the Airplane Flight Manual (AFM), inspecting the engine torque indication system, and recalibrating the torque pressure transducers as required.
Model 45 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-24792; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-102-AD; Amendment 39-14599; AD 2006-10-15] - Requires a review of airplane maintenance records to determine whether inspections identified by certain inspection reference numbers (IRNs) have been done.
FAA hopes to clarify certain flight and duty time rules after receiving a number of inquiries from operators and other aviation interests about what constitutes proper rest time and what constitutes unforeseen circumstances. The agency earlier this month requested public comment on whether late-arriving passengers or cargo may be considered an unforeseen circumstance and whether the rest period under Part 135.267(d) must be "timely received."
June 3 - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Fly-In and Open House, Frederick Municipal Airport, Frederick, Md., (301) 695-2000, www.aopa.org/fly-in June 5-7 - Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association, 2006 Spring Conference, Wichita, Kan., Hyatt Regency Hotel, www.raccaonline.org June 21 - Wings Club Luncheon featuring Scott Donnelly, president & CEO of GE Aviation, Yale Club, New York City, (212) 867-1770, email: [email protected].
ARINC Direct Aircraft Services earned an expanded Part 145 certification covering a range of aircraft maintenance services. The certification enables the Colorado Springs, Colo. facility to provide heavy maintenance in addition to avionics integration, instrument and accessory overhaul and repairs. The 20,000-square-foot facility can provide maintenance on more than 50 types of aircraft from single-engine pistons to large business jets.
Model SR20 and SR22 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-24010; Directorate Identifier 2006-CE-14-AD] - Proposes to require checking the maintenance records to determine whether the brake caliper piston O-ring seals were replaced at the last annual or 100-hour inspection. If the O-rings were not replaced, this proposed AD would require replacing the O-ring seals with new seals or replacing brake calipers.
Model SA-365 N1, AS-365 N2, N3, SA 366 G1, and EC-155B and B1 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2006-24588; Directorate Identifier 2006-SW-07-AD; Amendment 39-14581; AD 2006-09-10] - Requires a one-time inspection for end play in the pitch control rod assembly double bearing using the tail rotor (T/R) hub control plate, and before further flight, replacing the bearing if end play is present. This amendment is prompted by one incident in which a pilot lost T/R pitch control of a helicopter while landing.
Bill Noe was named president of NetJets International, Inc. (NJI), the wholly owned subsidiary of fractional provider NetJets Inc. An earlier issue incorrectly stated that Noe had been named president of NetJets, which has its principal operations base in Columbus, Ohio (BA, May 15/224). NetJets International Inc. was created in 1995 and operates NetJets' U.S. Gulfstream large-cabin aircraft fleet. NJI is the single largest operator of Gulfstream aircraft in the world.
Cessna Aircraft is planning a 10th anniversary celebration this Wednesday at its Independence, Kan. manufacturing facility. The Independence factory was built to manufacture Cessna's line of single-engine aircraft when the company decided to get back into the single-engine market following passage of the General Aviation Revitalization Act in 1994. That legislation provided protection to manufacturers from product liability lawsuits that had been plaguing the industry (BA, Aug. 22, 1994/79).
Aircraft Braking Systems Corp. (ABSC) was selected by Embraer to provide the wheels, brakes and brake control system for the new Phenom 100 Very Light Jet. ABSC, a subsidiary of K & F Industries Holdings, said the use of its brake-by-wire system will be the first in the VLJ arena. ABSC also is the wheel and brake provider for the Embraer 170, 175, 190 and 195 family of aircraft. The Phenom contract value "is estimated to approach $250 million" over the life of the program, according to K & F.
Exxonmobil Aviation increased its Avitat network with the addition of a fixed-base operation that recently opened at Knox County Regional Airport in Owls Head, Maine. The FBO, Maine Atlantic, provides jet fuel and aviation gasoline, hangar space, charter and a range of amenities, including a pilot sleeping lounge, fully equipped kitchen, private workspace and broadband, wireless Internet access. The airport, located on the Maine coast by Rockland and Penobscot Bay, has two runways, 5,000 and 4,000 feet long.
Nearly nine months after announcing plans to acquire Special Metals Corp. (SMC) of Huntington, W. Va. for $540 million, Precision Castparts Corp. (PCC) finally closed the deal last week, just days after winning approval from government regulators. Following a lengthy antitrust review by the Federal Trade Commission, PCC said it received clearance of its Hart-Scott-Rodino filing.
3M Aerospace has developed a security seal that warns of unauthorized access to aircraft doors, access panels or cargo compartments. The Tamper-Indicating Authentication Seals attach to a variety of surfaces, including stainless steel, aluminum, glass and painted metal. The adhesive-back seal changes appearance when tampering occurs.
Pilatus Aircraft signed an exclusive maintenance tracking service agreement with CAMP Systems. Pilatus named CAMP the factory-recommended maintenance tracking service for the PC-12 and will give owners of new PC-12 aircraft a year of CAMP services at no additional cost. The program will provide subscribers access to maintenance tracking information and an electronic logbook via the Internet.
