FAA's certification shortages have become a development risk to manufacturers and threaten business plans, Cessna Chairman, President and CEO Jack Pelton told a congressional panel in Wichita, Kan. Wednesday. House aviation subcommittee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.), who hosted the hearing with aviation subcommittee members Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.) and transportation appropriations subcommittee member Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), asked about concerns that cuts in FAA's certification services could jeopardize U.S. competitiveness.
Jet Aviation has completed its acquisition of Midcoast Aviation, the St. Louis, Mo.-based business aviation maintenance and modification facility that also provides fixed-base operator services. Jet Aviation, which is attempting to broaden its presence in the U.S. aviation market, announced plans in January to buy Midcoast (BA, Jan. 30/41). Midcoast is a well-respected name in business-jet circles, providing a full array of services for aircraft operators and specializing in executive aircraft made by Dassault Falcon, Raytheon Aircraft and Bombardier.
Executive Jet Management claims it is generating lots of revenues for its aircraft management clients who put their aircraft on EJM's charter certificate. Cincinnati, Ohio-based EJM said 32 client aircraft in its charter fleet each generated more than $1 million in charter revenue last year, compared with 25 aircraft that reached the $1 million mark in 2004. "All of these management clients exhibit similar traits," said Albert C. Pod, president and CEO of EJM.
Model BAe 146 and Model Avro 146-RJ airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-23477; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-181-AD; Amendment 39-14507; AD 2006-05-10] - requires a one-time detailed inspection for corrosion of the hinge bracket assembly of the left and right main landing gear (MLG) doors, and corrective action, if necessary. This AD results from in-service reports of hinge bracket failures on the MLG doors.
Raytheon Aircraft is handing over two Beechcraft King Air B200Cs to Gama Aviation Limited at Farnborough Airport. The aircraft will be used for the Scottish Ambulance Service. The B200C is a cargo variant of the King Air with a wide cargo door. The aircraft are equipped with Lifeport Pneumatically Assisted Loading and Dual Patient stretcher systems.
Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-N.Y.), a 12-term congressman who is chairman of the House Science Committee, announced he will not run for re-election this fall. Boehlert has served on the Science Committee since 1983 and became chairman in 2001. The committee oversees aviation research, NASA, the National Science Foundation and a host of other activities. He also is a founding member of the House Homeland Security Committee.
FAA agreed to extend by 45 days its March 23 deadline for comments on its proposed rule to reduce fuel tank flammability in transport category aircraft. The agency released its preliminary rulemaking last November. Air Canada, KLM, Thomsonfly and Virgin Atlantic all asked for an extension, followed by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines, the Air Transport Association and the Association of European Airlines.
Hundreds of airline pilots have unsuccessfully sought exemptions from FAA to permit them to continue flying for Part 121 carriers past the mandatory retirement age of 60, but few have been as persuasive as US Airways pilot John R. Ham of Aurora, Colo. Ham, who will turn 60 on May 15, told FAA this month that he has more than 21,000 hours of accident/incident-free flying. "To replace me would entail hiring a much less qualified pilot, thus marginally decreasing aviation safety," Ham said in his request for an exemption.
March 28-30 - National Air Transportation Association/Professional Aviation Maintenance Association, GSE Aviation Services and Suppliers AS3 Supershow, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev., (703) 845-9000 April 4-10 - Experimental Aircraft Association Sun 'n' Fun Fly-In, Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Lakeland, Fla., (920) 426-4800 May 3-5 - European Business Aviation Association Convention and Exposition EBACE2006, Geneva, Switzerland, (202) 783-9000
The Federal Aviation Administration is planning a series of briefings for inspectors, charter operators and aircraft owners to clear up confusion about the agency's policy on wet leasing aircraft and operational control. The agency released guidance in October on wet leasing that raised a number of questions on crew employment and how to determine who has operational control of which flight (BA, Oct. 31/196). Under a wet lease, the aircraft owner provides the aircraft and at least one crew member.
American Legend Aircraft Company signed a cooperative agreement with Lincoln Electric Company. Lincoln Electric provides welding equipment for Legend Cub manufacture, including TIG welders that are used to build the tubular chromoly airframe. The Legend Cub is a two-place, single-engine piston-powered aircraft designed to meet light-sport aircraft certification requirements.
The Federal Aviation Administration this month reopened the comment period on a proposed exemption to the Part 135 cargo weight threshold after the Air Line Pilots Association expressed concern about the "potential safety implications" of such a change. FAA in February proposed granting an exemption to cargo carrier Ameriflight from a requirement that cargo aircraft with a payload capacity of more than 7,500 pounds be operated under Part 121.
Address: Comments may be submitted via the Web: http://dms.dot.gov; by fax: (202) 493-2251; or by mail: Docket Management Facility, U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 Seventh Street S.W., Nassif Building, Room PL-401, Washington, D.C. 20590-001. Identify docket number. Petitions for Exemption Docket No.: FAA-2006-24241 Petitioner: Aero Sports Connection Section of 14 CFR Affected: 21.190(c)(2) and 21.191(i)(1)
Joined Landmark Aviation as vice president and general manager of the Los Angeles International Airport facility. Lamb has 20 years of industry experience, most recently as director of product support for Gulfstream Aerospace in Dallas. He also was director of engineering quality at Gulfstream, where he served as chief inspector for the repair station and managed completions and service engineering. He also served with Pilkington Aerospace and McDonnell Douglas.
Artouste III B, Artouste III B1, and Artouste III D turboshaft engines [Docket No. FAA-2006-23594; Directorate Identifier 2005-NE-54-AD; Amendment 39-14497; AD 2006-04-15] - requires removing certain fuel pumps from service and installing serviceable fuel pumps. This AD results from a report that an acceptance test facility used test equipment that was out of calibration, on certain fuel pumps, and those fuel pumps might have been accepted with a limitation in the maximum available fuel flow.
Model SAAB-Fairchild SF340A and SAAB 340B airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-24075; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-235-AD] - proposes to require 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 proposed AD results from a report of a cracked uplock axle caused by hydrogen embrittlement during the manufacturing process.
Cessna Wednesday completed a one hour and nine minute first flight of the newest iteration of the Cessna Encore business jet - the Encore+. The first production Encore+ completed its initial flight from Rockwell Collins' facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The aircraft underwent testing for basic stability, flap and landing gear extension and retraction, controllability, trim actuation, engine operating characteristics and basic autopilot operation.
Transport Canada canceled the air operator certificate formerly held by NexJet Aviation Inc., the agency announced March 8. The decision to cancel the carrier's certificate was "based on a review of the company's records relating to a number of suspension, and Notices of Suspension, regulatory offenses and the company's inability to demonstrate operational control, including proper record keeping and aircraft maintenance," Transport Canada said.
Fractional Aircraft Operator Flight Options selected Aerospace Products International's Electronic Supply Program (ESP) to manage the recertification cycle and associated logistics of its life raft and survival equipment inventories. Flight Options, which operates some 200 aircraft including the world's largest fleet of 400A business jets, also will have access to API's inventory of Beechcraft spare parts.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators were on the scene of a fatal Beech 99 crash last week, trying to determine what happened to the lightly loaded cargo flight.
Some observers believe the resignations of Mandell and Pinkerton may signal the start of a larger exodus from Blakey's staff as she nears the end of her five-year term as FAA Administrator, which expires Sept. 13, 2007.
Propellers [Docket No. FAA-2005-20856; Directorate Identifier 2004-NE-25-AD; Amendment 39-14502; AD 2006-05-05] - requires, for certain MT-Propeller variable pitch and fixed pitch propellers with serial numbers (S/Ns) below 95000 and that have not been overhauled since April 1994, overhauling the propeller blades within 30 days after the effective date of the AD. This AD also requires performing initial and repetitive visual inspections of affected propeller blades.
