After months of discussions with industry groups, the Federal Aviation Administration hopes to release an operations specification that will more clearly define issues of operational control and acceptable wet-lease practices by late summer. The agency last week held the first of a series of briefings on operational control and wet leases in an attempt to clear up confusion surrounding the issue and lay the groundwork for the release of the specification.
Two government agencies reported that the U.S. aviation trust fund is rebounding nicely after years of decline and a new study by an aviation consultant claims that the trust fund is in healthier shape than advertised.
CAE won a contract valued at $22 million (Canadian) to build two EADS Casa C-295 simulators. One C-295 simulator is slated for the Brazilian Air Force, which is buying 12 C-295s. The other simulator will go to the EADS CASA training facility in Seville, Spain. The simulators are scheduled for delivery in late 2007.
Michel, who is vice president of marketing for Cessna Aircraft (BA, March 27/139), declined to discuss specifics of his proposal until members of the Executive Committee have been briefed. To maintain operations and keep BE A PILOT assets viable, program administration was moved to Wichita.
Named director of OEM product marketing for Avidyne Corp., Lincoln, Mass. An instrument-rated pilot and licensed A&P mechanic, Hathaway holds multiple college degrees. He had been serving as OEM sales manager for Avidyne.
Phil Michel, chairman of the BE A PILOT (BAP) program, was preparing to e-mail members of the organization's Executive Committee last week to assess their interest in proceeding with a downsized version of the program. The learn-to-fly promotional effort was launched about 10 years ago in an attempt to increase the number of general aviation pilots. The initiative was supported by financial commitments from companies and individuals in the GA business.
Model DHC-7 Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22146; Directorate Identifier 2002-NM-184-AD] - Revises an earlier NPRM for an airworthiness directive that applies to all Bombardier Model DHC-7 airplanes. The original proposal would have required implementing a corrosion prevention and control program (CPCP) either by accomplishing specific tasks or by revising the maintenance inspection program to include a CPCP. The original NPRM resulted from a determination that, as airplanes age, they are more likely to exhibit indications of corrosion.
Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) last week expressed concern that recent changes in jet fuel tax laws are hurting general aviation businesses (BA, March 20/125). During Tuesday's Senate Commerce Committee hearing on FAA funding, Burns, the chairman of the aviation subcommittee, said he was drafting legislation intended to streamline the process and asked whether the situation should be addressed in FAA reauthorization legislation.
Rockwell Collins received a commercial license from the Federal Communications Commission allowing the company's eXchange broadband data and live television system to operate in the U.S. FCC granted an experimental license in 2005 covering the initial deployment and testing. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa manufacturer collaborated with Connexion by Boeing and launch customer Bombardier to develop a broadband technology that the company said "is faster, lighter and stronger than existing offerings." Bombardier is installing the technology on a Global 5000 demonstrator.
Dallas Airmotive is designating its Lafayette, La. facility as a key support unit for component repair and exchange. Located in the midst of a number of Gulf of Mexico offshore support flight operations, the Lafayette plant has specialized in repairs on Rolls-Royce (Allison) 250 helicopter engines. Now Dallas Airmotive is planning to add component repair capability for the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A/T, JT15D and PW300/PW500 engine families. In addition to direct customer support, the Lafayette operation supports nine company regional turbine centers in the U.S.
Phil Michel, the veteran Cessna Aircraft marketing executive who announced plans last year to retire next month, will remain with the Wichita, Kan. aircraft manufacturer for an indeterminate period. Steve Fushelberger was named in September to succeed Michel as vice president of marketing (BA, Sept. 26/139), but he left Cessna last week for personal reasons, according to an internal memo. Michel was vacationing last week, but he expects to resume his duties early next month.
TPE331 series turboprop engines [Docket No. FAA-2006-23706; Directorate Identifier 2006-NE-03-AD] - proposes to require initial and repetitive dimensional inspections of the splines between the fuel pump and fuel control, for wear or damage. This proposed AD also would require replacing those fuel control assemblies with serviceable modified fuel control assemblies that have improved overspeed protection.
The new request for proposals (RFP) for the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) is largely the same as the draft RFP for the Future Cargo Aircraft (FCA) released by the Army last year prior to the Air Force coming onboard the program, according to competitor Raytheon.
Federal Aviation Administration last week proposed another airworthiness directive on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries MU-2B series airplanes. The AD calls for including information in the Limitations Section of the FAA-approved Airplane Flight Manual to protect against improper rigging of the propeller feathering linkage. The proposed AD is one of a series of actions the agency is taking as part of an overall design, maintenance and operational review of MU-2B series airplanes (BA, Jan. 30/45).
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on Friday travels to Asia to meet with his counterparts in China, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore on exploring ways to improve air cargo screening. In Hong Kong, Chertoff plans to inspect a pilot program that scans ship cargo containers before they are loaded. "I want to see it for myself," Chertoff told an audience at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, adding that any valuable techniques he sees would be adopted by U.S. security authorities.
House Aviation Subcommittee Chairman John Mica (R-Fla.) last week expressed concern that FAA is curbing its certification activities in fiscal 2006, even though Congress upped the agency's certification funding by $4 million to restore staff levels. FAA has indicated that it plans to use the $4 million to cover needs elsewhere in the agency (BA, Jan. 30/41). Mica told attendees at a hearing Wednesday on U.S.
FlightSafety International is hosting a Helicopter Safety Forum May 4-5 at the Marriott Dallas/Fort Worth South Hotel in Fort Worth, Texas. The forum will include safety-centered seminars and discussion groups with participation of industry experts and government officials. The forum will address air medical, law enforcement, fire, offshore and other corporate and commercial operations.
NAVAERO, the Chicago-based producer of electronic flight bag products, is collaborating with Eclipse Aviation to develop a diagnostic storage unit (DSU) for the Eclipse 500 very light jet. The DSU will collect in-flight performance and maintenance data that can be used for trend analysis and other purposes.
Brazilian manufacturer Embraer has completed the Joint Definition Phase (JDP) for its Phenom 100 Very Light Jet, the first in a series of business jet products the company is developing to complement its regional airliner business.
Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-24110; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-020-AD; Amendment 39-14508; AD 2006-05-11] - supersedes an existing AD that currently requires revising the airworthiness limitations section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness of the aircraft maintenance manual (AMM) by incorporating procedures for repetitive functional tests of the pilot input lever of the pitch feel simulator (PFS) units.
FAA earlier this month declined the petitions of dozens of Part 135 operators who sought extensions of long-standing exemptions from Mode S transponder requirements. The agency last fall said it planned to terminate all exemptions from Mode S equipment requirements on March 1, 2007 (BA, Oct. 10/161).
