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.
Petroleum Aerospace (PAS) signed a contract to buy one additional Q300 turboprop airliner, valued at $17.4 million (U.S.), from Bombardier Aerospace. PAS, based at Cairo International Airport, currently operates a fleet of four of the 50-passenger Q300s on behalf of Egyptian and foreign companies and also performs charter flights for tourists. "Our current Q300 aircraft have been performing very well in our hot and sandy climate so we have no hesitation in meeting our growing capacity requirements with an additional aircraft," said Gen.
Canadian simulator manufacturer CAE won a contract from Chinese officials to build the first full-flight simulator for the ARJ21 regional jet aircraft, which is being developed by China's AVIC 1 Commercial Aircraft Co. (ACAC).
Sky Connect, a Takoma Park, Md.-producer of Iridium-based aircraft tracking and telephone systems for rotorcraft, fixed-wing and marine applications, sold 75 TRACKER systems to Era Helicopters LLC in Lake Charles, La. Era, which also placed options for up to 50 more, will use the TRACKER systems to support its offshore oil operations. Era plans to equip its fleet of Agusta, Bell, Eurocopter and Sikorsky helicopters with the systems, including a satellite telephone link for voice capability.
Gulfstream Aerospace named Gerard Schkolnik director of the company's supersonic technology programs. Schkolnik will oversee sonic boom suppression research as well as research on structural concepts, advanced materials, propulsion integration and supersonic aerodynamics in support of Gulfstream's supersonic flight initiatives. He has nearly 20 years of flight research, development, test and evaluation experience.
Model Hawker 800XP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-24084; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-017-AD] - proposes to require inspecting certain bus bars in the DA-A panel to ensure that the bus bars match the panel configuration and clearance is adequate between the bus bars and adjacent components, and performing corrective action if necessary. This proposed AD results from two reports of inadequate clearance between the bus bars in the DA-A panel.
EMB-120 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2006-24072; Directorate Identifier 2006-NM-016-AD] - proposes to require replacing the de-icing system ejector flow control valves with new, improved control valves having hermetically sealed switches; and rewiring applicable connectors. This proposed AD results from a fuel system review by the manufacturer. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent a potential source of ignition near a fuel tank, which, in combination with flammable fuel vapors, could result in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the airplane.
March 20-23 - National Business Aviation Association International Operators Conference, Tampa, Fla., (202) 783-9000 March 22-23 - Federal Aviation Administration General Aviation Summit, Doubletree Hotel, Overland Park, Kan., (816) 329-4117 March 23-25 - 17th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference, Opryland Hotel, Nashville, Tenn., (937) 839-4647
Joins Adam Aircraft as chief operating officer. Johnson formerly held a number of positions with the Northrop Grumman Electronics Sector, including vice president, network-centric systems; vice president, F-16 sensor systems; vice president, supply chain management; and vice president, aerospace systems program operations. He also has held executive positions with AlliedSignal Technical Services, McDonnell Douglas and General Dynamics.
501-D series turboprop engines [Docket No. 2001-NE-01-AD] - proposes to supersede an existing AD that currently requires removal from service of certain turbine rotor components at reduced life limits. This proposed AD would require the same actions but adds two new life limits. This proposed AD results from RRC reevaluating and revising component life limits for 501-D22 series turboprop engines. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent uncontained turbine rotor failure resulting in an in-flight engine shutdown and possible damage to the airplane.
The National Transportation Safety Board, for the second time this month, renewed its call for use of flight data and cockpit voice recorders on all transport-category helicopters - and took FAA to the woodshed for policies the safety board said make it easy for manufacturers and operators to avoid existing requirements that they use such units.
MD Helicopters, Inc. signed a long-term agreement under which Triumph Gear Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of the Triumph Group, will supply transmissions for MDHI's MD 500 and MD 600N model single-engine helicopters. Triumph also provides components for the MD Explorer transmission, which is made by Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
