The Federal Aviation Administration scaled back the scope of new insulation requirements after industry groups warned that the new rules were so expansive that they would apply to thousands of parts that are no longer available, a situation that could ground some aircraft unless the rules were changed (BA, Aug. 22/78). FAA released the amendment to its thermal/acoustic insulation rule in the Dec.
David Schoen was appointed to the newly created position of vice president of technology development for Iridium. Schoen will oversee the flow of new technology and product development through manufacturing and delivery. Schoen formerly was vice president of technology development for ORBCOMM, where he acted as program manager for the development and launch of an $8 million technology demonstrator satellite. Before that, he was director of production development for Iridium, where he initiated the development of new subscriber equipment.
Helicopter Association International hired a former National Transportation Safety Board investigator as director of safety and flight operations. John (Jack) Drake spent six years in the U.S. Navy as a rescue helicopter pilot, flight instructor and safety officer. Drake spent 26 years with NTSB as an accident analyst, regional and go-team investigator and manager of the board's Aviation Engineering Division. He investigated more than 500 aviation accidents during his tenure at the safety board.
Bombardier Aerospace received a follow-on order from Caribbean Aircraft Leasing for another 50-seat Q300 turboprop. The order, valued at $16.3 million (U.S.), comes two months after Caribbean Aircraft Leasing ordered three Q300s. Either Caribbean Aircraft Leasing's regional airline, Caribbean Star Airlines Limited, based in Antigua, or Caribbean Sun Airlines Inc., based in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will operate the new aircraft. The airlines collectively operate 12 Bombardier 37-seat Dash 8/Q Series 100 and seven 50-seat Dash 8/Q Series 300 aircraft.
National Air Transportation Association President James Coyne and Joseph Fazio, general manager of Atlantic Aviation at Teterboro Airport in Teterboro, N.J., were selected to co-chair a working group for addressing concerns about noise, pollution and safety at the airport. The group was formed during a recent meeting with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to discuss airport concerns (BA, Jan. 2/1).
Landmark Aviation officials completed the acquisition of Skyport Flight Services at Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y., the first of what are expected to be a number of FBO acquisitions for Landmark.
Aspen Executive Air, which does business as AEXJET, named Tom Nofziger vice president and chief financial officer. Nofziger most recently served as CFO of Fiji Water. He previously held financial posts with Vail Resorts and Aspen Skiing Company. AEXJET is a private jet card membership operator.
Duncan Aviation officials are staging a series of "Chart-Topping Road Show" parties at its bases around the country to help celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. Donald Duncan sold his successful new car dealership in 1956 to enter the fledgling business aviation industry. Duncan subsequently became one of the country's first Learjet distributors and developed one of the nation's most successful aircraft maintenance and refurbishment companies.
LYCOMING AEIO-360, IO-360, O-360, LIO-360, and LO-360 series reciprocating engines [Docket No. FAA-2005-23269; Directorate Identifier 2005-NE-50-AD] - proposes to require replacing certain crankshafts. This proposed AD results from a report of a crankshaft failure in a Lycoming LO-360-A1H6 reciprocating engine. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent failure of the crankshaft, which could result in total engine power loss, in-flight engine failure, and possible loss of the aircraft. The proposed AD would affect an estimated 282 engines installed on aircraft on the U.S.
Raytheon Aircraft Company received the latest incremental award under its contract to deliver primary flight training aircraft for the U.S. Air Force and Navy. Wichita-based RAC received just under $269 million for JPATS T-6A production aircraft Lot 13, which includes 54 of the turboprop-powered, single-engine trainers.
Dassault Aviation named Jacques Pellas corporate secretary and Guy Piras executive vice president for industrial operations, procurement and purchasing. Pellas and Piras succeed Christian Decaix, executive vice president of operations, and Jean-Marc Grillet, senior vice president for industrial operations, both of whom retired. Pellas, most recently senior vice president for information systems, will oversee general organization matters, information system strategy, personnel management, and operating budgets.
Elliott Aviation completed flight testing and is approaching certification for group reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) supplemental type certificates for King Air 200, 300 and 350 series aircraft. With the STCs, Elliott will be able to seek RVSM approval for King Airs equipped with Collins, Honeywell and Bendix/King autopilots. Elliott will schedule RVSM installation beginning next month. For more information, contact Dan Frahmat at (800) 447-6711.
The board of directors of DeCrane Aircraft Holdings met Friday to discuss a new top executive for the company, which is based in Columbus, Ohio, following the death late last month of R. Jack DeCrane, 59, president and founder. Senior officials declined to discuss the board's decision Friday, but said an announcement is expected this week.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-1A11 (CL-600), CL-600-2A12 (CL-601), and CL-600-2B16 (CL-601-3A and CL-601-3R) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22627; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-156-AD; Amendment 39-14425; AD 2005-26-04] - requires measuring to detect migration of the lower gimbal pin and inspecting for other discrepancies of the horizontal stabilizer trim actuator (HSTA). This AD also requires replacing or modifying the HSTA, as applicable. This AD results from reports of failure of the lower gimbal pin of the HSTA.
Kathryn O'Leary Higgins was sworn in Jan. 3 as the newest member of the National Transportation Safety Board after she was confirmed by the Senate last month. The nomination of Higgins to fill the seat vacated by Carol Carmody generated controversy last summer with some safety advocates complaining about her lack of background in transportation safety. The Air Line Pilots Association was particularly disappointed because it had been pushing for Paul McCarthy, a former naval aviator and 32-year Delta Air Lines pilot, for the slot (BA, Aug. 15/65).
W.W. (Bill) Boisture, the well-traveled aviation executive, resigned last week as president of NetJets, the world's largest fractional aircraft service provider. Boisture joined Columbus, Ohio-based NetJets just over two years ago after nine years in top executive posts with Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah, Ga. (BA, Oct. 6, 2003/145).
MAX-VIZ won a contract to supply its EVS-1000 enhanced vision systems to Montreal-based Canadian Helicopters, which operates a variety of helicopters in emergency medical service, forestry, utility, mining, construction, police and filming missions. Canadian Helicopters selected the EVS after a 90-day trial that involved a variety of missions.
Steve Gross was promoted to director of worldwide sales for FlightSafety International. Gross has 25 years of aviation sales experience and joined FlightSafety in 1996. Most recently he was regional marketing director, working with FSI customers in the Northeast U.S. He also has held technical support and sales positions with British Aerospace.
Business aviation service provider Jet Aviation named John Langevin senior vice president and general manager of the company's fixed-base operation at the Teterboro, N.J. Airport (TEB). Langevin, a 20-year veteran of the aviation industry, began his career with Aero Services. Before his promotion he had been serving as director of FBO Services at TEB for Jet Aviation. Langevin succeeds Michael Szczechowski, who was previously named senior vice president and general manager of the company's aircraft management services in the U.S.
SHADIN ADC-2000 air data computers [Docket No. FAA-2005-21787; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-34-AD; Amendment 39-14401; AD 2005-25-08] - requires replacing affected ADC-2000 units with a modified unit. This AD results from reports that certain ADC-2000 units display incorrect altitude information on the Electronic Flight Information System (EFIS) to the pilot. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent ADC-2000 units, Part Numbers (P/Ns) 962830A-1-S-8, 962830A-2-S-8, and 962830A-3-S-8, configurations B, C, and D, from displaying incorrect altitude information.
Raytheon Company purchased the remaining shares of fractional jet operations provider Flight Options from Flight Options International. Raytheon had been slowly building up its ownership in Flight Options, and had a 97.6 percent stake in the Cleveland, Ohio-based fractional ownership company until the latest agreement (BA, Aug. 22/79). Terms of the transaction, under which Flight Options becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Raytheon Company, were not disclosed.
Israel's Civil Aviation Authority certificated the Flight Guard anti-missile protection system for installation on commercial aircraft. Flight Guard is designed to protect commercial aircraft from heat-seeking missiles. It was designed by Israel Aircraft Industries' Elta Systems Group for use on military aircraft, but won CAA approval for use on civilian aircraft after a series of tests using a Boeing 767 airliner. The Israeli government decided in 2002 to adopt Flight Guard to protect the nation's civilian passenger aircraft.
