PAUL CUMMINGS was promoted to manager of Duncan Aviation's avionics team in Battle Creek, Mich. Cummings has been assistant manager of the Battle Creek avionics shop since 2002. He originally joined the facility in 1995, when it was still Kal-Aero. Cummings left in 1997 to work at Garrett Springfield as a crew chief, and returned to Duncan Battle Creek in 2002.
EMBRAER Model EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-23145; Directorate Identifier 2000-NM-215-AD] - proposes to supersede an existing AD that applies to all Model EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP airplanes. The existing AD currently requires repetitive inspections to detect cracking or failure of the rod ends of the aileron power control actuator (PCA), and corrective actions if necessary.
Darby Aviation, which operates charter flights as AlphaJet International, received a $60,000 penalty imposed by DOT for its action in regard to Platinum Jet Management, a Fort Lauderdale company, whose leased Challenger aircraft crashed on takeoff at Teterboro, N.J., earlier this year. FAA is seeking some $3 million from Platinum over the incident (BA, July 18/23).
The Federal Aviation Administration Friday put aircraft owners on notice that beginning Feb. 1 they must ensure that their aircraft are properly registered or they could be denied access to the National Airspace System (NAS). FAA said in a Dec. 9 Federal Register notice that the agency, along with the Transportation Security Administration, "will revitalize and refocus our airspace monitoring capabilities to ensure that each aircraft operating within the National Airspace System has met all statutory, regulatory and certification requirements."
Bell Helicopter opened a new $20 million, 82,000-square-foot repair and overhaul center to support Bell military helicopters. The center received its first V-22 component from the U.S. Marine Corps. The center, which will seek FAA certification as a repair station, will employ about 80 people, who initially will work on rotor blades, gearboxes, transmissions and drive train components.
Jet Aviation added an Airbus 319 Corporate Jetliner to its Aircraft Management Division for Europe, the Middle East and the Far East. The aircraft will be based at Jet Aviation's new maintenance and fixed-base operation in Dubai.
ARLENE NIELSEN was appointed charter services manager for Executive Jet Management's office at the San Jose Center at the San Jose International Airport in California. Nielsen has 10 years of aviation sales and management experience, and most recently was director of charter sales for ACM Aviation in San Jose. She also has served as a flight attendant for a private company.
Several members of the general aviation community are expected to attend a meeting this month to discuss options for curbing operations and improving safety at Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New Jersey. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey called the Dec. 22 airport user meeting to explore possible voluntary restrictions. The Port Authority has considered a number of mechanisms for reducing operations, ranging from lowering the maximum landing weight, to increased fees, to an outright ban on Stage 2 aircraft.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2C10 (Regional Jet Series 700, 701, & 702) airplanes [Docket No. 2003-NM-46-AD; Amendment 39-14392; AD 2005-24-12] - requires an inspection of the thrust reverser cascades for correct installation; removing and reinstalling the cascade in the correct location, if necessary; and reworking the thrust reverser cascades to add locating spigots (metal protrusions) to each cascade, as applicable. This action is necessary to prevent asymmetric reverse thrust and consequent loss of control of the airplane during reverse thrust operation.
The General Aviation Handbook, A Guide to Postwar General Aviation Manufacturers and Their Aircraft, is now available from Ian Allan Publishing of the United Kingdom. The 320-page book includes more than 650 aircraft photographs and covers every manufacturer of light and business aircraft since the end of World War II. The new Third Edition has been completely revised and substantially expanded to provide coverage of the new generation of small light aircraft coming to market.
NEAL SEALCOCK was appointed airport director for the Spokane, Wash., Airport board. Sealcock will oversee Spokane International Airport, Felts Field and the Airport Business Park. He retired from the U.S. Army in May with the rank of brigadier general. A pilot, Army aviator and instructor pilot, he served in the Pentagon and in the American Embassies in Beijing, China; Canberra, Australia; Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea; and the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong.
TAG Aviation officials have agreed to crew and operate a fleet of Eclipse Very Light Jets ordered by The VLJ Flying Club, the latest twist on the fractional aircraft concept. The VLJ Flying Club is designed for individuals who are unwilling or unable to fly an Eclipse themselves. VLJ Flying Club founder Rolf Illsley has ordered 10 of the new VLJs and plans to sell quarter-shares in each to four different people. TAG would then provide the pilots and be responsible for other operating requirements.
Embraer won type certification Tuesday for its 100-seat Embraer 190 airliner from Transport Canada Civil Aviation (TCCA), clearing the way for the manufacturer to begin delivering the 45 Model 190 aircraft ordered by Air Canada. The 190 was certificated by Brazilian and U.S. officials in August.
Industry lobbyists are hoping to persuade lawmakers to drop two tax increases aimed at business aviation when they negotiate a comprehensive tax package in a House/Senate conference. The House Thursday in a 234-197 vote passed its version of a tax relief bill, the Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act, H.R.4297, but without two measures included in the Senate tax bill that have concerned industry advocates (BA, Dec. 5/259).
The meetings come as White House and DOT officials are beginning to craft their fiscal 2007 budget. The White House is not expected to include user fees in the 2007 budget, but sources believe the Bush administration will include language endorsing the concept of tying the revenue stream to actual costs. FAA is hoping to send a separate funding proposal - which could introduce the concept of cost-based fees - to Capitol Hill by spring, but sources say the agency is behind on the modernization component of its proposal.
National Transportation Safety Board member Ellen Engleman Conners last week asked President Bush to withdraw her nomination for a second term as NTSB chair after her nomination stalled in the Senate Commerce Committee. Conners initially became chair in March 2003 and her term expired in March 2005. The White House nominated her in April for another two-year term, but the Commerce Committee skipped over her nomination last month when it approved the nomination of Mark Rosenker as a member of the safety board (BA, Nov. 14/230).
EMBRAER Model EMB-135 and Model EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22033; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-218-AD; Amendment 39-14391; AD 2005-24-11] - supersedes an existing AD that requires repetitive inspections of the spring cartridges of the elevator gust lock system to determine if the lock washer projection correctly fits the slots in the cartridge flange, and corrective action if necessary. The existing AD also provides an optional terminating action for the repetitive inspections for certain airplanes.
Eclipse Aviation, aiming at certification of its Eclipse Very Light Jet next year, moved another step closer to that objective last week as FAA issued the Albuquerque, N.M. company its first Type Inspection Authorization. The TIA authorizes FAA personnel to begin test flights to achieve specific certification goals.
Cessna Aircraft Company selected the AirCell Axxess satcom system as a factory option on Citation X, Sovereign and XLS business jets. AirCell describes Axxess as an all-new "multi-channel, wireless and broadbase-ready satcom system designed for medium to large business aircraft." The standard system includes two Iridium satellite communications channels for voice and data services. The Axxess system is scheduled to be available on the three Citation business jet models by the third quarter of 2006.
AEROSPATIALE Model ATR 42-200, ATR 42-300, and ATR 42-320 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22454; Directorate Identifier 2001-NM-108-AD; Amendment 39-14395; AD 2005-25-02] - supersedes an existing AD, which currently requires inspections to determine the proper installation of rivets in certain key holes and to detect cracks in the area of the key holes where rivets are missing; and correction of discrepancies.
The heads of four general aviation associations met with Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and White House officials this month to discuss their concerns about the agency's campaign to overhaul the agency's current financing mechanism and move toward a cost-based system.
Summary: This notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of 14 CFR, dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
Business jet deliveries by Cessna Aircraft are expected to increase nearly 60 percent by the end of 2009, largely reflecting the addition of the Citation Mustang to the product line, according to a report last week by Ronald J. Epstein, a research analyst at Merrill Lynch. From an estimated 240 business jet deliveries this year, Epstein expects healthy increases in deliveries of Cessna's lower-end models (the CJ1, CJ2, Bravo, CJ3 and Encore) next year, pushing the 2006 total to 291 units.
