Safe Flight Instrument Corp. said its AutoPower autothrottle system will be standard equipment on new Bombardier Challenger 605 and 850 business jets/corporate shuttles.
The Federal Aviation Administration is sorting through some 140 recommendations drafted by the industry-led Part 135/125 Aviation Rulemaking Committee (ARC) and eventually could release as many as six rulemakings - along with a number of less formal regulatory determinations - as a result of those recommendations. FAA is expected to consider formal proposals covering flight and duty time, Part 23 aircraft certification standards, training, Part 125/cargo operations, airships and a comprehensive miscellaneous rule covering many aspects of Parts 91, 119 and 135.
SAAB Model 2000 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22255; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-106-AD; Amendment 39-14362; AD 2005-23-04] - requires modifying the manual feather-and-unfeather system for the propellers to make the design of the system more robust. This AD results from reports of in-flight engine shutdown caused by uncommanded operation of the feather pump of the propeller. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent uncommanded feathering of the propeller, which could result in the shutdown of an engine during flight and consequent reduced controllability of the airplane.
ROLLS-ROYCE (formerly Allison Engine Company, Allison Gas Turbine Division, and Detroit Diesel Allison) 250-B and 250-C Series turboprop and turboshaft engines [Docket No. FAA-2005-22594; Directorate Identifier 2005-NE-28-AD] - proposes, for certain 250-B and 250-C series turboprop and turboshaft engines with certain part numbers (P/Ns) of gas producer rotor assembly tie bolts manufactured by EXTEX Ltd., Pacific Sky Supply Inc., Rolls-Royce Corporation and Superior Air Parts Inc., to require operators to remove from service affected gas producer rotor assembly tie bolts.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) Airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22867; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-209-AD; Amendment 39-14359; AD 2005-23-01] - requires revising the Airworthiness Limitations section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness of the Canadair Regional Jet Maintenance Requirements Manual by incorporating new procedures for repetitive detailed and special detailed inspections for cracking of the aft pressure bulkhead.
Aircell unveiled a new multi-channel, wireless and broadband-ready satcom system for use aboard medium and large business aircraft. The Axxess system includes two Iridium satellite communications channels for voice and narrowband data services. The system can accommodate up to two more Iridium channels and includes an Ethernet port for high-speed Inmarsat connection. The system will be available in mid-January and the wireless features and broadband compatibility will be available following FAA certification in the second quarter of 2006.
NTSB URGES INSPECTIONS ON S-76 ACTUATORS - Problems with hydraulic actuators on a Sikorsky S-76C+ helicopter that crashed in August spurred the National Transportation Safety Board to issue urgent recommendations for Sikorsky S-76 operators to inspect for hydraulic fluid contamination and main rotor actuator leakage. The S-76C+, operated by Copterline, crashed into the Baltic Sea Aug. 10, killing two pilots and 12 passengers.
EMBRAER Model ERJ 170 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22910; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-208-AD; Amendment 39-14372; AD 2005-23-14] - requires repetitively replacing the low-stage check valve and associated seals of the right-hand engine bleed system. This AD results from a report that an engine shut down during flight because a low-stage check valve failed to close. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent failure of the low-stage check valve, which could result in an engine shutting down during flight. Effective date is Nov. 29, but FAA will accept comments until Jan. 13.
ARINC Direct signed an agreement with iJET Intelligent Risk Systems, a risk management and crisis response specialist, to provide destination intelligence to business jet operators through the ARINC Direct flight services suite. ARINC Direct customers will have real-time access to iJET's global intelligence database, including current risk and situation information, weather, political climate and vaccination requirements for specific locations.
TERRY BACOLA was named general manager of the Little Rock, Ark. service center for Dassault Aircraft Services. Bacola will oversee day-to-day operations of the center and integrate functions of the Little Rock and Wilmington, Del. service centers. Bacola joined Dassault Falcon subsidiary Midway Aircraft Instrument Corp. in December 1994 as vice president and general manager and was promoted to president in January 2001. He will continue as Midway president and split his time between Midway's Teterboro, N.J. offices and the Little Rock center.
LEARJET Model 23, 24, 24A, 24B, 24B-A, 24D, 24D-A, 24E, 24F, 25, 25A, 25B, 25C, 25D, and 25F airplanes modified by Supplemental Type Certificate SA1731SW, SA1669SW, or SA1670SW [Docket No. FAA-2005-20947; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-245-AD; Amendment 39-14364; AD 2005-23-06] - requires removing the thrust reverser accumulator, and making the thrust reverser hydraulic system and the thrust reversers inoperable. This AD results from reports that two thrust reverser accumulators failed.
National Air Services (NAS) of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia committed to buying five Airbus A318 Elite aircraft and has taken options on five more, according to Airbus. NAS plans to use the aircraft to support VIP customers in the Middle East. Deliveries of the A318s are scheduled to begin in the last quarter of 2006. "When you are in the market for private jet transport of around 15 passengers, you cannot beat the space, comfort and economics of the Airbus 318 Elite," said Mohammed Al Zeer, president and CEO of NAS.
SimCom is expanding its presence in the Orlando, Fla. area, having assumed the lease of Lockheed Martin's former training facility there. SimCom is moving its production division into the three-bay, 40,000-square-foot facility, which will house three Level C flight simulators - a CitationJet, a Citation Encore and a Beechjet 400A - by the end of 2007. The training facility that SimCom has operated for many years in Orlando houses Learjet 35, Citation II and Hawker 800A simulators.
DENNIS COCKRELL was named customer service manager in the Little Rock service center for Dassault Aircraft Services. Cockrell previously was maintenance manager for the facility. In his new role, he will be the primary direct contact for customers. He also will help coordinate projects that involve Dassault's Little Rock and Wilmington facilities.
ATCA NAMES GARLAND CASTLEBERRY INTERIM PRESIDENT - The board of the Air Traffic Control Association named Garland (Cas) Castleberry, a veteran FAA executive and former chairman of ATCA, to serve as interim president of the organization.
Bombardier Aerospace, ExecuJet Aviation Group and Dubai-based Alpha 55 inaugurated Bombardier's first Middle East service center and parts depot last week at Dubai International Airport. The 24,000-square-foot service center is staffed by more than 50 engineers, technicians, crew and support staff. The adjacent 2,800-square-foot parts depot will house more than 860 high-demand parts for Learjet, Challenger and Global business jets. The parts inventory is scheduled to begin arriving in December, with the depot expected to be fully operational early next year.
EMBRAER Model EMB-135 airplanes, and Model EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22147; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-114-AD; Amendment 39-14371; AD 2005-23-13] - requires modification of the logic of the steering system of the nose landing gear (NLG) wheel. This AD results from reports of the loss of directional control of the airplane on the ground after an internal failure of the NLG wheel steering system.
December 1-2 - National Air Transportation Association Line Service Supervisor Training, Albuquerque, N.M., (703) 845-9000 January 8-12, 2006 - American Association of Airport Executives Aviation Issues Conference, Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, Kona, Hawaii, (703) 824-0504, www.airportnet.org January 25-27, 2006 - National Business Aviation Association Schedulers & Dispatchers Conference, San Antonio, Texas, (202) 783-9000
KINGFISHER TO EXPAND ROUTES WITH FLEET OF ATR 72s - ATR won a contract from Kingfisher Airlines in India that included firm orders for 20 ATR 72-500 aircraft and options for 15 more, the companies announced during the Dubai Air Show last week.
NIKE GV LANDS SAFELY AFTER CREW MANAGES TO FIX BALKY LANDING GEAR - The crew of a Gulfstream V business jet carrying the chief executive of the Nike Corp. spent several hours in the air attempting to fix a main landing gear that would not lock into place before correcting the problem and landing safely at Hillsboro Airport (HIO) in Portland, Ore. Airport Nov. 21.
Mooney Airplane Company will mark the company's 60th anniversary by delivering the 11,000th Mooney production aircraft during the first quarter of 2006. The milestone airplane, an Ovation2 GX equipped with a Garmin G1000 avionics suite, will be delivered to a New Jersey customer. Mooney delivered its first airplane, an M-18 "Mooney Mite," from its initial location in Wichita, Kan. in 1948. A total of 66 airplanes were delivered during 1949, the first full year of production.
National Business Aviation Association named Connie Penne as vice president of membership marketing, effective this week. Penne, who will report to NBAA President Ed Bolen, most recently had been director of member data and strategic services for the American Association of Retired Persons. NBAA said she has more than two decades of experience in direct-response marketing, strategic planning and member relationship management.
HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND Auxiliary Power Units Models T-62T-46C2, T-62T-46C2A, T-62T-46C3, T-62T-46C7, and T-62T-46C7A [Docket No. FAA-2005-21719; Directorate Identifier 2005-NE-19-AD; Amendment 39-14369; AD 2005-23-11] - requires removal from service of those compressor impeller assemblies at reduced service life limits. This AD results from two reports of uncontained failures of compressor impeller assemblies. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent an uncontained APU failure and damage to the airplane.
