NASA and the X Prize Foundation plan to collaborate on two upcoming Centennial Challenge prize competitions. The Suborbital Payload Challenge would reward the first team that demonstrates a reusable suborbital rocket to altitudes or speeds of interest to science researchers. The Suborbital Lunar Lander Analog Challenge will reward the first team to build a vertical take-off/vertical landing suborbital vehicle capable of the speeds and energies required to land on, and launch from, the moon.
Business Jet Technologies won FAA certification for a reduced vertical separation minimum (RVSM) compliance package for Gulfstream II and IIB aircraft. Business Jet Technologies worked with Advanced Aerospace Design Inc. on the RVSM package. The package augments the existing air data computer and uses existing altimetry components to reduce cost and downtime. The package is priced at $145,000 installed.
MANUFACTURERS PLEASED WITH NEW CERTIFICATION DELEGATION RULES - Aircraft manufacturers last week cheered the long-awaited release of new rules significantly expanding industry's FAA's certification delegation responsibilities under an Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) program. In the works for years, the ODA program will increase the number of organizations authorized to review certification activities and expand the scope of tasks organization designees will have.
FAA BRACING FOR SURGE IN UAV CERTIFICATE APPLICATIONS - Federal Aviation Administration officials are preparing for a surge of interest from other industry hopefuls following the announcement that FAA has awarded the first experimental airworthiness certificate to an unmanned aerial vehicle. General Atomics' Altair became the first UAV to earn such a certificate this summer, allowing it to conduct certain constrained flights within the national airspace for research and development, training, or market survey purposes (BA, Oct. 3/149).
HONEYWELL TO SELL ALUMINUM EXTRUSION BUSINESS - Honeywell said it has a definitive agreement to sell Indalex Aluminum Solutions (IAS) to an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners, Inc., a private investment firm, for $425 million, plus the assumption of pension and other liabilities. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter. Indalex was part of Novar plc, which Honeywell acquired earlier this year.
U.S. AIR FORCE RELEASES FINAL RFP FOR CSAR-X - The U.S. Air Force released its final request for proposals (RFP) for the Combat Search and Rescue-X (CSAR-X) program, which aims to replace the aging HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter. Responses to the 490-page RFP are due Nov. 21. At least four aircraft could compete: the Bell-Boeing CV-22 tiltrotor aircraft, the Boeing HH-47 helicopter, the Lockheed Martin-AgustaWestland-Bell Helicopter Textron US101 helicopter and Sikorsky's HH-92 helicopter.
The likelihood of Aviation Trust Fund revenue being lost has captured the attention of senior FAA officials, who have written to the IRS seeking relief from the congressionally mandated tax change. Business aviation advocates are hoping that IRS will release guidance on the tax change by the end of the month.
BALDWIN CREATES NEW FIRM TO AID SMALL OPERATORS - Don Baldwin, the business aviation veteran who was the former chair and interim president of the National Business Aviation Association, has launched a new firm, Baldwin Aviation, designed to provide safety and risk management services to small flight departments. The firm says it will help businesses creating new flight departments comply with federal and international standards and incorporate industry best practices.
PRECISION CASTPARTS TO ACQUIRE SHUR-LOK - Precision Castparts Corp. of Portland, Ore. said it reached a definitive agreement to acquire Shur-Lok Corp. and Shur-Lok International for $110 million in cash. Founded in 1951, the privately held Shur-Lok makes engineered, critical aerospace fasteners, including barrel nuts, bearing lock nuts, composite fasteners, expandable diameter fasteners, honeycomb sandwich inserts and related components. The company employs 270 at its plants in Irvine, Calif. and Petit-Rechain, Belgium.
EMBRAER Model EMB-135BJ, -135ER, -135KE, -135KL, and -135LR airplanes; and Model EMB-145, -145ER, -145MR, -145LR, -145XR, -145MP, and -145EP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22525; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-149-AD] - proposes to require modifying the drain system of the auxiliary power unit (APU) by installing a scavenge pump and, for certain airplanes, replacing the APU exhaust assembly.
NEW PIPER PRESIDENT EYES MORE USER-FRIENDLY AIRCRAFT MODELS - The recently appointed president of New Piper Aircraft wants to build on the company's brand to develop new aircraft models that will be easier to fly and more appealing to customers.
RONALD SMITH was named to oversee general aviation airports for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department. Smith formerly managed airside operations at Miami International Airport. As manager of general aviation airports, he will be responsible for Homestead General Airport, Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport, Opa-locka Airport, Opa-locka West Airport and Training and Transition Airport in Collier County. Like Bruce Drum, Smith began his career with the Miami Airport in 1976 as a clerk.
BRITISH AEROSPACE Model HS 748 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22453; Directorate Identifier 2002-NM-139-AD; Amendment 39-14278; AD 2005-19-13] - requires modifying the undercarriage of the nose landing gear (NLG). This AD results from a report that pintle pins could be installed in an incorrect manner during maintenance without maintenance personnel being aware (or having feedback) that the pin was installed incorrectly. FAA is issuing this AD to prevent jamming or collapse of the NLG, which could result in damage to the airplane structure or injury to passengers or crew.
DAVIS, SENTIENT OPTIMISTIC ABOUT GROWTH PROSPECTS FOR AAFS - Tom Davis, the new president and chief executive of Atlantic Aviation Flight Services, and Steven Harkin, the CEO of Sentient Jet, which owns AAFS, are confident that both enterprises are well-positioned to benefit from growth in the air taxi market (BA, Oct.10/163).
Federal Aviation Administration will hold its 2nd annual International Aviation Safety Forum Oct. 20-21 at Westfield's Marriott Conference Center in Chantilly, Va. Co-hosted by the Department of Transportation and the Air Transport Association, the event will provide a forum for industry executives, senior government leaders and global aviation leaders to discuss safety risk management information and expand partnerships.
CESSNA NAMES THREE TO CITATION SALES POSTS - Cessna Aircraft named three men vice presidents in the company's Citation business jet sales organization. Mike Luethye is vice president, national sales West; Gordon Vieth is vice president, national sales East; and Trevor Esling is vice president, international sales. All three will report to Mark Paolucci, vice president of Citation sales.
BRIAN OLSEN was appointed president of Empire Aero Center, a Rome, N.Y.-based maintenance center that is a subsidiary of Israel Aircraft Industries International. Olsen has more than 20 years of management experience, previously serving as regional vice president for LMI Aerospace, general manager of Milgard Manufacturing, president of Sierra Manufacturing and general manager of Tramco, Inc.
Bell Helicopter named Patriot Aviation a Bell representative in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Patriot Aviation is headquartered at Cranfield Airport near London and operates a second base in Gloucester.
Quest Aircraft selected the Garmin 1000 integrated avionics suite as standard equipment for its KODIAK aircraft. The Garmin G1000 integrates all primary flight, navigation, communication, terrain, traffic, weather, engine instrumentation and crew-alerting system data and presents the composite information in sunlight-readable color on three high-definition displays. The KODIAK is a 10-place, single-engine turboprop utility aircraft designed for use in rugged operating environments.
CASA Model C-212-CC series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-22504; Directorate Identifier 2003-NM-281-AD] - proposes to restrict the operation of the airplane to carrying either passengers or cargo (but not both) in the same compartment, unless the airplane is modified to include an approved protective liner between the passengers and the cargo. This proposed AD is prompted by FAA's determination that affected airplanes, when carrying both cargo and passengers in the same compartment, cannot achieve the required level of performance.
