PRINCIPATO TAKING OVER AS PRESIDENT OF ACI-NA - Gregory O. Principato, a former staffer on Capitol Hill with 25 years of aviation-related experience, will take over next month as president of ACI-NA (Airports Council International-North America).
ENGINE PROBLEM CAUSES CARAVAN FORCED LANDING - The pilot of a Cessna Caravan 208B was forced to make an emergency landing in a field this month after the aircraft's engine failed. The flight originated at 0940 on June 7 from Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport (AMA) on a flight to the Addison, Texas Airport. The Caravan, N9505B, is owned by Martinaire Partners, L.P. of Addison. The airline transport rated pilot filed an instrument flight rules flight plan.
Backers of reopening DCA will demonstrate their support at a "Celebrate General Aviation" event there Thursday evening chaired by Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), a big proponent of getting business aviation back to DCA (BA, May 23/229). Organizers of the event - which is being sponsored by the Washington Airports Task Force, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, the National Business Aviation Association and Signature Flight Support - had hoped to have half a dozen business aviation aircraft on display.
Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.) last week introduced H.R.2905, which would require the installation of anti-terrorist missile defense systems on Airbus 380 airliners within two years after that aircraft wins FAA certification.
SIKORSKY WINS 35-HELICOPTER CONTRACT FROM OFFSHORE LOGISTICS - Sikorsky Aircraft received one of its single largest civil helicopter orders with a contract from Offshore Logistics for 35 S-76 helicopters and options for up to 24 more. Offshore Logistics, a helicopter transportation services company that supports the oil and gas markets, will use the aircraft in its operations worldwide. The contract is a follow-on to a 2003 order that Offshore Logistics placed for 12 S-76s. Delivery of the helicopters in the latest order will begin this year and continue through 2012.
WILLIAMS TO POWER JAVELIN JETS - Williams International signed an agreement with Aviation Technology Group, Inc., to provide the powerplants for ATG's line of jet fighter look-alike aircraft. ATG, based in Englewood, Colo., said Williams will supply its FJ33-4-17M engines for both the Javelin "executive jet" and the Javelin Mk-20 trainer. In the executive configuration, the FJ33-4-17M engines will each produce 1,700 pounds of thrust, "allowing for a maximum cruise speed of 0.92 Mach and climb rates of 10,000 feet per minute."
Embraer delivered an Embraer Legacy to a customer in the United Kingdom, the first sale of the Brazilian-built business jet there. Harrods Aviation, an authorized Legacy sales representative, facilitated the sale. The Legacy is certified to operate out of London City Airport. Embraer has delivered 52 Legacys to customers in 13 countries.
PASSENGERS SPRAYED WITH HYDRAULIC FLUID IN AVRO 146 INCIDENT - A number of passengers aboard a heavily laden British Aerospace Avro 146-RJ85A were sprayed with hydraulic fluid and suffered temporary breathing problems this month as the Mesaba Airlines/Northwest Airlink aircraft was landing at Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) near Oklahoma City, Okla.
Nearly one month after federal officials said they were ready to release an Interim Final Rule (IFR) detailing the restrictions under which business aircraft will be permitted to resume operations into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, the rule has still not been published. The May 25 announcement by then-TSA Administrator David Stone and FAA Administrator Marion Blakey was viewed by the aviation community as a breakthrough after nearly four years of lobbying to get DCA reopened.
NEW PIPER Models PA-28-160, PA-28-161, PA-28-180, and PA-28-181 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-21174; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-23-AD] - proposes to require an AD for certain New Piper Models PA-28-160, PA-28-161, PA-28-180, and PA-28-181 airplanes that incorporate Petersen Aviation, Inc. Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) SA2660CE installed between April 20, 1998, and April 1, 2005, and incorporate Petersen Aviation, Inc. Service Bulletin SB98-1.
Jose Abreu was appointed director of aviation for Miami-Dade County, Fla. Abreu has 20 years of public sector experience and most recently was secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation, where he was responsible for overseeing eight districts, 8,000 employees and an annual budget of $6.5 billion.
PILATUS Models PC-12 and PC-12/45 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20720; Directorate Identifier 2005-CE-17-AD; Amendment 39-14108; AD 2005-11-06] - requires inserting a temporary revision into the Limitations Section of the Pilot Operating Handbook (POH). This AD also requires replacing the pitch actuator with an improved pitch actuator and making the necessary wiring and circuit breaker changes, as applicable. Installing the improved design pitch actuator terminates the need for the temporary revision in the POH.
Rockwell Collins won a contract to provide its Pro Line 21 avionics to upgrade the Navy's fleet of 55 T-44A training aircraft. ARINC, the purchasing and installation agency for the program, awarded the contract. L3 Communications is the prime contractor. The Pro Line suite will include two 10- by 8-inch, high-resolution, liquid crystal flight displays with the FMS-3000 flight management system that will provide flight planning and navigation capabilities.
EMBRAER Model ERJ 170 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-21345; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-005-AD] - proposes to require inspecting the hydraulic pressure tubes at the outlet of the engine-driven hydraulic pumps to determine the part and serial numbers; and replacing hydraulic pressure tubes having certain serial numbers with new hydraulic pressure tubes. This proposed AD is prompted by failure of a hydraulic system due to leakage of hydraulic fluid from a crack in the pipe coming from the pressure side of the engine driven pump.
Ward Brooks was promoted to vice president of aircraft sales for Stevens Aviation. Brooks will oversee both new and used aircraft sales. Brooks joined Stevens in 1980 and has held a number of management positions, including general manager and maintenance manager. He is an airline transport pilot with more than 5,600 hours' total flight time.
Northern Air, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based fixed-base operator, is working in partnership with Gerald R. Ford International Airport to reconstruct two aircraft parking ramps to accommodate larger and heavier business aircraft. Construction will begin this month and is slated to be completed in September. Diversco Construction was awarded the bid for the $6.5 million project. The project primarily will be funded through FAA grants; the state of Michigan and the airport will cover about five percent of the costs.
SEVEN ESCAPE AS BELL 2O6 CRASHES IN EAST RIVER - The pilot and six passengers aboard a Bell 206 sightseeing helicopter were quickly rescued last week after the helicopter plunged into New York's East River.
HONEYWELL BUYING FIRM THAT SPECIALIZES IN CORROSION PREVENTION - Honeywell signed a definitive agreement to buy InterCorr International, Inc., a Houston, Texas company that specializes in corrosion monitoring instrumentation, testing and consulting services and predictive software and corrosion research.
Williams International has seen rival engine-maker Pratt & Whitney Canada win several contracts from OEMs for which Williams had been competing in recent years, but it announced some new customers of its own at last week's Paris Air Show. Williams engines will power the new Grob 180 SP light jet and the Javelin, being developed by Aviation Technology Group and Israel Aircraft Industries. See articles below.
Gulfstream Aerospace delivered a Gulfstream V Special Electronic Mission Aircraft (SEMA) to the Israeli Ministry of Defense. The aircraft will replace the Israeli Air Force's aging Boeing 707 aircraft. The aircraft was delivered to the Israeli government last month at Gulfstream's headquarters in Savannah and then flown to Tel Aviv, Israel, where it is being fitted with electronic equipment. Gulfstream expects to deliver another SEMA aircraft next year. Gulfstream won the SEMA contract in November 2001.
Dan O'Malley was promoted to vice president and general manager of Gulfstream Aerospace's facility in Mexicali, Mexico. O'Malley has spent the past five years as general manager of the facility, which provides avionics, assembly and fabrication work for Gulfstream business jets. He joined Gulfstream in 1999 as senior manager of the composite manufacturing business unit in Savannah, Ga. He also has served with Lucas Aerospace and Hughes Electronics.
REGIONAL OEMS ANNOUNCE SPATE OF ORDERS DURING PARIS AIR SHOW - Regional plane-makers Embraer, Bombardier and ATR have racked up a number of recent orders, detailing several of them last week during the Paris Air Show.
NORDAM, 3M PARTNER TO EXPLORE JOINT OFFERINGS - The NORDAM Group teamed with 3M Aerospace and Aircraft Maintenance Division to explore potential areas of collaboration, including applications for radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. The companies are hoping to expand the use of RFID technology in the aerospace market. RFID involves the use of a microchip and antenna that are embedded inside a tag that is affixed to individual aircraft parts or tools, allowing them to be tracked.
Falcontrust Air last week held ceremonies to officially launch operations at Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport in Florida. The 22,000-square-foot fixed-base operation was designed with an array of amenities, including a fitness center with sauna, a personal movie theater, regulation-size pool tables, a sky lounge with a fully stocked bar for guests and private rooms for pilots. The three-story Mediterranean style building has Italian marble flooring and designer furnishings.
Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI) launched a new business-to-business portal, MyJSSI.com, to serve as an electronic business platform where JSSI customers, vendors and employees can conduct business on-line. "The MyJSSI.com venture responds to our customers' valuable input and their desire to interact on-line and reduce the paperwork involved when transacting with JSSI," said Marla Gelfond, executive vice president and chief financial officer.
