PILOTS LOBBY GROUP ENDORSES LEGISLATION TO PROTECT AGAINST MANPADS - The Coalition of Airline Pilots Associations (CAPA) on June 9 embraced legislation proposed by Democratic Reps. Steve Israel (N.Y.) and Melissa Bean (Ill.) to require the transportation secretary to buy shoulder-fired missile defense systems to protect the nation's fleet of 6,800 commercial aircraft. "The expense of installing missile defense systems pales in comparison to the price tags of modern commercial aircraft and the thousands of lives at risk," CAPA President Jon Safley said.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-102, -103, -106, -201, -202, -301, -311, and -315 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20756; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-52-AD; Amendment 39-14112; AD 2005-11-10] - requires installation of check valves in Numbers 1 and 2 hydraulic systems, removal of the filters from the brake shuttle valves, and removal of the internal garter spring from the brake shuttle valves.
EMBRAER Model EMB-110P1 and EMB-110P2 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-21302; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-189-AD] - proposes to require repetitive inspections for corrosion or cracking of the rotating cylinder assembly in the nose landing gear (NLG), and related investigative/corrective actions if necessary. This proposed AD also would require the eventual replacement of the rotating cylinder assembly with a new part, which terminates the need for the repetitive inspections. This proposed AD is prompted by reports of corrosion on the NLG rotating cylinder assembly.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's 15th annual Fly-In and Open House, held June 4 at the association's headquarters in Frederick, Md., drew more than 5,000 attendees, 250 airplanes and nearly 100 exhibitors. The event included seminars on single-pilot IFR, the costs of flying and insurance, among others. AOPA President Phil Boyer staged an informal discussion that centered on the Washington Air Defense Identification Zone. AOPA has scheduled the 16th annual fly-in on June 3.
June 13-19 - Paris Air Show, Le Bourget Airport, Paris, France, (609) 987-1202, Ext. 248 or (703) 522-5000 June 16-18 - 10th Annual National Business Aviation Association Flight Attendants Conference, Florida, (202) 783-9000 June 17-18 - NBAA 10th Annual Flight Attendants Conference, Hilton Atlanta Airport, Atlanta, www.nbaa.org July 7 - NBAA Business Aviation Regional Forum, San Jose, Calif., www.nbaa.org
Sikorsky Aircraft is scheduled to deliver two S-76C+ helicopters this month to The Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Department of Xunta de Galicia in Spain.
S-TEC President Michael McMillan was named to the board of directors of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. McMillan became president of S-TEC in December. The company, based in Mineral Wells, Texas, is an avionics manufacturer and is part of the Aerospace Systems division of Meggitt/PLC. S-TEC has been a GAMA member since 1999.
Truman Arnold Companies (TAC) consolidated its fixed-base holdings in the Knoxville, Tenn. market with the acquisition of Cherokee Aviation. Cherokee's assets will be added to TAC's existing FBO at McGhee Tyson Airport, which is 15 miles from Knoxville in Alcoa. The combined FBO will have nearly one million square feet of ramp and hangar space. "The acquisition of this facility presents growth opportunities for TAC and the entire aviation community of eastern Tennessee," said Greg Arnold, president and CEO of the Texarkana, Ark.-based network.
FIRST AVIATION MANAGES TO POST FIRST-QUARTER PROFIT - First Aviation Services (FAS), the Westport, Conn. parent of Aerospace Products International, Inc., posted net income of $153,000 for the quarter ended April 30, compared with a net loss of $410,000 during the first quarter last year. FAS had sales of $32 million for the quarter, up 5.8 percent from the 2004 first quarter. Sales increased for the seventh consecutive quarter over the comparable prior-year periods.
DELAY PREDICTED FOR AIR FORCE'S PERSONNEL RECOVERY VEHICLE - A key congressional panel is predicting that the U.S. Air Force's Personnel Recovery Vehicle (PRV) program will not meet its goal to pick a prime contractor by February.
Concerned about Rothman's response, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and National Air Transportation Association have been working to ward off any such legislative attempts. GAMA is concerned that such action would encourage other lawmakers to introduce bills calling for restrictions at other airports. NATA officials, joined by Jet Aviation executives, met with Rothman last week to discuss Teterboro but were rebuffed in their attempts to convince him that the recent spate of accidents there was coincidental.
DASSAULT Model Mystere-Falcon 50 and 900 series airplanes, and Model Falcon 2000 and 900EX series airplanes [Docket No. 2002-NM-244-AD; Amendment 39-14116; AD 2005-11-14] - requires temporary changes to the Airplane Flight Manual to prohibit the use of certain functions depending on whether or not the operator chooses to deactivate the global positioning system. For airplanes on which the GPS is deactivated, this proposal requires installing a deactivation locking collar on certain circuit breakers.
FLORIDA JURY SAYS MANUFACTURER NOT AT FAULT IN PAYNE STEWART CRASH -A jury of six women found that Learjet and its parent company Bombardier were not at fault for the Oct. 25, 1999 crash of a Model 35 Learjet that killed professional golfer Payne Stewart, his agent Robert Fraley and four other persons on board.
William Lipinski, the former Democratic representative from Illinois who held leadership positions on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, has affiliated with Dykema Gossett PLC, a Chicago-based law firm. The firm said it plans to "tap Lipinski's extensive transportation knowledge and distinguished congressional background to expand the depth and breadth of its government policy services in Illinois and Washington, D.C."
LAW JUDGE REJECTS PART OF CESSNA 150 PILOT'S APPEAL - A National Transportation Safety Board law judge rejected a request to overturn FAA's emergency revocation of the airman certificate of Hayden L. Shaeffer, the pilot of a Cessna 150 who flew into restricted airspace around Washington, D.C. last month. Attorneys representing Shaeffer disputed the "emergency" nature of the revocation in their appeal to NTSB (BA, May 30/245), but Law Judge William Pope rejected their arguments.
KING SEEKING HOUSE Homeland Security COMMITTEE CHAIR - Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee's subcommittee on emergency preparedness, will seek chairmanship of the full committee after Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Calif.) moves to his new post as head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. If named chair, King has said he would work with airlines to strengthen security without imposing too much burden on the industry. Meanwhile Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has named Col.
Duncan Aviation-Battle Creek was named an authorized service facility (ASF) for Bombardier Aerospace, the 12th facility to receive such approval from Bombardier. The ASF network provides warranty work, engine and airframe inspections and repair, service bulletin installations and related service and support for current production Bombardier Challenger 604 business jets as well as the Challenger 600 and 601 models.
HAC GIVES NASA $16.5B, AERONAUTICS MANDATE - The House Appropriations Committee has funded NASA at $16.5 billion in fiscal 2006, or $14.7 million more than President Bush's request and $274.7 million above the enacted FY '05 level, including supplemental funding. The committee supported a push by Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va.), chairman of the panel's science subcommittee, to restore the agency's aeronautics research efforts at the FY '05 level of $906 million.
Department of Transportation last week denied a request from JetBlue for an exemption from regulations requiring carriers operating aircraft with 100 or more seats to provide in-cabin storage for at least one wheelchair. JetBlue sought the exemption for its fleet of Embraer 190 aircraft that is on order.
Elliott Aviation added a Citation II, King Air 200 and King Air 90 to its charter fleet based at Flying Cloud Airport near Minneapolis, Minn. The Citation II and King Air 200 are configured to carry eight passengers and the King Air 90 can carry six passengers.
