Conklin & De Decker is hosting the Third Annual Commercial Operators & Management Tax Course June 9-10 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The seminar will cover regulatory requirements for management and charter companies and management and charter agreements. The course also will discuss the Part 135/125 rewrite, independent contractor and workers compensation, financial options and operating cost analysis. Registration costs $895. For more information, contact Christine Sanders at (480) 922-8110.
SABRELINER DAMAGED AFTER ENGINE PROBLEM RESULTS IN OVERRUN - A 1978 Sabreliner NA-265-80 business jet was substantially damaged when it ran off the end of a runway May 9 in Brownwood, Texas (BWD) as the crew was attempting to abort the takeoff because of an engine problem.
FAA is introducing 13 new area navigation (RNAV) departure routes at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport that the agency hopes will reduce delays, fuel consumption and congestion by providing direct routing for properly equipped aircraft. RNAV procedures use information programmed into the aircraft's flight management system to provide precise flight path guidance from the runway to the en route airspace, with minimal communications between pilots and controllers.
CESSNA Model 750 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-21026; Directorate Identifier 2005-NM-069-AD; Amendment 39-14069; AD 2005-09-01] - requires repetitive inspections for clearance and chafing of an auxiliary power unit (APU) fuel tube assembly in the tail cone area of the airplane, and corrective actions if necessary. For certain airplanes, this AD also requires replacing the APU fuel line.
BOMBARDIER Model CL600-1A11 (CL-600), Model CL-600-2A12 (CL-601), and Model CL-600-2B16 (CL-601-3A, CL-601-3R, and CL-604) series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-21139; Directorate Identifier 2003-NM-196-AD] - proposes to require operators to assign serial numbers or part numbers to certain landing gear parts; and to establish the number of landings on the parts, if necessary. This proposed AD also would require operators to revise the Airworthiness Limitations section of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to reflect the new life limits of the landing gear parts.
AGUSTA Model A109E helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2005-20292; Directorate Identifier 2004-SW-26-AD; Amendment 39-14075; AD 2005-09-07] - requires visually inspecting each main transmission support fitting attachment bolt for a fracture, a crack, or looseness, and verifying the torque on each fitting bolt. This amendment is prompted by two incidents of fatigue failure of the bolts that secure the transmission rear support fittings to the helicopter.
ADVISORY COUNCIL FAULTS WHITE HOUSE, CONGRESS FOR FAA CUTS - FAA's Management Advisory Council (MAC), which generally provides advice and counsel to FAA Administrator Marion Blakey via internal memos and face-to-face briefings, went public last week, issuing a report blaming the White House and Congress for cutting funding for FAA programs. As a result, MAC said in a report issued Thursday, the nation could be facing a dramatic increase in flight delays and economic disruption.
ERIC AMEL was named a director in the New York office of SH&E, the aviation consulting firm. Amel formerly was chief economist and director of revenue forecasting and analysis at Delta Air Lines.
FAA HIRES NEW LABOR RELATIONS HEAD AS CONTRACT TALKS LOOM - FAA is bringing in a new labor relations expert from the private sector as the agency prepares for contract negotiations with its controller and systems specialists unions.
Rockwell Collins' Tailwind 550 satellite television system won FAA supplemental type certification for installation aboard a Boeing Business Jet. Jet Aviation in Basel, Switzerland, competed the installation. The multi-regional satellite TV system provides access to more than 450 television channels aboard aircraft flying in the U.S., Europe and the Middle East. Tailwind 550 includes a lightweight, fuselage-mounted antenna that provides reception on the ground and during all phases of flight. Tailwind 550 is certified on Boeing 737 and 747 models.
Larry E. Williams, president and chief operating officer of Ballistic Recovery Systems, Inc. (BRS) since he was hired in December 2004, added the title of chief executive officer. BRS Chairman Robert L. Nelson said the board was pleased to make the announcement, adding that as BRS chairman, "I look forward to a long and fruitful relationship with Larry and his team. Larry's industry relationships and his understanding of the overall aviation market will help us move the company into new and more profitable endeavors."
CESSNA Model 650 airplanes [Docket No. 2002-NM-332-AD] - revises an earlier proposed AD that would have required repetitive replacement of the horizontal stabilizer primary trim actuator assembly (HSTA) with a repaired assembly.
The White House has threatened to veto sweeping highway and transit authorization legislation because it includes a measure to provide bond authority to raise additional money for highway infrastructure projects. In a Statement of Administration Policy on H.R.3, the Transportation Equity Act, the administration said it "strongly opposes the establishment of an entity that would issue new debt instruments to provide additional transportation spending.
National Air Transportation Association took FAA to task last week for releasing a proposed rulemaking that would affect Part 135 and fractional operators but does not consider the implications of the requirements on those operators. "Sadly, this is not the first [notice of proposed rulemaking] in recent years that overlooked the impact on the managers and operators represented by NATA," the association said. "We implore the FAA to establish completion of an accurate review of affected entities, particularly for regulations impacting Part 135."
Gulfstream Aerospace delivered the first Gulfstream G450 business jet to a U.S.-based owner May 7, two years after the first flight of that model. The G450 is powered by twin Rolls-Royce Tay 611-8C engines.
May 16-19 - Regional Airline Association Annual Convention, Cincinnati, Ohio, (202) 367-1170 May 18-20 - European Business Aviation Association Convention and Exposition EBACE2005, Geneva, Switzerland, (202) 783-9000 June 4 - Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Fly-In, AOPA Headquarters, Frederick, Md., (301) 695-2000 June 5-8 - American Association of Airport Executives/International Association of Airport Executives, U.S. Airport Security Conference, Dublin, 703-824-0504, e-mail [email protected]
BOMBARDIER SIGNS DEALS TO BUILD NEW AIRLINER IN BELFAST, MONTREAL - Canadian manufacturer Bombardier announced agreements Friday with the governments of Canada, Quebec and the United Kingdom to build major components of its new C-Series family of 100-seat airliners in the U.K. and assemble the new planes in Montreal.
Eclipse Aircraft announced another price increase for its Eclipse 500 very light jet. As of May 9, the new base price is $1,295,000, in 2000 dollars. That equates to $1,424,000 when inflation is added through the end of 2004. The manufacturer last raised the price in January 2003 when it boosted the price for new orders to $1.15 million (BA, Feb. 3, 2003/47). While stressing that the Eclipse 500 remains "the lowest-cost" VLJ on the market, the company said the latest price boost was made necessary by cost increases it is experiencing.
