BURKHARD ANDRICH was promoted to senior vice president of engine services for Lufthansa Technik. Andrich joined Lufthansa in 1992 in the Aircraft Overhaul division and has held positions of increasing responsibility. Most recently he was senior vice president of aircraft maintenance.
FAA DELAYS CVR COMMENT PERIOD - The Federal Aviation Administration last week delayed until June 28 the deadline for commenting on a notice of proposed rulemaking to strengthen certain cockpit voice recorder and digital flight data recorder requirements. Comments were originally due Friday. FAA extended the comment period at the request of the Aerospace Industries Association, which said it needed extensive coordination with covered suppliers to draft appropriate comments.
RICHARD BARNHART was appointed general manager, maintenance, repair and overhaul for Barnes Aerospace. Barnhart joins Barnes from Kaman Corp., where he was president, Aerostructures Division. Barnhart also has held senior positions with Solectron Global Services and Pratt & Whitney.
GA SHIPMENTS JUMP NEARLY 16 PERCENT IN FIRST QUARTER - General aviation manufacturers shipped 627 aircraft in the first quarter of 2005, a 15.7 percent improvement over the number of aircraft delivered in first quarter 2004, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported Thursday. Billings increased by 14.1 percent, from $2.4 billion in first quarter 2004 to $2.7 billion in the quarter just ended.
AFTER HEARING from a number of groups on future air traffic control financing during an invitation-only FAA Funding Forum held last week, FAA Administrator Marion Blakey plans to incorporate many of the ideas discussed in a paper that could be used to develop a proposal for long-term agency funding. Blakey told the forum that any proposals must be developed in consultation with the various user groups, saying, "Fairness, I think, will be the order of the day." General aviation groups, however, are skeptical that any changes need to be made.
HOLGER DIETSCH was promoted to senior vice president of aircraft maintenance Lufthansa Technik. Previously vice president of engineering for the division, Dietsch has served with Lufthansa Technik since 1996.
A FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION Hughes 369FF helicopter was destroyed after it crashed Wednesday during training exercises in Quantico, Va. The helicopter, N5252Y, was classified as a public use rotorcraft. There were two crew and one passenger aboard at the time, but only minor injuries were reported.
PREMIER AIRCRAFT selected Mojave, Calif.-based Flight Test Associates to test, calibrate and compute the performance improvements associated with Premier's upgrade program for Falcon 50s. The program replaces the original Honeywell TFE-731-3 powerplants with TFE-731-4 engines. Flight Test Associates will do the work using Premier's Falcon 50-4 test bed aircraft from the Mojave airport.
EMBRAER WINS 15-AIRCRAFT ORDER FROM SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES - Embraer landed its first order for the Embraer 170 from a customer in the Middle East, Saudi Arabian Airlines, which signed a contract for 15 of the regional jets. The deal, valued at $400 million, calls for delivery to begin in December 2005. The aircraft will be configured in a two-class layout with 66 seats. Saudi Arabian Airlines plans to use the aircraft to add frequencies on existing routes and later develop mini-hubs at Hail City in the north of the country and Abha in the south.
SINO SWEARINGEN AIRCRAFT CORP. (SSAC) reached another certification milestone with the completion of the first phase of cold-soak testing of its SJ30-2 twinjet aircraft. SSAC conducted the tests in a cold-soak facility at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., where the aircraft soaked in an ice fog at -40 degrees Celsius. The aircraft is tested for avionics performance, pre-start, engine start and operation, landing gear retraction and extension, hydraulic system operations and functions of other systems and controls.
CATO: GROUND-BASED LASERS PART OF POSSIBLE MISSILE DEFENSE - Ground-based lasers stationed at airports could be a "longer-term possibility" in guarding commercial aircraft against the looming threat of attack by shoulder-fired missiles (known as MANPADS) in the U.S., according to a report released last month by the Cato Institute.
NBAA ROUNDS OUT BOARD OF DIRECTORS - The National Business Aviation Association filled four vacancies on the board of directors that were created in part when Don Baldwin stepped down and Durwood Heinrich and John "Jeff" Frank retired late last year (BA, Dec. 20/ 278). Newly elected to the board are Thomas Frist, chairman emeritus of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA); Steven A.
GENERAL ELECTRIC CT7-5, -7, and -9 series turboprop engines [Docket No. FAA-2005-20944; Directorate Identifier 2003-NE-64-AD] - for (GE) CT7-5A2, -5A3, -7A, -7A1, -9B, -9B1, and -9B2 turboprop engines, with Stage 2 turbine aft cooling plate, Part Number (P/N) 6064T07P01, 6064T07P02, 6064T07P05, or 6068T36P01 installed, this proposed AD would require a one-time eddy current inspection (ECI) of certain P/N Stage 2 turbine aft cooling plate boltholes. This proposed AD results from reports of six Stage 2 turbine aft cooling plates found cracked during inspection.
Congress last week continued to press the departments of Homeland Security and Transportation to end the 43-month prohibition on general aviation flights at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), moving forward two separate measures that would require federal agencies to provide general aviation access to the airport.
HOUSE Transportation and Infrastructure Committee leaders are hoping to bring their bill, H.R.1496, calling for general aviation access of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), to the House floor for a vote this month, possibly as early as this week. H.R.1496, however, could get held up if the Homeland Security Committee claims jurisdiction over the measure. The Homeland Security Committee adopted its own DCA measure that may come under House consideration later this month. See article below.
EXECUTIVE AIRCRAFT COMPLETIONS, LLC, a Tulsa, Okla. certification and interior design engineering firm, achieved FAA supplemental type certificate approval and European Aviation Safety Agency validation for the installation of courier seats and seat positions in a series of cargo-converted MD-11s. Executive Aircraft completed the installation for Aerolite Max Bucher AG, the Ennetburgen, Switzerland, supplier to civil rescue helicopters and medevac jets that also undertakes cargo-related aircraft modification projects.
May 1-4 - American Association of Airport Executives 77th Annual Conference & Exposition, Seattle, Wash., (703) 824-0504 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
JET AVIATION completed the renovation of its Bedford/Boston fixed-base operation. The renovations include an expanded customer lounge, a private section for use of laptop computers and a conference room. The FBO also remodeled the reception area and is providing flight-planning capabilities and WiFi high-speed Internet access. The Bedford facility is an authorized service center for Raytheon aircraft and provides airframe, avionics and engine maintenance for a variety of business aircraft.
SAAB 2000 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20244; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-204-AD; Amendment 39-14051; AD 2005-07-26] - requires a one-time inspection to detect a broken terminal stud on a main relay of the electrical power generator, and corrective action if necessary. This AD is prompted by disconnection of an electrical power generator during an inspection flight, which was caused by a broken terminal stud on the main relay.
DONALD KAMENZ was appointed vice president of sales and marketing for ExelTech Aerospace, an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul provider in Montreal and Quebec City. Kamenz most recently was vice president of sales for Saab Aircraft Leasing, where he was responsible for managing sales campaigns in North America and Europe. He also has held marketing and engineering positions at Dornier Aviation, de Havilland and CAE Electronics.
MICHAEL O'LEARY was named avionics sales manager for JetCorp, an aviation services company based at Spirit of St. Louis Airport. O'Leary formerly held positions at Premier Air Center, Signature Flight Support and BFGoodrich Aerospace. A commercial instrument-rated pilot and licensed A&P mechanic, O'Leary is chairman of the board of the Aircraft Electronics Association.
BOMBARDIER Model DHC-8-102, -103, -106, -201, -202, -301, -311, and -315 airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20222; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-230-AD; Amendment 39-14041; AD 2005-07-17] - requires revising the airplane flight manual to include applicable procedures to follow when the flightcrew receives abnormal indications of airspeed, altitude, or vertical airspeed. This AD also requires modifying the static system.
