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.
JETCORP has teamed with the Corporate Angel Network (CAN) to donate vacant seats on charter flights to cancer patients seeking treatment. Founded in 1981, CAN has coordinated 20,000 flights for cancer patients aboard corporate and fractionally owned aircraft.
YINGLING AVIATION last week broke ground on a new 15,500-square-foot completions hangar that will accommodate Cessna Caravan Oasis interior projects. The center is slated to be completed by November. The facility will include a 3,500-square-foot upholstery shop, a showroom, reception area and employee break room. Yingling plans to hire 15 more upholsterers, avionics technicians and installers to keep up with growing demands for the Oasis interiors. Yingling began completing Oasis interiors in 2003 and has delivered more than 30 to date.
AVIOINTERIORS Series 312 seats [Docket No. 2000-NE-09-AD; Amendment 39-14052; AD 2005-07-27] - supersedes an existing AD that requires initial and repetitive inspections of the seat central crossmember for cracks, and if necessary, replacing the crossmember with a new crossmember. This AD requires the same actions and adds other crossmember part numbers for inspection. In addition, this AD replaces the original design crossmembers with reinforced design crossmembers as optional terminating actions to the repetitive inspections.
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2004-19761; Directorate Identifier 2003-NM-167-AD; Amendment 39-14039; AD 2005-07-15] - requires modification of the auxiliary power unit (APU) cooling air exhaust. This AD is prompted by reports of incomplete drainage of the APU enclosure.
BLAKEY URGES 'VALUE PRICING' FOR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL COSTS - FAA Administrator Marion Blakey last week continued to urge industry groups to consider a potential overhaul in how FAA is funded, but she insisted that any new funding system should be equitable and value driven. Blakey laid out her case before industry and international leaders at an invitation-only funding forum. "Let's face it, transformation is the order of the day," she told those attending the meeting.
CESSNA'S MUSTANG FLIES - Cessna late last month launched the flight test program for the smallest member of its business jet portfolio, the Citation Mustang, when a prototype of the very-light business jet completed a 141-minute first flight. The aircraft departed at 10:26 a.m. (CDT) April 23 from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kan. and reached an altitude of 11,000 feet, where it underwent basic stability and control tests, before landing at 12:47 p.m. (CDT) at Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport.
NATIONAL AIR TRANSPORTATION ASSOCIATION Monday plans to kick off a campaign to generate support for a measure drafted by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) that essentially would exempt fuel trucks from certain secondary containment regulations. The Environmental Protection Agency decreed in March that on-airport mobile refuelers were covered under Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Plan rules, which strengthen the requirements for fuel containment (BA, March 21/134).
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model AS350B, BA, B1, B2, B3, D, and AS355E Helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2005-20863; Directorate Identifier 2004-SW-36-AD] - proposes to require replacing the hydraulic fluid at a specified time interval when operating in cold weather. This proposal is prompted by reports of ice forming due to condensation in some parts of the hydraulic system during cold-weather operation.
TELEDYNE CONTINENTAL MOTORS GTSIO-520 series reciprocating engines [Docket No. FAA-2005-20850; Directorate Identifier 2005-NE-05-AD] - proposes to require initial and repetitive visual inspections of the starter adapter assembly and crankshaft gear. This proposed AD also would require unscheduled visual inspections of the starter adapter assembly and crankshaft gear due to a rough-running engine. This proposed AD also would require replacement of the starter adapter shaft gear needle bearing with a certain bushing.
BOMBARDIER'S first completed Global 5000 business jet entered service last month with a corporate operator based in the Middle East. The Canadian plane-maker launched the 4,800-nautical-mile plane in February 2002 and won Transport Canada approval in March 2004 followed by Federal Aviation Administration certification in October. Bombardier had delivered nine green Global 5000 business jets through the end of March 2005 and said orders continue to grow.
CLAY LACY AVIATION, Van Nuys, Calif., purchased a flight simulator to supplement the training for its staff of nearly 100 pilots. Produced by Precision Controls of Mather, Calif., the flight-training device can be configured for analog instrumentation common in a Learjet or Gulfstream II or III.
RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT SALES, PROFITS INCREASE IN FIRST QUARTER - Raytheon Aircraft posted operating income of $2 million on $442 million in net sales in the first quarter of 2005, turning around the $28 million loss the Wichita plane-maker had reported a year earlier. Net sales were up 18 percent from $374 million in the first quarter of 2004. Raytheon credited increases in new and used aircraft sales as well as cost-savings measures for the improved performance.
Executive Jet Management last week reported revenue jumped 35 percent last year compared with 2003, reflecting a 35 percent increase in charter hours flown. The EJM fleet, which numbers more than 100 aircraft, flew 28,451 flights, 2,150 of which were international. The company predicted that revenues will be up more than 25 percent in 2005 as new offices in San Jose, Calif. and Teterboro, N.J. and an expanding outside sales force continue to bring in business.
