BAE Model BAe 146 and Model Avro 146-RJ series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20729; Directorate Identifier 2002-NM-71-AD] - proposes to supersede an existing AD that currently requires revising the Airworthiness Limitations Section (ALS) of the Instructions for Continued Airworthiness to incorporate life limits for certain items and inspections to detect fatigue cracking in certain structures.
PAMELA WICKHAM was appointed vice president of communications and corporate affairs for Raytheon Company. Wickham previously was vice president, corporate communications for Hewlett Packard and before that, was executive vice president for GE Healthcare.
Reflecting FAA's growing interest in Latin America, Deputy Administrator Bobby Sturgell was attending the LABACE exhibition in Brazil last week and told BA in a telephone interview Thursday that FAA Administrator Marion Blakey planned to be in Brazil within a month. "Certainly we recognize the growing importance of business aviation," Sturgell said. "As the industry becomes increasingly global, it is going to become more important for regulators to harmonize their approach.
TERRY WHITE was named branch manager for the Nashua, N.H. office of National Air Insurance Agencies. White previously was assistant vice president/Canada branch manager for AIG Aviation. He is an active pilot with commercial, multi-engine and instrument ratings.
Canadian manufacturer Bombardier posted a net loss for the second consecutive year and suspended dividend payments to holders of its common stock, but company officials were attempting to accentuate the positive in conferences with reporters and financial analysts Thursday.
While the TSA appears to be inching closer to implementing a plan to reopen Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to general aviation operations, Congress is continuing to press the agency to ensure that happens. The House Government Reform Committee Friday is slated to hold a hearing on the impact of the continuing ban on GA operations at DCA. TSA chief David Stone and officials from the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and Signature Flight Support are tentatively scheduled to testify.
Iviation, the Memphis-based aviation consultant, is offering a recurrent Human Factors and Crew Resource Management course on either April 26 or 27 at the Harvey Hotel at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. The course will cover leadership and teamwork, communication, situational awareness, decision-making, fatigue and controlled flight into terrain awareness and avoidance. For more information, visit the Web site at www.iviation.com or e-mail [email protected].
GA, CHARTER ACCIDENT RATES DROP IN 2004, NTSB SAYS - The general aviation accident rate dipped to a historic low of 6.22 per 100,000 hours in 2004, according to figures released by the National Transportation Safety Board. NTSB Tuesday released preliminary accident statistics for 2004, reporting a decline in the total number of U.S. civil aviation accidents from 1,864 in 2003 to 1,715 in 2004. Fatalities overall decreased from 695 to 635. General aviation operators were involved in 1,614 accidents in 2004, down from 1,741 in 2003.
BAE Model BAe 146 and Avro 146-RJ series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20757; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-192-AD] - proposes to require modifying the auxiliary power unit (APU) exhaust duct in the environmental control system (ECS) bay; installing new, improved insulation on this APU exhaust duct; and replacing the existing drain pipe with a new exhaust drain pipe blank. This proposed AD is prompted by a determination that the temperature of the skin of the APU exhaust duct in the ECS bay is higher than the certificated maximum temperature for this area.
FAA finalized an agreement with the National Association of Air Traffic Specialists (NAATS) union to provide career assistance to automated flight service station employees affected by the recent A-76 outsourcing decision. FAA said the agreement "benefits all parties equally" and includes "not only...a generous compensation package if they leave federal service, but also...ample time to prepare for such a transition and seek other federal employment." Kate Breen, president of NAATS, said the agreement "gives people some benefits. Is it a gold watch?
HONEYWELL NAMES TWO TO NEW LEADERSHIP POSTS - Honeywell named executives to two new posts in the company's Airframe Systems and Aircraft Landing Systems businesses. Peg Billson was named vice president and general manager of the $1.8 billion Airframe Systems business. A 13-year veteran of McDonnell Douglas, Billson joined Honeywell in 1997. She served as vice president of engineering, technology & program management for Engines, Systems & Services, and since 2003 she has been vice president and general manager of Aircraft Landing Systems.
ARINC was selected to provide its advanced flight planning services for Air Training International, which provides initial and recurrent international operations training for general aviation pilots. ARINC Direct flight planning service is based on the Sabre flight-planning engine and offers options including quick-file, advanced route planning, coded departure routes, slot request, participation in collaborative decision-making and data-lining.
Infosat Communications, a satellite telecommunications system specialist, was awarded a contract from the Alaska Department of the Interior to develop an automatic tracking system for aircraft using the Iridium satellite network for air-to-ground data link. Infosat is providing satellite data terminals compatible with the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior's Web-based tracking. The terminals, which will be installed on 28 aircraft, will provide automatic in-flight tracking of the aircraft through Iridium's short-burst data service.
BBJ, GULFSTREAM IV IN DUSTUP AT EWR - In a battle for ramp supremacy at a Signature Flight Support fixed-base operation in New Jersey, a conflict between a Boeing Business Jet and a Gulfstream IV resulted in damage to both aircraft, but no injuries.
Jet Aviation plans to open a new maintenance and fixed-base operation at the Sao Paulo, Brazil Viracopos/Campinas International Airport in late 2006. The airport, which is open around the clock, is a key gateway to the greater Sao Paulo area. Jet Aviation said airport officials plan to invest nearly $70 million in the airport over the next several years with the aim of making it "the airport of choice for the business aviation community."
CitationShares fractional ownership program introduced a 20-hour jet card that permits individuals and businesses to purchase flight time in CitationShares aircraft in 20-hour increments. Most jet card programs require a minimum purchase of 25 hours. Pricing for the 20-hour Vector JetCard begins at $75,995, which the company claims makes it "the most accessible and affordable jet card option in the industry." CitationShares is co-owned by Cessna Aircraft Company and TAG Aviation.
Carmanah named Orion Solar Solutions of Worongary, Queensland as an Australian distributor of its light-emitting diode (LED) lighting technologies. Orion will distribute Carmanah solar-powered LED lights for the aviation, marine, transit and road markets.
FAIRCHILD SA226 and SA227 series airplanes [Docket No. 99-CE-12-AD; Amendment 39-14023; AD 2005-06-13] - supersedes AD 99-06-02, which requires repetitively inspecting the wing spar center web cutout on both wings for cracks between Wing Station (WS) 8 and WS 17.5. That AD also requires repairing any area found cracked before further flight. The repair will eliminate the need for the repetitive inspections on that particular wing spar.
K.C. DOWNTOWN AIRPORT BEGINS MAJOR RUNWAY UPGRADES - The Kansas City, Mo. Aviation Department launched a two-year runway renovation program at the city's Charles B. Wheeler Downtown Airport (MKC), part of a $70 million upgrade program for one of the nation's oldest airports.
FlightSafety International's Raytheon Premier 1 business jet simulator is now operating under Level D approval at FSI's training center in Wichita, Kan. The simulator has been in place for two years, but was only approved for Level C authority while officials were "awaiting the availability of data from the maturing program to permit its upgrade to the highest FAA simulation standards," FSI said.
The Part 135/125 Aviation Rulemaking Committee, recommending various options for meeting flight and duty time regulations, broke down their "tabular recommendations" by the number of pilots flying the plane. Charts depicting recommendations for a single-pilot operation and a three-pilot crew are on Pages 151 and 152. The tabular approach is a set flight and duty time formula that the ARC believes best fits when operations have a predictable schedule.
Embraer, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer that has specialized in producing aircraft for regional airlines, is believed to be looking seriously at developing an entry in the emerging Very Light Jet (VLJ) market. See article below.
