EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model AS350B, BA, B1, B2, B3, C, D, D1, and EC130 B4 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2004-19038; Directorate Identifier 2004-SW-24-AD; Amendment 39-13964; AD 2005-03-08] - requires removing and modifying the fuel bleed lever. This amendment is prompted by some cases of loss of the fuel bleed lever in flight. If the tension of the control cable is too low, the cable may vibrate out of its notch, resulting in the fuel bleed lever separating from the hinge.
RAYTHEON Model DH.125, HS.125, and BH.125 Series airplanes; BAe.125 Series 800A (C-29A and U-125) and 800B airplanes; and Hawker 800 (Including Variant U-125A) and 800XP airplanes; equipped with TFE731 Engines [Docket No. FAA-2004-19561; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-50-AD; Amendment 39-13972; AD 2005-03-16] - requires installing insulating blankets on the engine compartment firewall and the wire harness passing through the firewall fairlead.
AirCell is offering a new flight tracking service for customers of its airborne telecommunication systems. Customers can track aircraft equipped with AirCell's Iridium-based satcom system on the ground through Flight Explorer software. The AirCell satellite transceiver and a tracking controller transmit GPS position data over the Iridium satellite network at customer-selected intervals. Customers on the ground can view the aircraft with weather overlays, generate alerts and record events using Flight Explorer.
THE NEW PIPER AIRCRAFT PA-34 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2004-19960; Directorate Identifier 2004-CE-47-AD] - proposes to supersede AD 93-24-14, which currently requires repetitively replacing the bolt and stack up that connect the upper drag link to the nose gear trunnion. This proposed AD is the result of many service difficulty reports related to the collapse or inadvertent retraction of the nose landing gear (NLG).
Bizjet International received FAA approval to become an authorized Rolls-Royce overhaul facility for the Tay MK 611-8 engine. Tulsa, Okla.-based Bizjet is now authorized to do overhauls on both the Spey MK 511-8 and Tay MK 611-8 powerplants.
AAR is selling its Engine Component Repair business unit to Chromalloy Gas Turbine Corp., a unit of Sequa Corp. Chris Richardson, president and chief operating officer of Chromalloy Aircraft Engine Services, said the combination of the AAR unit with the existing Chromalloy repair operations in Wallingford, Conn. "will provide important economies of scale and lead to enhanced service to our aerospace customers."
BOMBARDIER Model CL-600-2B19 (Regional Jet Series 100 & 440) airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20353; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-255-AD] - proposes to require installing additional shielding of the hydraulic lines in the wing box area. This proposed AD is prompted by the determination that the additional hydraulic line shields will protect the lines from possible impact by tire debris if the tire tread fails.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) last week asked Transportation Security Administration chief David Stone whether this is the right time to impose a 120 percent security fee hike on air travelers, saying, "There's no such burden on other people who use other forms of transportation, and I think that's wrong." Stone said he believes the idea of adopting a user fee approach across different modes of transportation "merits review" because "it really has to be a shared responsibility.
FORMER HAI, RTCA EXECUTIVE FRANK JENSEN DIES - Frank Lewis Jensen, Jr., 76, a decorated Army veteran who spent more than 20 years heading two Washington-based aviation trade and technical associations, died Feb. 12. Jensen began his military career at 15, when he joined the U.S. Navy in 1943, becoming a combat aircrewman. After World War II, Jensen joined the U.S. Army, graduating with honors from Officer Candidate School and serving as a parachutist in the Korean War with the 187th Airborne Regimental Combat Team.
An article about a new 25-hour combination card being offered by Marquis Jet that provides 12.5 hours in each of two different aircraft types in the NetJets fleet, misstated the aircraft involved. One combination card permits users to split their 25 hours between a Citation Excel/Hawker 400XP while the other offers a Citation X/Citation Excel combination.
EUROCOPTER FRANCE Model EC 155B, EC155B1, SA-360C, SA-365C, SA-365C1, SA-365C2, SA-365N, SA-365N1, AS-365N2, AS 365 N3, and SA-366G1 helicopters [Docket No. FAA-2005-20294; Directorate Identifier 2004-SW-39-AD; Amendment 39-13965; AD 2005-03-09] - requires an initial and repetitive borescope inspection of the main gearbox (MGB) planet gear carrier or an initial and repetitive visual inspection of the MGB planet gear carrier for a crack. Replacing any MGB that has a cracked planet gear carrier is required before further flight.
John Bax was appointed chief financial officer for Sentient Jet, a provider of private jet membership programs. Bax most recently was vice president of planning and analysis at Wal-Mart, and before that was chief financial officer of Walmart.com. Bax also has served as senior manager in the audit and center for strategic transactions practices at Ernst & Young. He received a bachelor of science degree in accounting and a master's in business administration from Oklahoma State University.
Gulfstream Aerospace signed an agreement making it an official sponsor of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, which the aircraft manufacturer said is "the second most watched sport on network television in the United States." The sponsorship will result in a variety of cooperative advertising, public relations and hospitality endeavors that include customer, supplier and employee-related opportunities.
DORNIER Model 328-300 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20345; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-101-AD] - proposes to require installing a drain hole in the lower skin of the left- and right-hand elevator horns. This proposed AD is prompted by reports of water found in the elevator assembly. FAA is proposing this AD to prevent water or ice accumulating in the elevator assembly, which could result in possible corrosion that reduces the structural integrity of the flight control surface, or in an unbalanced flight control surface.
TEXAS JURY SAYS LYCOMING SHOULD PAY FOR CRANKSHAFT PROBLEMS - A Texas jury found engine manufacturer Textron Lycoming guilty of fraud and said the company's design of crankshafts was the "sole cause" of some 24 inflight crankshaft failures affecting airplanes built by Cessna Aircraft and Piper Aircraft. The Grimes County District Court jury also ordered Textron Lycoming to pay nearly $100 million to Interstate Southwest, Ltd., a Lycoming subcontractor based in Navasota, Texas.
Honeywell added some 5,000 oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico and 4,000 land-based European structures to its terrain databases for helicopter Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems. The EGPWS uses GPS transmissions to compare aircraft position with the built-in terrain database to provide a moving map display. The system will provide a warning if the aircraft nears an obstacle or terrain.
Jet Source remodeled its fixed-base operation at McClellan-Palomar Airport in Carlsbad, Calif. The remodeling included new paint, carpeting, furniture, solar power and energy-efficient lighting. The remodeling includes a pilot's media room equipped with a 100-inch projection screen, leather recliners, satellite television and a library of DVDs. Jet Source provides aircraft charter, management, maintenance, avionics, ramp service, fuel sales and aircraft sales and acquisition services.
March 8-10 - National Air Transportation Association/Professional Aviation Maintenance Association GSE Aviation Services and Suppliers AS3 Supershow, Sands Expos & Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev., (703) 845-9000 March 10-12 - 16th Annual International Women in Aviation Conference, Adam's Mark Hotel, Dallas, Texas, (386) 226-7996 March 14-16 - 17th Annual Flight Safety Foundation European Aviation Safety Seminar, Sheraton Warsaw Hotel and Towers, Warsaw, Poland, (703) 739-6700
The strong market for business jets is no surprise to the National Business Travel Association, which represents corporate travel managers. In 2002, some 26 percent of NBTA's members responded in the affirmative when asked in a formal survey if their company used "corporate jets, chartered aircraft or fractional jet ownership." The same question went up on NBTA's Web site about 10 days ago. As of Friday, 56 percent of more than 90 respondents said their employers were using those forms of transportation to help meet company travel needs.
CHERTOFF TAKES REINS OF DHS - General aviation groups last week were lining up to get on Michael Chertoff's schedule after he was officially sworn in Tuesday as the second secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. The Senate confirmed the nomination of Chertoff Tuesday to succeed Tom Ridge, who stepped down Feb. 1.
Cessna Aircraft maintained its position as the world's largest producer of single-engine, piston-powered light aircraft, but it may be only a matter of time before the Wichita and Independence, Kan. plane maker is dethroned by Cirrus Design Corp. of Duluth, Minn. Aircraft production has steadily increased over the past several years and the company delivered 553 new airplanes in 2004, just 101 behind Cessna's 654.
Safe Flight Instrument Corp. developed a landing light status annunciator that informs helicopter pilots whether their aircraft's landing light is on or off. The annunciator will display LDG LT FAIL if the landing light is not working or turned off. A green annunciator displays LDG LT ON when the switch is on and the light is working. The annunciator is designed as a plug-in replacement on the existing landing light relay on the Bell 206 Jet Ranger and other helicopters.
