Clay Foushee joined Zuckert Scoutt and Rasenberger as a non-attorney partner and president of the firm's consulting affiliate Farragut International. Foushee also will serve as director of government affairs for the firm. Foushee most recently was a partner in the Unisys R2A Transportation Management consulting practice. He also held senior executive positions at Northwest Airlines and was chief scientific and technical advisor for human factors at the Federal Aviation Administration.
The Federal Aviation Administration last week finalized requirements for periodic inspections and record reviews for older aircraft used in scheduled operations, but dropped some of the more costly damage tolerance mandates for Part 135 operators. The rules, published in the Feb. 2 Federal Register, makes permanent an interim final rule that FAA released in December 2002 (BA, Dec. 16, 2002/275).
Precision Aerospace signed a contract to move into a new 18,000-square-foot complex in The Offshore Group's complex in Guaymas, Mexico. Precision currently occupies space in The Offshore Group's facilities in the neighboring community of Empalme. The move will provide Precision Aerospace the space necessary to expand its operations and add precision sheetmetal services to its capabilities.
Allen Pichon is joining SheltAir Aviation Services as regional vice president with oversight of the company's operations at Orlando Executive and Clearwater/St. Petersburg. He formerly was vice president of operations for Aircraft Services International and Signature Flight Support. Pichon also has been chief operating officer for Air Force One.
Raytheon Raytheon Model Hawker 800XP airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20251; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-164-AD] - proposes to require inspecting to detect damage of certain wiring in the flight compartment, performing corrective actions if necessary, modifying certain wiring connections, and revising the airplane flight manual. This proposed AD is prompted by reports of miswiring in the power distribution system.
ADM. LOY ANTICIPATES RETURN OF NON-AIRLINE FLIGHTS TO DCA - Adm. James Loy believes that business jet charter operators will be the first non-airline operators to regain access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Meeting with a group of Aviation Week Group reporters at Department of Homeland Security headquarters Thursday afternoon, Loy told BA that "in the emotional wake of 9/11" it was understandable that the government would be "overly cautious" about letting flights back into DCA.
Bell/Agusta Aerospace Company, the joint venture of Bell Helicopter and Agusta, is relocating its headquarters from Fort Worth, Texas, to Reston, Va. The new Bell/Agusta plans to move into some 8,000 square feet of office space in mid-March. The company initially will staff 20-25 employees there. Company officials said the move "is consistent with our goal to enhance the company's visibility across the aviation industry and especially our global customer base, including the U.S.
Sullivan Higdon & Sink was selected to provide brand development services for Aerospace Products International Inc. (API), the parts distributor and logistics specialist based in Memphis, Tenn. An item in the Jan. 31 issue referred to API by its former brand, Aircraft Parts International.
The Outdoor Channel (TOC) this summer will debut a new aviation series, Wings to Adventure, which will take an in-depth look at general aviation. Cirrus Design Corp. has signed on as a sponsor for the new series, which will include profiles of airplanes, flying destinations, aviation personalities, industry history, tips and equipment reviews.
Embraer Model EMB-120 series airplanes [Docket No. 2000-NM-120-AD] - revises an earlier proposed AD that would have required initial and repetitive calibration testing of potentiometers to detect noisy signals and replacement of only those with noisy signals. This new action revises the proposed AD by reducing the compliance time for the repetitive calibration testing of the potentiometers and adding the requirement for reporting results of the calibration tests of the potentiometers and the readouts of the flight data recorder (FDR) to the airplane manufacturer.
Executive Jet Management promoted Marietta French to vice president and general manager and Devin Piacente and Donald Scanlon to operations managers, all reporting to Richard Williams, executive vice president. French, formerly director of Owner Services for NetJets, has more than 20 years of aviation experience. She will be based at EJM's facility in White Plains, N.Y. Piacente most recently was EJM's guest services concierge supervisor in White Plains, and before that, served in NetJets owner services department.
Manufacturers will deliver 2,400 new civil-use, turbine-powered helicopters during the 2005-2009 period, with corporate, emergency medical services and law enforcement markets expected to account for more than 60 percent of all new civil rotorcraft sales during the period, Honeywell said.
FAA last week designated Jamail Larkins, a 21-year-old business student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the nation's youngest aerobatic pilot, FAA Ambassador for Aviation and Space Education. As an FAA ambassador, Larkins will promote aviation and aerospace careers to young people nationwide and represent FAA's Aviation and Space Education Division at aviation events throughout 2005.
Boeing officially dubbed its 7E7 Dreamliner the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The 787 model designation follows the Boeing naming convention for its line, which began with the 707 and continued through the 777.
After holding another round of meetings with Secret Service, Transportation Security Administration and senior Administration policy-makers, National Air Transportation Association James Coyne said he is encouraged that there now is support from the necessary people to reopen Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to business aviation. The Administration has a strong desire to show things are "getting back to normal," Coyne said, and reopening DCA could signal a return to a level of normalcy, or at least "secured normalcy."
SAAB 2000 series airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2005-20244; Directorate Identifier 2004-NM-204-AD] - proposes to require 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 proposed 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.
Just one day after taking over as acting head of the Department of Homeland Security, Adm. Loy also expressed optimism that non-airline flight operations will return to DCA. See article below.
Pacific Aerospace Corporation Model 750XL airplanes [Docket No. FAA-2004-19444; Directorate Identifier 2004-CE-33-AD; Amendment 39-13960; AD 2005-03-04] - requires replacement of any type TLP-D or TLED rivets on the aileron pushrod ends and elevator control pushrod ends. This AD results from mandatory continuing airworthiness information issued by the airworthiness authority for New Zealand.
FAA EASES RESTRICTIONS ON CAMPAIGN FLIGHTS - The Federal Aviation Administration last week eased certain restrictions on Part 91 operators receiving payment for carrying state and local candidates for political office. FAA Monday released the rule to comply with a 1996 congressional mandate. The rule changes allow operators who do not hold either a Part 121 or 135 certificate to receive payments for carrying local or state candidates if the state and local election laws require such payment.
Raytheon Aircraft rolled the 400th Hawker 400XP off the assembly line late last month. Formerly called the Beechjet 400A, the aircraft was renamed the Hawker 400XP in May 2003 as part of a larger effort to reestablish the Beech and Hawker brands. RAC credited the success of sales of the aircraft in part to the fractional market. NetJets in late 2003 ordered 50 of the aircraft and added an order for 20 more six months later.
Traci Fremin was named general manager of Atlantic Aviation New Orleans Lakefront. Fremin also is director of customer development for Atlantic Aviation FBOs at New Orleans Lakefront and Louis Armstrong International Airport. Fremin joined Atlantic with 15 years of aviation customer service experience.
The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee could act on the nomination of Michael Chertoff to be the next secretary of Homeland Security as early as today, but a vote had not been firmly scheduled as of Friday. If confirmed Chertoff would fill the vacancy created by the departure of former Secretary Tom Ridge. Ridge officially left the department Tuesday, and Adm. James Loy was quietly sworn in as acting secretary in the interim.
