Operations began last week at American Eagle's new maintenance base at the Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (XNA) near Fayetteville, Ark. (BA, Nov. 24/235). The facility, which will specialize in maintaining the airline's fleet of 70-seat CRJ-700s, has 27 mechanics now, a number that is expected to rise to about 60 later this year.
SIMON ABBOTT joined Aviation Insurance Services as vice president. Abbott will be based in the company's Las Vegas corporate headquarters. He formerly was an aviation deputy underwriter at Lloyds, London.
FAA RELEASES GUIDANCE FOR FIELD APPROVAL STANDARDIZATION - Federal Aviation Administration last month released an advisory circular that provides guidance intended to help further standardize the field approval process. AC 43-210, Standardized Procedures For Requesting Field Approval of Data, Major Alterations and Repairs, provides standardized procedures for requesting field approvals. FAA noted that the guidance is not regulatory and it does not establish minimum standards.
Cirrus Design Corp., which set several records for monthly aircraft sales last year, is expected to announce that February was another record-setting month as the Duluth, Minn.-based light aircraft manufacturer logged orders for 74 more airplanes.
Cirrus Design Corp. will begin providing training this week for 250 FAA inspectors to familiarize them with composite design personal aircraft and state-of-the-art glass cockpit avionics installations for small aircraft. Cirrus officials provided presentations on new technology for about 40 FAA headquarters employees last year and the response from agency officials in Washington, D.C. was so enthusiastic that the program was expanded to include field inspectors.
NBAA endorsed FAA's proposal to incorporate Stage 4 standards recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization. "The next generation of quieter Stage 4 aircraft already is being introduced in the business aviation community, and the proposed rule would insure uniformity throughout all ICAO member states," NBAA told the agency. But NBAA also said it believed efforts by some groups pushing for a phase-out of Stage 2 aircraft under 75,000 pounds are "well beyond the scope of this proceeding, which solely is intended to harmonize the U.S.
Executive Jet Management opened a charter services office at the San Jose International Airport to serve the San Francisco area. Amanda North, who joined EJM as a regional vice president of charter services, and Beth Stebenne, charter service manager, will be based in the San Jose office.
BOEING SCALES BACK ATM UNIT WITH HAYHURST RETIREMENT - Boeing plans to pare down its Air Traffic Management unit as the division's president, John Hayhurst, retires. Hayhurst was one of the Boeing executives who was instrumental in creating Boeing ATM, which was launched in November 2000 to build upon company-wide efforts to develop next-generation air traffic technologies. Boeing is folding ATM into its Phantom Works advanced research and development unit and tapped Kevin Brown, currently ATM vice president for strategy, to take the helm of ATM.
EUROPEAN LEADERS MEET TO DISCUSS AVIATION ISSUES - A new group of mostly European industry leaders met late last month to begin discussing potential aviation issues that need to be addressed through European Aviation Safety Agency rulemaking. EASA commissioned the group, the Safety Standards Consultative Committee (SSCC), to provide recommendations on safety issues that the agency should consider. The 19-member group includes two American voices - GAMA's Barry Valentine and Boeing executive Jerry Mack, who is representing the Aerospace Industries Association.
FLEXJET JOINS COLLABORATIVE DECISION-MAKING PROGRAM - Fractional ownership provider Bombardier Flexjet joined the Industry/Federal Aviation Administration Collaborative Decision-Making (CDM) program and became the first business aircraft operator to successfully transmit flight intent data to FAA's host air traffic control system. CDM is a tool designed to bring the industry closer to free flight through the interchange of real-time traffic information between FAA and aircraft operators.
AGUSTA EXPANDING PHILADELPHIA HELICOPTER PLANT - AgustaWestland held a ceremony last week to mark the beginning of construction of a major plant expansion at company facilities in Philadelphia, Pa. The new facility, scheduled to open by the end of the summer, will provide additional space for the manufacturer and will be the site for final assembly of the Agusta A119 Koala helicopter, which is currently manufactured in Italy.
Raytheon Aircraft Company has donated another Beech Starship to an aviation museum. The latest Starship donation went to the Evergreen Aviation Museum in McMinnville, Ore., where the all-composite business aircraft will join more than 50 historic airplanes and helicopters - including Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose and an SR-71 Blackbird. The Evergreen Museum has attracted more than 500,000 visitors since it opened June 6, 2001.
Piedmont Hawthorne Aviation added four aircraft to its charter fleet: a Gulfstream III based in Norfolk, Va.; a Learjet 60 and a Beech King Air 200 based in Winston-Salem, N.C.; and a Citation III based in Greensboro, N.C. The company's charter operation now has a fleet of 43 aircraft based from Syracuse, N.Y. and Ohio down through the Carolinas, Alabama and into Texas. Piedmont Hawthorne operates 11 regional charter offices and employs more than 100 pilots in its charter business.
Signature Plating was approved as a supplier for Gulfstream aircraft. Signature will offer Gulfstream customers a variety of aircraft interior plating finishes, including chrome, nickel and 24-carat gold. Signature Plating parent Aircraft Belts has a history as a Gulfstream vendor.
The National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center at Dulles International Airport drew more than 500,000 visitors in its first 11 weeks of public operation. The museum opened officially Dec. 15 and had attracted 510,658 visitors through the end of February. By comparison, the museum's original building on the national mall in downtown Washington, D.C., drew one million visitors in the first 25 days after it opened on July 1, 1976.
SIMCOM has begun training on a new Series 10 Pilatus PC-12 training simulator at its Scottsdale, Ariz. training center. SIMCOM last fall completed renovations to accommodate the new simulator. The renovations included adding a simulator bay and classroom. SIMCOM now offers training on five simulators in Scottsdale. The PC-12 simulator was developed in concert with Pilatus Business Aircraft. Pilatus and SIMCOM previously collaborated on a PC-12 simulator for SIMCOM's Orlando center.
The Japanese aviation community discussed plans last week to convert Nagoya International Airport into Japan's first airport dedicated for business aviation use. Commercial airlines currently operating at the airport will move to the new Chubu International Airport once it opens, likely next year, freeing up Nagoya for other uses. U.S.
Bellingham Fuel Service, based at Bellingham International Airport in Washington, has joined the Avfuel network of dealers. Bellingham, a flight school established in October 2002, last month expanded operations to include air taxi and fuel service. The owner, Fred Knutzen, has a 40-year background in aviation and also owns Aqua Seaplane Service near Mt. Vernon, Wash.
A Bombardier Global Express business jet struck a bird while taking off from the Westchester County Airport in White Plains, N.Y. (HPN) Wednesday, and the crew returned to land at HPN. The aircraft, N404VL, landed without further incident and taxied to the ramp. Initial examination revealed damage to the right engine.
FAA's internet-based public meeting on its air tour proposal has generated more than 750 responses, most of which are vehemently opposed to the rule. The Internet opposition is in addition to the more than 1,700 comments formally filed into the public docket (BA, Jan. 19/24).
Aircraft Shopper Online is launching a new service that would allow people to search for shares of co-owned aircraft through a geographically based listing online. Buyers will be able to pull up a list of shares for sale in their area by entering a zip code, ASO said, adding that sellers will benefit because they will be able to connect with buyers through means other than posting a notice at the local FBO.
SUMMARY: Pursuant to FAA's rulemaking provisions governing the application, processing, and disposition of petitions for exemption (14 CFR Part 11), this notice contains a summary of certain petitions seeking relief from specified requirements of the Federal Aviation Regulations (14 CFR Chapter I), dispositions of certain petitions previously received, and corrections. The purpose of this notice is to improve the public's awareness of, and participation in, this aspect of FAA's regulatory activities.
Regional Air Cargo Carriers Association established a cargo security committee to exchange information and make recommendations on improving smaller cargo operator security. Jeanne Cook, vice president and chief pilot of Bankair, is chairing the new committee, which also includes Bill Womick of IBC Airways, John Hazlet of Ameriflight, Geoff Gallup of Suburban Air Freight and RACCA President Stan Bernstein.
PRC-Desoto, the aerospace unit of PPG Industries, signed a contract with Groco Specialty Coatings under which PRC-DeSoto will be an exclusive distributor of Groco's Transseal temporary protective coatings, coatings removers and dyes to aerospace manufacturers worldwide. The Groco products will be distributed from the PPG Aerospace Global network of 16 application support centers.
